#net 30 accounts for business

[quazies]

Well, the past week has been frustrating.

I’ll do my best to explain what’s gone wrong, but I don’t blame anyone who can’t wrap their head around it, because it’s a confusing mess. 

Within the past couple weeks I’ve made a new Adsense account under my business info (new bank account, tax number, etc) and it’s been rejected. Without an Adsense account linked to your YouTube, you can’t make ANY money from your videos. Because of “policy” they can’t tell me the EXACT thing I’ve done wrong, so I get to play the guessing game and loose the majority of my livelihood in the meanwhile!! Yippie!!! Just what I needed while working on one of my longest most ambitious projects yet!!! 

I have savings so it’s not a complete emergency, I can penny pinch for the next 30 to 90 days, or however long they keep me from monetizing my animations again. Thanks to my amazing Patrons, I still have a safety net for when stupid stuff like this happens.

Please consider checking out my Patreon while this BS is happening. I have 50 pages of storyboards up for my newest Godzilla animation, Character sheets, and when storyboarding wraps up I’ll be posting animation sneak peeks as well. Any support is greatly appreciated, and overall I just wanted folks to be aware of the situation. YouTube seems to enjoy finding new ways to disappoint me! I hope to one day reach my Patreon goal so I don’t have to feel so reliant on them to do what I love: making cartoons for you guys. I’ve had multiple situations of YouTube being unhelpful and this is definitely the worst case yet.

If you’re still reading, thanks for hearing me out, and if you’d like to check out the Patreon, it’s linked in my bio. Thank you guys as always, and thanks for watching my cartoons!

[strawberrum]

thinking about how I had a few folks at my last market suggest to me (kindly and with good intentions) that I make and sell some versions of the hand knit cardigan I was wearing because people would "totally pay $300 for that!"

I appreciated the sentiment, but people don't understand what goes into handmade clothes! I don't use a knitting machine. Every stitch in that garment is created by hand on needles, and the sleeves were brioche. Even using inexpensive acrylic yarn for the whole project, and accounting for the HUGE sleeve stitches (saving me time making the sleeves)—the material cost was $55 and the labor was well beyond that.

Let's conservatively estimate the cardigan took me 30 hours to create. Currently, when pressed to put a dollar amount to my time, I use the living wage as a baseline and then go up from there $1/hour for every year I have been actively practicing that particular skill. In the case of knitting that would be 11 years, and the current living wage in my area is approximately $23/hour. Setting aside the fact that this is calculated based on a 40 hour work week and I don't believe that is ethical or sustainable, we'll just leave it at $34/hour. That would make labor alone $1,020.

This brings the "production cost" to $1,075.

Items are not sold at production cost because that would leave your profit margin at 0%. This is not sustainable because it costs money to run a business (think things like paying for computer repairs, buying tools, the tablecloth you use at markets, paying for a website, etc.). Realistically to cover business costs and still come out with a 7% "net" profit margin, which is just a number pulled from averages in the clothing retail business...

... I'd have to sell that cardigan for $1,350.

So yeah! Something to think about when you see the price of clothes that are handmade. :o)

[living400lbs]

"Congressional salaries are $174,000. That pay has not increased since 2009; in real dollars, salaries are the lowest they’ve been since 1955. Our health insurance is purchased on the Affordable Care Act exchange. We pay 30% of the premium; the House of Representatives pays 70%, similar to most workplace insurance plans. ... Mandatory pensions take up 4.4% of the salary.... two residences are required; votes keep House members in Washington, D.C., about a hundred days each year. No housing allowance or per diem is paid, and no tax deduction for business housing is permitted. ...

Juxtapose these facts against the misconception that people become rich by serving in Congress. ... Congress is full of multimillionaires for the same reason that the NBA is full of tall people. It’s easier to get recruited and win with such advantages. Serving in Congress does not pad your bank account any more than playing basketball adds inches to your height. While we might accept physical attributes in athletes as natural or desirable, wealth does not give a better perspective for politics. It undercuts the purpose of representative democracy.

Americans rightfully fume that congressmembers trade stocks, convinced that insider information is misused, but we refuse to squarely address the harm that comes from representatives having such wealth in the first place. From 2019 to 2022, over 130 members of the House of Representatives each traded over $100,000 of stock. To trade that dollar volume in a year, these folks are either addicted day traders who cannot manage their money (much less our economy), or—and this is the reality—they own stocks worth many multiples of what they traded.

Representatives who are my peers in age and years of political service—like Cindy Axne, Mike Garcia, Ashley Hinson, Ro Khanna, Tom Malinowski, Blake Moore, Kim Schrier, and Mikie Sherrill—have each traded over $1 million while in office. In my life before Congress, I knew that people with net worths in the tens of millions were not my peers. Pretending they are in Congress is an indignity."

From I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan by US Rep Katie Porter

[mariacallous]

Two months ago, Lin Rui-siang, a young Taiwanese man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a white polo shirt, stood behind a lectern emblazoned with the crest of the St. Lucia police, giving a presentation titled “Cyber Crime and Cryptocurrency” in nearly fluent English to a roomful of cops from the tiny Caribbean country.

The St. Lucia government would later issue a press release lauding the success of Lin's training course, which had been organized by the Taiwanese embassy, where Lin worked as a diplomatic specialist in IT. The statement boasted that 30 officers had learned “nuances of the dark web" and cryptocurrency tracing skills from Lin, who had “used his professional background and qualifications in the field" to teach them how to better combat cybercrime.

Only earlier this week did it become clear exactly what Lin's “professional background and qualifications in the field” allegedly entailed, seemingly unbeknownst to either his Taiwanese employers or his St. Lucian law enforcement trainees. For nearly four years, according to the US Justice Department, 23-year-old Lin ran a dark-web drug market called Incognito that authorities say enabled the sale of at least $100 million worth of narcotics, ranging from MDMA to heroin for cryptocurrencies including bitcoin and monero. That was before Lin's alleged theft of his own users' funds earlier this year and then his arrest last week by the FBI in New York's JFK airport.

Over his years working as a cryptocurrency-focused intern at Cathay Financial Holdings in Taipei and then as a young IT staffer at St. Lucia's Taiwanese embassy, Lin allegedly lived a double life as a dark-web figure who called himself “Pharoah" or “faro”—a persona whose track record qualifies as remarkably strange and contradictory even for the dark web, where secret lives are standard issue. In his short career, Pharoah launched Incognito, built it into a popular crypto black market with some of the dark web's better safety and security features, then abruptly stole the funds of the market's customers and drug dealers in a so-called “exit scam” and, in a particularly malicious new twist, extorted those users with threats of releasing their transaction details.

During those same busy years, Pharoah also launched a web service called Antinalysis, designed to defeat crypto money laundering countermeasures—only for Lin, who prosecutors say controlled that Pharoah persona, to later refashion himself as a crypto-focused law enforcement trainer. Finally, despite his supposed expertise in cryptocurrency tracing and digital privacy, it was Lin's own relatively sloppy money trails that, the DOJ claims, helped the FBI to trace his real identity.

Among all those incongruities, though, it's the image of Lin giving his cryptocurrency crime training in St. Lucia—which Lin proudly posted to his LinkedIn account—that shocked Tom Robinson, a cofounder of the blockchain analysis firm Elliptic, who has long tracked Lin's alleged Pharoah alter ego. “This is an alleged dark-net market admin standing in front of police officers, showing them how to use blockchain analytics tools to track down criminals online,” says Robinson. “Assuming he is who the FBI says he is, it's incredibly ironic and brazen.”

Pharoah the Kingpin—and Extortionist

Lin has been charged with not only narcotics conspiracy and money laundering but also running a “continuing criminal enterprise,” the so-called “kingpin statute” reserved for organized crime leaders who allegedly oversaw at least five employees. For that charge alone, he faces a potential life sentence.

In the DOJ's criminal complaint against Lin, it points to a handwritten document the FBI pulled from his email, which appears to sketch out a flow chart for a dark-web market's mechanics. The complaint's FBI affidavit says Lin emailed himself the sketch in March 2020 when he was at most 19 years old. It describes functionality such as how “vendors” and “buyers” would register, make purchases, and encrypt shipping addresses. Seven months later, Lin would allegedly launch Incognito Market.

According to the FBI, the market took nearly a year to catch on, with virtually no sales during that time. But by late 2021, Incognito had started to attract users, and by the middle of 2022, the market had drawn enough vendors and sellers to generate more than $1.5 million a month in sales.

A 2022 Twitter thread about Incognito posted by Eileen Ormsby, an author of several dark-web-focused books including The Darkest Web, shows how the market by that time had added features that may have helped it to catch the attention of security- and safety-conscious users. It required that new users demonstrate they could use the encryption tool PGP before entering the market, prompted them to take a security quiz, allowed buyers to spend the more privacy-focused cryptocurrency monero as well as bitcoin, encouraged dealers to post results from a fentanyl test to certify their product was “fent free,” and even experimented with democratic voting for market-wide decisions.

