#yes there should be checks on capitalism and you should pay taxes but no i dont think we'd be at piece in a commie society lol
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i hate to be all politics on the main but as a clarification: i largely disagree with communism, i think a strong united eu is important and there needs to be more uniformization of business and tax laws to avoid the economic pitfalls of tax havens and jungle capitalism and im socially liberal lol i just don't think its viable for the eu to be disarmed/let the us pay for europe demilitarizing. when i say im centrist on a lot of issues i don't mean human rights lol.
#“but linia how can communism be bad when i have house in communism” i dont disagree with social policies i just think um#when a society will exist just to pay for the elderly to mooch off systems and not allow for innovation of any kind#that is first of all SOCIAL stagnation second all economic stagnation#regardless of if we like it or not i think the world is largely individualist and socialism would thus punish more than it benefits#yes there should be checks on capitalism and you should pay taxes but no i dont think we'd be at piece in a commie society lol
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I frequently think about an AU where Ferengi are not a culture that never outgrew capitalism. They just managed to make it work. Like, really, really work.
There's a minimum and maximum wage for every profession. Working for free is illegal for both the employer and the employee. Every business and every product is highly regulated in terms of both price and quality standards.
Nothing is free (except for every citizen's first bank account) and there are no safety nets, but every ten year old has both school and a state-arranged paid apprenticeship. By the time a Ferengi finishes schooling at 20, they have a nest egg, and are on track to have a career. Every graduate can afford a basic standard of living.
"Theft of labor" is an extremely serious crime. People working for free drives wages down, meaning less disposable income, and less potential for profit. Hell no!
Moogie isn't naked and enslaved inside the home. She does housework and childcare. Moogie gets a paycheck.
It isn't, "you force your females to wear clothing!" It's, "you don't even pay your OWN wife to watch your OWN children! ..... diss-GUSTING!"
As the spiritual goals of the society include prosperity for all, and putting every citizen to their best and highest use, the idea that considerations other than your talents and ingenuity should dictate your fate seems simply irrational.
During the occupation of Bajor, the Ferengi, who run most of the quadrant's hospitality industry, institute extra taxes, fees, and embargoes against Cardassia, and Guls in particular. When the occupation is over, labor officers from Ferenginar cut people who did unpaid labor a check.
It's not a hand-out, or charity. That would be despicable. No, it's just back wages that they took out of Cardassia's hide.
A popular children's show on Ferenginar is "Bogie's Warehouse." In this show, a cartoon business person (Bogie) running a discount warehouse that sells everything, faces weekly challenges in making profit.
One week, wheelchair users can't get in to make purchases, and Bogie has to make the warehouse accessible to sell them things and get their money. Another week, visitors from another world who are allergic to snuff beetles are visiting, but the employees still want to take their snuff breaks! Bogie has to think up a clever solution to accommodate both the workers and the customers.
Does this society still have problems? OH Yes. But it's more nuanced and explores the potentials and failures of capitalism in a more nuanced way.
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Yes, and:
It's not what ethical AI really means. It's what you want it to mean in order to have an extra opportunity to say how bad capitalism is - and, fair enough, it is. But you've just dismissed a whole sphere of philosophy in order to once again make the same political point that your viewers are well familiar with. And it saddens me.
It saddens me, as a leftist-rationalist that the left in general seems to be unable to engage with AI alignment topic on its own terms. It saddens me as a philosopher, that we seem to be loosing ability to talk about philosophy in non political terms. It saddens me, as a regular Philosophy Tube viewer, that you are failing in the same way.
Yes I know, that everything has a political aspect to it, yes I know, that it's important, and that it's a mistake when this aspect is dismissed. And yet, it is also a mistake to ignore all the other aspects! You can't solve AI alignment by explaining how bad capitalism is. You can't prevent AI Doom scenario by pointing to climate change. You didn't solve all the coordination problems by saying: "unionize!". Even if we lived in a carbon neutral communist utopia the problems of AI alignment would still be unsolved. They deserve to be addressed on their own. It's not an either or situation.
On a related note. When corporations are doing regular capitalist stuff, claiming that their product is obviously good and unproblematic, and how harmful are any regulations for everybody, the left correctly points out how it's not the case and that we need regulations, checks and balances and, actually, wealth redistribution. But it seems that a lot of us have generalized this as "always say the opposite of what the corporations say" and it leads to weird places. Now we have a CEO openly claiming that their product is potentially dangerous, that there have to be regulations and proposes a huge economic reform with a progressive taxation system (check who owns most of the land), redistributing economic gains and fixing worst offenses of capitalism. And instead of being vindicated, and taking this golden opportunity to make a huge improvement over the status quo, most leftists are caught flat footed and try to come with galaxy brain takes how it's all somehow a crypto scam and a reverse psychological trick to actually pay less taxes and have less regulations. When you propose UBI in the end of one of your videos, it's a cool radical idea. But when you find out that actually some people in power are in favor of it too, you are immediately proclaim it as not radical enough. As if you are not actually interested in having your ideas implemented.
Please, think about it. Learn more about Georgism. Read "Progress and Poverty". Or at least "The Land is a Big Deal". It may not be the communist utopia we all hope for, but it's at least a huge step in the right direction (and it doesn't necessary have to be the only one), significantly improving the situation with climate change as well (fossil fuels are part of the land). It has tractable way to be implemented and potential support from all parts of society. Yes, you won't be able to look cool while posing with a hammer and smashing things, but it's a sacrifice we should be willing to make. Because what's the alternative proposal? Wait till half of the Philippines are under water? And then maybe marxist revolution just happens itself and leads to a good outcome this time, instead of instantiating more power hungry dictators? Do you honestly think that the risks and the costs of such political program are worth it?
Yes, there is no ethical anything under capitalism, for a specific definition of "ethical". The concerns you raise are valid and the problems you want to talk about, deserve to be discussed. But please, don't use them as a framing device to dismiss other valid concerns, problems and solutions, that may not be your favorites. Not without engaging with them on the object level. This is not a realistic way to achieve your political goals and, most importantly, it's not good philosophy.
AI IS AN EXISTENTIAL RISK IN THE SAME WAY NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE
AI SAFETY MUST BE ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES
We should be the ones comparing Sam Altman to Oppenheimer!
TURN THIS SHIT DOWN
NEW PHILOSOPHY TUBE JUST DROPPED
What's up Tumblr-heads - new episode of Philosophy Tube is here! It's about AI: how it's made, how to make it ethical, and the time someone used it to make nonconsensual porn of me!
youtube
#ai safety#ai alignment#abigale thorn really should take more time researching topics she knows very little about#georgism#artificial general intelligence
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Why NCD Investments Are for Everyone
Ever thought about making your money work for you while keeping the risk in check? That’s precisely what Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) do. Welcome to the world of NCD investments, where everyone has the opportunity to grow their wealth, and with Muthoot FinCorp ONE, it's simpler than ever!
What Exactly Are NCD Investments?
Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) are financial instruments used by companies to raise capital from investors. They offer fixed interest rates and a specified maturity period during which the issuing company pays regular and fixed interest payments to the debenture holders. Unlike convertible debentures, NCDs cannot be converted into equity shares. Instead, investors receive periodic interest income.
Why Should You Consider Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.'s NCDs?
Here's the kicker – Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. offers NCDs that stand out from the traditional investment schemes. Here's why they're worth your attention:
1. Higher Returns
Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.'s NCDs offer higher interest rates compared to regular fixed deposit schemes or savings accounts. Imagine potentially getting higher returns on your investment – sounds good, right?
2. Regular Income Stream
With periodic interest payouts, NCDs ensure you have a steady income flow – be it monthly, quarterly, or annually. It's a smart choice for those seeking a reliable income source from their investments.
3. Diversification and Stability
Adding Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.'s NCDs to your investment portfolio diversifies your assets. They act as an alternative avenue to stocks, mutual funds, and other traditional options while providing stability due to their fixed tenure.
4. Easy Liquidity and Tax Efficiency
Listed on stock exchanges, these NCDs offer liquidity, giving you the flexibility to sell them if needed (subject to market conditions). Moreover, depending on tax regulations, you might enjoy certain tax advantages from your NCD investments.
How Can You Invest in NCDs through Muthoot FinCorp ONE?
Investing in NCDs through Muthoot FinCorp ONE is as easy as pie. Here’s a quick guide:
Log In: Access the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app or website.
Choose NCD Investments: Select the NCD investment option.
Provide Details: Enter your email address and PAN.
Select Your NCD Option: Choose from available options.
Add Your DEMAT Account: Ensure it's linked to your PAN.
UPI Address (VPA): Provide your UPI address.
Submit: Click to submit your application.
Answering Your Queries
Do I need KYC for NCD Investments? Nope, no KYC required for NCD investments.
Minimum and Maximum Investment? You can start with just Rs. 10,000 and invest up to Rs. 5,00,000 via UPI. For larger investments, visit the nearest Muthoot FinCorp branch.
Applying Multiple Times? Yes, you can apply multiple times for different options, but there's a cumulative investment limit of Rs. 5,00,000.
Canceling Applications? Absolutely! You can cancel your application within the open bidding window, usually taking up to 24 working hours for confirmation.
See? NCD investments with Muthoot FinCorp ONE are tailor-made for everyone – whether you're a seasoned investor or just dipping your toes into the investment world. It's simple, flexible, and offers a secure way to make your money grow.
About Muthoot FinCorp ONE
Muthoot FinCorp ONE is an all-in-one digital financial platform that makes getting an MSME & a Gold Loan, investing in Digital gold & NCDs, making payments & remittances, buying insurance & exchanging forex, simple and convenient.
As an SBU of Muthoot FinCorp Limited, Muthoot FinCorp ONE is backed by a legacy stretching back over 135 years, and the trust of more than 1 crore customers and is building a holistic financial ecosystem using the latest digital products for lending, investing, protection and payments.
Muthoot FinCorp ONE continues to uphold the values of the parent, the Muthoot Pappachan Group (Muthoot Blue) by providing its customers with easily accessible services, replete with unmistakable quality. The Muthoot Pappachan Group is among India’s most reputed names in the financial services industry, with customers in diverse segments like Automotive industry, Financial Services, Hospitality, Alternate Energy, Real Estate, and Precious Metals.
So what are you waiting for? Head to the Play Store and download the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app. You can also visit the website today to know more.
Alternatively, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn to stay tuned to our latest offerings.
Chat on Whatsapp | Branch Locator | Email us - [email protected] | Download App
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Navigating Tax Guidelines for Financial Securities: A Comprehensive Guide
🛡️"Securities" commonly denote financial instruments such as bonds, debentures, and other investments generating interest income. Explore crucial tax guidelines influencing your securities and investments. 🏢✨
Step-by-Step Procedure for Navigating Tax Guidelines for Financial Securities:
Understand Your Securities: Familiarize yourself with your financial securities, such as bonds, debentures, and investments generating interest income.
Research Tax Laws: Stay informed about your jurisdiction's latest tax regulations related to financial securities.
Review Investment Portfolio: Assess your investment portfolio and identify securities subject to specific tax guidelines.
Consult Tax Experts: Seek guidance from tax professionals to clarify doubts and get personalized advice.
Keep Records: Maintain detailed records of your securities, transactions, and relevant financial documentation.
Documents Required for Navigating Tax Guidelines for Financial Securities:
Copies of financial securities
Transaction statements
Investment contracts
Tax identification documents
Benefits of Complying with Tax Guidelines:
Legal Compliance: Avoid legal complications by adhering to tax regulations.
Financial Optimization: Maximize returns by strategically navigating tax guidelines for financial securities.
Peace of Mind: Ensure peace of mind by staying on the right side of tax laws.
Latest 15 Questions and Answers:
1. How are interest earnings from bonds taxed?
Interest earnings are generally subject to income tax.
2. Are there specific tax benefits for long-term investments?
Yes, long-term investments often enjoy favourable tax treatment.
3. How does capital gains tax apply to securities?
Capital gains tax is applicable when selling securities at a profit.
4. Can losses from securities be used to offset other income?
In some cases, yes. Consult with a tax expert for specifics.
5. What is the tax treatment for dividends received from securities?
Dividends may be subject to tax, depending on various factors.
6. Are there tax exemptions for certain types of securities?
Some securities may qualify for tax exemptions; check the applicable laws.
7. How often should I review my investment portfolio for tax implications?
Regularly review your portfolio, significantly when tax laws change.
8. Can I claim deductions for investment-related expenses?
Certain expenses related to managing your investments may be deductible.
9. What are the tax implications of selling securities at a loss?
Offsetting capital gains is sometimes possible using capital losses.
10. Are there special considerations for foreign securities?
Yes, tax implications may vary for international investments.
11. How do tax-deferred investments affect my tax liability?
Tax deferral allows you to postpone paying taxes until later.
12. Are there tax credits available for specific types of investments?
Investigate potential tax credits for certain investments.
13. Can I minimize taxes through strategic timing of security sales?
Strategic timing can impact the amount of capital gains tax.
14. What reporting obligations do I have regarding my securities for tax purposes?
You may need to report income and transactions to tax authorities.
15. How can I ensure compliance with changing tax laws for securities?
Stay informed, seek professional advice, and update your strategy accordingly.
