#Corporate Finance Modeling | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

financeaccountingus · 1 year ago

Text

Accounting vs Finance: Unlocking the 5 Secrets

Accounting vs Finance: Unlocking the 5 Secrets

Explore the distinctions between accounting and finance, and make informed decisions.

1. Introduction

In the intricate tapestry of personal and business finance, the terms “accounting” and “finance” often become entwined, leaving individuals bewildered about the distinctions. If you’ve ever found yourself pondering the differences between these two financial pillars, you’re not alone. This article aims to unravel the complexity, providing a comprehensive guide to the both fields tailored for the common person. By the end, you’ll not only understand the intricacies but also feel empowered to navigate your financial journey with confidence.

1. What is Accounting?

It, in its essence, serves as the meticulous storyteller of your financial affairs. It goes beyond mere number-crunching; it is the art of recording, summarizing, and interpreting the financial transactions that shape your economic narrative. Think of it as the architect behind the scenes, constructing the foundation upon which wise financial decisions are made. To delve deeper, let’s explore the pivotal role of accounting in financial management.

In the vast landscape of financial management, it stands as a foundational pillar. Its primary objective is to provide a systematic and accurate representation of an entity’s financial transactions. It encompasses a range of activities, from recording day-to-day transactions to preparing detailed financial statements.

Financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement, are the tangible outputs of the accounting process. Each statement serves a unique purpose, collectively offering a comprehensive view of an organization’s financial health. The balance sheet presents a snapshot of assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time. The income statement outlines the revenue and expenses over a set period, revealing the profitability of the entity. Meanwhile, the cash flow statement tracks the inflow and outflow of cash, providing insights into liquidity.

Beyond the technicalities, it is governed by a set of principles and standards that ensure consistency and transparency in financial reporting. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) guide accountants in preparing financial statements that accurately reflect the economic reality of an organization.

2. Who are Accountants?

In the world of finance, accountants are the unsung heroes, diligently working behind the scenes to ensure the financial narrative is not just a sequence of numbers but a coherent and accurate story. Their role extends beyond mathematical precision; it requires a keen eye for detail, a commitment to accuracy, and the ability to interpret the financial language.

Accountants act as financial custodians, ensuring that every transaction is recorded accurately and in compliance with regulatory standards. Their work goes beyond number-crunching; it involves making sense of financial data, identifying trends, and providing valuable insights to support strategic decision-making.

The skill set required for this subject is diverse, encompassing mathematical proficiency, attention to detail, analytical thinking, and a thorough understanding of financial principles. Accountants must stay abreast of evolving regulations and adapt to the changing landscape of financial reporting.

Examples of how accountants contribute to financial stability are abundant. From preparing tax returns to conducting audits, accountants play a crucial role in ensuring that an organization’s financial activities align with legal requirements and ethical standards. In essence, accountants are the architects of financial transparency, laying the groundwork for informed decision-making.

3. Types of Accounting Simplified

Its realm of is surprisingly diverse, akin to a palette of colors each serving a distinct purpose. Managerial accounting is like the personal financial advisor you consult for making day-to-day money decisions. It involves the preparation of internal reports that help managers make informed decisions about the allocation of resources, cost control, and performance evaluation.

Financial accounting, on the other hand, is the storyteller we mentioned earlier, narrating your financial tale to the world. It focuses on the preparation of external financial statements that provide stakeholders, such as investors and creditors, with a comprehensive view of an organization’s financial performance.

Then there’s forensic accounting, akin to a financial detective, unveiling mysteries hidden within the numbers. Forensic accountants are called upon to investigate financial irregularities, fraud, and legal disputes. They combine skills with investigative techniques to uncover financial discrepancies and provide expert testimony in legal proceedings.

The versatility within the field of accounting is striking. Accountants can specialize in areas such as tax accounting, cost accounting, or internal auditing, each requiring a unique set of skills and expertise. This diversity ensures that accounting professionals can find roles that align with their interests and strengths.

"Accounting is the cornerstone of the business world." Tiffany Johnson

4. What is Finance?

As we shift our focus to finance, it is crucial to understand that finance is not merely about money; it is the strategic commander guiding your financial ship through the vast sea of economic decisions. Finance is the art of managing resources, making informed decisions, and steering towards financial goals. Imagine finance as the compass directing your financial journey, ensuring you navigate the twists and turns with precision.

Finance encompasses a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from investment and risk management to capital budgeting and financial planning. At its core, finance aims to optimize the allocation of resources to achieve the organization’s objectives. It is forward-looking, involving projections, forecasts, and strategic planning to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

5. Understanding Financial Components

To comprehend finance, envision financial markets as bustling shopping malls where pieces of companies are bought and sold. Financial instruments, in this analogy, are the products available in these malls, each carrying its own unique value. Financial management acts as the wise shopping list, guiding you to make optimal choices and ensuring that your financial resources are utilized most efficiently.

Financial markets serve as the platforms where buyers and sellers come together to trade financial instruments. These markets include stock markets, bond markets, and commodity markets, among others. Investors participate in these markets to buy and sell financial assets, with prices determined by the forces of supply and demand.

Financial instruments, on the other hand, represent various types of tradable assets. Stocks, bonds, options, and derivatives are examples of financial instruments, each serving a specific purpose in the financial landscape. These instruments provide individuals and organizations with avenues to invest, hedge risks, and diversify their portfolios.

Financial management, as the wise shopping list, involves making decisions about how to allocate financial resources to achieve organizational goals. This includes decisions about budgeting, capital expenditures, and financing options. The goal is to maximize shareholder value by ensuring that resources are employed in the most efficient and effective manner.

The role of financial instruments in risk management is crucial. Organizations use instruments like insurance, derivatives, and hedging strategies to mitigate the impact of uncertain events on their financial health. By carefully managing risks, organizations can safeguard their financial stability and protect against adverse market conditions.

6. Who are Finance Professionals?

Finance professionals are the captains of your financial ship, entrusted with steering towards prosperity. Their responsibilities go beyond number analysis; they are the architects of financial strategies, evaluating investments, managing risks, and helping you make strategic decisions that align with your financial objectives.

Finance professionals are integral to the success of organizations and individuals alike. They play a pivotal role in the allocation of resources, ensuring that capital is deployed in ventures that generate the highest returns. Investment bankers, financial analysts, and financial managers are among the various roles within the realm of finance.

The skills required for success in finance are diverse, ranging from analytical thinking and strategic planning to effective communication and risk management. Finance professionals must possess a deep understanding of financial markets, economic trends, and the factors influencing investment decisions.

Exploring real-life scenarios showcases the decision-making role of finance professionals. Imagine a company looking to expand its operations. Finance professionals would assess the financial feasibility of the expansion, considering factors such as market trends, potential returns, and associated risks. They would develop financial models, conduct cost-benefit analyses, and recommend funding options to support the expansion.

In strategic planning and forecasting, finance professionals anticipate future financial trends and formulate plans to achieve organizational objectives. This involves projecting financial statements, evaluating investment opportunities, and aligning financial strategies with the overall goals of the organization.

7. Spotting the Differences

Now, let’s unravel the subtle yet significant differences between the two. Accounting is akin to looking at your financial photo album, capturing the essence of where your money has been. In contrast, finance peers into the future, sketching out plans and strategies to guide your financial journey ahead. While both are integral, accounting dwells in the past, and finance anticipates the future, creating a dynamic balance essential for financial success.

Accounting, with its historical focus, is concerned with recording, classifying, and interpreting past financial transactions. It provides a detailed account of an organization’s financial performance, offering stakeholders insights into its economic activities. The reports generated by accountants, such as balance sheets and income statements, serve as snapshots of the financial past.

In contrast, finance takes a forward-looking approach, embracing the mantra that the past is prologue. Finance professionals leverage historical data to make informed predictions about future financial trends. Their focus is on strategic planning, forecasting, and allocating resources to achieve long-term financial goals. Finance is the compass that guides organizations through the uncertainties of the future.

Real-world analogies can help readers grasp the disparities between both fields. Consider accounting as the historian meticulously documenting every detail of a journey. The historian’s role is to faithfully record the events, transactions, and experiences along the way. On the other hand, finance is the navigator charting the course for the next leg of the journey. The navigator analyzes the historical path, considers external factors like weather and terrain, and plots the optimal route forward.

Despite their distinct focuses, both are interdependent. The accuracy and reliability of data complied by accountants are paramount for informed financial decision-making. Finance professionals rely on the historical context provided by accountants to formulate strategies, assess risks, and guide organizations toward financial success. In essence, accounting provides the raw material, and finance shapes it into a strategic plan.

Common misconceptions about both of them can further contribute to the confusion. Some may perceive accounting as a mundane task, confined to number-crunching and compliance. In reality, it is a dynamic field that requires analytical thinking, interpretive skills, and a deep understanding of financial principles. On the other hand, finance is not just about managing money; it involves complex decision-making, risk evaluation, and the strategic allocation of resources.

8. Learning Paths

For those considering joining the financial superhero squad, understanding the academic paths is crucial. Aspiring accountants often delve into one of the two fields of studies, honing their skills in the art of recording and interpreting financial transactions. Finance professionals, on the other hand, may explore economics, mathematics, and statistics, acquiring a holistic understanding of the financial landscape. The key is to embark on a path that resonates with individual interests and aspirations.

The academic journey for accountants typically involves coursework in financial accounting, managerial accounting, taxation, and auditing. These courses provide a solid foundation in accounting principles, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements. Aspiring accountants may pursue degrees such as Bachelor of Science in Accounting or Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on accounting.

Finance professionals often pursue degrees in finance, economics, or related fields. Academic programs in finance cover topics such as financial management, investment analysis, risk management, and financial markets. Degrees such as Bachelor of Science in Finance or Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in finance equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for success in the field.

The evolving nature of academic programs in accounting and finance reflects the dynamic landscape of the financial industry. Institutions are increasingly incorporating technology and data analytics into their curricula, preparing students for the demands of the digital age. Interdisciplinary knowledge, including an understanding of business operations, ethics, and communication, is increasingly emphasized to produce well-rounded professionals.

9. Jobs in Numbers

The world of careers in both is vast and diverse, offering a multitude of opportunities for those equipped with financial expertise. Accountants may find themselves as auditors, tax professionals, or even forensic investigators, delving into the intricate details of financial records. Finance professionals, on the other hand, could become financial analysts, investment bankers, or the guiding force behind a company’s financial strategy. The impact of these professions extends beyond individual careers, influencing the global and personal financial tapestry.

The role of accountants in various industries is expansive. Auditors, for instance, examine financial statements to ensure compliance with accounting principles and legal regulations. Tax professionals navigate the complex landscape of tax codes, helping individuals and organizations optimize their tax positions. Forensic accountants use their investigative skills to uncover financial irregularities, detect fraud, and provide expert testimony in legal proceedings.

Finance professionals contribute to the financial success of organizations through diverse roles. Financial analysts assess the financial health of companies, analyze market trends, and provide recommendations for investment decisions. Investment bankers facilitate capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and other financial transactions. Financial managers oversee the financial activities of organizations, ensuring sound financial practices and strategic decision-making.

The impact of these professions on the global and personal financial landscapes cannot be overstated. Accountants contribute to financial transparency, helping stakeholders make informed decisions about investments, loans, and business partnerships. Finance professionals drive economic growth by facilitating capital flows, supporting businesses in expansion efforts, and optimizing financial resources for long-term sustainability.

