#Financial Modeling Consulting

[fabanalytics]

FAB Analytics: Your Expert Financial Modeling Consultant

FAB Analytics is your go-to partner for expert Financial Modeling Consultant. With tailored solutions and deep industry expertise, we empower businesses to navigate complex financial landscapes with confidence. From scenario analysis to risk assessment, our consultants deliver actionable insights to drive strategic decision-making and foster sustainable growth. Trust FAB Analytics for unparalleled financial modeling excellence.

[jcmarchi]

Features To Look For While Choosing Your Crypto Tax Software - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/features-to-look-for-while-choosing-your-crypto-tax-software-technology-org/

Features To Look For While Choosing Your Crypto Tax Software - Technology Org

The world of cryptocurrency has seen explosive growth in the last few years, presenting a massive potential for investment and application across a variety of domains. But with this growth also comes the added responsibility of reporting your crypto activity accurately for tax purposes. Manually tracking and calculating your crypto taxes can be a daunting task, especially for those with frequent trades or complex transactions.

Cryptocurrencies. Image credit: WorldSpectrum via Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain

This is where crypto tax software comes in, offering a streamlined and efficient solution for enthusiasts. However, with numerous options available, choosing the right crypto tool can often be overwhelming. So, let’s delve into the essential features you should prioritize when selecting crypto tax software.

Automatic Transaction Import

Manually entering every crypto transaction is tedious and prone to errors. Look for software that seamlessly imports your transaction history from various exchanges and wallets via API connections or CSV file uploads. This saves you significant time and effort, minimizing the risk of inaccuracies.

Comprehensive Exchange And Wallet Support

Ensure the software supports all the exchanges and wallets you use. This is crucial for ensuring complete data capture and accurate tax calculations. Look for software that constantly expands its supported platforms to stay up to date with the evolving crypto landscape.

Accurate Cost Basis Tracking

The cost basis is the price you paid for your cryptocurrency when you initially acquired it. This is crucial for calculating capital gains and losses on your trades. Choose software that accurately tracks your cost basis for all your transactions, taking into account factors like fees and dust amounts.

Support For Various Transaction Types

Crypto trading involves more than just buying and selling. Look for software that handles diverse transaction types, including:

Stacking And Lending Rewards: These are treated as income and should be reported accordingly.

Margin Trading: This involves borrowing funds to amplify your gains (or losses), and the software should handle the complex calculations associated with it.

Hard Forks And Airdrops: These can create new tax implications, and the software should be able to identify and categorize them accurately.

NFT Transactions: Non-fungible tokens have unique tax implications, and the software should support their proper tracking and reporting.

Tax Optimization Tools

While reporting your crypto activity accurately is essential, maximizing your tax benefits is also crucial. Look for software that offers features like tax-loss harvesting. This involves strategically selling crypto assets at a loss to offset capital gains and potentially reduce your tax liability.

User-Friendly Interface And Reporting Features

Navigating complex tax calculations can be challenging. Choose software with a user-friendly interface that allows for easy data input, transaction categorization, and clear visualization of your tax position. The software should also generate tax reports that are compatible with your tax filing software or tax professional.

Security And Privacy

When dealing with sensitive financial data, security is paramount. Choose software with robust security measures like multi-factor authentication and secure data encryption. Additionally, ensure the software respects your privacy by clearly detailing their data collection and usage practices.

Customer Support

Even with user-friendly software, unforeseen issues or questions can arise at times. Opt for software that offers reliable customer support through email, chat, or phone, ensuring you have access to help when needed.

Pricing And Free Trial

Crypto tax software pricing models vary depending on the features offered and the volume of transactions you handle. Some software offers free basic plans with limited features, while others operate on a tiered subscription model based on transaction volume. Look for software that fits your needs and budget, and consider taking advantage of free trials to test the features before committing to a paid plan.

Integration With Other Tools

If you already use specific tax filing software or portfolio tracking tools, look for crypto tax software that integrates seamlessly with them. This can significantly streamline your workflow and reduce the need for manual data entry across various platforms.

Final Thoughts

By carefully considering these essential features, you can choose the best crypto tax software to simplify your crypto tax filing process, save time, and ensure accurate reporting. If you get stuck anywhere, consulting with a tax professional familiar with cryptocurrency is always recommended to navigate the complexities of crypto tax regulations.

[magistralconsulting1]

Unlocking Prosperity: Maximizing Returns with Generative AI in Investment – A Roadmap to Financial Success

[genius-mathematics-consultants]

The Longstaff-Schwartz method for early exercise derivative pricing using machine learning and optimization techniques

If you're interested in pricing derivatives with early exercise using Monte-Carlo, you may have heard of the Longstaff-Schwartz method.

When pricing a derivative using Monte-Carlo, you generate a large number of potential price paths of the underlying, and determine the value of the derivative payoff on each path. The fair price of the derivative is then simply the average across all of the potential paths. When the derivative is callable / has an early exercise feature, an additional complexity is that to value the derivative on each path you need to work out at which time step the holder would exercise the derivative. This is the first time step at which the payoff from exercising is higher than the expected payoff from continuing.

Longstaff and Schwartz devised a clever method for determining the expected value of continuing. It involves fitting a straight line to a scatterplot, and then applying an optimization routine to adjust the line into the position that exercises/continues optimally.

I wondered, what if instead of a straight line we used a more complex non-parametric curve? Could we get better results?

