#the goal was to finish it the 31 of December but i have already reduced to 26 October | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spikeymarshmallows · 4 years

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End of July Writing Update

Total for year as at 31 July 2020: 249 071 [+27 760 in July]

Status of Current Projects *indicates completed; **indicates completed & posted

Detective Diego: 82 381 [+11 606]

Museum 'verse Fics: 20 003** [+5 789 – Post-OD]; 1 051 [+0 – New Home]; 1 529 [+379 – Sex post-OD]; 158 [+158 – Post-Apocalypse]

Shibari Baby: 10 159 [-263]

Misc: 5 021** [+4426 – Genderbent]; 237 [+237 – Kluther]; 3 092 [+3 092 – Genderbent Sweetness];

Unaccounted For: 1 529 [Somehow, I have extra words but IDK where they came from, so I'm guessing they're other misc lil things I have, but they weren't substantial enough for me to note them in my project worksheet?]

Completed and/or Posted:

cheap vodka and a twist - genderswap/sexswap Kliego with drunk sex and squirting :3

portrait of the aftermath - museum ‘verse, Klaus and Diego trying to move on after Klaus’ OD

in satin and almond milk - museum ‘verse fluff

The City 2 4 - Detective Diego AU :O

Goals for July: Eh

Write every day, even if it’s just 100 words - Yeah, I guess

Build up my backlog again - NOPE

Detective fic – Solid progress, if not completed entirely - Decent progress, and the end is in sight

Museum 'verse - Finish post-OD fic - Complete!

Shibari Baby – finish, beta, post - FUCKING. SIGH.

Inhibitors:

Well, I got some help for my depression but honestly, I’m still struggling. While writing this, I’m experiencing some really intense anxiety that I don’t know how to help

I’m just.... I’m a bit burnt out.

My future is really scary : ( Everyone’s is. But still.

What was good about this month:

I have written 272k worth of TUA fic since I started writing for this fandom, which was… 13 December.

I finished the post-OD fic and honestly, I am incredibly proud of it. I think it’s some of my best work.

I said “FUCK IT” and started posting my Detective AU. I’ve written 25 chapters of the ~30. And as of this morning I have yeah, less than 10 scenes to write, and some of them are already heavily outlined :3

With the release of S2, I have a few new ideas. [No spoilers beyond the first episode] Ballroom dancing? Kliego escaping a mental asylum together?? Kliego arriving in the 60′s together???? YES PLEASE. I gotta finish some other projects first... But. My brain is starting to spin.

How to improve on this past month:

I don’t even know anymore

Reduce the number of goals

Potential inhibitors:

IDK, I hate myself?

ADHD

Loads of uncertainty about the future

Depression depression depression

Goals for August:

Write every day, even if it’s just 100 words

Detective fic – Solid progress, if not completed entirely

One other fic completed and posted; I don’t even fucking care at this point, just.... I wanna feel less shit about my writing, kthx.

#writing updates

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thisdaynews · 5 years

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Watford 2-2 Arsenal: Hornets cancel out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/watford-2-2-arsenal-hornets-cancel-out-pierre-emerick-aubameyangs-double/

Watford 2-2 Arsenal: Hornets cancel out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double

Roberto Pereyra salvaged a point for Watford from the penalty spot in the 81st minute

A Watford side brimming with attacking intent fought back from two goals down at half-time to draw at home to Arsenal in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first match since being reappointed Hornets manager.

The hosts fired in 31 shots – a club-record for a Premier League game – as Arsenal’s shaky defence finally cracked after the break.

Watford levelled the scores when Roberto Pereyra rolled in a late penalty to secure only their second point of the season.

Tom Cleverley had earlier reduced the deficit when Gunners defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos gave away possession inside his own area.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the visitors in front when he collected Sead Kolasinac’s pass on the turn before firing past Ben Foster.

Arsenal doubled their lead as Aubemeyang finished a sweeping team move but the hosts improved after the break as the Gunners unravelled in front of the vociferous home support.

Arsenal too scared of Watford – Xhaka

The Hornets had their chances to complete a stunning comeback with a decisive third, but the otherwise impressive Gerard Deulofeu dragged his effort narrowly wide.

The result sees Arsenal move into seventh, while the Hornets remain rooted to the bottom.

Aubameyang papers over defensive frailties

The Arsenal striker is one of the most clinical forwards in the English top flight, having scored with seven of his last nine shots on target, and the Gunners are quite capable of blowing teams away going forward thanks to the potency of Aubameyang and the technical ability of Mesut Ozil and Dani Ceballos.

They demonstrated their attacking flair as they went through 20 passes for their second goal – but glaring issues remain at the back.

This was evident as early as the 10th minute as the red and white shirts backed off and space opened up for Cleverley, whose fierce effort was well saved by Bernd Leno.

Five minutes later, and Etienne Capoue was given the same time and space but could only shoot over the bar.

The Gunners want to play out from the back, and even though Matteo Guendouzi lost possession deep inside his own half on two occasions they persisted with their approach.

It was Sokratis who eventually made the mistake that always looked likely to happen, before Deulofeu diverted the ball into Cleverley’s path for Watford’s first goal.

David Luiz was brought in from London rivals Chelsea to shore up the defence over the summer, but the Brazilian has endured a difficult few weeks at the start of his Arsenal career, and has now conceded two penalties in three matches.

Luiz brought down Pereyra with a lunge in the final 10 minutes and the substitute stepped up himself to take the penalty and salvage a point for the hosts.

Cause for optimism for bottom club

Watford welcomed Sanchez Flores for his second spell in charge at Vicarage Road with a bright start as they looked to impose themselves on the visitors.

