#net 30 pay terms

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 30, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 01, 2024

This morning, Time magazine published a cover story by Eric Cortellessa about what Trump is planning for a second term. Based on two interviews with Trump and conversations with more than a dozen of his closest advisors, the story lays out Trump’s conviction that he was “too nice” in his first term and that he would not make such a mistake again. 

Cortellessa writes that Trump intends to establish “an imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world.” 

He plans to use the military to round up, put in camps, and deport more than 11 million people. He is willing to permit Republican-dominated states to monitor pregnancies and prosecute people who violate abortion bans. He will shape the laws by refusing to release funds appropriated by Congress (as he did in 2019 to try to get Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky to smear Hunter Biden). He would like to bring the Department of Justice under his own control, pardoning those convicted of attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and ending the U.S. system of an independent judiciary. In a second Trump presidency, the U.S. might not come to the aid of a European or Asian ally that Trump thinks isn’t paying enough for its own defense. Trump would, Cortelessa wrote, “gut the U.S. civil service, deploy the National Guard to American cities as he sees fit, close the White House pandemic-preparedness office, and staff his Administration with acolytes who back his false assertion that the 2020 election was stolen.”

To that list, former political director of the AFL-CIO Michael Podhorzer added on social media that if Trump wins, “he could replace [Supreme Court justices Clarence] Thomas, [Samuel] Alito, and 40+ federal judges over 75 with young zealots.” 

“I ask him, Don’t you see why many Americans see such talk of dictatorship as contrary to our most cherished principles?” Cortellessa wrote. No, Trump said. “‘I think a lot of people like it.” 

Time included the full transcripts and a piece fact-checking Trump’s assertions. The transcripts reflect the former president’s scattershot language that makes little logical sense but conveys impressions by repeating key phrases and advancing a narrative of grievance. The fact-checking reveals that narrative is based largely on fantasy. 

Trump’s own words prove the truth of what careful observers have been saying about his plans based on their examination of MAGA Republicans’ speeches, interviews, Project 2025, and so on, often to find themselves accused of a liberal bias that makes them exaggerate the dangers of a second Trump presidency. 

The idea that truthful reporting based on verifiable evidence is a plot by “liberal media” to undermine conservative values had its start in 1951, when William F. Buckley Jr., fresh out of Yale, published God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of “Academic Freedom.” Fervently opposed to the bipartisan liberal consensus that the federal government should regulate business, provide a basic social safety net, protect civil rights, and promote infrastructure, Buckley was incensed that voters continued to support such a system. He rejected the “superstition” that fact-based public debate would enable people to choose the best option from a wide range of ideas—a tradition based in the Enlightenment—because such debate had encouraged voters to choose the liberal consensus, which he considered socialism. Instead, he called for universities to exclude “bad” ideas like the Keynesian economics on which the liberal consensus was based, and instead promote Christianity and free enterprise.

Buckley soon began to publish his own magazine, the National Review, in which he promised to tell the “violated businessman’s side of the story,” but it was a confidential memorandum written in 1971 by lawyer Lewis M. Powell Jr. for a friend who chaired the education committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that insisted the media had a liberal bias that must be balanced with a business perspective. 

Warning that “the American economic system is under broad attack,” Powell worried not about “the Communists, New Leftists and other revolutionaries who would destroy the entire system.” They were, he wrote, a small minority. What he worried about were those coming from “perfectly respectable elements of society: from the college campus, the pulpit, the media, the intellectual and literary journals, the arts and sciences, and from politicians.” 

Businessmen must “confront this problem as a primary responsibility of corporate management,” he wrote, launching a unified effort to defend American enterprise. Among the many plans Powell suggested for defending corporate America was keeping the media “under constant surveillance” to complain about “criticism of the enterprise system” and demand equal time. 

President Richard Nixon appointed Powell to the Supreme Court, and when Nixon was forced to resign for his participation in the scheme to cover up the attempt to bug the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel before the 1972 election, he claimed he had to leave not because he had committed a crime, but because the “liberal” media had made it impossible for him to do his job. Six years later, Ronald Reagan, who was an early supporter of Buckley’s National Review, claimed the “liberal media” was biased against him when reporters accurately called out his exaggerations and misinformation during his 1980 campaign. 

In 1987, Reagan’s appointees to the Federal Communications Commission abandoned the Fairness Doctrine that required media with a public license to present information honestly and fairly. Within a year, talk radio had gone national, with hosts like Rush Limbaugh electrifying listeners with his attacks on “liberals” and his warning that they were forcing “socialism” on the United States. 

By 1996, when Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch started the Fox News Channel (FNC), followers had come to believe that the news that came from a mainstream reporter was likely left-wing propaganda. FNC promised to restore fairness and balance to American political news. At the same time, the complaints of increasingly radicalized Republicans about the “liberal media” pushed mainstream media to wander from fact-based reality to give more and more time to the right-wing narrative. By 2018, “bothsidesing” had entered our vocabulary to mean “the media or public figures giving credence to the other side of a cause, action, or idea to seem fair or only for the sake of argument when the credibility of that side may be unmerited.”

In 2023, FNC had to pay almost $800 million to settle defamation claims made by Dominion Voting Systems after FNC hosts pushed the lie that Dominion machines had changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, and it has since tried to retreat from the more egregious parts of its false narrative. 

News broke yesterday that Hunter Biden’s lawyer had threatened to sue FNC for “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name, and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.” Today, FNC quietly took down from its streaming service its six-part “mock trial” of Hunter Biden, as well as a video promoting the series. 

Also today, Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Trump’s criminal trial for election fraud, found Trump in contempt of court for attacking witnesses and jurors. Merchan also fined Trump $1,000 per offense, required him to take down the nine social media posts at the heart of the decision, and warned him that future violations could bring jail time. This afternoon, Trump’s team deleted the social media posts. 

For the first time in history, a former U.S. president has been found in contempt of court. We know who he is, and today, Trump himself validated the truth of what observers who deal in facts have been saying about what a second Trump term would mean for the United States.

Reacting to the Time magazine piece, James Singer, the spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign, released a statement saying: “Not since the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today—because of Donald Trump. Trump is willing to throw away the very idea of America to put himself in power…. Trump is a danger to the Constitution and a threat to democracy.” 

Tomorrow, May 1, is “Law Day,” established in 1958 by Republican president Dwight D. Eisenhower as a national recognition of the importance of the rule of law. In proclaiming the holiday today, Biden said: “America can and should be a Nation that defends democracy, protects our rights and freedoms, and pioneers a future of possibilities for all Americans. History and common sense show us that this can only come to pass in a democracy, and we must be its keepers.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[beardedmrbean]

New Zealand has serious problems with its power supply. There are three underlying reasons: the weather, a flawed electricity market and a drive for ‘net zero’.

Sixty-five per cent of New Zealand’s electricity is provided by hydropower, and the remainder by geothermal, gas, coal, wind and some solar. Though hydropower is often seen as the one form of renewable energy which is not plagued by intermittency of supply, it sadly isn’t true. In a dry year, hydro’s ability to deliver falls away, and we lose about 10 per cent of our generation. In the past, we always tried to have the hydro reservoirs and coal stockpile full by the end of summer to guard against this possibility. When we switched to an electricity market, this was forgotten.