What I found was interesting. The straight line approach is sufficient as long as the function representing the value of exercising and the function representing the value of continuing do not intersect at more than two points. For a derivative with a complex payoff with more than two intersection points, the straight line method would fail and a non-parametric curve fitting would succeed.

I also found that the essence of the Longstaff-Schwartz method is not really curve fitting, but something more akin to machine learning, and classification methods like a support vector machine.

Read the full article

[luminadata]

financial management services

The need to forecast arises whether a business owner decides to raise finance, buy or sell a business, assess strategic options, or plan for the future.

[numberly]

Financial Modeling Consultants

A financial model is an in-depth analysis of your company's financial performance, providing a comprehensive picture of the business. With our team of experienced Financial Modeling Consultants, we are able to provide you with accurate financial projections and provide advice on how to improve profitability. Get the right financial model for a startup. If you have any questions or concerns, visit our website now.

[celesteadvisory]

Guidance to Learn Financial Modelling Techniques

What are the methods of financial modelling?

Risk management and cost-effective company concept generation are made possible via the use of financial modelling. Because of this, businesses frequently use it to plan their budgets, raise money, and make acquisitions.

You will gain a thorough understanding of several financial modelling strategies in this blog article, as well as how they facilitate effective financial decision-making inside a company.

Financial modelling: what is it?

Financial modelling is the process of creating a model or abstract representation that accurately reflects a financial situation in the actual world. Its purpose is to illustrate the performance of a financial asset in order to support and guide business choices. Spreadsheet models, investment analysis software, business valuation software, forecasting software, and modelling methodologies are all examples of financial modelling and financial analysis.

Essential financial modelling methods

Financial models are made to demonstrate both the historical and projected financial performance of an organisation. Excel modelling is the greatest method for creating financial models since the program's capabilities can accurately estimate a business's future activities. Therefore, in order to create a flawless model, it is crucial to possess both a solid understanding of cooperative finance and accounting and in-depth knowledge of Excel.

Today's financial world is dominated by a few financial modelling and financial analysis strategies that are essential for an organization's financial decision-making process. Some of the most popular and successful financial modelling methods are listed below:

Data from the past: This is essential for forecasting trends. Your future projections will be built on the information gathered from historical references; thus, it is critical that this information be reliable and accurate.

Assumptions: To establish a financial model, assumptions entail analysing the historical facts of a firm and developing a plan. Despite what the name implies, assumptions in financial modelling must be clear and well-defined. This is due to the fact that they serve as both a representation of a company's expectations and reality and the "drivers" or "inputs" for financial models employed by businesses.

Colour codes: Formatting with colour codes is a crucial component of financial modelling, often known as links. Values for various parameters are included in distinct cells.

Financial model types

In order to assist a company's financial decision-making, a variety of financial models are used by Business Consultancy Firm

The three-statement format

A company's financial performance is assessed using this finance model using three fundamental statements. They are:

Statement of Revenue

Balance Sheet

the cash-flow statement

Ratio analysis or comparable company analysis

The CCA model is used to evaluate an organization's position in relation to its competitors. Based on the firms' financial and business profiles, a Business Consultancy Firm selects a group of comparable companies in this model. The size of the business, the top and bottom lines, as well as other aspects, are taken into consideration while evaluating this profile. Financial statistics including the PE Multiple, EV/EBITDA, and P/B ratios are employed in this model's comparison section.

Model for credit scores

The Three Statement Model serves as the basis for the Credit Rating Model idea, which is used to forecast data for three to five years. Numerous additional factors, such as the management of strength and quality, the calibre of the collaterals, the growth of future demand, and the behaviour of closed loan accounts are also incorporated into this financial model. When a company seeks for a loan, banks often use it to assess the firm's trustworthiness in terms of its ability to borrow money and the related interest rate.

Discounted Cash Flow Model (DCF)

Financial analysis using the DCF model is based on projections and assessments of future cash flow. It is used to establish the worth or value of an organisation. These kinds of financial models are typically employed by investors to understand the true worth of a start-up before they put money in it. The DCF model is also used by stock market investors to determine if a firm is trading above or below its real worth.

Conclusion

Manual financial modelling abilities are still valuable in today's world where automation is sweeping the economy. Financial professionals with knowledge of financial modelling and business performance evaluation are becoming more and more in demand as this industry grows. When employing financial specialists, the majority of global companies consider financial modelling abilities to be a benefit. You may improve your career chances and gain a deeper understanding of the financial dynamics of an organisation by mastering financial modelling and implementing it into your knowledge.

[garybrower]

How to Choose the Right Fundraising Consultant?

When you’ve tried everything you know to raise money and it’s just not working, or you find yourself a little lost and not knowing what to do next, it might be time to bring in a fundraising consultant.

If you’re like most people running a nonprofit, you got into this to make a difference. Not to raise money. You probably didn’t go to school to learn how to be a fundraiser. Even if you did, what you learned in class and what the real world throws at you are probably very different.

Of course, you’re already extremely busy juggling things like your programs and services. Who has time for fundraising too??

Obviously, this is the one activity you MUST do to support everything else, though. It’s vital. If you’re feeling overwhelmed just reading this, well, you’re not alone. Overwhelm is common among nonprofit founders and directors.

Fundraising requires a good deal of expertise and experience you just can’t get from a book. Plus, there are always new fundraising tools and strategies to keep up with and test out.

A good fundraising consultant has the knowledge, skills, experience, and strategies you need to help you with your biggest fundraising challenges. They have been there and done that, both for themselves and other clients, and can bring the benefit of that wisdom to your situation.