Conclusion:
Navigating tax guidelines for financial securities is a nuanced process. By understanding the rules, maintaining accurate records, and seeking professional guidance, you can optimize your financial position and ensure compliance with tax laws. Remember, knowledge is key to making informed financial decisions. 📊💡 #TaxGuidelines #FinancialSecurities #SmartInvesting
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#TaxGuidelines#FinancialSecurities#TaxTips#InvestmentTax#CapitalGains#TaxPlanning#FinancialAdvice#WealthManagement#TaxationRules#SecuritiesInvestment#TaxEfficiency#AssetManagement#TaxStrategy#InvestmentStrategies#FinancialLiteracy
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Common Questions While Filing Income Tax Return
Understanding Income Tax Return (ITR) Filing
An Income Tax Return (ITR) is a form that taxpayers file with the tax authority to report their income and tax payments. The ITR form is used to calculate the taxpayer’s tax liability, schedule tax payments, or request refunds for the overpayment of taxes.
In India, the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Income Tax Rules, 1962, obligate citizens to file returns with the Income Tax Department at the end of every financial year. These returns should be filed before the specified due date. Every Income Tax Return Form is applicable to a certain section of the Assesses. Only those Forms which are filed by the eligible Assesses are processed by the Income Tax Department of India.
Different types of ITR forms and their applicability
India’s Income Tax Department categorizes taxpayers based on their income sources and assesses the category. There are seven types of ITR forms for individuals: ITR 1, ITR 2, ITR 3, ITR 4, ITR 5, ITR 6, and ITR 7. ITR 1 is for residents with income from salaries and other sources, ITR 2 for those without business income, and ITR 4 for those using the presumptive taxation system. ITR 3 is for individuals or Hindu Undivided Families with income from proprietary businesses or professions, ITR 5 for firms, LLPs, AOPs, and BOIs, and ITR 6 for companies not claiming exemption under section 11. ITR 7 is for persons including companies required to furnish returns under sections 139(4A), 139(4B), 139(4C), or 139(4D).
In India, the due date for filing ITRs is usually July 31st of the assessment year. However, for the financial year 2022-23, the due date for filing ITRs has been extended to September 30th, 2023.
It is important to note that the due dates for filing ITRs can vary depending on the type of taxpayer and the country of residence. Taxpayers should consult with their best Income Tax Return Filing Agency in Kochi, Kerala, Chennai, India, to determine the specific due dates that apply to them.
Here are some general FAQs which are useful in uploading ITR:
Do I need to file an income tax return even if my taxable income is below the threshold limit?
Yes, you do. If your total aggregate income is up to ₹2.5 lakhs, you don’t have to file a return. However, if your income exceeds ₹2.5 lakhs, return filing becomes mandatory. Even if, after deductions and rebates, your taxable income is reduced to an amount below ₹2.5 lakhs, you will have to e-file an income tax return stating your income, its sources, the available deductions, and rebate. Though you will not have to pay tax, return filing is mandatory
Which income tax form should I use for filing income tax?
The form to be used for filing income tax returns depends on the source and amount of income. For example, ITR-1 (Sahaj) is for individuals having income from salary, one house property, family pension income, agricultural income (up to ₹5000/-), and other sources, which include interest from savings accounts, deposits, income tax refund, enhanced compensation, and any other interest income.
What are the types of income that shall not form part of the total income?
Some types of income that are exempt from tax and do not form part of the total income include agricultural income up to ₹5,000, long-term capital gains on sale of equity shares or units of equity-oriented mutual funds, dividend income up to ₹10 lakhs, and interest income up to ₹50,000 for senior citizens.
What precautions should I take while filing the return of income?
Some precautions to take while filing the return of income include downloading AIS and Form 26AS and checking the actual TDS / TCS / tax paid, reconciling any discrepancies with the employer / tax deductor / bank, and carefully studying the documents to be referred to when filing the ITR, like bank statement / passbook, interest certificates, receipts to claim exemptions or deductions, Form 16, Form 26AS (Annual Information Statement), investment proofs, etc.
How can I e-verify my income tax return?
There are several ways to e-verify your income tax return, including using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, bank account-based validation, and demat account-based validation.
What are the consequences of not filing an income tax return?
If you are required to file an income tax return but fail to do so, you may be liable to pay a penalty of up to ₹10,000. Additionally, you may not be able to carry forward losses or claim refunds in future years.
Filing an Income Tax Return is an important obligation for taxpayers to fulfill. Taxpayers should be aware of the different types of ITR forms and their applicability, as well as the due dates for filing ITRs, to avoid any penalties or fines. We are the best Income Tax Consultants in Kochi, Kerala, Chennai, India, we are a team of professional who can help you with all your Income Tax Return related queries.
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GST Certification Course and Complete Guide to GST
"What is the GST Certification Course?"
Before getting into what is GST course, I want to provide a comprehensive understanding of the short-term term GST.
Everyone has an opinion about whether GST simplifies the taxes system or not. I'm providing you with information so you may form your view. Later in this post, I will explain "what is GST Certification Course" is and assist you in finding better online GST courses in Indore with certifications.
What exactly is GST?
Good night, Sweet dreams, and Take care in the whole form. I'm joking, of course. GST is a broad subject to cover. But I'll attempt to explain it to you in as few words as possible. To begin, GST is an initial Goods and Services Tax.
The federal government collects two types of taxes. They are as follows: -
Direct Tax: In this case, the government directly collects taxes from citizens, such as income tax, property tax, company tax, and so on.
Indirect Tax: Indirect taxes are levied on the purchase and sale of goods. Previously, there were 17 other types of indirect taxes, and the government merged all of them with the appropriate GST. As a result, GST is a mix of indirect taxes.
There were several taxes in India before the implementation of the GST. We had EXCISE TAX, service tax, customs tax, VAT (Value Added Tax), CST (Central Sales Tax), OCTROI, and a slew of additional taxes. So, to simplify all of the tax complexities, our government devised GST. On July 1, 2017, India's Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi Ji, unveiled the ONE NATION ONE TAX policy known as the Goods and Services Tax.
Our Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi Ji, has stated that GST will bring One Nation, One Tax, however, you must have seen this on any of your restaurant bills, mart bills, or any other bill. There are two or three taxes mentioned: the CGST tax, the SGST tax, and the IGST tax. So, does it adhere to the One Nation, One Tax policy? Yes, there are several components of GST, which include CGST, SGST, IGST, and UT- GST.
CGST is for Central Goods and Services Tax, SGST stands for State Goods and Services Tax, IGST stands for Integrated Goods and Services Tax, and UT- GST stands for Union Territory Goods and Services Tax.
I'm just summarizing these phrases with an example to help you understand them. In my viewpoint, you should buy an online course. If the course provider is also from your state, he will charge you CGST + SGST. That is, the state government will keep 9% of the tax, while the remaining 9% would be transferred to the Central Government's taxation budget.
Furthermore, if the course provider is not from your state, they will charge IGST, which is an 18% integrated tax. Now we come to UT-GST, which applies to all Union territories. We have nine union territories in all (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Jammu, and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, and Puducherry).
In UT- GST, you must additionally pay 18% tax on your goods and services, with 9% retained by the Union Territory and 9% transferred to the Central Government. Because the Central Government oversees the states, interstates, and union territories, 9% of GST is always transferred to them. You may now check your prior statement to see if they charged CGST+SGST or just IGST.
GST Registration Information
You're probably wondering who will charge GST at this point. Is GST applicable to everyone who provides GOODS or SERVICES? The watchman in your building, for example, or the rickshaw driver, are both qualified to charge GST since they provide services to us. As a result, the response is No, this is not the scenario. It has a registration procedure. Only once you have completed the registration process will you be able to charge the GST. Furthermore, the registration process necessitates the use of minimal criteria. And whether anybody who meets the criteria is eligible to register for GST and charge GST.
For businesses, the minimum annual revenue is 20 lakhs. If someone is operating a business and their annual turnover is 20 lakhs, he or she must register for GST registration. And if a person's annual sales are less than 20 lakhs, he can still register for GST, but this is known as voluntary registration. Another essential aspect to highlight is that whenever someone sells items or services online or conducts interstate commerce, they must register for GST regardless of their turnover. When it comes to the internet, the 20 lakh turnover hurdle just vanishes. Again, these are extremely fundamental aspects; the narrative of GST and its Registrations is vast.
FORMS FOR GST:
A few pieces of paperwork are presently required to be filled out by businessmen. They are GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B, respectively. Just a short description. GSTR-1 is the form on which a businessman would communicate all of the facts of their business income from one business to the next and from one business to the client. GSTR-3B is a bit difficult, but I'll attempt to describe it as simply as possible.
Let me give you an example. You are a person who is selling some X product for 100 rupees and you have collected 18 rupees from your customer. You have also purchased this X product from some wholesale market at some price and you as a customer to the wholesaler have paid to suppose 8 rupees as a GST, so you are only supposed to pay the government 10 rupees as a tax. Now, in this form, you will give all of the information about how much GST you received from your clients and how much you paid as a consumer. I hope you understand what I mean.
Now we get to the main point: "What is a GST certification course?"
The answer is the same as the question's proposed name. It will provide you with a thorough understanding of GST and its many features. It will enhance your abilities and add a star to your résumé.
These are a few online GST classes in Indore that I found after a lot of searching, and I'm just providing them here for your convenience with all of the course details: -
Initiative Institute of Professional Training & Research(IIPTR) is a well-known and prominent online education company. In their precisely constructed Master GST Practitioner course, the institute provides an in-depth curriculum on GST. The GST training in Indore consists of studying the essential components of the GST Modules. The modules' implementation offers hands-on learning.
This intense training covers everything from the tiniest intricacies of GST to the significant components.
The course syllabus contains
Module -1
GST
Types of GST
Exemptions in GST
GST Registration
Concept of supply under GST
Concept of Place of Supply
Concept of time of supply and Valuation under GST
Concept of branch Transfer
Export & Import in GST
Types of Invoices and Invoice format
Computation of GST
Input Tax Credit and set off
Concept of Reserve charge mechanism and compliance
Recording GST Liability
Filing of GST returns
Eway Bill requirement & compliance
E-Invoicing
Composition Scheme in GST
Tax computation, payments, and reports
GST annual return
GST Audit
Module-2
1- Detailing training on GST Software of partner GST for payment and filing of GST.
2- Training on how to successfully run your business and client relations.
Initiative Institute of Professional Training & Research (IIPTR) in Indore will assist you in understanding GST and becoming an effective and confident GST Practitioner. Connect with a GST specialist at the institute to determine your eligibility for the course. All of your doubts will be answered, and you will be able to decide whether you want to pursue the online GST Course in Indore.
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Let’s talk about the legality of AO3 a non-profit organization and what that means for your donation dollars, shall we? I have seen...way too many posts on my dash knocking AO3 and I thought I’d just write something up instead of adding to yet another misinformed post. Here we go.
I’m not a CFO, but I am a business graduate, work at a for-profit organization with a similar governance structure as AO3, and I spend two months of each year assessing the fiscal health of non-profit organizations. In that volunteer work I look at: how efficiently volunteer dollars are being spent, whether the agency is meeting their targets in terms of people served, the overall organizational heath, and efficacy of services rendered.
All boring, but essentially it’s making sure donations go to the healthiest organization with the fittest program.
AO3 is a 501(c) corp. “A 501c3 is considered a charity, and the IRS allows donors to take a tax deduction for contributions of goods, cash and other assets.” This type of organization “can make a profit from its operations, but if the entity consistently makes a significant annual profit, the IRS might remove its tax-exempt status. For this reason, tax-exempt organizations try to operate at or near a break-even basis.” (x)
This is just, the basic legal requirement. They make too much money, they lose non-profit status. As a non-profit could pay staff. In fact, AO3 makes a distinction between volunteers and staff. Does this mean anyone at AO3 is profiting? From the FAQ:
"The OTW is an all-volunteer organization, so everyone serving is doing so on voluntary basis. At the same time, our roles have differing levels of responsibility and commitment, which we distinguish by using the terms volunteer and staff.Generally, a volunteer serves as part of a pool (e.g. tag wranglers, coders, testers, translators) or a workgroup with specific and focused tasks to complete. Pool volunteers typically are not required to attend meetings; workgroup volunteers may be expected to do so. Volunteers do not hold a vote within their respective committee unless they also serve as committee staff.Staff serve on an OTW committee, are expected to attend meetings, and actively participate in committee business and projects. The time required of staff is often higher than for volunteers. Also, after nine months of service as staff, an individual is eligible to run for a seat on the Board of Directors.”
and
“No, no one in the Organization for Transformative Works receives monetary compensation for their work.”
These aren’t just claims AO3 can make arbitrarily. Non-profits are sometimes subjected to the roughest financial scrutiny during a financial audit. Lying about this and getting caught would result in hefty fines or even the loss of the non-profit status, which would kill the site. Immediately. I checked, and AO3 does an independent financial audit every year, as well as files financial statements. They aren’t lying or hiding money.
Additionally, if you know anything about corporation governance structure, AO3 is run by board and committee. No one person can make financial decisions, and no one person can secretly siphon off donations.
“The Board treasurer is specifically responsible for the creation and implementation of the OTW’s budget, but the Board must vote to approve the budget, as well as any unplanned expenditures. For smaller transactions, the Board will delegate responsibility to OTW’s committees to determine what goods and services may be necessary.”
Each board member, legally, has a duty of care:�� "directors and officers of a corporation in making all decisions in their capacities as corporate fiduciaries, must act in the same manner as a reasonably prudent person in their position would.” What does this mean for non-profits? Board members must
1. Have a keen interest in the fiscal affairs of the nonprofit, including its overall, current financial position, the reliability of the reports the board receives, and the effectiveness of the nonprofit’s management of incoming and outgoing funds.