This year, we failed to refill the reservoirs, and levels are now unusually low. We are muddling along for the moment, but this is a difficult position from which to recover and there are likely to be blackouts at some point in the future.

The ability of our fossil fuel power stations to step into the gap has been severely restricted. We used to get 20 per cent of our electricity from gas-fired power stations, but six years ago, as part of their decarbonisation policy, the previous government banned further gas exploration, and we are now desperately short of gas. The new government is encouraging new exploration but we won’t see the results for several years.

We also have a single coal fired station with insufficient coal in its stockpile because our electricity market does not pay for the cost of maintaining an adequate stockpile.

The situation has been made worse by poor market design. New Zealand was one of the pioneers of electricity markets, and chose a risky model which has proved to be seriously flawed.

As a result, the problems this year have led to wholesale market prices rising to ridiculous levels of as much as £1/kWh. This has already caused some factories to shut down; others are under threat. The politicians are beginning to realise that the energy crisis could have serious effects on consumers, and there is speculation that they will be forced to intervene. This could mean instructing our gas and coal-fired power stations to run flat out day and night – which won’t make much difference because of the lack of fuel. Failing this, the only solution in the short term is rolling blackouts. and a public conservation campaign.

How did we get to this situation?

Firstly, the electricity market is simply not fit for purpose. The underlying propositions are that ‘electricity is a commodity like any other’ and that ‘when the price goes up, the demand goes down’. But electricity is not a commodity like any other, because it does not have an alternative or significant price elasticity. It isn’t a market that Adam Smith would recognise. As two departing CEOs said, the way to make money is to keep the system on the edge of a shortage. Which means that disaster is inevitable if a dry year occurs. And that is exactly what has happened.

The blind pursuit of ‘Net Zero’, has driven the closing down of gas exploration and the desire to shut down our coal fired station, even though it is doing a vital job in keeping the lights on.

The long-term problem

There has now been some rain on the hydro lakes and we are temporarily out of danger – assisted by the fact that the power companies have paid a stiff price to a major industrial gas user to shut down so that they can have its supplies.

But the long-term problem is still there: empty storage lakes that need to be refilled, not a lot of snow pack to melt in the springtime, declining supplies of gas, and the need to import 30 shiploads of coal and truck it to the power station. None can be achieved in the time available. The imminent shutdown of a 380 MW combined cycle power station, because it cannot find a secure gas supply for the next 20 years or so, adds to the problem. 

Instead we are placing our faith in more wind and solar power. The price will skyrocket when it is in short supply, but that will not help the wind and solar farms’ accounts as that is when they have very little to sell. When wind and sun are abundant, prices will crash. This means that the wind and solar farms under construction and planned will not make enough money to pay for their construction and operation. New Zealand does not directly subsidise wind and solar power so we can’t even be sure that the generators will continue building them. 

To be economic, wind and solar must be supported by low-cost long-term storage for days, weeks and months.There is no technology that can deliver this right now. New Zealand’s hydro reservoirs have huge capacity – approaching 10 per cent of a year’s electricity supply – but this storage capacity is already fully required to deal with the annual variations in hydro output. It cannot be used to back up solar and wind. Batteries simply can’t be used at national grid scales: they are too expensive by a factor of 50 or so.

Worse still the expectation is that electricity demand is going to increase rapidly, driven by domestic and industrial heat and road transport being electrified (although the extent to which this will actually happen in the face of rising power prices is debatable). Whether electric heating and transport arrive or not, we are already getting more and more data centres, which are a 24-hour per day load and need a reliable supply.

So the load will go up but we will be less able to keep the lights on when wind and solar are not delivering. Australia is 2000 km away, so there is no chance of importing from there, even if they did have power to spare, which they don’t.

We could build more geothermal stations, but that takes time, especially as the oil rigs they need to drill production wells have all departed overseas. There is probably 1000 MW so of identified geothermal potential, and there is the possibility that more could be found with exploration. But this is not a quick solution.

The only quick solution is to buy gas turbines and run them on diesel: not a nice prospect.

In the long-term we could consider more hydro generation, but that is blocked by many environmentalists, even though there is probably 2000 MW of potential left in the South Island. For those who do not believe in dangerous carbon-driven climate change – or who consider that atmospheric carbon levels will rise beyond desirable levels anyway due to China and India and that it is therefore pointless for Western nations to spend huge sums reducing their emissions – more coal and gas generation are an obvious solution but they are not quick.

For those who believe that man-made global warming is real and dangerous, and that it is worthwhile for the Western nations to cut emissions alone, we could be urgently considering nuclear power. This is the only practical and economic way of having reliable electric power with low carbon emissions. I suspect that in spite of a long-held opposition to nuclear armed and propelled ships, the New Zealand public are more sympathetic to nuclear power than they are believed to be.

Whatever happens, New Zealand faces a very uncertain situation in the next few years with an increasing risk of major shortages and a major increase in domestic electricity prices.

The implications for other countries

I suspect that this is the writing on the wall for all countries that have pursued net zero and ignored the importance of keeping the lights on at a reasonable price. The UK is already relying on interconnectors for about 10 per cent of its electricity and would be in serious trouble if Europe was unable to provide backup power when UK wind and solar are not delivering. 

For as long as Europe and other countries have net zero as a prime objective, electricity blackouts and high prices are inevitable. As we are planning to make our entire society electrically powered, this is a bleak prospect.

[unladyboss]

MIKEY AND BUSINESS: NET 30, 45 AND 60

Mikey says that something bad that happened to the beef was that the delivery person changed their terms from net 45 to net 30 which sucks because Richie was gonna ask him to do net 60

Really Richie?

Net 45 was really a great deal in the first place for The Beef, because they're so small and don't make that much money

People only offer net 60 to larger (successful) companies that THEY KNOW will pay them (it's just that their procurement process may take a little while longer)

I know that Mikey knows this stuff. So was he just being hopefully delulu?

[clatterbane]

The drive to tackle “welfare spending” is less about solving an unemployment problem or even making vast savings and more a wink to voters: the Conservatives are on the side of the “hard-working” middle classes, not the scrounging benefits claimants stealing their taxes. Meanwhile, ministers can frame Labour as being a “soft touch” – or as Hunt cynically put it, a choice between making the sick work or more immigration.

This rhetoric is not an accident, of course. It is designed to cause resentment, to give the incendiary impression that hordes of benefits claimants are buying widescreen TVs and nightly takeaways while already squeezed taxpayers toil away to pay for it. In reality, the basic social security rate (now universal credit) is the lowest in real terms for 40 years, while our unemployment pay is the the stingiest in western Europe. This meagre support is worth even less now that food prices are up by 30% over the last two years and energy prices are two-thirds higher. Forget a bloated safety net that needs to be reined in. Many relying on social security can’t afford soap.

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — October 15-21

previous week || all posts || following week

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

10-15 → Vogue+ posted a video featuring Gong Jun. [subbed video]

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a douyin of Gong Jun in his outfit from the 09-30 Elie Saab show. Caption: "The inventory is loading, and @ Gong Jun Simon's Paris fragments are dropped~" BGM is 秋雨不问梧桐意 by CC雨涵.

