#and the company culture/benefits of the less paying one is more appealing

[forcebookish]

found a job that pays comically, unrealistically more money than the one i just applied to but the job looks boring and it's at a company i've never heard of... so it's like... make way more money more immediately in a field i don't care about... or try to build a career in an industry i actively want to be in..........

[impacteers]

In today’s competitive job market, enhancing the candidate experience has become a crucial task for recruiters and HR departments. With candidates having numerous job options at their fingertips, providing a seamless and positive hiring process is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. A positive candidate experience not only attracts top talent but also strengthens your overall talent pool, setting the stage for successful future hires.

Understanding Candidate Experience

Although there’s no formal definition, “candidate experience” generally refers to how applicants perceive and react to the recruiting, screening, hiring, and interviewing processes. It encompasses everything from the initial job posting to the final offer and onboarding stages. This experience can be gauged through candidate feedback surveys, retention rates, and referral metrics.

Historically, many companies did not pay much attention to the candidate experience, partly because the consequences of a poor process were relatively minimal. Negative experiences might have meant that:

Candidates wouldn’t reapply,

They might choose not to purchase from the company,

They could share their dissatisfaction with friends and family.

However, with the rise of social media and online review platforms, a negative candidate experience can now reach a far wider audience. This can significantly damage your company’s reputation and make it harder to attract top talent in the future.

Why Candidate Experience is Crucial

Think of candidate experience as seeking customer experience. If a company offers poor customer service, it would likely be a top priority to fix that issue. Similarly, how you treat your candidates can reflect how you treat your employees, with direct impacts on your business performance.

Here’s why focusing on a positive candidate experience is essential:

Attracting Top Talent: A positive candidate experience increases the likelihood that top candidates will choose to join your team. When candidates feel valued and respected throughout the hiring process, they are more inclined to accept offers and become enthusiastic team members. Click here for hire a talent

Preventing Talent Loss: On the flip side, a negative experience can drive potential hires away. Candidates who encounter a cumbersome or unprofessional process are less likely to consider your company, no matter how appealing the role might be.

Influencing Your Brand: Candidates and employees share their experiences broadly, whether through social media or review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed. Negative feedback can harm your employer brand, while positive experiences can enhance your reputation and attract even more qualified candidates.

Setting a Positive Tone: A smooth and engaging hiring process helps set a positive tone for new employees. When candidates feel welcomed and valued from the start, they are more likely to be engaged and committed once they join the team.

Benefits of a Positive Candidate Experience

Focusing on the candidate experience has several tangible benefits:

Improved Retention Rates: Candidates who have a positive experience are more likely to stay with the company long-term, reducing turnover and associated costs.

Enhanced Employee Engagement: Employees who had a positive hiring experience are typically more engaged and committed to their roles.

Stronger Company Culture: A positive candidate experience contributes to building a supportive and inclusive company culture.

Reduced Hiring Costs: Lower turnover and improved retention mean reduced costs related to recruiting and training new employees.

Job seekers today expect a positive experience and are willing to move on if they don’t receive one. Research shows that 69% of candidates will not reapply to a company after a negative experience, and 72% will share their dissatisfaction with others. For more click here

[pickyourpop]

Top Reasons to Buy an Apartment in Mysore

Top Reasons to Buy an Apartment in Mysore

Buy an Apartment in Mysore, acknowledged for its regal historic past and cultural vibrancy, is abruptly growing as a hotspot for real estate investment. Nestled at the foothills of the Chamundi Hills, Mysore is a metropolis that offers a precise blend of conventional appeal and modern conveniences. Buy an Apartment in Mysore Here are the top reasons why looking for a rental in Mysore is a practical selection.

1. Rich Cultural Heritage

Mysore, regularly called the cultural capital of Karnataka, boasts a wealthy ancient and cultural legacy. The town is famous for its majestic palaces, ancient temples, colorful fairs, and, most importantly, the Mysore Dasara. Living in Mysore lets you immerse yourself in this rich cultural tapestry. For folks who recognize statistics and subculture, searching for a rental in Mysore is a method of being a part of a town with a story that spans centuries.

2. Quality of Life

Mysore offers an enviable quality of life. The city is ideal for its smooth and inexperienced environment, with nicely maintained parks, tree-covered avenues, and much less internet traffic congestion than large cities. The serene and nonviolent environment of Mysore makes it an exceptional area for families, retirees, and everybody trying to escape the hustle and bustle of metropolitan existence.

3. Educational Hub

Mysore is home to several of the most prestigious instructional institutions in India. The University of Mysore, founded in 1916, is one of the oldest universities in the U.S. and remains a center of excellence in higher education. In addition to universities, Mysore has several reputed schools and colleges, making it a relevant area for families with youngsters.

4. Growing Infrastructure

The metropolis’s infrastructure has been first-rate, with tendencies in transportation, healthcare, and public centers. The final touch of the Mysore-Bangalore Expressway significantly increases connectivity in most of the two towns, making it available for specialists who want to trip. Mysore’s public transport tool, which incorporates buses and the proposed metro, provides the benefit of getting across the city.

5. Affordable Real Estate Prices

Unlike essential cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi, Mysore offers low-price real property charges. You can find spacious, nicely built houses at a fraction of the fee you’ll pay in huge cities. This affordability makes Mysore an appealing possibility for first-time homebuyers, consumers, and people searching out 2nd homes.

6. Potential for Appreciation

The actual property marketplace in Mysore is on an upward trajectory. As the city keeps expanding and attracting more citizens and companies, the decision toBuy an Apartment in Mysore housing is growing. This growing call is predicted to power up property values, presenting functionality for notable appreciation in the future. Investing in a rental in Mysore now might also yield enormous returns in the coming years.

7. Serene and Scenic Environment

Mysore’s natural splendor is another compelling reason to shop for a condominium. The town is surrounded by scenic landscapes, including the Chamundi Hills, Karanji Lake, and Brindavan Gardens. These herbal points of interest provide a picturesque backdrop for everyday lifestyles and offer numerous recreational opportunities, from trekking and boating to, in reality, taking elements within the tranquility of nature.

8. Safety and Security

Mysore is regularly rated as one of the most stable towns in India. The low crime rate and the friendly, welcoming nature of its residents contribute to a steady living environment Buy an Apartment in Mysore. For families, singles, and retirees alike, this feeling of protection is a massive aspect when selecting a place to live.

9. Healthy Living

The emphasis on cleanliness and green areas in Mysore promotes a healthful lifestyle. The city’s parks and gardens provide adequate space for outdoor activities like strolling, yoga, and particular fitness-wearing sports. Additionally, the noticeably lower pollutant tiers than bigger towns ensure more wholesome surroundings for all citizens Buy an Apartment in Mysore.

10. Diverse Housing Options

Mysore offers extensive housing alternatives to shape specific budgets and options. Whether you are searching for a compact apartment for a small family, a high-priced penthouse with contemporary offerings, or a spacious flat in a quiet community, Mysore has a few factors to offer. The numerous housing markets cater to diverse tastes and requirements, making it much less demanding for customers to discover their ideal domestic.

11. Culinary Delights

The metropolis is a food lover’s paradise, supplying many culinary delights. From traditional Mysore delicacies, like Mysore Masala Dosa and Mysore Pak, to several international alternatives, the town’s meal scene is colorful and flavorful. Living in Mysore technique, you could enjoy a rich culinary experience right at your doorstep.

12. Strong Rental Market

For shoppers, Mysore’s robust condo marketplace offers a high-quality opportunity. The influx of students, experts, and tourists creates a regular call for demand homes. Buy an Apartment in Mysore Investing in an apartment can provide a dependable supply of condo income, making it a valid economic choice.

13. Proximity to Tourist Destinations

Mysore’s strategic location is a gateway to numerous well-known tourist places in South India. Places like Coorg, Ooty, and Wayanad are handiest a brief pressure away, imparting residents the benefit of weekend getaways to several of the most scenic and tranquil spots inside the place.

14. Supportive Local Government

The community government in Mysore supports actual asset development with pointers that inspire sustainable increases and infrastructure upgrades. This proactive technique ensures that the metropolis’s development is well-planned and destiny-proof, reaping benefits for each present-day and capable citizen.

15. Community Living

Mysore fosters a strong community experience. The town’s neighborhoods and housing complexes regularly host cultural sports, festivals, and social gatherings, developing warm and inclusive surroundings. This enjoyment of community mainly appeals to households and those seeking supportive and attractive dwelling surroundings.

Conclusion

Mysore is abruptly rising as a pinnacle vacation spot for actual assets funding, supplying a unique aggregate of cultural richness, cutting-edge services, and an immoderate tremendously of lifestyles. Whether you are looking to shop for your first home, put money into belongings with promising appreciation capability, or find a nonviolent location to retire, Buy an Apartment in Mysore has a remarkable deal to provide. With its much lower-priced actual belongings prices, robust infrastructure, and serene surroundings, looking for a rental in Mysore is a choice you will take advantage.

