#increase transparency

[finelythreadedsky]

there are 32 complete surviving tragedies by three different authors (counting cases of disputed genre and authorship), and you can see a list here

[luckyashes-art]

on a scale of 1 to yes how much do we think ghost Saki would absolutely use her ability of phasing thru walls and changing how much she's visible to scare someone (Tsukasa gets the worst of it)

[swampstew]

I quit my job!

[softgrungeprophet]

prime example of why your workplace (yes, you) needs a union, even if it's a great place with good benefits

my sister works at a non-profit. they have great PTO and had (past tense) great benefits, until! COVID happened, they closed for a long stretch and eventually could not afford to keep providing said great benefits. understandable to some extent. shit happens.

but the problem is that it's now been 5 years and they simply... never reinstated those benefits even after being open again for plenty long enough to do so

This is why you want a union. Something could happen, a company could change ownership, etc. and without a union you don't have a good way to speak up for yourself since you aren't organized in a way that facilitates that. with a union you have a stronger base of support that can help you ensure all employees are treated fairly.

[martlet-of-snowdin]

What are some of your niche interests? Be it a game or show that isn’t super popular, a hobby… anything, really.

[sillimancer]

I think about this passage so often I made myself a little poster design with it a few years ago and it felt pertinent to dig it out and share it again.

ID in alt text and under the cut:

ID: A black poster with the following quoted passage from Lundy Bancroft's book "Why does he do that? Inside the Minds of angry and controlling men" in white text, with one portion highlighted in red. The passage reads as follows:

"It is not possible to be truly balanced in one’s views of an abuser and an [abuse victim]. As Dr. Judith Herman explains eloquently in her masterwork Trauma and Recovery, “neutrality” actually serves the interests of the perpetrator much more than those of the victim and so is not neutral. Although an abuser prefers to have you wholeheartedly on his side, he will settle contentedly for your decision to take a middle stance. To him, that means you see the couple’s problems as partly her fault and partly his fault, which means it isn’t abuse.

"In reality, to remain neutral is to collude with the abusive man, whether or not that is your goal. (Note: Red highlight begins here) If you are aware of chronic or severe mistreatment and do not speak out against it, your silence communicates implicitly that you see nothing unacceptable taking place. (Note: Red highlight ends here.) Abusers interpret silence as approval, or at least as forgiveness. To [abuse victims], meanwhile, the silence means that no one will help—just what her partner wants her to believe.

"Anyone who chooses to quietly look the other way therefore unwittingly becomes the abuser’s ally." End of passage.

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

Brat orders Winnie to increase the gravity before he hits a button,

which causes the transparent overhead dome to come apart and collapse upon the audience and everyone inside the arena.

[asestimationsconsultants]

Lease Deals Start Here | The Pre-Lease Advantage of a Commercial Estimating Service

Introduction

When it comes to commercial leasing, the initial stages of the deal can be the most critical for both tenants and property owners. Before signing a lease agreement, there are numerous financial considerations that need to be addressed, from the base rent to potential tenant improvements and hidden costs. Ensuring that both parties are on the same page regarding the financial aspects of the lease is essential to a successful and long-term relationship. A commercial estimating service offers invaluable assistance during the pre-lease phase by providing detailed, transparent cost estimates that help both tenants and landlords make informed decisions. This article explores the pre-lease advantages of using a commercial estimating service and how it can lead to more successful lease negotiations.

Understanding the Pre-Lease Process

The pre-lease process is the period during which tenants and landlords negotiate the terms of the lease agreement. For tenants, this includes evaluating the space to ensure it meets their needs and budget, while landlords work to ensure they can meet the tenant’s requirements without incurring unnecessary costs. During this phase, both parties will typically discuss tenant improvements, rent costs, and any other financial obligations associated with the lease. A commercial estimating service plays a crucial role by providing accurate cost estimates that allow both parties to understand the full financial picture of the lease, avoiding surprises and ensuring fair terms for everyone involved.