10-16 → The Japanese television station LaLa TV announced that it would be airing Zhang Zhehan's unreleased 2016 drama Castle in the Time starting 12-27. At the time of this post, this is very questionable due to both to the general circumstances with Zhang Zhehan as well as because whalers reacted in a very organized fashion, indicating that they were tipped off about this ahead of time and thus the scam is likely involved. Additional Info: - The drama was not released in China due to regulations about the use of Korean actors, the female lead being Korean. [summary of the rather messy production history] A version of the show with a recast female lead and a new title was greenlit by the NRTA (#4 in the linked file) in February 2021; the version announced by LaLa TV is the original one. - The drama was filmed when Zhang Zhehan was contracted with Yu Zheng, who came out in support of the scam a few months ago. (see 07-16) - Japanese fans who looked into the production company found that it has faced a number of lawsuits recently, including one that closed on 08-09 with them having to pay 1.32 million RMB. As well, the two individuals who hold copyright for the show are both severely in debt.

→ Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ The Instagram posted eight photos of "Zhang Zhehan".

→ Gong Jun posted another video of himself camping with a collie, this one of him making a mixed drink. Caption: "My special blend is really delicious! #100 kinds of beauty of the motherland#" Gong Jun's studio reposted this with the added caption: "Camping, @ Gong Jun Simon unlocks a new menu to welcome the delicious crit😋"

→ Gong Jun Outdoor Office posted a video of Gong Jun with the collie.

→ 361° posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ GXG posted two photo ads featuring Gong Jun.

→ Tiffany & Co. posted a clip of Gong Jun from their event the previous weekend.

10-17 → Nothing of note.

10-18 → Ranyi Music's Weibo was suddenly wiped. The reason is not known at the time of this post.

→ The Instagram posted seven photos of "Zhang Zhehan" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and two with the Eiffel Tower in view, because the scam gang are still desperate to try to one-up Gong Jun. Fan Observation: - UNESCO offers tours for €15 per person. The other people in the group photo appear to be other members of the same tour. - It was noted that the tree leaves in the outside photo don't match the current season in Paris.

→ Chrison posted an interview with Gong Jun from the Tiffany event. [subbed video]

10-19 → Sohu Fashion posted an interview with Gong Jun from the Tiffany event. [subbed video]

→ Gong Jun Outdoor Office posted a home video-style video of Gong Jun in New York. Caption: "Dropped some fragments 🎮🌉" BGM is Summer Night Wind by Layton Wu.

→ Zhang Sanjian appeared on a random Malaysian YouTube show.

10-20 → Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

Addition 10-24: Net-A-Porter posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ 361° posted two photo ads [1] [2] featuring Gong Jun.

→ Tiffany & Co. posted a short video of Gong Jun from their event. Gong Jun reposted this with the added caption, "Join me in diving into the secret realm of the fantasy sea and appreciating the ocean treasures from @ Tiffany & Co."

→ Marie Claire posted an interview with Gong Jun from the Tiffany event. [subbed video]

→ Tangle Teezer posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

10-21 → Gong Jun attended an offline event for 361°.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a video of Gong Jun from a pre-event photoshoot. Caption: "Neat, stylish and full of vitality. @ Gong Jun Simon writes in an unrestricted style and feels the heat of sports." BGM is Indie Energy by ElectroAnimals. This was reposted by 361°.

→ Gong Jun Outdoor Office posted a video of Gong Jun doing spray paint art at the offline event. Caption: "The birth of art!" BGM is The Good Times by Song Zuying.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted eleven photos of him from that day. Caption: "Go out energetically and walk freely. @ Gong Jun Simon awakens love and arrives with surprises as promised."

→ 361° posted five photos of Gong Jun from their offline event.

Additional Reading: → N/A

previous week || all posts || following week

This post was last edited 2023-10-24.

[mandsleanan]

Sorry, parents: The American dream is only for DINKS

Homebuyers with kids will likely spend 66% of their income on a mortgage and childcare this year.

Parents in Los Angeles and San Diego can expect to spend as much as 121% and 113%, respectively.

Some Californians have moved across the country to afford to buy a home.

Thinking about buying a home this year with kids already in the picture? Get ready to dig deep.

A recent study from Zillow found that potential homebuyers with children are likely to spend 66% of their income on mortgage payments and childcare expenses — an increase of nearly 50% from 2019. 

The real-estate company estimated city- and state-level childcare costs from 2009 to 2022 for the typical American family with 1.94 children by analyzing data from the Women’s Bureau of the US Department of Labor and advocacy group Child Care Aware.

According to Zillow’s analysis, in 31 of the largest 50 US metropolitan areas with available childcare cost data, families looking to buy a home can expect to spend more than 60% of their income on mortgage and childcare costs.

Some areas are even costlier, with parents in cities like Los Angeles and San Diego needing to dedicate as much as 121% and 113%, respectively. (In those areas, the cost of buying a typical home and childcare is so big relative to the median income that Zillow's calculation results in figures over 100%.)

Zillow determined that a family earning a median household income of $6,640 per month can expect to allocate $1,984 of that to childcare. If the family purchased a house at a 6.61% interest rate — the rate in early January, when the US Department of Labor released its latest data on childcare costs — and made a 10% down payment, their monthly mortgage would amount to $1,973.

That leaves just $2,683 for additional expenses like food, transportation, and healthcare. This means many households with kids are financially strained; they're likely spending more than 30% of their income on housing, well above what experts recommend.

It all adds up to a costly reality that's making the American dream of homeownership seem farther out of reach for parents than ever before.

Parents can blame a yearslong battle with inflation, as well as stubbornly high home prices and mortgage rates, for contributing to their predicament.

Based on the study, a new buyer household in the United States, making the median income, would spend 30% of it on housing. It's paying for childcare, then, that adds so much on top of the housing budget.

The upshot: Another group, less encumbered financially, appears better poised to realize the dream of homeownership: "DINKS," an acronym that stands for "dual income, no kids."

Some child-free DINKS — who boast a median net worth above $200,000 according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances — devote their disposable income to luxuries like boats and expensive cars.

Without the financial obligations of raising children, such as covering medical expenses or enrolling them in daycare or private school, DINKS can save thousands of dollars a year and build greater long-term wealth.

Some DINKS use their savings to finance vacations and travel the world, like Elizabeth Johnson and her husband, who, over the past couple of years, have hiked in the Swiss Alps, snorkeled in Hawaii, and enjoyed leaf peeping in Canada.

"We hang out with other people's kids every once in a while," Johnson previously told Business Insider's Bartie Scott and Juliana Kaplan, "but then we happily just give them back to their parents."

Some Americans with kids move to places where their money goes further

One solution to the high cost of both buying a home and raising a family?

Move.

In recent years, young Americans in higher-cost states have decided to move to places that offer them a cheaper cost of living.

Janelle Crossan moved to New Braunfels, Texas, from Costa Mesa, California, in 2020 following a divorce.

She was able to become a first-time homebuyer and found a safe community to raise her son.

"I paid $1,750 for rent in a crappy little apartment in California," Crossan told BI earlier this year. "Now, three years later, my whole payment, including mortgage and property taxes, is $1,800 a month for my three-bedroom house."

Pengyu Cheng, a program manager for a tech company, told BI in 2023 that moving from California to Texas allowed him and his wife to afford their first home, giving them the confidence and security to have their first child.