Choosing the right consultant can mean reaching your funding goals and expanding your capacity to raise money. Choosing the wrong one is a waste of your time and money.

With so many people out there calling themselves a fundraising consultant, how do you choose the one who’s right for you? SpectUp bring the full range of critical early-stage disciplines for your disruptive startup to rapidly get investor-ready.

Visit here for- Sales Deck Service

[freeexceldownloads]

12 Month Financial Projection

12 Month Financial Projection

Download this easy to use and free 12 month financial projection template in Microsoft Excel and Spreadsheet. Projections are shared with Lenders and Banks and Financial Institutions to get sanction on the loan. This template is perfect if you are looking for 12 month financial projection template for loan processing and application. Financial projections for bank loan excel template is easy to…

[astrojulia]

Tarot Cards as Professions

Navigation:   Masterlist✦Ask Rules✦Feedback Tips

       Askbox✦Sources✦Paid Readings

Major Arcanas:

The Fool: Work with abroad, connections with imports, language teacher, multinationals, entrepreneur, intern, college student, art major.

The Magician: Entrepreneur, job that needs skill with the hands (acupuncture, hairdresser, artisan), actor, salesperson, influencer.

The High Priestess: Education, especially children, nutrition, psychology, cook, housewife, food engineering, toy factory, fortuneteller, spiritual advisor, librarian.

The Empress: Management, business administration, foreign trade, secretariat, translation, decoration, stay-at-home mom, model, cook, farmer.

The Emperor: Business administration, work related to areas of technological innovation, the military or sportsmen, CEO, tycoon.

The Hierophant: Philanthropic areas, ONGs, religious work, social work, diplomacy, and a degree, journalism, writer, editor, priest, spiritual guru, politician.

The Lovers: Sales area in any sector, tourism, theater, advertising, the arts in general, porn star, stripper, masseuse.

The Chariot: Activities related to transport, cars, the latest technology, chauffeur, mechanic, athlete.

Strength: Aesthetics, physical education and various body therapies, medicine, zoologist.

The Hermit: Teacher, writer, doctor, antique dealer, restorer, librarian, gardener.

Wheel of Fortune: Financial market, exchange offices, casinos, lottery houses, stock exchanges, and areas related to public relations, hospitality, game show host.

Justice: Public jobs, won through competitions, politics, police, with government positions, in the diplomatic area, law, insurance company worker.

The Hanged Man: Nurse, auditor, inspector, porter, secretariat, general assistants, yoga instructor, prison guard, philanthropist.

Death: Doctor, farmer, geologist, business administrator, gardener, accountant, assassin, death row executioner, surgeon.

Temperance: Working with liquids in general or with what is transported in liquid form such as alcoholic beverages, medicines, juices. chemist, chef, food critic, regional or even international traffic.

The Devil: Does not limit the individual to a professional wing, so he can also go to extremes for the desire he has, such as landlord, drug lord, sex trafficker.

The Tower: Social assistance, humanitarian aid, medicine, firefighter, police officer, construction worker.

The Star: Music, painting, sculpture, poetry, cinema, makeup artist, dressmaker, beautician, agent, promoter, sound artist, astronomer, harpist, dealer, meteorologist.

The Moon: Oceanographers, sailors, fishermen, owners of bars and restaurants or nightclubs, artists in general, medium, hypnotist, psychiatrist.

The Sun: Motivational speaker, entertainer, comedian, social relationships, work with the public, artist in general, member of society.

Judgment: Work done at home, connection with the law, lawyer, judge, work with disabled or people excluded from society, social assistance, board member, executive producer, director.

The World: Pharmacist, massage therapist, scientist, teacher, community leader, religious leader or priest, fashion designer, makeup artist, interior decorator.

Wands:

Creative industries such as advertising, marketing, and graphic design.

Entrepreneurship and starting your own business.

Athletics, sports coaching, or physical training.

Outdoor jobs like park ranger or tour guide.

Event planning or organizing.

Firefighters or rescue workers.

Ace of Wands: Entrepreneur, startup founder, motivational speaker, fitness coach, personal trainer.

Two of Wands: Business strategist, project manager, travel agent, international consultant, import/export specialist.

Three of Wands: Sales representative, marketing manager, e-commerce entrepreneur, market researcher, international trade coordinator.

Four of Wands: Event planner, wedding coordinator, party organizer, festival manager, hospitality industry professional.

Five of Wands: Conflict resolution specialist, mediator, lawyer, debate coach, competitive sports coach.

Six of Wands: Public relations manager, spokesperson, social media influencer, motivational speaker, winning athlete.

Seven of Wands: Defense attorney, human rights activist, political campaigner, advocate, civil liberties lawyer.

Eight of Wands: Courier, delivery driver, airline pilot, travel blogger, expedition guide.

Nine of Wands: Security guard, bodyguard, soldier, endurance athlete, self-defense instructor.

Ten of Wands: Overworked entrepreneur, project manager, event organizer, professional organizer, heavy equipment operator.

Page of Wands: Assistant in a creative field, aspiring artist, intern in a startup, social media coordinator, apprentice.

Knight of Wands: Travel journalist, adventure tour guide, professional athlete, race car driver, stunt performer.

Queen of Wands: CEO, business owner, charismatic leader, life coach, influential speaker.

King of Wands: Executive manager, entrepreneur, leadership coach, consultant, director of a creative agency.

Cups:

Counseling, therapy, or social work.

Hospitality industry, including restaurant management and bartending.

Wedding planner or event coordinator.