Establishing Accurate Tenant Improvement Budgets

One of the most significant factors to consider during the pre-lease phase is tenant improvements (TI). Often, the space tenants are interested in may not be move-in ready and will require changes such as new partitions, flooring, lighting, or HVAC systems. These improvements can be costly, and negotiating who will cover these costs—whether the tenant or the landlord—can be a sticking point in lease discussions. A commercial estimating service helps by providing an accurate and detailed budget for the proposed tenant improvements, giving both parties a clear understanding of how much the upgrades will cost. With this information, landlords can factor these costs into the lease agreement, and tenants can assess whether they’re comfortable with the financial commitment required for the improvements.

Forecasting Operational Costs and Rent Increases

Beyond tenant improvements, commercial leases often involve additional financial considerations such as rent escalation clauses and operational costs. Rent increases over the term of the lease are common, and these increases can have a significant impact on the tenant's overall costs. A commercial estimating service helps forecast these potential increases by considering market trends, inflation rates, and other factors that could affect the cost of rent during the lease term. By providing a clear picture of how rent might change over time, estimating services allow tenants to plan their budgets accordingly and ensure that the rent is fair and in line with industry standards.

Identifying Hidden Costs Before Signing the Lease

Leases often come with hidden costs that may not be immediately apparent during negotiations. These can include maintenance fees, utilities, insurance premiums, and taxes that may be passed on to the tenant. A commercial estimating service helps identify these potential hidden costs early in the pre-lease phase by analyzing the building’s operating expenses and assessing any additional costs that might be incurred during the lease term. By providing a comprehensive breakdown of all potential costs, the estimating service ensures that tenants are fully aware of their financial obligations before committing to the lease.

Establishing Clear Terms for Rent Concessions

In some cases, landlords may offer rent concessions to tenants, such as a few months of free rent or reduced rent during the initial phase of the lease. While these concessions can be appealing to tenants, it’s essential to understand their full impact on the lease’s overall financial structure. A commercial estimating service helps both parties assess the value of rent concessions by incorporating them into the overall cost structure of the lease. By factoring these concessions into the cost estimate, the estimating service provides a clear understanding of how they will affect the tenant’s long-term rental costs.

Assessing the Feasibility of Customizing the Space

Every tenant has unique needs when it comes to customizing their rented space. Whether it’s adding offices, improving lighting, or creating specialized areas, these changes can significantly affect both the cost and timeline of the lease. A commercial estimating service evaluates the feasibility of these customizations by providing a detailed cost breakdown for each proposed change. This allows tenants to understand the financial implications of modifying the space and helps landlords assess whether they can accommodate these changes within the lease structure. Accurate cost assessments also help avoid misunderstandings or disputes over customizations once the lease is signed.

Reducing Disputes and Misunderstandings During Lease Negotiations

One of the most common causes of disputes between tenants and landlords is a lack of clarity about financial responsibilities. With the assistance of a commercial estimating service, both parties can establish a clear understanding of who will cover various costs, including tenant improvements, operating expenses, and any other financial obligations. This transparency reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and conflicts once the lease is signed. By providing detailed cost estimates, the estimating service acts as a neutral third party, offering both sides the confidence that the lease terms are fair and equitable.

Creating Realistic Lease Terms Based on Accurate Estimates

A commercial estimating service helps both tenants and landlords create realistic lease terms based on accurate financial estimates. By having a clear understanding of the full scope of costs involved—whether for tenant improvements, rent, or operating expenses—both parties can negotiate terms that are feasible and aligned with their respective budgets. For landlords, this means ensuring that the rental income will cover the costs of improvements and ongoing expenses. For tenants, it means knowing exactly what their financial commitment will be over the course of the lease.

Improving Long-Term Relationships Between Tenants and Landlords

The pre-lease phase sets the tone for the entire tenant-landlord relationship. Transparent financial planning, enabled by a commercial estimating service, fosters trust and cooperation from the start. When both parties are confident in the financial terms of the lease, they are more likely to work together positively throughout the lease term. The clarity provided by estimating services ensures that both tenants and landlords can focus on building a mutually beneficial relationship rather than worrying about unexpected costs or budget disputes.