"Living in California has always been expensive," Cheng said. "I knew that when my wife and I eventually expanded our family, we wouldn't be able to afford San Francisco or the Bay Area in general — even though we both earn good salaries."

[financeattips]

Millennials Money Tips for Personal Finance

It is very difficult for millennials to manage their own finances today as the world of competition requiring one to workout harder has changed in a matter of months. From student loan debt to increasing living costs, this generation has faced financial struggles that are all its own. Nevertheless, there are strategies out there that can work for the millennial in search of sustainable financial security or even just a better bottom line. Below are a few of the basic personal finance tips for millennials.

1. Set Clear Financial Goals

The first step in any financial plan is establishing specific and attainable goals. Whether it's to buy a home, pay off your student loans, or save for retirement — knowing what you're working towards will keep you more engaged and inspired. Divide your goals into short-term (one to two years), medium-term (three to five years) and long-(five or more). This approach helps you to prioritize and use your resources accordingly.

2. Create and Stick to a Budget

The Facet of Financial Management: Budgeting Track your income and expenses: The very first step is to track how much you are earning, after that what things consume your bills? Budgeting tools; you may use an app to categorize what you spend on and where they can be reduced. If possible, adhere to the 50/30/20 rule — apportion half of your funds towards needs and twenty percent for saving or repaying debt.

3. Build an Emergency Fund                                                                         

It is only a rainy day fund to act as an emergency safety net in case life decides not to follow your plan. The hopefully three to six months of absolute must-have sequestered in a separate, liquid account. It can help you with the cost of surprising expenses–whether they be medical bills or it lets you maintain your financial schedule, rather than having a huge hole in it due to car repairs.

4. Manage Debt Wisely

For many millennials, student loan debt can be a large financial weight. Start your payoff journey with high-interest debt — credit card balances are a solid place to begin. Refinance or consolidate student loans at a lower interest rate. Establish and Maintain a HISTORY of consistent on-time payments to improve your credit score, reducing overall debt.

5. Invest for the Future

If you want to create wealth then investment is the most important thing for it. If your employer offers a matching 401(k) plan, that is what you should start with. Demand more investment options like IRAs, Stocks and Mutual Funds. Simply Diversify A toasted way to diversification! The point is that, your money should earning with compounding.

6. Enhance Financial Literacy

One can be really good at making informed decision which is backed by financial literacy. Use online sources, books and courses to learn more about personal finance. Understanding concepts such as interest rates, inflation and investment options can help you make more informed financial decisions.

7. Plan for Retirement

Architecting retirement: It is never too early to plan for retirement. Save a minimum of 15% of your income toward retirement. Make use of Roth IRAs and traditional IRA tax-advantaged accounts. You may want to talk with a financial advisor who can help you put together your own retirement plan based on what you hope for in retirement and how much risk you are willing to take.

8. Protect Your Assets

But while it may not be the sexiest asset class around, insurance is integral to any complete financial plan. Make sure of health, auto and and home insurance coverage. Good idea: If you have dependents, consider life insurance. Disability insurance provides you income in the event of an illness or injury.

9. Check Your Credit Score

Great credit can unlock lower-interest rates and financial possibilities. Review your credit report on a regular basis for inaccuracies and work towards building up the score. By paying your bills on time, keeping credit card balances low and only opening new accounts when you need them (and therefore improved scores so long as other key factors don't weigh in ).

10. Seek Professional Advice

If you are unsure of where to begin or need help, then speak with a financial advisor. They can give you advice and even consult with you to build a financial plan as well. Also look for a good pedigree — Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

With these personal finance tips, a millennial can move forward in the financial journey feeling more secure for their future. Earning money is only part of the process… its mastering discipline, consistency and continuous learning that leads to long-term financial success.

[unpluggedfinancial]

The Power of Budgeting: Your Key to Getting Ahead

In today's uncertain economic climate, one principle remains steadfast: the importance of a good budget. Far from being restrictive, budgeting is the cornerstone of financial freedom and success. Let's explore why a solid budget is essential and how it can set you on the path to getting ahead.

The Foundation of Financial Health

Imagine your finances as a garden. Without proper planning, weeds can quickly overrun it. A good budget is like a well-thought-out garden plan, ensuring every financial decision supports your long-term goals.

A budget provides a clear picture of your financial situation. According to a 2021 survey by Debt.com, 80% of people who budget say it helps them get out of debt or stay out of debt. This clarity allows you to identify unnecessary expenses and redirect funds towards more meaningful goals.

Empowerment Through Control

Budgeting isn't about restriction; it's about taking control of your financial destiny. It breaks the stressful cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.

Take Sarah, for example. She was always stressed about her finances until she created a budget. She discovered she had been spending $500 monthly on takeout and impulse buys. By reallocating those funds, she built an emergency fund and started saving for a house down payment.

The Path to Savings and Investment

A good budget makes saving achievable by breaking it down into manageable steps. The "50/30/20 rule" is a popular budgeting technique: allocate 50% of your income to needs, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and debt repayment.

James, a young professional, started budgeting in his mid-20s using this rule. By consistently saving and investing 20% of his income, he built a robust investment portfolio by his 40s, providing financial security and freedom to pursue his passions.

Reducing Stress and Increasing Peace of Mind

Financial stress can take a heavy toll on your health. A study by the American Psychological Association found that 72% of Americans feel stressed about money at least some of the time. A good budget acts as a safety net, providing peace of mind and reducing anxiety.

Emily, a single mother of two, experienced this firsthand. After creating a budget, she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders, knowing she had a plan to cover expenses and save for her children's education.

Building Discipline and Financial Habits

Budgeting teaches discipline that can extend beyond finances. Mark, a young entrepreneur, found that budgeting improved his business practices. By applying budgeting principles to his business, he cut costs by 15%, increased profitability, and reinvested in growth opportunities.

Achieving Your Financial Goals

A good budget transforms dreams into achievable goals. Whether you want to pay off debt, save for a home, or retire early, a budget provides the roadmap.

The SMART goal-setting technique (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) can be particularly effective when budgeting. For instance, instead of "save more," set a goal like "save $5,000 for a vacation in 12 months."

Overcoming Common Budgeting Challenges

While budgeting offers numerous benefits, it's not without challenges. Here are some common obstacles and how to overcome them:

Inconsistent Income: If your income varies, budget based on your lowest-earning month and save extra during better months.

Unexpected Expenses: Build an emergency fund into your budget to cover unforeseen costs.

Lack of Motivation: Set small, achievable milestones and reward yourself for meeting them.

Budgeting Fatigue: Use budgeting apps or tools to simplify the process and make it more engaging.

Conclusion

Having a good budget is not just a financial strategy; it's a fundamental step towards getting ahead in life. It equips you with the knowledge, control, and discipline needed to navigate the complexities of the financial landscape. Remember, budgeting isn't about depriving yourself; it's about empowerment. It ensures every dollar you earn works towards your future.

A study by The Penny Hoarder found that 65% of people who maintain a budget consider themselves "very financially secure," compared to only 13% of those who don't budget.

Start today with a simple budget. Track your income and expenses for a month, then set realistic goals. Use tools like spreadsheets or budgeting apps to make the process easier. With time and consistency, you'll see how a simple budget can transform your financial reality and help you get ahead.