The choice between both professional careers often hinges on individual preferences, skills, and aspirations. Accountants may find fulfillment in the meticulous analysis of financial records, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Finance professionals, on the other hand, may thrive in the dynamic world of financial markets, strategic planning, and investment analysis. Regardless of the chosen path, both professions play pivotal roles in shaping the financial landscape.

10. How They Work Together

The synergy between the two field is nothing short of magical. Accountants provide the data – the historical context, if you will – and finance professionals transform that data into a strategic plan. It’s akin to a perfect dance where the precision of accounting data meets the strategic finesse of financial planning. Together, they ensure that your financial journey is not only accurately recorded but also wisely navigated toward prosperity.

The collaboration between both of them begins with the meticulous work of accountants. They record every financial transaction, classify expenses, and summarize financial activities. The resulting financial statements serve as a comprehensive record of an organization’s past performance.

Finance professionals take the reins from there, using the historical data provided by accountants to make informed decisions about the future. They analyze financial statements, assess market trends, and evaluate investment opportunities. Finance professionals use financial modeling and forecasting techniques to project future performance and guide strategic planning.

Consider a scenario where a company is contemplating a significant investment in new technology. Accountants would provide the historical data related to the company’s financial health, including past expenses, revenue, and cash flow. Finance professionals would then analyze this data to assess the feasibility of the investment, considering factors such as potential returns, risks, and long-term impact.

The collaboration extends to budgeting and resource allocation. Accountants play a crucial role in preparing budgets based on historical data and expected expenses. Finance professionals use this information to align budgetary allocations with organizational goals, ensuring that resources are directed toward initiatives that maximize value.

In the context of decision-making, accountants and finance professionals work hand in hand. Accountants provide the necessary financial information, and finance professionals use their analytical skills to evaluate options, assess risks, and formulate strategic plans. The result is a harmonious integration of past financial data and future-oriented decision-making.

The symbiotic relationship is evident in strategic financial management. Accountants contribute by providing accurate and timely financial information, enabling finance professionals to make informed decisions. Finance professionals, in turn, leverage this information to develop financial strategies, allocate resources efficiently, and guide organizations toward financial success.

The interdependence between both of them is not confined to large corporations. It extends to individuals managing personal finances. Accountants help individuals track income and expenses, prepare tax returns, and maintain financial records. Finance professionals assist in making strategic decisions about investments, savings, and retirement planning. Together, they ensure that personal financial journeys are not only well-documented but also strategically navigated.

The collaboration between the two fields is not without its challenges. Differences in perspectives, communication barriers, and evolving regulatory landscapes can pose obstacles. However, the commitment to a common goal – effective financial management – fosters a collaborative spirit. Organizations that recognize and nurture this synergy unlock the full potential of both disciplines, creating a powerful force driving financial success.

11. Tech Impact on Money Matters

As we embrace the digital era, technology has woven its threads into the fabric of both fields, ushering in unprecedented advancements. Automation, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technologies have revolutionized traditional accounting tasks, enhancing accuracy and efficiency. In the realm of finance, advanced analytics and modeling tools empower professionals to make real-time, data-driven decisions. Adaptability to these technological changes becomes paramount, akin to mastering a new tool in the ever-evolving toolkit of financial professionals.

In accounting, the impact of technology is transformative. Automation of routine tasks, such as data entry and reconciliation, allows accountants to focus on higher-order activities that require human judgment and interpretation. Artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze vast datasets, identify patterns, and even predict potential financial risks. Blockchain technology ensures the integrity and security of financial transactions, reducing the risk of fraud and errors.

Finance professionals benefit from technology in diverse ways. Advanced analytics tools enable real-time analysis of market trends, helping professionals make timely and informed decisions. Algorithmic trading platforms use complex algorithms to execute trades at optimal times, maximizing returns. The use of big data allows finance professionals to gather insights from massive datasets, enhancing the accuracy of financial projections.

The integration of technology into both field is not without challenges. Professionals need to adapt to new tools and platforms continually. Cybersecurity becomes a critical consideration as financial data becomes increasingly digital. The ethical use of technology, particularly in areas like algorithmic decision-making, demands careful scrutiny.

However, the overall impact is undeniable – technology has streamlined processes, increased efficiency, and expanded the capabilities of accounting and finance professionals. The adaptability to these technological changes has become a valuable skill in the toolkit of financial experts, ensuring they remain at the forefront of industry trends.

12. Challenges Made Simple

In the face of challenges, professionals from both field stand resilient, armed with solutions and strategies. For accountants, keeping pace with ever-evolving regulations presents a perpetual challenge, yet staying informed and adaptable serves as a powerful solution. Finance professionals navigate risks and uncertainties, akin to steering a ship through unpredictable waters, but their strategic prowess and analytical skills act as a compass, guiding them to safe harbors. The dynamic nature of the financial landscape ensures that challenges are not roadblocks but rather stepping stones towards greater financial acumen.

For accountants, the challenge of regulatory compliance is ever-present. As financial regulations evolve in response to changing economic landscapes, accountants must stay abreast of updates and ensure that their practices align with the latest standards. This requires continuous learning, professional development, and a proactive approach to adapting to regulatory changes.

The digital transformation poses both opportunities and challenges for accountants. While automation streamlines routine tasks, it necessitates upskilling in areas like data analytics, technology proficiency, and cybersecurity awareness. Embracing these changes positions accountants not only as record-keepers but as strategic advisors leveraging technology for enhanced financial management.

Finance professionals encounter challenges in navigating the complexities of financial markets. Market volatility, geopolitical events, and economic uncertainties create a dynamic landscape that demands agility and foresight. Successful finance professionals are those who can analyze these challenges, assess risks, and formulate strategies that mitigate potential downsides.

Risk management is a cornerstone of financial decision-making. Finance professionals continually assess and manage risks associated with investments, market fluctuations, and economic trends. They employ sophisticated risk models, scenario analyses, and stress testing to anticipate potential challenges and devise strategies to protect financial interests.

The digitalization of financial processes introduces cybersecurity challenges. Finance professionals must safeguard sensitive financial information from cyber threats, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of data. This requires robust cybersecurity measures, employee training, and a proactive approach to identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities.

The adaptability of both accounting and finance professionals becomes paramount in overcoming these challenges. Continuous learning, professional development, and staying abreast of industry trends are essential practices. The ability to embrace change, whether in regulatory environments or technological landscapes, positions professionals for success in navigating the complexities of the financial world.

13. Trends in Your Wallet’s Future

Peering into the crystal ball of financial trends reveals a landscape shaped by innovation and evolution. Sustainable investing emerges as a trend aligning finances with ethical values, much like choosing eco-friendly products for a sustainable lifestyle. Fintech innovations, resembling the latest apps simplifying everyday tasks, reshape the financial landscape, making transactions and management more accessible. The influence of global events on remote work trends affects not only how we earn but also how we spend, reflecting the continuous evolution of personal financial practices.

Sustainable investing, once a niche concept, has gained significant traction in recent years. Investors are increasingly considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions. Sustainable funds, green bonds, and impact investing are becoming mainstream, reflecting a growing awareness of the interconnectedness between financial choices and broader societal and environmental impacts.

Fintech, or financial technology, is transforming the way we manage money. From mobile banking apps to robo-advisors, fintech innovations are making financial transactions more convenient and accessible. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology introduce decentralized forms of currency and secure, transparent transaction systems. The rise of neobanks challenges traditional banking models, offering digital-only, user-friendly banking experiences.

The influence of global events on personal finance is evident in the shift towards remote work. The traditional 9-to-5 office model is evolving, with more individuals embracing flexible work arrangements. This not only impacts how we earn but also how we spend. Remote work trends contribute to changes in housing preferences, spending patterns, and the adoption of digital payment methods.

The continuous evolution of personal financial practices requires individuals to stay informed about emerging trends. Whether it’s adopting sustainable investment strategies, embracing digital financial tools, or adapting to changing work patterns, staying ahead of the curve is essential for navigating the dynamic landscape of personal finance.

Conclusion: Money Made Easy

In the tapestry of both field, what may seem complex at first is, in reality, a roadmap to making your financial journey more straightforward. Accounting paints an accurate picture of where your money has been, while finance charts the course for where it’s headed. Understanding these basics transforms your financial maze into a well-guided adventure, empowering you to make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of your financial journey with confidence.

The key is recognizing the symbiotic relationship between both of them. They are not isolated silos but interconnected disciplines that, when harmonized, create a robust framework for financial success. Accountants lay the foundation with accurate data, and finance professionals sculpt that data into a strategic plan.

As you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of personal and business finances, remember that challenges are not roadblocks but opportunities for growth. Embrace the technological advancements reshaping the financial industry, stay informed about emerging trends, and, most importantly, leverage the collaboration between accounting and finance to your advantage.

Your financial journey is unique, and understanding the nuances of both subject matters equips you with the tools to tailor strategies that align with your goals. The complexities of financial management become more manageable when viewed through the lens of informed decision-making, strategic planning, and the collaboration of two essential disciplines.

So, as you embark on your financial adventure, let the synergy of both be your guiding light. With accurate historical data and forward-looking strategies, your financial journey becomes not just a series of transactions but a purposeful navigation towards prosperity. Money, once perceived as complex and elusive, becomes a tool at your disposal, and your financial story transforms into a narrative of informed choices and strategic achievements.

#accounting #banking #finance #investment #personal finance #cfo #financial literacy #financial planning #financial modeling #financial accounting #corporate finance

0 notes

cfieducation1 · 2 years ago

Text

How to Find CFA Level I Coaching in India?

If you're aspiring to clear the CFA Level I exam and you're in India, you might be wondering how to find the best coaching institute to help you prepare effectively. This question explores the process of locating CFA Level I coaching in India and provides guidance on what to look for when making your choice. Discover the key factors to consider, such as location, faculty expertise, study materials, and success rates, to ensure you make an informed decision. Don't miss out on the opportunity to enhance your chances of success in the CFA Level I exam by finding the right coaching in India.

URL: https://www.cfieducation.in/cfa-level-1-coaching-india/

#CFA Level I Coaching India #Corporate Finance Institute #Financial Modeling Course in Delhi #Financial Modeling & Valuation Course

0 notes

astrolook · 2 months ago

Text

🎨💍#2 Appearance & Traits Of Future Spouse In Astrology🌸🌹

Note: These are just my personal observations and recurring patterns I've noticed over the years. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Feel free to share in the comments if any of this hits home. This post is based on Vedic astrology.

👀 Future spouse looks according to your planets in your 7th house

🌞 Sun in 7H: Slight tan skin 🍯, a bit intimidating at first 😈. You might hesitate to even approach them! Stands out in a crowd 💥, might be into workouts 🏋️. Hubby = gym rat/ posh man🏋️‍♂️, wifey = toned queen 👑. Commanding voice 🎤, dom vibes 🔥. Dresses classy & conservative 🧥, might be a boss 🏛️, business owner 💼, or a high-up government or corporate babe/ boo 💼💣.