For more information visit : Buy an Apartment in Mysore

[kp777]

By Julia Conley

Common Dreams

April 8, 2024

Trump's backers "are fine with stealing from the poor to give to the rich," said one critic. "And the rich pay Trump off to gain this favor."

At an exclusive fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend, former President Donald Trump vaguely told reporters that he's running for president again because "people are wanting change"—but was more specific about the kind of change he plans to spearhead when he addressed some of his richest donors at the event hosted by a billionaire hedge fund investor.

A readout of the Republican's 45-minute remarks showed that Trump called for his supporters to help him "turn our country around" by taking steps including "extending the Trump Tax Cuts."

The cuts refer to those that were included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Trump and Republican lawmakers pushed through in 2017 and which helped billionaires' fortunes grow by a collective $2 trillion so far.

Many of the law's tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2025, but the former president has told some of his wealthiest supporters at at least two fundraisers in the past four months that he plans to extend them if he wins the presidency again in November.

"So much for being the party of the working class," said pro-labor media organization More Perfect Union.

Despite Trump's continued attempts to position himself as the solution to the struggles of working Americans who are stretching their budgets to afford groceries, housing, childcare, and other essentials amid rising prices, Securities and Exchange Commission data showed just months after Trump's tax cuts went into effect that a quarter of large companies had returned the benefits of the cuts to their shareholders even as workers' average wages were declining.

Last year, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said that extending a tax break included in the GOP law for owners of so-called "pass-through" businesses, which are not subject to corporate income taxes, would cost the federal government $700 billion in revenue over a decade.

"Trump's base are truly rooting for the reverse of Robin Hood," said Yale University Prof. Howard Forman. "They are fine with stealing from the poor to give to the rich. And the rich pay Trump off to gain this favor."

Trump's promises to his wealthy donors amount to an admission that "the election is an auction and a class war," said journalist David Sirota, warning that the economic impact on working families of a potential second Trump term will likely get less attention than various "culture" wars.

Held at the home of hedge fund investor John Paulson, Trump's fundraiser on Saturday grossed $50.5 million for his campaign and the Republican Party, according to the former president's campaign—but as Rolling Stone noted, the amount "has not been independently verified."

"Reminder: A court found that Trump committed fraud by lying about his net worth," Peter Wade wrote at the outlet.

President Joe Biden's campaign had nearly $100 million more than Trump's at the end of March.

Days before Trump's latest appeal to his wealthy supporters, Biden released a video featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in which the two denounced "what Donald Trump says when he thinks you're not watching."

"When he thinks the cameras aren't on," said Biden, "he tells his rich friends, 'We're gonna give you tax cuts.'"

Trump's promise to the richest Americans is coming "at a time of massive wealth and income inequality," said Sanders.

"The hypocrisy is just outrageous," said the senator. "This is what he says to his billionaire friends. Not quite what he's saying at his rallies."

"You have one candidate who wants to cut Medicare and Social Security, and one who's going to protect it," he added, referring to the GOP's budget proposal released last month that promotes Medicare Advantage plans administered by the for-profit health insurance industry and calls for raising the retirement age.

Trump's speech at his latest fundraiser "just about sums it up," said James Singer, rapid response adviser for the Biden campaign. "Trump wants to cut taxes for his billionaire backers as [he] looks to rip away healthcare and cut Social Security and Medicare from hard working Americans."

[elevatelagos]

Key Differences for Expat Business Owners to Know About Tax and Accounting in Portugal

Introduction

For expats living in Portugal, the sun-kissed beaches, rich culture, and picturesque landscapes are only a part of the charm. Portugal's growing economy and welcoming environment also make it an attractive destination for starting and running a small businesses. However, navigating the Portuguese accounting and tax landscape can be a daunting task, especially for those accustomed to different systems in Europe or the United States. In this blog post, we'll explore key and interesting ways that accounting and tax practices in Portugal differ from other European countries and the US, with a focus on how these practices affect small businesses. We'll also introduce you to Elevate Accounting, a premium accountant in Lagos, Portugal, which offers typical accounting (“contabilista”) services with a focus on helping businesses grow and improve.

1. VAT and Consumption Tax

One of the most significant differences expats encounter in Portugal is the Value Added Tax (VAT) system. Portugal follows a VAT system, much like its European neighbors, where businesses collect VAT on their sales and pay VAT on their purchases. The standard VAT rate in Portugal is 23%, which is applied to most goods and services.

For small businesses, this can affect their pricing strategies and profit margins significantly. For example if you’re a restaurant in the US, sales tax for prepared food is typically around 6% (depending on which state you’re in), and is added to the price during the final payment.  In Portugal, where VAT is included in the menu price, owners must adjust their pricing strategy to include VAT and still find price points that are appealing to their customers.

At Elevate Accounting in Lagos, Portugal, we specialize in helping small businesses, including restaurants, evaluate their pricing strategies.  More importantly we discuss profit maximizing strategies such identifying or creating high margin products, and then how to adjust your customer service processes and marketing to boost sales of those items and improve your bottom line.  Not only do we ensure you stay competitive, we help you improve your bottom line while growing customer satisfaction.

2. Simplicity in Business Registration

Portugal offers a streamlined process for registering small businesses, which can be advantageous for expats looking to start their ventures. The 'Empresa na Hora' (Company on the Spot) program allows you to register your business quickly, often in less than an hour. This is in contrast to some European countries with more bureaucratic processes.

For example, in Germany, the registration process can be complex and time-consuming, requiring various documents and approvals. Elevate Accounting can guide expats through the straightforward business registration process in Portugal, ensuring compliance with local regulations.

3. Corporate Income Tax (IRC)

Portugal has competitive corporate income tax rates, which can be appealing to small business owners. The standard corporate tax rate is 21%, and there are incentives that can be accessed for certain types of businesses.

Additionally, Portugal has a system of participation exemption, which means that dividends received by a Portuguese company from another Portuguese or foreign company may be exempt from corporate income tax in certain circumstances.

Elevate Accounting can help small businesses and expats in the Algarve optimize their corporate tax structure and take advantage of these incentives.

4. Social Security Contributions

In Portugal, both employers and employees are required to make social security contributions. These contributions fund various social benefits, including healthcare, pensions, and unemployment benefits. The rates can vary depending on the type of business and the employee's salary.

Expats operating small businesses in Portugal need to be aware of these contributions and ensure they are properly accounted for in their budgeting. For example, even if a business owner does not pay themselves, they must still pay their dues to social security as if they were earning a salary.  Elevate Accounting offers expert advice on managing social security contributions for small businesses, helping them stay compliant with Portuguese labor laws.

5. The Role of Certified Accountants in Portuguese Limited Liability Companies (LDAs)

In Portugal, if you're running a limited liability company (LDA), you must have a Certified Accountant (Contabilista Certificado) which is registered to represent your business to the government. This ensures compliance with tax and financial regulations, maintaining transparency and accuracy.  LDAs are a popular choice among entrepreneurs because of the reduced liability risk and tax benefits, however finding a Contabilista in the Algarve that is accepting new clients and has a commitment to customer service can be hard to find.

Certified accountants in LDAs play a pivotal role in:

1. Financial Compliance: They prepare financial statements and ensure accurate recording of transactions, meeting regulatory standards.

2. Tax Reporting: Accountants navigate intricate tax laws, ensuring timely and precise tax filings.

3. Audit and Verification: They assist in audits, maintaining financial transparency and adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

4. Business Advice: Accountants offer valuable financial insights, budgeting support, and tax optimization strategies.

5.  Payroll Management: While not a requirement, many accountants including Elevate Accounting offer payroll processing services.  This ensures accurate payroll calculations and government reporting, while removing  a time consuming and laborious task from business owners.

Selecting the right certified accountant that communicates well, completes bookkeeping quickly, and is dedicated to helping you improve your business is essential. In the Algarve region of Portugal, Elevate Accounting in Lagos assists business owners to grow their business while complying with government regulations.

Conclusion

Portugal is an attractive destination for expats looking to start or run small businesses, thanks to its favorable tax environment, simplified registration process, and welcoming culture. However, understanding and navigating the Portuguese accounting and tax practices are crucial for small business success.

Elevate Accounting in Lagos, Portugal, specializes in providing bookkeeping services for small businesses, payroll processing, and general business consulting.  We ensure that you understand your financial picture and remain compliant with Portuguese tax laws and regulations. Whether you're running a restaurant or creating a new tech startup in Portugal, partnering with Elevate Accounting can help you make the most of your entrepreneurial journey while staying on the right side of the taxman.

If you're searching for expert bookkeeping services in Lagos, Portugal, and want to ensure your small business thrives in the Algarve region, consider reaching out to Elevate Accounting today. Their team of experienced professionals is ready to assist you in navigating the unique accounting and tax practices of Portugal, allowing your business to flourish in this beautiful country.

[indietalent]

Working Overseas- Pros and Cons

Explore career horizons beyond borders: Pros and Cons of chasing overseas for Indians. Discover international career opportunities!