2. Require regular, timely and complete financial reports from internal finance staff or contract staff and expect the board to hold staff accountable for meeting the standards of timely reporting (for example, providing financial statements no later than three weeks after the close of the prior accounting period).
3. Ask critical questions about the financial reports the board receives, including budgets, periodic financial statements, the annual Form 990 and annual, sometimes audited, financial statements.
If you care to look, AO3 does...all of this. Above and beyond, actually. I looked. Here are their 990s, board meeting minutes, independent audits, financial statements, and prior strategic planning benchmarks.
Regarding fiscal responsibility, non-profits (healthy ones anyway) should use financial ratios to determine the health and long-term viability of the organization. Here’s a simplified version. What both of these articles (or any article worth its salt) will confirm is that it’s important to keep a reserve for future viability. AO3 calls this its “rainy day fun” or “financial reserves.”
Yes, AO3 is creating a conservative investment portfolio. Yes, they have long-term plans which include server upgrades. This isn’t predatory or misleading, this is literally business 101. The healthiest non-profit organizations don’t try to make a profit, but they are smart with the money they earn:
Step 1. Earn income (1-2 fund drives a year, completely voluntarily, stop if funds are received early. completely on par with an organization this size. Think about your NPR radio station.)
Step 2. Have a budget with enough capital for operating expenses (enough cash flow to pay bills as they come up) and a small portion for regular savings.
Step 3. Invest intelligently to keep a healthy margin in reserve for long-term strategic planning. Have a strategic plan which includes capital expenditures (investing back into the organization).
This right here? Maintaining a healthy reserve for capital expenditures? Creating a marginal income without earning too much to risk losing 501c3 status? Running on volunteers to avoid ethical concerns? That’s how you operate an organization that takes donor funds seriously, that is a good steward of its resources, and which will be here in 3, 5, 10 years.
You don’t have to donate. I’m not actually advocating either way. Just putting in my experience. There are amazing ways to support your favorite fic authors that don’t involve donating to AO3. However, if you do choose to, rest assured that it appears that AO3 is doing everything from a healthy organization perspective and that your donor dollars are treated with respect.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
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5 zero waste starting tips (getting into the mindset)
I know it can get intimidating and maybe even absurd, like, can you actually be fully 100% zero waste? The answer to me is no, no one actually can, and in our modern society it’s even less likely. It’s kinda like that quote “have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” There’s also the fact that as we all know, it’s megacorporations who are mostly responsible for polluting the planet.
That being said, it’s always a good idea to lessen one’s impact and see beyond our everyday purchases, it could also be helpful if we want to prepare for a future where, hopefully, capitalism will not be the dominant force anymore (and that’s solarpunk, baby!)
I tried to focus on tips that are, you know, free or super cheap as a starting point. Some of these may be obvious, or may be impossible to you, but I gotta start somewhere, right?
Recycling: find out how your local administration handles the waste collecting & sorting process, and start recycling if you aren’t doing it already. Are there specific benefits you can use? (example: here if you bring them your used cooking/frying oil you’ll get a tax discount). Do your local authorities collect compostable waste?
Reusing: tempted by those pretty and expensive metal water bottles? just reuse a plastic one you have for now, you can still clean it and refill it, and bring it with you wherever you go.
Drinking: is tap water safe where you live? If yes, ditch the habit of buying bottled water. You’ll save money and make less plastic waste. At least where I live, tap water is much more tested and checked than the bottled one so, you know, don’t pay for the plastic.
Shopping: bulk stores are rare and often expensive, if not intimidating. You don’t have to start with those, and there may not be any in your area. Instead, when you go to the supermarket, try to get the fruit/veggies without plastic packaging, and choose products that are not packaged in plastic. That way you’ll also focus on what you buy. In a short time you’ll feel like everyone else’s cart is full of so much (avoidable) plastic! Also, try to look for frozen food in paper/compostable packaging.
Replacing: it may be tempting to follow those lists of “zero waste essentials” who can be found around the internet, but you should start with asking yourself what is it that you actually use and would need. Also, if you want to replace something, ask around in your social circle/family. Example: I wanted some fabric handkerchief like when I was little, and I asked mom. It turned out dad isn‘t using his fabric handkerchiefs anymore so now I have a collection of gaudy colorful handkerchiefs in my drawer, ready to use. They can be washed with other clothes just fine!
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This is basically a 1000-word essay, so I’ll put this up here, but do encourage you to read, especially if we disagree and someone sent this to you in a desperate gamble to make you understand.
TLDWR: capitalism does all the ooga-booga that people say socialism does anyway, and the failings are all exactly the same and happens regardless of what economic system you use. Call it what you want, but make living independently actually possible, and the village people will be much less likely to come at you with our fucking pitchforks you idiots.
The reason I believe minimum wage is insufficient and the rich would be fine if they were more heavily taxed:
A lot of these numbers have been simplified to make it easier to follow, but other than the hypothetical 10% tax, they are all roughly accurate to what I could find researching.
If my tax rate is 10% and I make $300 dollars a week, then that leaves me with $270 a week. Take out for groceries at an average of $50 I have $220. Assuming that I don’t have any prescriptions, or rent, or cable, or gas, or utilities, or really anything else considered mandatory for adulting, then that’s not bad, right? But, most people do have those other things, so that’s not so good. So, instead, we make cuts here and there, eat less healthy, decide we probably don’t need to go to the doctor for that pain, because maybe it isn’t something serious after all, and if it is serious, we may have to miss work, and then we may get fired.
If the rich have a tax rate of 10% and make 5,000 dollars a week that gives them 4,500. They would pay more a week in taxes then I make in a week. But they would still have plenty of money to live comfortably.
Rounding down on most things here, but average rent for America is ballpark $1000 a month, mortgage rates I found reported around the same. And that is of course assuming that you qualify. Bear in mind that apartments can require that you make, for example, double the cost of living there as a security measure, and banks will turn you down if they believe your income is too low for a loan. Phone $100. Medical I won’t even presume to make an average on because insulin costs more than most gaming consoles. And I highly doubt the richest of executives is buying one of those every month. I also won’t touch cars, as gasoline prices fluctuate and mpg varies. A monthly pass for public transport, if you’re lucky enough that your city has reliable transport, averages at about $60, but closer to $100 isn’t super unusual for big cities.
So, changing that weekly take home of $270 to a monthly of 1,080 and check it against those prices. Assuming that utilities is included, which covers things as basic as trash disposal and plumbing, we are in pristine health and insurance is paid for and half way decent, which is not a given, as well as no student loans since we’re working on federal minimum wage here, we get to keep negative $80. It costs $80 more than you make at federal minimum wage to live for a month as an independent human being.
Reminder, the -$80 average I found does not include: Food, any form of health care, any utilities, clothing, internet or entertainment outside of what comes with your phone plan, transportation outside of public infrastructure, any surprise fees or expenses of any kind.
I am not touching education costs, including the additional cost of public school. I could make a whole post off the cost of public education without the rest of this depression inducing rant.
At above what Obama wanted to define as wealthy you could do that working one week a month and still have money to put back in the economy.
I grant that this was done off (just above) the federal minimum wage, so most people are probably making more money than this, especially if they’ve been in the same job for a while. But I also took the national average costs for most of the expenses. And anyone working for tips can very easily be making about half that. You also may have noticed that I didn’t include grocery in my monthly figure, because while everyone eats, the cost varies widely, and you can get free food if you need it from banks, churches, your job if you’re in that area of the service sector and lucky, etc.
Yes, if you just start printing money and handing it out, inflation is going to ruin life. But, if you redistribute existing wealth instead of letting it amass and be hoarded by a handful of individuals who basically just pass it around among themselves if they do anything, while still collecting more, then instead there would be a still largely constant amount of wealth, but it would be used instead of artificially rarified (now) or drastically devalued (creating new currency and adding it to the pile). The people who say we can’t just pay people more willy-nilly aren’t wrong unfortunately. And I can certainly understand how someone who has their life style assured struggles (whether through managing to claw up, surviving to the point where it assured by government support paid by with taxes, or some combination) to understand the plight of those who don’t without realizing the climb keeps getting steeper. Presently, people who are actively doing and creating are inevitably passing the money they earn back up to the people who do not, who pass a fraction of it back. Instead of just increasing the amount of currency, now largely a digital entity, so at least we don’t have to trade our wallets for wagons, we need to ensure circulation and assess distribution.
A lot of people don’t like the “s” word, even people on social security will talk about how socialism would destroy this nation. There are also people who believe minimum wage raising would destroy industries. They don’t think it’s fair that the rich should have to pay more. But, if the rich paid 10 cents on every dollar they brought in, they honestly might not even notice. If a person working minimum wage pays 10 cents on every dollar they make then they probably need to live with other people and pool all their recourses in a communal setting while politicians and the wealthy eat expensive meals, spend extravagantly and don’t suffer in the least, like in *insert current socialist or communist boogeyman state* but with the “average” person being aware people are living like this and not personally seeing it.
MacKenzie Scott has proven that the ultra-wealthy would not suffer from increased taxation by, essentially, cutting out the middle man and almost privatizing socialism, as absurd as that sounds. Dolly Parton is also an individual who proves that obnoxious levels of wealth are still possible while distributing wealth to those who don’t have it, though I don’t know as many of the particulars with her. I do know they both, as well as others I do not know, choose to redistribute their wealth to lower social rungs and are still fabulously wealthy.
#socialism#communism#capitalism#cost of living#rant#eat the rich#I don't even care if you do it literally#bare minimum#humanity#value of human life#democratic socialism#democratic capitalism#economy#probably just shouting into the void
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Overextension (Final Rose x Game of Thrones)
If there was one thing that Tyrion had learned in all of his games of Cyvasse against his nephew, it was the importance of not overextending. Edward was an absolute master of feigning weakness to disguise strength. Of course, what made that style of play so obnoxious was that Tyrion could never be sure when to press his advantage more sharply and when to simply nurse his lead into the endgame.
As Edward had so aptly put it: “You feel like you’re winning... right up until you aren’t.”
For weeks, Tyrion had compiled evidence that a certain Lord Petyr Baelish had been launching attacks on their businesses using a variety of means, most of them rooted in the man’s dealings in the city’s underworld. Most of these attacks had been too pitiful to truly care about, the sort of posturing that Tyrion would have expected of any ambitious lord with designs on the city’s underworld.
However, the man’s purchase of more and more brothels combined with his moves into smuggling, tax evasion, and other fraud meant that he was no longer a problem that could be ignored. It was a simple fact that a great many highborn folk frequented brothels, which meant they were prime sources of information. Since Tyrion was not an idiot, he could see the danger in letting Lord Baelish control so many such establishments.
Furthermore, the tax evasion, fraud, smuggling, and standover rackets that the man was running were beginning to have a noticeable and growing impact on businesses throughout the capital, both legal and illegal. It had gotten to the point that both Tyrion and Edward agreed that the man needed to be dealt with. of course, their exact method was still something they were discussing.
Until now.
Why only until now?
Because Tyrion was currently standing behind Deron as Ser Bronn, Markel, and Jerod fought off a band of would-be assassins in one of the seedier parts of King’s Landing. Tyrion’s lips curled. To think he’d come down here to check on some of his informants only to find them dead and these men waiting for him.
“Stay back,” Deron warned as he palmed another pair of knives. The motion was so smooth and swift that Tyrion only noticed what he’d done when the knives were already in motion, whistling through the air to bury themselves in a pair of throats. Just as quickly, another pair replaced them, and the lean man’s eyes were once more scanning the battle for another opportunity. “Your nephew would gut us all if something happened to you.”
“Yes, he would be most aggravated if I got stabbed.” Tyrion had drawn his own dagger, not that he wanted to use it. No, he’d leave the fighting to those best suited for it - and these four were most definitely suited to it.
Bronn was a blur of motion, mixing expert swordplay with the sort of roughhousing, underhanded tactics that spoke volumes of his experience. He blocked one strike and drove his knee into his opponent’s groin. As the other man crumpled, he brought the pommel of his sword down on the back of his head with skull-cracking force. A second man tried to rush him, but Bronn simply stepped to the side and drew a knife with his off hand. He drove the weapon into his opponent’s side, and the assassin gave a wheezing, shocked gasp before stumbling and collapsing against the wall of a nearby building.
The twins, Jerod and Markel fought together. Their swords rose and fell with less grace than Bronn’s, but there was a ruthless efficiency to the butchery they dealt out. The two of them fought side by side, their movements perfectly synchronised as they pushed their opponents back, switching seamlessly from one assassin to the other until they forced openings they could take advantage of. All the while, Deron hung back, keeping himself between Tyrion and the assassins, his knives lancing through the air whenever one of their opponents dropped their guard.
With a final blow from Bronn, it was all but over. Only a single assassin remained. He turned to run, but a knife caught him in the leg, and he dropped to the ground. Bronn gave Deron a grateful nod and then ambled over to the downed man, kicking him brutally in the side before turning him over and landing a punch that rattled his teeth.
“Now,” Bronn growled, tossing aside the dagger the man had tried to pull and driving his fist into his gut. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
To the man’s credit, he didn’t choose the easy option, but although Bronn wasn’t the most persuasive man in the world, Deron could be exceedingly persuasive with his knives. Tyrion gulped and looked away as Deron got to work. That left him with Jerod and Markel since Bronn was the one asking the questions.
