#i do the survey sites in between the days i work polling shifts. i try to write. i try to keep the house/myself/etc clean

[izzy-b-hands]

oh god i forgot i scheduled a call with mum later tonight. jump scared myself with it when the calendar reminder came up now on my phone, fuck's sake

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Bus Stop by Bus Stop, Denver-Area Officials Microtarget Vaccine Hesitancy

AURORA, Colo. — John Letson had seen too many apocalyptic movies to feel comfortable getting a covid-19 vaccine initially.

“I was completely against it,” the 40-year-old movie buff said, referencing “I Am Legend” and “Children of Men,” in which humanity is in jeopardy, as examples of what could go wrong. “I think an untested thing during a pandemic has later effects that we don’t know yet.”

After discussing with a doctor the various myths that have arisen about the vaccines, his opposition softened. On the way to get pizza in late June, he happened upon a mobile vaccination clinic behind a bus stop on Colfax Avenue in this Denver suburb and got his first dose.

“I was here. They were here,” he explained, as a nurse gave him a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The mobile clinic in the East Colfax neighborhood is part of a new push by Denver-area public health officials to find the neighborhoods where vaccinations lag behind state or county averages. Using detailed maps that show vaccines given by ZIP code or census tract, the health departments highlight underperforming areas being masked by a county’s overall vaccination rate. They then partner with community organizations with intimate knowledge of those neighborhoods to determine strategies to address the specific barriers keeping residents from being inoculated.

As the Biden administration seeks to boost the nation’s vaccine rate by going “neighborhood by neighborhood,” in the president’s words, the approach taken on Colfax Avenue could become a model for the rest of the country. According to the National Association of County and City Health Officials, such efforts depend on the accuracy of the data and the willingness of jurisdictions to work together, which can be difficult for some regions to accomplish. The Denver-area effort has managed to use granular data across seven counties to help raise the vaccination rate by an estimated 4 percentage points in one troubled Colfax area in about a month.

“We have to do the dirty work to be with the community and listen to what their actual concerns are,” Nicole Steffens, a program manager with the nonprofit Colorado Health Institute, said in a presentation on the mapping tool. “We can take all the data that we want based on large, mass groups of people on surveys with vaccine hesitancy or why people aren’t getting vaccinations, but that might not actually apply to that very specific location.”

The public health agencies cooperating in the Denver region represent 3 million Coloradans, about 60% of the state’s population. They overlay data from the state vaccine database with the covid caseload, poverty rates and racial demographics to highlight areas of concern.

“We weren’t very surprised to see the areas that lit up,” said Meghan Prentiss, with the Tri-County Health Department, which serves Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties east and south of Denver. “They all kind of followed those common trends of other health indicators.”

East Colfax topped the department’s priority list. The neighborhood, which spans the border between Denver and Aurora, is one of the more impoverished in the metro area, with large numbers of immigrants and minorities, many of whom speak neither English nor Spanish.

Two-thirds of the city of Denver’s eligible residents were fully vaccinated by the end of June, compared with just above 30% in the East Colfax neighborhood. In the 80010 and 80011 ZIP codes, which include the Colfax corridor, fewer than half of those ages 30 to 39 were vaccinated, compared with more than 75% in more affluent Washington Park or City Park.

Part of the problem, people in the community told health officials, was transportation.

Initially, the state had set up mass vaccination clinics in the center of Denver. But many East Colfax residents have no car, relying primarily on public transit. It’s about a 50-minute ride one way on the Route 15 bus to the Ball Arena vaccine site. For many, that was too far to venture.

“It looks great on TV to have these mass clinics where people drive through,” said Judy Shlay, an associate director who runs the immunization program for Denver Public Health, which operates the mobile vaccine clinic. “But we have to be more agile and flexible for people who are maybe more hesitant to go downtown, or because they have to take three buses to get there.”

Moreover, people in the East Colfax area often work hourly jobs as independent contractors or gig workers and get no time off to get vaccinated. And if they fall ill after getting vaccinated, they might miss another day’s pay.

So public health officials worked with transit authorities to identify where high-ridership bus lines intersected in the corridor, settling on a location by a Walmart, a Sprouts grocery store and the Little Caesars restaurant where Letson had gone to buy pizza.

On two days in late June, the mobile clinic vaccinated a total of 150 people, most receiving their first shots. Among them was Marley Sosa, 18, whose sister is a nurse who worked at the clinic.

“She made me feel safe about it,” he said. “People are just hesitant because it’s a new vaccine.”

Ira Milhouse, 40, who is homeless, said he got vaccinated so he could receive a $50 grocery gift card provided as an incentive. Stephanie Aguilar, 18, came after clinic staffers walked through the shopping plaza where the van was parked, informing everyone they could get vaccinated that day.

Others inquired about the incentives but walked away unvaccinated.

Janice Robinson, 53, had come to the bus stop, part of her daily routine of “taking a ride” with no particular destination. “I don’t want the vaccine,” she said. “I don’t think I need it. I don’t really go anywhere.”

Desiree Mister, 45, had just finished a shift at Sprouts. She was tired of wearing a mask and wanted to get vaccinated. But she wasn’t sure if she could sell her plasma if she got vaccinated. She decided she’d come back the following week after a plasma draw. (The Food and Drug Administration says people who have received covid vaccines can continue to donate blood or sell plasma without a waiting period, although rules at plasma collection sites can vary.)

Early data, Shlay said, showed that vaccine access was highly correlated with income, and those able to connect digitally had an easier time tracking down shots. It proved much more difficult for East Colfax residents with language barriers.