In an increasingly globalized environment, ambitious professionals continue to be drawn by the promise of international opportunities. Jobs abroad offer myriad benefits, such as exposure to diverse cultures, a chance to develop new skills, and potential personal and professional growth. The overseas experience is a dynamic journey that demands adaptability and a receptive attitude to flourish in an unfamiliar environment.

This blog delves into the advantages and challenges of pursuing jobs abroad, explicitly catering to Indian professionals seeking international employment.

The Benefits of Working Abroad

Diverse Career Opportunities:

Jobs abroad present many career opportunities that need to be more readily available in one's home country. International hiring, particularly in the US and European countries, offers cutting-edge work environments, state-of-the-art technologies, and the chance to work with world-renowned professionals. This helps broaden an individual's skill set, making them more marketable and desirable in the global job market.

Enhanced Earning Potential:

One of the most appealing aspects of jobs abroad is the potential for a higher income. Countries like Germany, the UK, and the UAE are known for high-paying jobs, which can strongly incentivize individuals seeking financial stability and growth. Additionally, some international jobs come with attractive benefits packages, including housing, transportation, and healthcare.

Exposure to Different Cultures and Environments:

Working abroad immerses individuals in diverse cultures and work environments. This experience fosters personal growth, adaptability, and resilience. Understanding and adapting to new cultures can enrich and enlighten, leading to a well-rounded perspective on life and work.

Networking and Global Connections:

Engaging in international job opportunities enables professionals to broaden their professional networks, establishing enduring connections with peers and customers from around the globe. Establishing such connections may result in future collaborations, job referrals, and a more comprehensive comprehension of the worldwide job market.

The Challenges of Working Abroad:

Language Barriers:

Working abroad can be less exciting when it's hard to communicate because of language obstacles. Even though English is spoken in a lot of places, not all companies do most of their work in English. It can be hard to learn a new language or adjust to a different way of speaking, but if anyone wants to do well in an international job, they often need to do both. One may seek professional guidance to overcome language barriers. IndieTalent offers language training and complete job-hand holding support.

Visa and Work Permit Regulations:

Comparing visa and work permit rules to unraveling a ball of yarn while blindfolded can be challenging. It's easy to feel overburdened by the process because every nation has unique needs and limitations. It's similar to trying to solve a Rubik's Cube because every turn might move you closer to landing your dream job abroad or leave you stranded with no other possibilities. However, one can decipher the code and realize their dreams of having an international career if they are persistent and have the necessary tools. That's where IndieTalent comes in. As a leading talent acquisition platform, IndieTalent helps to bridge the gap between job seekers and employers by providing expert visa and work permit assistance.

Job Security and Stability:

In some cases, jobs abroad come with a degree of uncertainty. Contract positions or jobs tied to specific projects may have a finite duration, which can concern professionals seeking long-term stability. When considering international opportunities, weighing the potential risks against the benefits is essential. IndieTalent is a platform that helps job seekers navigate these challenges. It's a vast network of businesses, and industry experts provide personalized assistance and support for a successful career overseas.

Cultural Differences:

Entering a new culture is similar to traveling to a foreign nation with different customs and traditions. Everything from social norms to communication styles can pose challenges, necessitating thorough understanding and adaptation. Navigating the intricacies of a new culture, developing cross-cultural abilities, and learning to function within a different set of expectations are all necessary. Only then will one be able to successfully bridge the gap and thrive in their new surroundings. IndieTalent helps bridge this gap by providing comprehensive cultural alignment training programs to help individuals navigate the nuances of working in a new culture. 

Conclusion

Pursuing jobs abroad can open doors to unparalleled personal and professional growth. The benefits of international employment, including diverse career opportunities, enhanced earning potential, and exposure to different cultures, are undeniably appealing. However, it is crucial to acknowledge and prepare for the challenges of working abroad, such as cultural differences, visa regulations, and homesickness. Ultimately, deciding to pursue jobs abroad is personal, requiring careful evaluation of the potential benefits and challenges.

Are you interested in pursuing a career abroad? Have the passion but need to figure out the procedures? Seeking professional support and guidance can be the right way to fast-track your career abroad!

Visit us: https://www.2coms.com/job-seekers/international-opportunities/indietalent

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

The Sommelier (Hannigram x Female!Reader) pt. 17

Hannibal teaches y/n a useful skill.

@dovahdokren @lov3vivian @deadman-inc-bikeshop

Trigger warnings: use of firearms, discussion of firearms, violence

“So where are we off to next?” You asked, following Will around the office. “Are we questioning this Rachel woman, or are we going straight to the church?” 

Will sighed. “Jack and I are going to the church. I’m calling Hannibal to come pick you up.”

“What?” You spat in utter disbelief. “What the hell happened to taking him down together?” 

“You’ve already been more help than we could ask for.” Will explained. “This is the end of the line for you. We--”

He cleared his throat and looked down. “I can’t bear to see you get hurt.” 

“That’s sweet and everything, but,” You folded your arms. “You really think someone is going to hurt me in broad daylight in a megachurch?” 

“Well, somebody stabbed you in broad daylight in a restaurant, and that person just happened to come from this megachurch.” Will rationalized. “So, yes. I wouldn’t say it’s out of the question.” 

“So that’s it, you’re just going to pass me off to Hannibal?” You threw up your arms. “Look, I had enough of this growing up with divorced parents.” 

“Angel,” Will soothed, running a gentle hand down your arm. “Please. I’m begging you, think on this for just a minute and try to see why I don’t want you on this particular excursion?” 

You thought on it for a minute. “Churches do kind of trigger me.”

“I saw how tense you got when that woman said she’d kicked her daughter out of the house for dating a girl. I understand, dealing with people who remind you of Chase is going to trigger you.” Will whispered. “Have you even taken any time to work on healing?” 

“I could say the same to you.” You disputed. “You killed a woman and then came face-to-face with her mother. Why aren’t you trying to work through that?” 

“That’s different.” He blurted out. “That’s my job.” 

“Sure.” You snipped. “I have to take time to work through my PTSD, but you don’t. Got it.” 

“If you go home with Hannibal now, I promise I will...” He hesitated to finish the sentence. “I’ll work on my issues too. Cross my heart.” 

“Oh, I will absolutely hold you to that.” You pointed at him. “And I’m telling Hannibal you said that.” 

Will immediately regretted making that promise and it was obvious from his expression. “Please don’t.” 

“I am absolutely going to do that.” You said, in a way in which he couldn’t tell if you were kidding or not. 

Hannibal opened the passenger’s door for you and greeted you with a kiss. He could tell you were feeling off after only a few seconds. 

“Why so sad, my indulgence?” He asked, pulling out of the parking lot. “Don’t tell me you enjoy Will’s company more than mine?” 

“What? No.” You shook your head. “No way.” 

“You can tell me what’s on your mind, love.” He assured you. 

You sighed and rested your head on the window. “Will doesn’t want me to help on the investigation anymore.” 

“I don’t see why he should.” Hannibal agreed. “You’re tracking down the man who tried to kill you, and he’s tracking down the man who tried to kill his lover. Both of you are far too close to the situation and your mental health will suffer for it. But, in the end, it’s Will’s job.” 

“I know.” You conceded. 

“That, and,” Hannibal continued. “Will is a trained professional under the supervision of other trained professionals. He’s far less likely to get hurt.” 

“I get it.” You groaned and rolled your eyes. “At the end of the day, he’s the action hero and I’m the damsel in distress.” 

“Darling,” Hannibal scolded. “You know our situation isn’t so black-and-white. You know the investigation couldn’t have worked without you.” 

“I know.” You pouted. “I just wanted the final blow, y’know? I think I deserve to finish the job.” 

Hannibal went quiet for a moment. When you came to a stoplight, he turned his gaze to you. “You want to be more proactive in your safety.” 

“Would be nice.” You shrugged. 

“I wasn’t asking.” Hannibal corrected. “You do want to be more proactive. It’s why you have a firearms license in your wallet and a handgun in your car. It’s also why you were looking up hunting equipment last night while you were on the phone with Freddie Lounds.” 

You swallowed. Every word in the English language escaped you. He was right. You never saw the appeal of guns until you lived alone. Even though a "gun owner" was technically what you were, you didn't want to associate yourself with the jingoistic, hyper-masculine culture affixed to the term. You were just a woman who kept a gun in her car and had all the proper licensing and registration for it. Nothing wrong with that. So why did it have you feeling so defensive? 

You lowered your head. “I’m sorry.” 

“For?” 

“Lying about Freddie Lounds.” You finished. “I don’t know why I felt the need to lie about that, in hindsight-” 

“I understand.” Hannibal cut you off. “You were just doing what you felt needed to be done. Will would have done the same.” 

He was right again. 

“Ambitious of you to select a shotgun as your weapon of choice.” Hannibal observed. “At the risk of sounding like a chauvinist, I have to ask. Do you know how to use one?” 

“No.” You admitted. “It was just a power fantasy, I guess. All I know is that you can blast a guy’s head off with one.” 

Without a word, Hannibal took an abrupt turn. 