Artistic fields like poetry, writing, or acting.

Healing professions such as nursing or holistic therapy.

Psychologist or counselor specializing in emotions and relationships.

Ace of Cups: Therapist, counselor, social worker, holistic healer, emotional support specialist.

Two of Cups: Marriage counselor, matchmaker, relationship coach, wedding planner, love psychic.

Three of Cups: Event organizer, party planner, celebratory event coordinator, community organizer.

Four of Cups: Meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, spiritual counselor, psychologist, therapist.

Five of Cups: Grief counselor, trauma therapist, hospice worker, emotional healing practitioner, bereavement support.

Six of Cups: Child psychologist, teacher, daycare worker, children's book author, pediatric nurse.

Seven of Cups: Creative writer, fantasy novelist, imaginative artist, dream analyst, visionary.

Eight of Cups: Travel blogger, adventure seeker, spiritual pilgrim, explorer, wanderlust photographer.

Nine of Cups: Life coach, happiness consultant, gratitude coach, self-help author, wellness retreat organizer.

Ten of Cups: Family therapist, marriage and family counselor, foster care advocate, wedding planner, family mediator.

Page of Cups: Creative writer, artist in training, intuitive healer, aspiring therapist, dream interpreter.

Knight of Cups: Actor, romantic poet, musician, art therapist, love and relationship coach.

Queen of Cups: Psychic reader, intuitive healer, counselor, compassionate caregiver, therapist.

King of Cups: Therapist, counselor, intuitive mentor, emotional intelligence trainer, psychologist.

Swords:

Legal professions like lawyers, judges, or law enforcement officers.

Journalists, reporters, or investigators.

IT specialists, computer programmers, or hackers.

Teachers or professors specializing in critical thinking or philosophy.

Military or defense-related careers.

Strategic planners or analysts.

Ace of Swords: Lawyer, judge, legal consultant, investigative journalist, strategic planner.

Two of Swords: Mediator, conflict resolution specialist, negotiator, diplomat, relationship counselor.

Three of Swords: Divorce lawyer, grief counselor, trauma therapist, emotional healer, heart surgeon.

Four of Swords: Rest and relaxation specialist, meditation teacher, spiritual retreat organizer, yoga instructor.

Five of Swords: Military strategist, competitive sports coach, lawyer specializing in litigation, debate coach.

Six of Swords: Travel agent, relocation consultant, therapist specializing in transitions, boat captain.

Seven of Swords: Private investigator, spy, intelligence analyst, cybersecurity expert, undercover agent.

Eight of Swords: Social justice lawyer, human rights advocate, disability rights activist, therapist specializing in limiting beliefs.

Nine of Swords: Insomnia specialist, anxiety therapist, nightmare counselor, sleep coach, mental health counselor.

Ten of Swords: Surgeon, coroner, forensic scientist, mortician, grief counselor.

Page of Swords: Researcher, journalist, fact-checker, apprentice in a legal field, investigative reporter.

Knight of Swords: Military officer, police officer, attorney, competitive fencer, conflict resolution specialist.

Queen of Swords: Judge, lawyer, critic, journalist, literary agent.

King of Swords: Judge, attorney, CEO, strategist, military general.

Pentacles:

Financial advisors or investment bankers.

Real estate agents or property developers.

Agriculture, farming, or gardening.

Architects, builders, or construction workers.

Conservationists or environmentalists.

Accountants or bookkeepers.

Ace of Pentacles: Financial advisor, investment banker, wealth manager, entrepreneur, luxury goods retailer.

Two of Pentacles: Financial analyst, accountant, bookkeeper, event planner, stock trader.

Three of Pentacles: Architect, contractor, project manager, teamwork facilitator, craftsman.

Four of Pentacles: Wealth manager, investor, financial planner, asset protection specialist, treasurer.

Five of Pentacles: Social worker, philanthropist, charity organizer, financial counselor, volunteer.

Six of Pentacles: Philanthropist, humanitarian worker, non-profit manager, social worker, charitable fundraiser.

Seven of Pentacles: Gardener, farmer, agricultural consultant, sustainability expert, botanist.

Eight of Pentacles: Craftsperson, artisan, apprentice, skilled tradesperson, technical trainer.

Nine of Pentacles: Luxury brand manager, independent business owner, successful entrepreneur, vineyard owner, art collector.

Ten of Pentacles: Real estate developer, property investor, family business owner, generational wealth manager, financial advisor.

Page of Pentacles: Intern, student, apprentice in a practical field, aspiring entrepreneur, entry-level employee.

Knight of Pentacles: Accountant, financial planner, farmer, skilled tradesperson, meticulous worker.

Queen of Pentacles: CEO, business owner, property developer, hospitality industry entrepreneur, financial advisor.

King of Pentacles: CEO, business mogul, successful investor, high-level executive, financial consultant.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Hi, what do you think about this news?

BBC News - Climate: NFU Cymru opts out of farming scheme over tree planting

Interesting, isn't it?

Here's the thing: it is a fact that we need more trees than we currently have, that Wales is under-forested, and that decades of inaction mean we now have to make big changes fast rather than incremental changes safely. Given that the Welsh Government is actively trying to base modern Welsh identity on environmentalism (we are the only country in the entire world with dedicated sustainability legislation in the form of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, and we're third in the world for recycling rates), it was inevitable that they were going to seize the bull by the horns, so to speak, and set a strict target.