Your financial success begins with this single step. Are you ready to take control of your financial future? Download a budgeting app or set up a simple spreadsheet today and start your journey to financial freedom.

Take Action Towards Financial Independence

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[somethingusefulfromflorida]

On the apartment application I asked for a unit on the ground floor. I don't want to schlep furniture and boxes up a flight of stairs again. The good news is it's partially furnished, so I don't need to bring my own bed, but my desk, my chair, my side table, my bookshelves... I'm gonna need to consolidate my life, pick and choose what all to bring with me.

I (tentatively) move in on the 1st, a week from today. I have enough money saved up that I don't need to get a job immediately, but I've already started applying to a bunch of different places anyway. I made $15/hour at my old job, so I won't take a penny less! Oh, and I'll never work customer service again as long as I live. I won't do it. I can't...

It's a 400 mile trip, 7 hours if traffic is good. I've driven it by myself three or four times, and with family probably twenty or thirty times over the years, so I'm used to it, but my car still doesn't have AC, it's the hottest summer in human history, and we're about to enter the peak of hurricane season, so God help me. The blower motor is fine, there's just a bad leak in the coolant line; I can fill it up before I head out and the AC will last me a day or two before it all leaks out again, then I can get it fixed once I'm settled.

I've been out of college for longer than I was in college, and I feel like those years have been wasted. I didn't really do anything to further my career goals or work on any substantive creative projects. I had a housing scholarship in school so I didn't need to work, and my parents haven't charged me any rent since graduating, so I've had training wheels my entire adult life. Hell, even my student loans have been deffered since day one; I had a six month grace period, then a year of $0 payments because I had such low income (short term gain, long term loss; I accrued a ton of interest), and then the pandemic happened, so I haven't had to pay until now. I would have had it all forgiven were it not for trump's nazi bastards on the supreme court. This will be my first real stint at independence, which means BILLS!

I'll be flying without a net for the first time, and it's been a long time coming. I'm an adult, I'm almost 30 and have nothing to show for it. That changes now!

A new chapter of my life can finally begin!

[talkingpointsusa]

Charlie Kirk warns against trusting in experts - instead urges his audience to put their faith into random accounts on Twitter

In our last post, we discussed how Charlie Kirk used his coverage of the Columbia University encampment to spin baseless conspiracy theories about how the campus protests are being funded by George Soros because he noticed that the tents that the protestors were using looked kind of similar. Well, I thought that would be the end of Charlie Kirk's brilliant coverage but boy was I wrong. Charlie's May 6th episode was just pure uncut stupidity. Lets get into it.

Charlie starts by laying out the theme of this episode, no it's not who's funding the campus protestors like the episodes title promises. It's "I don't like smart people and why don't colleges just teach people what I think they should be taught".

15:30, Charlie Kirk: "The more college educated you are, the more likely you are to support Joe Biden. The more degrees you have, the more support you are (sic) of what Joe Biden is doing to this country. The more time you have spent on a university campus, the more you think Joe Biden is crushing it."

I said this in the last post but I'll say it again, colleges aren't teaching some net doctrine to students, they're teaching students what they're paying to be taught. Engineering students aren't doing dissertations on leftist political theory.

Charlie elaborates on this a bit more after the radio break.

22:51, Charlie Kirk: "Ok everyone, welcome back. So, the more time you spend on a college campus, the more degrees you have, the more trusting you are of flashy titles. When you hear a title you say 'Oooh, he must be very smart. He must know what he's talking about.' You see, this is what Plato talked about as the philosopher kings."

That's not what a philosopher king is. The term philosopher king refers to a ruler who governs utilizing both philosophy and political knowledge. Plato was actually quite for this as he believed that an ideal state could only be brought into being by a ruler who possessed philosophical knowledge so Charlie pretending that Plato viewed philosopher kings as a bad thing is kind of funny if you have even a directional idea of what that term means.

This isn't even the first time that Charlie has misused this term on this blog. The meaning that Charlie ascribes to it shifts around constantly and I'm 100% convinced that he just views it as "scary phrase that makes me sound smart".

24:13, Charlie Kirk: "Experts say, experts say, experts say. Experts have done more damage to this country than the working class ever could imagine."

This is kind of Charlie's show in a nutshell. "Yeah, don't trust the experts. Look, I used the term philosopher king incorrectly so I know what I'm talking about. Now buy my crap."

24:24, Charlie Kirk: "Doctor Fauci should be in Gitmo for what he did. The experts shut down our schools, the experts masked our kids, the experts had lunatics driving alone in their cars masked and afraid that the radio was going to emit COVID."

Still being pissed about wearing a mask in 2024 is a bold move. It's an absolutely whiny and stupid one but a bold one. I have no idea what he's talking about with the radio emitting COVID but he has zero right to talk about crazy scientific beliefs. Charlie Kirk thinks that birth control makes people Democrats and that the height of your apartment building determines your political orientation.

24:43, Charlie Kirk: "We have become so trusting of experts and thanks to social media and thanks to Elon Musk opening up X so that we can see who they really are we realize that the people who are in charge of our society, that have been given all of this power, who were never been elected, they've never run for office, they never had to answer tough questions. Not only are they morons, they're not wise, but they're incredibly confident."

Yeah, so Charlie's whole point in this segment is that you shouldn't trust the people who have merely dedicated their lives to studying certain subjects and have extremely broad knowledge of what they're talking about....no, you should trust random people on Twitter. Really, what Charlie is doing here is supporting his grift. As long as people aren't accessing actual information from experts who know what they're talking about and staying in their right-wing media bubble, Charlie Kirk makes money.

Charlie's whole definition of an expert is so vague by the way. I guess they're some sort of academic ruling class that Charlie is speculating runs the nation. But I can't really take Charlie's hatred of the "experts" all that seriously when he's also posting videos with titles like this:

"And he knows what he's talking about because he's an exper-oh-oops"

25:12, Charlie Kirk: "I get asked all the time, I say 'Charlie, why do you go to college campuses and talk to these kids?' Outside of the obvious answer that-"

Is that obvious answer that a lot of people subscribe to your YouTube channel when you post clickbaity debates with people who don't have actual interview and debate training while also selectively cutting out the ones that make you look like a complete idiot?

25:19, Charlie Kirk: "That they're the future of the country and they're voters."

Oh, how silly of me.

Charlie does an ad break for the radio, does an ad for gold, and then launches back to his extremely stupid tirade against "experts".

36:50, Charlie Kirk: "The yielding to the experts is the deterioration of the sovereign citizen, you're no longer thinking for yourself. Being a sovereign citizen means I might buy silver and gold, I might not take the shot, I'm not going to just feed my kid high fructose corn syrup, I'm not going to listen to the government when it says that the people who give birth aren't women but birthing people."

It's so telling that the first thing a sovereign citizen does on the Charlie Kirk Show is buy into the gold scam he's been plugging. The birthing people thing is stupid too. There are plenty of trans males who still have the biological capacity to give birth. It just boils down yet again to the rights lack of knowledge over the difference between sex and gender.

Charlie Kirk rants about Jared Bernstein making a gaffe for a bit and then complains that people are going to protest his event in Seattle.

40:52, Charlie Kirk: "Meanwhile you got these protestors with a bunch of -- you got tent city, the ugliest laziest people that society has to offer."