“Isn’t your place that way?” You asked, pointing in the opposite direction. 

“Do you have your license on you now?” He asked. 

“Of course I do, why?”

“Because we’re going to make your power fantasy a reality.” He answered.

Soon enough, you pulled up to a large hunting store with a shooting range attached. 

“Go in and pick out something you like.” Hannibal instructed, reaching for his wallet. “I’ll be waiting for you at the range and I can teach you how to use it.” 

He offered you one of his shiny metal credit cards. When you didn’t immediately take it, he pushed it closer to you. 

“I just got a thousand dollars from Freddie Lounds.” You pushed his hand away. “I can pay for it.” 

“You deserve something much nicer than only a thousand dollars can buy you.” Hannibal’s voice hardened. 

“So then I’ll buy something more than a thousand dollars and use your credit card to make up the difference.” You offered. 

“No.” Hannibal said, sternly. “I will buy you a nice gun and plenty of ammo, and you will save your thousand dollars for when you open your own restaurant.” 

“How did you-” You objected. 

He cut you off. “Will isn’t very good at keeping secrets, dear. Take it.” 

You laughed uncomfortably. “Hannibal, if you don’t put that credit card away I will bite your finger off.” 

His thin lips curled into a cunning smile. He offered you his other hand. “Bite away, darling.”  

You wordlessly snatched the card from his hand. 

“Oh, pity.” Hannibal feigned disappointment. “Did I call your bluff?” 

You tucked the card away in your pocket. You leaned in as if you were going to give him a kiss on the cheek, but playfully nipped at his earlobe. 

"Remind me to give you a little special attention when the lesson is up." He whispered, his hand clutching your arm.

You made sure to walk away slowly, rolling your hips with every step.

You entered the store, feeling overwhelmed and significantly less confident than you did while shopping for guns online.

An employee approached you. You mentally prepared yourself for whatever sexist comment he was about to hurl at you. But somebody must have taught this particular associate that being a misogynist prick doesn't sell guns.

"Anything I can help you find, ma'am?"

Your mouth ran before your brain. "I'd like to buy a gun, please."

"Well, you've come to the right place." The employee smiled. "What kind of gun are you looking for?"

"A shotgun." You corrected.

"Well, we have plenty of makes and models to choose from." He clapped his hands together and led you to a wall lined with shotguns. "Any specifics in mind?"

"I guess I just want something simple enough to use." You scratched the back of your head. "My boyfriend is taking me skeet shooting this weekend so I don't have time to learn all the complicated mechanics."

"So skeet?" The man put his hands down on the counter and looked deep in thought. He turned around and pulled one off the shelf. "I'd recommend this CZ over-under. It's a good place to start."

He offered it to you. Your eyes widened and your first instinct was to refuse.

He looked at you with confusion. "How are you gonna shoot anything if you don't hold it?"

You shook off your nerves and took the gun in your hands. It was a little heavy, and tilted near the stock. You looked at it as if it were a beautiful but deadly venomous tropical snake.

"Over-under's are the working man's shotgun." The employee said. "Or, woman, as it were."

You held it up to your shoulder like you saw in movies and felt a strange rush of exhilaration pulsing through your body.

"It's nice, right?" He asked. "And you can get to the trigger okay?"

"I'll take it." You said. "And some bullets, please."

"Now we're cooking with gas." He answered, a big smile on his face. "Let's get you rung up."

The fact that he didn't even stop to notice that the name on your license didn't match the name on the credit card only emphasized your country's need for stricter gun control laws. Even if the lack of such laws benefitted you in that moment, the ease of the process killed you a little.

The total came up to just under a thousand dollars. You couldn't bring yourself to spend more than you planned to, even if it was Hannibal's treat. You already felt weird about using Hannibal's money, let alone so much of it.

The employee saw you out with a friendly "happy skeeting" and you set off to meet Hannibal at the range.

"There you are, love." He greeted you. He had removed his suit coat and tie, and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows.

For a split second, you completely forgot about the gun and were overtaken by the need to fuck him. You quickly regained control of yourself. "Yeah. I found something."

"I should hope so." He said, beckoning to you from the stall. "Come now. Let me show you what to do."

You stood in front of the booth, ears and eyes protected. At the end of the long booth was a paper target. Hannibal positioned himself behind you. He took your hand in his and guided it to the stock wrist.

"Wrap your fingers around here, like this." He instructed, his dark, accented voice shaking you to your core. "Now extend your finger to reach the trigger. Yes, that's it."

"Now place your other hand on the fore-end and hold the end of the stock against your shoulder."

The way he shaped your body, positioned your limbs felt almost alarmingly natural. He wasn't just indulging your power fantasy, he was directing it.

"Cheek against the stock, love." He instructed. "The gun is an extention of you. You must hold it firmly and give it support. You move with it, it moves with you."

He rummaged through the shopping bag and pulled out a package of shells. "Are you ready to shoot it, darling?"

"I think I should probably load it first." You said, nervously.

"Well that should take us no time at all." Hannibal approached with two 12 gauge shotshells. "Go ahead and engage the break lever right at the edge of the barrel."

When the gun suddenly bent in half, your first thought was that you'd broken it. Hannibal handed you the two shells and watched you timidly slide one into each barrel.

You felt yourself shaking and your palms were damp with sweat. You swallowed. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Were you afraid the first time you drove a car?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

"Cripplingly." You nodded. "I was so scared I didn't take my foot off the brake the whole time."

"But now driving comes just as naturally to you as walking." Hannibal smiled comfortingly. He placed his hands over yours and returned you to the shooting position. On one side, the cold stock rested against your cheekbone. On the other, Hannibal's hot breath grazed against your skin. "It just takes some getting used to."

Your finger squeezed the trigger and the massive projectile exploded from the gun. The stock pushed back into your shoulder, making you stumble backwards into Hannibal.

"Holy shit!" You exclaimed. "That's got some serious recoil. Is it supposed to do that?"

Hannibal chuckled and took a step back, giving you a little space. "Yes, darling. Now go ahead and fire off the next shot."

Your eyes widened. "Okay."

"Remember, you move with the gun, you don't fight the gun." He instructed. "It's more afraid of you than you are of it."

You squeezed the trigger again, this time fully expecting the recoil. The shot fired, and this time it hit the target.

You hopped in delight. "Holy shit I actually got one!"

"All it takes is a little getting used to." Hannibal stroked your hair. "Now unload the shotgun shells and let's go again."

[petruchio]

Hello, I liked your advices on jobs a lot so I thought maybe you could give me one. I'm still in college, studying in an area that is full of opportunities. I started an interschip some months ago, in a position that is very well perceived. I like the people there so much, and I know that I'm learning a lot cause I do important stuff. However, there are somethings that bothers me. At first I thought the salary was good, but when comparing with others, is a normal salary but with no benefits, when others have at least the transportation ticket. And its a very small company, so I imagine that the salary of a full time employes its not that great. Its also full presencial, when so many others have at least some home office days. I keep worrying that I might be missing my chance in some other place. It's also hard to know that other people that are at your level are earning more money already. i keep thinking that I will do this year there and then look for something better, but I fear I might also get attached and wont have the courage to leave. It's so hard to not compare myself with others, especially cause it always seems I'm losing.

hey there! i'm sorry that i'm late responding to this -- but hopefully you will see this!! and i hope i can at least be sort of a help :)

so it sounds like there's a few layers here -- first off, you're worried about how this internship is going to set you up for the future, and you're also feeling insecure when you compare yourself to your friends.

so for the first point -- honestly i think it sounds awesome! i mean, you are in college and you already have an internship at a place that sounds pretty good and well-respected! you have the rest of your life and your career ahead of you, so no matter what you're doing, i think you're setting yourself up for success. i know college students can put a lot of pressure on themselves with internships (i know i did) and at the end of the day, it's all good practice for having a job. but your main job right now is being a student, and i think it's best to try to excel in that -- don't waste your time worrying about your career before your career has even begun!! if i could go back and tell myself to quit worrying about my future job prospects, i would've saved myself so much unnecessary stress in college. there's really nothing you need to be doing right now that you're not already doing, so i would try to take the pressure off yourself in that way. you are FINE!

second, it sounds like you are comparing yourself to other people and that's causing you stress as well -- i hear that!! i went to a SUPER competitive university, where it seemed like literally everyone around me was doing some kind of amazing thing that i didn't even know existed, and then i would spend weeks beating myself up for not having done better even though i didn't have the information to begin with. that's another thing i really regret in college -- because it really did me no good. it didn't change anything, it certainly didn't make me happier, and it didn't make what i was doing (which was valuable in its own way!) feel any better.

i know it's kind of basic advice to be like "don't compare yourself to other people" but i really do think that comparison is the thief of joy -- but especially when you only focus on what you DON'T have. there's a lot of comparison to be made in the other direction too!! you said that you really like your coworkers. is it possible that your friends who are working at other places have mean managers and bad office cultures? is all that pay because they're working 13 hour days and they have no time for themselves? i'm sure there are things about your friends' jobs that are less appealing than yours. there is a good side and a bad side to everything -- rather than comparing your bad side to their good side, try to be fair to yourself and compare the good to the good and the bad to the bad. (and if you really want to feel better, compare your good to their bad! it's fine! i mean don't say it TO them, but if it makes you feel better... there's nothing wrong with a little bit of a superiority complex about certain aspects of your life, especially if it frees you from the crushing sense of insecurity that comparison and competition tends to breed.)