“I’ll bet a week’s pay it was Baelish,” Jerod grumbled.
Markel nodded but didn’t say a word. In fact, Tyrion had never heard him speak although the other three somehow seemed to know what he was thinking.
“Most likely,” Tyrion murmured. “No one else has both the cause and the means to kill my informants and then try to kill me.” He nodded at the twins. “And, by the way, my thanks for dealing with those assassins.”
Jerod’s lips twitched. “We’re men of House Baratheon now, and we serve your nephew. He said to keep you in one piece, so we’ll keep you that way by hook or by crook.” He chuckled. “And you’re not a bad sort either, my lord.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Tyrion shuddered as the assassin’s screaming trailed off. “It sounds like they might be finished.”
“Aye.” Bronn walked over. “It was Baelish, all right. He wanted your informants to turn their coats. They refused. He had these bastards torture them and kill them before having them wait for you.”
“I’ll see that their families are compensated,” Tyrion replied. “Loyalty should be rewarded... and avenged.”
“Aye,” Bronn muttered. “Baelish must have lost his damn mind. By going after you like this, he’s opened himself up to the same.”
“He’s underestimating us,” Tyrion replied. “He thinks he knows what we’re capable of, so he thinks he’s ahead when he’s not.” His eyes narrowed. “This is an overextension, and he’s going to pay for it.”
X X X
Petyr Baelish was not pleased that his attempt to deal with Tyrion Lannister had failed. Those assassins had been amongst his finest, but they’d evidently been no match for the dwarf’s protectors. His lips curled. Perhaps Ser Bronn was more than some upstart mercenary who’d somehow bought himself a knighthood.
Oh well.
He controlled the brothels, and he was making inroads on the docks, to say nothing of his other schemes. The money was pouring in, and money made the world go round. Of course, money wasn’t the only thing in the world that he enjoyed. His gaze drifted to the woman who was a pale shadow of the lady he truly loved.
“Come here,” he murmured. “Catelyn.” It wasn’t her name, of course, but he could pretend, at least for a while.
He might have been a bit rougher than he intended, but a man had needs, and his frustration at his failed plan might have gotten the better of him. Still, when he closed his eyes, it was with a smile on his face. Soon... soon he’d have the money and power to put his real plans in motion. Little Finger? It was supposed to be an insult, but he’d always considered it motivation.
It wouldn’t be long before people stopped mocking him and started bowing instead.
X X X
When Petyr Baelish woke, it was to find himself in a room with five other men.
“Hello,” Tyrion Lannister drawled.
Petyr scrambled for the dagger he always kept nearby when he visited this establishment, only to find it gone. Of course. Behind Tyrion, a lean man held the dagger up and smiled. It was not a nice smile.
“Nice dagger,” the man said, handling it with the skill of an expert. “I’ll hang onto it.”
“You can have it and more,” Petyr said. “If -”
“We’re not the sort of men your coin can buy, Baelish,” the man said.
“Indeed,” Tyrion added. “These men are amongst the most loyal I can call upon.” He gestured and the man Petyr knew to be Ser Bronn walked over to stand beside the bed. Petyr was torn between trying to keep his eyes on him and watching the twins who lurked nearby as well. “You know, I was perfectly content to wage war against you in a matter fitting our respective positions. After all, we’re both men of noble standing. There was no need for our... squabbles to get so bloody. But you killed my informants, men and women sworn to me. That was your first mistake. As for your second mistake, that would be trying to kill me.”
“Yes,” Petyr said. “I might have gotten carried away there.” He looked at the door. He’d owned this establishment for years. Where were his guards? Where were his people? “But perhaps we could reach an accomodation. Payment, perhaps, for damages.”
Tyrion followed his gaze. “If you’re wondering where your people are, they won’t be coming. They’re our people now.” Tyrion chuckled, and Petyr would have tried to wipe the smirk off his lips if he hadn’t been outnumbered five to one. “You see, when people are only loyal to you because of money, all it takes is more money to have them switch sides.” His lips curled. “You’ve been a naughty boy, Petyr. The woman who runs this place? She hates your guts. And the guards? Underpaid and treated poorly.”
“What?” Petyr growled. “I raised her out of the gutter. The only reason she isn’t some common street whore is because of me!”
“Ah, right. Well, Amara is a woman of ambition, Petyr. You might have picked her up off the street, but she’s put her time to good use. She’s learned what she and her girls could be earning if you weren’t taking such a large slice of the profits, and she’s learned about what sort of enemies you’re making.” Tyrion shook his head. “There’s a saying in the Stormlands, Petyr. Only an idiot stands in the path of a storm. Well, the storm is coming, and she has no intention of being an idiot.”
“You can’t kill me,” Petyr growled. He prided himself on his quick wits, but they’d caught him off guard and flatfooted. This place was in the heart of his territory. it was supposed to be safe.
“Your third mistake, Petyr was underestimating both me... and my nephew.”
“The prince?” Petyr scoffed. “A talented boy, to be sure, but naive.”
Tyrion laughed. He actually laughed. “Oh, you poor fool. You think I run everything?”
“You don’t?” And now Petyr was worried. His informants, the information he’d paid so richly to acquire, all of it had suggested that Tyrion was closely intertwined with both legitimate and illegitimate businesses in the city.
“I’m technically the second-in-command of the most powerful merchanting group in the seven kingdoms. My nephew is the one in charge.”
Petyr’s stomach clenched. “He’s a figurehead, nothing more.”
“That’s what he wants people to think. But the ones who know him, truly know him, understand that he is more than a mere figurehead. Most of the ideas, plots, and plans are his. Me? I come up with my fair share, but a lot of what I do is ensuring that my nephew’s visions come to fruition. After all, he can’t do everything himself, and he does have to keep up appearances.” Tyrion grinned. “You made a lot of enemies rising to the top, Petyr. Too many enemies, I’d say. It wasn’t hard for us to find those enemies, as well as a great many disgruntled... employees.”
Petyr’s fists clenched. “What are you going to do?”
“Now, there’s a part of me that thinks we should just let you go. After all, you are a nobleman. Killing you would set a bad precedent. But... you did try to kill me, and that is not something that can be forgiven. Your death will also give my nephew a wonderful excuse to start reforming the gold cloaks.” Tyrion’s smile turned cold. “Yes, we know how many of them are taking your coin, and it’s not something we can tolerate any longer. Your death will simply provide us with an example of how badly the gold cloaks have failed and how desperately reform is needed.”
Petyr’s blood was cold now, like ice.
“Some of your former associates turned over records... records that will be found shortly after your death.” Tyrion sighed dramatically. “Such a pity, Lord Baelish. You were on your way home from a house of ill repute when some of your business partners decided to decided to have you killed to increase their slice of the profits. Naturally, the gold cloaks won’t be able to capture the culprits, which will make them look quite horrible. After all, you’re a childhood friend to Lady Catelyn Stark and Lady Lysa Arryn. How disgraceful that your murderers should escape unharmed.”
“You can’t do this.”
“We can, and we will.” Tyrion nodded. “Bronn, let’s get this over with.”
X X X
“It’s a disgrace,” Robert thundered. Beneath the king’s fury, Janos Slynt cowered. Edward almost felt bad for the man since what had happened to Petyr Baelish wasn’t exactly his fault. “You’ve had more than a week, and you’ve turned up nothing?”
“Your Grace,” Janos simpered. “My men and I -”
“You and your men are utter failures!” the words came from the Hand of the King himself, Lord Jon Arryn. “Petyr was one of my bannermen, and he was like a brother to my wife and her sister.”
“I -”
“Silence!” Robert boomed. His hand twitched, and Edward had a feeling that if his father had his war hammer within reach, Janos would be missing his head... and most of his torso. “I’ve put up with your stupidity until now despite Jon’s opinion because I was worried that whoever we replaced you with might be worse, but now?” He lowered his voice, and Edward winced. Unless his nose was mistaken, Janos had just soiled himself. “You have a week. Seven days. If you can’t bring Baelish’s murderers to me before then, I’ll have you banished from the city.”
“Your Grace, please -”
“A week!” Robert snarled, eyes flashing with rage. “And by all the gods, man, if you dare come before me with nothing at all, I’ll have your head mounted on the wall on a damn pike!”
As Janos scuttled off. Robert sighed and turned to Jon. “I’m sorry,” he rumbled. “You were right. We should have replaced him sooner.”
“Aye,” Jon said. “But you were right to an extent... we weren’t exactly drowning in suitable candidates earlier.”
“The city guard,” Robert shook his head in disgust. “They couldn’t guard a bloody brothel.” He rapped his knuckles on the arm of his chair. “Whether he succeeds or not, we have to replace him and many others besides. What we found out about Baelish...”
Jon covered his face with his hands. “I thought I knew the boy. He was always a good lad. To be so involved in such... dealings. I do wonder if what happened to him with Brandon Stark changed him. Still... I’ll not have his death go unavenged. Lysa was distraught, and I’m sure Catelyn will be too when she finds out. They were close when they were younger although they drifted apart with time.”
“Boy.” Edward met his father’s gaze evenly. “I know you’ve been gathering... reliable men. You struck gold with Ser Bronn and the others. I might be crazy for asking this, but have you anyone in mind that might be able to run the damn gold cloaks?”
Edward smiled. “Oh, I might have someone in mind, father. Let me get back to you in... a week or so.”
X X X
Later that night, Edward made his way toward his secret meeting with a spring in his step. Beside him, his uncle raised one eyebrow.
“Is there a reason you waited for my shift to go on this meeting?” Jaime asked.
“Oh, yes. Ser Barristan is a good man, one of the best in all the kingdoms, but he’s not exactly fond of skulduggery and treachery.”
Jaime’s lips twitched. “No, nephew, he is not.” He frowned. “Does this have anything to do with what happened to Tyrion?” His lips curled. “And thank you for having your men watch out for him. Tyrion might be clever, but he’s not much good with a sword.”
“Which is exactly why he never goes out without at least two reliable men.” Edward and Jaime were both quite fond of Tyrion and both equally worried about how easy it would be to kill him if he was caught alone. Despite his keen wits, Tyrion was not, by any means, a gifted fighter. Jaime, on the other hand, could fight a dozen men and come out with nary a scratch if he had a sword in hand. “As for your other question, yes and no. The two men we’ll be meeting today will guarantee that the gold cloaks come under the control of a reliable man who just so happens to be loyal to me.”
“You might look just like your father,” Jaime said fondly. “But you remind me a lot of Tyrion when you speak like that.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Edward nodded at the door ahead of them. “Shall we?”
Inside, Oberyn Martell and Sandor Clegane went from glaring at each other to glaring at him.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Edward sat at the third spot at the table while Jaime did his best to disguise his surprise as he moved to stand behind him. “Shall we get down to business?”
Oberyn scowled at Jaime who returned the expression with equal fervour. “I would not be here if you had not been so... vigorous in expressing your desire to help me with a certain problem.”
“A problem?” Sandor snorted. “I’m here, Your Highness, because you promised to give me a chance to kill my brother.”
“Aye,” Edward said, biting back a chuckle at Jaime’s gasp. “You’re both correct.” His gaze shifted to Oberyn. Now, this was not a man he wanted as his enemy. Clever, cunning, and deadly with a spear, to say nothing of the backing he enjoyed courtesy of his family. “You want Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane dead. I want peace between our Houses.”
Oberyn took a deep breath. “The two... beasts you speak of are loyal banner men to your grandfather. You would give them to me?”
“For peace between our Houses? Yes.” Edward could feel the confusion and bewilderment coming from his uncle but pressed on. “What happened to your sister... Prince Oberyn, it was lunacy. Had I been in my grandfather’s place, I would have ordered her captured unharmed along with her children. I would have ransomed them back to you for a princely sum under the condition that neither she nor her children ever leave Dorne again.”
Oberyn’s fists clenched. “We would have paid any sum you asked.”
“Instead,” Edward continued. “My grandfather... well, I cannot say for certain if he ordered them killed or simply turned a blind eye to what went on. And even if he didn’t give an order to have her killed, he should have ordered her spared if he was going to send beasts like Amory and Gregor there.” He didn’t look at Jaime, but his next words were for him all the same. “You know I speak the truth, uncle. You were part of the Kingsguard then. Elia did not deserve that fate, nor did her children.”
“No,” Jaime murmured, and Edward could hear the grief in his voice. From what little he’d said of her, Elia had always been kind to him. “They did not.”
“And what good did the murders of her and her children bring us?” Edward said, raising one hand and staring into his empty palm. “Nothing. After all, there are still two Targaryens alive, so killing the children hardly ended the bloodline, and Elia? By all the gods, what stupidity. Dorne is one of the seven kingdoms, and it has shown its worth in battle many times.” His gaze shifted to Oberyn. “I am not stupid. Dorne obeys, but I’ve no doubt that it is only grudgingly.”
Oberyn nodded. “You can hardly blame us, can you?”
“No. My grandfather should have offered you the heads of Amory and Gregor years ago. Instead, he did not because they were his banner men and he did not wish to look weak.” Edward scowled. “I doubt anyone would ever think the man who brought about the Rains of Castamere weak, and antagonising an entire kingdom is hardly the wisest thing to do.”
“And you intend to rectify his mistake?” Oberyn asked.
“I do.” Edward folded his hands together. “My mother the queen intends to take a trip to visit her father. I will request that certain banner men be sent to attend her. Amory and Gregor will be amongst them. That is how I will draw them out. They will have to come here to King’s Landing to escort her.”