Conclusion

The pre-lease phase is one of the most important stages of the commercial leasing process. By utilizing a commercial estimating service, both tenants and landlords can ensure that the financial terms of the lease are fair, transparent, and aligned with expectations. From providing accurate tenant improvement budgets to forecasting operational costs and identifying hidden fees, estimating services offer invaluable insights that help reduce financial risks and ensure smoother negotiations. Ultimately, using a commercial estimating service during the pre-lease phase helps set the stage for a successful and long-term lease agreement, benefiting both parties in the process.

[macsopinion]

Mark Carney's Shadow Carbon Tax Explained - Evil Conman Conning Canadians

Shadow Carbon Tax Explained Carbon Tax Con Job The carbon tax con job. They collect the tax for seven years, pass a law to raise it 300% by 2030, and then, a few weeks before the election, they hide it from sight, all to try and win a fourth liberal term in power. The full carbon tax, which lets them keep the tax and raise the tax, remains in place today, even after Mark Carney tried to hide…

[chainreactionpodcast]

Understanding the Rising Costs of Living: Energy, Water, and Council Tax in Focus

In recent years, households across the UK have faced growing financial pressures, with energy costs, water utility prices, and council tax emerging as significant contributors. Here’s a deep dive into these escalating expenses, what’s driving them, and the steps stakeholders can take to address them. The Rising Tide of Household Costs Energy Costs Energy prices have been on a steep incline,…

[fumiliar]

kento is a straightforward lover. he would not beat around the bush. what he wants is what he would say. he doesn't play the push and pull game or even play hard to get. he is honest and transparent towards his wants, except for one.

"kento, i know something is on your mind. please tell me," you came closer to kento, laying on his chest. "please?"

"i think..." kento paused to think. his lips were smooshed against each other forming a line. "i'd like you to...be responsible for my tie."

"huh? what does that mean? i mean, i can do that as my laundry. i don't really mi-"

"no!" he panicked. "that's not what i meant...."

"then what?" you drew hearts over his chest, listening to his rapidly increasing heartbeat.

"i'd just like you to be responsible...for tying my tie and taking it off," kento's eyes couldn't meet yours.

"that's it?" you sat up. "all this time i was worried something really bad was wrong. but turns out you just want me to take care of your tie?" you were confused. kento had been hiding this for 3 days, since the first time you ever took off his tie afterwork.

"...yea. would you be okay with that?"

"of course ken," you pecked his cheek. "i'm okay with anything if it's with you."

[intelisync]

Web3 for E-commerce: 5 Must-Know Reasons to Get Started

The digital revolution is here, and Web3 is leading the charge. Discover how your e-commerce business can benefit from this groundbreaking technology.

Web3, also known as Web 3.0, introduces a decentralized internet framework that brings significant advantages to e-commerce businesses. Blockchain technology, a cornerstone of Web3, offers unmatched security with its immutable ledgers and multi-signature wallets, ensuring safe and fraud-resistant transactions. This security is crucial in protecting both businesses and consumers from cyber threats.

Transparency is another hallmark of Web3, enabling customers to verify the authenticity and origin of products through immutable blockchain records. This builds a level of trust and loyalty that traditional e-commerce models struggle to achieve. Additionally, Web3 enhances operational efficiency with smart contracts that automate processes, reduce costs, and eliminate human error, providing a seamless and cost-effective solution for managing supply chains and transactions.

Embrace the future of e-commerce with Web3. Contact Intelisync to learn how our expert solutions in blockchain and decentralized technologies can transform your online store. From security enhancements to operational efficiencies, Intelisync is your partner in pioneering the Learn more....