That meant the vaccine had to come to East Colfax, which has few police or fire stations, libraries or rec centers that could host vaccine clinics. “We couldn’t anchor something in there,” Shlay said. “So we had to use small organizations that maybe aren’t reaching everybody.”

One of those was the Village Exchange Center, a nonprofit just a block off Colfax Avenue. The center offers benefits to immigrants, including a food bank that serves 4,000 people a day. Workers there inserted flyers about the vaccines into the bags of food they distributed and held information sessions.

“We have several pastors that have just said, ‘This is evil, and we’re not going to do it,’” said Amanda Blaurock, the center’s executive director. “And we respect that. We don’t go around decisions that community members have made. We just say, ‘We’re hosting it, and if you want it, we’re trying to make it as accessible as possible.’”

One census tract in the area has a recorded population of 4,389, and as of mid-June, slightly more than 1,300, or about 30%, were fully vaccinated. Health officials would need to get roughly 1,700 more vaccinated to reach their 70% goal. A month later, the rate had climbed to 34%, and health officials expect more dramatic gains in the coming weeks after people receive their second doses.

The initial success has buoyed interest in more transit-based vaccine clinics. Shontel Lewis, who represents the East Colfax area on the Regional Transportation District mass transit agency’s board of directors and spearheaded its involvement, said future clinics might be held at park-and-ride locations and other bus stops in underserved areas.

“The approach is often cookie-cutter. We tend to go with the same strategies, and then, when no one comes, we just throw our hands up,” Lewis said.

If the goal is to get everybody vaccinated, she said, the interventions need to be tailored to specific communities. “Our approach might be different,” she said, “but our goal is the same.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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Bus Stop by Bus Stop, Denver-Area Officials Microtarget Vaccine Hesitancy published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[ncmagroup]

By: Carolyn Edgecomb

  You may have noticed that sales have been slowly shifting their role to correspond with changing buyer behaviors.

Sales can no longer survive on making a few phones calls and sending a batch of emails to contacts in your database. You need to engage them in more attractive ways that meet buyers at channels where they ‘live’.

Some of those channels consist of email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium, and even live chat. This means marketing teams to better distribute themselves across these places and deliver more educational TOFU & MOFU content for users. But what about sales teams?

HubSpot’s State of Inbound 2017 revealed that sales teams will need to shift into the role of trusted advisors. This is primarily due to the changes in the way people do business.

For those of you not familiar with it, the State of Inbound is a data-packed industry report compiled and released by HubSpot every year since 2008. The company surveys thousands of Marketers (both HubSpot users and non-users) about their Marketing budget, goals, challenges, and tactics, then wraps it up in a neat little PDF package.

This year HubSpot polled a whopping 6,399 people from a variety of different backgrounds and industries.

In this article, I’ll detail three of the biggest trends they’ve uncovered and how you and your sales team can use them connect with inbound leads and convert them into opportunities.

Is Your Sales Team Focusing on these Priorities in 2017?

This year, 71% of sales professionals are focusing on closing more deals, followed by 44% who are focused on improving the efficiency of their sales funnel.

(Source: State of Inbound 2017)

However, one challenge many sales teams have is seeing an increase in revenue despite the increase in traffic, contacts, and bottom-of-the-funnel inquiries.

They’re not able to close deals.

Based on the chart above, it’s no surprise that 35% of sales professionals find it more difficult to close deals now vs. two to three years ago.

(Source: State of Inbound 2017)

Another (not so surprising) statistic it that 38% of sales professionals are struggling when it comes to getting a response from prospects.

While there could be several causes, a couple at the top of my mind are:

You’re not educating your leads enough before handing them over to sales.

Due to changing buyer behaviors, it’s uncommon to find prospects today that haven’t done their homework. They understand their pain points and are looking for the right product and solution to solve for those pains.

This means you need to be the organization that gives them the materials that enable them to do research on their own. These materials should be targeted content you create that will target their pains and gains.

If they are educated and showing a strong interest, you’re not responding in real time.

How long after someone fills out a bottom of the funnel form on your site are you reaching out to those qualified individuals? Is it 5 minutes, an hour, the next day?

Depending on your response, that could be a contributing factor towards how responsive your opportunities are. The longer you wait to respond, the probability of them responding gets slimmer.

Also, don’t send them an email, but follow up with a phone conversation. Use that time to capture more information about the company prior to scheduling a consultation with them. Besides, calling is the most successful channel for connecting with prospects.

(Source: State of Inbound 2017)

Sales aren’t approaching inbound leads correctly.

Unlike traditional/outbound marketing leads, inbound leads have already researched your company. Therefore, you’ll want to approach conversations with them differently.

At this point, they don’t need to hear the basics. They’ve read about products or services like yours can help solve their problem, so they don’t need the shpeal again. When a lead enters your sales funnel, but a resource for them. Answer questions they may want further explanations on while educating them on strategy and plans that you believe will help solved there problem.

Doing this will enable leads to see you as a trusted advisor rather than someone itching to make a sale.

Bridging the Gap Between Sales and Marketing

Another surprising statistic I found in HubSpot’s State of Inbound 2017, is that only 22% of companies consider their sales and marketing teams to be tightly aligned.

Unfortunately, because of that gap, your sales team can struggle when it comes to prospecting and closing deals.

It is critical for your team to bridge the gap with your teams through sales and marketing alignment as well as sales enablement.

If those last couple terms are new to you; sales and marketing alignment is all about sales and marketing working together. Sales enablement, however, is all about improving the experience sales provides to their prospects.