They were in the ascendancy before going behind against the run of play as Will Hughes was dispossessed inside the Arsenal half. Kolasinac burst down the other end and fed Aubemeyang to rifle home.

Even after Aubemeyang doubled Arsenal’s lead Watford still sensed the visitors’ weakness was in playing out from the back and they crowded around Leno and his defenders, with the high press eventually leading to Sokratis’ mistake.

The record 31 shots Watford produced was also a record for Arsenal, who have never faced more shots since Opta began collecting records.

The problem for Watford is that only 10 of their shots were on target and the return of injured talisman Troy Deeney cannot come soon enough they look to climb away from the bottom of the table.

Man of the match – Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang (Arsenal)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored two first-half goals that meant Arsenal seemingly looked in control at the interval

‘They were stronger than us’ – what they said

Arsenal boss Unai Emery:“Physically they are stronger than us so we want to break the lines from the goal-kick and connect to Mesut Ozil, like we did with the first goal.

“We have young players, we are working to improve and they will gain experience from matches like today. We can grow up and learn with these mistakes.

“We knew that 2-0 was not enough at half-time. “

Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores to Match of the Day:“Have I missed the Premier League? Yeah. I miss all these kind of emotions – I love it.

“I was really happy with the performance of the players. We have one point against a very tough team. It’s good for our confidence. We are positive.”

Error prone Arsenal – the stats

This was the first time in 22 meetings across all competitions that Watford and Arsenal have drawn against each other, having last done so in December 1984 (1-1).

New Watford manager Sanchez Flores has only lost one of his eight managerial meetings with Arsenal’s Unai Emery in all competitions (W3 D4 L1).

This was the first time that Arsenal failed to win a Premier League match in which they were at least two goals ahead since April 2016 when they drew 3-3 with West Ham, and the first time Watford avoided defeat in the league after being at least two goals behind since January 2018 v Southampton (2-2).

Since his Premier League debut in February 2018, Arsenal forward Aubameyang has been directly involved in 46 goals in the competition (37 goals, 9 assists); only Mo Salah (53) has had a hand in more in this time.

Aubameyang has been directly involved in five goals in his four Premier League appearances against Watford, scoring four times and assisting once.

Cleverley scored his first home league goal for Watford since October 2017, which also came against Arsenal, 701 days ago.

Since the start of last season, Arsenal’s players have made a combined 14 errors leading to opposition goals in the Premier League, at least two more than any other club in this time.

Since the start of last season, no side has conceded more goals via penalties in the Premier League than Arsenal (10 – level with Brighton), with the Gunners already having already conceded three this season alone.

What’s next?

Watford travel to Manchester City on Saturday, 21 September (15:00 BST), while Arsenal face Eintracht Frankfurt away in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Aston Villa on Sunday, 22 September (16:30).

#Aubameyang's #double

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andrewdburton · 4 years

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My 2019 year in review

On a cold first of December 2000, my car was totalled during morning rush hour. I was cruising along in the slow lane — I drive like an old man — when a tractor-trailer rig changed lanes into my Geo Storm. According to the guy behind me, the car spun around twice (although that seems unlikely) before slamming into a guardrail and coming to a stop.

The entire accident probably took all of five seconds but it seemed more like five minutes in subjective time. From the moment I felt the first jolt, my mind entered a state of hyper awareness. I could see everything happening around me — the truck looming to my left, the airbag deploying, the chaos as the car whirled about, the traffic in other lanes — but I was powerless to do anything about it.

When my vehicle came to a stop, witnesses pulled over and rushed to see if I was okay. I was stunned, but I was fine.

Over the next couple of hours — and then days — I went about picking up the pieces. The accident itself had been chaos, as I said, and it left a bit of a mess to clean up afterward. I had to have the car towed. The insurance company had to evaluate it. They had to issue me a check. I had to buy a new car. And so on.

Five seconds of chaos, five weeks of picking up the pieces, and then life settled into a new normal.

My 2019 felt much the same, my friends. I'm not trying to be overdramatic (or to catastrophize), but for a lot of the past twelve months, I've felt as if I'm stuck in a spinning car, clearly able to see what's happening but powerless to stop it.

This is, of course, a product of my anxiety and depression. Objectively, my life is fine. Great, even. Subjectively, everything's been spinning and the airbag has deployed. I know this is all in my head, but that doesn't make it any better.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that I believe — hope, maybe? — that the wreck has come to a halt. The car that is my life has stopped spinning. Over the past month, I've been “assessing the damage”. Things are messy, sure, but they're not as bad as they might have been. Now, I've slowly begun to pick up the pieces, to work toward a new normal.

Fortunately, nothing's totalled. It's a mess, but there's nothing that cannot be repaired.

2019 in Review

Hello! And welcome to 2020.

I, for one, am eager to dive into the new year. It's almost guaranteed to be an improvement over 2019, which was (subjectively) one of the most difficult years of my life. Things can only get better, right?

But when I look back objectively at the previous twelve months, things were great. Especially financially. After hemorrhaging money during the previous two years, I managed to stop the bleeding. The austerity measures I implemented last January worked. My spending declined. Meanwhile, my investments — in the stock market, in my home — all gained value.

As a result, my net worth grew substantially despite being in drawdown mode (as opposed to “wealth accumulation” mode).

At the end of 2018, my net worth was $1,334,227. This was a 15.2% decline from 2017!

At the end of 2019, my net worth was $1,449,808. This is an 8.7% increase over last year.

In 2020, I intend to continue pursuing frugality. Kim and I have talked about various ways we can both cut our spending even more than we already have (while still enjoying the things that bring us value, such as travel). But my top financial goal is to increase my income with Get Rich Slowly. That means publishing more articles and organizing the existing material so that it's more useful to new visitors.