In fact, they have past form for this - there's a reason we're third in the world for recycling. I am simplifying this massively and going to make any lawyers reading this wince, but the way EU legislation works is that the member states agree something should be legislated for, the EU makes a directive, and then the member states each interpret and apply that directive how they want into their own laws (sorry lawyers). In the case of recycling, the EU member states collectively decided we needed to get serious about diversion from landfill in 2008 with the Waste Framework Directive, and then the UK chose how to go about that.

But, waste management is a devolved area. So Wales, Scotland, NI and England all got to implement it themselves how they wanted to. England didn't set any specific targets; it was more like "endeavour to be recycling 50% of waste across the country by X year." But the Welsh Government went "Right, lads, here's the targets: 58% by 2015/16, 64% by 2020, and zero waste by 2050. We'll let you pick the recycling bag colours."

(In Swansea it's green for paper, cardboard, metal and glass, pink for plastic, white for garden waste, and you get a special dark green bin for food waste with a locking lid to keep the seagulls out.)

But that meant Welsh councils had to actually move on it, with the result that we smashed those targets. We're now aiming for 70% recycling by 2025, and zero waste might be brought forward to 2030, because the government likes the model of "Shoot for the moon and land among the stars."

So like. It has worked, in the past.

BUT, the problem with setting arbitrary targets like that is that it doesn't always work, and what happens to people who get caught in the gears, so to speak?

In this case, this is a subsidy scheme. It's still in consultation, but if it goes ahead, farmers get money from the public purse for doing something "for the public good" - they need to tree plant 10% of their land, and manage another 10% as wildlife habitat. Currently, this is true for every farm, regardless of its nature. 20% of productive land removed, and you'll be paid to do so.

But, will that work for every farm? No. No it won't. The smaller your set up, the more that 20% is going to bite into profits that the subsidies won't compensate; and what if you only have productive land? A flatish farm, somewhere in Powys, used for crops rather than livestock? 20% of that is very, very different to 20% of an upland sheep farm with sections that are almost impassable and very difficult to round up the sheep from anyway, where you can simply fence off and plant up the slopes to create ffridd and woodlands. It's a one size fits few policy. I fully believe the government saying plenty of farmers are all for it - this will work for many. But for many others, it's simply not financially viable.

But what I find REALLY interesting about that article, actually, is the way the farmers are framing their objections:

(NFU Cymru) president Aled Jones said farmers were prepared to integrate more trees into farming systems - from "shelterbelts, streamside corridors to field corners". "But we will not take our productive land out of food production for tree-planting," he said.

SHELTERBELTS. That is the Pontbren effect. Pontbren taught us that farmer-led environmental schemes work, and provide additional unexpected benefits including in revenue (it was designed to simply allow the sheep to stay out year round, but the flood control and soil conservation that came with it brought their own benefits - silvopasture, how I love thee.) Now it's there as proof-of-concept, farmers want a piece of that action. They want to be more environmentally sound. But, those trees have to serve an economic purpose, not a solely environmental one; otherwise, it's not going to work for farmers.

And it's very frustrating that the Welsh Government have forgotten that crucial lesson in trying to implement this. But then, as I say, it's true that we need big changes now, and are running out of time for the soft incremental changes. I just think the two could have been married better.

[rwrbmovie]

BTS of #RWRBMovie: cakegate

From Collider:

ML: "It was hundreds of extras, it was cake, it was a vision, it was choreography through space, and it was a lot of dialogue. That was three days of me, just gritting my teeth. I can’t tell you that I had fun on those three days. I knew that I had to get it right, in so many different ways. But I had a great team, and I had Nick and Taylor, and we got through those days. When people see the movie, you don’t see all the real effort that went into that filming that scene."

From AV Club:

The entire wedding reception scene took three days to shoot on location at the Royal Naval College in London (which served as the setting for the receiving line) and Goldsmiths’ Hall in the city’s financial district (where the reception takes place). But López began preparing for it long before he got to the set. Together with production designer Miren Marañón, he tested the physics of bringing down the cake using models and filming smaller cakes in motion to see how they would fall. “We were really scientific about it,” he says. “Would it slide? Would it tumble? Is it sort of like a tree coming down or does it break apart? What we decided was that actually what happens is not necessarily Alex knocks over the cake, Alex breaks the table, which then sends it over. We realized that it was a question of a cascading series of events leading to the cake falling on them.” Taylor Zakhar Perez, who plays Alex, and Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Henry, were both game for anything when it came to the physicality of the scene. To help block the sequence for maximum comedic effect, López brought on theater director Cal McCrystal, who had previously worked as a physical comedy consultant on the Paddington films. The actors rehearsed with McCrystal to get each beat of the scene right before Alex is knocked into the table, which was rigged with hydraulics to make it collapse on cue. The crew spent a day and a half filming the reception before it came time to tackle the cake scene. There were two cakes created for the scene, a fake one made of foam and latex that could not only hold up under the lights for long periods of time but safely be dropped on the actors without injuring them, and a real one made of sponge and buttercream frosting to dump on them once they hit the ground. “We shot the scene many times with the fake one coming down, just this big cake coming down on top of them,” López says. “We shot it from all different angles. Then we reached the point of no return and we had to drop actual cake on them.”