By the summer of 2023, Incognito had spiked in popularity and was approaching $5 million a month in sales. Then in March of this year, the site suddenly dropped offline, taking all the funds stored in buyers' and sellers' wallets with it. A few days later, the site reappeared with a new message on its homepage. “Expecting to hear the last of us yet?” it read. “We got one final little nasty surprise for y'all.”

The message explained that Incognito was now essentially blackmailing its former users: It had stored their messages and transaction records, it said, and added that it would be creating a “whitelist portal” where users could pay a fee—which for some dealers would later be set as high as $20,000—to remove their data before all the incriminating information was leaked online at the end of this month. “YES THIS IS AN EXTORTION!!!” the message added.

In retrospect, Ormsby says that the site's apparent user-friendliness and its security features were perhaps a multiyear con laying the groundwork for its endgame, a kind of user extortion never seen before in dark-web drug markets. “Maybe the whole thing was set up to create a false sense of security,” Ormsby says. “The extorting thing is completely new to me. But if you've lulled people into a sense of security, I guess it's easier to extort them.”

In total, Incognito Market promised to leak more than half a million drug transaction records if buyers and sellers didn't pay to remove them from the data dump. It's still not clear whether the market's administrator—Lin, according to prosecutors, whom they accuse of personally carrying out the extortion campaign—planned to follow through on the threat: He appears to have been arrested before the deadline set for the victims of the Incognito blackmail.

An Expert in ‘Anti Anti-Money Laundering’

At the same time the FBI says Lin was laying the groundwork for this double-cross, he also appears to have briefly tried engineering an entirely different scheme. In the summer of 2021, during Incognito Market's relatively quiet first year, Lin's alleged alter ego, Pharoah, launched a service called Antinalysis, a website designed to analyze blockchains and let users check—for a fee—whether their cryptocurrency could be connected to criminal transactions.

In a post to the dark-web market forum Dread, Pharoah made clear that Antinalysis was designed not to help anti-money-laundering investigators, but rather those who sought to evade them—presumably including his own dark-web market's users. “Our goals do not lie in aiding the surveillance autocracy of state-sponsored agencies,” Pharoah's post read. “This service is dedicated to individuals that have the need to possess complete privacy on the blockchain, offering a perspective from the opponent's point of view in order for the user to comprehend the possibility of his/her funds getting flagged down under autocratic illegal charges.”

After independent cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs wrote about the Antinalysis service in August 2021, describing it as an “anti anti-money laundering service for crooks,” Pharoah posted another message complaining that Antinalysis had lost access to its blockchain data source, which Krebs had identified as the anti-money-laundering tool AMLBot, and that it would be going offline. “Stay posted and fuck LE," Pharoah wrote, using the abbreviation LE to mean “law enforcement.” Antinalysis eventually returned, however, and pivoted last year to acting instead as a service for swapping bitcoin for monero and vice versa.

Meanwhile, Lin appears to have maintained his obsession with cryptocurrency tracing and blockchain analysis: His final LinkedIn post last week before his arrest in New York announced that he had become a certified user of Reactor, the crypto tracing tool sold by blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. “I'm excited to share that I've completed Chainalysis's new qualification: Chainalysis Reactor Certification (CRC)!” Lin wrote in Mandarin. His last X post shows a Chainalysis diagram of money flows between dark-web markets and cryptocurrency exchanges.

It's not clear whether Lin obtained his Chainalysis certification to bolster a new career training law enforcement in blockchain analysis or, if US prosecutors are to be believed, to advance his previous alleged career as a dark-web criminal. But it raises the troubling possibility that a former dark-web kingpin—one who was still extorting his own users—was perhaps playing both sides of the crypto tracing game, says Elliptic's Tom Robinson.

“There’s a larger issue here about bad actors accessing blockchain analytics tools,” says Robinson. “That is a potentially risky situation, where someone who’s in the process of laundering proceeds of crime can check in commercially available tools whether they have laundered them such that they can get away with it.” Running certain checks in those tools might even allow someone to determine if they're being actively investigated by law enforcement, Robinson says.

WIRED reached out to Chainalysis to ask about Lin's Reactor certification and what sort of safeguards prevent criminals from using the company's software, but the company declined to comment.

If Lin did hope to evade law enforcement by becoming an expert in crypto tracing himself, he was far too late to avoid creating his own blockchain trail of evidence: In January of this year, the FBI says it somehow identified a central Incognito server and obtained a search warrant for its contents. That allowed investigators to identify a bitcoin wallet stored there, which the FBI says Lin had also carelessly used to pay web registrar Namecheap for four web domains—including one that tracked which dark-web markets were online or down—and register them under his own name.

Although the FBI says Lin tried to swap his bitcoins for harder-to-trace monero before cashing out the cryptocurrency at an exchange, the criminal complaint points to timing and amount correlations that nonetheless allowed the FBI to follow his funds to a crypto exchange where he allegedly liquidated the dirty funds. That exchange account, too, was registered in Lin's real name, according to the DOJ.

The operational security mistakes the FBI describes suggest that, regardless of which side of the cryptocurrency cat-and-mouse game Lin intended to end up on, he was far from a criminal mastermind. His brief, strange journey from alleged kingpin to crypto crime expert ultimately provides plenty of lessons to criminals and law enforcement alike—though probably not the ones he intended.

[t0rschlusspan1k]

29.12.2023 | Petitions for the environment and climate change.

Please read, share wherever you can, talk about them and if you can afford it, please, please, please donate - consider taking up a collection among your friends.

Actions.eko.com: Nestlé and P&G: Stop setting Indonesia’s rainforests on fire

Indonesia’s forests are burning – a thick toxic haze suffocates half of the country, keeping children out of school and forcing people and animals to relocate. But it didn’t happen by accident and we know who the arsonists are. Together, we will hold them accountable. Nestlé and Procter & Gamble are doing business with rogue palm oil and paper producers who recklessly burn precious rainforests to the ground to expand their monocultures, steal Indigenous lands, and drive orangutans, rhinos, and elephants closer to the brink of extinction. (keep reading)

Rainforest Action Network - RAN: This one is for donating, they need 100,00$ by December 31!

We urgently need your help to fight for the world's last rainforests in 2024 by making any size donation today. Those who believe they can change the world are the ones that do. Donate now.

Help us challenge mega-corporations like Liberty Mutual, Bank of America, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé and Mondelēz. Their thirst for endless profits contributes to the widespread destruction of irreplaceable rainforests like the Leuser Ecosystem of North Sumatra and the Amazon rainforest and fuels the expansion of dangerous fossil fuel projects that choke the life out of the planet. For a small organization, RAN's significant impact is only possible because of dedicated supporters like YOU. Your generous donation today makes a world of difference.

Rainforest Rescue: DRC: Do not sacrifice Congo's rainforests to the oil industry!

The DRC government in Kinshasa is nearing a point of no return: President Tshisekedi wants to sacrifice vast areas of Congo rainforest and peatland for oil. This would be an unmitigated disaster for the climate, biodiversity and local people. Together with our African partner organizations, we can put a stop to these plans. The rainforests of the Congo Basin are home to millions of people and countless animal and plant species, including chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. They are a treasure trove of biodiversity and crucial to the fight against climate change. Despite this, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began auctioning 27 oil and 3 gas blocks in late July. The blocks cover some of the last remaining intact forests on Earth. Three of the blocks overlap the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, which are estimated to store 30 billion tons of carbon, the equivalent to one years’ worth of global emissions. The peatlands are so vast and remote that little is known about the biodiversity at stake there. Nine oil blocks overlap protected areas. More than half of the Congo Basin's peatlands and 60 percent of its rainforest are in the DRC, the country plays a key role in the fight against the climate crisis. The science is clear: the governments of the world must cut carbon emissions in half within the next eight years. In his speech at the UN's COP26 conference in Glasgow, President Tshisekedi promoted the vital role of the Congo Basin forests in regulating the global climate and his intention to enhance DRC’s energy mix by "combining several types of energy: biomass, hydro, solar." The cost of not doing so, he said, would be a climate crisis. The world cannot afford any further expansion of oil and gas. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an immediate end to new investment in fossil fuel supply projects is the first step to keep global warming below 1.5°C and achieve global net zero emissions by 2050. In an alliance of environmentalists from Africa and around the world, we want to keep the oil in the ground and the fossil fuel industry out of the Congo Basin. Please sign our joint petition!

DR Congo: Stop the destruction by miners and loggers in Tshopo!