As I get back in the habit of writing for GRS, I've noticed that some readers have questions. My sporadic publishing schedule has left gaps in what I've shared about my life.

“What happened to working at the box factory?”

“Why are you renting an office?”

“Did you ever buy a new car?”

And so on.

In my head, I've shared about this stuff. But that's probably just in my head. Today, as we wrap up 2019, I thought it might be a good time to fill in some of these gaps.

Health and Fitness

From a health and fitness perspective, 2019 sucked. And because my health and fitness sucked, the rest of the year seemed to suck more than it actually did. When you're not well, everything else seems off…even if it isn't actually so.

At the start of the year, things seemed fine. I was heavier than I wanted, but I was going to the gym and generally happy.

Something happened in March, though. Every spring, I get deeply depressed as my tree allergies flare up. This year, though, things were especially bad. At the end of March, I went to the emergency room with what I thought was a heart attack. It wasn't a heart attack. It was probably a panic attack.

As a result, I started attending therapy for the first time in ten years. Over the next few months, I sunk deeper into depression and my anxiety worsened. It sucked. Now, though, things seem to be improving. But I've suffered a lot of lost time and productivity.

“A lot of your self-worth seems to come from accomplishments,” my therapist said last week. I hadn't ever thought of that. She's right. Work, school, play — a lot of how I feel comes from the results I achieve rather than the effort I expend. Something to work on!

In November, I had a colonoscopy. Cancer runs in my family, and I don't want to take any chances. The doctor removed nine polyps. Two were hyperplastic (“of no significance”) and seven were adenomatous (not cancerous, but could lead to cancer). So, good news there.

All of this healthcare stuff was expensive. I met my $7900 out-of-pocket health insurance max this year, which boggles my mind. Plus, I ended the year ten pounds heavier than I started it.

Despite all of this, I'm hopeful for the future. I seem to have turned the corner on the depression and anxiety. I'm making progress. And I have a plan for improving my fitness, a plan that involves walking and biking to work every day. Much of my mental state seems to be tied to my physical fitness, so this is all good stuff.

Work

At the start of 2019, I went back to work for the family box factory. I was training to replace my cousin, who has throat cancer and is continually told he has three months left to live. When it came time for him to leave, I'd take over as bookkeeper and office manager. That was the plan.

That didn't work out.

For one, it was taking time away from this website. For another, it was tough to justify commuting an hour each day, especially when I don't really need the money. Plus, I felt like working together was placing a strain on our family relationships. So, I stopped working for the family business at the end of June. (Fortunately, Duane is still with us and still managing the office. We're even talking about taking another trip together!)

At Get Rich Slowly, I struggled to find rhythm and direction. I feel like I've managed to achieve a sort of balance now, thankfully. I'm writing what I want when I want, and that takes a lot of pressure off me. Tom and I are still trying to get the stupid redesign finished — it's only taken two years! — but that's all on me. I'm the sticking point.

As I've mentioned in passing, GRS has increased revenue over the past year. I'd still like to boost income even more, but I'm unwilling to do so in ways that compromise the user experience, so that limits my options. Tom and I will keep experimenting, though.

Meanwhile, I've begun working on a project that excites me. I'm creating a five-hours, ten-part introductory course on financial independence and early retirement for Audible and The Great Courses. That'll be sucking up most of my time for the next four months, in fact.

Lastly, I should point out that I have moved into a new office space. At our family meeting on Thanksgiving, Kim urged me to rent space outside the house. She thought it would give me mental separation between work and home. Turns out, she was right.

In December, I rented a small (129 square foot) office for $325 per month and it's awesome. It's a great space that I love. Best of all, it actually seems to be fostering productivity. Yay!

Money

Now, let's get to the good stuff. Let's talk about personal finance.

I was relatively pleased with my money management this year. After seeming to vomit money in 2017 and 2018 (from remodeling the house, buying back this website, and investing in other businesses), I buckled down and looked for ways to not spend. I actively worked to reduce my discretionary expenses in 2019, and have plans to reduce them even more in 2020.

Normally, I have lots of numbers to share. I'll certainly share some in a moment, but my records are spotty for 2019. I spent two months on the road, during which I didn't keep good records. I stopped tracking at the end of July, and didn't resume until the end of October. When I did resume, I switched from Quicken 2007 to Quicken 2017. I thought it was time to enter the modern era. I wish I hadn't.

I'm now left in something of a pickle. My Quicken 2007 records stop in late July. My Quicken 2017 records start at the end of October. After using it for nearly three months, I've come to the conclusion that I do not like the modern version of Quicken, and for many reasons. (Maybe I need to do a review?) I want to go back to Quicken 2007.

That said, Quicken 2007 is near the end of its useful life. Intuit no longer supports it. It will not run on modern versions of the Macintosh operating system. So, I'm keeping an old machine to run the program (and to play World of Warcraft), which is silly.

What I'll probably do is “reset” Quicken 2007 to 31 December 2019. That means manually entering adjusting balances, etc. Long-term, this means I'll lose six months of financial data, which will make spending comparisons difficult. But it's probably the best solution.

Anyhow, let's look at some of my spending for 2019.

In the spreadsheet below, I've included monthly averages for three time periods: all of 2018, for the first half of 2019, and then for the two months between October 20th (when I started using Quicken 2017) and December 19th (when I created the spreadsheet). Here's my average monthly spending on selected categories:

Some intersting things to note:

After forty years of collecting comic books, I sold almost everything in 2013. Since then, I buy funny books only rarely. In 2018, I stocked up on some digital comics (thus the relatively high monthly expense), but nowadays I buy maybe one collection per month…if that. (I just bought the To Kill a Mockingbird graphic novel yesterday, for example.) Progress!