🔥 Mars in 7H: Warm and tanned skin ☀️, reddish/dark hair vibes ❤️‍🔥 (might love dyeing it!). Wild energy🌪️ hairstyles and outfits always changing 🎭. Smart, fast-talker 🧠, extrovert + a little spicy 🌶️. Defined angry-looking eyebrows 😠 (even when happy lol). Big spender 💸, big earner too 🏆.

🌞+🔥 Sun + Mars in 7H: Ambivert alert 🚦. Mood-based conversations: one day a helpful angel 👼, next day "huh, who r u??" 😒. Tan or slightly darker than you ✨. You WILL find them magnetic 🧲. Possibly foreign/mixed race🛫.

🧠 Mercury in 7H: Total chatterbox 📞, witty king/queen 🤹. Slim build 🪶, quirky , might whistle or make weird sounds 🎵. Loves music 🎸, games 🎮, restaurants 🍝, parties 🎉, weekend trips 🚗. Super approachable!

🧠🔁 Mercury Rx in 7H: Wise owl 🦉, slow to open up 🌑. Introverted, might wear glasses 🤓. Researcher vibes 🔍. For wives = BS detector 🧹, for husbands = detective brain 🕵️‍♂️. Jobs in analysis, finance, art, coding, writing 👨‍💻.

💖 Venus in 7H: Spouse is youthful af ✨. You'll KNOW they are "the one" 💍. Gorgeous looks 😍, into beauty/art/health fields 🎨💉. Loves comfy living 🛋️ and lowkey snack queen 👑🍪.

💖🔁 Venus Rx in 7H: Baby face + allergies combo 🍼🤧. Reserved, deeply insecure under their pretty exterior 🥺. Might get beauty treatments 💉. Into design, food, history, style 🎀.

🧠+💖 Mercury + Venus in 7H: Smooth talkers with sparkly brains 🌟. Prone to sniffles 🤧, but will charm the socks off everyone 🧦. Could pass as a hot manager/model 😎. Cute chubby-cheeked even when fit 🍑.

🌙 Moon in 7H: Hair dye addict 🎨, moody rollercoaster 🎢. Mama's boy/daddy’s girl vibes 👶👸. Artistic soul 🎭, super intuitive 🔮. Fertile AF 👶x3. Baby today, grandma/ grandpa wisdom tomorrow 🧓👼.

🌍 Jupiter in 7H: Big smiles 😁, big hands 👐, big wallet 💰. SPF300 if you’re sunbathing with them 🧴☀️. Works abroad 🌎 or inherits properties or genetic issues🏠. Blessed child!

🌍🔁 Jupiter Rx in 7H: Addicted (to coffee ☕, meds 💊, or... more 🍷). Might be underfed/overfed 🍽️. Liberal but grew up strict. Atheist / agnostic / irreligious. Might live that alt life (vegan, minimalist 🌱).

🌙+🧠 Moon + Mercury in 7H: Mimics everyone 🎭, movie buff 🎬, loves forests 🌳 and autumn 🍂. Bird lover 🐦.

🪐 Saturn in 7H: Calm, mature 🧘‍♀️. Collects vintage bags 👜 or classic cars 🚗. Might go bald early 👨‍🦲 or grey early 👩‍🦳. Gains weight in face and tummy if it happens 🍩.

🪐🔁 Saturn Rx in 7H: Smart, chill, owns a home 🏡 before 35. Loves antiques 🖼️. Big age gap possible, either too young or too old for you 🧓+🧒. Reverse-aging vampire vibes 🧛‍♂️.

🌙+🪐 Moon + Saturn in 7H: Wild style changes 🎭, sleep issues 🌒. Into auctions 🎨 or gambling 🎰. Pale if Rx, darker if not Rx.

🌞+🧠🔁 Sun + Mercury Rx in 7H: Grumpy genius ✍️. Silent unless close to you 🔕. Might stutter or trail off mid-sentence 🫠. Either casual like your bro 👦 or formal like an English lord 🧐.

Wanna go deeper into the layers of your placements? DM me for a complete astrology reading or a 5 year/8 year marriage report or synastry reading🌙💬 and check out my pinned post for pricing + details 💫💸

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐

Next post is about Darakaraka (DK) aka the planet with the lowest degree in your birth chart which reveals clues about your future spouse.

DK: The planet that holds your deepest desires for a partner like your soul's "Wanted Ad" scribbled in cosmic ink. It shows the kind of spouse you attract and what your heart secretly craves in relationships.

678 notes · View notes

ktownshizzle · 4 months ago

Text

Honey & Citrus | an myg drabble

✎ ˎˊ˗ Pairing: Min Yoongi x female reader ✎ ˎˊ˗ Genre: Fluff, Meet-cute coffee shop!au, to be confirmed if Yoongi is an idol or not

✎ ˎˊ˗ Summary: You haaate your job, but at least there’s this sexy eye-candy at your favorite cafe to distract you from your miserable 9 to forever grind. Your simple, casual nods with him turn into a silent caffeine war when, after his small act of kindness, you buy him his coffee—and he refuses to let the favor go unanswered. Suddenly, you’re locked in a daily battle of who pays first, and just when you think you’ve reached a stalemate, fate (and a very nosy barista) throws in a twist you never saw coming.

✎ ˎˊ˗ Warnings: None ✎ ˎˊ˗ Word count: 1.6k ✎ ˎˊ˗ Posting date: February 13, 2025

✎ ˎˊ˗ Notes: Welcome to another unplanned story. Just a little something I whipped up for the boss babes and corporate girlies working in their city's business districts, desperate to find a semblance of happiness in their robotic working days–did I mention this was really self-indulgent? I am not sure if this stays as a one-shot or a series of drabbles? Idk. Anyways, enjoy!~

Series Masterlist | More Yoongi stories this way > Masterlist

There’s a rhythm to your mornings. The kind that makes life feel like a well-oiled machine—predictable, efficient, sharp. That’s what you tell yourself, anyway, as you sidestep a finance bro barking into his phone to push open the door to Honey & Citrus cafe.

Not Coffee Bean. Never Starbucks. Not even Compose—even though Kim Taehyung’s face could certainly make you wanna come (in).

But you don’t need the soulless corporate grind in your caffeine routine when you already live it from 9 to god-knows-when. Honey & Citrus has the good beans, the real baristas who actually know your order and don’t try to be fake-friendly with you, and the quiet that lets you inhale a moment of peace before stepping into the battlefield of bullshit board meetings.

And then there’s him.

“Iced Americano for Yoongi…”

He’s always there at the same time as you. Every. Single. Day.

A handsome stranger with sharp, feline eyes and an ever-present air of quiet confidence. The very first time you see him, he was wearing a suit. A medium gray set with an interesting burgundy tie. He held a small suitcase, fit for a macbook air, maybe a thin stack of paperwork. Definitely some VC vulture or hedge fund guy, gifted with the face of a luxury brand model.

But then one day he was wearing… a hoodie and black slacks with headphones slung around his neck, the expensive kind audiophiles swear by.

Hmm. With this look, your previous assumptions did not add up. Now, you couldn’t quite place his profession.

Since then, it becomes some sort of game you play in your mind. To discover what this dude’s job is.

One day, he holds a notebook filled with messy, poetic scrawls—you catch a glimpse as he flips the pages, and your mind spins wild theories. Another morning, he reads a printout of a Shareholder Meeting report as he awaits his coffee. Then the next day, you spot a vinyl tucked under his arm, and something about that sends your curiosity spiraling further.

Music Executive? Writer? Producer? Who is this mysterious artsy type in a sea of wolves? But maybe is a wolf. Lawyer, City Prosecutor, some Start-Up Founder… who likes to dabble in poetry?

You’re fascinated. Man has aura. And on top of that, he sure looks like he can fuck.

Unlucky for you, your interactions so far are limited to polite nods, the occasional small smile exchanged as you both wait for your respective coffees. Maybe the universe has a sense of humor, slotting you into the same ten-minute window every day with a stranger who intrigues you far more than your own coworkers do. But of course, he is not interested in you.

You wake up with a migraine, and instantly, you know—it’s a morning from hell.

Your alarm didn’t go off. Your inbox is already on fire. Your boss sends a cryptic “let’s talk” email before you’ve even left your apartment, which is never a good sign. You forgot about the afternoon presentation you’re supposed to give, and your deck isn’t even half-finished.

The thought of quitting—of walking into that glass tower and tossing your resignation onto your boss’s desk like a dramatic K-drama lead—has never been more tempting.

This morning has no rhythm. More out of tune than drunk-you in a Coin Karaoke.

By the time you drag yourself into Honey & Citrus, it’s already a god-forsaken Friday. You’re barely holding it together, probably leaving a trail of smoke in your wake. Your hair is frizzy, your face frazzled—it’s just a fucked-up day all around. And it’s barely 8 a.m.

You’re so deep in your own misery that you don’t even clock the fact that your favorite stranger has been looking at you since you walked in.

Not until—

“Fighting~”

You blink.

He’s looking right at you, his dark eyes warm with quiet amusement as he mouths the word again, this time with double closed fists, like a cartoon character summoning energy. And then, just for good measure, he smiles.

A real one.

The disbelief must be all over your face because suddenly, you’re giggling—actually giggling, something you didn’t think you were capable of before noon.

Yoongi—the mysterious, unreadable stranger you’ve been quietly fascinated with for weeks—just gave you the world’s softest pep talk.

And then, as if realizing what he’s done, he quickly looks away, pulling a face mask over his mouth, his pink-tinged cheeks disappearing behind black fabric.

A second later, he’s heading for the door, stepping out into the cold like he didn’t just single-handedly save your morning.

Your eyes follow him until he disappears around the corner, but the warmth he left behind lingers in your chest.

Maybe because you needed to hear it. Maybe because no one’s said it to you in a long time. Maybe because he said it.

You take a deep breath, square your shoulders. And somehow—somehow—you make it through the day.

You survive. Without handing over your resignation letter.

Small wins.

The next Monday, you get to Honey & Citrus first. You don’t even think about it—you just do it. You buy his coffee.

And then you sprint out before he can react, because suddenly, the idea of watching his expression feels too embarrassing to bear. You tell yourself it’s just a small gesture. A thank-you for a kindness he probably doesn’t even think much of.

The next day, though, he beats you to it.

You walk in, and the barista just hands you your usual order with a knowing smile. “It’s covered.”

You blink, turn, and find him already at his usual spot, sipping his drink like he didn’t just declare war.

Because it is so obvious he did this just to one-up you.

You narrow your eyes. He lifts his cup in a silent toast, eyes glinting with something dangerously close to amusement.

And so it begins.

For a week, you play the game.

One morning, you bribe the barista to let you pay first. The next, he somehow convinces them to refuse your card.

You show up earlier to get ahead, but the next day he shows up even earlier.

Your schedule is screwed. You’re suddenly up way earlier than you like, but you like it.

It’s ridiculous. It’s fun. It’s completely unlike anything else in your day.

Until, finally, one morning, you both arrive at the exact same time.

You grab the door handle—he does, too. His palm brushes against your knuckles. Both of you freeze, eyes locking, realizing at the same time:

Shit. No winner today.

You swear you see his lips twitch, like he’s holding back a real smile. And then—before you can overthink it—you finally, actually, talk to him.

“You know,” you say, tilting your head, “we could just both buy our own coffee like normal people.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” His voice is deep, lazy, laced with amusement.

“Are you always this competitive?”

“Are you?”