[wilwheaton]

At Steve Jackson Games, we are actively assessing what this means for our products, our pricing, and our future plans. We do know that we can't absorb this kind of cost increase without raising prices. We've done our best over the past few years to shield players and retailers from the full brunt of rising freight costs and other increases, but this new tax changes the equation entirely. Here are the numbers: A product we might have manufactured in China for $3.00 last year could now cost $4.62 before we even ship it across the ocean. Add freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution margins, and that once-$25 game quickly becomes a $40 product. That's not a luxury upcharge; it's survival math. Some people ask, "Why not manufacture in the U.S.?" I wish we could. But the infrastructure to support full-scale boardgame production – specialty dice making, die-cutting, custom plastic and wood components – doesn't meaningfully exist here yet. I've gotten quotes. I've talked to factories. Even when the willingness is there, the equipment, labor, and timelines simply aren't. [...] We want to be transparent with our community. This is real: Prices are going up. We're still determining how much and where. If you're frustrated, you're not alone. We are too. And if you want to help, write to your elected officials. Ask them how these new policies help American creators and small businesses. Because right now, it feels like they don't. We'll keep making games. But we'll be honest when the road gets harder, because we know you care about where your games come from – and about the people who make them.

Daily Illuminator: Tariffs Are Driving Up Game Prices Now

[reasonsforhope]

It’s an open secret in fashion. Unsold inventory goes to the incinerator; excess handbags are slashed so they can’t be resold; perfectly usable products are sent to the landfill to avoid discounts and flash sales. The European Union wants to put an end to these unsustainable practices. On Monday, [December 4, 2023], it banned the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear.

“It is time to end the model of ‘take, make, dispose’ that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy,” MEP Alessandra Moretti said in a statement. “Banning the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear will contribute to a shift in the way fast fashion manufacturers produce their goods.”

This comes as part of a broader push to tighten sustainable fashion legislation, with new policies around ecodesign, greenwashing and textile waste phasing in over the next few years. The ban on destroying unsold goods will be among the longer lead times: large businesses have two years to comply, and SMEs have been granted up to six years. It’s not yet clear on whether the ban applies to companies headquartered in the EU, or any that operate there, as well as how this ban might impact regions outside of Europe.

For many, this is a welcome decision that indirectly tackles the controversial topics of overproduction and degrowth. Policymakers may not be directly telling brands to produce less, or placing limits on how many units they can make each year, but they are penalising those overproducing, which is a step in the right direction, says Eco-Age sustainability consultant Philippa Grogan. “This has been a dirty secret of the fashion industry for so long. The ban won’t end overproduction on its own, but hopefully it will compel brands to be better organised, more responsible and less greedy.”

Clarifications to come

There are some kinks to iron out, says Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany and the European Fashion Alliance (EFA). The EFA is calling on the EU to clarify what it means by both “unsold goods” and “destruction”. Unsold goods, to the EFA, mean they are fit for consumption or sale (excluding counterfeits, samples or prototypes)...

The question of what happens to these unsold goods if they are not destroyed is yet to be answered. “Will they be shipped around the world? Will they be reused as deadstock or shredded and downcycled? Will outlet stores have an abundance of stock to sell?” asks Grogan.

Large companies will also have to disclose how many unsold consumer products they discard each year and why, a rule the EU is hoping will curb overproduction and destruction...

Could this shift supply chains?

For Dio Kurazawa, founder of sustainable fashion consultancy The Bear Scouts, this is an opportunity for brands to increase supply chain agility and wean themselves off the wholesale model so many rely on. “This is the time to get behind innovations like pre-order and on-demand manufacturing,” he says. “It’s a chance for brands to play with AI to understand the future of forecasting. Technology can help brands be more intentional with what they make, so they have less unsold goods in the first place.”

Grogan is equally optimistic about what this could mean for sustainable fashion in general. “It’s great to see that this is more ambitious than the EU’s original proposal and that it specifically calls out textiles. It demonstrates a willingness from policymakers to create a more robust system,” she says. “Banning the destruction of unsold goods might make brands rethink their production models and possibly better forecast their collections.”