Here’s a look at a few things your sales and marketing team can start implementing to improve:

Make sure that you have detailed buyer personas.

Create content that’s aligned with your buyer’s journey. If you have more than one persona, not all of your content will be tailored to those buyers.

Don’t forget to implement lead nurturing and lead scoring to distinguish which leads are sales-ready.

Create a sales content library that can house case studies, blog content, offers, and other content that can help sales address concerns a prospect might have.

How to Overcome Sales Disruptors

A huge theme that resonated throughout the HubSpot’s State of Inbound is the changing behaviors of modern buyers and how the sales process is adapting to those changes.

Ten years ago, the salesperson held the key and had all of the information the buyer needed in order for them to make a purchase. But today, that’s no longer the case. Through inbound marketing, organizations are publishing blog content and building out websites that house the majority of information leads are looking for (who they are, what they do, their product/solution, pricing, etc).

As sales continue to evolve, it will become more about educating rather than selling. Your time will be spent adding value and meeting the needs of your prospects and customers.

In order for your sales team to be successful, they’ll need to shift their mindset towards helping prospects find the right solution rather than simply trying to close the deal.

  Go to our website:   www.ncmalliance.com

  Improve Your Sales Performance With These 3 Trends from the State of Inbound By: Carolyn Edgecomb You may have noticed that sales have been slowly shifting their role to correspond with changing buyer behaviors.

[cynthistic]

dont be so fucking salty that yoi was obviously the better anime. making fucking fanart and shit is just not only rude to the fans, but to the whole fucking show. honestly, you're a fucking prick.

Just gonna say right off the bat, ha lmao u thought i’d ignore this but no im too petty. 

Also to anyone who’s interested in my thoughts on the crunchyroll poll results below, please know I am a very vulgar person and that it’s gonna be a L O N G reply.  TL;DR at the bottom. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fucking be tch fight me.  Not gonna deny being a prick tbh, I’m the pettiest and saltiest person I know.  It’s almost as if I make art to express personal disappointment towards something.  Amazing, art for expression is such a new concept.  Instead of telling me what fanart “attacks” your limited view of technical animation elements, maybe create some fanart congratulating YOI for the win. 

Right off the bat, your over-generalization of the YOI fandom astounds me.  What kind of bullshit “!!1! YOI MUST WIN ALL AWARDS! 1!!!” mentality do you have to group all fans with the likes of you.  And I can assure you many of the people I spoke to about this are huge fans of YOI AND feel the same way.  This is an ANIMATION award, not ANIME please read before bashing.  Am I glad that YOI won anime of the year?  Fuck yes, which show do you think I voted for.  YOI is beautiful in an emotional sense and game-changing in culture towards homosexuals.  Best couple?  Victuuri had my heart from day one.  Best boy?  Debatable (im bias towards reigen if we’re gonna be honest here he the tru mvp).  Being a fan of a show doesn’t mean supporting a show in every single category, especially not “BEST ANIMATION”.

Since we’re on the topic of ANIMATION let’s break down YOI first and dispel some ideas behind why people think it deserves the “Best Animation” award.  It told a beautiful story!!!  It has such emotional intensity in almost every scene!!  It’s wonderful in story telling!!!  And directly speaking, I agree with every single statement but story telling is an overview of a show that is highly subjective to each person.  OH BUT WAIT YOU KNOW WHAT ISN’T???  Animation.  Memes aside, YOI’s animation can not be judged purely on single screenshots cause i guarantee all shows will have shitty stretch frames.  However, the technique of storytelling that makes YOI emotionally compelling is not in the technical aspects of the animation itself.  Literally get off your high horse and just watch YOI without any audio.  Literally in every single skate scene, you’re never focused on the animation, only on the narratives and soundtrack of the routine.  Well rounded characters made the show and I swear to god the only reason you’re still focused on the routines is because of the characters and no more.  Aside from detailed butt grabs from Chris and Gucci lips from Victuuri, YOI’s animation is mediocre at best.  And this is on the good end of the spectrum.  “THAT’S SO OFFENSIVE TO FANS HOW COULD YOU?!?!11?”  This is a given fact with the low budget and rushed schedule to release new episode.  A cut in animation quality is EXPECTED.  The YOI team knew this and animation quality was never their top priority as opposed to a compelling and unique storyline so wherrrrr the fu ck is this insulting to fans. 

Now let’s discuss Mob Psycho 100.  You can disagree and hate the STYLE of the animation but you CAN NOT deny the efforts and advancement the show has brought towards the animation industry.  This show ASSAULTED MY EYES.  The emotional intensity of this show was expressed so much more through the animation elements.  Explosion of colors and constant rotating angles provide a whole new dynamic to every single sequence.  Go ahead and claim that “it’s only this way because it’s an action show” all you want but even without fight scenes, the timing of the shots are amazing.  The staggering in Mob’s sprint.  The hallway shot of the Telepathy club walking.  Such simple frames keep me fixated on the show much more than YOI’s parts.  It forces you into this overwhelmed state where you try to keep up with everything that’s happening in the scene and it’s so beautiful with the way it’s all represented.  Best of all, it’s PROGRESSIVE. 