Oberyn pursed his lips. “And you could guarantee a chance?”
"King’s Landing is a dangerous place.” Edward’s lips curled. “Why, only last week a lord was killed. Who’s to say something can’t also happens to those two?”
“I see.” Oberyn nodded. “And I have you word, Your Highness?”
“You have my most solemn vow, not only as a Baratheon but as the future king of the Seven Kingdoms.” Edward inclined his head. “What was done to your sister and her children was monstrous. Let us put an end to the enmity between our Houses and rid the world of the filth responsible at the same time.”
“Very well,” Oberyn said. “But what is he doing here?” He looked at Sandor.
“Oh, you have no idea what my brother has done to me,” Sandor growled. “But I’ve more reason than most to want him dead.” He turned to Edward. “You help me kill him, and I’ll serve you for the rest of my days. It’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a child... to see that bastard dead for what he did.”
“Good.” Edward smiled. “Then we have an accord. I’ll let you two decide exactly how you want to kill them, but let me know once you come up with a plan, and I’ll take steps to make sure it will work.”
Later, as they walked back to his chambers, Jaime spoke.
“You’re going to use the deaths of Lorch and Clegane to make the gold cloaks look even worse, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yes.” Edward said. “The gold cloaks are an absolute disgrace. If there is going to be a city guard, I want it to be competent and under the control of a man whose only loyalty is to me and my family... a man who can do what needs to be done but who, at his core, is a decent fellow.” He grinned. “Sandor should do quite nicely, I think. And he’ll be a lord too, after his brother meets his end. He’ll be perfectly suitable.”
X X X
Author’s Notes
The scheming continues. Edward (Diana) isn’t a vicious person most of the time, but go after people she cares about, like Tyrion, and the gloves come off. As for the scheming Edward had going on, he has identified the corruption in King’s Landing, particularly the gold cloaks as a huge weakness, so he’s going to deal with it.
Removing Janos and replacing him with Sandor ensures that the gold cloaks are not only loyal to him and his family but will soon be whipped into shape since Sandor will not tolerate that sort of stupidity and incompetence. Moreover, combined with the removal of Baelish, it gives Edward effective control over both law enforcement and the underworld.
You can bet that Alera’s (Jahne’s) agents in King’s Landing are going to have a lot of interesting things to tell her. She’ll know there’s another player in the game, one as skilled as she is. Also, in case it isn’t clear, these snippet aren’t necessarily in chronological order.
If you’re interested in my thoughts on writing and other topics, you can find those here.
I also write original fiction, which you can find on Amazon here or on Audible here.
#final rose#game of thrones#fanfiction#diana yun farron#bronn#tyrion lannister#jaime lannister#robert baratheon#jon arryn
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Warning long post ahead:
I have heard a lot from the news and from articles today. It can drive you crazy. So, I´m channeling my energy into explaining a couple of things about our (the US) political and economic system. It´s not perfect, as I put more emotion into this post than just straight logic. I have taken a politics 101 course and did a lot of studying and I am using basic common sense and empathy. At first I am talking about the Capitol incident and then it expands into more detail. If you don´t want to read, that´s cool. (I am not really gonna branch out into other countries on this topic. The main focus is the US) Anyways, here it is:
"A political philosophy and movement that is sceptical of authority and rejects all involuntary, coercive forms of hierarchy. Anarchism calls for the abolition of the state, which it holds to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful."
Does this sound like the behavior of the people that stormed the Capitol? No. It sounds like the opposite of what they want. I´ve seen a lot of news networks such as NBC, call the fascists, anarchists. That, above, is the description of anarchism.
Anarchists reject any hierarchy. They, the fascists, want government and they want Trump. So, calling them anarchists is very very not accurate.
"A form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy. They believe that liberal democracy is obsolete and regard the complete mobilization of society under a totalitarian one-party state as necessary to prepare a nation for armed conflict and to respond effectively to economic difficulties."
Does this sound more like the behavior of the people that stormed the Capitol? Yes. It does. That is the description of fascism.
"A fascist state is led by a strong leader such as a dictator and a martial law government composed of the members of the governing fascist party to forge national unity and maintain a stable and orderly society."
Remind you of anything??
Now, read this:
"Advocates the abolition of the state, capitalism, wage labour, social hierarchies and private property (while retaining respect for personal property, along with collectively-owned items, goods and services) in favor of common ownership of the means of production and direct democracy as well as a horizontal network of workers' councils with production and consumption based on the guiding principle "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"."
This sounds way better than the first two, right? This is the description of anarcho-communism. Which is what I, personally, align with most.
What about this:
"An economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics include capital accumulation, competitive markets, a price system, private property and the recognition of property rights, voluntary exchange and wage labor. In this market economy, decision-making and investments are determined by every owner of wealth, property or production ability in capital and financial markets whereas prices and the distribution of goods and services are mainly determined by competition in goods and services markets."
This is the description of capitalism, which is what we have now. But, what you have to understand is that capitalism usually leads to fascism. Late-stage capitalism is fascism. One core idea of fascism is capitalism. Which is one of many reasons why it´s terrible. Also, you live here. You know how bad capitalism is. It´s why you can´t afford to buy medicine or go to the doctors. It´s why people die of starvation. It´s not because people don´t work hard enough. There are people who work three jobs who are still low-income individuals and families. It´s because of capitalism. It doesn´t give you any freedom. It is the opposite of freedom. In the "land of the free" we have a political and economic system that enslaves us. Think about that. Think about how much freedom you actually have.
When all of this is put into frame, what are your thoughts? What sounds like a place you want to live in?
The way we are now, the reason why most of the garbage in this country happens, you can connect that to capitalism. You can trace what happened at the Capitol today to fascism and capitalism (Which are basically the same thing).
A lot of Americans work minimum wage jobs. Minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, on average in the US. Assuming you work 40 hours a week, that equals 2,080 hours in a year. Your hourly wage of 7 dollars would end up being about $14,560 per year in salary. Even if you got $15 an hour, working 37.5 hours a week, you would still only make $29,250 a year. $15 an hour isn't enough to secure affordable housing in most US states. Nationally, someone would need to make $17.90 an hour to rent a one-bedroom apartment or $22.10 an hour to cover a two-bedroom home. In order to live comfortably, you´d have to get extra hours or a better job. Extra hours, is just slaving more of your life away to the point where it won´t matter how much money you earn. And it is very hard to get a job. Even if you go to college, you aren´t owed or guaranteed a job. You slave you life away. And none of this takes into consideration family members. None of this takes into consideration any children or people living in the household. You have to struggle all the time under capitalism.
You are in the top 1.8% of americans if you make more than 400k a year. So, no, not everyone or anyone can be rich or live nicely here. America loves to brand itself as a free country and the land of opportunity but, it has shown that is anything but. 30 million people in America, do not have health insurance. Do you know how much medical care costs without insurance? No one should struggle for basic medical care. Every human being deserves the basic necessities to stay alive. Every single one of us shouldn´t have to pay for food or water. We shouldn´t struggle to afford putting food on the table working two jobs while the millionaires and billionaires who sit on a yacht all day, who don´t earn a single cent, never have to worry about that. You wanna know how they make that money, you wanna know who gives them that money? You do. Your hard work and nights away from your family, earns them that money. That is your money. The system is set up for people like that to succeed and keep succeeding. The rich keep getting richer while you stay the same or even lose money. Does that sound fair or just to you? Life isn´t fair, no, but this isn´t life. This is a man-made system that we can fix. We built this and we can tear it down.
So stop being a bootlicker and sucking off capitalism just because there´s a small chance that, maybe, you will get rich. If you´re black in America, you have a 15.1% lower chance of becoming a millionaire than a white person in America. If you are white or asian with a college education, you have around a 20% chance of being a millionaire. But, if you can´t afford college, and you only have a high school diploma, your chances drop to a 2% chance. And most people who are rich in this country didn´t start out with a start-up company and worked hard. No. No. The majority of millionaires and billionaires did either one of these things or all of them:
⬤ Got lucky. By means of gambling, lottery, ⋆cough⋆ making a sex tape and it getting traction ⋆cough⋆...... things like that.
⬤ Scamming someone. By means of ponzi scheme, pyramid scheme, advance-fee scam, credit fraud, identity theft... things of that nature.
⬤ Other illegal shit. By means of embezzlement, hacking, robbing, selling counterfit goods (which can also fall into the scamming someone section), etc... you get the point.
And that doesn´t include being born into money and not paying any taxes as well. It usually doesn´t have shit to do with working hard. If working hard made you a millionaire, a hell of a lot more people would be rich af.
There´s also a lot more factors and circumstances to take into account. Even if I had time to explain, I probably couldn´t because, well, frankly, it´s impossible to go into every factor or circumstance especially since, I couldn´t possibly know every single one. This is a very basic and general post and I tried my best to explain some stuff. (some of the figures and percentages might be off by a percent ot two but, that´s easily searchable)
I do encourage researching, actual research. Because I, nor, anyone on this app are the authority for any topic. Never take anyone´s word for anything, especially not on this app of of all places. Please study and research. When you research, it is very important to check out the websites and sources for too much bias and make sure to fact check, such as comparing it to other websites and sources. Or maybe you could read different books about economics or politics and things of that nature. But, even for books, always fact check and check for too much bias. You can easily fall into traps if you don´t. I just started listening to an audio book titled: Anarchism and Other Essays by Emma Goldman. I am trying to learn more about anarchism and other political philosophies as well. I am most certaintly not a "political person" but, I do love to learn and I do love human beings and believe that human beings deserve basic rights which makes me interested in learning about different ways to improve our way of life.
So... that´s it.... I hope y´all have a goodnight/evening/morning! 💛
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7 Tips To Obtain New Inventors Believing Like Effective Developers
Specifically, as a more recent financier, try to keep in mind that slow and stable success this race. Don't rush anything; your perseverance will certainly pay off as long as you are careful.
Investing in each action of the invention procedure reciprocates in both the short term (your first patent, and so on) and the longer-term (an understanding of exactly how this process is repeatable). Also find out InventHelp Crunchbase
1: Do Not Tell The World Concerning Your Invention Suggestion...
I received an e-mail lately that appeared like it was from Wal-Mart. Become a fraudster seeking to turn me into a target.
In 2015, my bank card was reported as utilized in Florida when I remained in New York City-- for $4,000.
There was even a Vice President at one of my old businesses who took my idea for an analytics reporting system and also shared it with the entire company as his very own.
What's the point of these tales?
The world has lots of people seeking a shortcut or an easy way to get rich.
They are probably heartless contrasted to you; predators.
Don't let somebody take advantage of your idea-- who recognizes, it could be a million (or billion) buck idea!
The last point you desire is to see it on the shelf understanding it was your brainchild, however, you do not obtain a cent in royalties for it. So try to keep your suggestion under covers, specifically in the early stages of the invention process.
2: Study The Need For Your Item Idea.
Eventually or one more, we've all had great concepts ... or so we thought.
In 3rd grade, I would have vouched that a double-sided toothbrush was going to save the globe about 25 seconds of their morning.
That was till I damaged a toothbrush as well as glued the head to the back of an additional full toothbrush. When I stuck it in my mouth I understood that I was mostly brushing (or stabbing) the inside of my cheeks.
I handed down that, thanks - It was better to enjoy the various other children explode volcanoes full of food coloring at the scientific research fair.
I was lucky though.
The study it took me to understand my intention was not possible was just about 10 minutes.
The truth is, if you want your invention idea to appear, you'll need to spend time and also resources in investigating the concept to identify if there is a market for your product.
Here are just a few of the concerns you'll wish to respond to when you're starting.
What problem does my item resolve?
Has this issue been addressed before (or tried)?
Just how will my item be made use of?
Will my product sell? (Exists industrial stability?).
To whom? (Target audience?).
Is it like anything else in the marketplace? (Elaborate on this, certainly - what fads are taking place in the market? Just how jampacked is it? Are people spending essentially on products I might take on? What're the social networks buzz around my specific niche?).
What marketing difficulties might I encounter?
A lot of innovators avoid this action as well as I completely comprehend why they do.
Two factors.
It can be lengthy.
It can seem (or be) costly.
I get it. You're delighted concerning your product so you feel like the world will certainly be delighted - certainly, there is a requirement, you're fixing a problem!
All that time and all that money invested in research study as well as answering concerns will only confirm what you already know, best?
Not always.
The successful ones are the ones that do their research.
Those who fail to spend ahead of time are supplying the typical death penalty to their invention. As a financier, you require to comprehend if the market demands your service You can also check https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q64627233
3: Record WHATEVER.
From the minute that suggestion precipitates, it's paramount to monitor every facet of the concept.
No matter if your concept changes a hundred times over, you always want to be the proprietor, the owner, of every idea that went into the invention as well as ultimately became the product.
So, specifically, what should you be recording?
Every thought and suggestion that at all concerns your invention (I uncommitted if you dream it ... PAPER IT!). You can always return to these notes, repeat on them, incorporate them in brand-new means, and so on. Much more notably, if anything is ever doubted, you have proof that the suggestion is yours.
All information that you can think about that helps you explain the invention.
Usage instances. What is your product for? What does it do? What problem or difficulty does it address? That will be utilizing it?
Where do you think it could be sold? What kind of shops? Is it part of something that currently exists?
How will it be made? Out of what?
Just how will you construct a prototype? Will you require aid?