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the second largest area of rainforest on Earth. Defending it is crucial to the fight against climate change and the extinction crisis. Yet miners are polluting rivers and loggers clearing forests in Tshopo province. In the small town of Basoko, local people are fighting back. The people of the small town of Basoko fear for their health and livelihoods: the Aruwimi River, a tributary of the Congo, has been polluted ever since the Chinese mining company Xiang Jiang Mining began dredging for gold there. Some species of fish have disappeared completely. Skin diseases are on the rise. "We say NO to mining in Aruwimi, which is destroying our ecosystem in an anarchic way," states a memorandum to the county government read during a demonstration. On March 11, 2022, residents of the region protested on land and with boats against the trashing of their environment. Mining is not the only threat to nature in Tshopo province: companies such as FODECO, Congo Futur and SOFORMA are reportedly logging at a breakneck pace near Basoko. "They are systematically plundering the forests without any benefit to local people," says Jean-François Mombia Atuku, chairman of the environmental protection organization RIAO-RDC. "Anyone who demands accountability is silenced," he said, adding that workers are "kept like slaves" in the forest. "Human rights are not relevant for these companies." The grievances regarding mining have been heard in the capital Kinshasa: In January 2022, Environment Minister Eve Bazaiba called on Xiang Jiang Mining to cease operations by February 25, 2022. However, nothing has changed since then – the company is still operating, apparently unimpressed. "What we need now is international pressure," says Jean-François Mombia Atuku. It must be brought to bear on President Tshisekedi, who positioned his country as a heavyweight in the fight against the climate crisis during the COP26 climate conference. It’s time to apply that international pressure – please sign our petition.

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Wordsville's Official Release -- Is It Really an Odd Squad Clone? (Part 2)

Because Tumblr! Photo limits! Why, uh...whose dumb idea was it to put a photo limit in here? Man, that'll take a while to get used to.

Let's go on with Part 2 of my Wordsville analysis.

(Make sure you read through Part 1 first!)

If this were any other show with a reasonable episode length, I'd be fine with this. Covering all this? Essential to a mystery.

In 8 minutes, though? No. They fill out half of the columns in a rush in the first half, and then leave three open for the second half of the runtime. Read my digital lips: N. O. Not if you want your series to be good.

This is a good time to remind people they are putting out 33 episodes of this shit. That is an entire-ass season of messy pacing, rushed plotlines, and characters that I wouldn't know a single thing about if I hadn't unearthed the series' synopsis and character descriptions.

They have.

Their own.

FUCKING.

CURRENCY?!?!?!

Y'know, even Jackalope Dollars make some sense. Canadian money makes some sense. This? This is repainted Monopoly money and you can get the fuck out of my house with that because it's card-only entry.

I do so remember when WordGirl had a bit of a popularity renaissance on Twitter last year or so.

This show...is like the complete and utter opposite of that.

Ahaha...geddit? 'Cause...'cause she's an athlete, and...she's eating a brownie...which is unhealthy...

ARE YOU LAUGHING, SON? ARE YA LAUGHIN'? DO YOU FIND THIS FUNNY OH MY GOD PLEEEEEEEEASE LAUGH.

makes edible food that is meant to net customers said edible food is not for sale

By all accounts, people, these donuts are meant to be edible. So in what fuck-all world of logic would you use edible food as an advertising gimmick for a bakery? That shit will go bad within a week, and then what? You waste supplies remaking them.

Bro, get some cardboard copies. Fuck, in this high-tech universe you could probably 3D-print inedible donuts that spell "scrumptious" and put them on display!

AND THAT.

IS WHY.

YOU MAKE.

THEM.

INEDIB-

"Official Word Mystery business", "official Odd Squad business", it's all the same and you're not being slick.

You could tell me this was Otto's little brother and I honestly wouldn't even argue with you on that. I'd give you $10 and concede.

Man, and I thought Odd Squad's "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Dimension" featured abuse way too heavily for my liking, and here's this kid feeding donuts to a cat which are made out of ingredients cats really shouldn't eat, let alone digest.

Graham didn't make these treats cat-friendly. They were made for humans. And he's giving them to a cat.

As someone who worked at an animal shelter, of course you realize this means war, Gene Vet Wilder.

I'm not gonna lie to all of you.

I was legitimately going to fawn over the cat...until my eyes drifted down, and I thought the cat was wearing a feline airbag.

It's dude's arm.

...No more BIG BONG tonight.

Naming your cat "Yummy" means you have already committed at least ten cat crimes.

It's also ironic, because cats can and will eat your dead corpse.

Give dude 30 years, it'll catch up with him.

No. No. You know what sounds cute? Nyammy.

You know what doesn't sound cute? Yummy.

You know what name isn't crazy ironic? Nyammy.

Problem solved.

I think I can safely say "Crime at Shapely Manor" handled the traditional mystery a lot better than...uh...whatever this was going for.

Not animated + L + ratio'd + tour an animation school and call me back.

See, the reason why this hurts is because this just proves the entire series could be animated, in full and properly, and there would be no issue.

What we got is Sinking Ship's brand of creation applied in one of the worst ways possible, and I'm still as disappointed as when I walked in here.

At the very least, I'll give them points for not having Glory and Wilder and Graham voice themselves. Given how they weren't there when Gabby and Sly were solving the case, it would be too weird.

And this is why you don't make edible food as an advertising gimmick to get people to buy your shit aaaaaaaaand I have a headache again.

But- I- br- HOW DID BRO GET A BOX FOR THE DONUTS. H O W . NOT GONNA EXPLAIN THAT SHIT ARE YOU YA SORRY FU-

It's pretty much standard business knowledge that the advertisement-making comes first, before you serve the customer.

But this guy made his advertising while on the job. You...uh...well, you can do that, but in this particular case, that's what we call "a dumbass move".

FWIW, returning bought food to the bakery you bought it from is also a dumbass move.

I don't care if these haven't been touched. Eat them, and then help Graham make new ones. Inedible ones.

Cool!

TOSS THEM THE FUCK OUT.

Seren puts on a tight smile. "No," she utters. "No. When Odd Squad does it, it's funny. Not here."

Seren then spends 34 years eyeballing the Hollywood music industry aggressively.

In 7 minutes, with rushed pacing, and I have no idea what the hell your personality is even supposed to be.

Sly's, yeah, a little. Yours? I- no. Mm-mm.

...Okay, I don't know what the hell her personality is supposed to be besides loving gingerbread.

Seriously, this is one of the few times the sample script is actually better than what we got.

Oh fucking hell. No wonder I didn't like this episode -- it was written by the same person who created it.

And it's been a while since I've had to whip this out, but I'm going to take the criticism I had about Season 3 writers not watching Odd Squad before getting hired and apply it to here. If Christin had actually watched Odd Squad prior to writing and creating this show, I guaran-goddamn-tee we would have gotten something leagues better. And I know they've written for other SSE shows, but this is focusing on Odd Squad and Wordsville specifically.

Credits rundown to avoid hitting the photo limit:

Mia SwamiNathan plays Gabby. She also voices Zadie in Work It Out Wombats (haha Canadian actor pool, dive in suckers!), and while Zadie is my favorite character, that will not give this show any sort of a saving grace. The actress, yes. The show, hell no.

Matthew Bishop is the animation Executive Producer. He also worked on Odd Squad. Which makes the stuff in this show seem a lot more insulting.

Ah, yes. What I want all my songs for my show to be made by. A company called Daysun. (Hey, FWIW, I've seen worse.)

Wait, wait! It can get worse! Smiley Guy Studios did the animation! And y'know, I could make a "they hired people from Walmart to animate this shit?" joke, but instead I'll say how Sinking Ship has a whole-ass animation division and they couldn't animate the show themselves. If they did, it would have been a lot better than what we got.

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

So I might as well address the elephant in the room to kick off the conclusion: is Wordsville an Odd Squad ripoff, really and truly?

The answer...no. Not exactly. If anything, it's more like an inferior copy, if the word "copy" were hanging fast and loose like a shoe on an electric wire.

I'm going to use "Crime at Shapely Manor" as a direct comparison. In that episode, we get a sort of traditional mystery similar to what Wordsville gives us. We have suspects lined out, we have what they did, we have clues, we have a summation, all that jazz. The difference, though, is that "Crime at Shapely Manor" not only had 14 more minutes to flex their skills in the mystery genre beyond what spin Odd Squad in and of itself as a show puts on it (typical of police procedurals, it does have mystery elements), but they did it incredibly well. Even with the suspect being a downright fucking cliche, they still managed to do it while leaving the audience entertained and opening our minds to the personalities of "I can emote like a Discord chat server" Olive and "I do not understand financial concepts when it comes to very valuable furniture pieces" Otto. It can breathe. It does mystery well. Wordsville...doesn't. Eight minutes is not sufficient for the mystery genre. And if you want to prove me wrong by showing me a piece of media from a mystery show made for kids that is 8 minutes long, go right ahead. Enlighten me. Prove me wrong. But there my opinion stands.

I really could bore you all with the differences I managed to unearth between Wordsville and Odd Squad. I really could. Even more than that, I could bore you all with all the negative shit I found in what has to be the craziest combined 40 minutes I ever wasted of my life. But I'll boil it down to key elements only.