Miyo Sato (click her name for her site) is an artist who works in a non-conventional way.  The whole ENDING SEQUENCE was animated by her.  Those weird sketchy, paintery frames? BY HER.  Do you understand how time consuming and painstaking this animation technique is??? DO YOU??  She essentially shifts drying oil paints around on a glass surface to create the the animation, individually or laid over a 2D animated shot.  It is so rare you see a HIGH BUDGET animation willing to take such creative risks as well as introducing a traditional medium as a technique.  Not to mention, Mob Psycho 100 is the epitome of creative expression.  It’s as if the animators gave zero fucks about the sensory overload for viewers and just shoved it in our faces.  Also my weeb ass basically worships Yoshimichi Kameda.  MP100 is an anime with with a HIGH BUDGET.  And again, you CAN NOT DENY that the animation is on a whole other league compared to YOI.  With the team presented and budget given, it was EXPECTED of them to create such a beautiful piece of art. 

Before you or anyone else try to accuse me of being “triggered af” look at who was sensitive af in the first place.  I feel very strongly about animation and the doodle was nothing more than a contribution to a running meme and gag between both fandoms.  Am I disappointed????  Fuck yes.  Do you see me bashing other categories cause my votes didn’t win????  At the end of the day, Crunchyroll released a fanpoll that was meant to be a fun “survey” of all anime fans.  Sadly, choices were VERY limited and I wished there were more options for each category.  I was upset that YOI was even considered for “Best Animation” and know VERY well that it was only added to appease the sudden popularity of the show and feed off of the energy of fans.  Unrelated to the two fandoms but I would have also wanted recognition for Ajin with it’s incoorporation of 3D animation.  It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and I highly doubt it would have won, or honestly, deserved to win over Mob Psycho 100.  But it would have been nice to have some recognition for shows that took a step outside of mainstream norms (not that there is anything wrong with that).  On top of that, my doodle was based off my disappointment behind the mentality that YOI had to win everything as if it was a competition for most backed-up fandom.  I’m just extremely upset at the fact that while it claims to be a poll for a “well deserved title”, it ultimately became a imaginary game of popularity.  Before you send another ask saying YOI was pretty good for its budget, ya it was.  But smh if you’re gonna judge the worth of animation based on budget then you’re gonna find yourself facing whether or not paying for specific element was worth the money.

TL;DR:

Fuck you im a tru YOI fan too fight me, I have credentials and official fan certification from my trash retweets.  Smh I can’t believe my disappointment offended a whole fandom, in which I, along with many other YOI fans who agree with the same points are in.  I love generalization.  Point is.  YOI is a beautifully well written show.  However, this was never a battle of fandom strengths and sizes, merely the decently to give credit to a show when it’s due.

xoxo im out bih

cynthia

[itsfinancethings]

Poland’s voters will head to the polls on June 28 to vote for their next president, a largely ceremonial position but with crucial power to veto laws. If no candidate draws more than 50% of the vote, a second round will take place on July 12. Conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) had been the clear favorite — but in the past month, liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski of the center-right opposition party Civic Platform, which governed from 2007 to 2015, has shot up in polls.

Poland’s elections are coming down to a choice between the ruling party’s increasing tilt toward autocracy or one that pursues democracy, says Piotr Buras, head of the Warsaw office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. It’s a battle that is playing out across Europe, with the rise of right-wing populist leaders in recent years. “Poland’s future will soon force Europe to confront defining questions about itself,” he says.

How had COVID-19 affected the election?

The election was originally scheduled for May 10 but with four days to go and amid much political wrangling it was postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The Law and Justice Party had insisted that the election go ahead on schedule, and Duda was on a clear path to victory. But the opposition argued that it was impossible to conduct a normal election on public health and logistical grounds. “PiS felt that if they waited longer the chances of Duda winning would get slimmer and slimmer,” says Buras.

In early May, Poland recorded some 300-400 infections a day, reaching a total of some 3,000 cases and 1,400 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Poland has relaxed the lockdown rules since May, allowing people to vote in person. (Postal votes are also available on request).

Who’s leading in the polls?

When the campaign started in February, Trzaskowski, the son of a jazz musician, wasn’t even on the ballot. The election delay allowed his party to replace its struggling candidate Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, whose support had dropped in the single digits following a lacklustre campaign. The pro-European Warsaw mayor launched his campaign on May 15, pledging “to fight for a strong state, to fight for democracy.”

April polls predicted Duda would comfortably win a first-round win with more than 50% of the vote. But a June survey by data company Kantar found his support had dropped to 38%, while Trzaskowski scored 27%, up 9% from May. If the two end up facing each other in a runoff Duda is expected lose to the Warsaw mayor, the poll said.

“It was a very lucky situation for the opposition that they had this opportunity to change candidates. And now the race will be extremely tight – 200-300,000 votes might be decisive,” Buras said.

Why did President Andrzej Duda meet with Donald Trump ahead of the election?

The shift has prompted Duda to do what he can to bolster his re-election prospects, for example, by showing off his close ties with Washington. On June 24, he visited President Donald Trump—first foreign leader to meet the U.S. president since February—for discussions focused on security cooperation.

The two leaders have met one on one at least five times, including three times at the White House. Trump once praised Duda as an “exemplary ally” and Duda even offered in 2018 to create a “Fort Trump” that would house U.S. troops in Poland. (That plan has not come into action.)

In a press conference on June 24 Duda promised “build a stronger alliance” with the U.S. while Trump said he believes Duda will be “successful” in the elections. “The people of Poland think the world of him. I don’t think he needs my help,” the president said.

Duda’s visit aligned with “Law and Justice’s campaign strategy to counter the opposition’s narrative that Poland has become isolated internationally under the ruling party. They want to show that Poland is a player on the world stage and close to the U.S., which is seen as the the country’s key military and security guarantor,” says Aleks Szczerbiak, Professor of Politics and Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex. But Buras believes the visit will not get Duda many more votes. “This is just confirmation that their candidate is a good friend of America,” he says.