You huff, trying to suppress the warmth creeping up your neck. He leans in slightly, and it’s the first time you’ve really, truly studied him up close—the sharp cut of his jaw, the quiet intensity behind his eyes, the scent of something subtly musky clinging to his coat.

“Since we’re doing introductions before the next round,” he says, “I’m Yoongi.”

Of course, you already know it. You give yours in return, and he nods like it makes sense. Like he already knew it as well. Which makes sense.

As you walk in, the barista snickers, clearly entertained by whatever weird silent war you and Yoongi have been waging for the past week. You’re about to step back, let him go first when the barista clears her throat.

“Actually,” she says, way too pleased with herself. “It’s on the house today.”

Both you and Yoongi blink in unison.

“What?” you ask.

“Why?” Yoongi adds, looking just as skeptical.

The barista leans on the counter, grinning like she’s been waiting for this exact moment. “Valentine’s Day promo.”

Your stomach drops. Your brain stalls. You look around and Honey & Citrus has little cherubs hanging from the ceiling.

“First couple to walk in together gets free drinks,” she further explains.

You feel the heat crawl up your neck, your face burning so hot it could brew the damn espresso yourself. Beside you, Yoongi makes a tiny sound—like an exhale caught in his throat—and when you turn your head ever so slightly, you see it.

His ears are bright red.

The barista just smirks. You are going to die here.

You should correct her, actually. You should explain. But words? Language? Coherent thought? We don’t know her.

But that’s when Yoongi does something absolutely insane.

He clears his throat, thanks the barista, and then—looking at one of the booths of the cafe, still not looking at you—he says, casually, like this isn’t the most absurd moment of your life,

“How about we have that first date right now?”

Your head snaps toward him, and he finally meets your gaze, and oh, he’s serious.

Your heart stumbles over itself, but you manage a tiny, shy smile, and a quip, “…you mean this coffee? Here?” Because that’s all your pea brain can compute.

His lips twitch. “Mm. Unless you wanna go somewhere else?”

Huh.

You hate that he’s smooth about this. You hate that you kind of really, really like it.

You swallow hard, shifting on your feet. “This place is fine.”

His smile curves, small but victorious. “Good.”

The barista practically vibrates behind the counter as she hands over your drinks, joyful even though two drinks are getting docked from her pay that week.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

With Yoongi, it feels like it's definitely going to be...

A/N: To you, my dearest reader. I hope your heart is filled with joy today and forever. You deserve it!

Want more for our coffee shop couple? Let me know if you’re interested in me turning this into series of drabbles?? Look at me adding more stuff into my WIP list. Caved! Here's the H&C masterlist

Thank you for reading this you lovely, beautiful human! xo

Permanent Taglist:

@wonh0oe @hyukaluve @glossdebut @kiki-zb @kookiewithluv

@agustblog @maryhopemei @perfectiondazesworld @kimsaerom @kam9404

@00-sleepdontweep-00 @tea4sykes @mggv97 @marnz1990

@whydoeyecare @pastelmin @tarahardcore @minjenna @chimmchimmm

@aaclariww @mar-lo-pap @tinytan-gerine @vesperbells @butterymin

@eve1633455 @baechugff @lilkittenjenjen @wobblewobble822 @coffeedepressionsoup

@futuristicenemychaos @jadestonedaeho7 @granataepfelchen @whoa-jo @annyeongbitch7

@chimmisbae @sexytholland @idkjustlovingbts @kpophosblog @tinyelfperson

@yoongicatagenda @codeinebelle @parapiop7 @diame93 @janeelizabeth1216

@withmuchluv-tannie @abadiimm @angellekookie

Divider by: @cafekitsune (thank you!)

640 notes · View notes

lnracer · 2 months ago

Note

I have a requesttttt lately I’ve been thinking about Lando and I kinda think it would be so fun if he was with someone totally opposite to him SO my vision is:

Badass girlboss Reader (I personally imagine an Elle Woods-esque corporate trial lawyer or something) and Lando have been sneaking around but out in public they look like just friends and they’re kind of dating around but they end up getting jealous bc Reader thinks Lando wants the influencer/models he’s surrounded by and Lando thinks Reader wants a serious academic type. How it ends is up to you — maybe they work it out or maybe they just belong in different worlds :’)

Pairing: Lando Norris x Corporate Lawyer! Female Reader.

Warnings: Mild miscommunication, mild angst with a (very) happy ending and jealousy (mutual, a little petty).

Word Count: 3.601k.

a/n: Ahh, I just loved your vision so much! It was really easy to write and play with this dynamic (I don't think I've ever had so much creativity to write something so fast, but I ended up staying up all night writing this because I was genuinely so entertained 😅) but anyway, thank you for the request and I hope it meets your vision in the best way possible and that you like it! ☺️🧡

By day, she was the powerhouse trial attorney — the kind who walked into courtrooms in heels that could kill and left with verdicts that made headlines. The fashion magazines loved her almost as much as Forbes did. She was the youngest partner in her firm, a Harvard Law alumni with a Chanel addiction and a sharp tongue. Men underestimated her. Judges respected her. And juries? They adored her.

By night — well, lately, her nights often involved sneaking out of an apartment in Monaco, wearing one of Lando’s hoodies over her silk blouse.

Lando knew what the world thought. That they were “just friends.” That maybe she was his lawyer or his PR advisor or some business connection. The paddock shots of her standing beside him, sunglasses on, whispering something that made him smirk? Oh, the fan theories were relentless.

But behind closed doors? Their situationship was toeing the line of something real. No labels. No pressure. But a lot of stolen glances, late-night phone calls, and moments that felt too intimate for friends.

The problem? She was the type to keep her heart padlocked. Lando was used to people chasing him — but she didn’t chase. She leaned against his car in the McLaren garage and made fun of his post-race hair. She kissed him like he was hers, then told him she had court in the morning and disappeared in a plane.

Still, she wore his hoodie in her post-run selfies. And he kept saving seats for her in the paddock.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

They met at a charity gala in London — her firm was sponsoring, McLaren was donating, and neither of them wanted to be there. She was bored out of her mind, cornered by a finance bro pitching her crypto nonsense, when Lando swooped in like a cheeky, curly-haired lifeline.

“Sorry, mate,” Lando had said, slipping an arm around her waist with perfect ease. “I promised her the next dance.”

She had raised an eyebrow, amused and intrigued. He was only a year older than her, maybe a little cocky, but charming in that boyish, slightly-messy way. She didn’t dance, of course. Not at galas. But she let him lead her away anyway.

“You don’t look like a lawyer,” he’d said under his breath once they were out of earshot.

“And you don’t look like someone who reads contracts,” she fired back, her smile sharp.

That was the start of it. Flirty texts turned into late-night calls. Then came dinners in quiet places where no one recognized them. Then weekends in cities where she happened to be trying a case, and he happened to have a break in the calendar.

There was no official talk. No defining the relationship. But every time she passed through the paddock, Lando’s eyes would find her like muscle memory. And every time he showed up at her apartment with coffee after a red-eye flight, she didn’t send him home.

They didn’t owe each other explanations. Not when she was knee-deep in legal warfare Monday through Friday. Not when he was crossing continents chasing trophies. But there was something magnetic about them. Something they didn’t touch too closely for fear of setting off fireworks they couldn’t control.

He brought chaos into her perfectly curated life. She brought calm into his whirlwind. They weren’t each other’s type, and yet — they were exactly what the other kept coming back for.

Addictive in the best way. Dangerous if it ever tipped too far.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

It had been a week since the last time they’d spent time together. She was in New York for a deposition, Lando was in Italy for the race. Their texts had been sparse — just the typical “miss you” and “good luck” messages, but nothing too personal. It was their thing, keeping things light when the world was heavy.

But tonight, something felt off. She had just wrapped up a ten-hour workday and was about to dive into a pile of case files when she got a text from him:

Lan:

Can we talk?

She frowned at the screen. It wasn’t unusual for him to reach out like this, but there was a seriousness in the tone that made her stomach churn.

She stared at her phone for a few moments before typing back:

Y/N:

Of course, what’s up?

Seconds later, the phone buzzed again, this time with a FaceTime request. She hesitated, then answered, putting on the usual mask — cool, composed, business-like.

Lando’s face filled the screen, but it wasn’t the warm, mischievous grin she was used to. His brow was furrowed, eyes heavy, like he hadn’t slept well in days. She sat up straighter, her lawyer instincts kicking in, trying to gauge the situation.

“Hey,” she greeted, her voice carefully neutral.

“Hey,” he said, his voice tight. “I’ve been thinking.”

Her heart rate spiked. Thinking wasn’t good. When Lando thought, things got complicated. And she didn’t need anything complicated.

“About what?” she asked, her tone even but laced with caution.

“About us.”

There it was. The words she had known were coming, but hearing them still felt like a slap.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her, the walls going up instinctively. “What about us?” she asked, her eyes narrowing, though she tried to keep the edge out of her voice.

Lando sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “You know this whole thing… whatever it is… it’s killing me, Y/N.”

Her jaw clenched. “What are you talking about? You knew what this was when we started. No labels. No promises. Just… us. And if you didn’t like that, you should’ve said something earlier.”

“That’s the thing,” he snapped, frustration creeping into his voice. “I never wanted it like this. I thought maybe… maybe we could actually figure it out. But you’re so damn cold. You keep me at arm's length, and it’s like I’m not even real to you when we’re not together.”

Her breath caught. She was used to the cold, used to compartmentalizing her emotions, but this wasn’t a courtroom. It was Lando. And as much as she hated admitting it, it stung.

“I’m not cold,” she said, her voice tight, but the walls were beginning to crack. “I just… I don’t do messy. I have a career to focus on. And you have the entire world chasing after you. I’m not the type to play these games.”

“Games?” Lando repeated, his eyes flashing with frustration. “This isn’t a game, Y/N. I don’t get it. One second, it’s like I mean something to you. The next, I’m just some guy who’s filling space until the next big thing comes along.”

Her chest tightened. “You think I’m stringing you along?” She could feel the heat rising in her face. This wasn’t just an argument. It felt like it was unearthing something deeper — something they hadn’t dared to look at yet.

“I don’t know what I think anymore,” Lando shot back, leaning closer to the screen, his expression hard. “I’m asking you to be honest with me for once. What the hell is this? Because I’m not just gonna sit here pretending like it’s nothing while you keep everything locked up.”

Her pulse raced, the words threatening to spill out before she could stop them. “You think I’m the one who’s afraid of this? Of us? Lando, I don’t have time for games. You want someone who’s all in, someone who will follow you around and pretend that this is normal? It’s not. And I’m not some girl who’s gonna throw my life away for—”

“For what?” Lando interrupted, his voice sharp, cutting through her words. “For someone who you don't even give a damn? For someone who you treat like a casual fling when everyone’s watching?”

She froze, the hurt in his words hitting her harder than she expected. “That’s not fair,” she whispered. “You don’t get to do that. You know what my life is like. You don’t get to judge me for how I handle things. I’ve worked too damn hard to get where I am, and I won’t throw that away for anything or anyone.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched long between them, heavy and tense. Finally, Lando broke the quiet, his voice softer but laced with frustration.

“You don’t have to throw it all away. I just… I just want to know if I matter, Y/N. If I mean anything to you.”