To find full-circle right here, simply DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! I do not know if I can pierce this in any additional:-RRB-.
Why you ought to record your invention.
At some point in the invention cycle, you might need to prove that you are the proprietor of your suggestion. You may also need to confirm that you thought of a particular element of your invention.
Taxes! That's right - you can use your notes as well as files on costs for tax deductions.
Maintaining solid, systematic documentation of every idea you have and also every action you take allows you to take advantage of in-depth research and examine your work in the future so you can obtain innovative as well as build even more on it.
You're taping every little thing regarding your invention so you never forget also one thought you had regarding your idea.
4: Look For Professional Assist With Patents.
If you are new to investing, you'll intend to discover as high as you can around licenses (in addition to trademarks and also copyrights, yet that is a later lesson).
A research study ought to be an everyday activity for you.
Patents are a vast topic; it's the ocean of the invention procedure.
It's additionally a subject in which oceans of information are offered ... and also not all of it is true.
If you don't do your recon, it's a type of simple to get misguided or, also worse, capitalized on. As well as all of us recognize misaligned folks are plenty.
One terrific resource is constantly the United States Patent & Hallmark Workplace (USPTO). Nonetheless, in full disclosure, their site can be rather difficult to navigate and follow. It might befit you give some people there a call to ask certain concerns (though I'm not exactly sure the length of time delay time gets on their call center).
Another thing you can do is talk to a patent lawyer.
Below's a free life hack for you, some patent advice you probably won't find in other places:
Provide out concerns you want to ask the initial one. With those responses, try to ask smarter, much more enlightened questions to the 2nd one ... and so on - you get me.
5: Learn Exactly How To Present And Pitch (yes, I indicate OFFER!).
When I watch Shark Storage tank, I always keep a close eye on the instance each individual makes to the Sharks for their invention or product.
There are specific qualities I search for and also in my head, I generally rank each business owner weak or solid on each (or, in some cases, simply terrible).
The characteristics fall into 2 categories:
The speaker.
The discussion.
The owner of the suggestion or invention, the speaker, ought to show some innate top qualities if they intend to be perceived as a person a Shark can do service with. Before I provide those qualities, I simply want to mention "innate" ... meaning, some individuals are natural at specific points.
What I wouldn't condone is attempting to entirely be something you aren't.
If discussions, as well as sales, aren't your strong suit, I suggest training.
I've recently added an article regarding pitching your concept, whether it's to a shark or other investor, to a business, or a prospective partner.
To me, the best presenters are positive.
They make eye call, talk eloquently, and rely on their words.
When you do that, when you control the space fearlessly, you start to regulate the audience to pay attention to what you're stating.
As soon as you've "hypnotized" them, you can start to throw off Subliminals (such as a nod when you desire the possible buyer, investor, or Shark to believe "yes" in their head).
If you present self-confidence as a presenter, your distribution will constantly go from a 6 to an 8, specifically.
An additional quality of a wonderful presenter is going to hold your horses.
You work out persistence by paying attention, taking in, as well as analyzing things as you are offering your presentation.
Don't quickly look to be listened to; you'll get your chance.
Slow down, listen to what a prospective investor is stating, as well as see just how you can empathize.
The toughest presentations need to be tales, computer-animated by utilizing the brand name photo, look, and also really feel.
Stories have a beginning, middle, and end, as well as they always have a point.
Props must be utilized as required.
I when saw a person who developed a canteen that opened up on both sides (for far better cleansing). It was geared towards the athletic neighborhood as well as sporting activities gamers.
When he came on Shark Container, he had Costs Walton as his mascot - what a mind-blowing concept! (Particularly if you take into consideration that Mark Cuban is a Shark ... as well as he got a handle him).
If you have an invention and you wish to sell it, simply remember that you eventually need to sell it in some way.
You'll require to pitch the suggestion probably numerous times before it begins to materialize. Function on that lift pitch and also never stop boosting it from there.
6: Learn About Appraisal, Equity, Accountancy, And Organisation Money.
You wish to be fiscally responsible with your invention idea. I can't claim it any less complex than this.
As the proprietor of an invention, you definitely must know what the invention is worth.
Know your numbers.
As well as when you do, you sure better understand why it's worth that.
I have discussed research many times in this post, and also it's a popular string throughout this website for a factor: If you're not knowledgeable, you can pretty conveniently end up on the wrong side of a bad deal.
I recommend you do some analysis regarding bookkeeping, personal financing, company valuation, and various other financial subjects.
If time is way too much of a commodity, find out exactly how to take in info various other means - podcasts could be an excellent technique.
You'll intend to be a master of numbers.
It guarantees you aren't taken benefit of.
Second, when you do go pitch this concept or invention to investors, you'll likely be prompted on-the-spot to chat numbers. You better understand them. And when a person starts to make a deal, you wish to ensure the numbers they are offering are in the array you valuated your invention or business.
The evaluation of inventions is vital when identifying the general value.
Yet valuation is a pretty complicated subject; this is hardly introductory to Assessment 101.
And the truth is that evaluation can come down to a mix of complex calculations, extensive projections, and a peppering of ordinary old intestine instincts.
If you can confirm out that your invention fulfills an unmet demand or gets over a typical obstacle that appears to bug a big number of individuals, after that you can make a fairly strong situation for an economic benefit (and a good one for buy-in from investors) ... however, that doesn't suggest a real worth can be established.
With gray areas, the best point a brand-new investor can do is develop their abilities on the financial side of points. Math ninja would certainly be excellent.
7: Be Reasonable. You, Will, Requirement To Invest Time & Money To Make Money.
It takes a lot of individual financial investment to succeed as a capitalist.
That investment is available in several means: You'll be investing time right into establishing your suggestion; initiative into your patent; money right into your model; personal room and/or family time to make ends satisfy ... you get it.
This isn't a very easy roadway. Nothing beneficial was ever that easy.
And also as much as you're an optimist, be open to the potential of not making it, specifically with your initial invention.
It's OKAY to stop working.
A fantastic capitalist as soon as claimed "A creator can fall short 999 times, as well as if he is successful once, he remains in. He treats his failures simply as method shots.".
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Hello, I'd love to know what your views on communism are.
Hello Anon,
This is a great question. Thank you for asking me. For anyone whofollows my blog you know that I’m definitely a leftist and havepromoted Democratic Socialism. Communism is something that Ifind very constructive if not fully functional. The first time Itried to answer this question, I wanted to be detailed, but thatwould be much too lengthy for this platform. So I will do my best tobe concise in my answer.
Communism is known to people for the abolition of privateproperty. Specifically, Marx wanted to make all land public and forall rents to go toward the public good. Let me briefly discuss thisidea. To understand Marx's goal, we must understand the reasoningbehind it. What Marx was against was capital. The existence ofcapital monetizes everything, even people. In Feudalism and nowCapitalism, capital has been a tool of control over the masses. Thepoor must rent shelter from the land lords, the fields must beworked, but for the person who owns the land, the ore must besmelted, but for the person who owns the mine, and so on. The view ofpersonal ownership over things that could be public goods and meansis what has created the class system in every society around theworld. Capitalism says that personal ownership is the highest form offreedom, yet the proletariat owns nothing and by design will likelyown nothing their entire life. The point is that as long as we havethis idea of property where virtually everything is controlled by thevery few that “own” the land, the resources, and the production,then they will always be empowered to exploit the masses. The massesthen become a commodity, as Marx said, that must sell themselves tothose with capital. And those with capital do not value the laborerany more than what is required keep them alive and working. We havean extremely unfair, unjust, and uneven system in societies aroundthe world.
Yes, I agree that a change in property and ownership are needed. Ido believe that a home should be unconditional to all. To say that'snot possible is ludicrous, because we have more empty homes thanhomeless people. One reason I think we need change is so that shelterand security are no longer carrots that can be waved over the workershead to control the masses. If everyone had a secure home, then thisstabilizes the people and closes the gap of inequality. Instantly,the laborer has more bargaining power when he's not in danger ofsleeping on the street. It's not fair or realistic to say that such achange in bargaining power is needed, because generation aftergeneration the capital holders have shown they will pay people aslittle as possible and fight to keep that number low. It is capitalthat gives them the power to exploit people's situation.
And to quickly look at the production side of this. The idea thata person can own a company and therefore “earn” all of it'sprofit is a denial of the reality of labor and our most basic socialcontracts. Ownership itself cannot produce anything, so how do wejustify withholding this title from the people who do produce capitaland profit? Because ownership cannot produce then laborers shouldalways share ownership of the capital created. If capital did notexist, then the dynamic of employer and employee could not exist. Wemust recognize that in the origin of capital, capital could not beearned it could only be taken. Land was the first type of capitalever, and there was no one to obtain that capital from. It was takenby force, by tribes, individuals, and nations. America is built oncapital that was taken by force, and in fact slaves were the capitalused for investment to obtain the capital of resources and industry.The only reason anyone has capital is because it was taken by forceby someone in the past who becomes the ruling class and capital staysin the hands of that social stratosphere, and they pretend that theyearned it. In light of this larger view of capital, I see no reasonto allow it to be squandered and held over our heads.
Ideally, I would like to see a world where land becomes public andthe means of production are fairly controlled by the people who makeit possible. If you're wondering what this would look like, think ofStar Trek. Star Trek is a world where no one needs to buy a home,work for wages, or pay for their basic needs. Through miraculouslyadvanced production they eliminated the concepts of private propertywe hold today. I believe this is absolutely possible, but we haveourselves in such a contradictory system that a transition straightinto such a philosophy would be near impossible.
Without rambling too much, I want to talk about some things Idon't agree with in Communism. Renditions of Communism around theglobe have leaned toward curbing individual freedoms through bothcorruption and rigidity. I not believe that there should be one partyin government that prevents other parties from forming orparticipating. As an American, I see the ability to form, challenge,and dissolve political parties as a primary component to democracy.While I think that the proletariat must be allowed to share in theprofit and capital of production, we cannot hinder the individual'sentrepreneurial aspirations by nationalizing every single company. Idon't believe that automatic nationalizing of all companies is theanswer to our problem. One thing that Marx wanted was for the stateto have a type of monopoly, and I don't believe this is wise. I wouldnever trust any one entity to wield so much power. Matter of fact,turning land public from private could only be successful in ademocracy where oversight of the use of land by the people exists.
I believe we can achieve similar goals to what Marx envision withnationalizing by using a strong progressive tax system (which is inthe manifesto), making adjustments to our property laws, legislatingour way to a more progressive income dynamic, breaking down the nearmonopolies that exist, strengthening both labor and consumerprotections, and by eliminating money in politics.
Marx wanted to see the proletariat rise to a position of“supremacy” in government, basically meaning the people havingmore power then the small ruling class. In democracies we absolutelyhave the possibility for that to be achieved today, but the war ofinformation and ideas has prevented us from achieving that. Campaignsof disinformation and misplaced loyalties are holding us back.
Unlike Marx, I would never want the government to hold a monopolyover currency and banking. Ideally, I would like to a see a worldwithout money, but that's not happening any time soon. The productionand security of currency should always be a joint effort betweenpublic and private, and should hold checks and balances as does ourdemocracy. Is that we have? No, not quite, but it's better thanallowing any one entity to hold so much financial power. Again, Idon't believe we need the nationalization of all banks, I believe weneed stronger laws regulating the entities that exist in competition.With stronger regulation, better economic policies, and maintainingbalanced control over wealth and currency we can vastly improve onour current situation.
There is so much more to Communism and so much more I could say,but I don't want this to become too long. In summary, where I agreemost with Marx is in his desire to abolish class in society, as wellas economic inequality. I share some of his methods or at least thegoals he wants to achieve, but I often have different views of howthings could be achieved, especially in the context of modernsociety. The one positive take away from Communism that everyoneshould get behind is that the proletariat needs more power,economically, politically, and socially. The core of all societalproblems is the existence of a ruling class and a working class.Until those become one in the same, we will suffer the same issuesendlessly.
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414 Using Meetups to Grow Your Business - Interview with Adam Adams
http://moneyripples.com/2020/08/14/414-using-meetups-to-grow-your-business-interview-with-adam-adams/
Could creating a meetup group cause massive growth in your business?
Adam A. Adams, also known in the real estate community as Triple-A, has educated thousands of investors through real estate conferences, radio & podcast interviews, his coaching program, and his thriving Meetup group.
Adam hosts the Creative Real Estate Podcast, a podcast listened to around the world, with hundreds of thousands of downloads. His efforts to educate and inspire other investors have earned him the prestigious title “Master Investor” by Think Realty magazine and he is also a three-time Hall of Fame winner from RE Mentor for his successes in multifamily syndications.
In 2005, Adam took the plunge into part-time real estate investing, but it quickly became his full-time passion!
Today Adam is partnered in 7 multifamily syndications with approximately 1,400 doors valued slightly over $100 million. His company, BlueSpruce Holdings, focuses on finding and managing apartment communities to allow passive investors diversification, cash flow, tax benefits, and freedom of time.
Adam’s primary role in the company is to attract capital, successfully raising millions of dollars from private investors. He continues to grow his company’s brand as one of the top syndication teams in the United States.