As you may recall, I was very concerned with my iTunes spending when I crunched the numbers for 2018. I was shelling out over $250 a month to buy movies and TV shows. Holy cats! During the first half of 2019, I worked to bring that number down. And over the past couple of months, it's fallen even farther.

One of my big goals for this year was to reduce my food spending. It's absurd that I spend so much on this category. In 2018, I spent $1038 per month on food, which included $619 per month on groceries and $390 per month on restaurants. To cut costs, I decided to try the meal service HelloFresh for the year. It didn't work. My combined spending on groceries and HelloFresh increased instead of declining. This week will be my last order from the company. (I have another article in the wings that explains more about this decision.)

Finally, I've made some progress on my “sin” spending, but not enough. My sin category includes alcohol and (legal) marijuana. I should note that I don't use pot recreationally very often, but I do use it to sleep almost every night. Anyhow, I'm spending $8 per day on “sin”, and I feel like that's too much. This is something I'm working on with my therapist, so let's hope that when I do my 2020 summary, we see some progress here.

Looking at my numbers for the last two months, I spent $10,987.24 between October 20th and December 19th. Of this, $3817.81 went to property taxes, which means I spent $7169.93 (or $3585.97 per month) to support my lifestyle. Not bad. Not bad.

If we amortize the property taxes across twelve months, we get $4221.27 of spending per month, which is $50,655.26 per year. I think $50,000 seems like a resonable spending goal. Let's see how close I can get to that in 2020!

Final Thoughts

To wrap up our look at my financials, here's how my end-of-year net worth has progressed over the past few years:

2016 –> $1.58 million

2017 –> $1.58 million (does not include the value of this site)

2018 –> $1.33 million (does not include the value of this site)

2019 –> $1.45 million (does not include the value of this site)

That huge loss in 2018 still stings, but I know it wasn't money frittered on fast cars and loose women. It was money spent remodeling the house and buying back Get Rich Slowly.

Oh yeah. I forgot to answer one common question. Did I ever buy a new car? No. I'm still cruising around in my 2004 Mini Cooper. Plus, last January I spent $1900 on a 1993 Toyota pickup, which I love. (“I know this is a piece of junk,” I told Kim as we were driving to IKEA yesterday. “But I love it. I'd give up the Mini before I'd give up this truck.”)

When the Mini Cooper dies, I do intend to replace it with a new one, but I hope that won't be for several years yet. Meanwhile, Kim is actively looking to replace her 1997 Honda Accord. We've done one test drive, and she may do another while I'm here at the office today. She's a big fan of J.L. Collins, so she plans to take a similar approach to how he bought his new car.

So, that's how my 2019 was. How was yours?

The post My 2019 year in review appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/2019-year-in-review/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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weightlossfitnesssinfo · 5 years

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Read Up on Your October 2019 Wellness Horoscopes

Hear ye, hear ye: Your October 2019 wellness horoscopes are in!

I’ll be sincere—it seems like this month could current actual challenges for many of us, culminating with 2019’s remaining Mercury in retrograde. This all could sound scary—and becoming for Halloween, no much less—however don’t run for the hills simply but. Trust that preemptive mindfulness and a little bit of astrohacking will hold you in combating form. So seize a pumpkin spice latte, learn your ‘scope (rising, too!), and study from these astrologically guided insights and wellness tricks to conquer Libra season with gusto.

October 2019 Wellness Horoscopes

LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22)

Happy Libra season! Of course, eat your cake, however then get all the way down to enterprise. It’s time to don your metaphorical armor as Mars—the planet of rogue power, motion, and aggression—is in your signal by mid-November. Keep your guard as much as cost towards your objectives unencumbered. Since Librans can get agitated or disheartened when one thing or somebody impedes their paths, hold your cool by taking breaks to correctly recalibrate. Your thoughts can be in overdrive strategizing advantageous outcomes in head-scratching skilled and/or interpersonal situations. You can profit from balance-focused actions to concurrently soothe your physique and buzzing thoughts. Moving meditations reminiscent of yoga and tai chi may also help deliver concord to what may in any other case be a turbulent month.

SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21)

As October begins, take care to clear your house (thoughts, residence) in order to attain cognitive cleanliness and readability. Dust off the cobwebs to make room for thoughts enlargement; take into account choosing up a brand new wellness guide for optimistic inspo. Next, Mercury—the planet of communication and knowledge—is in your signal from October three (Mean Girls Day!) for 2 months, together with a notoriously chaotic retrograde interval starting on Halloween. Spooky! With this side in thoughts, your activity can be to strike a fragile stability between your sharp-AF Scorpion intuition and Mercury’s emphasis on processing info IRL. However, on the finish of the day, know that you have already got all the pieces you want inside you to thrive.

SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 21)

Jupiter—your natal ruling planet that oversees elevated realms like philosophy and advantage—stays in your signal for an additional two months, to not return for an additional decade. Maximize this placement by encouraging transcendental progress to seek out larger that means. Then floor again down with the mortals on Mother Earth, the place you’ll must dig beneath the floor to keep away from falling prey to folks’s sharp phrases and erratic behaviors. Recognize that base expressions are sometimes borne out of frustration or unhappiness, so make like John Mayer and bypass the BS to higher perceive and present up for individuals who may want assist. Studies present that meditation can foster empathy, so discover your zen so you'll be able to assist others do the identical.