Nothing screams lazy quite like....protesting? I don't even know what he's talking about anymore.

41:01, Charlie Kirk: "I don't mean ugly even from an aesthetic standpoint, I want to be very clear. I mean, you can't control your looks and you should never make fun of how somebody looks. I mean ugly from how they present themselves to society, I mean the choices of how they dress. I think that's very important."

"Yeah, I don't mean ugly from an aesthetic standpoint. I mean ugly from an AESTHETIC standpoint, get it right guys."

41:23, Charlie Kirk: "I'm talking about when you double nose pierce your nose -- pierce your nose. You've got tattoos all over the place, you haven't showered in three weeks, and you've got purple hair. You're ugly."

Some hard hitting criticism that sounds like it came from your 76 year old uncle complaining about how kids these days get all these tattoos and dye their hair and back in my day that satanic claptrap was never tolerated.

Now it's time for Charlie Kirk's analysis about the election. He somehow manages to make himself sound stupider as he goes along.

42:01, Charlie Kirk: "And it really is going to be, as Andrew put in the previous episode with Josh Hammer, the country class versus the ruling class."

I really am baffled by the cognitive dissonance required to believe that the "ruling class" aren't on the right. Charlie was literally just praising Elon Musk, a guy worth $196.9 billion dollars, for "opening up" Twitter (read: allowing the Nazi stuff that Charlie likes back on). Charlie himself lives in a $4.75 million dollar house in a gated community that charges nearly half a million dollars for a country club membership. Charlie Kirk, the people who pay him, and the people who he supports are the elites that Charlie fearmongers about so much.

42:23, Charlie Kirk: "Who is actually supporting the Democrat coalition? They have more support than ever from college educated women, college educated women have an attachment to the Democrat Party like Catholics have to the eucharist. College educated women are one of the most difficult demographics for Republicans to break. They consume NPR, New York Times, many of them think it's great that their kids are getting transed. The downfall of Colorado can be best described as the college educated female demographic so we're gonna have to navigate that."

Golly, I wonder why women are for the Democrats. Could it have something to do with the fact that the Republicans are working overtime to strip their rights and bodily autonomy away? There's just no self awareness here. Of course the Republicans are going to alienate groups that they take rights away from, it only makes sense.

Charlie doesn't seem to understand how the grotesque actions of his party have led to this consequence and instead seems to have came to the conclusion that "Oh, these women are just college educated. Yeah, that's the problem. These women really are the downfall of America. They gotta just start pumping out babies".

The next hour is Charlie interviewing Glenn Greenwald, Michael Knowles would be stunned at how leftist Glenn is here. I'm not going over any of it.

Conclusion:

Well, this episode was kind of anticlimactic. I was excited to hear Charlie's bombshell evidence about how the campus protests are secretly funded by the left and instead I got him going on misogynistic rants and complaining about "experts and the elite". Maybe he got into it in the interviews but I guess this is what I'd do too if my evidence was "Hey, look at those tents".

Original Video:

“Who Backs Campus Rioters? + Speech in Peril + Faith against the Darkness | LIVE 5.6.24.” Rumble.com, 6 May 2024.

Sources:

Study.com, 2023, study.com/academy/lesson/philosopher-king-history-examples.html.

“How Trump’s MAGA Movement Helped a 29-Year-Old Activist Become a Millionaire.” AP News, 10 Oct. 2023.

[budgetbeastie]

A Guide to Creating a Personal Budget (2/3)

budgeting to plan and control your personal life

a personal budget is a great way to plan for the future and set goal posts - both long term and short term

think of a financial goal you have, big or small...

some examples:

spending less

getting out of debt

save an emergency fund

buying a car

buying a house

retiring early

a budget can help you with every financial goal you have, let's talk about how!

there's two reasons why budgets are created:

planning & control

when using a budget to plan, we're taking our list of expenses (including minimum payments on debt!) and when they're due to determine the total costs for the period (which could be a week, month, 3 months, or a year). in addition to our expenses, we estimate our income for the period as well, which can be averaged out for the sake of our mental health.

for the sake of this convo, let's use a month as the chosen period.

once we know how much the month will cost us, we can compare it to our earnings from the month. if we use the 50-30-20 method, then our total cost of living would be half of our total net income. however, it's becoming increasingly rare for us to exist using only 50% or less of our total income on living expenses. Being able to accurately predict and plan our spending can help us to better understand our individual financial positions.

say our total monthly income is $3,000 and our total monthly expenses is $2,400

knowing that we're going to have $600 leftover from our income during the month that isn't directly tied to staying physically alive helps with making accurate decisions based on your finances, this cash could be used for whatever you want! sometimes, it's for a little treat, and you give yourself a weekly allowance, other times, it's for approaching your financial goals.

the other half of why budgeting is helpful, is control

some goals are more intense than others, and that intensity varies between individual financial positions. for some, it would be easier to save $5,000 than to get out of debt, and vice versa for others.

we can use budgets to control our path and to set goals. say our goal is to save a 3 month emergency fund (3 months of expenses), how would we do that?

identify the goal

we need 3 months worth of our expenses, which totals out to be $7,200

2. choose a contribution level

we have $600 left over at the end of each month, but don't want to contribute every penny to savings (YOLO or something) $200 a month (about $45 a week) goes to spending, for if something happens like we go out to eat with friends or it's just been a bad day $400 a month ends up going towards our emergency fund

3. set goal posts and milestones

now we can divide our goal by our contribution level: $7,200 / $400 = 18 at this contribution level for this goal, it'll take 18 months to reach the end. milestones look different for every goal, but my favourite method is the snowball method (usually for paying off debt, but works here too), where we clock in wins in early and help build momentum!

the first goal would look like the first deposit, which would be $200 on the 1st of the first month we start using our budget. hitting this milestone will feel good, because you can check on the $200 and feel incredible about how you're saving money and it's there making you even more money with interest! our second goal would be to have our first $400 at the halfway point of the first month. from here, we can stretch the milestones a bit to look something like this:

by using our budget to figure out how much money we spend on being alive, we know how much money is left to commit to our goal.

using the budget to plan for upcoming expenses or increases in income, as well as controlling how much we spend in certain areas of our lives, helps us make better and more informed financial decisions every day.

knowing how much in the checking account can be used to get that notebook while shopping at the grocery store will help with confidence and independence, as well as reducing spending guilt. you are in control when you have something like a budget to refer to, and you can plan to hit goals!

[mariacallous]

I am in the midst of a house move. It is not by choice. I am one of the thousands of renters in London facing eviction – although technically our landlord has simply decided not to renew our tenancy, a decision that doesn’t seem to factor into official eviction stats, though it should, given the frequency with which it’s occurring.

My landlord was one of that rare breed: the “good” landlords. You hear about them occasionally. The bar is very low, yet most private landlords (in London, at least) fail to clear it. Not a price gouger; fixes things when asked; doesn’t treat tenants like squatters who happen to be paying half their monthly salary for the privilege of residing in their buy-to-let.

But without proper legal protections and rights for private tenants, such as rent caps, tenancy security even in cases of house sales, and the option of indefinite tenancies, all that separates a good landlord from a bad one is the wafer-thin concept of decency. Tenants are totally reliant on the whims and personal circumstances of their particular landlord. As such, privately renting is not just a financial and psychological burden: it is also a crash course in extensive relationship management.