That’s where the fun part came in. The crew brought in several white industrial “buckets of buttercream” frosting and chunks of real cake to throw on top of the actors. “We set up three cameras, and my production designer and I carefully lined up the shot. And I counted to three and we tossed the cake into their faces.” The cast and crew had planned to film the scene multiple times, and there was time built into the shooting schedule for the actors to shower and change into clean costumes in between takes, a process that could potentially take up to an hour. But, according to López, in the end it wasn’t necessary. “That first take we hit the bullseye. And I went back to look at it with my director of photography and my producers, and I’m looking at it and I’m like, we have it. Let’s move on. Let’s not waste our time. One take of hitting their faces, and then we just got the rest of it.” López describes the mood on set that day as “very, very focused” but there was still a sense that they were creating something special. It turned out to be one of his favorite days on set. Even the background players, many of whom were themselves in the cake splash zone, erupted in applause once it was finished. “The boys were in a very good mood, which helped. But I think, for an actor, it’s like the ultimate fantasy, right? As a kid, you want to be in an enormous food fight. And then here they are getting paid to be covered in cake. So yeah, it was the most technical bit of filmmaking we had to do on this movie. That said, everybody, for as focused as they were, everybody was in a very good mood that day. And it must be said that we had a lot of fun.”

From EW:

In the film's opening sequence, Galitzine's Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez's Alex, the First Son of the United States, create an international incident after a spat leads them to crash into and destroy a royal wedding cake. In the process, they both become utterly covered in cake and frosting. But Galitzine didn't find it so bad. "You would get quite peckish throughout the day," he tells EW in an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. "The fact that you could just have a snack peeling off your body, you can have a little nibble there, was super convenient." Things got even messier when the crew tried to turn the sequence into a food fight. "A lot of the crew were very keen to get involved and throw cake at us in the second half when the cake's already hit us," says Galitzine. "But it was a really fun experience getting to work within that physical comedy space, very slapstick with icing on the suit, then the whiskey being used to dab the suit, and the cake coming down on top of us." Galitzine could, at least, clean up relatively quickly once they wrapped — the English estate where they were filming had a shower upstairs that the cast could access. "Afterwards, I went and stood in the shower for a good half an hour," he says, with a laugh. But he still couldn't escape the cake. "Even that evening and the next morning, I'd find something in my ear or behind my ears, and be like, 'What is that?'" he explains. "And it was bits of icing. I didn't eat those."

From CineMagna:

NG: The cake dropping scene was probably one of the most fun scenes to film. It was just such a couple days. First of all, I just love being with the rest of the cast. It’s just mostly been Taylor and me throughout the entire process, but when you get to really spend time with the other actors, it’s just so much fun, the group of us together. There was so much pomp within this room. We had about 200 extras dressed to the nines, and just the act of this cake falling on top of us is just a very bizarre day at work that most people don’t get to experience.

[visualbutterflysworld]

Cover Stealer | Vhackerr

You and Vinnie in bed after a fight

“Stop pulling the cover!” I yank some of the cover back. “I’m cold!” Vinnie said, yanking it back. “You walk around half naked everyday! How are you suddenly cold now!?” I scrunch my face up. “Because I am!”

Vinnie and I got in a fight a few hours ago. I don’t usually like fighting and I wouldn’t have been so upset if it wasn’t really important to me. We were supposed to have dinner together at this really nice place and had reservations but, Vincent being Vincent lost track of time over his stupid game. So by the time we made it they had given our table away.

I wouldn’t have mind but, with him being signed to IMG Models and me having to travel a lot for my job, we barely had time to spend together. If I was some famous person than I could be with him anytime I’d want. No, see, I actually have a 9 to 5 and don’t have enough times on my hands unlike some people. I may or may not have brought that up.

“Y/n, I said I was sorry.” Vinnie sighed as we walked into my apartment. “Yeah, whatever.” I grumbled as I walk upstairs. “Y/n, what’s the big deal? We’ll have another date night.” Vinnie stood at the end of the stairs and I turned midway on the staircase. “And when do you think that’ll be Vincent!? Two months from now!? I’m so sorry but, some of us don’t make our schedule! Some of us actually have to work!” I yelled as I folded my arms.

He glared at me. “You think I don’t work?! I work every damn day Y/n!” He yelled back at me. “Oh please Vincent, your job is being sexy and a photo for fourteen year olds to masturbate to.” I rolled my eyes and continuing walking up the stairs. “At least I’m doing my dream!” Vinnie yelled. “I’ve achieved my dream and got financial stability, you asshole!”

As you can see, we haven’t talked since. The whole dream thing was about me wanting to model and act but, when I decided in college that I wanted to be financially happy and actually have a job I could depend on unlike acting and modeling. Because once you hit a certain age roles and jobs dry up for whatever reason. Plus, who the fuck wants to deal with paparazzi!? Those assholes killed Princess Diana and made Britney Spears’ life a living hell.

Yeah, so I choose my other dream route. Marketing consultant. Sometimes I travel a lot to other firms to study and bring clients to my firm company. While Vinnie gets to sit at home and play video games and look sexy. I get out of my thoughts by feeling another tug. “Can your sexy ass stop pulling the cover!” I speak and instantly regret my words.

I feel the bed move and a head on my forearm. “Did you just call me sexy?” He asked. “No.” I try to hide my smile. “Liar. You know, you said something about fourteen year olds masturbating to me but, I’ve caught you masturbating to photos of me.” His fingers ling on my side before I quickly flip on my back. Letting out a gasp. “You have not!” I said and Vinnie shrugs. “I have too. Hell, I’ve caught you with your secret vibrator pretending it was me.” Vinnie laughs at me as I stare at him with wide eyes.