How have LGBTQ rights factored into the election?

As Duda’s campaign struggles, he has ramped up hard-line rhetoric, branding LGBTQ rights an “ideology” worse than communism. In the staunchly Catholic country, a majority of people (66%) oppose same-sex marriage, according to a poll by a research center CBOS in July 2019.

Duda introduced a “Family Charter” among his election proposals earlier this month, including a vow to not allow gay couples to marry or adopt children and to ban teaching about LGBTQ issues in schools. It also seeks to “ban the propagation of LGBT ideology” in schools and public institutions, reminiscent of Russia’s controversial 2013 “gay propaganda” law.

When Trzaskowski became a candidate “the issue of LGBTQ rights became a priority in the campaign,” says Szczerbiak. “It was about mobilizing supporters in small towns and rural areas by raising the stakes for these voters, as well as presenting Trzaskowski as a radical,” he says. “Duda’s message is: unless you vote for me, you’ll have a cultural armageddon,” says Buras.

Trzaskowski — a prominent supporter of LGBTQ rights — has accused the president of fuelling hate. In February 2019, hee signed a declaration pledging support for the LGBTQ community outlining a series of measures, including opening anti-discrimination classes in all Warsaw schools and launching a shelter system for those in need of support.

That prompted a backlash from PiS. A senior PiS official in May posted a tweet with a rainbow flag alongside the Warsaw mayor’s name, saying that he would be “monitoring” him. The Chairman of PiS’s executive committee presented the elections as a choice between “the white-and-red Poland represented by the current president and a rainbow Poland,” in an interview with Polskie Radio in May. The media has also joined in. The pro government weekly magazine, Sieci, featured Trzaskowski on its cover wearing a rainbow armband, with the caption “the extremist candidate” in early June.

But it seems to have backfired, says Szczerbiak. Over the past week “PiS have put the issue on the back burner because it wasn’t mobilizing, it wasn’t succeeding in marginalizing Trzaskowski,” he says.

What are the biggest issues at stake?

Since winning a parliamentary majority in 2015, the Law and Justice party has been able to freely implement its conservative agenda, with Duda’s backing. Similar to the power grab made by Viktor Orban’s nationalist Fidesz party in Hungary, PiS have taken control of core liberal institutions such as the independent judiciary and free press, while increasingly defining national identities in terms of ethnicity and religion and demonising opponents. The government has also backed campaigns targeting independent groups working on women’s, LGBTQ, and migrants’ rights.

“What’s at stake in this election is whether PiS can continue with its radical state transformation,” says Szczerbiak. As the party lacks the three-fifths legislative majority required to overturn a presidential veto, Duda’s defeat would seriously hamper the ruling party’s ability to govern effectively.

Duda’s re-election could allow him to use veto powers and push through controversial judicial reforms, including a new law that would allow judges critical of the regime to face punishment. The reform would essentially enable PiS “to get rid of judges who disagree with the government and its illiberal course, ”says Buras. The E.U strongly condemns the move, with its Values and Transparency Commissioner calling it “destruction” not reform in February, and even brought legal action against Duda’s government for violations of its in October 2019. PiS, however, maintains it is trying to make the judicial system more efficient and eradicate communist-era mentalities.

Citing the E.U.’s proceedings against Poland, Trazkowski has said that his country “ceased to be a leader” in Europe. His campaign pledges to “mobilize the government to give up the conflict with the E.U, institutions and most Member States around the rule of law and ideological disputes.”

If Duda wins, the ruling party “will get further entrenched in the state structures and apparatus,” says Buras. The Polish elections are the site of two battles; against PiS’s authoritarian ambitions and to save “the future of the European project, where democracy itself at risk,” he says. And what prevails, Buras says, is a “matter for Europe as a whole.”

[kennethherrerablog]

29 Totally Flexible Ways to Make Money in College Without Dropping Classes

Working through college is one way to reduce the amount of debt you’ll have after graduation. You know, make some money now and take out fewer student loans. Big. Win.

But finding a job with decent pay that’ll allow you to schedule shifts around your classes and extracurriculars can be harder to find than a healthy taco bar. And maybe you’re not too keen on flipping burgers at your local fast-food joint.

Well… have you thought about ditching the demanding work schedule and finding flexible work instead? You’ve got options, after all.

29 Ways to Make Money in College — Without a Fast Food Gig

From part-time jobs to apps and websites that let you make money online from your dorm or apartment, you have plenty of options that won’t cut into your study time.  

1. Get Rewarded for Your Good Grades

Don’t have a lot of spare time outside of studying?

Check with the dean of your college or university to see if your school offers incentives for getting good grades. Some actually offer cash bonuses to college students who maintain a good GPA.

2. Drive With Uber and Lyft

Need a fun, flexible way to earn money while also meeting lots of new people?

Try driving with Lyft!

Demand for ride-sharing has been growing like crazy, and it shows no signs of slowing down. To be eligible, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old with a year of driving experience, pass a background check and own a car made in 2007 or later. You can drive days, nights or weekends — it’s up to you!

Because it’s simple to switch between apps, many Lyft drivers also sign up with Uber.

As a partner driver with Uber, you’re an independent contractor. You create your own schedule and work as much or as little as you want.