ALSO! you spoke a bit about being worried about getting trapped somewhere. YOU WILL NOT! you are so young and you have so much time. i really don't think you're wasting your time doing anything. there will always be someone doing better than you -- but you took the job with the information you had, you made the best decision you could when you made it, and i don't think it's worth regretting something that's already happened. just do your best now -- the rest will come!

also, in times like these, i always like to remind myself that I AM NOT MY JOB. there are so many other interesting things about me, so many other things that i like doing, and so many things that people are probably jealous of ME for! and they have nothing to do with my career. there's so much more to me and to my life than just what i do to make money, and while money is important, it isn't everything. (i don't mean that in a flippant way, because i know how important it is to have a money and sense of stability and i'm not trying to diminish the importance of a reasonable income as a means to enable you to live the life you want to live. (we all deserve massive raises, @ the government @ corporations.)) but just i mean that, especially as a student, it's not the ONLY thing that you can get out of an internship. you are also gaining life experience, you're learning about yourself, you're refining your hobbies in your free time, and doing so much more than just working. you are LEARNING!

hopefully that helped a bit. i wouldn't worry too much anon -- it sounds like you are doing amazing things, and i am sure you are going to be fine. <3

[tptruepolitics]

I’m Back! With a Letter

And today’s letter is sponsored by the letter C. C stands for cancel culture. Now, I know I haven’t written anything in a while, and with the War raging in Ukraine, the State of the Union Address, and the abrupt end to COVID lock-down policies just in time for Biden to announce that he beat the disease, there is almost too much to talk about and not enough time. I must be frank, this is much less a post than it is just something I wrote, but I hope you enjoy it either way. I hope to get into some more pressing topics soon.

Somewhat recently, I read an article on northjersey.com about two local politicians from Bloomfield, New Jersey, who were appealing to the Turnpike Authority regarding the installation of a Chick-Fil-A at one of the rest stops. In short, I, too, appealed to the Commissioner of the Turnpike Authority, but asking her to resist the encroachments of cancel culture and to ignore these pestilent termites gnawing away at the foundations of free enterprise. I felt very accomplished and proud to have finally been involved in local political discussions as this was the first letter I ever wrote to a political figure.

Without giving too lengthy of an introduction, here is the letter I wrote in its entirety. I’ll let you know if I hear back. I highlighted one line, of which I’m quite proud to have coined. Enjoy!

February 5, 2022

Ms. Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti

Commissioner

New Jersey Department of Transportation

Post Office Box 5042

Woodbridge, NJ 07095

 Dear Ms. Gutierrez-Scaccetti,

I recently read an article on northjersey.com that was quite distressing, citing statements from Mayor Michael Venezia and Councilman Rich Rockwell of Bloomfield. They are urging the Turnpike Authority to reconsider its allowing of a Chick-Fil-A from being built in the soon-to-be-renovated Brookdale South rest stop. Their objections, as I’m sure you’re aware, are that the company “imposes its religion on employees, customers and operators” and that it “uses its financial success to support and influence discriminatory policies against the LGBTQ community.” They continue, “This restaurant chain would be an affront to all of the citizens of Bloomfield that make up the tremendous diversity that makes our town such a great place to live,” and that “as a publicly funded entity, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority should not allow this type of business on the Parkway.

There are so many issues with this line of thinking. Firstly, in no way does Chick-Fil-A impose its religion on anyone. If you do not like how Chick-Fil-A treats their employees, you don’t have to work there. If you don’t like how they interact with their customer base, you don’t have to eat there. If you don’t like how Chick-Fil-A treats its operators, you don’t have to operate for Chick-Fil-A. That’s the benefit of private enterprise. You may choose to take part in a business’s operations or may choose to patronize another business, whose values are more in line with your own.

Secondly, as a private entity, which makes profits, it may use its surplus capital for whatever endeavor it deems appropriate. If Chick-Fil-A is paying its workers well, offering a profit to its shareholders and providing a great service to its customers, the only people who have any business with their profits are the heads of the company and the various shareholders. If Chick-Fil-A’s CEO wishes to donate substantial funds to a group that I don’t agree with, that’s their business. Once again, I am not being forced to shop there. And as the article mentioned, there will be both a Burger King and a Popeyes in the new plaza, more than enough diversity of chicken. I think it is also prudent to mention that the article characterized the National Christian Charitable Foundation as “anti-equality.” Simply because an organization is Christian and believes that marriage is defined as the union between a man and a woman, does not make the organization “anti-equality.” By this standard, up until 10 years ago, most organizations, politicians, and people in general were “anti-equality.” It is only with this new infatuation that declaring all abnormalities should be celebrated and declared “good” that this goalpost has been shifted.

Their third objection is that the mere presence of a Chick-Fil-A in the remote vicinity of their town – no, a Turnpike rest stop is not exactly considered a part of the community – is enough to put a stain on the town of Bloomfield, akin to a mark of oppression of the values they hold dear in their community. This is ridiculous. On principle, there is no reason to suspect that all of the citizens of Bloomfield are opposed to the placement of this restaurant. There is also no reason to draw broad conclusions that the mere presence of the restaurant represents the viewpoints of the town as a whole. As a Catholic, if there is a business next door to me that serves meat on Fridays in Lent, should I call for the closure of that business? That business no more represents me than a Chick-Fil-A on the Turnpike would represent Bloomfield. That is what true diversity looks like. Diversity, by definition, is when you have people from all walks of life and all points of view represented. If we only accept the diversity we agree with, is that really diversity?

Lastly, as a publicly funded entity, the NJ Turnpike Authority shouldn’t be in the business of engaging in the new trend of cancel culture. When a business is excluded from operating as usual due to pressure and smear campaigns simply because its CEO chooses to believe in traditional values, that is exactly what cancel culture is. If the NJ Turnpike sees fit to no longer engage in business with Chick-Fil-A due to their observances, I might have similar complaint with the NJTA for engaging with other companies with which I object.

This is not the correct action to take, and I implore you to ignore these calls from the Mayor’s office in Bloomfield. Caving in to demands like this for temporary appearances may seem like the easiest option here, but this is not going to be the last time they try to pressure you. Once you feed into the frenzy, it is never enough for them. They will see you as an easy target, and soon, you will be subject to many pressure campaigns to ban other businesses from your highways. Maybe these businesses may start off as ones with which you also disagree. However, there will come a day when the mob comes for a business which you support, and you will be powerless to stop them. This is not about diversity. It is not about inclusion. It’s about politics; it’s about power; and it’s about control. Don’t give it to them. Stand up for the principles of free enterprise and actual diversity, where we can operate in our own spaces and not fear for our livelihoods from those who disagree with our principles.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

James

[propertylisthubseo]

5 Amazing Facts about Shortlet Apartments in Lagos Nigeria

If you are looking for a property in Nigeria which can be let from few weeks to few months, there are wide-selection of shortlet apartments in Lagos Nigeria. From studio apartments to bungalows to ten-bedroom duplexes, name it, we have it.

There are two types of people who visit this page. Someone who wanted to rent an apartment in Lagos and someone who wanted to buy their dream apartment online. If you are reading this, you are likely to fall into one of the categories above.

Shortlet Apartments in Lagos Nigeria

Property List Hub Booking is here to introduce short-lets to Nigeria. Not because it is not popular, doesn’t mean it is not worth living at. Shortlets are the ultimate life-saver because bills are usually included in the rent. Below are a few reasons why short-lets thrive around not only in Nigeria but across the globe.

1. Short-Term Rentals. Let us put it this way, ask yourself what benefit do you gain from an empty flat without occupants. So why not make money from it? You are privileged to make something from your apartment in Lagos by adding almost nothing to it. No one dares to refuse from extra income. On the other hand, tenants are more likely to rent an apartment in Lagos than to spend their hard-earned money on a plain hotel with a kettle and tea bug as means of catering. Indeed, it cost less compared to hotels.

2. Mutual Benefits. While homeowners prepare shortlet apartment in Lagos for their tenant’s arrival, they are relieved that they have someone to keep an eye on their apartment when they are not around.

3. No Expectations. Basically, when you are the homeowner, your apartment will be rented out almost exactly as it is. You can freely add sofa beds without minding how future tenants would react since they will not be expecting it to be as good as a hotel.

4. Flexible Business Travel. Gone are the days when people only travel for leisure. Employees today have become accustomed to flexible business travel with International companies to share skills and experience across the globe with. People who travel for leisure in Lagos wanted to immerse themselves in the culture of Nigerian to the extent that they wanted to discover the most visited places. Meanwhile, when travelling for business, they are only after some space and some home facilities to cater their needs. While everybody wants the home feel, use it to your advantage.