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19)

Capricorns are famend for his or her industriousness savvy—however in October, it’s time to step issues up a notch. However, it doesn’t imply that it's best to go from zero to 100 actual fast; doing so will solely threat burnout. Instead, attempt for sustainable high quality and undertake productive, wholesome habits (making lists, consuming your greens, sleeping higher) to remain targeted. Another need-to-hear-it tip: Kick any self-doubt or emotions of inadequacy to the curb. After all, Rome wasn’t inbuilt a day and neither is the trail to the CEO’s chair. To greatest set your self up for fulfillment, settle for the place you might be within the current and tempo towards your objectives slowly however certainly.

AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18)

With Mars in Libra, a fellow air signal, October is a first-rate time for Aquarian self-study and mental stimulation. You don’t need to hold your nostril in a guide to take action, both. (Though talking as a bookworm myself, there are worse habits you can undertake.) Alternatives embrace bingeing on TED talks, participating in wholesome debates, and studying about native cultures in the event you’re touring. While you’re busy taking in new info, concurrently shed previous ideas and patterns which may stifle this era of progress. Aquarians are glorious chameleons, so you should not have any hassle with this productive revamp. A serious evolution is on the horizon, and also you’ll be prepared for it by taking a Marie Kondo strategy to issues of the thoughts.

PISCES (FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20)

Throughout October, it seems such as you’ll be extra socially energetic than ordinary. Sorry, daydreaming fishies! Partnerships can be on the fore, so invoke the stability of Libra season into your collaborations. Consider all prices versus advantages, efforts versus outcomes, and high quality versus amount. This scrutiny extends to work, friendships, and love pursuits alike. Ensure that the fundamental tenets of wholesome relationships are current; you want and deserve respect and the correct dynamics for progress. (Read: Make like a young person in 2014 and say “bye, Felicia” to anybody or something inhibiting enlargement.) Add a wholesome dose of resilience to your substantial compassion to keep away from characteristically Piscean self-sacrifice and countless loops of emotionally charged rumination. This month’s mantra: Be brave and declare your price.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19)

On October three, Mercury kicks off a two-monthlong stint in your eighth home of thriller and darkness. Safeguard your self in opposition to manifestations of the latter with celestial types of self-care, like consulting a Moon Deck or studying extra about astrology and your chart. (Is this technique merely a ruse to recruit extra astrohackers into my orbit? Just like Gossip Girl, I’ll by no means inform.) If you’re into extra conventional types of self-exploration, checking in with a trusted therapist would even be advantageous. Next, October brings urgent points concerning intimacy and commitments to the fore. Business as ordinary will now not reduce it. October 13’s full moon in your signal will illuminate your wants and impress you to make obligatory changes. Aries is nothing if not pioneering, so set your phrases and requirements with confidence.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)

There’s a heavy focus in your profession all through the month. You’re a goal-getting extraordinaire, so work achievements are fairly normal. But since easing the brakes will be tough for decided bulls, bouts of respite are important. Power naps as brief as 10 minutes lengthy can enhance cognitive operate and application. So in the event you can, make noon ZZZ’s—particularly across the October 13 full moon—a software for sustainable success. Next, you'll be able to keep away from adrenal fatigue by supplementing with stress-busting, hormone-balancing adaptogens. You can even take into account revising your day by day routine to optimize productiveness. In different issues, Venus is in your home of affection till November, placing you deep within the feels. When Venus opposes Uranus from October 12 to 14, nevertheless, you may hit a probably thrilling however disruptive emotional peak. I don’t wish to be down on love, however I counsel invoking earthly Taurean practicality to maintain your wits about you.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)

Remember once I prompt you KonMari your dwelling quarters in September’s wellness ‘scopes? Now’s the time to do the identical along with your habits, relationships, funds, commitments. Restructure unproductive patterns or conditions that will have been zapping your power reserves as of late. It could also be so simple as constantly training self-care or as monumental as quitting your job to emancipate your self from a poisonous work surroundings. Furthermore, October focuses on manifesting your desires and creativity. For my fellow ethereal twins (I’m Gemini rising and moon), it’s not sufficient to muse—you must act. Fear, discomfort, and vulnerability are par for the course, however know that they point out you’re one step nearer to reaching your fullest potential. On the intense aspect, you’re as a consequence of awaken your psyche and/or spirit come December. Get your geese so as by then so that you’re primed to reap these advantages with ease.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)

Over the previous six months, you might need been cleaning your self from painful recollections and emotions. Venus in Scorpio, your fellow water signal, enhances the moon’s node in Cancer over October eight/9. It’s a very good time to improve your look to mirror your self-work and challenge internal your transformations. Perhaps you’ll go for a glow with a microinfusion facial, attempt a brand new coiffure, or develop a brand new autumn wardrobe. (Word to the sensible: As at all times, all indicators ought to make any bodily modifications or new purchases earlier than Mercury retrogrades on October 31. And in the event you’re further cautious, accomplish that earlier than retroshade—yep, that’s a factor—by October 18.) Set up new, constructive foundations for well-being throughout this time as nicely to repel stale, burdensome power. You’re the Mother Goose of the zodiac, however you'll be able to’t adequately nurture others till you do the required housekeeping by yourself coronary heart(h).

LEO (JULY 23-AUGUST 22)

Many folks can’t assist however be drawn to your dynamic presence. However, some may be cautious of—and even threatened by—that burning Leo hearth. The greatest strategy to such difficult interpersonal dynamics when your greatest efforts and pleasant appeals fail? Unapologetically standing your floor. Don’t capitulate for the sake of sustaining the established order. Inauthentic compromises would solely dim your gentle, which must shine to ensure that the lion(ess) to really feel entire. Instead, communicate your fact after which refocus your power on relationships that empower and encourage you. You can even get your groove again à la Stella by fostering your want for inventive expression by making a brand new fall playlist, or indulging your love of the humanities by trying out a brand new museum exhibition. Switching gears, start to remodel your strategy to work, well being, and total productiveness. Steadily doing so over the subsequent six weeks will completely prep you for a game-changing alternative come December and a discernible transformation by February.