If you want to give Uber a try here are a few of the things to keep in mind: You must be at least 21 years old, have at least one year of licensed driving experience in the U.S. (three years if you are under 23 years old), have a valid US driver’s license and pass a background check.

Finally, your car must be a four-door, seat at least four passengers (excluding the driver), be registered in-state and be covered by insurance.

And if you aren’t sure which is better for you? Here’s our guide to Lyft versus Uber.

3. Share Your Opinions

No, you won’t make a ton of money doing online surveys, but you also won’t have to spend a lot of time or effort. Heck, you won’t even have to leave your dorm room.

One survey site we love is MyPoints. It rewards you in gift cards for taking polls and answering surveys. It’s a great way to pass time while you wait in long lines at the dining hall. You’ll earn a $5 bonus when you complete your first five surveys.

Then there’s also the reader favorite Swagbucks, which offers a wide variety of ways to make money beyond taking surveys. Plus, you get a $5 bonus when you sign up and earn 2,500 SB within your first 60 days.

If you’re looking to make a bit of money in those free minutes between classes, it doesn’t get much easier than this.

4. Be a Human Guinea Pig

From medical tests to market research, being a test subject can be an interesting, educational and — above all — lucrative way to spend your time.

Some tests, like clinical trials, may be more taxing and require a greater time commitment. But they just might pay a pretty penny; we’ve seen as much as $600 for some studies.

But other opportunities, like market research, may just take a couple hours of your afternoon, and you’ll earn free samples and some extra cash.

Here are a few resources to help you get started:

Use AcurianHealth to find clinical research studies.

Sign up for text alerts from Just Another Lab Rat to find the latest research opportunities.

Find studies by searching the Clinical Trials database.

Keep an eye out on campus for opportunities at your university, too. These are usually quick gigs that could yield $10 to $20 for less than an hour’s work.

5. Buy and Resell Textbooks

When you were in high school, you had no idea how much money textbooks cost, did you? Ouch. You know you can earn a little cash back for selling your textbooks at the end of the semester.

But you can go beyond that — and actually start profiting from textbook sales.

Instead of relying on your own collection, buy textbooks online from sites like eBay and resell them on a site like BookScouter.

Before you shop, you can look up a book’s ISBN on BookScouter and find out how much it’s worth. That way you’ll only buy books you know you can sell for more than what you pay.

Profit margins aren’t huge on textbook reselling, but if you can average $5 per book and sell five per day, you could earn $750 each month. That’s a solid side hustle!

6. Turn Saving Money Into a Team Sport

If you’re a fan of friendly competition, start recruiting team members to join you on Ibotta, a free app that’ll grant you cash back on just about everything. Yeah, if you’re 21, you can even earn cash back from the bar.

If you’re not yet an Ibotta member, go ahead and sign up. Once you claim your first offer, you’ll earn a $10 bonus.

Then start building your team. You can refer friends and earn a $5 bonus. The more team members you have, the more shopping bonuses you’ll likely accrue. Can you say passive income? Plus, Ibotta ranks your earnings against your friends, which turns saving money into a friendly competition.

Just think how much you can earn if you get your whole dorm or sorority involved!

7. Sell Your Old Cell Phone

You know that old cell phone you have sitting in your junk drawer or perhaps your bedside table? It’s time to give it up and pocket some cash.

Gazelle is an online trade-in site that makes the process super easy.

Enter your device’s information, and Gazelle will give you a trade-in estimate. For qualifying devices, it’ll even send you a free box for shipping.

If you need money more quickly, see if an affiliated kiosk is located in your area. You’ll be able to get an estimate on your device, and if you agree to sell, you’ll immediately get cash.

8. Become a Tutor

Are you looking for on-campus jobs? Have you ever considered becoming a tutor?

Look for programs through your university or specific departments where you could get paid to work with other students.

For more flexibility, consider becoming an online tutor. Through a platform like Wyzant, you can browse tutoring jobs and set your own rates.

9. Get Refunds on Your Online Orders

It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you money. Intrigued?

One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up using the links we provide.

10. Find Money You Didn’t Know Was Yours

State treasuries throughout the U.S. have more than $43 billion in unclaimed funds, according to The New York Times. Just sitting around! Waiting for you to come play lost and found.

Check for your unclaimed money with the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. Click your state on the map, and it’ll redirect you to your state’s appropriate search site. (Beware: There are several look-a-like sites out there. Be sure you’re searching legitimate ones.)

Penny Hoarder reader Kelli Howell heeded our advice, performed a quick search and found unclaimed money in her husband’s name.

“As I was scrolling through, I saw his name and his middle initial,” she says. She asked him to confirm his old Florida address; he grew up in Tampa. Sure enough, Mark Howell was entitled to $56 from a “matured insurance policy.”

Not bad for an unexpected check, right?

11. Become a Virtual Employee

If you want more steady work and income still offering the flexibility you need to get to class and rest after pulling all-nighters, look online.

Not sure where to start your search for a remote gig? Turn to ZipRecruiter. Click here, and it’ll send you to a list of geo-tailored work-from-home job openings.

Because you don’t yet have a degree and aren’t seeking full-time employment, we suggest looking into these jobs:

Virtual recruiter: Put your networking skills to use and connect employees or freelancers to the right jobs. You’ll do things like post available jobs, screen resumes, conduct preliminary interviews and negotiate salaries.

Virtual assistant: Are you super organized? Get paid to help a busy professional stay on track. You can use the organization and communication skills you’ve developed to help out with data entry, social media management, website maintenance, research and customer service needs.