Listen to our Podcast here:
https://www.blogtalkradio.com/moneyripples/2020/07/03/414--using-meetups-to-grow-your-business-interview-with-adam-adams
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Chris Miles (00:00): Well, hello, my fellow Ripplers! This is Chris Miles. Your Cash Flow Expert and Anti-Financial Advisor. We want to welcome you out guys for a wonderful show. A show that's for you and about you. Those of you that work so freaking hard for your money, and you're now ready for your money to start working harder for you. Today! You want that freedom. That cash flow. That prosperity. Right now! Not 30 or 40 bazillion years from now, but right now. So you can have that life of freedom to be able to do what you love. To be with those you love. Whenever the heck you want to do it. But it's so much more than just having a life of luxury, right? It's so much more than just, you know, having great cash flow and being financially free. But it's about having that life of legacy. Being that Rippler. Where you create a ripple effect to the lives of those around you. And guys, I appreciate it so much for allowing me to create a ripple effect through you guys.
Chris Miles (00:56): Cause you guys have been awesome. I love hearing how much you guys are bingeing lately, and you've been sharing it with other people and everything else. I love watching those numbers grow. So I appreciate it so much that you guys are a part of this movement. Allowing this ripple effect to go through so many lives, if not thousands, the hundreds of thousands. So thank you so much guys.
Chris Miles (01:13): As a reminder, you can check out our website, MoneyRipples.Com There you can go and see all of the good stuff. You know, everything from, you know, blogs from a couple of years ago that I occasionally write. Do even our little ebook called Beyond Rice & Beans, Seven Secrets to Free Up Cash Today. Which you can see there now. So check it out! Alright!
Chris Miles (01:33): So today I want to bring on a special guest because this is the guy that, I've been on his show as well. But man, he had a reputation that proceeded himself and it finally had the opportunity to have him on our show. I can't believe I didn't, I've taken it, taken me this long to even get him on here. So this guy is Adam Adams. Some of you guys might know if you're in the real estate community already. He's also known as Triple A, right? He's educated thousands of investors to real estate conferences, podcasts and radio interviews, coaching programs, his meetup groups and everything. Right? He's also the creative real estate podcast that I ever suggest you guys go check out. His let's do around the world has hundreds of thousands downloads as well. His effort to educate and inspire other investors had earned him the prestigious title of Master Investor by Think Realty Magazine. And he's also a three-time hall of fame winner of RE Mentor for his success in multifamily syndication's. Meetup.com has also recognized him as one of the top six meetup organizers in the world in 2018 guys. Which is going to be part of our topic today. He took the plunge and decided to go part time real estate investing, but it quickly became a full time passion for him. Today he's partnering in seven multifamily syndications with approximately 1400 doors valued at slightly over a hundred million dollars. His company, BlueSpruce Holdings, focused on finding and managing apartment communities to allow passive investor diversification, cash flow, tax benefits, and freedom of time. So guys, this is huge! So excited to have Adam on. So Adam, welcome to our show!
Adam Adams (03:01): Thank you so much for having me. And as you said, I've had you on our show a couple of times. So we really like and respect what you're doing, Chris.
Chris Miles (03:09): Yeah, absolutely man. So, give us a little background, like why'd you even go the real estate route in the first place?
Adam Adams (03:14): I went real estate because of my family. I grew up doing real estate. So it seemed like a normal thing. So I had one of those unique childhoods where a lot of people grow up and real estate seems like a far off thing. I was almost pushing it away because it was so close. My dad was always saying, you're going to do this. You're going to do this. You got to save 10%. You got to invest 10%. And so it was actually in college when he first purchased my first real estate for me, then his CPA told him that he, I had to buy it back from him or else he was going to pay a lot in taxes. So yeah, fun stuff. When you're a college student and barely making your books to have to pay for real estate. But with the cool thing is I made a 12000% return on my money within two years.
Adam Adams (04:03): And so in 2007, two years later after selling that I had more money in the bank than I had ever made in an entire year before that. And so I was thinking to myself, well, I'm going to have to figure out how to really make this real estate thing work for me. I was going to school for music education. I'm a musician. Been writing music since I was very young. And it was that time when I decided that I'm probably not going to be a teacher because this was a whole years of teacher salary already. So I decided that that was what I was going to focus on. So I bought my first, my first triplex, I lived in it house hacked. Made some money in it. Managed some other properties. Made somebody a couple of million bucks fast. And it was like, I couldn't get away from it. I couldn't get away from it. So fast forward, 15 years. And now I have over a thousand apartments that I'm partnered in and loving every minute of it.
Chris Miles (05:06): I love it, man! Man. So what, so tell us, like, obviously you've got a huge reputation for, like, you know, social media. You got this reputation for marketing. I mean, you even got asked to speak at the meetup conference, right? You made a global conference there as one of the top six speakers there, right? Like what they, how'd you even go the marketing route, like, was that just stumbled on by accident or is that just something that you just seem to master really naturally?
Adam Adams (05:31): That's a really good question. I feel like it was essential for me to learn it because when I was getting started in real estate, you know, and when I was starting to raise equity, I felt as though I was being drowned out completely by a lot of other noise and some of it was loud, you know, Grant Cardone is loud. And he's drowning out a lot of the people that want to be in real estate or marketing or branding. And I felt that it was just necessary to figure out how I could start standing out. And I stumbled across some of it by accident. Like with the meetups that you mentioned, I was brand new to Colorado. I had just moved here to Colorado five years ago. And when I got here, I didn't really know anyone.
Adam Adams (06:31): I felt brand new and I felt like someone told me your network is your net worth. And so with the marketing and branding, I remember thinking, I've got to figure out how to grow a network in a new place. And it was actually my mother in law who said that meetup was a place that you could kind of grow your brand and get to know people in a new place. So I just started to meetup. I literally just, you know, I don't suggest this to other people ready, fire aim. I always say ready, aim, fire, take the time to really figure it out. Yeah. And especially now that I can help other people do the same thing. I want them to skip their learning curve, but I just, I jumped into it. And the marketing I learned over time because in the beginning I only had a couple of people showing up.
Adam Adams (07:25): And the only way on meetups that I could have more people come to the group is if I spent extra time in the back. In, what is it in the background. Actually marketing the meetup. And I did things like take pictures while I was there. Write stories about people that attend, because I felt like if, if other people that were going through the same thing knew that there was people like them attending my meetup, that would help them think, Oh, I should come to this meetup too. That guy had my problem. And now he's successful. So I just started marketing, branding and throwing this out in, like you said, a couple years later, meetup HQ flew me out to speak to 150 of their top people. And that was a lot of fun. So in short I stumbled across it. Yes. I learned the hard way. Yes. And then I realized that if you don't take the time to market and brand who you are and what you're doing, people are just going to go to the other people that they're hearing marketing brand, who they are and what they're doing.
Chris Miles (08:35): Well, that's kind of, I was going to ask you is like, whether someone's in a real estate investor or if they are a business owner, right? I know cause we've got different people on this show. You know, why do they feel so important that they do brand themselves or market themselves and have this kind of influence?
Adam Adams (08:49): Yeah. Well, if they are a real estate investor and they're looking for deals, it's the main thing that is brought my company deals. And so here you go, this is the best way to sum it up. People do business with people that they know like and trust, right? And we all know that. And if 10 people know you, what's the most amount of people that could ever like you or trust you? The max. So if you want to build a funnel, people are talking a lot about funnels these days. So a lot of people think it's just a website. A funnel is a lot more than a website. A website is a piece, a small piece of a funnel. But if you want people to know you so that they can like you so that they can trust you so that they can invest passively in your deal or give you the next deal that they find where you need to close it or just do business with you. Then you got to have a lot of people knowing you. And to do that, you have to, I call it the four pillars just to brief it out.
Adam Adams (09:53): You got to have some type of thought leadership. There's five different thought leadership platforms we could talk about. You got to have some type of live event where you're meeting people in person and getting to know them. You gotta do something on your social media, where people, when they search for you, they literally can find you because these days, if they don't see you on LinkedIn or Facebook within the first five minutes of searching, they immediately go to the next person. So you gotta be active. And then the fourth one is your, I call it a Lead Magnet, which is some type of giveaway that helps your perfect person, that either will invest in your deal or do business with you to be able to convert from knowing you into starting to trust you. Right? So those are my four pillars and they're really, really important. You got to do all four of them and the meetups, the live events, I've raised $4.2 million for our apartments for my real estate deals have come. I can count exactly that amount of money just from the meetups. We've had a few million from the podcast too, but it's interesting how effective the meetup groups have been.
Chris Miles (11:09): It's interesting too, because I know a lot of, especially real estate investors out there will think the meetup groups are like a complete waste of time. They're like, Oh, don't even go to those things. There's just a bunch of wannabe investors there. Nobody really of good value. And you're completely flipping that upside down and say, no, absolutely. It's one of the best places to be, right?
Adam Adams (11:29): Yeah. Well, but you're right. There's a ton of people that say, don't go to meetups. And I actually think, I'm going to be honest. Most of them are correct. Don't go to meetups! Going to meetups is completely different than hosting meetups.
Chris Miles (11:46): Interesting.
Adam Adams (11:47): When you, let's just pretend like you're new, you have money and you're going to a meetup. You see 30 people, 30 different people. You've got a leader or maybe two leaders and 28 other people besides yourself. Yeah. The first person you're going to decide to know like, and trust the first person is probably going to be who? Not one of the 28.
Chris Miles (12:12): Right.
Adam Adams (12:13): It'd be one of the leaders, at least the leader or two. So when you're hosting these events, you get the deals before anyone else in the room. Cause people are able to see your track record. When you come to a place like you don't know anyone else's track record, but these people that are established, they've been running the meetup for a little while. You tend to trust them. You tend to believe that they can close. And so if you're asking, should I attend meetups? Yeah. Maybe not. Maybe not attend. But if you're asking, if you should host a meetup, like run it, be the organizer. You're going to get massive, massive value. I look at our group, it's a, it was a lunch club. I mean, it's still a lunch club, but now we, it's corona virus. And we don't have lunch during lunch club cause we're a virtual, but we started out just meeting at lunch and I never imagined how many people would be able to come to one of these. But we got up, up to a hundred plus every single week, 176 at the top. And those people are rarely doing as many deals with each other as they are doing deals with me. That's why I've been able to raise 4.2 that I can solidly say came directly from as a result of my lunch club. So yeah, let's just differentiate this in our minds. There is a complete difference. You can either attend or you can host and you'll get the value when you host a meetup.
Chris Miles (13:44): And that sounds like a lot of work. Do you think it's like a massive amount of work? Do you think it would be simplified?
Adam Adams (13:49): It's in general, a lot of work and a lot of people say it's a lot of work, but because you asked that question, I can share really good tool that has helped me to be able to simplify it. So in 2018, the same year that meetup HQ flew me out to speak. That year I hosted over 220 meetups, 220, like it was four or five or six every single week. And it was a part time job for my assistant and a part time job for me. So there was a lot of work to host 220, but what we found, what we learned halfway through that year is how to really solidly make it easy on us.
Adam Adams (14:36): So here's the tip trick and strategy. Grab some type of Excel spreadsheet and you're going to have the horizontals and the verticals at the same time. Right. And so what you'll, what you want to do is first you're going to book, you're going to block out your calendar. Let's just pretend like you're not going to go 200. Let's just do, let's just pretend like you're going to do 52 and you can do 12 if you want, but let's just pretend you're going to do 52. Every single week, always on Thursday or something like that. What you'll do is you'll actually start writing out the dates. Thursday, January 5th, Thursday, January 12th. And you just keep going. And so now you've blocked out the dates. The second part you do is you block out the venue. So you figure out, you start thinking ahead of time, what venues will I want to be at this year?
Adam Adams (15:29): So if you pick, if you have four venues, you'll call all of them. And you'll say I have 13 different places that I need to come and visit you this year. And I want to block all of them out all at one time. And you'll call the second one and block the other 13. The third one blocked the other 13. The next step you'll do is you'll start writing out the topics that you're going to want. Now I mentioned that I kind of go to four different events. I kind of, I do that on purpose. So, so I'm in the Denver area. So a quarter of what I do is it near Boulder. There's a lot of money in Boulder. A quarter of what I do is in another area, another and another, some of it is downtown Denver because I get the biggest amount of people to come to Denver.
Adam Adams (16:19): And so I'll kind of go all over, but I'll call that ahead of time. And so step, I think we're in step two. All we're doing is writing out the topics. So if I'm going to be in Boulder, I want my topics to be around. How do you invest in notes? Or how do you become a safe, private money lender? Because I want to attract people that have a lot of capital from Boulder to come out of the woodworks and say, this is for me because the, in Boulder, the billionaires are now currently kicking out the millionaires. That's kind of what's going on in Boulder. So, so that's what we'll do there. And then we'll do other things in, in like Denver. We'll do a lot of fix and flip workshops in Denver and et cetera. Now that I've have all 52 topics figured out, which actually is easier than you think.
Adam Adams (17:14): When you allow yourself 10 minutes to brain dump, you can get all 52 out. Well, that's what we do. And then once you've done that, then you select your speakers. Before they ever know. You've already got the date, the time, the topic. All figured out and you call your, and now you figure out the speakers. And then what I'm going to do is I'm going to call Chris Miles and I'm going to say, Chris, I have on July 3rd, I've got 52 events I'm hosting next year. And I've got an opening on July 3rd. And it's specifically for somebody who understands how to utilize a thing called a personal bank on yourself. How do you do infinite banking? And I have two or three people in mind, but you're really my favorite, Chris. And I wondered, do you think you could come on July 3rd to present this?