Her throat tightened, the words suddenly stuck. “You do,” she said, barely above a whisper. “But it’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple,” Lando pleaded, his eyes searching hers through the screen. “Stop hiding from me.”

She stared at him, her heart racing, the emotional walls crumbling faster than she could rebuild them. “I can’t promise you what you want,” she said finally, her voice shaking just a little. “But I’m not walking away. Just… just give me time.”

Lando sighed deeply, his expression softening. “Time. Yeah. Okay. But I don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending I’m fine with this.”

She didn’t have an answer for that. Not yet.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

The next couple of weeks after their argument were… strange. Awkward. Almost like both of them had hit a wall they didn’t know how to scale.

She kept herself busy. Ridiculously busy. Court cases, meetings, contracts — anything to keep her mind off the tension that still clung to her thoughts. She buried herself in work, refusing to admit to herself that something about Lando was starting to haunt her, even if she wasn’t ready to admit that out loud.

Lando, on the other hand, was everywhere. In the paddock. At fashion shows. With influencers, models, and people who seemed to have everything in the world but didn’t seem to be doing anything. They laughed, they posed for the cameras, they made it look easy.

It drove her insane.

She wasn’t supposed to care. She wasn’t supposed to get jealous over him. But when she saw a photo of Lando and a famous Instagram model sharing a laugh at a recent charity event, it felt like a punch to the gut.

It wasn’t that she was jealous. No, of course not. She wasn’t like that. But… they were so perfect for each other. Gorgeous, carefree, and living in a world where appearances were everything. The kind of world she didn’t belong to.

So, she did what she did best: she pretended it didn’t bother her.

She posted a few pictures from her latest trial, looking fierce in a tailored suit, with her caption reflecting the confidence she wanted to project: “Court’s in session. Winning isn't a choice. It's a guarantee.”

Her phone buzzed almost immediately with messages — friends, colleagues, even a few family members. But the one that made her stop was from Lando.

Lan:

Looking good in court. You know, you should wear a suit more often…

She stared at the message, blinking as the words sat in front of her. Was it a compliment? Or was it just a casual comment, like he always sent? Either way, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut that told her he was distracted by something — or someone — else.

So, she ignored his text. Just for a few hours. Maybe she was being petty. But she couldn’t help it.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

Meanwhile, Lando had his own demons. He’d been thinking about the conversation they had, replaying it over and over in his head. Make it simple. She’d said that to him. But the more he thought about it, the more complicated it seemed.

He'd been surrounded by people, sure, but all these models, influencers, and socialites? They didn’t fill the space she left behind. They never could.

Still, seeing her posts — those posts — with all her academic accomplishments, her sleek, polished persona… it made him second-guess everything. He knew she was fierce. She was a force. But sometimes, he wondered if he was the right match for her. Was he really what she wanted? Or was she just pretending, keeping him at arm's length like she had from the start?

He'd seen how she interacted with the serious academics — those suave lawyers, those well-dressed business types she surrounded herself with at galas. People who played the game of life like it was a chess match, making calculated moves every step of the way. People who probably looked better on paper than he did. Lando couldn’t help but think, Does she need someone like that? Someone more… professional? More grounded?

The thought twisted at his insides.

A couple of days later, his answer came when he saw her with one of those very types at an event — a tall, dark-haired man in a crisp suit. He was talking to her, laughing at something she said, clearly enjoying her company.

Of course she likes someone like him, Lando thought bitterly, as he watched from across the room. The man was everything Lando was not — serious, calculated, and mature. He didn’t need to be the center of attention, and he certainly didn’t have to make himself a spectacle for people to notice him.

Lando’s grip tightened around the flute of champagne in his hand. He turned away, trying to shake off the unease bubbling in his chest. But the feeling stuck with him. All night.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

The next day, he texted her again, his message half-accusatory, half-playful:

Lan:

So, who’s the guy? Looks like a lawyer from here. Thought you were into people who could keep up with your… complicated life.

She read the message and snorted. Was he really going to throw that at her? The jealousy card? Really?

She quickly typed back, biting her lip.

Y/N:

He’s just a colleague. Someone from work. You know, not everyone revolves around F1 or the latest influencer trends.

The words stung even as she typed them. She hated that she was putting walls up, but she was so tired of constantly second-guessing herself.

Lan:

Right. And I suppose I’m the one who’s into those trends?

Y/N:

I mean, you’ve been hanging around them enough.

There. She said it. She was being petty, but jealousy was eating at her.

Lando’s response came quickly, almost instantly.

Lan:

Yeah, because that’s exactly what I want, more Instagram followers and pretty girls with no substance.

Her eyes narrowed at the text. She read it twice, the sharp edge in his words cutting deeper than she expected.

Y/N:

Then why do you keep surrounding yourself with them?

His response came even faster this time.

Lan:

I don’t know, Y/N. Maybe because I’m tired of wondering if you even want to be with me or if you’d rather be with someone who looks like he has it all together.

She froze, her heart dropping.

The tension between them had reached its peak. It was a tangled mess of insecurities, unspoken fears, and silent accusations. They both thought the other wanted something they weren’t ready to give. They were both fighting to keep a part of themselves that the other couldn’t touch.

But maybe… just maybe, it was time to tear down the walls and face it.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

Monza had been a whirlwind for Lando — racing, media events, and the pressure that always seemed to come with the spotlight. But that wasn’t what weighed on his mind. No, it was her.

He had tried to act like he was fine, ignoring the nagging feeling in his gut, but deep down, he knew things were slipping. Every moment without her felt like they were growing further apart, despite how hard they tried to convince themselves otherwise. The jealousy, the silence — it was building up, and he couldn’t take it anymore.

So, without a second thought, he packed his bags and boarded a plane. Destination: New York. The city that never sleeps, or so they said. But for him, it was the city where he would finally have it out with her.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

Lando stood outside her apartment building, his heart racing. He wasn’t sure how he got there, just that something in him had snapped. The confusion, the doubt — it was all consuming. The thought that they could end like this, with all the words left unsaid, made him angry. Angry at himself. Angry at the situation. And angry at her for shutting him out, even if she didn’t realize it.

He hit the buzzer.

A moment later, her voice crackled through the speaker. "Yes?"

He didn't even give it a second thought. "It's me. Lando. Open the door."

There was a pause. He could almost hear her hesitation through the intercom. Then the lock clicked, and the door swung open.

She stood there in front of him, looking stunned, her hair disheveled from a long day of meetings and calls. But despite the exhaustion, the moment their eyes met, everything else seemed to disappear. The anger, the confusion, the jealousy — it all melted away in that instant. But she didn’t move. She didn’t speak.

Lando stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click. “We need to talk,” he said, his voice tight with emotion.

She crossed her arms, not backing down. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”

“You didn’t think I would?” Lando’s voice cracked, and the rawness of it hit her like a punch to the chest. “I’ve been standing on the edge of this whole damn mess for weeks. Watching you pull away, acting like I don’t even exist. And then I see you with some guy at that gala, acting like I’m nothing but a distraction. So yeah, I came here to figure this out once and for all.”

Her face flushed, but she refused to back down. “You think I want to be with you, Lando? You think I’m the one pulling away? I saw you with all those models and influencers. You think I can’t see what’s right in front of me? You want someone who fits your world — someone who doesn’t have a career that takes up all her time, someone who doesn’t get tangled up in complicated lawsuits and corporate contracts.”

Lando shook his head, walking toward her, his frustration mounting. “No! That’s not it at all! I don’t want someone like that. I want you.” He stepped closer, his voice rising. “But you keep acting like I’m not good enough for you. Like you don’t want someone who’s just... here. You want someone serious, someone who can sit in boardrooms and talk numbers and contracts all day. I’m just some guy who drives cars.”

“Lando…” She started, but he cut her off, his words tumbling out faster now.

“You don’t get it, do you? I’m in this world, yes, but I don’t care about that crap. I care about you. I care about us. But every time I try to get close, you push me away, like you’re afraid I’ll screw it all up. And you’re right, I’ve been surrounded by people who don’t care about anything. But you— you’re different. You’re smart. You’re ambitious. You’re real. And that scares me, okay? It scares me because I’ve never had someone like you before. And I don’t want to lose you because I’m too scared not being enough.”

She stood there, silent for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. Her gaze softened, the tension in her shoulders releasing as she let out a long breath.

“I’m scared too,” she admitted quietly, almost in a whisper. “Scared that I’m not the kind of person you need. I’ve seen how you are around those people— how easy it is for you to just... slip into that world. And I thought, maybe, that’s what you wanted. Someone who can play that game better than I ever could.”

Lando shook his head vehemently. “No. No. I don’t need that. I need you. You’re the one who makes me want to get out of bed every morning, who pushes me to be better. Not some model or influencer with a perfect smile and a million followers. I need someone who knows who they are and isn’t afraid of what the world thinks. And that’s you. I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

Her lips parted as if she was about to argue, but something in his eyes stopped her. She took a step forward, looking up at him.

“Lando... I don’t know how to make this easier. But I can’t keep pretending that everything’s okay when it’s not. I’ve been so wrapped up in what I think you want, and I forgot what I need. I want us. I just need to figure out how to stop being so damn scared.”

Lando reached for her hand, his voice softer now. “Then let’s figure it out together. No more pretending. No more games. Just us.”

She smiled, the weight lifting off her shoulders. She finally closed the space between them, letting her arms wrap around him.

“I’ve never been good at this,” she murmured, her face buried in his chest. “But I want to try.”

Lando squeezed her tighter. “Me too. I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means figuring out how to play the long game with you.”

They stood there for a long time, just holding each other. The silence between them felt different now — like they were both finally on the same page, after all the chaos.

And as the city buzzed around them, they finally understood: sometimes, the best relationships weren’t the ones you planned out. They were the messy, complicated ones you couldn’t live without.

#lando norris #lando norris x reader #lando norris x y/n #lando norris x you #lando norris fanfic #lando norris imagine #f1 x reader #f1 x y/n #f1 x you #f1 x female reader #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1blr #formula one fanfic #formula one fanfiction #lando norris fanfiction #lando norris x female reader

339 notes · View notes

mostlysignssomeportents · 7 months ago

Text

“That Makes Me Smart”

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/04/its-not-a-lie/#its-a-premature-truth

The Biden administration disappointed, frustrated and enraged in so many ways, including abetting a genocide – but one consistent bright spot over the past four years was the unseen-for-generations frontal assault on corporate power and corporate corruption.

The three words that define this battle above all others are "unfair and deceptive" – words that appear in Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act and other legislation modeled on it, like USC40 Section 41712(a), which gives the Department of Transportation the power to ban "unfair and deceptive" practices as well:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

When Congress created an agency to punish "unfair and deceptive" conduct, they were saying to the American people, "You have a right not to be cheated." While this may sound obvious, it's hardly how the world works.