VIRGO (AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22)

Put your perfectionist proclivities to good use on the job and along with your funds. Resourcefulness is the secret this month. Thoroughness in prioritizing and budgeting will give you a twin sense of accomplishment and aid. While hustling and a go-getting, assertive mentality could also be a bit yang for a gentler Virgo’s liking, these energetic energies can pave the best way for abundance within the close to future. Consciously strengthen your reserves by mid-month’s full moon to stop work stress and hold the dreaded Sunday scaries at bay. Next, you'll be able to optimize your relationships by tapping into environment friendly Virgo belongings whereas eschewing counterproductive hyper-analytical tendencies. By month’s finish, you’ll discover larger worth and price in all the aforementioned sectors, however most significantly in your self.

The post Read Up on Your October 2019 Wellness Horoscopes Find more on: Weight Loss Fitness

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ramialkarmi · 7 years

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An aspiring doctor explained how he convinced Google DeepMind to sponsor his master's degree (GOOG)

Ivan Beckley couldn't afford his master's degree in London so he turned to corporate sponsors;

He published a blog post in July explaining why they should sponsor him;

DeepMind answered and will now pay Beckley's £9,560 tuition fees and support his living costs.

Ivan Beckley is the first person in his family to go to university. He's a straight A/A* student and in 2015 he was named as one of the top 10 black students in the UK.

Now he's caught the eye of Google DeepMind, which has agreed to sponsor him through his master's degree.

Beckley is currently studying medicine at University College London (UCL), one of the leading universities in the world.

Earlier this year he was offered a place on UCL's Data Science for Research in Health and Biomedicine MSc course. But the one-year course costs £9,560 — a significant sum for a student who has just completed an undergraduate degree in London.

"London, although an amazing city, can be financially difficult for any student," said Beckley, who has already had to take out several loans in order to fund his studies.

Beckley failed to get a scholarship from UCL for his master's degree so he decided to try to get a company to sponsor him. In a bid to raise awareness, he wrote a Medium post in July and contacted a number of companies directly.

Beckley told Business Insider:

"When I came to the decision to search for industry sponsorship in support of MSc I made sure I did my research. I knew of a number of companies who had a strong mission of advancing developments in healthcare through technology and in a data-driven manner more specifically. And so began dissecting how I could potentially be of value to each company/organisation, one by one.

"Alongside my Medium post, for each company I crafted a personalised proposal of my intent, hopes and ambitions behind studying an MSc in Data Science at UCL and why as an entrepreneurial medical student with this blend of skills I believed I could be of value to their company/organisation but also the global healthcare system as a whole.

"The goal was then to send these proposals alongside my Medium post to someone I may be have been introduced to or had a second connection with at the company/organisation."

On September 20, Beckley wrote a follow up blog post on Medium revealing that DeepMind had agreed to sponsor him.

"It is with immense gratitude and excitement that I am able to share with you that I have been offered sponsorship from DeepMind," wrote Beckley.

DeepMind is an AI lab in London that wants to "solve intelligence" and "use it to make the world a better place." It is building self-learning algorithms that have learned how to play Go (better than any human can) and reduce the energy consumed in enormous data centres.

The company, acquired by Google in 2014 for £400 million, is going to pay for Beckley's tuition fees and contribute towards his living costs.

Beckley convinced DeepMind to sponsor him by emailing one of the company's execs

DeepMind, which employs around 500 people in London's King's Cross, is looking to apply its AI technology to a variety of industries.

One of those industries is healthcare and DeepMind has been working with the NHS on a number of projects. They include an app called Streams — which has proved controversial due to the amount of patient data it has access to — and a study to see whether DeepMind's AI technology can be used to help spot early signs of eye conditions that human eye care experts might miss. The projects have been led by DeepMind Health clinical lead Dominic King.

Beckley saw that King was due to speak at an event earlier this year and made a deliberate effort to attend.

"If I am very honest, I was blown away by Dominic's talk. The ambition Dominic, and his team at DeepMind, has for their partnerships with the NHS was just 'wow.'"

"They were data-driven, design-focused — and did I mention wonderfully ambitious? — for the future of the NHS and healthcare in general. I feel I share that ambition as I begin to understand that we just at the beginning of what the NHS is capable doing as a system for improving patient care."

Beckley explained how he "had to keep in contact" with King, partly because he felt "he might understand my crazy objectives as a future doctor" but also "hoping one day, in the distant future, I could gain a seat on the DeepMind rocketship."

He emailed King asking if DeepMind would be willing to sponsor his MSc and said that the company took some time to understand his situation before offering him the sponsorship. As DeepMind did its due dilligence, Beckley was introduced to key people at the company.

Following his MSc, Beckley will undertake a paid summer internship with DeepMind Health before returning to UCL for his next academic year.

DeepMind is competing with other tech giants for the best talent

Technology giants are in a battle to hire the most intelligent graduates possible, especially when it comes to AI.

Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, OpenAI, and DeepMind are scouting the world's top universities for talented individuals that they can bring into their ranks. These people often have a computer science background but many of them have also studied subjects like data science, neuroscience, maths, and physics. In the case of DeepMind Health, students studying a mix of medicine and computer science are likely to be highly desirable.