“I thought I was being sneaky with it.” I mutter as I pout. “Yeah, but you’re very vocal.” Vinnie pinched my side. “Whatever.” I cross my arms and look away. “I am sorry about missing the dinner.” He said before kissing my neck and nuzzling into it. “Yeah, I know.” I sigh as I rub the bridge of my nose. “Sometimes I’m afraid with us being apart so much, you may find someone else. Someone better.” Vinnie quickly shoots up. “That is the most stupidest thing I ever heard you say.” I scowl at him before he continues.

“To ever think that I would leave you because of distance is an insult. I wouldn’t leave you if you had to go to China for three months!” I laugh and Vinnie let’s out a smile. He strokes my face softly before placing a kiss on my lips. “Plus, I like when you’re away and come back to me.” He mutters as he rest his forehead against me. “Why?” I scrunch up my nose. “Because it gives me more pleasure knowing i can fuck you for as long as I want to make up time.”

I smack my lips before responding, “I seriously think you’re a sex addict. You probably have a Fleshlight somewhere.” Vinnie smirks. “Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. That is one thing you’ll never know.” I roll my eyes. “Okay, Dr. Seuss.”

[maureen-doolittle]

Are the Jedi a cult?

So my wife and I were talking about Star Wars while eating dinner, and we landed on the topic of the Jedi. I mentioned my absolute hatred of the Jedi approach to child-raising. Like, oh, you want your group members to deny attachments? I know, give them all disorganized and disrupted attachments to primary caregivers!

And then a THOUGHT hit me: are the Jedi a cult? Specifically, to what degree do their beliefs and actions resonate with Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control? I pulled it up and my wife immediately said, “Wow, that would do NUMBERS on Tumblr. Please help prove my wife right because she’s awesome. 

For the unaware, BITE is an acronym that stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotion. It refers to four different types of control that organizations can have over their members. The higher a given organization scores, the more cult-like that organization is likely to be. (Disclaimer: this post is exclusively for shitposting reasons and I am extremely not a mental health or sociology expert.)

Behavior Control

Regulate individual’s physical reality - unclear? 

Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates - literally yes that’s the whole thing that PROMPTED this post

When, how and with whom the member has sex - yep, celibacy rules!

Control types of clothing and hairstyles - yes, unless you’re mace windu

Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting - no, not that i know of

Manipulation and deprivation of sleep - nope

Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence - i am absolutely not going to research the star wars economy for this shitpost. we’re leaving it at “unclear.”

Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time - lol do the jedi get vacation? like, at all?

Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet - can you imagine if the jedi had twitter? god, anakin would be such a pain in the ass about it. anyway, this feels like what the jedi council is, so yes. 

Permission required for major decisions - SPEAKING OF THE JEDI COUNCIL... also, according to my wife, “obi-wan consults with the jedi council more than raiden consults with the elder gods.” i don’t understand this reference, but i’m glad some of you will.

Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative - again, the jedi council!!! like, there’s the whole “well you’re not a master YET” nonsense and... this post might turn me into an anakin skywalker apologist

Discourage individualism, encourage group-think - this is literally what caused the council to collapse. no one had an original thought.

Impose rigid rules and regulations - oh my god SOOOOOO MANY.

Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding - happily, a no on this one. holy shit.

Threaten harm to family and friends - technically, this is a “no,” but it’s specifically because you’re not supposed to have any of those, so i’m giving this a half point. also, see everything that happened with Shmi Skywalker.

Force individual to rape or be raped - again, no.

Encourage and engage in corporal punishment - we don’t see what goes on in the crèches, but since we don’t have evidence, this is a no.

Instill dependency and obedience - they LITERALLY have a master/padawan system where you can’t question your superior, like???

Kidnapping - hot take but i totally think this is what they do with some younglings. that said, this is just my hot take, so this is technically still a no.

Beating - again, no

Torture - no

Rape - no

Separation of Families - actually yes??? like, true, i don’t have proof that the kids are kidnapped, but they fully separate children from their families at extremely young ages!

Imprisonment - no

Murder - listen, we could be here all day debating whether all, most, many, some, few, or none of the jedi’s killings are justified. but like... they’re warrior monks, so i’ll give this one a pass.

Score: 11.5/25

Information Control

Deception: a. Deliberately withhold information - i didn’t remember this one so i asked my wife and she immediately went “yeah, definitely” b. Distort information to make it more acceptable - “What I told you is true... from a certain point of view” - Obi-Wan Kenobi (this is a yes) c. Systematically lie to the cult member - DARTH FUCKING VADER had to tell Luke about his parentage! like! obi-wan! what the hell!

Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including: a. Internet, TV, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, media - this probably gets a “no” on a technicality. how would we even measure this? b. Critical information - nope c. Former members - again, this is a technical “no,” but it’s only because i really don’t think there are any “former members.” d. Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate - arguably yes, given how much they’re constantly running all over the galaxy. like, they’re definitely not the only law enforcement/army in the galaxy, so what gives? e. Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking - huh, i wonder if those blue video things are tracked? do we have any confirmation of that? i’m pretty sure they have the capability to do so, so i’m giving this a half point.

Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines a. Ensure that information is not freely accessible - again, no way to measure this, so no b. Control information at different levels and missions within group - oh ABSOLUTELY. i’ll cut them a tiny bit of slack because they have to do this for like, legitimate national security interests sometimes, but they also do it for bullshit information control reasons. c. Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when - again, this is literally just the jedi council

Encourage spying on other members a. Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member - hello again, master/padawan relationship!  b. Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership - you have ONE bad dream about your secret wife dying in labor, and everyone’s on your case about it. c. Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by group - yep

Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including: a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies and other media - another no on a technicality. also, this gives me the horrifying mental image of Jedi YouTubers, so now you have to suffer with that. b. Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources - nah

Unethical use of confession a. Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries - oh, you’re sad because you miss your enslaved mother? well THAT’S just proof you could NEVER be a jedi! b. Withholding forgiveness or absolution - do they even have a process for forgiveness or absolution? am i losing my mind or do we not see this? anyway, no. c. Manipulation of memory, possible false memories - nope

Score: 9.5/19

Thought Control

Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth a. Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality - this is just crèche training b. Instill black and white thinking - jesus, CONSTANTLY. “once you go over to the dark side, forever will it dominate your destiny!” c. Decide between good vs. evil - see above d. Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders) - see above again

Change person’s name and identity - huh, this one’s actually a sith thing. bonus points for the villains actually doing the cult-y thing this time, i guess.

Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words - the fact that yoda’s advice to a terrified first-grader is “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering” really says it all here.

Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts - once again, see above.

Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member - nope

Memories are manipulated and false memories are created - not that we see, no.

Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including: a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking - those earlier yoda quotes are really pulling their weight in this section. goddamn. b. Meditating - i have to assume meditation is a part of jedi training, because like... come on. of course it is. that said, i don’t know if it’s specifically used to stop negative thoughts, so we’ll give it a half point. c. Chanting, Praying, Speaking in Tongues, Singing, or Humming - i put these all in one because they’re all religion-focused, but in a way that doesn’t map onto the jedi/star wars experience of religion. and the answer is no to all.

Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism - the jedi are so afraid of constructive criticism that anyone who tries gets hit with immediate professional consequences and social shaming

Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed - again, see above! it’s wild how many times i’ve said that here!

Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful - they literally call it the dark side. like, i’m not saying that Force choking or lighting is a good thing, but really, guys?

Instill new “map of reality” - eh, not really

Score: 10.5/16

Emotion Control

(upon seeing this i went “oh, i’m sure this will go GREAT.”)

Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish - fear, anger, the need for a parental figure... yep! all demonized!

Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt - yes again

Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault - your fear and grief about missing your mom are YOUR fault, anakin! it’s definitely not our fault that we took you away from your mom and left her to die!

Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as: a. Identity guilt - eh, not really b. You are not living up to your potential - oh absolutely yes. “you were supposed to bring balance to the force!!1!11!!!” like, i know it’s not said as a control tactic, but that’s a lot to put on a person! (side note: i was correct earlier; this post is totally turning me into an anakin skywalker apologist.) c. Your family is deficient - i actually don’t think they do this, so like... hurray for the bare minimum. d. Your past is suspect - they don’t explicitly say this, so even though i get the vibes, i have to give them a no. e. Your affiliations are unwise - fuck off this LITERALLY sounds like a yoda quote! i don’t care if he didn’t actually say this, i’m counting it. f. Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish - including your desire to grieve your mother, aunt, and uncle! g. Social guilt - no relationships allowed! f. Historical guilt - nope

Instill fear, such as fear of: a. Thinking independently - yeah there’s no way the council allows that b. The outside world - actually, no. they’re in pretty regular contact with the outside world, despite the fact that they ignore the increasing corruption of the galactic republic. c. Enemies - hello dark [side] my old friend... d. Losing one’s salvation - the only way the jedi could be worse is if there were some version of this. the only afterlife they have is being a blue ghost, which is rad as hell. e. Leaving or being shunned by the group - technically, no, but see above - no one ever leaves this group. f. Other’s disapproval - if mace windu looked at me with disappointment in his eyes i would DISSOLVE g. Historical guilt - nope

Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner - qui-gon and yoda both do this to anakin and luke, respectively.

Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins - the jedi council is responsible for so many of these

Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority a. No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group - yep b. Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc. - no, but i also don’t think leaving the group is presented as an option? i know i keep giving half points, but it’s my high-effort shitpost and i’ll do it if i want to. c. Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends and family - see the above logic. hey look, the half-points evened out! d. Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll - oh my god can you IMAGINE yoda complaining about former jedi being “seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll.” someone get frank oz on this, stat. that said, people who join the dark side are explicitly said to be “seduced” by it, so... maybe? half-points abound! e. Threats of harm to ex-member and family - nope

Score: 14.5/25

Total Score: 46/85, or 54.12%. Honestly, that’s not quite as high as I was expecting, but that’s still like... concerningly high! like, if you join an organization and describe it as “just over half-cult,” that’s really bad! jedis! what are you doing!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The simple problem is this: at sustained temperatures approaching 50ºC, human life in Paris is not sustainable... but it can be redesigned to be so. Should we run, roast or act? The elected members of the Council of Paris' information and evaluation mission (MIE), "Paris at 50°C", chose the third option, concluding six months of work on Friday, April 14. Its members from all political groups put forward 85 recommendations to prevent the capital from becoming uninhabitable in the medium term. Since heat waves will intensify and become more frequent due to climate change, "another urban model must be designed," according to the 240-page report that Le Monde consulted.

Their recommendations are numerous, including creating a "big bang in the thermal renovation of buildings", making greener streets, repainting roofs in a lighter color, changing the way we work, foregoing certain summer festivals, and promoting swimming. Some of these are inexpensive and can be easily implemented. But many are enormous projects and entail rethinking how society is organized. "These transformations will require an unprecedented mobilization in the face of the urgent financial, material, human and democratic emergency," the authors acknowledge.

[Le Monde]