5. Alternative to Hotel Accommodation. The concept of letting travelers rent your spare rooms appears friendly and hospitable. It appeals to many as a cheaper alternative to hotel accommodation. The same goes with mini flats for rent in Lagos, it is a good way to welcome travelers.

Property List Hub Booking is a property listing hub in Nigeria who offers short-term lets and assures to make the process as simple as possible while taking care of the whole booking and payment with just a few clicks. While you are not comfortable to sleep inside a room full of strangers, you can also benefit from high-end shortlet apartments in Lagos Nigeria with attentive service you would expect from a high-paying hotel. Surely, you may never want to go home.

Where to Get Shortlet Apartments in Lagos Nigeria?

Whether you are planning a city break in Lagos, relocating in Lagos, or working here in the short term, Property List Hub Booking is more than willing to extend assistance. Now, are you ready to view shortlet apartments in Lagos Nigeria?

Wait no more, visit Property List Hub Booking at plistbooking.com. It is the leading Nigerian online property listing platform which aims to connect seekers of residential and mini-flats for sale or rental across Nigeria. Start searching now and you will find what you are looking for in no time.

[and-then-there-were-n0ne]

In a way, the trail for bio-fabricated animal fabrics is already at least somewhat blazed for Modern Meadow. Unlike with clean meat, some people are already beginning to buy lab-grown animal-based garments, many of which utilize comparable technologies to those employed by some of the companies discussed in this book. For example, California-based Bolt Threads is growing in vitro spider silk (what their webs are made of), starting with yeast cells that have been engineered to spit out the proteins naturally found in the extremely durable arachnid product. Unlike the more common silk from worms-who’ve been domesticated and bred for silk production over the course of many centuries-spider silk is far stronger, some types being even sturdier than Kevlar, all the while being as soft as, well, silk. The problem with trying to produce it commercially is that spiders don’t do so well when we try to farm them, typically eating one another in the crowded conditions needed for insect farming to work. Cannibalism just doesn’t lend itself to profitability. (A team in Madagascar did succeed in producing a farmed spider silk garment in 2009, but only after four years offering a lot of spiders.)

With $90 million in venture capital raised, in 2017 Bolt Threads announced its first commercial product-a necktie that retails for $314, and were only made available to fifty lucky individuals who won a lottery to buy them. The company also inked a deal with Patagonia for its arachnid-free spider silk garments. A Japanese competitor named Spiber (as in "spider fiber") is doing the same thing and in 2015 partnered with North Face to produce the so-called Moon Parka, a durable winter coat containing their lab-grown silk that is, at the time of this writing, available for sale in Japan and retails for $1,000. And shoemaker Adidas is already starting to use lab-produced spider silk, called Biosteel, manufactured by a German competitor of Spiber named AMSilk. The company boasts that “a spiderweb made of pencil-thick spider silk fibers can catch a fully loaded Jumbo Jet Boeing 747, with a weight of 380 tons.” […] 

Second, as GFI’s Bruce Friedrich points out in a blog on the topic, clean meat at scale won’t happen In a laboratory-all processed food started in a food lab, even Corn Flakes and peanut butter, for example. But no one asks, "Would you eat lab-produced Corn Flakes?” Rather than being produced in a lab, clean meat would be produced in a factory (or call It a brewery if you prefer), where the majority of food sold In supermarkets Is produced. Food companies, of course, have R-and-D teams laboring away in labs, but once they get their recipe down, the actual food production moves to a factory. Similarly, clean meat factories will be a far cry from a laboratory; they’ll have massive tanks in which the meat will be cultured on a huge scale. [...]

Not everyone will convert, needless to say, but enough will likely do so to make a difference, and, presumably, a profit. As well, even if only twenty percent of meat-eaters were willing to switch, that would still make clean meat a multibillion-dollar industry. […] 

Hansen is right that predictions have been made for years about cultured meat coming to fruition, and yet the meat industry largely hasn’t felt that threatened. But things do seem to be changing in the wake of high-profile product unveilings by the likes of Post and Valeti, and certainly the investment from Cargill. Gone are the days of clean meat being purely a theoretical daydream of environmentalists who want a more sustainable way to produce meat. With commercialization looking increasingly likely, we won’t need to rely on pollsters to tell us how consumers may react when clean meat is available to them. People like Hansen and Nestle may not want to eat meat if it didn’t come from a slaughtered animal, but how many others will share their repugnance at such a thought?

Kristopher Gasteratos, founder of the Cellular Agriculture Society (created in 2016), is more optimistic. He believes animal agriculture is so inefficient that humanity will be forced to abandon it, at least for the bulk of our protein production, or we’ll pay the price. His analysis of the situation doesn’t pull any punches: “Factory farming of animals will end one way or the other. The real question is this: if we don’t find an alternative to factory farming soon, will we as a civilization end with it?”

Gasteratos is convinced that the public will come to accept clean meat because there’s such an existential necessity for it. But his view is also informed by a study he conducted over the course of 2016 with the assistance of both New Harvest and the Good Food Institute. In the study, Gasteratos led a team of researchers who asked thousands of survey respondents their views on the topic. Based at Florida Atlantic University, the project ultimately surveyed more than thirty-two hundred undergraduate students and about fifteen hundred adults both in the United States and Australia (the two nations with the highest rates of meat consumption on a per capita basis). Unlike the aforementioned surveys, which largely asked if people would eat "meat grown in a lab:’ Gasteratos took a deeper dive, wording his key question in a way that provided respondents with more context: “Scientists are working towards producing meat by using animal cells instead of living animals. This new method of harvesting meat is called “cultured meat” and will likely be available to the public within the next decade. It is important to note that cultured meat is real animal meat, so it should not be confused with current meat substitutes which are made from plants. If cultured meat is proven safe by long-term research, tastes the same as current/conventional meat and is priced affordably, would you eat cultured meat?”

Upon simply being asked this question, without any discussion of clean meat’s benefits, 61 percent of the university students claimed they’d either “probably” or “definitely” eat it. After being told some of the benefits, either ethical, health, or ecological, that number spiked to 77 percent. Among the fifteen hundred adults, the numbers were similar: 62 percent were willing to eat it without knowing its benefits, while 72 percent were willing once they knew of those benefits.

Other interesting findings from Gasteratos’s work include some pretty fascinating results about just who is most interested in eating this meat. “People still seem to be generally unaware of this topic, but what really shocked me was our finding about how higher self reported meat consumption correlated with higher cultured meat acceptance. Basically, the people who say they eat the most conventional meat tend to be the most receptive toward a cultured alternative, while people who say they eat little meat, and especially vegetarians and vegans, are the least interested.

In other words, clean meat probably isn’t for the people shopping at the farmers’ market or their local co-op, It holds far less appeal with the natural-foods crowd than the crowd going to KFC. But that's okay. In fact, it may even be for the best considering that the number of people who eat conventional meat is far, far larger than those who frequent their local farmers’ markets.

Comments left by respondents offered some good qualitative insights into the general perception. "I don’t care where the meat came from so long as it’s safe and tastes right;’ explained one respondent, echoing a widely held sentiment among participants. Others expressed some qualms about meat-eating but thought cultured meat could be the answer to their concerns: "I heard meat is really bad for global warming;’ one respondent wrote. "this would sort of absolve me of that guilt.”

- Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, Paul Shapiro

[harshitajoshi]

Content Marketing | What, Why, and How?

“Traditional Marketing is a Thing of Past; Content Marketing is Here to Stay.”

It’s not a mystery anymore that the influence of traditional marketing strategies is gradually diminishing. As a result, businesses are making considerable investments in running content marketing campaigns.

But, have you ever thought that why it has become so mandatory?

The answer is its aptitude to deliver booming success!

Believe it or not, content marketing is one of the most successful methods of enhancing user engagement, building your brand presence, and driving higher sales.

Are you curious to know more? This is your ultimate to get a comprehensive and precise understanding of what content marketing is along with how you can utilize it to interact with your users in a better way.

By offering them constructive content and displaying how effectively your products or services are, you can easily connect with them.

Sounds interesting? Let’s move forward without any further ado!

An Overview

Content marketing is a long-term tactic that pays attention to creating a robust association with your target user-base by providing highly engaging content that is relevant to their searches.

In simple words, it is a sort of marketing that focuses on building, publishing, and deploying content for your target audience.

The world is much noisier and louder than ever before, and people desire to feel like you treat them as your priority. Contrary to one-off marketing, content marketing demonstrates that you care about your users. The market is quite competitive, and you can’t win the game via conventional methods.

Wikipedia’s Definition of Content Marketing

“Content marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a targeted audience online.”

Businesses use this marketing tactic to:

Get higher attention and generate leads

Increase their user-base

Boost online sales

Enhance brand credibility or awareness

Content marketing brings and converts prospects into loyal customers by creating and sharing expensive free content.

Content marketing helps companies create sustainable brand loyalty, provides valuable information to consumers, and creates a willingness to purchase products from the company in the future.