To get a sense of how many ripoffs are part of our daily lives, let's take a little tour of the ways that the FTC and other agencies have used the "unfair and deceptive" standard to defend you over the past four years. Take Amazon Prime: Amazon executives emailed one another, openly admitting that in their user tests, the public was consistently fooled by Amazon's "get free shipping with Prime" dialog boxes, thinking they were signing up for free shipping and not understanding that they were actually signing up to send the company $140/year. They had tested other versions of the signup workflow that users were able to correctly interpret, but they decided to go with the confusing version because it made them more money:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/05/amazon-execs-may-be-personally-liable-for-tricking-users-into-prime-sign-ups/

Getting you signed up for Prime isn't just a matter of taking $140 out of your pocket once – because while Amazon has produced a greased slide that whisks you into a recurring Prime subscription, the process for canceling that recurring payment is more like a greased pole you must climb to escape the Prime pit. This is typical of many services, where signing up happens in a couple clicks, but canceling is a Kafkaesque nightmare. The FTC decided that this was an "unfair and deceptive" business practice and used its authority to create a "Click to Cancel" rule that says businesses have to make it as easy to cancel a recurring payment as it was to sign up for it:

https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/12/ftc_cancel_subscriptions/

Once businesses have you locked in, they also spy on you, ingesting masses of commercial surveillance data that you "consented" to by buying a car, or clicking to a website, or installing an app, or just physically existing in space. They use this to implement "surveillance pricing," raising prices based on their estimation of your desperation. Uber got caught doing this a decade ago, raising the price of taxi rides for users whose batteries were about to die, but these days, everyone's in on the game. For example, McDonald's has invested in a company that spies on your finances to determine when your payday is, and then raises the price of your usual breakfast sandwich by a dollar the day you get paid:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/05/your-price-named/#privacy-first-again

Everything about this is "unfair and deceptive" – from switching prices the second you click into the store to the sham of consent that consists of, say, picking up your tickets to a show and being ordered to download an app that comes with 20,000 words of terms and conditions that allows the company that sends you a QR code to spy on you for the rest of your life in any way they can and sell the data to anyone who'll buy it.

As bad as it is to be trapped in an abusive relationship as a shopper, it's a million times worse to be trapped as a worker. One in 18 American workers is under a noncompete "agreement" that makes it illegal for you to change jobs and work for someone else in the same industry. The vast majority of these workers are in low-waged food-service jobs. The primary use of the American noncompete is to stop the cashier at Wendy's from getting an extra $0.25/hour by taking a job at McDonald's.

Noncompetes are shrouded in a fog of easily dispelled bossly bullshit: claims that noncompetes raise wages (empirically, this is untrue), or that they enable "IP"-intensive industries to grow by protecting their trade secrets. This claim is such bullshit: you can tell by the fact that noncompetes are banned under California's state constitution and yet the most IP-intensive industries have attracted hundreds of billions – if not trillions – in investment capital even though none of their workforce can be bound under a noncompete. The FTC's order banning noncompetes for every worker in America simply brings the labor regime that created Silicon Valley and Hollywood to the rest of the country:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/26/hit-with-a-brick/#graceful-failure

Noncompetes aren't the only "unfair and deceptive" practice used against American workers. The past decade has seen the rise of private equity consolidation in several low-waged industries, like pet grooming. The new owners of every pet grooming salon within 20 miles of your house haven't just slashed workers' wages, they've also cooked up a scheme that lets them charge workers thousands of dollars if they quit these shitty jobs. This scheme is called a "training repayment agreement provision" (TRAP!): workers who are TRAPped at Petsmart are made to work doing menial jobs like sweeping up the floor for three to four weeks. Petsmart calls this "training," and values it at $5,500. If you quit your pet grooming job in the next two years, you legally owe PetSmart $5,500 to "repay" them for the training:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/04/its-a-trap/#a-little-on-the-nose

Workers are also subjected to "unfair and deceptive" bossware: "AI" tools sold to bosses that claim they can sort good workers from bad, but actually serve as random-number generators that penalize workers in arbitrary, life-destroying ways:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/26/hawtch-hawtch/#you-treasure-what-you-measure

Some of the most "unfair and deceptive" conduct we endure happens in shadowy corners of industry, where obscure middlemen help consolidated industries raise prices and pick your pocket. All the meat you buy in the grocery store comes from a cartel of processing and packing companies that all subscribe to the same "price consulting" services that tells them how to coordinate across-the-board price rises (tell me again how greedflation isn't a thing?):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/04/dont-let-your-meat-loaf/#meaty-beaty-big-and-bouncy

It's not just food, it's all of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Take shelter: the highly consolidated landlord industry uses apps like Realpage to coordinate rental price hikes, turning the housing crisis into a housing emergency:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/24/gouging-the-all-seeing-eye/#i-spy

And of course, health is the most "unfair and deceptive" industry of all. Useless middlemen like "Pharmacy Benefit Managers" ("a spreadsheet with political power" -Matt Stoller) coordinate massive price-hikes in the drugs you need to stay alive, which is why Americans pay substantially more for medicine than anyone else in the world, even as the US government spends more than any other to fund pharma research, using public money:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/23/shield-of-boringness/#some-men-rob-you-with-a-fountain-pen

It's not just drugs: every piece of equipment – think hospital beds and nuclear medicine machines – as well as all the consumables – from bandages to saline – at your local hospital runs through a cartel of "Group Purchasing Organizations" that do for hospital equipment what PBMs do for medicine:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/27/lethal-dysfunction/#luxury-bones

For the past four years, we've lived in an America where a substantial portion of the administrative state went to war every day to stamp out unfair and deceptive practices. It's still happening: yesterday, the CFPB (which Musk has vowed to shut down) proposed a new rule that would ban the entire data brokerage industry, who nonconsensually harvest information about every American, and package it up into categories like "teenagers from red states seeking abortions" and "military service personnel with gambling habits" and "seniors with dementia" and sell this to marketers, stalkers, foreign governments and anyone else with a credit-card:

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-proposes-rule-to-stop-data-brokers-from-selling-sensitive-personal-data-to-scammers-stalkers-and-spies/

And on the same day, the FTC banned the location brokers who spy on your every movement and sell your past and present location, again, to marketers, stalkers, foreign governments and anyone with a credit card:

https://www.404media.co/ftc-bans-location-data-company-that-powers-the-surveillance-ecosystem/

These are tantalizing previews of a better life for every American, one in which the rule is, "play fair." That's not the world that Trump and his allies want to build. Their motto isn't "cheaters never prosper" – it's "caveat emptor," let the buyer beware.

Remember the 2016 debate where Clinton accused Trump of cheating on his taxes and he admitted to it, saying "That makes me smart?" Trumpism is the movement of "that makes me smart" life, where if you get scammed, that's your own damned fault. Sorry, loser, you lost.

Nowhere do you see this more than in cryptocurrencyland, so it's not a coincidence that tens – perhaps hundreds – in dark crypto money was flushed into the election, first to overpower Democratic primaries and kick out Dem legislators who'd used their power to fight the "unfair and deceptive" crowd:

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-playbook-pm/2024/02/13/crypto-comes-for-katie-porter-00141261

And then to fight Dems across the board (even the Dems whose primary victories were funded by dark crypto money) and elect the GOP as the party of "caveat emptor"/"that makes me smart":

https://www.coindesk.com/news-analysis/2024/12/02/crypto-cash-fueled-53-members-of-the-next-u-s-congress

Crypto epitomizes the caveat emptor economy. By design, fraudulent crypto transactions can't be reversed. If you get suckered, that's canonically a you problem. And boy oh boy, do crypto users get suckered (including and especially those who buy Trump's shitcoins):

https://www.web3isgoinggreat.com/

And for crypto users who get ripped off because they've parked their "money" in an online wallet, there's no sympathy, just "not your keys, not your coins":

https://www.ledger.com/academy/not-your-keys-not-your-coins-why-it-matters

A cornerstone of the "unfair and deceptive" world is that only suckers – that is, outsiders, marks and little people – have to endure consequences when they get rooked. When insiders get ripped off, all principle is jettisoned. So it's not surprising that when crypto insiders got taken for millions the first time they created a DAO, they tore up all the rules of the crypto world and gave themselves the mulligan that none of the rest of us are entitled to in cryptoland:

https://blog.ethereum.org/2016/07/20/hard-fork-completed

Where you find crypto, you find Elon Musk, the guy who epitomizes caveat emptor thinking. This is a guy who has lied to drivers to get them to buy Teslas by promising "full self driving in one year," every year, since 2015:

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/autonomous-driving/timeline-of-tesla-self-driving-aspirations-a9686689375/

Musk told investors that he had a "prototype" autonomous robot that could replace their workers, then demoed a guy in a robot suit, pretending to be a robot:

https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-unveils-his-funniest-vaporware-yet-1847523016

Then Musk did it again, two years later, demoing a remote-control robot while lying and claiming that it was autonomous:

https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/14/tesla-optimus-bots-were-controlled-by-humans-during-the-we-robot-event

This is entirely typical of the AI sector, in which "AIs" are revealed, over and over, to be low-waged workers pretending to be robots, so much so that Indian tech industry insiders joke that "AI" stands for "Absent Indians":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/29/pay-no-attention/#to-the-little-man-behind-the-curtain

Musk's view is that he's not a liar, merely a teller of premature truths. Autonomous cars and robots are just around the corner (just like the chatbots that can do your job, and not merely convince your boss to fire you while failing to do your job). He's not tricking you, he's just faking it until he makes it. It's not a scam, it's inspirational. Of course, if he's wrong and you are scammed, well, that's a you problem. Caveat emptor. That makes him smart.

Musk does this all the time. Take the Twitter blue tick, originally conceived of as a way to keep Twitter users from being scammed ("unfair and deceptive") by con artists pretending to be famous people. Musk's inaugural act at Twitter was to take away blue ticks from verified users and sell them to anyone who'd pay $8/month. Almost no one coughed up for this – the main exception being scammers, who used their purchased, unverified blue ticks to steal from Twitter users ("that makes me smart").

As Twitter hemorrhaged advertising revenue and Musk became increasingly desperate to materialize an army of $8/month paid subscribers, he pulled another scam: he nonconsensually applied blue ticks to prominent accounts, in a bid to trick normies into thinking that widely read people valued blue ticks so much they were paying for them out of their own pockets:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65365366

If you were tricked into buying a blue tick on this pretense, well, caveat emptor. Besides, it's not a lie, it's a premature truth. Someday all those widely read users with nonconsensual blue ticks will surely value them so highly that they do start to pay for them. And if they don't? Well, Musk got your $8: "that makes me smart."

Scammers will always tell you that they're not lying to you, merely telling premature truths. Sam Bankman-Fried's defenders will tell you that he didn't actually steal all those billions. He gambled them on a bet that (sorta-kinda) paid off. Eventually, he was able to make all his victims (sorta-kinda) whole, so it's not even a theft:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/08/business/ftx-bankruptcy-plan-repay-creditors/index.html

Likewise, Tether, a "stablecoin" that was unable to pass an audit for many years as it issued unbacked, unregulated securities while lying and saying that for every dollar they minted, they had a dollar in reserves. Tether now (maybe) has reserves to equal its outstanding coins, so obviously all those years where they made false claims, they weren't lying, merely telling a premature truth:

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/cryptocriticscorner/episodes/Tether-wins–Skeptics-lose-the-end-of-an-era-e2rhf5e

If Tether had failed a margin call during those years and you'd lost everything, well, caveat emptor. The Tether insiders were always insulated from that risk, and that's all that matters: "that makes me smart."

When I think about the next four years, this is how I frame it: the victory of "that makes me smart" over "fairness and truth."