Adam Adams (18:07): Or should I call one of the other experts? Well, every single time you give that pitch, Chris Miles or whoever you're talking to is like, no, no, no, no, don't do it. I'll figure out how to get there on July 3rd. And so, you've solved a lot of time and attention and it's all out ready for you. And the second tip with this way to fill these out, you put them into meetup and you publish them, but there's a separate term for an actually announcing it to the list. So if you do 52 of these, you'll actually publish all of them in just one day. You'll easily be able to do that. But when you announce them, you announce them just a couple of weeks before. You'll announce every week you just click announce. That's all you gotta do. So your life is much easier later on. You create all the image cards ahead of time. So in about a week or two on the big end, if you're doing 52 of these next year. In about a week or two, you're done everything else is now on autopilot, except for you clicking that announce button once a week. That's all you have to do.
Chris Miles (19:26): That's a really useful system. I like that. So I see. Cause that's the big thing is always like, Oh, how do you come up with those topics? Or how do you come up with this or get the speakers? Like you said, but that's, I mean, that's like you said, you could have that all done by, well, if you do, at the end of the year, you can have it done before the beginning of the year even starts. Or even by first, you know, first of the new year. Right?
Adam Adams (19:45): Yeah. And it's super important to really point this out because if somebody's all, there's going to be a few people listening. They're like, I've already started a meetup. It was a lot of work. I couldn't keep up with it. It's because they're always behind the eight ball. They're always trying. Like every week they're like, crap. I got to do all this stuff. But if you do it in the beginning, you're always in front. You're always ahead of schedule. So if there's a listener, who's thinking about doing a meetup, it doesn't matter. You don't have to do 52! 52 works for me. I do. I like the weekly, but if you're listening and you just want to do 12, you could be done with this in a day. You could be completely finished with everything in one day. And then it's just clicking the announced button once a month. That's it.
Chris Miles (20:31): I love it! Now let me ask you like what, so why were you asked to speak of that conference? I mean, obviously like you get meet up. You do a great job, but what were the, you know, you mentioned there's four things that they said was a big reason why they picked you over so many other speakers. What was that?
Adam Adams (20:46): Oh, so here I was. At the sixth floor of meetup is where all of the nerdy engineers are. And for some reason I'm intrigued by nerdy engineers. I love hearing people that really think about things like into detail about things. And so I had this awesome conversation. It was me, the I'm, I am kind of nerdy, but I'm not really an engineer brain. My dad was, but here I was sitting there with about 10 other engineers. We were in a circle and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I just, I gulped and I was afraid to ask this question, but I did anyway. I just go, Hey guys, I don't know how to ask this. But like, there was a few people that didn't get on stage and they have a lot more members than I do. I only had 1300 members in my meetup group. And there was some people that had like 20,000 members and you didn't ask them to speak.
Adam Adams (21:48): So like, what was the whole thing? What gives? Why me? And they said, here's the main things. Number one, Consistency. And so if you don't know when you're going to meet again, if you do this sporadically, it actually hits the meetup algorithm. And it ranks you lower. So fewer people see that you even have a meetup. And so, because you had the whole year planned out ahead of time, we knew that you're being consistent. We can see that you've never, ever, ever, ever canceled a meetup. And your meetup attendees know what to expect. So this turns your meetup group into one of the only meetup groups in the country. At least, I don't know how many there are in the world, but we were the only one in Colorado. And one of three in the whole country, two of them actually are in New York city, by the way, which is where the meetup HQ is.
Adam Adams (22:50): We were one of three they're called super groups. It's called a super group, which comes from that consistency. The second thing that they said was that the, I have the same members continue to come back over and over and over again. I actually have a sales pitch that I use during every meetup that I share with my attendees. I call it a sales pitch, you know, jokingly. But it it's the words that I use every single time that allowed me to have people keep coming back and back and back. So when we were doing, let's say we're meeting weekly. Okay. And I say to the people, Hey, we're going to be in Boulder every single Thursday, just so you know. And there's a lot of great meetups out there. And I encourage you to go to some of them, for sure, because you're going to be able to meet more people.
Adam Adams (23:44): But if you want to meet people that you actually do deals with, I looked up some psychology and it says, it takes about six to 15. This is the normal range for you to meet somebody in person before you start trusting them enough to actually do deals with them. And so that's why I meet, I have this group meet every single week because when you go to one of those other groups and if you go one month and then you try to go the next month, and then you're like, I still haven't even done a deal with somebody. And so you start falling off. And so like, that's what happens a lot and I want to solve that problem. So that's why I do it this way. And that's why a lot of the people that come here you'll see them coming every single week because they want to start doing deals with each other.
Adam Adams (24:37): So that was my sales pitch. That was how I shared with them, that it was important that they came every week and they did. And they showed me some stats. It's been a couple of years obviously, but they showed me some stats. And I was one of the top in the whole world on having the same people show up time and time again. Let me think of who, what was the third one. The third one that they shared with me is that, Oh, my Ratings and Reviews. And I was number two in the whole world with the most amount of ratings and reviews we had over 600, five star ratings and no four stars or lower. And they said that that was a big deal. Well, the trick is we were meeting pretty frequently. We meet a lot. And so if one person a day does this, I mean, we're done in a couple of years, but I used to ask for it when I was asking for it.
Adam Adams (25:35): I had no idea that this was part of meetups algorithm. I had no idea that I was going to be sitting with 10 engineers at the sixth floor of meetup learning that I was doing it right. But I just said, Hey, it's what I would say to my people is at the end of the event, I would say, Hey guys, there's going to be an email that comes out to you. It's going to ask how you liked it. Just be honest, let them know, you know, if it was one star or five star, just, just be honest. If you feel like you really got value today, that's all I would say at the end, I would just say, there's going to be an email. Just be honest. It doesn't matter if it's a one or a five star. And I just kept getting a ton of five stars.
Adam Adams (26:13): Like the same people would be able to rate the meetup multiple times because they don't rate the meetup itself. They rate the event. And so we had a lot of them. And so we had a huge amount of five star ratings. I think that's enough. I can't remember the fourth one right now, but if you are consistent and you ask for reviews and whatever, let them know, keep coming. You're going to hit into meetups algorithms. So it's not, now, it's no longer just you promoting it. Now it's meetup promoting it.
Chris Miles (26:54): And eventually that's not much different than any other thing. Whether it's be like social media, you know, or whatever it might be. It's kind of the same thing, isn't it?
Adam Adams (27:01): Yeah, exactly.
Chris Miles (27:02): It's about that engagement and that consistency, you know, and not giving up. That's, I love it, man. That's some really useful stuff. Like I know we can go on for hours on marketing because really it's, it can take hours literally to learn and master some of those things. But man, I mean just taking some of these nuggets and whatever, however you apply, whether you apply it to meetups, real estate or even with your own business, this is a, I think this is just gold right now. It's a huge gold mine. So Adam, I appreciate that so much.
Adam Adams (27:31): Thank you for having me.
Chris Miles (27:32): You bet. Hey, if they want to follow you and get to know your stuff better, what would you recommend?
Adam Adams (27:38): RaisingMoneyCoach.Com. Great place to find me. RaisingMoneyCoach.com.
Chris Miles (27:43): RaisingMoneyCoach.com Awesome! We'll put that in the show notes for everybody to check out. Adam it's extremely valuable and I know, I follow you as well. So I know your stuff is great. I see you as an influencer in my life. So everybody else, I recommend you follow Adam Triple A. Triple A Adams as well. So Hey Adam, I appreciate your time and appreciate your value.
Adam Adams (28:03): Thank you!
Chris Miles (28:04): And everybody else. Thank you so much for joining us today. Again, it's about action. The action you take is what creates the results in your life. It's one thing to be a listener of this show. But it's another thing to be the doer of the word too. So guys go out and do it. Make it a wonderful and prosperous week. We'll see you later.
#Anti-financial Advisor#Cash flow#Cash flow Expert#Debts#Entrepreneur#Financial Freedom#Money Ripples
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hey how do you like gas prices? do you work? does it bother you people crossing the borders get free healthcare and aren't tested for Corona while tax payers get stuck paying for them all? how about the lie saying stimulus money won't raise out taxes. but it's raising them. how about that stimulus money was taxpayer money that we've already been taxes on....now they are taxing again??? glad you are happy with the new president
you and your political views are as lame as the language you use in those political opinions of yours!!! when you move outta mommy and daddy's house maybe you'll have different views!! but for now shut your fucking mouth unless you know what you are talking about!!!!
You fucked with the wrong bitch today.
Let’s break this down question by question:
How do I like gas prices? Well yeah I think they’re pretty high right now. But it doesn’t help that there were idiots who decided to hoard a shit ton of gas just like they did toilet paper at the beginning of this pandemic. The less supply we have of something, the more expensive it’s going to be. It’s simple supply and demand, ya know the shit we learned in elementary school?? And if you think I’m going to blame Biden for this, you’re sadly mistaken. See, the president doesn’t control gas prices, he never has. If you would like to read about why gas prices are rising and why is definitely not ANY presidents fault, here: https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/mar/02/are-gas-prices-going-and-it-joe-bidens-fault/
Do I work?? Yes, I do work. I have to drive an hour to and from my job that only pays $9 and hour. Keep that in mind for later questions.
Does it bother me people crossing the borders get free healthcare and aren't tested for Corona while tax payers get stuck paying for them all? No it doesn’t bother me. I believe that universal health care is a right for ALL people. As President Biden has said, “I think that anyone who is in a situation where they are in need of health care regardless of whether they are documented or undocumented, we have an obligation to see to that they're cared for.” (Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/5485242002) What kind of person looks at an undocumented immigrant who is ill and thinks they don’t deserve to have health insurance? That’s right, an asshole one. As ass for the corona virus comment, Biden has actually not stopped COVID-19 testing at the border. (Source: https://www.factcheck.org/2021/02/biden-hasnt-reduced-covid-19-testing-at-the-border/) The claim that was made said that Biden was releasing detained immigrants without COVID-19 testing, is in fact false. So maybe double check google first before spreading lies?
[Does it bother me] how about the lie saying stimulus money won't raise out taxes. but it's raising them. I’m assuming you’re talking about Biden’s $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan?? Please correct me if I assumed wrong. Let’s see, it’s going to raise corporate tax rates (so companies, ok), and individual tax rates for high earners (I wonder what he considers a high earner?). The corporate tax rate will probably increase from 21% to 28%. While the individual income tax rate will increase for people earning more than $400,000 per year, and raising the capital gains tax for people earning more that $1 million per year. (Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2021/03/15/biden-gears-up-for-new-tax-hikes-to-pay-for-more-stimulus-heres-what-we-know/amp/) So this sounds like people who earn more, get taxes more. While people who earn less, get taxed less. So if you fall into one of these categories, which I feel is highly unlikely, then you have enough money to pay for the raise in tax. If you don’t fall into any of these categories, shut the fuck up and quit complaining.
[Does it bother me] how about that stimulus money was taxpayer money that we've already been taxes on....now they are taxing again??? Wow if you google “is the stimulus taxable” guess what pops up first? This: ““None of the stimulus payments are taxable." The IRS already has records of the stimulus checks in its system, so taxpayers who are certain that they received the stimulus payments they were due don't have to take any additional action” (Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/04/13/how-stimulus-checks-will-affect-your-2020-taxes.html) In fact, this says that people are making the mistake as putting the stimulus check AS INCOME which then makes it taxable. The IRS could eventually issue a refund for your mistake but there is no guarantee the IRS will catch this mistake. So do your homework before coming at me.
Now I am not completely happy with Biden. Joe Biden is a human being, he makes mistakes. Some of which he needs to be held accountable for. It is my duty as an American who voted for him, to watch him under a microscope and make sure that no one tries to treat him as some God.
However, he is actually supporting a lot of movements which makes him look good. He spoke against police brutality, and supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/4876710001 However, there have been allegations against him in the Me Too movement. There hasn’t been any investigation into this allegation so I am still very wary about President Biden. If there was an investigation and he did end up doing that to her, he should be prosecuted, just like Trump should be. But if he didn’t, then I believe there should be an investigation into the woman who accused him and why she would lie.
“when you move outta mommy and daddy's house maybe you'll have different views!!” First of all, you don’t know me. You don’t know who I am, where I live, who I live with, anything. You know nothing. But here, let me tell you a bit about myself even though you don’t deserve it. My mother and father split when I was 5 years old. Since then my father had barely anything to do with me. In fact, he passed away this year because of Stage 4 lung cancer and having strokes every week. Did he want me in his life when he found out he was dying? No. Did i get notified when he died? Also no, i found out through my brother. So technically, I never lived under my dads home nor used his dirty money. As for my mom. She is a strong, independent woman. But because of COVID, she lost her job. So she has been using the money that her sister left her when she died, to pay for food and bills. So the stimulus checks definitely help us, along with many other people. And I also help with food and bills where I can with my $9 an hour paycheck that I get once a month. So even when I do move out, my views are not going to change.
“but for now shut your fucking mouth unless you know what you are talking about!!!!” How about you suck my fucking dildo you piece of shit. I know what I’m talking about. I’ve done the research throughout the years. I’ve seen the world and been involved in protests. I’ve stood in front of people of color during these protests because I know the privilege I have. So how about you shut your fucking mouth, because you definitely don’t know what you’re talking about and who the hell you’re talking to. If you want to start more shit, my DMs are always open.
And if you want to know the color of the dildo you’ll be sucking, it’s purple, bitch.
-M 🖕🏼🤣
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