Transcriber: Know how to type speedy fast? Transcribing requires little to no prior experience and offers flexible hours and workloads. The work can be demanding, but the pay is a pretty good selling point: about $15 to $25 per hour for general transcription, and more if you specialize in a legal or medical field.

12. Advertise Your Skills as a Freelancer

Freelancing is a wonderful, flexible way to make money on the side. You set your own rates and your hours. It also can be a great way to gain experience and connect with potential employers before you even graduate.

Whether you’re a graphic designer, a writer, an editor or a computer programmer, you can find virtual gigs through platforms like Upwork, Fiverr and other freelance websites.

13. Sell Crafting Supplies on Etsy

Maybe you love crafting, but you simply don’t have the time to knit scarves, quilt blankets or cross-stitch sassy sayings to sell. Well, here’s some good news: You can make money simply selling craft kits and supplies.

Look for supplies, kits and patterns at thrift stores and garage sales. Find good deals, and resell these items to crafters on Etsy. Take note from Janet Berry-Johnson who was able to make an extra $200 a month by selling supplies on Etsy.

14. Get Paid for Completing Small Tasks on Amazon

Have you heard of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk?

Create an account, and start performing “human intelligence tasks.” These tasks range from answering surveys to transcribing interviews to creating spreadsheets. You can pick and choose what you want to do.

Penny Hoarder contributor Michael Naab shared that he made an average of $500 a month through Mechanical Turk.

15. Hang out With Dogs or Cats

If you’re looking for a flexible, independent way to earn money — and you love hanging out with dogs — Rover might be your perfect gig.

The online network connects dog walkers and sitters to local dog owners through its 4.9-star-rated app, so you don’t have to staple flyers on every utility pole across town.

Rover says sitters can earn as much as $1,000 a month.

Rover dog-sitter requirements vary by location. In general, you must:

Be 18 years or older.

Pass a background check.

Have access to the Rover app (iOS or Android).

Here’s how it works: You’ll create an online sitter profile where you’ll answer questions about your experience with puppers and your schedule availability.

You can choose to offer a variety of services, including dog walking, overnight boarding at your home or theirs, and daycare. Boarding is the app’s most popular service, so offering it can get you more gigs. You set your own rates. (Rover keeps a small percentage as a service fee.)

Dog owners will reach out to you. Accept which gigs you want, then start snugglin’ pups. As soon as you complete a service, you’ll be paid within two days.

16. Braid Horse Manes

Are your friends always asking you to do their hair? Put it in a French braid or a fancy knot?

Well, you can get paid to put your skills to use — on horses.

Kat Tretina worked on weekends braiding horse manes for shows. She had zero experience and invested an initial $20 for a supply kit. Then started banking $1,000 a month.

You’ll find some small shows in the fall and winter months, but spring and summer are the most popular.

And because the work happens almost exclusively on the weekends, you should have no problem fitting it around your class schedule.

17. Help Your Neighbors With Odd Jobs — the Modern Way

Odd jobs and side gigs are an awesome way to earn extra money without committing to a full-time job or fixed schedule.

Sure, you could always find work the old-fashioned way — have your parents ask their friends if they need help with anything. But modern technology and our infatuation with the sharing economy have made gigs a much more effective way of earning a living.

Use an app like TaskRabbit to connect with people in your area who need help with cleaning, assembling furniture or installing a new faucet.

If you’re not as handy around the house, you can use Instacart or Postmates to deliver groceries and takeout orders to people who don’t have time, resources or ability to do it on their own.

18. Pick up House-Sitting Gigs

If you’re not keen on babysitting or pet sitting, why not house sit? It could be a great way to escape your shared dorm room while also making some extra money.

There are tons of websites out there that’ll help you find the perfect gig. Check out a few of these house-sitting marketplaces.

19. Get Paid to Exercise

Bottom line: HealthyWage will literally pay you for losing weight.

Not only are you getting more healthy, you’re also making some money. How’s that for motivation?

Here’s how it works:

Read our full HealthyWage review, and sign up.

Define a goal weight and the amount of time you’ll give yourself to achieve it.

Place a bet on yourself ranging from $20 to $500 a month.

Depending on how much you have to lose, how long you give yourself to do it and how much money you put on the table, you could win up to $10,000!

Wondering if it can really work? We talked to one woman, Teresa Suarez, who lost 68 pounds — and made over $2,400.

20. Be on Your Favorite TV Game Show

Do you watch “Jeopardy!” or “Wheel of Fortune” every evening and feel like you’d crush the contestants?

You can be part of these shows more easily than you might think, and it can be a cool way to boost your budget.

To get started, read our full guide to becoming a game show contestant for details on joining “Jeopardy!,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, “The Price is Right” and more.

21. Claim Class-Action Settlements

Class-action lawsuits are a simple way to make some extra money on the side.

Heck, you’re probably already part of a class-action suit you don’t even know about. They come up more often than you might realize.

We share open settlements here when we hear about them, so keep an eye out.

To file a claim, you’ll usually just have to fill out an online form. Some settlements also require proof of purchase of a relevant product or service.

How much you get depends on how many claimants are part of the case settlement and the amount of the settlement. You could get anything from free tuna to a check for $5,000 from California hotels.

22. Deliver Packages for Amazon Flex

You know when you order a package through Amazon and receive it the same day? It’s not magic — it’s your friendly Amazon Flex delivery partner.

As an Amazon Flex delivery partner, you’ll deliver goods to consumers via Amazon.com, Prime Now, AmazonFresh and Amazon Restaurants.