For years, progressives have pointed out the right's hypocrisy, despite that fact that Americans have been conditioned to be so cynical that even the rankest hypocrisy doesn't register. But "caveat emptor?" That isn't just someone else's bad belief or low ethics: it's the way that your life is materially, significantly worsened. The Biden administration – divided between corporate Dems and the Warren/Sanders wing that went to war on "unfair and deceptive" – was ashamed and nearly silent on its groundbreaking work fighting for fairness and honesty. That was a titanic mistake.

Americans may not care about hypocrisy, but they really care about being stolen from. No one wants to be a sucker.

#tether #ftx #scams #trumpism #caveat emptor #cryptocurrency #twitter #sleaze #premature truths #bossware #pluralistic

374 notes · View notes

fabanalytics · 5 months ago

Text

Pitfalls to Evade When Choosing a Corporate Finance Modeling Firm

What do you need? You must have a succinct understanding of them. Your aims and expectations should be clearly defined. Avoid interacting with a corporate finance modeling firm without this clarity. Numerous companies approach a modeller lacking a clear set of objectives, leading to inefficiency in the whole process.

Read full post at - https://blogsgod.com/pitfalls-to-evade-when-choosing-a-corporate-finance-modeling-firm/

#Corporate Finance Modeling

0 notes

vintagelasvegas · 7 months ago

Text

Fremont Hotel & Casino, 1956

Postcard advertising, “the tallest, newest, and finest in the heart of downtown Las Vegas.” KSHO-TV had studios at the Fremont with the station’s transmitter on the roof.

Timeline of Fremont Hotel & Casino, 1956-

‘54: Groundbreaking in Nov.

‘56: Fremont opens May 18. Owned by Ed Levinson and 15 partners; financed by Lou Lurie; McAllister & Wagner, architect; 150 rooms. Atop the hotel is a Ground Observer Corps station.

‘58: Fremont partners become co-owners of Horseshoe Club, the two clubs operated together until ‘64

‘59: “Fremont” sign on the side of the building raised; East wing addition; 6 rooms added to the top of the main tower

‘61-63: FBI wiretap of Levinson office reveals casino skim and hidden mob ownership*

‘63: Ogden tower opens in May; includes theater, rooftop pool, and parking garage; neon sign on Fremont & Casino Center corner changed; rooftop Sky Room opens in Jul.

‘64: Fremont partners sell shares in Horseshoe

‘65: Fiesta Room opens

‘66: Fremont sold to Parvin-Dohrmann. The public corp. creates the subsidiary Fremont Casino Corp. (Albert Parvin, Harry Goldman, and Norris Goldman) to hold the gaming license.

‘67: Sky Room closed, converted to guest rooms c. ‘68. Room total is said to be 500; in later years it was 447.

'70: Parvin-Dohromann changes its name to Recrion Corp.

‘74: Argent acquires Recrion Corp, owner of Fremont & Stardust

‘75: Fremont Hotel leases Fremont St-facing properties between the hotel and 3rd Street, demolishes Fremont Theatre and Red Garter casino, expands the length of the block, completed in ‘76.

‘77: Neon sign on Fremont & Casino Center corner changed; new marquee constructed along Fremont St; rooftop pool over the garage removed, garage expanded

‘79: Fremont sold to Trans-Sterling Inc (Sachs, Tobman) in Nov.

‘84: Fremont sold to Boyd Gaming in Jan.

‘88-89: Redesign of exterior signage, neon marquee (“Sam Boyd’s Fremont”); hotel painted white with red highlights

‘22-23: Expansion to Ogden & 3rd (full city block); hotel painted in original color pattern

Construction of Fremont Hotel, Dec. '55.

Far right is Southern Nevada Telephone and Power, 109 S 2nd St. Color photo from Fred and Maurine Wilson Photograph Collection (PH-00014), UNLV Special Collections.

c. 1956 postcard

1956 - Las Vegas Mayor C.D. Baker and Fremont Hotel president Ed Levinson do the camera old perspective trick with Baker measuring the tower. Photos by Las Vegas News Bureau.

6/20/56 – Rooftop. Photo by Las Vegas News Bureau.

3/19/57 - Photo by Las Vegas News Bureau, LVCVA Archive

7/14/60. The east wing (right) was added in '59, and six rooms were added to the small 14th floor level of the main building.

c. '63 model showing the expansion of the main tower (Ogden tower, left) and new signage on the corner. YESCO Corporate Records (MS-00403), UNLV Special Collections.

Construction of the Ogden tower, '63.

*J. Sheehan. The Players: The Men who Made Las Vegas. University of Nevada Press, ‘97; J. Goldsmith. In Hoffa’s Shadow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019; Levinson clippings.

Other sources include: Second Story Gaming. Review-Journal, 11/4/54; New Fremont Hotel Glamour Spot. RJ, 5/25/56; Addition to Fremont Hotel. RJ, 5/17/63; SEC Stalls Fremont Hotel Purchase Deal. Review-Journal, 5/26/66; Red Garter Gone. RJ, 3/22/75.

#Fremont Hotel #1956

81 notes · View notes

justinspoliticalcorner · 7 months ago

Text

Qasim Rashid at Let's Address This:

On May 20, 1962, JFK delivered an impassioned speech at Madison Square Garden in favor of universal healthcare. Then, decades later in 2006 nearly 7 in 10 Americans believed the government should fund healthcare. And now, a new Gallop Poll reports that 62% of Americans believe in guaranteed universal healthcare. And despite this decades of support, not a single Presidential candidate this cycle had the courage to run on this wildly popular platform. Over the last week I’ve written in detail about America’s Violent Health System, and likewise, shared a deeply personal story about When Insurance Rejects Life Saving Care about our daughter Hannah Noor.

In response, I’ve received overwhelming empathy and compassion from conservatives and liberals alike, Republicans and Democrats, from those who self-identify as “Ultra MAGA” to those who label themselves as “Bernie Social Democrats.” Americans get it. Healthcare needs to be a human right. Sadly, politicians, Republicans and too many Democrats alike, don’t get it. They worship at the altar of corporate donations. The health insurance industry annually spends a harrowing $700,000,000 on lobbying politicians to do their bidding. And that doesn’t even include what they spend on SuperPACs to block out candidates who dare run on a platform of guaranteed universal healthcare. Those same healthcare corporations then engage in a mass media blitz of misinformation and disinformation to convince people to vote against their own self-interests. In reality, guaranteed universal healthcare is a proven model adopted by every single developed nation on Earth (and many lower income developing nations). And while I do not have $700,000,000 to counter the lobbying propaganda health insurance corporations infuse into our politics, I do have access to the facts that health insurance corporations hope the American people don’t realize.

Myth 1: We Can’t Afford Universal Healthcare

Fact: The opposite is true. Dozens of studies prove that universal healthcare will save Americans billions of dollars annually. In fact, 22 studies reviewed all concluded that universal healthcare would save approximately $450 billion a year. And this is a universal conclusion. For example, “Even the Mercatus Center, a right-wing think tank, recently found about $2 trillion in net savings over 10 years from a single-payer Medicare for All system. Most importantly, everyone in America would have high-quality health care coverage.” Moreover, we cannot forget that right now approximately 73 million Americans are on Medicaid, 68 million Americans are on Medicare, and 10 million Americans are on Tricare. That means that of our nation’s 335 million people, approximately 151 million are already on a universal (or near universal) healthcare model. And guess what? These programs each cost significantly less than the exploitative for-profit healthcare model. The overhead on these programs is 2-3%, while the overhead on for profit healthcare is 20%, plus a near unlimited mark up on prescription drugs. In this we have a side by side comparison of access to the exact same doctors and medications, except one has a nominal mark up and the other has a 10X markup. It doesn’t take an MBA in finance to understand that the same product or service without the massive markup is the smarter path to take. The only thing we cannot afford is for the current exploitative for profit model to continue.

Myth 2: If Costs Go Down, So Does Quality of Care

Fact: This is simply not true. It is important to understand why costs decrease, because contrary to the myth, every single one of the above studies found that quality of care would not decrease with universal healthcare.

[...]

Myth 3: Universal Healthcare Puts Millions Out of Work

Fact: What would happen to the roughly 1.8 million Americans who work in medical billing? This is a great question and has a robust answer that I break down in three parts. First, remember that about 40% of these jobs are already in the Medicaid and Medicare and Tricare industries—which is essentially universal healthcare for a portion of society. Therefore, we’re talk about roughly 1 million jobs, which admittedly is still a large number. What to do with those? Well, hence the second point. Expanding Medicare to accommodate another 175 million people will necessarily require medical billing professionals and administrators to do those jobs. Therefore, the question is not about eliminating jobs, but about transitioning workers from the for profit exploitative system, to a non for profit system that prioritizes access to healthcare. Likewise, remember that ending the for profit system saves us at least $450 billion annually. These resources give us options. For example, these are excellent resources that could be spent on a lengthy 2-year salary severance to those in medical billing who do lose their jobs, plus adequate funding and training to allow them to become proficient in a new job. Indeed, at $70 billion annually, four-year-public college costs a fraction of what would be saved by shifting from an exploitative for profit model, to a universal healthcare model. We cannot afford not to make the shift.

[...]

Myth 5: Universal Healthcare Causes Long Wait Lines

Fact: For primary physician appointments, Americans already wait longer under our exploitative for profit model than do people in nations with universal healthcare. Frankly, I marvel at this allegation as I reflect over the fact that it took us more than two years to get our daughter the critical life saving medication she needed, only because our exploitative for profit health insurance company refused to accept our doctor’s medical instruction. In reality, wait times in the United States are shorter only for elective surgery, but for primary care or for critical care, the United States is the worst out of any nation with universal healthcare.

Qasim Rashid wrote a solid piece debunking anti-universal healthcare lies propped up by for-profit health shills.