One of the outstanding questions is over enforcement. Time and again, brands have used the lack of supply chain transparency in fashion as an excuse for bad behaviour. Part of the challenge with the EU’s new ban will be proving that brands are destroying unsold goods, not to mention how they’re doing it and to what extent, says Kurazawa. “Someone obviously knows what is happening and where, but will the EU?”"

-via British Vogue, December 7, 2023

[feminist-space]

Cat in the Hat:

"The German Health Minister gave an important update on the Covid situation yesterday.

I’ve written up the section of his speech from the video below for easy reading.

It’s immensely refreshing to see a government minister warning of the harms of Covid in such a transparent way."

https://x.com/_catinthehat/status/1732092683508678954

Prof. Karl Lauterbach

Health Minister, Germany

4 December 2023

"This second (long Covid) round table was very interesting, lasting three and a half hours. It serves as a unique forum for dialogue among scientists, researchers and those affected by long Covid, facilitating the exchange of ideas.

There are many new findings about long Covid. Not all of them are good news. One piece of not-so-good news concerns the fact that long Covid is actually still a problem for those who are newly infected. One estimate that has been put forward is that the risk of contracting long Covid now, even after vaccination, is around 3%. Now you may say, "that's not such a big risk" , but there are tens of thousands of people who are repeatedly affected in a short period of time. And so, the long Covid problem has not yet been solved.

We have also established that there really are many subgroups of long Covid and that we do not yet have a cure. And it was clearly pointed out that we are also dealing with problems here that will challenge society as a whole, because vascular diseases often occur after long Covid. Throughout Europe, we are currently seeing an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in the middle-age group - from 25 to 50. This is associated with the consequences of Covid infections.

We also very often find cognitive impairment in older people. And one participant pointed out that it may well be like the Spanish flu, where 20 years after the Spanish flu there was a significant increase in Parkinson's disease and probably also dementia.

This is something we must pay attention to, as the past infection afiects how the immune system in the brain functions, as well as the brain's blood vessels, potentially increasing the long-term risk of these major neurodegenerative diseases. This is why we need to conduct very intensive research. This research has played a major role.

What is the overall assessment of the situation now?

We have to be careful. Long Covid is not curable at the moment. We also know that over 40% of those who have several manifestations of long Covid, for example, five or more, still have symptoms after 2 years, so it doesn't seem to heal spontaneously. We also know that those whose symptoms are more pronounced at the beginning are less likely to heal.

So some of what we know from the demographics of long Covid has been confirmed, and we now know more precisely which mechanisms in the brain, but also in the blood vessels and the immune system, are responsible for this. Professor Scheibenbogan will explain this briefly later.

At this point, I can only say the following - this is particularly important to me:

First of all, long Covid is a disease that stays with us and that we cannot yet cure. And we are seeing an increasing number of cases as the waves of infection continue to affect us.

Secondly, Covid is not a cold - with a cold, you don't usually see any long-term effects. You don't see any changes in the blood vessels. You don't usually see an autoimmune disease developing. You also don't usually see neurological inflammation - these are all things that we see with long Covid. Therefore, one should not assume that Covid infection is just a common cold. It can affect brain tissue and the vascular system, and we still lack an effective treatment, making these studies crucial.

Significantly, we know that the risk of long Covid decreases when you're infected but have been vaccinated. That's why it's concerning that only 3 million people have been vaccinated with the new, adapted vaccine. That is a very bad result.

Please protect yourself from severe infections.

Please protect yourself from long Covid.

Currently, the danger posed by Covid is indeed being underestimated. Nothing is worse than infecting someone at Christmas who then becomes seriously ill and may not fully recover."

Alt text is included in all images of this post.

[chainreactionpodcast]

Understanding the Rising Costs of Living: Energy, Water, and Council Tax in Focus

In recent years, households across the UK have faced growing financial pressures, with energy costs, water utility prices, and council tax emerging as significant contributors. Here’s a deep dive into these escalating expenses, what’s driving them, and the steps stakeholders can take to address them. The Rising Tide of Household Costs Energy Costs Energy prices have been on a steep incline,…