Amazon Flex says you can make $18 to $25 an hour as a Flex associate, though that’ll depend on how much you’re able to deliver. It processes payments on Tuesdays and Fridays through direct deposit, so you should see your money on Wednesdays, Saturdays or both.

One of the biggest perks of this part-time gig is that you get to set your own schedule, using the Flex app to claim delivery blocks (or shifts) you want to work. You’re an independent contractor, though, so you’ll be responsible for expenses, including gas, parking and tolls.

To qualify, you’ll need a phone with the Flex app and a car. If you’re delivering Prime Now orders, any car will suffice; however, if you’re delivering for Amazon.com, you’ll need a four-door midsize sedan or larger. In some areas, bikes are acceptable.

The program recruits in various areas across the country based on need. If you don’t find your city on the list when you go to sign up, you can always join the waitlist.

23. Play Free Scratch-offs for a Chance to Win Real Money

You know that feeling when you find a $20 bill hiding in the pocket of those jeans you wore last week? Yeah, that’s the feeling of a lucky day. The Lucky Day app is just like that.

You could win up to $10,000 playing digital scratch-off tickets or even a whopping $100,000 in the daily lotto. You’ll also have a lot of chances to win gift cards to cool places like Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin and Target.

It’s all free to play, with no in-app purchases. The company has already awarded more than $3 million in prizes to winners since 2014.

No, it’s not guaranteed money, but it’s a fun way to pass the time when you’re just sitting around and, who knows, you could hit a big one!

24. Sell Your Instagram-Worthy Pictures

If you have a smartphone and a photographic eye, making money may have just gotten a lot easier. Oh – you’ll also need access to marketable scenery.

An app called Foap lets you turn your smartphone photos into cash.

Here’s how it works:

Download the free app and create an account.

Take a quality photo and upload it to Foap’s marketplace.

Someone buys the license to your photo for $10. You make $5.

If your photo sells 20 times, you make $5 each time and end up with $100 in your pocket — all for about five minutes of work. Pretty cool, right?

25. Serve as a Mock Juror From Your Laptop

Who isn’t obsessed with with true-crime podcasts these days? “My Favorite Murder,” anyone?

If you want an insider look at what happens when a case hits the courtroom, you can serve as an online mock juror through a site like eJury.

As a mock juror, you’ll review evidence including documents, videos and photos. The fate of the mock-innocent, or mock-guilty, could be in your hands. The goal? Help the lawyers prepare for the real thing.

You can earn $5 to $10 per case.

26. Sell Your Clutter and Make Some Cash

Living that minimalist lifestyle is all the rage right now, so why not use this mentality to your advantage?

Start taking a good hard look at your belongings. What do you actually need? What can you make money from?

Clothes: If you have clothes you haven’t worn in the last year, why do you hang onto them? Try selling them to folks in your area through an online marketplace like Letgo. It takes about five minutes to create your account and list an item, and it’s free.

Technology: About your overcrowded entertainment center… Consider selling these items to Decluttr. It’ll buy your old CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, video games and even cell phones and tablets. Shipping is free, and Decluttr pays you within 24 hours of retrieval.

Books: Bookshelf collecting dust? We love books as much as the next person, but see whether your treasures are worth anything by listing them on Amazon. With Amazon Trade-In, you can trade in your used textbooks, plus other items, like electronics, in exchange for an Amazon gift card.

Ready, set, purge.

27. Get Your Nanny on

Whether you want to look after school-aged kids on Saturday nights or help tired parents after school, you can find opportunities to use your child care experience to earn cash.

Look within your circle of friends and acquaintances first, as parents are more likely to trust someone they know. Ask friends if they know anyone else who could use a few hours to themselves, whether it’s to grocery shop or simply to head to the gym.

You can also let parents find you through Care.com. Rates on the platform will vary by city, but the average rate for babysitters in 2017 was $16.20 an hour, according to Care.com’s 2018 Cost of Care Survey.

28. Invest in Real Estate (Even as a College Student)

Want to try real-estate investing without playing landlord? We found a company that helps you do just that.

Oh, and you don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars, either. You can get started with a minimum investment of just $500. A company called Fundrise does all the heavy lifting for you.

Through the Fundrise Starter Portfolio, your money will be split into two portfolios that support private real estate around the United States.

This isn’t an obscure investment, though. You can see exactly which properties are included in your portfolios — like a set of townhomes in Snoqualmie, Washington, or an apartment building in Charlotte, North Carolina.

You can earn money through quarterly dividend payments and potential appreciation in the value of your shares, just like a stock. Cash flow typically comes from interest payments and property income (e.g. rent).

(But remember: Investments come with risk. While Fundrise has paid distributions every quarter since 2014, dividend and principal payments are never guaranteed.)

You’ll pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee.

29. Cash in on Your Smartphone Addiction

Let’s be real: That phone habit is hard to break. So you might as well make some money while you’re scrolling instead of totally waste your time.

Download AppKarma, a free rewards app that lets you earn cash and gift cards when you try out gaming apps and watch videos.

Android users can download the AppKarma app directly through the Google Play Store.

iPhone users: AppKarma is not in the app store, but you can use it from your mobile browser. Click on the link from your iOS device to access the AppKarma web app. Complete the first offer (and earn 100 points!) to get started.

Bonus: Penny Hoarders will get 500 extra points when you sign up, plus you’ll get an email shortly after signing up with a special promo code worth another 750 bonus points.

You can exchange your Karma Points for gift cards to Amazon, PayPal, iTunes, Target, Starbucks and Walmart, among other retailers.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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