This relatively new form of marketing does not involve direct sales. Instead, it builds trust and rapport with the audience.

Dissimilar to additional forms of digital marketing, content marketing depends on predicting and fulfilling a present customer requirement for data, contrasting to building necessity for the modern need.

Different Types of Content Marketing

1. Blogs

Blog posts enhance SEO and can be less expensive to improve organic traffic. When writing blogs for your website, make sure you keep these factors in mind:

Optimize your content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Utilize a cluster or pillar model to manage your blogs.

Write content focused and applicable to your product.

2. Infographics

Infographics can boost up a marketing approach with extraordinary content. They are low-cost and quick music to an advertiser’s ears. Moreover, Infographics make your product prominent if there is hard data included.

3. Case-Studies

Case studies are compelling for leads that desire to know more regarding your company. With case-studies, customers view a user’s journey from beginning to end and observe similar use cases in actual life.

4. eBooks

If you have never built an eBook earlier, consider it as a lengthy blog. They are not a novel, not even a multiple-page commercial for your company. Instead, they’re a method to provide potential clients with relevant information.

5. Videos

Videos fascinate an audience instantly. As per HubSpot research, 54 percent of audiences wish to view videos from brands they support.

Besides, Videos are a versatile medium; you can build a diversity of content in your domain that engages your market as a great digital marketing strategy and leaves them wishing more.

6. User-Generated Content

User-generated content is a marvelous content marketing approach since it gets buyers included. It is created, published, or submitted by a brand’s users. Generally, contributors are unsponsored fans who advertise a brand rather than the brand promoting itself.

7. Checklists

Checklists give value to potential users, particularly for SMB users. They show a step-by-step strategy for resolving an issue and can be structured to suit your social media pages.

8. Memes

A sort of content marketing, which is adequately described as, “Don’t knock it ’till you try it.”

It is a comparatively new sort of content marketing. However, it works remarkably well. A meme is a picture set with culturally appropriate text that is immediately distributed online.

9. Testimonials and User Review

Similar to user-generated content, customer reviews and testimonials are content produced from your audience directly. If you are handling a niche business, testimonials provide a brief synopsis of why your organization stands out.

10. Whitepapers

Whitepapers are different from eBooks. Yes, they are lengthy, but whitepapers are deeply packed with information and data. They focus on details and a core part of the research.

Moreover, they can be visually appealing and informative. Make sure you use images, statistics, and a proper format while designing it.

Key Statistics on Content Marketing Usage

One of the chief reasons to use this strategy is that your user-base is online. Content marketing is an immense technique to reach them effortlessly and quickly.

As per Pew Research, around 26 percent of US teenagers are always online. They are part of 77 percent of US teenagers who go online regularly. It could be once or multiple times in a day.

Worldwide Statista states the international digital population is more than 4 Billion. It includes 3.7B, mobile internet users. Moreover, there are even over 3 Billion social media users.

According to Demand and Metric, content marketing costs 62 percent less than conventional marketing and creates about 3 times as many leads.

Content marketing, and chiefly the escalating adoption of customization, visuals, and interactivity as components in content, persist in modifying how prospects and users receive and get through the content.

An excellent content marketer understands this–and is aware of the fact, how imperative is it to reside on top of the latest trends.

If you wish for higher leads and users, the question is not where to find them but how to find them. Since they are everywhere, from social media channels to down the street.

Creating the right content at the right time is going to motivate them to hit your website link, visit it, and subscribe to your channel.

Plan A Perfect Content Marketing Strategy

Set Your Goals

A good beginning point for your content tactic is to set out a precise statement of the content marketing mission. It consists of a brief statement making it simpler to pay attention to what is crucial and what is not.

Confused?

Well, it majorly outlines:

Your target user-base

The content you want to write

The benefits your customers get

Establish Your KPIs

The best trick to attain your goals is to keep them measurable and specific. That implies setting KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for your marketing approach.

They will aid you to comprehend when you have attained your objectives by offering milestones you may check off.

Your KPIs include the plan you are looking forward to achieving like sales, traffic, SEO, revenue, and multiple sorts of digital marketing, such as social media metrics and email marketing.

Understand Your Audience

As stated above, for an effective content marketing tactic, you will require being precise about who your target audience is so you can build the right content to engage with them.

Here are a few things that you need to do in this:

Gather Demographic Data

The initial step is to gather your visitors’ demographics, including social media followers and email subscribers. Collect details like age, gender, income, education, and more.

Get Users Feedback

The next significant thing is trying to collect feedback given by your existing customers. It will help you to figure out their urgent needs, issues, positive points, and more.

Build Buyer Personas

At the time, you have demographic data, as well as users’ feedback, you can build buyer personas. Also known as customer avatars, it describes your readers and users so that you can target the content in a better way.

The best buyer personas include information on your users’ pain points, difficulties, behavioral motivators, and sources of information.

Find Out the Top Content Channels

When you are in Google Analytics, you need to go to ‘Acquisition’, then on ‘Social’, and finally ‘Overview’ to view the key social networks where the content is being distributed. This information will help you to easily choose which networks to target to gain social media engagement and shares.

Identify and Assign Resources

Now, you know what sort of content you are planning, who it is for, and where it will get published, it’s crucial to ensure that you have all the things you need to provide on your content strategy. That occupies answering queries, including:

Who is handling and maintaining the content?

What tools are being used?

What is the overall publishing workflow?

Build a Content Calendar

Lack of planning may harm your marketing, so it’s recommended to utilize a content calendar to get your entire content scheduled. You can do this via several tools like by using Google Calendar, CoSchedule, Basecamp, or more.

Find Thoughts

With all the advantages and statistics described above, it’s simple to know why content marketing is crucial for organizations of all sizes. Not only it helps in boosting your brand visibility, but even builds better relationships with your customers.

By seeing the current marketing trend, it would not be wrong in saying that it’s high time to get started.

That’s all from my side! If you have any suggestions or queries, you can ask them in the comment section below.

Reference: https://www.softwarefirms.co/blog/content-marketing-an-era-of-digital-transformation

[stewy]

“That summer, McCartney had clearly set his sights on a markedly different, even adventurous recording location for the follow-up album to Wings’ early 1973 release, Red Rose Speedway. Paul claimed that he was also following an in-vogue inclination for making music on distant shores. Having requested a full list of record company EMI’s global facilities, he scanned an exciting catalogue of studios spread across the world. China and the carnival city of Rio de Janeiro were two early considerations, but then McCartney noticed the Nigerian capital of Lagos as a possible venue.

That’s so far off the beaten track, he pondered. Something memorable or unusual is bound to happen, he reasoned – something that will inspire us after undertaking this African odyssey. The great musical rhythms and cultural traditions of this dark continent were also appealing, as were the possible benefits of recording abroad. “For me the attractions were artistic, instinctive. It was like: ‘The music of Africa will colour our feelings, we’ll be steeped in the ancient African rhythms’ – that sort of thing.” ‘Let’s do it,’ McCartney enthused.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, McCartney and co were oblivious to the fact that it was monsoon season in Nigeria and the studio was only half-built to Western standards. Just for good measure, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough unexpectedly quit the band just hours before boarding the flight to Nigeria in September. Biographer Chris Sandford, an old friend of McCullough’s, informed this author that the guitarist had been something of a ‘critical fan’ of the group’s leader at the time. A sometimes overpowering McCartney had, as in the past, over-stepped the threshold of acceptable musicianly etiquette by suggesting guitar parts for his colleague to perform once too often, and McCullough walked out of rehearsals of new material at Paul’s Scottish farm in August.

The two men had never worked well, but then despite their clashing styles, Seiwell insists that if his bandmate had shown a little more enthusiasm for the group’s work, things may have been different. “If I hadn’t have moved at that time, I think eventually I may have been sacked,” McCullough later admitted. “It’s all very well getting in a Lear jet and flying off to Lagos, but at the end of the day when you get home you still have to eat.” Financial concerns were also of paramount importance as he and his employer exchanged fractious words concerning the guitarist’s pay.

“I kind of like the way we did Band On The Run,” McCartney enthused with the benefit of hindsight. “The way we did it was something we’ve never done before, and it’s very interesting.”

McCartney wasn’t quite as philosophical at the time, however. “I said: ‘We’re booked. We’re going.’ I wasn’t cool about it. I was livid. ‘Right, screw you. I’m gonna make an album you’ll wish you were on.’” Puzzled and angry, the phone call was, a furious McCartney admitted, nothing less than a bombshell. “You can imagine me getting off that phone call. It was like: ‘Ah. Okay. Try and hold your nerve; try and keep it together. What do we do now? Sod it, we’re going.’ And at that moment it was one of those: ‘I’ll show you. I will make the best album I’ve ever made now. I will put so much effort into it, because I wanna just prove that we didn’t need you guys.’”

Come Together: Lennon and McCartney in the Seventies by Richard White

[sumayyahwrites]

Fashion in the time of COVID

WILL THE PANDEMIC LEAD TO A MORE ETHICAL, SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY?