See: putting off getting the boiler fixed because the washing machine was just replaced, and if you ask your landlord for two costly repairs in a row a little switch in their brain might flip your house from “asset” to “albatross”, and they might decide to sell. Or calling a house meeting to collectively draft an unfathomably sycophantic email two months before your contract renewal essentially begging the landlord to grant you and your housemates the great honour of staying in their beautiful property. Sending them flowers, just because. (There is a housing crisis, and you need them to like you enough to ignore the estate agent in their ear telling them they can collect 30% more in monthly rent.)

And yet, at the slightest pressure decency withers and dies. In September, my “good” landlord asked to increase the rent by a small and reasonable amount, in line with rising living costs (no word, of course, about decreasing the rate to mirror real-terms pay cuts). My housemates and I agreed, but requested the increase came into effect after 90 days, according to the terms of the contract we had signed, rather than immediately. The landlord pushed back, with an undertone of aggrievement that we would repay their kindness in such a fashion, and then went quiet. Days later, we were informed our tenancy was ending. By adhering to the only legal protection we had, we’d become an albatross.

Unspoken was the reality that by referencing the vulgar, transactional nature of the landlord/tenant relationship, we had pierced the gossamer veneer of civility. We had reminded our landlord that they were a landlord, and not simply a kind benefactor. It was ungrateful in the face of their generosity. Personal affront sealed our fate.

Where the state has withdrawn, I have noticed an increasing emphasis on interpersonal “decency” to one another, an exhortation to rely on a supposed inherent goodness that will see us all done right by. Perhaps the seeds of this rhetoric were first planted by David Cameron’s vision of a “big society”, which involved the cutting down of actual society, via slashed public spending, and its replacement with voluntarism. There is a cultural emphasis on being “kind” in lieu of solid legislative frameworks and state safety nets to catch us when we fall.

Often, it is those people with the most material power who preach this doctrine: at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the then chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was instructing the public to practise “kindness” and “decency”, and later refusing to overhaul statutory sick pay. Wealthy celebrities and influencers wield the phrase “Be kind” like a get-out-of-jail-free card at the slightest hint of criticism. And there is a reliance on the individual compassion of the likes of landlords, in order to keep a roof over our heads. This “kindness” is a myth: it is bondage of a feudal nature, an exercise in massaging the egos – or should that be the consciences? – of those with assets and access in the hope that they will continue to patronise the rest of us.

Unfortunately, this vague folk concept of “kindness” disappears as soon as those at the top of the totem pole feel a squeeze; see landlords en masse increasing rental rates in line with their own living costs, never mind that some aren’t even grappling with higher mortgage repayments and have more than enough of a financial cushion from the properties they let out.

It is understandable in times of crisis: a scarcity mindset becomes particularly sharp. The perception of being harder up, however, means kindness falls by the wayside. Self-preservation kicks in, and damn objectivity when it comes to assessing actual power dynamics.

“It’s been a very difficult time for landlords, too,” my friend was told earlier this year, after a rent increase on her mouse-infested flat. The landlord in question collects income from 11 properties. Under the decency doctrine, everyone’s suffering is equal.

Keep your kindness. I would rather have housing security or the ability to easily book a GP appointment without relying on a sympathetic receptionist’s pity when I turn up at the surgery in tears at 8am. “Decency” without the backing of robust welfare and legislative infrastructure is nothing but a farce, existing to alleviate the guilt of the haves in relation to the have-nots. It is a finite resource. The UK, it seems, is close to running on empty.

[erodasfishtacos]

Okay mama personal question

I wanna do child/teen counselling and forensic…so the thing is I’d have to move all across the globe to pursue it but I’ve been seeing all these people on the net saying that it’s not been paying them well and stuff and ofc money is not my first concern but if I move across and leave my family will I be able to sustain myself comfortably?! And do we get a good placement after masters? Or is it like medical that it’s gonna take years to build coz I think I wanna get a phD too

Also can u actually pursue both counselling and forensic???

PS : I gotta start applying to college next month and this year is sooooo bad nearly 80% of my batch flunked mid terms plus I don’t wanna leave home tbh but I kind of want to get out there :(

You definitely don’t make a lot starting out. Here are my thoughts. If your goal is to be therapist and you want to be successsful and have a good income. You have to get your masters and you have to get licensed. The money comes in when you’re liscensed and that means you can work in private practices where commercial insurances are paying the bigger bucks. You can easily make over 100k in the field with all the degrees.

It is a huge decision and a massive commitment so I would really consider it before you do it.

I’ll talk to you through what my experience looked like

Undergrad degree in psychology with a minor in sociology (4 years)

Masters degree in clinical mental health counseling (2.5 years)

In my masters program, I have to complete 350 hours of unpaid practicum, 650 hours of internship. That equals out to about 40 hours a week in internship on top of five classes.

In my school, to graduate I had to pass the CPCE.

Then after you graduate, you need to take the NCE which is the National Counselors Exam and pass that - that’s about a 300 question exam that I studied about nine months for

Then after you pass your NCE you have to then get 3000 supervised hours of work (about 2.5 years) before you can apply to be an LPC.

I just became an LPC this summer and I’m 28.

My college did not set me up with a job.

PhD is a good idea depending on what you want to do with it. I am planning to start my PhD program when I turn 30 and get it in counselor education so that I can be a professor and teach.

The reason LPC makes money and an unlicensed therapist with a masters doesn’t is because insurance will not pay nonlisenced therapist, thus private practice won’t hire you unless the company accepts medicad and Medicare which pay bare minimum or out of pocket pay.

As for what you’re planning to do.. I am a child and family therapist.

I did all of my internship and practicum at a children’s psychiatric hospital

And all my supervised hours in an agency that does family therapy funded through the state

Any type of specialize means more education, trainings, certifications, etc…

I am certified grief counselor but I had to take endless trainings for it.

As for the forensic side, I’m not sure what job you’re thinking out and I’m not knowledgeable on that side.

This isn’t trying to steer you away from the profession.

However, even though I would do it all over again, I wish someone would have told me how fucking difficult it was going to be.

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — October 29-November 04 (part 1)

previous week || all posts || following week

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

I've had to split this week into two parts because I hit the hyperlink limit. This post covers October 29-November 01, November 02-04 can be found [here].

10-29 → Net-A-Porter posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a behind the scenes video from Rising with the Wind. [subbed video] Caption: "Keep broadcasting and recording, 📷 hidden cameras record Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon starts work and prepares!" BGM is a violin cover of A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a douyin of behind the scenes footage from the Rising with the Wind cast reveal photoshoot taken back in December 2021. Caption: "Listening, sensing, everything is guided by the wind. Watch Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon firm up his faith and set off in the wind." BGM is Fog Space by Guo Ding.

→ Gong Jun posted two photo ads for L'Oreal, announcing a livestream with them for the following day. This was reposted by L'Oreal.

10-30 → Gong Jun posted a promotional video he did for Deeyeo.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted a cast poster.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a promotional still of Xu Si.