One of the best ways to attract the best graduates is to sponsor them through university and offer them some sort of job or an internship when they finish their studies. Microsoft, Amazon, and other firms also sponsor students.

Explaining why DeepMind decided to sponsor Beckley, King said:

"Ivan is an incredibly impressive student and as soon as I read Ivan's story we wanted to help. Not just because we share the same ideas on how technology can help the NHS and its patients, but because we were absolutely amazed by his determination to make a difference and help people. Supporting curiosity, academia and the pursuit of knowledge is important to us at DeepMind and this is just one of the ways we’re seeking to do that."

DeepMind is funding student fees worldwide

Beckley isn't the first student that DeepMind has sponsored. On January 4, Business Insider noticed that DeepMind was funding PhD students at Oxford.

Later that month, on January 23, Demis Hassabis, DeepMind's CEO and cofounder, wrote a blog post on DeepMind's website that revealed DeepMind is funding students around the world.

"We're providing sponsorship for several research labs and their PhD students to pursue their own research priorities in whichever way they choose, including the University of Alberta, University of Montreal, University of Amsterdam, Gatsby Unit at UCL, NYU and Oxford, and others," he said.

"We see the links between company research labs and academia as central to the future of AI. By continuing to share talent, expertise and breakthroughs — not just on technical subjects, but also on the broader set of questions around ethics, safety and societal impact — we believe we'll all make better progress in the development of artificial intelligence and its application for positive social benefit."

Under Google, DeepMind has grown rapidly in terms of staff numbers. However, that expansion hasn't come cheap. In 2015, DeepMind made a loss of £54.3 million, according to the company's audited financial statements for the year end December 31, 2015. Of that figure, some £44.3 million went on "payroll costs and related charges."

Join the conversation about this story »

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rebeccahpedersen · 7 years

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Buying A Former Marijuana Grow-Op As Your Primary Residence

TorontoRealtyBlog

Just the subject line alone will conjure up images in your head; the possibilities are endless.

Maybe you’re picturing yellow police tape surrounding the home, or a biker gang being arrested and led out the front door of the home.

But what if I told you that inside a “former marijuana grow-op” was family who had been living there for 13 years with no issues?

Then would you consider buying a former marijuana grow-op as your primary residence?

It’s a tough market out there, folks.

I probably don’t need to say that, again, because it’s getting pretty old at this point.

Most of my recent blogs, and my Pick5 videos, are about how tough the market is. I think you get it, by now.

And yet despite how tough the market is, every once in a while, I still get a naive, hopeful, albeit clueless buyer out there that says something to the effect of, “We’re not, like, really serious right now, but if an absolutely unbelievable deal comes along, let us know, and we’d be willing to take a look.”

No problem. You’re the first person I’ll call…

There are no absolutely, unbelievable deals out there.

And even if there were, you’re not going to find them by being passive.

“Deals” in this market are next to impossible to find.

They’re like……well, I guess you could say they’re like teams being down 28-3 in the Superbowl, and coming back to win 34-28 in overtime.

And when you do find a deal, you have to make absolutely certain that the thing that looks too good to be true, isn’t.

I’ve been working with my oldest friend in the world in the past three months to find him, his wife, and his son, a house.

I’ve known Duncan since he was 3-years-old. He was actually my brother’s friend growing up, but since I was incapable of making friends of my own, I basically stole all my brothers’ when we were in our early 20’s.

Duncan and his wife Amanda live in a semi-detached bungalow in Mississauga, and have one child, but there’s one more on the way!

Their house was originally a 3-bedroom, but as is the case with those silly condo townhouses on the south side of Sudbury Street in King West, the three bedrooms are like closets, and many people open up the wall between the two 8×8 jail cells to create a functional “master bedroom.”

So with a second child on the way, Duncan and Amanda began the search for something larger last fall.

Their house is worth about $650,000, but their budget to find something larger is only $800,000. That’s not a lateral move, but it’s not a massive move up either. We had a tall order right from the get-go.

For those of you that know Mississauga, you know that the housing stock is very different from that in Toronto.

There are a ton of backsplit and sidesplit houses, which are all unique in their own way. Some work, some don’t. Some have great layouts, and some are just confusing as hell.

Have you ever been in a backsplit that just keeps going, and going, and going?

You go down to the basement, and find another level below it, and you’re shocked. But then you find another level below that one!

These backsplits and sidesplits come in both detached and semi-detached form, and of course, the price is higher for the former.

I told Duncan and Amanda right from the start that my goal was to find them a detached bungalow on huge lot – a 50-footer! They would gain the extra bedroom and the space they needed today, while having an unbelievable opportunity to build a mansion, or sell to a developer, in 15 years when these 50-foot lots are getting their due.

We cast the net wide. Really wide!

From Dixie Road to Winston Churchill, and from the 403 right down to the water.

Looking in Mississauaga always seems to end up that way, and it’s so different from Toronto.

In Toronto, I find most people have a small geographic area in which they want to search. They might go outside that area, but barely.

Few people say to me, “I’ll live in Bloor West Village, but also in The Beaches, and basically anywhere in between.”

But when it comes to Mississauga, I find my buyers will live just about anywhere.

We started to look in early November last year, with the knowledge that we probably wouldn’t find something in 2016, since the market was drawing to a close rather quickly.

Amanda was on fire with the new listings, emailing me 4-5 per day, and keeping on top of what was selling.

There was that one house that sold in the fall, that we looked back on in the spring, and said, “Oh that would have been perfect.” A lot of buyers feel that way after they get discouraged in a market, and look back to when they started. There’s always that one house that they “would have, could have, should have” bought, but they weren’t ready.