"We went way too far. Our reckless actions have burned the house we live in. We conceived of ourselves as separated from nature, we felt cunning and almighty. We usurped nature, we dominated and wounded it."  

Alessandro Michele, Creative Director of Gucci

Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele posted 1,200 words of poetic, impassioned diary excerpts on Instagram, making one thing abundantly clear, Gucci, and possibly the fashion industry as a whole would never be the same again.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the fashion world hard, gravely impacting all of its global capitals. Even before the virus struck, the industry was ailing. What happens now that no one's compelled to dress up from the waist down? And with our precarious place in the world coming into sharp relief, shopping for season “must-haves” seemed not only frivolous but immoral.

In March, Vogue partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to set up A Common Thread, a pandemic-relief initiative that has raised $4.9 million to date. By May, more than 1,000 companies applied for aid, with even the biggest names on the precipice of an uncertain future.

In the interest of damage control, there has been industry talk of pushing the unreleased 2020 collections to 2021. It's curious that this requires we literally disavow the concept of fashion itself; that amorphous behemoth that tells us whether midi skirts are in or out this season.

With no end in sight to this state of flux, could this be an opportunity for the industry to ask itself some serious existential questions?

THE PROBLEM WITH FASHION

"We didn't respect the planet until now and in a way this [pandemic] is a message and unfortunately it's a very, very heavy message. Change had to be done. Everyone thought that the change would happen gradually, but that's not the case. Change has to be done now, and done quickly."

Sara Maino, Deputy Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia  

Before the fashion world spiralled out of control, you had four seasons in the four major fashion capitals - London, Paris, New York and Milan. But the emergence of fast fashion accelerated the situation to a dizzying degree. Brands were sucked into the vortex of insatiable consumer demand. The pressure on luxury and high-street alike to drop new trends at higher speeds and lower costs had designers in a hamster wheel trying to outpace the copycats. "We were out of breath", admits Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, referring to fashion's unrelenting schedule of up to eight collections per year.

In her book, 'Fashionopolis: The Price Of Fast Fashion And The Future Of Clothes', Dana Thomas takes an unflinching look at the catastrophic environmental and human cost of this obsession with newness. Fast fashion refers to the production of masses of cheap, trendy clothes at breakneck speeds. Thomas refers to this as "a dirty, unscrupulous business that exploited humans and Earth alike".

Fashion is one of our biggest global polluters, "responsible for nearly 20 per cent of all industrial pollution annually" and "10 per cent of the carbon emissions in our air". Deep down, we knew our clothes often were made by desperate people in unthinkably dire situations; how could we forget the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh that took the lives of more than a thousand factory workers? Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the human cost of fast fashion devastatingly clear. Crowded, unhygienic environments coupled with exploitative employment and a shady supply chain left brands with no accountability and employees with no pay.

According to Thomas, we buy five times more clothes than the previous generation, with the average garment being worn only seven times before being thrown on the scrap heap. There's no escaping the pangs of guilt that many of us experience with these suspiciously cheap garments. However, there is also no denying that slow fashion can be prohibitively expensive.

Should caring about the environment be a privilege afforded only to the haves, with the blame being placed squarely on the have-nots? And should the onus fall on the consumer to fix the deep-seated problems in the fashion industry or should corporations take responsibility for their exploitative behaviour?

THE SEASON OF DISCONTENT

"At a certain level, most of us were forced to make what the industry told us to make, but it's already proven that the industry is broken. We will now concentrate more on making what we want to make and how we want to make it."

Sonia Carrasco, Fashion Designer and Brand Owner

There are calls for reform, with designer Dries Van Noten urging leading industry figures to sign an open letter setting out some demands. Van Noten wants to reduce the number of runway shows, and the preposterous volume of clothing produced, and sell collections in real-time. That is: bikinis in S/S and coats in A/W. Have you ever been shopping for summer staples, only to find all the season's rejects already relegated to the sales rack? Fashion moves at its own pace darling, a pace at odds with customers' needs. Van Noten says this is about making collections "more environmentally and socially sustainable" with a move towards sustainability throughout the supply chain with less product, less waste and less travel.

Not that Chanel is paying attention, taking customers and press to Capri for its Cruise 2021 pre-collection in June, in the midst of the COVID pandemic. The French fashion house is resolutely old guard, announcing it will stick to six shows: two ready-to-wear, two couture, as well as cruise and Métiers d'Art. Chanel is not alone, with Dior also showcasing its cruise collection physically in Southern Italy.

In response to COVID-19, the British Fashion Council and the Council of Fashion Designers of America released a joint statement, echoing many of Van Noten's concerns. It urges brands, designers and retailers to slow down, with appeals for changes that will benefit customers, improve the wellbeing of the industry and have a positive effect on the environment.

FASHION IN THE TIME OF PANDEMIC

"I try to ask myself what is the meaning of my actions. It's a vital and urgent questioning for me, which demands a careful pause and a delicate listening."

Alessandro Michele, Creative Director of Gucci

The big players in luxury fashion produce between six and eight collections per year, spending an eye-watering amount of money on each show. But is fashion week, with all its excesses and spectacles, gone for good?

The pandemic has led to a cascade of reflection and introspection, and fashion's big players were not unaffected. Saint Laurent announced plans to '"take control of its pace and reshape its schedule". Alessandro Michele has reduced the number of Gucci shows from five to two, nixing both seasons and gender. He writes: "I will abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities and shows to regain a new cadence, closer to my expressive call. We will meet just twice a year, to share the chapters of a new story".

After the cancelling of June's men's fashion week in Paris, Louis Vuitton disregarded both the industry's European home-base and its calendar, taking its latest men's show to Shanghai, a big change that signals a significant move towards a consumer-first approach. Which makes perfect sense with shoppers from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America accounting for the bulk of luxury sales. Is it time to admit that Eurocentric fashion shows are so last season?

Many brands have gone "phygital", which is the somewhat awkward portmanteau describing the hybrid of physical space and digital technologies. With Shanghai and Moscow both fully embracing digital for their fashion weeks in March and April, and Helsinki adopting a purely digital format with innovations such as 3D shows. If more fashion houses go off-piste with localised, digitally amplified events, this could be the death knell for fashion week as we know it.

Another big IRL fashion event on the calendar is the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, and the most-watched fashion/society event of the year. It's usually an occasion for a (very) select few to dress-up in response to the year's theme, in a grand display of fashion as art, with the results ranging from the sublime to the ludicrous. This year it was postponed.

The show must go on, as they say, and it was a group of Gen-Z internet kids known as High Fashion Twitter (or 'hf twitter', because they're too cool for CAPS) hosting the biggest fashion party of the year. On May 4th, instead of the exclusive, highly branded, extremely profitable, marketing opportunity the Met Gala has become, hf twitter brought us an inclusive online celebration of self-expression and diversity. Whether dressing themselves, collaging or using other visual means, the guests shared their 'looks' on Twitter with the hashtag #HFMetGala2020, taking fashion out of the hands of the establishment, if only for a day.

High Fashion Twitter is a loosely structured mix of fashion fans and aficionados, who share inspiration and knowledge while being vocal about industry issues such as representation, sustainability and accountability. And for the event, they purposefully excluded any brands they deemed problematic, such as those known for cultural appropriation.  

FASHION AND SOCIETY

"I understand that, for many, the purpose of a fashion magazine is about escapism, about providing beautiful images of beautiful people in beautiful clothes […] But there are moments when this feels weird. And this is one of those moments."

Emanuele Farneti, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia

The effects of a global disaster of this magnitude amplified many social justice issues, notably resulting in the backlash over tone-deaf comments from fashion brands about the Black Lives Matter Movement, or their conspicuous, deafening silence. There was nowhere for the industry to hide.

While taking any political stance wasn't de rigueur for most major fashion houses, it's now not only accepted but expected to be in touch with issues facing the wider community. In fact, for some, this out-of-touchness is seen as impossibly callous in a world confronted by human tragedy and economic devastation.

There have been attempts to meet the moment, with efforts such as Vogue's new web series "Good Morning Vogue", fashion's self-proclaimed "wake up call". If the last decade has shifted the discourse around issues such as racism and climate change, then the global pandemic has accelerated it.

FASHION GOING FORWARD

"Through the creation of less product, with higher levels of creativity and quality, products will be valued and their shelf life will increase. The focus on creativity and quality of products, reduction in travel and focus on sustainability […] will increase the consumer's respect and ultimately their greater enjoyment in the products that we create."

The British Fashion Council

Driven by a new generation of socially and environmentally conscious consumers who care where the things they buy come from and where they'll end up, brands have upped their sustainability game. And with the threat of this pandemic acting as a call to action for the fashion industry to slow down and scale down before we find our selves facing a much bigger existential threat.

COVID-19 has caused a significant shift in the mindsets of both brand and consumer, teaching us all to slow down and reset. And should this pass, the things we learnt to value, such as our health, our freedom and hopefully our planet, may eclipse our desire for any conveyor belt of trends.