So first of all...the characters. The side ones are confined to a single career just based on their names, and as far as I can tell, the only trait they were all given was "serious about their jobs". (Gene Vet Wilder also does...magic, I guess? I mean whatever floats the boat...) Gabby and Sly, on the other hand...I genuinely can't pinpoint them. Best I can gather is that Gabby is the serious one and Sly is the silly one. So basically, an Olive/Otto dynamic where their little siblings take the spotlight. That's about it. Their friendship, let alone their personalities, are barely touched on in favor of shoving the mystery in your face. For an example: one episode revolves around their "Friendaversary", and them disagreeing on what they're going to do to celebrate it. Now, we already got this as an Odd Squad conflict in a similar way, and it was amazing. I loved "Happy Halfiversary"! Otis busted his ass for Olympia, and she did the same for him. We got some worldbuilding, some good old character interactions, and some funny jokes to boot. For "Uncompromising Community", what we get is a shitty plot that only serves as gift wrap for the mystery of the episode, which revolves around Firefighter Ember giving a fire safety course that Reporter Read plans to make a new story out of, while Baker Graham has a prior engagement with her. And if you're thinking "that sounds fun", then watch the episode and get back to me. That's good for an 11-minute plot. Not for 8 minutes with a full minute dedicated to both opening and closing credits.

Second on the list is the lack of worldbuilding. Lore. Basically anything of substance. Wordsville is, at its core, episodic. So's Odd Squad, to an extent. For Wordsville, if I hadn't read the synopsis of the series prior to watching it, I wouldn't know what the fuck was going on or what it was even about. I wouldn't know that the main cast are supposed to be only children, or that Wordsville is apparently a town...somewhere...on a map...somewhere. Does the Wordsville Online Detective Agency only have Gabby and Sly? Why is it online-only? Is there air? You don't know! I don't know either, and that's the thing that gets to me. I wasn't expecting anything heavy and lore-filled a la Odd Squad, but I wasn't expecting anything simplistic and bland, either. I've seen slice-of-life kids cartoons, and a lot of them are more enjoyable and have a lot more stuff to work with while also expanding on the world and telling me more about it. Wordsville...ain't it. It gives a big "fuck you" and trucks along.

Third of all, the educational aspect of it. Old-timers who have been watching the show for a long time know that one of the things that makes Odd Squad appealing is how it hides math into the plot in a way where it isn't super obvious and all up in your George Foreman grill. It's there, sure, and it does hinder the plot at times, but for me, I don't mind it. I'm still engaged. I want to know what happens. For Wordsville, the education is, indeed, all up in my George Foreman grill. It is fucking everywhere. Not hidden, just completely out in the open. WordGirl is probably the best show I can draw a comparison to, even though it's in a different demo -- while WordGirl does have word lessons, they are slipped into the plot much like Odd Squad and aren't shoved in there with an attitude I dare to even call obligatory. Wordsville is the entire opposite, and they absolutely do not, cannot, and will not miss a chance to educate you on words any chance it gets. Do not let the 4-7 age bracket fool you; this is a preschool show on something far more fucked up than "I'm having an 18-hour seizure with the cockroaches on a public bathroom floor" meth. And don't let Odd Squad's 4-8 age bracket fool you; that's a kids show people have watched while high on weed and had hella crazy trips. (And acid, in one case, which got far crazier.)

And finally, the animation, which I mentioned before but I'm bringing up more to summarize. Like I said, Odd Squad has good animation. Not 2D, though; it's CGI. It's not stellar, but it's solid. The creature designs in particular get real crazy. In Wordsville, the "animation" is drag-and-drop stuff that's half-done and has characters' heads and expressions on them for the lawl unique 'n quirky. I'm not shitting you when I said I was thinking of South Park when I was watching the animated bits. Hell, you could tell me the animated bits were a South Park parody and I'd believe you! But it's not. It's not a parody at all. And before you go at my throat saying "that is a literal child", I'd like to remind you that I know people under 18 who draw and animate a lot better. (I'm looking at a good chunk of you reading this and giving you a thumbs-up. Keep up the great work!) It's just like I said before: they had the potential to do something better, and they completely threw it away. Animation is hard. It's expensive. Sinking Ship is not a rich company. But they've done better in terms of 2D animation. They could have done better here.

What my opinion of the show overall boils down to is that I would have been happy with just the show synopsis and the sample script. I would have been happy with the one Seren's Study. Now, not only have I been proven fantastically wrong, but I've been proven fantastically wrong in the worst way I could have ever possibly imagined, because it somehow got worse than what I was expecting.

Now, I'm going to put a disclaimer out that this is my opinion. If you wanna go and watch Wordsville and decide for yourself how it is, go for it! Be my guest! No one's stopping you, and if you happen to like it then I will respect your opinion. But as it stands across these first 5 episodes, it's not my cup of tea. I think I'm better off giving WordGirl a rewatch.

Thanks for reading. See you all in the next Seren's Study!

[beardedmrbean]

AMay 17 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a black and white image of several members of Congress gathered together.

The post criticized Republicans for "attacks on the poor and the sick with the threat of catastrophic debt default," then made a claim about former President Donald Trump:

"Trump increased that debt far more than any president in history," the post says in part. "Under Trump, Republicans − and Democrats − had no objection to raising the debt ceiling three times."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shared a similar claim on Twitter that garnered over 11,000 likes. A version of that post was posted on Facebook by the left-wing account Occupy Democrats and shared more than 900 times.

Our rating: False

The total federal debt increased more under the Obama administration in terms of raw dollars than any other president, according to government data. Experts say it is difficult to determine how much debt one president is responsible for since spending and policies can carry over from one administration to the next.

Obama incurred more debt than any other president

The post comes after weeks of standstill between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the issue of raising the debt ceiling, which limits how much the government can borrow, as USA TODAY reported. 

But contrary to the post’s claim, the total federal debt increased more under former President Barack Obama than it did under the Trump administration, according to David Primo, a political science and business administration professor at the University of Rochester.

There are different ways of measuring debt, experts said. 

Using Treasury Department data, the total public debt, which includes intragovernmental holdings and public debt, increased by approximately $7.8 trillion from the start of Trump’s presidency on Jan. 20, 2017, to when he left office on Jan. 19, 2021. Under Obama, however, the public debt increased by about $9.3 trillion from when he was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009, to when he left office on Jan. 19, 2017.

Some experts look at debt accumulated each fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1 of a given calendar year and ends Sept. 30 of the next year, according to Primo. That yields similar results.

Fact check: No, Trump is not required to register as a sex offender after E. Jean Carroll case

At the end of fiscal year 2016 − three months before Trump took office − the debt was about $19.5 trillion, according to historical fiscal year debt data from the Office of Management and Budget. That number increased to about $26.9 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2020 three months before Trump left office, marking a $7.4 trillion increase.

However, at the end of fiscal year 2008 before Obama took office, the debt was about $10 trillion and increased to about $19.5 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2016 before Obama left office, netting approximately a $9.5 trillion increase, according to the data. 

There are caveats to these comparisons: Trump was only in office for four years while Obama was in office for eight years. The data for the federal fiscal year overlaps. And in both cases, the debt is measured using the nominal amount added each year, so it doesn't account for inflation.

Some economists believe the debt-to-GDP ratio is a better metric for gauging debt increase because the nominal levels of debt do not matter as much as how much debt the nation has as a share of its output, Primo said. Which president ranks first in this category would depend on the method of calculation used but Trump would not have the highest figures regardless, Primo said.

"In the post-WWII era, the increases in debt as a percentage of GDP were highest during and right after WWII," Primo said. "In the modern era, it’s still not Trump."

Experts say it is hard to blame any one president on rising debt

There are several reasons why it is difficult to cast the blame for increasing debt on any one president, experts said.

Debt increases are due to policies jointly agreed to by Congress and the president, so Congress bears some responsibility, according to Primo.

For instance, Obama signed into law a 2009 stimulus package passed by Congress, which extended former President George W. Bush’s tax cuts, and a tax extenders omnibus bill at the end of 2015, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Both policies worsened debt.

Fact check: Post wrongly claims new House reimbursement policy circumvents Constitution

When Trump was in office, he signed into law the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which lowered statutory tax rates on all taxable income levels and made debt soar, according to the Tax Policy Center and ProPublica.

“The country takes on debt anytime its outlays exceed its revenues,” Primo said. “This can occur due to one-time expenses such as the COVID-19 relief package or to structural changes to the budget, such as tax cuts or the creation of new government programs. In the long run, the biggest drivers of debt increases will be due to entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security.”

All presidents also inherit spending from previous administrations, noted William Hoagland, senior vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

For instance, the Affordable Care Act implemented under Obama carried over to Trump’s presidency. The act expands the Medicaid program and provides health insurance to low-income consumers.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Associated Press and PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

David Primo, May 23-30, Email exchange with USA TODAY

William Hoagland, May 23-30, Email exchange with USA TODAY

Steve Ellis, May 24-26 Email exchange with USA TODAY

Treasury Department, accessed May 26, Debt to the Penny

Office of Management and Budget, accessed May 26, Federal debt data

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, July 25, 2016, Has President Obama Doubled the National Debt?