As a lot of buyers out there are finding so far in 2017, it seems as though the market went up 5% as soon as the calendar turned from December to January.

Duncan and Amanda felt this right away, and as the 2017 market wore on, it got worse.

We spun our wheels with a lot of semi-detached backsplits, and although I kept trying to convince them that the space – and all those levels, were great value, we never found one with the right “flow.”

We watched as houses we didn’t like at all routinely sold for $780,000, $790,000, or some of them even over $800,000, which was our max. It was really tough to see houses that we wanted to pass on sell for more than we could afford. At times, it felt like the search was pointless.

We ventured west of Winston Churchill a couple of times, and found ourselves in Oakville.

“Wanna live in Oakville, Duncan?” I asked as we stood outside this one house – a “link,” where the house looks detached, but actually shares a foundation with the houses on both sides. The house checked all the boxes from the outside, but once we were inside, it actually felt like a downgrade from their semi-detached bungalow!

Duncan and Amanda have a massive finished basement, with a guest bedroom, and a family or rec-room that’s perfect for watching epic 25-point comebacks in Superbowls…

And yet every time we saw a basement in a sought-after “detached” on a 25-foot lot, the basements were tiny, often less than half the size of what Duncan and Amanda already had.

We bid on a few houses, never really getting close.

We got absolutely blown out on one – losing by over $100,000. That’s never fun.

I looked back to my original idea of a detached bungalow on a 50-foot lot, and felt irresponsible for even suggesting it.

These were going well past $850,000 now, and into the $900’s.

The ugly backsplits that we didn’t like were pushing past $800,000 as well.

Through the whole month of January, we only found one house we liked, and that was the one we bid on, and lost by $100,000.

Then last week, I was looking on MLS and saw a house in our price range – $800,000 even. A very odd price, since most people price at $799,900.

This house had been on the market for 14 days, though, which I thought was odd. Why didn’t I see it?

Then I saw the “PC” and realized this had a price change. But when, why, how?

This looked like a $950,000 house!

A 2-storey, detached, on a 50 x 120 foot lot, with a goddam pool in the backyard!

It didn’t make sense.

I figured maybe they were out at $979,900 or something, and the “PC” was them dropping the price to $800,000, to try to set an offer night and solicit multiple bids. I hate when agents do that, as though the market was asleep, and/or born yesterday, and were unable to do a history on the listing.

But as it turned out, this wasn’t the case.

The property was actually reduced in price from $850,000.

And the listing even said, “Offers any time.”

I couldn’t figure it out.

$800,000? For this house?

What was I missing?

Well, folks, at the risk of milking this too long, and since you already read the subject line for today’s blog, I’ll tell you the obvious: this was a former marijuana grow-op.

There was a small note in the broker’s remarks that said, As Per 2003 Listing “Former Grow House.”

Well, then!

That explained a lot.

In fact, that explained just about everything!

No buyer out there looking for a place to raise their family is going to purchase a former grow-op.

And even if they wanted to, not a single lender in the province would advance a dollar.

But I was intrigued by this, and even though I don’t make it a habit of chasing unicorns, I decided to spin my wheels a bit.

I asked our in-house legal council at Bosley, one of our managers, and my mortgage broker, and their responses ranged from, “You’re wasting your time,” to “You already know the answer to this,” to “Have you ever successfully got your hands on a unicorn?”

I probably should have quit there.

But I ran the history of the property, and this house sold in June of 2002, closed in August of 2002, and was then sold again under power of sale by a bank in October of 2003, having been listed in September.

There were only thirteen months in between the closing of the house by the alleged grower, and the listing by the bank.

And you can assume that it took a few months for the bank to foreclose, and this would be after an investigation.

So perhaps the “growing” stopped in, maybe, May or June of 2003?

And how long did it take for the growers to set up? A few months?

Maybe they didn’t start growing until, say, November of 2002?

So all told, we have maybe 4-6 months of growing here, absolute, max.

That was hardly a full-scale “grow op.”

I noticed in both the 2002 and the 2003 listings that the basement was unfinished, and yet in the 2017 listing, the basement was fully finished, and the notes said, “Home Fully Renovated By Current Owners.”

The grow-op could have taken place anywhere in the house, but it was more than likely the unfinished basement.

And if the basement was now finished, it meant the current owners did a lot of remedial work back in 2003.

In the photos of the property, you could clearly see children’s bedrooms.

Now call me naive, but what kind of parent would raise two children, for 13 years, in a house that was infested with mold from a marijuana grow-op?

At the risk of chasing a unicorn, I started to think that perhaps this house was stigmatized, but in practice, there as nothing wrong with it.

I told Duncan and Amanda about it, and after a handful of jokes directed at themselves, me, and the house, we decided to go take a look.

The listing came out at $800,000 mid-day, and by 6pm, Duncan and I were in the house for a look.

It was perfect.

Beyond perfect – it was way out of our league.

A 50 x 120 foot lot. A detached house. A 2-storey, 3-bed, 3-bath.

It blew away everything else we’d seen to this point.

Duncan and I called Amanda from the car, and said, “This house is perfect, we want to make an offer.”

She more or less said, “So you two geniuses went to see a former marijuana grow-op, and you want to make an offer, without me even having seen the house?”

We looked at each other and started to nod in agreement. “Yeah, yeah that’s fairly accurate,” we said.

There was dead silence on the phone, and then finally Amanda said, “Alright what the hell,” to our surprise. “Let’s make an offer.”

“Well, if we don’t get the house,” I told Duncan, “I’ll buy you a pound of weed,” I said as we both laughed hysterically.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

The post Buying A Former Marijuana Grow-Op As Your Primary Residence appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.

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