#Health Care #Universal Healthcare #Health Insurance #Medicare For All #Medicaid #Tricare #Medicare

51 notes · View notes

starkeyslibrary · 1 month ago

Text

Introduction: The Other Contestants | Part 2

authors note: i finally finished putting together all the contestants' social media profiles! honestly, I’m questioning my life choices with how long this took lol. feel free to imagine the contestants however you like, these are just here to help anyone who enjoys having a visual reference!

the bachelor masterlist

Zara Smith | 24 | P.h.D. Student | Glen Rose, Texas

Talia Edwards | 29 | Realtor | De Soto, Missouri

Vanessa Wright | 27 | Attorney | Willowbrook, Illinois

Kelsey Lowe | 26 | Radiochemist | Hillsdale, New Jersey

Naomi Skylar | 23 | Recruiter | Brooklyn, New York

Lana Blitzer | 24 | Medical Sales | Bellaire, Texas

Selene Jacobs | 29 | Professional Dancer | Long Island, New York

Sierra Del Rosario | 25 | Registered Nurse | Los Angeles, California

Leila Haddad | 28 | Graphic Designer | Hamilton, Ohio

Zoe Parson | 27 | Insurance Marketer | Boca Raton, Florida

Daisy Scott| 27 | Social Media | Los Angeles, California

Brianna Horbor | 26 | Travel Nurse | Tampa, Florida

Britt Gordon | 28 | Finance Writer | Florida, Miami

Madina Serrano | 25 | Nail Artist | Jersey City, New Jersey

eliminated episode 2:

Ashley Johnson | 30 | Business Owner | Fargo, North Dakota

Renee Miller | 31 | Stylist | Delphos, Ohio

Chloe Ammon | 27 | Corporate Recruiter | Hershey, Pennsylvania

eliminated episode 1:

Samantha Jamerson | 28 | Model | Dallas, Texas

Jess Curtis | 26 | Marketing Director | Kindred, North Dakota

Rachel Lopez | 26 | Wedding Planner | Charlottesville, Florida

Erika Cardenas | 23 | Leasing Agent | Sudbury, Ontario

Olivia Garrett | 28 | Nightclub Server | Henderson, Nevada

Evalin Rossio | 24 | Make-up artist | Burbank, California

Christen Watkins | 29 | Guidance Counselor | Chicago, Illinois

Whitney Baxter | 31 | Pediatrician | Clarksville, Maryland

Holland Mandrell | 26 | Neonatal Nurse | Joppa, Maryland

Allie Haye | 26 | Jericho, New York

the bachelor taglist: @xoxo4chrisss @serendippindots @akobx @wandabillywrites @drewsephrry @justdamnpeachy @thewackywriter @drewsphswife @astridwisp @carisd @itsamusical4lifee @ts1mp0ne @fairyjinn @chaotickittenanchor @sophiesmovingcastle5 @saviorcomplexrry @smutwzrd @destinymoena @alinavalentine @lumbiiii @xeneasworld @earth2azi @watashiwastarr @lilithblackkk @leather-n-velvet

#rafe cameron #the bachelor x rafe cameron #the bachelor contestants #rafe x reader #rafe cameron x female reader #rafe cameron imagine #rafe imagine #drew starkey imagine #drewstarkey #starkeyslibrary #obx rafe cameron #rafe outer banks #obx season 4 #rafe obx #outer banks

23 notes · View notes

uboat53 · 6 months ago

Text

You know, Zuckerberg's statement that he views Musk and what he did at Twitter as a role model for the changes that he's rolling out now give me an interesting idea. You see, we're limited in how much information we can get as far as what's happened at Twitter, but Facebook/Meta is a publicly traded corporation; they have to release regular data to the public.

Independent studies have shown that there's been a massive uptick in racial and other abuse on Twitter since Musk took over, but we don't have official numbers because Twitter is privately held and doesn't have to release information. Twitter has lost a ton of advertisers since Musk took over and that seems like it would have tanked their finances, but we don't know for sure because Twitter is privately held and doesn't have to release information. There's been anecdotal data showing that it's likely that Twitter has seen a substantial exodus of users, but, repeat it with me, we don't know for sure because Twitter is privately held and doesn't have to release information.

Meta, on the other hand, isn't privately held. Zuckerberg may hold a majority of the voting shares and basically be able to run the thing himself, but the fact that it is publicly traded means that it's required to regularly release information to shareholders and the public regarding its core business. Core information for Facebook, for Q3 2024, for example, included big things like revenue, but also included active users, ad impressions, and the price per ad.

Musk-style management looks like a disaster at Twitter but the details can be hidden because he holds it privately. Zuckerberg is about to give us a look at what Musk-style management looks like out in the open and I, for one, am really interested to see what it looks like.

#facebook #twitter #mark zuckerberg #elon musk #politics #us politics

46 notes · View notes

sunshinesmebdy · 1 year ago

Text

Pluto in Aquarius: Brace for a Business Revolution (and How to Ride the Wave)

The Aquarian Revolution

Get ready, entrepreneurs and financiers, because a seismic shift is coming. Pluto, the planet of transformation and upheaval, has just entered the progressive sign of Aquarius, marking the beginning of a 20-year period that will reshape the very fabric of business and finance. Buckle up, for this is not just a ripple – it's a tsunami of change. Imagine a future where collaboration trumps competition, sustainability dictates success, and technology liberates rather than isolates. Aquarius, the sign of innovation and humanitarianism, envisions just that. Expect to see:

Rise of social impact businesses

Profits won't be the sole motive anymore. Companies driven by ethical practices, environmental consciousness, and social good will gain traction. Aquarius is intrinsically linked to collective well-being and social justice. Under its influence, individuals will value purpose-driven ventures that address crucial societal issues. Pluto urges us to connect with our deeper selves and find meaning beyond material gains. This motivates individuals to pursue ventures that resonate with their personal values and make a difference in the world.

Examples of Social Impact Businesses

Sustainable energy companies: Focused on creating renewable energy solutions while empowering local communities.

Fair-trade businesses: Ensuring ethical practices and fair wages for producers, often in developing countries.

Social impact ventures: Addressing issues like poverty, education, and healthcare through innovative, community-driven approaches.

B corporations: Certified businesses that meet rigorous social and environmental standards, balancing profit with purpose.

Navigating the Pluto in Aquarius Landscape

Align your business with social impact: Analyze your core values and find ways to integrate them into your business model.

Invest in sustainable practices: Prioritize environmental and social responsibility throughout your operations.

Empower your employees: Foster a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and contributes to the social impact mission.

Build strong community partnerships: Collaborate with organizations and communities that share your goals for positive change.

Embrace innovation and technology: Utilize technology to scale your impact and reach a wider audience.

Pluto in Aquarius presents a thrilling opportunity to redefine the purpose of business, moving beyond shareholder value and towards societal well-being. By aligning with the Aquarian spirit of innovation and collective action, social impact businesses can thrive in this transformative era, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change in the world.

Tech-driven disruption

AI, automation, and blockchain will revolutionize industries, from finance to healthcare. Be ready to adapt or risk getting left behind. Expect a focus on developing Artificial Intelligence with ethical considerations and a humanitarian heart, tackling issues like healthcare, climate change, and poverty alleviation. Immersive technologies will blur the lines between the physical and digital realms, transforming education, communication, and entertainment. Automation will reshape the job market, but also create opportunities for new, human-centered roles focused on creativity, innovation, and social impact.

Examples of Tech-Driven Disruption:

Decentralized social media platforms: User-owned networks fueled by blockchain technology, prioritizing privacy and community over corporate profits.

AI-powered healthcare solutions: Personalized medicine, virtual assistants for diagnostics, and AI-driven drug discovery.

VR/AR for education and training: Immersive learning experiences that transport students to different corners of the world or historical periods.

Automation with a human touch: Collaborative robots assisting in tasks while freeing up human potential for creative and leadership roles.

Navigating the Technological Tsunami:

Stay informed and adaptable: Embrace lifelong learning and upskilling to stay relevant in the evolving tech landscape.

Support ethical and sustainable tech: Choose tech products and services aligned with your values and prioritize privacy and social responsibility.

Focus on your human advantage: Cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence to thrive in a world increasingly reliant on technology.

Advocate for responsible AI development: Join the conversation about ethical AI guidelines and ensure technology serves humanity's best interests.

Connect with your community: Collaborate with others to harness technology for positive change and address the potential challenges that come with rapid technological advancements.

Pluto in Aquarius represents a critical juncture in our relationship with technology. By embracing its disruptive potential and focusing on ethical development and collective benefit, we can unlock a future where technology empowers humanity and creates a more equitable and sustainable world. Remember, the choice is ours – will we be swept away by the technological tsunami or ride its wave towards a brighter future?

Decentralization and democratization

Power structures will shift, with employees demanding more autonomy and consumers seeking ownership through blockchain-based solutions. Traditional institutions, corporations, and even governments will face challenges as power shifts towards distributed networks and grassroots movements. Individuals will demand active involvement in decision-making processes, leading to increased transparency and accountability in all spheres. Property and resources will be seen as shared assets, managed sustainably and equitably within communities. This transition won't be without its bumps. We'll need to adapt existing legal frameworks, address digital divides, and foster collaboration to ensure everyone benefits from decentralization.

Examples of Decentralization and Democratization

Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs): Self-governing online communities managing shared resources and projects through blockchain technology.

Community-owned renewable energy initiatives: Local cooperatives generating and distributing clean energy, empowering communities and reducing reliance on centralized grids.

Participatory budgeting platforms: Citizens directly allocate local government funds, ensuring public resources are used in line with community needs.

Decentralized finance (DeFi): Peer-to-peer lending and borrowing platforms, bypassing traditional banks and offering greater financial autonomy for individuals.

Harnessing the Power of the Tide:

Embrace collaborative models: Participate in co-ops, community projects, and initiatives that empower collective ownership and decision-making.

Support ethical technology: Advocate for blockchain platforms and applications that prioritize user privacy, security, and equitable access.

Develop your tech skills: Learn about blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and other decentralized technologies to navigate the future landscape.

Engage in your community: Participate in local decision-making processes, champion sustainable solutions, and build solidarity with others.

Stay informed and adaptable: Embrace lifelong learning and critical thinking to navigate the evolving social and economic landscape.

Pluto in Aquarius presents a unique opportunity to reimagine power structures, ownership models, and how we interact with each other. By embracing decentralization and democratization, we can create a future where individuals and communities thrive, fostering a more equitable and sustainable world for all. Remember, the power lies within our collective hands – let's use it wisely to shape a brighter future built on shared ownership, collaboration, and empowered communities.

Focus on collective prosperity

Universal basic income, resource sharing, and collaborative economic models may gain momentum. Aquarius prioritizes the good of the collective, advocating for equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. Expect a rise in social safety nets, universal basic income initiatives, and policies aimed at closing the wealth gap. Environmental health is intrinsically linked to collective prosperity. We'll see a focus on sustainable practices, green economies, and resource sharing to ensure a thriving planet for generations to come. Communities will come together to address social challenges like poverty, homelessness, and healthcare disparities, recognizing that individual success is interwoven with collective well-being. Collaborative consumption, resource sharing, and community-owned assets will gain traction, challenging traditional notions of ownership and fostering a sense of shared abundance.

Examples of Collective Prosperity in Action

Community-owned renewable energy projects: Sharing the benefits of clean energy production within communities, democratizing access and fostering environmental sustainability.

Cooperatives and worker-owned businesses: Sharing profits and decision-making within companies, leading to greater employee satisfaction and productivity.

Universal basic income initiatives: Providing individuals with a basic safety net, enabling them to pursue their passions and contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Resource sharing platforms: Platforms like carsharing or tool libraries minimizing individual ownership and maximizing resource utilization, fostering a sense of interconnectedness.

Navigating the Shift

Support social impact businesses: Choose businesses that prioritize ethical practices, environmental sustainability, and positive social impact.

Contribute to your community: Volunteer your time, skills, and resources to address local challenges and empower others.

Embrace collaboration: Seek opportunities to work together with others to create solutions for shared problems.

Redefine your own path to prosperity: Focus on activities that bring you personal fulfillment and contribute to the collective good.

Advocate for systemic change: Support policies and initiatives that promote social justice, environmental protection, and equitable distribution of resources.

Pluto in Aquarius offers a unique opportunity to reshape our definition of prosperity and build a future where everyone thrives. By embracing collective well-being, collaboration, and sustainable practices, we can create a world where abundance flows freely, enriching not just individuals, but the entire fabric of society. Remember, true prosperity lies not in what we hoard, but in what we share, and by working together, we can cultivate a future where everyone has the opportunity to flourish.

#pluto in aquarius #pluto enters aquarius #astrology updates #astrology community #astrology facts #astro notes #astrology #astro girlies #astro posts #astrology observations #astropost #astronomy #astro observations #astro community #business astrology #business horoscopes

122 notes · View notes