→ Gong Jun posted a promotional poster for Rising with the Wind. Caption: "Regarding investment, Xu Si has his own rules. 😎 Tonight at 19:30 #Rising with the Wind# will see Xu Si play in the workplace." This was reposted by his studio with the added caption, "All-powerful masters compete with each other, investor Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon is here!" It was also reposted by Deeyeo and GXG.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a douyin of footage from the photoshoot for the above promotional poster. Caption: "Gear up and fight against the wind! Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon has entered the game"

→ L'Oreal posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted the show's airing schedule.

→ The Instagram posted a photo of a book.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted the airing schedule for Rising with the Wind. Caption: "Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon’s office venture capital planning, please check it ✉️ Control the risks and watch the drama with ease. Remember to lock in on iQiyi and Dragon TV on time, and work hard with Xu Si to hold the torch against the wind."

→ Gong Jun posted three promo posters of Xu Si to his Instagram, caption: "Xu Si starts today!!!!!!" He also posted four to his Xiao Hong Shu, caption: "He's coming, he's coming! Xu Si starts work today 😎"

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a fancam-style video of Xu Si. Caption: "Pay attention, this man’s name is Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon, don’t forget to give him your time tonight!" BGM is Baby by Mike Candys.

→ Gong Jun appeared on a livestream for L'Oreal. [full recording]

→ Gong Jun Outdoor Office posted three gifs of him from that day's L'Oreal livestream. Caption: "Dear princesses and princes, do you understand what I mean?"

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a mock-up ID profile for Xu Si. Caption: "With a gentle appearance and neat deeds, Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon, the youngest executive director of Baoxing, is indeed extraordinary! Work starts today, and Mr. Xu’s workplace only has favorable conditions."

→ Rising with the Wind premiered! English subs: [iQiyi] [YouTube] (iQiyi is recommended as some of the audio is replaced on YouTube due to copyright.)

→ Gong Jun posted a douyin of himself in Paris, transitioning into clips of Xu Si. Caption: "Xu Si Simon + suit = ?" BGM is slowed remix of Dilemma by Kelly Rowland and Nelly that was used by his studio the previous week.

→ Gong Jun posted a gif and a still from the first episode of Rising with the Wind. Caption: "I would say that I'm the God of Wealth" This was reposted by Gong Jun Outdoor Office with the added caption: "Repost this Xu Si Simon, money will come from all directions 🫡" It was also reposted by 361° and the Rising with the Wind Weibo.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a behind the scenes video from the first episode of Rising with the Wind.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted a promotional still of Xu Si.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo made a post announcing that the show's premiere had hit a 5000 popularity score.

10-31 → Gong Jun posted a promotional video he did for Fresh.

→ Gong Jun's studio made a post announcing the show's premiere reaching a 6000 popularity score. Caption: "A shopping mall is like a chess board. He who knows the game survives, and he who masters the game wins! 'Rising with the Wind' has a popularity value of over 6,000 on the iQiyi site! Thank you all for your support, let us continue to compete in the shopping mall with Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon."

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted a promotional still of Xu Si.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo made a post about the 6000 popularity score. Later in the day they posted another one for 6500.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted behind the scenes clips of Xu Si with a dog, adjusting his tie pin, and with Jiang Hu.

→ Gong Jun posted a video of himself in hair and makeup answering questions as Xu Si. Caption: "Si’s literature (referred to as Siwen" (pun with Xu Si's English name) This was reposted by his studio, added caption: "Study Xu Si’s literature seriously 🀄", by the Outdoor Office, caption: "The body is not intact, the body is not intact (today’s freshness!)", and by the Rising with the Wind Weibo.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted four wide angle stills of Gong Jun and Zhong Chuxi's characters.

→ Dragon TV aired a short segment to promote Rising with the Wind where they talked about Gong Jun rising to fame because of Word of Honor. This included showing a clip from Word of Honor that included Zhang Zhehan.

→ Gong Jun's studio made a post about the 6500 popularity rating. Caption: "The latest business news! 'Rising with the Wind' has a popularity value of over 6,500 on the iQiyi site! Thank you for your support, let us accompany Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon to listen to the stories of the years and watch the rise of the national trend."

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted a promotional still of Xu Si.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a video of Gong Jun interacting with dogs as Xu Si vs out of character. Caption: "When it comes to treating dogs… our main focus is "Gong" and "Si" clearly! #Xu Si is afraid of dogs, what’s that go to do with Gong Jun#" Fan Observation: The second dog shown, which appears for the majority of the video despite having nothing to do with RWTW, is wearing a little orange backpack with an orange keychain.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a video of Xu Si. Caption: "The OOTD has been delivered~ There are deep social routines in the workplace, and dress etiquette is inseparable. Don't worry! This will take you into Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon’s wardrobe to find out what’s going on!"

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a video of behind the scenes clips from Rising with the Wind. Caption: "Take a short break from the busy workplace, come back to school to recharge your batteries with Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon" (Oh buddy I'm trying.)

→ Yang Yang posted three photos of himself and Gong Jun from the L'Oreal livestream.

11-01 → Tangle Teezer posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ Hogan posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun, advertising their livestream with him that evening. (1129 kadian) This was reposted by Gong Jun's studio with the added caption, "The balance of Chengdu, the original intention of Shanghai, and the vision of Milan are inspired by the city's creativity, and the changes in style and color are given exclusive meaning. Let's walk into the story of @ Gong Jun Simon and the three cities."

→ Hogan posted a commercial featuring Gong Jun talking about Chengdu, Shanghai, and Milan. Fan Observation: He says about two thirds in, "I hope you will always stay true to your original intentions," almost exactly quoting Zhang Zhehan from the concert hug. He also said this again during the livestream that evening. 🥺

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted a character profile of Xu Si.

→ Tissot posted two photo ads featuring Gong Jun.

→ Hogan posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun, advertising the livestream that evening.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted behind the scenes clips of Gong Jun at a bar, at a gym, and looking at Jiang Hu's phone.

→ Gong Jun posted two selfies. Caption: "Post a few selfies to see your strength, who cares?" This was reposted by the Rising with the Wind Weibo and his studio.

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a "vlog" from Rising with the Wind. Caption: "Professionalism is synonymous with him. Let’s see how Shanghai financial man Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon runs a business (gets water thrown at him)."

→ Gong Jun's studio posted a video of Xu Si. Caption: "Master the art of language and your career will be smooth. Learn how to speak with Xu Si @ Gong Jun Simon, even if you are splashed, you can still speak through the water!"

→ Gong Jun appeared on a livestream for Hogan.

→ The Rising with the Wind Weibo posted two promotional stills of Xu Si.

[part 2 of this week]

[ennovance]

U.S. corporate cash pile rises 13% to $2.35 trillion amid fewer share buybacks, less M&A

Cash was $2.35 trillion at June 30, up around 13% from the end of 2022. The increase in cash was helped by an increase in cash flow from operations, a slight increase in debt (with no impact on leverage ratios), and lower M&A activity. For the 12 months ended June 30, which is based on a sample of 921 US non-financial corporates, found that cash was largely used to: (i) fund $654 billion in share repurchases (net of issuances), (ii) pay higher dividends ($549 billion) and (iii) fund higher capex ($1.08 trillion). Dividend and capex spending, which increased 3% and 5%, respectively, from the end of 2022 reached an all-time high in absolute dollar terms in the June 30 LTM period.

-MCO