Tax Policy Center, accessed May 30, Briefing Book

ProPublica, Jan. 14, 2021, Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It’ll Weigh Down the Economy for Years

Associated Press, May 18, FACT FOCUS: Who’s to blame for the national debt? It’s more complicated than one culprit

[reasoningdaily]

Now, an even more powerful AI application has entered the scene -- Auto-GPT.

The application's promising, autonomous abilities may make it our first glimpse of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a type of AI that can perform human-level intellectual tasks. 

Since its release on Mar. 30, 2023, people have been fascinated by it, making it one of the hottest topics on Twitter multiple days in a row. 

Auto-GPT has internet access, long-term and short-term memory management, GPT-4 for text generation and file storage and summarization with GPT-3.5, according to the Github post. 

Anything you can ask ChatGPT, like debugging code, and writing an email, you can ask Auto-GPT. However, you can ask Auto-GPT to complete even more advanced tasks, with fewer prompts, as seen by the demo examples below. 

Also: How to use ChatGPT to summarize content

The Github demo shows sample goal prompts such as "Increase net worth, grow Twitter Account, Develop and manage multiple businesses." 

The applications limitations listed on Github do warn that Auto-GPT's output, "May not perform well in complex, real-world business scenarios." However, the results users have been sharing show that Auto-GPT can deliver some really impressive (and helpful) results. 

On Twitter, users are sharing some of they ways they're using it which include using Auto-GPT to create an app, generate a new startup, tackle complex topics like the future of healthcare and medicine, and even stalk themselves on the internet. 

However, accessing Auto-GPT is much more challenging than accessing ChatGPT. So despite Auto-GPT being way more capable, if you have simpler needs that ChatGPT can meet and don't want to be bothered with an installation process, ChatGPT may be a better option for you. 

[jlonejacketwthe30out]

HYBRID FORMS

this project was a study in form and shape and their link to designs. we looked at a bunch of packaging for this. i made a gift box shaped like a hexagon. pretty fun stuff. it did practically break though. lets get intew ittttt 🤗

to begin, i needed an audience. if you didn't feel like making your own, three were provided to choose from! 1 being a student who recently graduated, 2 being a business person who commutes often and 3 - a new parent. i chose the new parent because,,, baby❤️

attended a guest lecture; notes from aforementioned guest lecture. the first half really deconstructed the creative process behind packaging design; really cool. the second half explored how the presentation of art/ a design can enhance it; also really cool!

notes & ideas! i was settling on something skincare ish. but i needed to remind myself that my target demographic was a new parent; not the new parent's baby!

standing in the sainsburys baby isle to check out the ~current market~. coincidentally, sun care items were right next to the baby things, which was an idea i was also juggling. i looked at both of these items' packaging designs and tried pinpointing how they appealed to their respective audiences.

back in the classroom, we were experimenting with shape nets! the point of this was to see how designs were impacted by the surfaces they're being presented on. the task was to draw on the nets before and after forming the shapes; taking the differences into account and how this knowledge should impact our idea development and outcomes.

ideas development LETS GOOOOOOOOO so i was inspired to make a gift set like the festive ones sold at The Body Shop; the material of them is soooo nice and i loved the streamlined, structured fit of the boxes. because my products were family oriented, i wanted my outcome to sort of look like a house.

here i am playing with more complex shape nets; watch that hexagon one. i did more w the hexagon.

trying to make a 'roof' for the 'house' - a hexagon based pyramid for my hexagonal prism (ive never been good at maths so the geometry element of this project got me so bad.... but more on that later😓)

the next day i decided to make a BIG hexagonal prism net - my grade 4 gcse maths was NOT coming in clutch to any degree but i got there in the end.

i continued to made another big net at home, this time for the lid of my box - of you look closely you can see i tried to make t a tiny bit bigger that the one i already had but erm... 😂

[30 PICTURE PER POST LIMIT? GUESS I GOTTA DO A PART 2... 🚶🏾]

[dairy-farmer]

okay random idea but-

Janet as a notorious gold digger, she hangs around rich people events and lets guys hit it raw, she's the original baby trapper in Gotham

and maybe Bruce is a mix of drunk and depressed but he knows he has to keep his cover (or could also be pre-batman!) so he just... indulges when a hot lady is luring him to a side room

and maybe it even happens a few times! Bruce doesn't even need to bother learning her name, he just catches a glimpse and knows the deal

idk if Bruce or Janet will disappear first but either way, by the time Dick is Robin, Janet has dyed her hair (trying to escape her reputation?) and settled down with Jack while Bruce is busy redefining his life, etc

this is really all leading up to Tim as Bruces bio kid eventually taking his mother's place as Bruce's party slut

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

okay but say jack dies early, unexpectedly. janet traveled alongside jack both as a partner and as a trophy wife which she was happy to do because she got to see more of the world than she ever would stuck in gotham.

jack gets sick or maybe has a surprise stroke or heart attack. he IS old...er. much older than janet. she's in her mid 30s while jack was in his early 50s. quite the age gap but she didn't mind (especially given how he'd showered her with lavish gifts and made her promises he always followed through on.)

janet is sad. of course she is. her once upon a time sugar daddy and husband was now being flown home to gotham in a casket.

and things are...complicated. financial wise.

jack didn't leave a will. sure janet was his wife and normally everything that was his was now hers but jack wasn't even cold in the ground before every half cousin, distant aunt, or childhood friend were all crawling out of the woodwork claiming jack had left them this or that.

a lot of the money gets drained just paying the legal fees. janet's safety net is holding on by thin ropes because she was never in charge of the finances! this was never her job!!

jack was kind to her, cared for her. more than any man ever had before.

she's battling with the grief of his death plus now being in charge of a large estate plus now being the only parent left to a young child.

janet knows she's not capable of managing the company or the family properties. she wasn't a corporate executive like jack so she puts her trust in drake industrie's CEO. phil marin.

that trust is misplaced. a few months later and the IRS arrests phil and several other executives. they seize assets and freeze nearly every account janet has.

she's lucky. lucky that the news is far more preoccupied with something going on about the batman than to care about yet another corrupt gotham business.

janet protests. she knows jack wasn't dirty. every dime he earned was earned honestly. but it seemed he put his faith in the wrong man as well because phil marin was nothing but a no good rat who laundered money for the mob in his free time.

janet would likely never recover those millions of dollars. not unless she could account for every single sale and prove it was earned legally.

janet is desperate. she knows she won't have enough money to support her lifestyle or that of her child.

a decade ago it wouldn't have been a problem. a decade ago janet could've gotten into any major event and gotten what she needed from anyone who was there.

but a decade ago she was in her twenties. a decade ago her body was tighter, slimmer, better.

she's aged past her prime. even though jack would always tell her about how gorgeous she was she knew he'd only married her because she'd been the only woman who understood any of his archeological rambings. her degree certainly helped in that aspect, lord knew it never did in anything else.

tim's private school tuition fees have increased since the previous year. he's going to need a new set of uniforms for the school year plus the cost of dorming there.

janet can't afford a private driver anymore, nor a gardner, or a housekeeper.

janet certainly can't drive him, she's never even had a license before.

that's when she recalls who their neighbor is. she's never given him a second thought. not after jack proposed to her the night they met.

she knows who bruce wayne is, knows the kind of man he is.

most importantly. she knows what he likes.

tight little bodies and soft little tits that peeked out the top of a sweet heart neckline dress.

he liked fucking pussies raw and he liked cumming deep inside moaning girls without any regard for the conseqeunces.

janet looks at tim sometimes. she looks as his dark hair and blue eyes. she thanked her lucky stars that she'd started going through a 'black is back' phase when she met jack. ever since then she'd taken to periodically dying her blonde roots.

jack had blue eyes and janet had black hair. together they could've plausibly created their sweet timmy.

her tim who was just as small-statured and cute as she'd been. he definitely took after her all soft jaws and big eyes with long lashes.

janet's suddenly empty bank account is not public knowledge. what is is her husbands recent death given the influx of general sympathy cards she gets in the mail as well as flowers arriving weeks too late.

gotham high society has weekly parties for whatever reason.

bruce wayne is spotted in at least half of those.

if janet had any other option she wouldn't be doing this. but every other man she'd been with before jack were either very much married or uninterested in someone like tim.

but bruce wayne is a freak if the rumors of him with his kids are believed.

tim alone should be scratching that itch he must have inside him.

so janet moves forward with it.

she spends their limited funds on new clothing for tim. tight strappy dresses that hugged the soft slop of his body and cupped his little tits beautifully.

she tutored him in things bruce would like.

she was surprised to learn that her tim had something of an...interest in bruce.

she'd call it a crush but the look in his eye was far too devoted to be the fleeting feelings of a young boy.

janet sprays her perfume on tim's slim neck, rubbing it in just the right spot where bruce would buried his nose as he bottomed out inside her son.

maybe janet is a sick woman. disgusting for knowingly setting her child up to seduce and become the toy of the man who is likely his biological father.

maybe janet's ambition from her youth poisoned something in her. made her the kind of person who would do this without a second thought.

then months of tim attending nightly parties pass and tim returns to her one night, makeup streaked and half stumbling. bruce wayne is going to be covering tim's tuition the coming school year, he's heard about how janet is going through some financial issues. he'd also be more than happy to drive tim to school every morning! he'd be more than happy to in fact!

janet notices dried white stains on tim's shirts and pants when she does laundry. she notices that tim has taken to wearing the skirt version of the uniform when school starts up again. she watches him bend down to tie his shoelaces one morning and sees how he's not wearing any underwear.

bruce wayne is fond of timothy drake is the thing that spreads through the circles. they're often seen together at the parties after all.

janet finds out that some out-of-state branches of drake industries are still churning away and need her signature on a few things.

tim tells bruce and he instantly messages janet, volunteering to take tim for the week. after all tim is a good kid. well-behaved and sweet. bruce would be honored to take him off her hands.

some part of janet should be horrified. it should be disgusted and sickened and desperate to chase this man away from her child.

but then she looks down at the email with a hotel booking made for her, a first-class flight ticket, and a number of activities she could do that would keep her out of gotham for longer than a few weeks.

nobody would understand if she said anything.

they wouldn't get it.

because ethics don't matter when you're just trying to survive.

[fitmintwear]

FTX Fiasco: Rise and Fall of Bankman-Fried

The cryptocurrency market has experienced a whirlwind of activity over the last week, which will be remembered for a great many years. Unquestionably, 2022 will be remembered as one of the key and pivotal years in the development of the cryptocurrency market. This is due to the fact that the cryptocurrency industry was finally taken seriously and discussed on a global scale for the first time since the creation of Bitcoin back in 2008–2009. Terms like cryptography and Web 3.0 were becoming more widely used by non-technical people as well.

The Axie Infinity Ronin bridge attack, the Terra LUNA crash, and the collapse of the FTX exchange, one of the second-largest cryptocurrency exchanges by volume in the world, were among the worst crashes of 2022. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at the timeline of events and understand what led to the collapse of the FTX exchange and the fall of the man who was once hailed as the savior of the crypto world- SBF.

Who is SBF- Sam Bankman-Fried?

SBF, also known as Bankman-Fried, was, until recently, the up-and-coming star of the cryptocurrency world with a net worth of $26 billion as he quickly joined the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bankman-Fried was raised in California by his parents who were Stanford Law professors. He completed his undergraduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in math and physics before working on Wall Street. He started FTX two years after founding Alameda Research in 2017.

What is FTX?

FTX (short for “Futures Exchange”) was a platform where users can purchase and sell digital assets like bitcoin, ether, and Dogecoin. Platforms like FTX rose in popularity in recent times as more and more people sought to invest in cryptocurrencies without having to deal with the technical aspects of it.

The rise of FTX

The exchange paid for flashy television commercials with A-list celebrities to promote itself as a secure and simple way to invest in cryptocurrencies. In addition to this, Bankman-Fried also purchased the advertising space in uniforms and sporting venues for Major League Baseball officials. The 2019-founded business gained international notoriety very quickly thanks to a number of aggressive marketing tactics, high-profile acquisitions, and low trading fees.

With the promise that they could invest their money in accounts and earn significantly higher yields than at conventional banks, even those who were unfamiliar with the technology were seduced by FTX. Major venture capital firms joined in and invested nearly $2 billion in the business. The 30-year-old founder of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, rose to prominence as the face of the business and, to some, of cryptocurrency in general. FTX was difficult to miss due to celebrity endorsements and significant sports sponsorships.

The Fall of FTX

It was only a matter of moments how the cryptocurrency market boomed after SBF launched FTX. Bitcoin’s price, which had previously fluctuated around $10,000, skyrocketed in 2021 and reached a high of more than $64,000. Venture capital funds poured into everything blockchain-related and digital currency-related, and crypto platforms shifted to draw users beyond the technologists and blockchain enthusiasts who had previously propelled its rise.

From its late 2021 highs, when it was generally considered to be a leading indicator of the larger cryptocurrency market, the price of bitcoin has fallen sharply. It currently trades for about $16,000. While it strongly affected the value of other cryptocurrencies and tokens, many significant platforms had already closed due to the general decline in the crypto industry. However, FTX appeared to be immune, even going so far as to acquire some of its faltering rivals.

But when CoinDesk, a cryptocurrency-focused digital media website, published the balance sheet of Alameda Research, a crypto investing company that also belonged to Bankman-Fried, things started to change. It revealed that Alameda had a sizable amount of FTT, a virtual currency developed by FTX. Even though the FTT had a certain market value, Alameda would be in danger of going bankrupt if the price dropped.

CZ (Changpeng Zhao), CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, a competitor of FTX, declared on November 6 that his business would offload all of its FTT tokens as a result of the leak of Alameda’s balance sheet. FTT’s cost dropped significantly. Many FTX users moved to remove their funds from the platform as the price fell.

The crypto community was already on edge despite the fact that the full extent of the connections between Alameda and FTX was not yet known. In the end, several billion dollars were poured out of FTX by people who rushed to withdraw their money before it ran out of funds. On November 8, FTX barred users from withdrawing funds from the system, which marked the fall of FTX. Not only did it shake the volatile crypto market, declining its overall market capitalization below $1 trillion, but also left some deep scars on the whole international crypto community that will have repercussions for years to come.

For More Interesting blogs like this visit our website : https://epillo.io/

[docvuai]

Invoice Processing in 2024: A Streamlined Journey from Receipt to Payment

Think back, have you ever felt stressed when the due date of an invoice gets nearer? Although customers cannot directly see it, it is essential for the company to always meet invoice deadlines and make accurate entries in the accounts. This blog post is all about invoices starting with an analysis of the process and going through the need for automation and the possible effects on the business in 2024.

What is Invoice Processing?

Invoice processing refers to the step-by-step handling of invoices from when they get into your organization to payment and documentation. They are the bedrock of accurate financial operations because they allow the organization’s managers to provide accurate vendor payments while offering clear records.

Here are the five Key Steps of Invoice Processing:

Step 1: First, invoices may be received through physical mail, email attachments, and electronic data interchange (EDI).

Step 2: The next stage is ‘Data Entry and Coding’ where information such as an invoice number, the amount paid to the vendor, and line items on the invoice are compiled. This information is then input into the accounting system and structure for accurate recording (for example; stationery, and advertisement expenses).

Step 3: After that comes ‘Approval Workflow’. Depending on the size of the invoice, authorized people check it for accuracy and alignment with purchase orders, contracts, or receiving reports. This phase prevents duplicate payments and assures compliance with business policies.

Step 4: The next is ‘Payment Processing’. Once approved, the invoice is then due for payment at the agreed time frame (for instance, net 30 days). This involves making a payment and an adjustment of the records in the form of a check or electronic transfer.

Step 5: After this comes ‘Record Keeping’. Paid invoices are securely saved for future reference and audits. Digital copies provide for easy retrieval and disaster recover

 

Manual vs. Automated Invoice Processing: A World of Difference

To put it into perspective, manual and automated processing of invoices has several differences. Traditionally, invoice processing involved manual paperwork on invoices or simple data entry programs.

This manual method is prone to:

Errors (data entry mistakes, misplaced invoices),

Delays (waiting for approvals),

Wastages of important employee time.

Enter automation! Modern invoice processing software that uses unique features such as:

Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Captures data from bills that have been scanned or even in PDF formats, thus greatly reducing the time spent on data entry and less chance of making errors.

Automated Workflows: Automates the approval process by identifying persons for every bill and processing the bills according to set procedures.

Real-time visibility: Offers the tracking of the invoice status from all the stages to ensure that timely payments are made hence avoiding late fees.

Advantages of Automating Your Invoice Processing:

 Increased Efficiency: Enables your team to spend more time on strategic initiatives.

 Improved Accuracy: Reduces human errors and standardizes data.

 Faster Processing: Organizes workflows to expedite approvals and payments.

Cost savings: Cuts on expenses incurred on manual labor while, at the same time eliminating the use of paper.

 Enhanced cash flow control: Enhances the cash flow’s efficiency because one can get real-time information about upcoming payments.

Industries Leading in Automated Invoice Processing:

The beauty of automation is its adaptability. Here are just a few industries that get the maximum benefits from such automation

Mortgage: Automate the large volume of invoices related to loan processing, appraisals, and origination to ensure timely payments to multiple vendors.

Fintech: Improve the client experience by streamlining recurring bills for services such as software subscriptions and expediting payments.

Insurance: Automate claim processing by gathering data from bills filed for repairs or medical treatments, resulting in speedier payouts to policyholders.

Intelligent Document Processing Is Transforming Invoice Processing with a Plethora of Benefits :

Improved data capture and conversion.

Intelligent document processing (IDP) transforms accounts payable by processing a variety of invoice formats, including pictures, PDFs, and email text. These technologies locate, extract, and transform data into a structured format, simplifying the first phases of accounts payable automation. This includes matching invoices to purchase orders, receiving documents, and routing them for approval before payment.

Efficiency and Accuracy for Data Entry

IDP has quickly automated the initial stage of data entry and verification, which was previously time-consuming and error-prone. IDP takes data in less than 60 seconds, but rules-based software might take two to five minutes for each invoice. This huge increase in speed is accompanied by greater accuracy; whereas human data input accuracy is roughly 80%, IDP can achieve up to 98 percent accuracy.

Continuous Improvement through Machine Learning.

One of the most notable qualities of IDP is its capacity to learn and improve over time. IDP’s machine learning component means that it not only begins with a high level of accuracy but also continuously improves its performance, lowering errors and processing times. This revolution in invoice processing enables businesses to manage accounts payable more efficiently and precisely than ever before.

IDP from DocVu.AI Is Your Key to Seamless Invoice Processing:

DocVu.AI, an AI-powered IDP platform, is here to revolutionize invoice processing.DocVu.AI goes beyond basic automation, offering:

Intelligent data extraction: Extracts data with high accuracy, even from complex invoices with different formats.

Workflows Based on Machine Learning: Adapts to your approval processes, resulting in smoother routing and speedier approvals.

Real-time Analytics: Present intelligent dashboards for tracking key performance indicators, trends, and patterns, and making sound financial decisions.

Are you ready to have an efficient system of invoice processing instead of wasting much time and effort?

Then contact us today to see how DocVu.AI can help your team increase your bottom line at www.docvu.ai

Also watch out for our upcoming blog series, in which we will answer your most often-asked questions about invoice processing.

[explorebusiness]

How to Renew Your FSSAI Food License Certificate in India

If you run a food business in India, you’re likely familiar with the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) food license. It’s a mandatory requirement that ensures food safety standards are being followed by manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and anyone involved in the food business. But the process doesn't end with just getting the license; it's equally important to renew it before it expires. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of renewing your FSSAI food license certificate and why it’s crucial to stay on top of it.

Why Renewing Your FSSAI License is Important

First things first—why is it necessary to renew the FSSAI food license?

An FSSAI license is usually valid for 1 to 5 years, depending on how long you chose at the time of your initial registration. Once your license approaches its expiration date, you need to start the renewal process. If you don’t renew it on time, you could face penalties, including fines of ₹100 per day. In the worst-case scenario, your business could even be shut down.

Having a valid FSSAI license isn't just about avoiding legal trouble. It also helps build trust with your customers. The FSSAI logo on your packaging shows people that your business adheres to the highest food safety and quality standards. If your license expires and you fail to renew it, it could harm your business’s reputation, as consumers might question whether your products are still safe to consume.

When to Apply for FSSAI License Renewal

The best time to start the renewal process is about 30 to 60 days before your current license expires. This gives you plenty of time to gather the necessary documents, submit your application, and ensure that there’s no interruption in your business operations. Waiting until the last minute or letting your license expire will only cause you unnecessary headaches and extra costs.

If your license does expire, you’ll need to apply for a completely new one, which is a more complex and time-consuming process than a simple renewal.

Step-by-Step Guide to Renewing Your FSSAI License

Renewing your FSSAI license may seem daunting, but it’s a straightforward process that can be done entirely online. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through it:

1. Visit the FSSAI Website

The first step is to visit the FSSAI official website: https://fssai.org/ . This is the platform where you can manage all aspects of your FSSAI license, including renewal.

2. Log In to Your Account

Use the login credentials you received when you first registered for your FSSAI license. If you’ve forgotten your password, don’t worry—you can reset it using the "Forgot Password" option on the website.

3. Select the Renewal Option

Once you’re logged in, navigate to the section for ‘Renew License’ or ‘Renew Registration’. Choose this option to start the renewal process for your food license.

4. Complete the Application Form

You will need to fill in all required fields in the renewal application form. Make sure the information is accurate and up to date. If your business has undergone any changes—like a new address or a different owner—this is the time to update those details.

5. Upload the Necessary Documents

You will be asked to submit a few documents, including:

A copy of your current FSSAI license

Photos of the business owner or authorized personnel

An updated business layout or address if applicable

Declaration forms, and sometimes your annual turnover if you’re renewing a state or central license

Be sure to have these documents ready and in the correct format, as the wrong files can delay the process.

6. Pay the Renewal Fee

The cost of renewing your FSSAI license depends on the type of license you have (Basic, State, or Central) and the duration you choose for the renewal. You can pay the fee online using a debit or credit card, net banking, or other electronic payment methods.

7. Submit Your Application

After filling out the form, uploading documents, and paying the fee, all you have to do is hit ‘Submit’. You’ll receive an acknowledgment of your application, which you should save in case you need to refer to it later.

8. Track Your Application Status

You can monitor the status of your renewal application through the FSSAI website by logging back into your account. The status will show whether your application is under review, approved, or if any additional documents are required.

9. Receive Your Renewed License

Once your renewal application is approved, you will receive your updated FSSAI food license certificate. You can download and print it from the portal and continue displaying it at your business premises.

What Happens If You Don’t Renew on Time?

If you fail to renew your FSSAI food license before it expires, you will have to apply for a completely new license. This process takes longer and costs more than simply renewing your existing one. Additionally, you’ll face a penalty of ₹100 for each day that your license is overdue.

More importantly, operating without a valid FSSAI license is illegal. Authorities could shut down your business until you obtain a new license, which could lead to significant revenue losses and potential damage to your reputation.

Conclusion

Renewing your FSSAI food license is not just a regulatory requirement but also a way to show your commitment to maintaining high food safety standards. The process is simple and can be completed online, but it’s essential to start early to avoid unnecessary fines or delays.

Make sure you keep an eye on your license’s expiration date and initiate the renewal process well in advance. By doing so, you’ll ensure your business stays compliant with the law and continues to enjoy the trust of your customers.

[companyknowledgenews]

Analysts applaud Snaitech deal which could double Flutter’s Italy market share - Journal Important Online https://www.merchant-business.com/analysts-applaud-snaitech-deal-which-could-double-flutters-italy-market-share/?feed_id=209118&_unique_id=66f121372c750 #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country. Flutter informed the market on 17 September it had committed to purchasing Playtech’s Italian B2C business Snaitech, after the two parties mentioned talks were ongoing back in August.Flutter will gain a 100% ownership of the omnichannel operator, in a deal that is expected to close in Q1 2025.Its main reasoning for the purchase is to complement its ‘local hero’ brand portfolio, which comprises leading local operators in growing markets. And to no doubt grow its presence in Italy, a key market.Snaitech gives Flutter pole position in ItalyJefferies estimates Flutter could end up with a 30% share of the Italian gaming market once the deal closes, thanks to its multi-brand positioning. It expects the group to maintain a top spot for online share.Flutter had a 15% GGR share of the Italian online betting and igaming market in 2023 through its Sisal and PokerStars brands. Snaitech comes in just behind on 10%.However, Snaitech reigns in retail betting with a 16% share, behind market leader Lottomatica’s 42%. Flutter sits behind the two with 13%.Omnichannel is crucial for growth in betting. Italy’s 2018 advertising ban means operators with a retail presence are front of mind for customers. This is borne out by the figures; operators with both retail and online presence made up 66% of H1 revenues, said Barclays, citing H2 Gambling Capital figures.  “As long as current restrictions on advertising hold this dynamic should persist and lead to a further mix shift within online GGR to omnichannel operators, as overall online penetration accrues to the latter set,” Barclays said in its note.Could Flutter eye up Spain for future M&A?Italian revenue currently makes up almost half (47%) of Flutter’s International division, says Barclays. It is also one of the operator’s “consolidate and invest” markets.This segment also includes Armenia, Brazil, Georgia, Spain and Turkey, Barclays notes. These countries accounted for roughly 77% of Flutter’s H1 revenue and 71% of its International profits.And – aside from Spain – it has made recent acquisitions in each territory. Adjarabet, acquired in 2019, is Georgia’s market leader with a strong presence in Armenia. Last week Flutter snapped up a 56% stake in NSX Group, parent company of Brazil’s Betnacional.The operator has a foothold in Turkey thanks to Sisal – acquired in 2021 – winning a 10-year contract to operate the national lottery, Milli Piyango, in 2019. Sisal, of course, also strengthened Flutter’s position in Italy.What will Playtech do with all its cash?It’s been a very good week for Playtech. The Snaitech sale comes on the back of it reigniting its Caliplay JV with Caliente in Mexico, following a dispute and subsequent legal battle over fees.The group is expected to net some cash from sale, even after paying a mammoth shareholder dividend of €1.7bn-€1.8bn.Playtech has seemingly repositioned itself as a pure-play B2B behemoth on the back of this sale, giving it a simplified business structure and clear position in the market.  “This could give scope for further simplification and cost opportunities in its B2B business,” the note said.Playtech will make a 3x profit on Snaitech, which it bought back in 2018 for €846m. “The deal represents a very attractive price for Playtech,” Investec said.However, Playtech will retain a B2C business in Happybet, the German omnichannel sportsbook brand. Snaitech absorbed Happybet in 2021, although it will transfer back to Playtech following the Flutter deal.But questions around what Playtech might do with its newfound riches remain.

One source told iGB it could be a potential buyer for sports betting platform provider Kambi, which has been quietly up for sale for some time.Kambi’s sportsbook technology offering could round out Playtech’s B2B offering and would give it additional access into key emerging markets like Brazil. Playtech’s existing sports division, it’s worth noting, recorded a €72m impairment in 2023 following the loss of two “significant” retail contracts during the year.“Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country…” http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/pexels-photo-6133278.jpeg Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country. Flutter informed the market on 17 September it had committed to purchasing Playtech’s Italian B2C business Snaitech, after the two parties mentioned talks were ongoing back in August. Flutter will gain … Read More

[bravecompanynews]

Analysts applaud Snaitech deal which could double Flutter’s Italy market share - Journal Important Online - #GLOBAL https://www.merchant-business.com/analysts-applaud-snaitech-deal-which-could-double-flutters-italy-market-share/?feed_id=209117&_unique_id=66f12136177ec Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country. Flutter informed the market on 17 September it had committed to purchasing Playtech’s Italian B2C business Snaitech, after the two parties mentioned talks were ongoing back in August.Flutter will gain a 100% ownership of the omnichannel operator, in a deal that is expected to close in Q1 2025.Its main reasoning for the purchase is to complement its ‘local hero’ brand portfolio, which comprises leading local operators in growing markets. And to no doubt grow its presence in Italy, a key market.Snaitech gives Flutter pole position in ItalyJefferies estimates Flutter could end up with a 30% share of the Italian gaming market once the deal closes, thanks to its multi-brand positioning. It expects the group to maintain a top spot for online share.Flutter had a 15% GGR share of the Italian online betting and igaming market in 2023 through its Sisal and PokerStars brands. Snaitech comes in just behind on 10%.However, Snaitech reigns in retail betting with a 16% share, behind market leader Lottomatica’s 42%. Flutter sits behind the two with 13%.Omnichannel is crucial for growth in betting. Italy’s 2018 advertising ban means operators with a retail presence are front of mind for customers. This is borne out by the figures; operators with both retail and online presence made up 66% of H1 revenues, said Barclays, citing H2 Gambling Capital figures.  “As long as current restrictions on advertising hold this dynamic should persist and lead to a further mix shift within online GGR to omnichannel operators, as overall online penetration accrues to the latter set,” Barclays said in its note.Could Flutter eye up Spain for future M&A?Italian revenue currently makes up almost half (47%) of Flutter’s International division, says Barclays. It is also one of the operator’s “consolidate and invest” markets.This segment also includes Armenia, Brazil, Georgia, Spain and Turkey, Barclays notes. These countries accounted for roughly 77% of Flutter’s H1 revenue and 71% of its International profits.And – aside from Spain – it has made recent acquisitions in each territory. Adjarabet, acquired in 2019, is Georgia’s market leader with a strong presence in Armenia. Last week Flutter snapped up a 56% stake in NSX Group, parent company of Brazil’s Betnacional.The operator has a foothold in Turkey thanks to Sisal – acquired in 2021 – winning a 10-year contract to operate the national lottery, Milli Piyango, in 2019. Sisal, of course, also strengthened Flutter’s position in Italy.What will Playtech do with all its cash?It’s been a very good week for Playtech. The Snaitech sale comes on the back of it reigniting its Caliplay JV with Caliente in Mexico, following a dispute and subsequent legal battle over fees.The group is expected to net some cash from sale, even after paying a mammoth shareholder dividend of €1.7bn-€1.8bn.Playtech has seemingly repositioned itself as a pure-play B2B behemoth on the back of this sale, giving it a simplified business structure and clear position in the market.  “This could give scope for further simplification and cost opportunities in its B2B business,” the note said.Playtech will make a 3x profit on Snaitech, which it bought back in 2018 for €846m. “The deal represents a very attractive price for Playtech,” Investec said.However, Playtech will retain a B2C business in Happybet, the German omnichannel sportsbook brand. Snaitech absorbed Happybet in 2021, although it will transfer back to Playtech following the Flutter deal.But questions around what Playtech might do with its newfound riches remain. One

source told iGB it could be a potential buyer for sports betting platform provider Kambi, which has been quietly up for sale for some time.Kambi’s sportsbook technology offering could round out Playtech’s B2B offering and would give it additional access into key emerging markets like Brazil. Playtech’s existing sports division, it’s worth noting, recorded a €72m impairment in 2023 following the loss of two “significant” retail contracts during the year.“Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country…” http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/pexels-photo-6133278.jpeg BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[boldcompanynews]

Analysts applaud Snaitech deal which could double Flutter’s Italy market share - Journal Important Online - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/analysts-applaud-snaitech-deal-which-could-double-flutters-italy-market-share/?feed_id=209116&_unique_id=66f121350b3ca Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country. Flutter informed the market on 17 September it had committed to purchasing Playtech’s Italian B2C business Snaitech, after the two parties mentioned talks were ongoing back in August.Flutter will gain a 100% ownership of the omnichannel operator, in a deal that is expected to close in Q1 2025.Its main reasoning for the purchase is to complement its ‘local hero’ brand portfolio, which comprises leading local operators in growing markets. And to no doubt grow its presence in Italy, a key market.Snaitech gives Flutter pole position in ItalyJefferies estimates Flutter could end up with a 30% share of the Italian gaming market once the deal closes, thanks to its multi-brand positioning. It expects the group to maintain a top spot for online share.Flutter had a 15% GGR share of the Italian online betting and igaming market in 2023 through its Sisal and PokerStars brands. Snaitech comes in just behind on 10%.However, Snaitech reigns in retail betting with a 16% share, behind market leader Lottomatica’s 42%. Flutter sits behind the two with 13%.Omnichannel is crucial for growth in betting. Italy’s 2018 advertising ban means operators with a retail presence are front of mind for customers. This is borne out by the figures; operators with both retail and online presence made up 66% of H1 revenues, said Barclays, citing H2 Gambling Capital figures.  “As long as current restrictions on advertising hold this dynamic should persist and lead to a further mix shift within online GGR to omnichannel operators, as overall online penetration accrues to the latter set,” Barclays said in its note.Could Flutter eye up Spain for future M&A?Italian revenue currently makes up almost half (47%) of Flutter’s International division, says Barclays. It is also one of the operator’s “consolidate and invest” markets.This segment also includes Armenia, Brazil, Georgia, Spain and Turkey, Barclays notes. These countries accounted for roughly 77% of Flutter’s H1 revenue and 71% of its International profits.And – aside from Spain – it has made recent acquisitions in each territory. Adjarabet, acquired in 2019, is Georgia’s market leader with a strong presence in Armenia. Last week Flutter snapped up a 56% stake in NSX Group, parent company of Brazil’s Betnacional.The operator has a foothold in Turkey thanks to Sisal – acquired in 2021 – winning a 10-year contract to operate the national lottery, Milli Piyango, in 2019. Sisal, of course, also strengthened Flutter’s position in Italy.What will Playtech do with all its cash?It’s been a very good week for Playtech. The Snaitech sale comes on the back of it reigniting its Caliplay JV with Caliente in Mexico, following a dispute and subsequent legal battle over fees.The group is expected to net some cash from sale, even after paying a mammoth shareholder dividend of €1.7bn-€1.8bn.Playtech has seemingly repositioned itself as a pure-play B2B behemoth on the back of this sale, giving it a simplified business structure and clear position in the market.  “This could give scope for further simplification and cost opportunities in its B2B business,” the note said.Playtech will make a 3x profit on Snaitech, which it bought back in 2018 for €846m. “The deal represents a very attractive price for Playtech,” Investec said.However, Playtech will retain a B2C business in Happybet, the German omnichannel sportsbook brand. Snaitech absorbed Happybet in 2021, although it will transfer back to Playtech following the Flutter deal.But questions around what Playtech might do with its newfound riches remain. One

source told iGB it could be a potential buyer for sports betting platform provider Kambi, which has been quietly up for sale for some time.Kambi’s sportsbook technology offering could round out Playtech’s B2B offering and would give it additional access into key emerging markets like Brazil. Playtech’s existing sports division, it’s worth noting, recorded a €72m impairment in 2023 following the loss of two “significant” retail contracts during the year.“Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €2.3bn acquisition of Playtech’s Italian B2C Snaitech business this week. Flutter could now double its market share in the country…” http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/pexels-photo-6133278.jpeg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER Analysts have applauded Flutter’s €... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL