Tumgik
#i’m prioritizing other nets over it which is fine and i should let that happen instead of making myself feel guilty about it
cotccotc · 3 years
Text
thinking about closing my 3racha network and opening a hyunjin one .. much to consider-
2 notes · View notes
Text
Fjorester moments episode 65
Can you believe I was already resigned to this being a small post with just cute little highlights for this week and then that last hour happened?!
I’m guilty of doubting Travis and Laura would feed me so well two weeks in a row. 
Honestly, it’s been mostly Travis who’s been pushing for it the most lately and I for one LOVE this switch in the dynamic.
Okay, so let’s dive in (heh, get it?):
[As soon as danger shows up]
Jester: I cast bless.
Matt: On who?
Jester (immediately): On Fjord... Caduceus, and Yasha.
The last two she has to think about but Fjord? Fjord is a no-brainer. They are always each other’s first priority, after all.
FJORD AND JESTER BEING A POWER COUPLE AND NEARLY TAKING OUT A MONSTER ALL ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THE FIGHT EVEN STARS
Jester: *down and being attacked by a monster*
Fjord: *casts Charm Monster on the monster attacking her and the one attacking Beau*
Matt: Okay, so the first one’s save fails.
Travis immediately: Which one? The one attacking Jester?
LIKE, I SEE YOU. I SEE YOU TRYING TO BE SNEAKY AND MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS THE EFFECTIVE ONE GOES TO HER BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT FJORD’S MAIN PRIORITY IS. I SEE YOU.
[After the fight]
BOTH OF THEM CHEERING BEAU UP TOGETHER
Fjord: *asks for a short rest*
Beau and Caleb: reluctantly agree
Jester: But we only got a certain amount of-
Tumblr media
Fjord:
Tumblr media
Jester: Okay, yeah.
Tumblr media
Fjord:
Tumblr media
SHE’S SO WEEK FOR HIM GUYSSS AND HE  KNOWSSS IT
THIS IS LIKE THAT “NO YOU WON’T, YOU LOVE ME”
HE’S SO FREAKING SMUG ABOUT IT AND I LOVE IT
NO PLAYING DUMB ANYMORE FOR HIM NO SIR
[As they ride]
Yarnball: strays away from the group
Fjord: What is your fucking animal doing?!
Jester: On that! On that! On that!
Jester: *casts command to send Yarnball back to the group*
Fjord: Oh! Slick!
I LOVE THIS TREND OF JESTER DOING SOMETHING BADASS AND FJORD BEING OBVIOUSLY TURNED ON BY IT
Matt: The rain now in heavy sheets, sipping into every piece of armor and clothing you have.
Travis: who knows Fjord is riding with Jester, holding tightly to her in their fast pace
Tumblr media
POWER COUPLE AGAIN TO GET RID OF THE SECOND WAVE OF BIRDS ATTACKING THEM
LOOK AT THOSE TWO POWERFUL BABES THEY ARE UNSTOPPABLE
[While bedding down next to the so-far ominous Melora giant tree]
Nott: Should I go scout while we are waiting?
Jester: No!
Nott: It’s a hundred feet! I can just turn invisible and go-
Fjord: She said no! Jeez.
Tumblr media
WE LOVE ONE SUPPORTIVE BOYFRIEND WHO WON’T HAVE HIS GIRL DISRESPECTED OR IGNORED BECAUSE HER VOICE AND INPUT MEAN THE WORLD TO HIM AND HE ALWAYS LISTENS TO THEM AND WHY CAN’T YOU ALL SEE HOW GREAT SHE IS, LISTEN TO HER DAMMIT. 
idk why that little detail was so heavy for me but I loved it. Nott can be rather pushy and accidentally barrel over anyone’s opinion that isn’t Caleb’s, and Jester is generally nice about it and let’s it go (except that time that the teasing got to her) so Fjord standing up for her firmly made my heart soar a little ngl
[THE TREE BIT]
Fjord: *ready to climb a 300 ft tall tree*
Jester: *obviously worried*
Tumblr media
Jester: Climbing is good for strong people, right? Strong people climb well?
Fjord: Or people who, if they fall, have a good safety net.
THIS BIT WAS ALREADY NICE BUT GIVEN WHAT COMES NEXT IT’S SUCH NICE FORESHADOWING?
Like, listen, okay? Fjord is clearly talking about himself falling and saving himself, he probably had the thunderstep in mind already.
But Jester? Jester hears this and immediately sees herself as the safety net. So she stays down, ready to catch whoever might fall.
Later, though, Caduceus suggests she go up and she seems a little put off by it, because she clearly wants to but also wants to be there to protect her friends. Eventually, though, she follows up.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
FJORD’S IMPRESSED FACE WHEN JESTER CATCHES UP TO HIM
MATT DESCRIBING THEIR CLIMB “GOING NECK TO NECK, EVEN GETTING A LITTLE COMPETITIVE” IS SUCH A WONDERFUL VISUAL
THIS TWO BEST FRIENDS, ON TOP OF THE WORLD, GOOFING AROUND WITH EACH OTHER, CLIMBING TOGETHER
And then
Of course
that natural one
and Fjord just leaps after her
Tumblr media
Travis: I push off and dive down after her!
Tumblr media
Matt:
Tumblr media
Laura:
Tumblr media
Everyone:
Tumblr media
LISTEN THOUGH THE IMAGE OF BOTH OF THEM FALLING DOWN AND REACHING OUT FOR EACH OTHER MID-AIR IS OOF
IT’S SO ROMANTIC AND TRAGIC AND DRAMATIC
Tumblr media Tumblr media
THIS MAN, THIS SAILOR WHO LESS THAN A YEAR AGO LIVED A FAIRLY ORDINARY LIFE, PLUMMETING DOWN AFTER THE GIRL SHE MET SO LONG AGO WHO HAS BECOME HIS SOURCE OF SUNLIGHT IN LIFE, WITHOUT AN INCH OF FEAR OR HESITATION, LASER FOCUSED ON REACHING HER IN TIME
And then that Feather Fall comes into play and slows them down just enough for them to hold on to each other, floating slowly in the air, breathing heavily.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
And I legit thought that was it, that they would slowly float down and recover from the scare.
But nope. No. Fjord goes for his initial plan and thundersteps them back up.
And I kinda love that? Because, no, they are not giving up. They are going together and reaching their goal and they are doing it together because they always go with each other.
Jester: Fjord!
Tumblr media
SHE LOOKS SO WORRIED. SO CONCERNED. BECAUSE HE JUST JUMPED AFTER HER AND HE COULD’VE DIED AND WHY DID HE DO THAT? WHAT WAS HE THINKING???
BUT FJORD JUST BRUSHES IT OFF
Fjord: Hang on, will ya?
Tumblr media
AS IF HE HADN’T JUST DIVED 100 ft DOWN JUST TO SAVE HER
CASUAL
WHATEVER
JUST NORMAL FRIEND STUFF
Jester: You-
Tumblr media
JESTER JUST KINDA STUMBLES OVER HER BREATH AND LIKE I DON’T BLAME HER OK?
I actually love that Jester was getting used to the idea that romance and love are not like in her novels, and maybe it’s fine and she will never find that dramatic over the top romance she dreamed off her whole life 
—AND FJORD SWEEPS IN WITH EXACTLY THE BRAND OF ROMANTIC DUMBASS GESTURES THAT A GRAND HERO WOULD PULL
And Jester is tired and scared and feels like she can’t go on
Jester:
Tumblr media
Jester: I’m just gonna stay here, Fjord! You keep going. It’s okay!
Tumblr media
BUT FJORD IS NOT ABOUT TO LEAVE JESTER BEHIND
Fjord: You know, if you get up to me, I can help us get a little boost!
Tumblr media
Jester: I can’t move! It’s okay, you just keep going!!
Tumblr media
POOR BBY. BUT FJORD IS STILL NOT ABOUT TO LEAVE HER, SO THE NEXT TIME THEY ROLL HE WAITS FOR HER TO CATCH UP.
Fjord: You want a boost?
Tumblr media
Jester: 
Tumblr media
Fjord: Okay, grab my hand.
Tumblr media
Jester: 
Tumblr media
THUNDERSTEP
SO MUCH HAND HOLDING GUYS
AS SOON AS FJORD BROKE THE TOUCH BARRIER WITH THE KISS LAST EPISODE HE’S JUST GOING ALL IN FOR IT AND WE ARE GETTING SO MUCH AND IT’S JUST SO LOVELY
ALSO ALSO ISN’T IT SUCH A LOVELY PARALLEL THAT AT THE BEGINNING THEY WERE BEING PLAYFULLY COMPETITIVE BUT AS SOON AS JESTER IS HAVING TROUBLE FJORD’S FOCUS SWITCHES ENTIRELY AND HE SPENDS THE REST OF THE TIME ENCOURAGING HER AND HELPING HER?????
Thanks Matt for the last bit of description too! Fjord with his 11 STR throwing Jester up to safety is such a good detail!
That NAT 20 was True Love and you can’t convince me otherwise.
I ALSO LOVE HOW THE TABLES TURN LATER WHEN FJORD FREEZES WHEN STEALTHTING AROUND THE ROC
Fjord: you go ahead without me!
Tumblr media
Jester: No, Fjord, you’re coming!
Tumblr media
Fjord: I’ll just stay here
Tumblr media
Jester: C’mon, Fjord, let’s go!
Tumblr media
Fjord: Alright.
Tumblr media
THEY REFUSE TO LEAVE EACH OTHER BEHIND YOU GUYS IM SO EMOTIONAL
ALSO
GUYS
MATT DESCRIBING THE WARM SENSATION FJORD GOT FROM SAVING JESTER VS HIS USUAL UK’OTOA SPELLS?
THE FACT THAT HE USED HIS VERY FIRST SPELLS POWERED BY A LOVING DEITY RATHER THAN UK’OTOA TO SAVE HER
IS JUST SO
POETIC CINEMA
I’M CRYING
Jester: *tries to pain Beau and Fjord*
THIS TWO DISASTERS IMMEDIATELY: 
Tumblr media
Jester: No, it’s candid, you guys! Pretend you don’t know I’m drawing you.
Tumblr media
Fjord:
Tumblr media
Jester: Yeah, that’s better. That’s good.
Tumblr media
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS EPISODE WAS WONDEREFUL. MY HEART FEELS SO FULL WITH LOVE. I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE FANART AND THE EVENTUAL TALK THESE TWO DESPERATELY NEED TO HAVE ALREADY. 
I’m looking forward to so much next week! Fjord is out of spell slots (after saving and helping Jester) so I expect she’ll prioritize keeping him safe during the fight. So much angst potential! ALSO really looking forward to Jester thanking him for saving her, fingers cross for a cheek kiss to mirror his earlier one. Also, please Traveler, they need to TALK about all these things that they keep doing for each other.
177 notes · View notes
madewithonerib · 4 years
Video
youtube
When Your Thoughts Attack | Steven Furtick [Elevation Church]
Odds are, if you really think about the way you feel, you can always find a thought that started it. If you're feeling insecure, did you compare yourself to someone else first? If you're frustrated, did you catch a thought of offense?
This one hurts: “What happened was I caught a thought of offense then I reaped an attitude of frustration.
   I got offended the other day because I saw GOD blessing somebody that    HE wasn’t supposed to bless.
     Did you ever watch GOD just do something awesome for the wrong person?      HE didn’t consult you.
   So I found myself feeling insecure.
   >> The reason, I felt insecure in myself, is because I caught a thought of           offense about somebody else. Here’s what happens:
you become a victim of your own judgement
when you judge others that way, you judge you that way
so don’t be surprised when the judgement comes upon you
Psalm 50:6 | And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.
Hebrews 12:23 | in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
Psalm 96:13 | before the LORD, for He is coming--He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
         The less y’all are saying Amen, the more I know I’m preaching.
1.] I realized the thought I hold onto, never knew I could catch a thought, & I      trace sometimes the weakness of my faith by asking:
         “Where did that thought come from?”
     It’s important where it came from: because where it comes from      >>> determines where it leads to [GOD vs. devil].
1a] My issue is when I say I hear from GOD, I don’t hear HIM out loud.
          “I’m not mad at you, unless you start using it to manipulate ppl by            making up stuff that GOD told you. Cause GOD has 3-way calling, &            HE can tell us both, so don’t tell me GOD spoke something to you that            I’m not in agreement with, & try to get me to do something you want to            do by saying ‘GOD told you to’ -- especially if you heard from GOD to quit            your job, because you just tired of dealing with frustrated people.            I don’t know if that’s GOD or you’re just tired & need to get some sleep &            have a better attitude when you show up.
     >> When you say GOD spoke to you: How do you know?
       Great question, because I don’t hear GOD at an auditory level.        So when I say I heard GOD speak to me, that can be misleading.
When Peter said, “JESUS spoke to me.” It was literal. I was fishing one night, I hadn’t caught anything, I was frustrated..    Luke 5:4 | When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon,    “Put out into deep water & let down your nets for a catch.” Then Peter thought: At first I was frustrated cause I thought, YOU’re a carpenter & I’m a fishermen--YOU do your job & I’ll do mine. >> YOU wanted my boat to preach from, I didn’t know YOU would try to drive it. But [watch this, Luke 5:5] because YOU say so, I will let down the nets.
GOD was showing me, that before Peter caught the fish, Peter caught a thought. But I don’t hear GOD out loud like that.. Before there was a seed, there was a thought/decision: (to obey/ignore GOD’s command)    Psalm 50:16-17 | To the wicked, however, God says, “What right    have you to recite My statutes & to bear My covenant on your lips?    For you hate My instruction & cast My words behind you.    1 Samuel 15:22 | ..Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice,    & attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.    Psalm 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a    broken & a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
     So I connect with GOD (not in an auditory/sensory level);      >> I connect with GOD on the level of thought.
1b] This would be fine if HE was the only one who spoke by planting thoughts.       But I got this other joker, they call him the devil but when I say the devil       tempts me or the devil discourages me.
     I’m not talking about a guy in a hat/costume, or thing on our shoulder <flick>
     >> When he attacks, the devil approaches us with a thought.      The enemy is always speaking against what GOD told us.
     ISSUE: We’ve got two-voices in our head; & we’re caught between a thought.
     Case in point: GOD encourages us to do good, to stay in faith/humility/truth.
Psalm 45:4 | In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth & humility & justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds.
Hebrews 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists & that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  
GOD encourages us, your greatest years are still ahead of you (eternal reward/royal priesthood) The devil discourages us, “you’re washed up, you’ve already done all the good things you’re going to do. You better ride it out because it won’t be there much longer.” The devil twists spiritual truths, so we’ll be apt to see & accept it as confirmation to pursue temporal fleshly desires (sin/self/independence/pride/wealth/rebellion/destruction).    To do GOD’s work, you need to accumulate a bank roll.    To get others to accept GOD, first earn their admiration/respect. Those are lies, designed to twist GOD’s truth & fulfill selfish wants. Imitate Christ’s Humility: Serve others, prioritize GOD/things of GOD
Philippians 2:1-11 | Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection & compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit & purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place & gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven & on earth & under the earth, & every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Romans 12:9-16 | Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
GOD reminds us of the truth, go ahead & step into it & believe for it. The devil deceives us into doubting GOD’s faithfulness. What the devil does best is short-sightedness, blurr the truth, get us to focus on immediate pay-off & shame.    >> Amplify the pain to push us away from GOD, or    >> Link empty promises w/ sin, to lure us towards disobedience.    Hebrews 12:2 | Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author &    perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the    cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the    throne of God. These are clearly the same tactics he deployed on JESUS in the desert (twisting GOD’s promises, then giving empty promises) & on the way to the cross (magnifying the pain & shame). This is why he’s called the father of lies, everything is a lie.
Luke 1:37 | For no word from God will ever fail.
Jeremiah 32:17 | “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens & the earth by Your great power & outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
   It is night & day, all creation can only give what we’re full of.
   The devil is full of fear & death, so those are the things he will fill our lives with    if we’re foolish enough to forsake GOD, fail to renew our minds in HIS truths, &    give into the fear/doubt/desires of this world.
Romans 10:17 | Consequently, faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:4-6 | So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. And God has prepared us for this very purpose & has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come. Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.
Psalm 50:23 | Those who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, & to those who rights their way, I will show the salvation of God.”
Those who have changed their course of life.
Those who glorify GOD, gives GOD honour which HE prize & requires; and not those who loads GOD’s altar with a multitude of sacrifices.    We glorify GOD most in obedience, as living proof of HIS goodness &    transformative work on our old nature (bent on selfish ambition).    We obey GOD when we love one another, & praise HIM continually by    acknowledging HIM as our source & seeking HIS guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 | Trust in the LORD with all your heart, & lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, & He will make your paths straight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 | For we walk by faith, not by sight. WHY? Did GOD have to say all these things? Why are we encouraged not to fear a zillion times over in the entire Bible??? Our immediate payoff is not pleasure, persecution is on the forecast for all believers who want to follow CHRIST. But what follows that is support from GOD’s Holy Spirit (more of HIM, less of us). It’s backwards, opposite to how we expect encouragement/growth to take place. We want a constant stream of positive encouragement for good behaviour, but GOD wants increasing good works & glorification of HIS Name through our dependence on HIM & higher esteem for HIS invisible attributes.    All these life giving results occur upon death, when we knowingly:     1.] love/serve others who hate us,     2.] refrain from fighting for our rights (praise GOD for eternal hope), &     3.] continue to emulate & obey GOD, humbly killing off any desire for prestige/power.
John 15:18 | If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
Matthew 10:22 | You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
Luke 22:42 | ‘Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done’
   JESUS did not die for nothing, HE looked on us & saw our deep need for HIM.
Matthew 9:36 | When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed & helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
   Don’t get caught up by the emotion, test that what you’re hearing measures up    with the doctrine of CHRIST. HE suffered & promised HE’ll never leave us     nor forsake us in the pain of following after HIM.
   This world is passing, don’t let immediate pain push you away from chasing    after GOD. HE has a plan & it is for the good of your eternal soul.           ___________________________________________________________
   >> Caleb & the other spies warn against entering the promised land         [Numbers 13-14]; this is the proverbial the Kingdom of GOD.
   Modern day Caleb does the same.
I got this thought that runs through my head all the time, that says it doesn’t matter..I could be doing anything.
Whenever you’re trying to do something...this idea pops up (it doesn’t matter)
“You’re not enough,” this thought attacks everyone, professional athletes too
When we think we’re not enough, we doubt GOD’s provisions. The disciples even told JESUS, there’s not enough food to go around, YOU need to send them away [Matthew 15:33; James 2:16]
How many times have we sent away something that GOD put in our life? Because we caught a thought from the wrong source
They wandered around the desert for 40 years [Joshua 5:6].     Joshua 5:6 | For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40     years until all the nation's men of war who came out of Egypt     had died off because they did not obey the LORD. Not because of their enemy, but because of their thought/decision. [Philippians 4:8; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Proverbs 4:23; Colossians 3:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; Acts 17:10-11]
Philippians 4:8 | Finally, fellow believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.
Romans 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what is the good, pleasing, & perfect will of God.
2 Corinthians 10:5 | We tear down arguments, & every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; & we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Proverbs 4:23 | Guard your heart w/ all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Colossians 3:2 | Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Ephesians 4:22-24 | to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; & to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness & holiness.
Acts 17:10-11 | As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul & Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message w/ great eagerness & examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
          ___________________________________________________________
1c] Then even when things are going good!
      I get this thought & I don’t know where it comes from..!?       I don’t think it’s GOD, it’s hard to tell sometimes.
      It all starts with a thought.       [James 1:14-15; Mark 7:20-22; Genesis 4:7; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 John 3:4.]
James 1:14-15 | But each one is tempted when by their own evil desires s/he is lured away & enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; & sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Mark 7:20-22 | He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, & foolishness.
Genesis 4:7 | If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
Colossians 3:5-6 | Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, & greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
1 John 3:4 | Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.
      Even when it’s going good, it won’t last. Then you sabotage the gift, you       don’t feel secure because even while it’s happening you don’t think it’s real.
      [Proverbs 23:7; Matthew 5:28; 1 Peter 1:13; James 4:7; 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:15; Colossians 3:23.]
Proverbs 23:7 | for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat & drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not w/ you.
Matthew 5:28 | But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery w/ her in his heart.
1 Peter 1:13 | Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
James 4:7 | Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, & he will flee from you.
James 4:1-3 | What causes conflicts & quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war w/in you? You crave what you do not have; you kill & covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel & fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask w/ wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
2 Timothy 2:15 | Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.
Colossians 3:23 | Whatever you do, work at it w/ your whole being, for the Lord & not for men,
     I’m not sure where it comes from, but I know where it takes me.
     When I look back on the seasons of my life, when I was so deep in depression.      Oh yeah, & I know the Bible verses, I know ‘em better than you.      Let’s have a quoting contest: Rejoice in the LORD always [Philippians 4:4]
         Well you can say it as many times as you want Paul, but I’m sad right now.          And I can’t find my way out, so now I’m fighting on the level of my feelings.
         But watch this, before it became a feeling, it was a thought. 
     Look even Paul, it wasn’t like Moses was a bad leader, even Paul had to fight      against opposing voices & thought systems that undermine the essence of       the grace of GOD & the gospel.
     Even in the churches that he started.
     Even in Corinth, he would write to them & what would happen to them was      they would be led astray (deceived) by the power of suggestion.
     >> He uses the example: Like Eve was deceived by the serpent.      Did GOD really say? See how he introduces doubt into potential/possibilities of faith?      Causing her to focus on what is not available rather than focus on what is.
     Paul is concerned because there are these spies at the Church of Corinth, &      they’re leading the Christians astray.
     They’re doing it by the power of thought, they’re introducing the thought that      you need something other than CHRIST to justify you.
        [Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17]
Ephesians 2:8-9 | For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, & this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
2 Corinthians 5:21 | God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Corinthians 15:57 | But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Romans 5:8 | But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16-17 | For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
     He says I fear that you have been led astray from a pure devotion to CHRIST.
     [Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 69:5; Revelation 1:1-20; 1 John 1:8-10; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:26; 1 John 5:17]
Jeremiah 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things & beyond cure—who can understand it?
Psalm 69:5 | You know my folly, O God, & my guilt is not hidden from You.
Revelation 1:1-20 | This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God & the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, & blessed are those who hear & obey what is written in it, because the time is near. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace & peace to you from Him who is & was & is to come, & from the seven Spirits before His throne, & from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, & the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us & has released us from our sins by His blood, who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God & Father—to Him be the glory & power forever & ever! Amen. Behold, He is coming w/ the clouds, & every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha & the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is & was & is to come—the Almighty. I, John, your brother & partner in the tribulation & kingdom & perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God & my testimony about Jesus. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, & I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see & send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, & Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking w/ me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, & among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, w/ a golden sash around His chest. The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, & His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, & His voice was like the roar of many waters. He held in His right hand seven stars, & a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me & said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First & the Last, the Living One. I was dead, & behold, now I am alive forever & ever! And I hold the keys of Death & of Hades. Therefore write down the things you have seen, & the things that are, & the things that will happen after this. This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand & of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, & the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
1 John 1:8-10 | If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, & His word is not in us.
1 Peter 4:8 | Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 2:24 | He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin & live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
James 5:16 | Therefore confess your sins to each other & pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
Hebrews 10:26 | If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
1 John 5:17 | All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death.
     Pure is the right word. It’s that uncontaminated state that we access occasionally.      Where you know GOD’s got this & that everything is going to be alright.
     >> You ever just felt that & you had no reason to & you didn’t even have the fact to back it up?
What happens is the enemy deceived you; he can’t take what GOD gave you. You know that right?
I need to make sure you know that: he can’t take what GOD gave you.      Romans 11:29 | For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable But if he can get you to catch a thought that opposes it, he can keep you so weak that you will not walk into it.
...
you reap what you sow, proverb:  you eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions [Oxford].
Galatians 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
1 Peter 3:9 | Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Corinthians 6:9-12 | Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ & by the Spirit of our God. “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
Psalm 50:23 | He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
youtube
0 notes
bolbiistroganovsky · 6 years
Text
I just emailed all the FCC commissioners, my representative, and both Michigan senators about net neutrality. Here’s what I said:
Dear Mr./Ms. So and So,
To be frank, repealing net neutrality is immeasurably miserly, immoral, corrupt, profiteering...would you like me to go on? The idea that corporations should be able to put a price on information—the Internet is, at its core, just information—is Orwellian at best. Repealing net neutrality is not “deregulating the Internet” or whatever it is you use to justify it. Repealing net neutrality is yet another thinly veiled attempt to appease corporations for money.
The USA is supposed to be a country of the people, by the people, for the people. What I mean is that the US government should serve the interests of the people first and foremost. Repealing net neutrality goes against everything America stands for. It prioritizes the interests of big telecom corporations and gives a big eff you to the people. Corporations should not hold any rights over the people; if you disagree with that statement then you’re not pro-American, you’re pro-money.
I’ve seen people justify the proposed net neutrality repeal by saying that it’s the same way TV has always worked: you pay more to get access to more networks. But the Internet is not TV. TV hasn’t integrated itself into the way we function as productive members of society in the same way the Internet has. In this day and age, having access to the internet is critical. I live in Detroit but my family is wealthy. The one place where an inner city kid who went to a crumbling Detroit public school and I are on a level playing field is the Internet. Repealing net neutrality will change that because my family can afford to pay extra for access to all sites but that inner city kid’s family probably can’t. See, repealing net neutrality is really just an inconvenience for people like me and you—rich people, that is. But for people who are below or barely above the poverty line, hell, even for an average middle class family, repealing net neutrality will affect their entire place in society, perhaps even their livelihoods. How is a struggling artist who previously relied on selling their art online on, say, Etsy going to afford the extra price they must now pay for access to the site they relied on to pay the bills? How should a middle class woman with multiple kids to feed who’s company requires her to use a collaboration website like Google Drive or GoToMeeting to be expected to pay extra fines just to keep her job? What about all the kids who rely on online encyclopedias for school or just to learn who now can only afford access to a handful of sites? Too bad for them if they can’t afford it? Is that really going to be our attitude towards public access to information? Repealing net neutrality is just another way America is widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
If you’re actually reading this, which you probably aren’t, and you’re still not convinced, let me ask you a question. Before the Internet, how did the general public access information? Libraries and books. Imagine this. You pay the taxes that fund public libraries and as such you’re able to go to that library whenever you want to read any book you want. So you go to the library and you pick out two books: a best selling novel from a big publishing company and a self published niche book that you found in the back of the library. You take your books to the front to check them out and the librarian tells you that in order to check out the niche book you must pay extra because the self published author couldn’t pay the premium to have their book be included in the general access books. Wouldn’t you be mad? You’re supposed to have already paid taxes in exchange for access to library books, so why should you have to pay extra for some of the books? Well that’s exactly what’s happening with the internet and the repeal of net neutrality. If I already pay AT&T for Internet and I already pay the website I want to see for access then why should I have to pay extra for access to that specific website? I’m paying for the internet and for the website so what other charge could I logically incur? Repealing net neutrality is just a way for companies to make more money on baseless fees.
Well, one might say that repealing net neutrality just means that we’ll pay a premium price for a premium product. Except the Internet is not a product for companies to regulate and control. In fact, the internet as we think of it—a bunch of websites that we can flip through like TV channels—doesn’t actually exist. The internet is actually just a massive network of servers across the globe all transmitting information in the form of ones and zeroes through an imaginary language and electronic impulses. Clearly, the Internet is greater than the sum of its parts and that’s what makes it so amazing. The internet isn’t a unified body or product, it’s people connected across the globe, and the idea that corporations can control our access to that network is fundamentally wrong. Telecom companies shouldn’t be able to charge extra for a “premium product” because the internet is not a product to be sold or owned. We pay telecom companies for the ability to access the internet because that is a service. But allowing them to charge us for a “premium product” is unjustly awarding them ownership over the Internet as a whole.
If you read this, which you probably didn’t, I hope you think long and hard about the implications and effects of repealing net neutrality. These are just some of the glaring reasons why net neutrality should remain intact. Remember, this decision shouldn’t be about money or power or even politics. This decision should be about doing what’s right and what’s best for the people. And that is keeping net neutrality intact. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Sasha Last Names
3 notes · View notes
skrisiloff · 7 years
Text
Tax reform could transform the economy
Each week we read dozens of transcripts from earnings calls and presentations as part of our investment process. Below is a weekly post which contains some of the most important quotes about the economy and industry trends from those transcripts. Click here to receive these posts weekly via email.
Earnings season really kicks off next week, but there were a few companies that reported this week that had interesting things to say. We also reached back into last week for some calls that we missed while we were on hiatus.
Overall optimism about the economy is running high. Corporations and the stock market are especially excited about the prospect of lower corporate taxes. However, not as many people are focused on the other side of tax reform. House Republicans have proposed a “border adjustment” tax as part of their tax plan. The border adjustment tax would prevent companies from deducting foreign COGS from their taxes. If it passes it could be a major paradigm shift for the current structure of the economy and redesign the global supply chain. However, it could take some time before tax reform is addressed. Obamacare is apparently up first.
The Macro Outlook:
Companies are excited about tax reform
“I could spend all day on tax reform. Maybe I’ll hit two of the things that obviously we find very, very positive in terms of some the items being proposed now…the lowering of the corporate tax rate would be a good thing…And then the other one is obviously what they’re talking about relative to overseas earnings and repatriation…For us, this is potentially a really big positive…It gives us huge capital firepower as a corporation for all of the things that we talked about, to return capital to shareholders; to do strategic business development; to invest in our business. It’s a huge potential positive for us.” —Pfizer CFO Frank D’Amelio (Pharma)
All things equal, lower taxes mean higher valuations
“I hope everyone walks away and has the same concept that we do that lower taxes are definitely a good thing in relation to our company and the valuation of our company. The base concept that a…lower tax rates drive higher future net income and enhance cash flows is a very solid concept and should lead to an increase in value.” —KB Home CEO Jeff Mezger (Homebuilder)
But there are going to be other taxes too
“You want to move your plant and you think, as an example, you’re going to build that plant in Mexico and you’re going to make your air conditioners or your cars or whatever you’re making, and you’re going to sell it through what will be a very, very strong border — not a weak border like it is — we don’t even have a border. It’s an open sieve. But you’re going to sell through a very strong border — not going to happen. You’re going to pay a very large border tax. ” —President Elect Donald Trump (Government)
Republicans have already proposed a “border adjustment” tax
“One specific aspect of a proposed Republican tax reform plan called border adjustability could potentially disallow a deduction for foreign sourced COGS or cost of goods sold…we are told that other companies that should be concerned about this are just waking up to the whole matter” —Constellation Brands CEO Robert Sands (Beverage)
This would be a major change
“this sort of tax reform really isn’t about just setting up back office accounting departments to manage the new tax code. This kind of tax reform would require a time horizon that would allow companies to change their entire supply chain.” —Constellation Brands CFO David Klein (Beverage)
A huge percentage of many companies’ COGS are foreign sourced
“right now our U.S. based component of our beer COGS, inclusive of freight, is about 40%. I mean 60% of the COGS is from Mexico.” –Constellation Brands CEO Robert Sands (Beverage)
“about 12% to 15% of our cost of goods sold comes directly from outside the U.S. And we believe that…U.S. purchases that are actually foreign sourced it’s roughly about 40%.” –MSC Industrial CFO Rustom Jilla (Industrial Distributor)
You could turn the whole supply chain on its head
“Some of the things being talked about are pretty exciting in terms of the combination of tax and incentives for exports. So you could just turn the whole supply chain around and it could be a big win for some companies that have experienced in international trade.” —Greenbrier Companies CEO Bill Furman (Railcars)
Ultimately it’s too early to say what the tax system will look like
“In any case we will not have a new tax system tomorrow morning, it will take months and we will have time to see how this will shape over time…now it’s too early to distract how people – to do things, which should probably will never happen before the end, the mixture will be completely different.” —Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefano Pessina (Pharmacy)
Obamacare is probably going to be prioritized over tax reform anyways
“I mean it’s probably a year off at best…We can only tell you what our legislators have been telling us, right. But the first thing that’s going to happen in Congress, which you are seeing right now is Obamacare…So Congress has a lot on its plate right now. And to work through all of the details and get [tax] legislation like that passed, well, Congress is telling us it’s going to be a while in any event. And it is clear cut and again this is literally what we have been told by the leaders that Obamacare is the first thing on their plate…And that’s going to take a while.” —Constellation Brands CEO Robert Sands (Beverage)
Meanwhile the industrial economy continues to stabilize
“the environment…is showing potential signs of stabilizing. We’ve also seen increased optimism from our customers over the past couple of months” —MSC Industrial CEO Erik Gershwind (Industrial Distributor)
“I think since the election, there is a lot more activity in positioning by major customers who might have been on the sidelines” —Greenbrier Companies CEO Bill Furman (Railcars)
The improvement is broad based and a long time coming
“It has been at least three years since we’ve seen anything resembling this…This stabilization has been pretty broad…machine and equipment folks, primary metals, metal fabrication. All of those are seeing an improvement over the last couple of months. I think some of that is driven by oil and gas” —MSC Industrial CEO Erik Gershwind (Industrial Distributor)
Trump wants to create jobs
“We’re going to create jobs. I said that I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created. And I mean that, I really — I’m going to work very hard on that. We need certain amounts of other things, including a little bit of luck, but I think we’re going to do a real job. And I’m very proud of what we’ve done.” —President Elect Donald Trump (Government)
But labor markets have tightened
“One of the major issues in America will be the labor pool. If we create more jobs in America where will the labor come from, because many factories in America today are having trouble filling slots for workers.” —Greenbrier Companies CEO Bill Furman (Railcars)
Tight labor markets are a precursor to inflation
“The industry continues to face cost pressures due to a shortage of labor within a subcontractor base. For 2016, our cost to build increased about 4.8% versus the prior year, roughly $5,000 per house. And we were able to cover most of these cost increases with higher prices” —KB Home CEO Jeff Mezger (Homebuilder)
International:
Rex Tillerson sees China as sometimes a friend, sometimes and adversary
“China’s economic and trade practices haven’t always followed commitments to global agreements. It steals our intellectual property and is aggressive and expansionist in the digital realm….China has proven a willingness to act with abandon in the pursuit of its own goals which at times put it in conflict with American interests…but we need to see the positive dimensions in our relationship with China as well. The economic well being of the two nations is deeply intertwined…We should not let disagreements over other issues exclude areas for productive partnership” —Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson (Government)
British consumers are feeling fine about themselves, but down about the economy
“The consumer Brexit I think I’ve said over the last quarter has been sort of fairly stable at the top level. It’s bubbling around, consumers have actually felt quite good about themselves. But what I think is interesting, I think GfK highlighted this, is that what happened during the course of November and December was consumer confidence in the forward-looking economy came down substantially. And I think that there is this discrepancy in how they feel about themselves versus the economy and we’re not sure how that’s going to mature, but you will expect that much to mature over the next quarter.” —Marks and Spencer CEO Steve Rowe (UK Retail)
Financials:
Higher interest rates have not affected real estate markets yet
“Rates did pick up in November, they’ve kind of paused right now from that initial 50 basis point. And I heard some anecdotes about buyers moving to lock quickly that hadn’t locked. I’ve heard one story of a buyer who purchased now because of concerns that rates would go up. But in terms of our overall backlog…we really haven’t seen or heard anything yet on the rates having an impact yet.” —KB Home CEO Jeff Mezger (Homebuilder)
Consumer:
E-commerce customers tend to be more loyal
“Yes, our experience so far with our e-commerce customers is that they buy more, they have bigger baskets and they shop more often…and they also skew higher on our private label assortment that it really goes to the loyalty of that shopper.” —Supervalu CFO/CEO (Grocery Store)
Technology:
Monsanto hopes to have gene edited (CRISPR) products by the middle of the next decade
“So, I think first of all as you recognize there is a variety of gene editing tools. There is protein base. There is nucleic acid base. And just in the last few weeks, there has been a couple of publications on two brand new gene editing systems that have been discovered. In any case, what these tools allow you to do is to go in and precisely change basically any base pair or any gene in the crop. And so there are very powerful tool for making precise changes…I think they will allow us to further accelerate that rate of gain…we are now fully utilizing these tools and certainly by the beginning or middle of the next decade we will see these gene-editing products work their way into the marketplace. Really an exciting technology” —Monsanto CTO Robb Fraley (Agriculture)
Healthcare:
Trump singled out the Pharma industry in his press conference
“We’ve got to get our drug industry back. Our drug industry has been disastrous. They’re leaving left and right. They supply our drugs, but they don’t make them here, to a large extent. And the other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drug industry because they’re getting away with murder. Pharma, pharma has a lot of lobbies and a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power and there’s very little bidding on drugs. We’re the largest buyer of drugs in the world and yet we don’t bid properly and we’re going to start bidding and we’re going to save billions of dollars over a period of time.” —President Elect Donald Trump (Government)
But there’s no need to panic
“probably the outcome will be quite rational and at that time we will be able to organize ourselves and prepare our business to respond to the new environment. We don’t have to be taken by panic, just because the rules, mainly rules – the rules are changed. We have to wait for the changes and after rationally we will decide how to react without panicking.” —Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefano Pessina (Pharmacy)
Pfizer’s CFO argues that our drug spending isn’t that out of step with other countries
” we don’t anticipate any major changes in how we do drug pricing…if you look at healthcare as a percentage of GDP, in the U.S. it’s about 17%. Of that 17%, about 2% is prescription drugs. If you compare that to the OECD countries, healthcare as a percentage of their GDP is about 6% to 7%, 1.5% of that is prescription drugs. There is not some big disconnect or big difference between what we spend on prescription drugs as a percentage of…GDP and what the OECD countries do.” —Pfizer CFO Frank D’Amelio (Pharma)
Industrials:
GM expects auto sales to plateau here
“we expect to see another strong year in 2017 from a US industry perspective. We had another record year in 2016. We think we are going to plateau at these kinds of strong levels. I think the fundamental drivers of what’s been driving the industry may change a little bit from a kind of credit driven tailwind into more of economic growth GDP type growth tailwind over the next number of years. Is there upside to the industry? Perhaps” —GM CFO Chuck Stevens (Automobiles)
Full transcripts can be found at www.seekingalpha.com
1 note · View note
mrtroy · 4 years
Text
I Lost 30 Pounds This Year - Here Are Some Tips If You’re Looking To Do Something Similar
I stepped onto the scale on Christmas Eve 2018 (a little over a year ago) at my Aunt's house. My family goes there every other year to celebrate Christmas and my aunt has always had this cool digital scale that I'd use anytime I'd use her bathroom. I had never owned a scale, and any time I'd go to her house, it was always a good opportunity to check my weight. For much of my life, my weight never fluctuated too much. I was never that guy who was in great shape, but as a kid my weight was always pretty steady, and for the first decade or so out of college, my weight hovered around 170 to 175 pounds. 
Last Christmas Eve when I got on the scale, I knew I felt heavier. I knew I had been eating worse than normal, and I could tell I was heavier than I was used to being. But when I saw a 205 number register on the scale I was shocked. Roughly 30 pounds more than I was used to. I vowed right then that in 2019, I would lose that weight. I wanted to be no heavier than 175 by the end of 2019. 
This morning as I write this note on January 1st of 2020 - a year after I made my vow - I weigh 173.8. 
I'm about to share with you how I did it, with the intent being that if you're about to embark on a similar journey, you may be able to benefit from what I have learned about weight loss, healthy eating and exercise over the last year. 
First off, have a really good 'why' for your goal. If you don't like how you look / feel and you just 'want to lose some weight' in the next year, chances are that may not be enough motivation to keep you going on your goal all the way through the year. Define what it is that you expect to gain from losing the weight, and really think about how valuable those benefits are to you. Make it personal. Not achieving your goal should matter to you, and it should hurt. If it doesn't, chances are you're not prioritizing it enough to the point where it'll stay important enough to you through the process to make sure you meet your goal. 
Put a timeline on reaching your goal. As we're at the beginning of a new year, and it's 'resolution time' it's easy to choose the end of the year as a goal, but that might be too far off. If you do decide to make it a year-long goal, make sure to break the year into months, or quarter, or at least halves to give yourself check points between day 1 and day 365. For me, I had a wedding at the end of September that was the major driver for which I wanted to be at my goal weight. I worked backwards from there. 
Realize that you're going to have to make significant changes if you want to see significant results. Too often, I hear people who are looking for drastic results but they don't expect to have to do anything significant to make it happen. That doesn't necessarily mean that a new diet you adhere to has to be extreme, but it is very likely that the discipline required to achieve that goal is going to have to be extreme if the other tactical measures are not. Think about it this way, if you have to lose 30 pounds, that's not going to happen by having dessert one less time per month, or going on one Sunday afternoon walk every week. 
That being said, little things add up, and every calorie matters. Consider this: one generally accepted measure of how to lose weight is to create a deficit of 3,500 calories burned for every pound you want to lose. Broken down over a week, that's 500 calories per day that will get you to 3,500 calories in a week needed to lose weight at a healthy clip. So, if you think about your week, and you think about needing to cut 3,500 calories out of it, think about little ways you can burn a few calories, or save a few calories here and there to create that deficit. Keep this in mind, a minute of brisk walking burns roughly 5 calories. Let's say you live on the third floor of a building, and it might take you 3 minutes to walk up the stairs each day, and 3 minutes to walk down. Instead of taking the elevator, build those six minutes of walking into your day each day. Those six minutes represent 30 calories per day you're burning. If you were to do that every day of the year, you'd burn more than 10,000 calories doing that alone. Three minutes here, and three minutes there, it adds up. 
You'll notice that I'm into point 5 on my list before I've mentioned food. I've mentioned calories, and calories come from food and drink, but more so than what food you eat, I believe it's more about your lifestyle that will help you lose weight. Weight loss is about creating a calorie deficit More burned than consumed. There are a lot of ways to get there, and that doesn't have to mean starving yourself. If you're able to commit to an exercise regiment that creates a lot of that deficit for you, you might not have to change your diet that severely to get the results you're looking for
However, if you have a lot of weight to lose, chances are, you're eating too much, and part of the deficit you need to lose the weight you want can simply come from eating LESS and not necessarily from forcing yourself to eat foods you don't like. I believe that one of the main reasons that people weigh more than they would like is because the simply eat too much and have no idea that how much they're eating is more than they should be consuming. When I started trying to lose weight, the first thing I did was download an app that helped me count calories. I told the app how much weight I wanted to lose, and it came up with a calorie allotment plan that would help me manage that. The first week with the app, I didn't change anything about my eating or exercise habits. I simply did what I had been doing, and used that as a baseline against the behavior the app was suggesting. The first thing I realized after a few days was that I was eating way too much. The foods themselves weren't all that 'unhealthy' on the surface, I was just eating way too much of everything. My diet called for roughly 2,000 net calories per day, and in those first few days, I was consuming nearly 1,000 for breakfast. One of the biggest things I did to help myself succeed was to reign in breakfast to the point where I still ate it every day, but it was much smaller than it had been in the past
After finding an initial baseline, I did some simple math on what I was going to have to do - between how much I ate and how much exercise I did - to create the calorie deficit I was looking for. For me, I had the opportunity with my commute and my lunch hour to do a lot of walking, so a big part of my weight loss came from consistent exercise in addition to what I was eating. I created a schedule for myself that included more than 8 hours a week of new exercise. All just by walking to various train stops and to & from my office each day. Those activities alone (roughly 2,200 calories burned walking each week) accounted for about 64% of the calorie deficit I needed for the week. That left roughly 36% of the deficit to be made up for with my diet
Most of the remaining 36% of the deficit I was able to cover simply by knowing how much I was eating, and consciously choosing portion sizes that fit with what my plan said I needed to hit. If you have a plan that says you have 700 calories left for the day to hit your goal, it then comes down the the discipline at dinner time to say, okay, I've got 700 calories I can eat, I need to find something to eat for 700 calories or less. And on top of that, once you know you have 700 calories to work with, that means 700. Not 800, or 850. Every time you cheat like that, you set yourself back. So, rather than 'cheating' and eating 800 calories when you only have 700 calories to work with, instead be aware of what you need, and if 700 is your number, eat 600 for dinner, and let yourself have 100 calories for dessert - tons of desserts now have 100 calorie packs. 
If as you're reading this, you're reading things that I have done in the past and you're already having doubts creep in about your ability to follow a plan like mine, that's okay. There are a lot of different ways to create calorie deficits. I don't like super intense workouts, but had the time and the ability at my stage in life to walk a ton. You might not. It might be more feasible for you to burn 1,000 calories in a cycling workout and do intermittent fasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays in order to hit your goal. I don't know what will work for you, but the bigger idea is to find something that works, and then commit to doing something that you can maintain over the course of your 'real life,' day in and day out. 
Realize too that you're going to have days where you are going to go against your plans. There were multiple days where things came up in my schedule that made it very difficult for me to stick to my calorie count, and I went over. When that happens, don't let one day off of plan get you down. Client dinners, birthday parties, and other special occasions are going to come up where you're going to eat more than you normally would, or may not allow you to do the requisite amount of exercise necessary to hit your calorie number. That's fine. Enjoy those days. The key is to have your normal, 'in-routine' days be as good as they can be. Remember too that your 'normal' calorie goal days are there as a number that will help you lose weight. If you miss your daily goal by 500 calories or less, you're still within that buffer where you won't gain or lose weight on a given day, you'll just stay put. So, try to have as many days as you can where you hit the deficit, or at least stay within 500 calories when you're forced to go out of routine. And, when you do have to go off routine and go outside of that 500 calorie buffer, try not to do it more than one day in a row. Multiple days off of routine has an easy way of becoming a new routine that you don't want to be getting into... 
Buy a scale early on in your journey, and use it. One of the reasons I am certain I gained as much weight as I did in 2018 was because I didn't know what I weighed. I felt myself gaining some, but if I had been aware of where I was and how much I had been gaining, I never would have let myself get to 205. But, because I didn't know for sure where I was at, it became a lot easier to just figure I'd gained 5 or 10 without ever really getting a handle on where I was. If you've had issues in the past getting on the scale and seeing a number and having that number create certain negative emotions, fears or anxieties, that's okay. In your new journey, try to think of the number only as a piece of data. If you're at 295 today, try not to think about that as anything more than an indicator that you'd like to be at 294 by the end of the week, and trust that you've got a plan in place that, if followed, will get you there. Whatever your number is on the scale, there is no shame in it. It's a number. Use the power of the information in that number to drive to the goal you want. 
It can be hard at first to count calories, and in general to 'care so much' about what you're eating and how much you're exercising. That is normal if it's not something you've focused on a lot in the past. But, the more you do it, and the more success you have at it, the more you'll start to enjoy the process. If you continue to resist it, consider this: It's very hard to change any behavior if you're not willing to focus on it. So, embrace that in order to lose the weight you want, you're probably going to have to care more about it, emphasize it more in your life, and make it a greater point of focus. When your goal - and the why behind that goal - matters enough to you, you'll find that focusing on it becomes easier than it may have been in the past
My last point - and I'm going to end on lucky thirteen instead of thinking of it as unlucky thirteen - is to stress the importance of self belief in this process. You can do this. Weight loss is science. Put in less than is coming out. With commitment to a plan that gets you to your needed deficit, you will lose weight. Some people may lose faster than others based on metabolism, but even if you have a slower metabolism than some, find solace in the fact that if you stick to your plan long enough, consistently, it'll happen. As that process is taking place, let yourself think about the results. Get excited about them. Think about the benefits you hope to gain. For yourself and your physical well being. For yourself and your mental well being to know that you set a goal, you stuck with it, and you conquered it. For your family, and all the benefits that come with better health, and better routines. And for your future. Once you achieve something like this, it has a way of empowering you to set more goals that are bigger, and have even better results. 
Believe in yourself, enjoy the process, and look forward to reaching your goal. And when you do, use what you have learned and the discipline you've built in your routines to keep it going. 
My weight goal is to be at 168 by the end of 2020. Where I am now minus 5 more pounds. 
Whatever your goal is, let's get it! You can do it! 
0 notes
mrsteveecook · 5 years
Text
my coworkers won’t come to my meetings, ankle-length hair at work, and more
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…
1. I can’t get my coworkers to read my updates or come to my meetings
I am interning in an office for the next three months, and have been tasked with leading a project. The result of this project will be launched several months after my internship has concluded, so my fellow project team members will take it over once I leave.
My issue is that I don’t think my coworkers are as concerned about this project as I am. To give a few examples, I send weekly updates via email that no one reads and I schedule meetings that team members skip without notice beforehand or acknowledgement after. When we have work to be completed, I’ll ask my team members to choose which portions they want to work on, and one particular team member just doesn’t follow through, even after I get our shared supervisor involved.
I don’t know how to address these issues. I’m an intern and have little clout in this organization. The only method I have of holding team members accountable is reminding them repeatedly of deadlines, letting them miss the deadline, and notifying the supervisor if the missed deadline seriously impacts our work. I feel like I want to stop working so hard to keep them up-to-date if they don’t care about this launch as much as I do. I have a sneaking suspicion that once I leave, they’re going to let this project fall through the cracks, but that will not be my problem. How should I continue to address these issues until my internship ends in the next few months?
Well, it’s possible that they’re actually prioritizing correctly — they may have work that takes precedence over this project, and that’s why they’re not invested. And they might not actually need the weekly updates or the meetings. Or maybe they really are supposed to be more involved, and they’re shirking their responsibilities. If that’s the case, that’s not something you have the power to change on your own; you’d need your boss to handle that.
Either way, the best thing to do here is to talk to your boss. Explain what’s going on and ask her if you’re expecting more involvement from people than you should, or whether you do actually need them reading updates/attending meetings/doing pieces of the work. If it’s the latter, then say this: “I’ve tried talking with people about this quite a bit, and I think it’s at the point where they’ll need to hear it from you, since I don’t have the authority on my own. Could you talk with people about how you need them to be involved?” And if that doesn’t solve it, then go back to your boss and just loop her in — as in, “I wanted to let you know that I’m having trouble getting ___ from people. So I’m doing X, Y, and Z, but I want to make sure you know those other pieces may not be finished by the time I leave unless Jane and Fergus have time for them.”
Beyond that, though, I’d definitely look at ways to streamline what you’re expecting from people. Unless your boss says otherwise, it might be that weekly updates aren’t necessary, and maybe the meetings aren’t either. When people are busy, it’s often the case that if you ask for less of their time, you’ll get it more reliably. (And if this is your one big project while they’re juggling a bunch of things, it’s understandable that you’re more focused on it than they are.)
2. Will almost-floor-length hair hold me back professionally?
I have very long hair (almost floor-length when it’s down, and I keep it that length just because I like it, not out of any religious or cultural obligation). I always wear it in a conservative updo that hides the length during interviews and for the first few weeks of job-related situations because I don’t want it to be the first thing people notice when they meet me in a professional context, but it’s much easier and more comfortable for me to wear it in a braid.
Do you think letting on that I have this unusual hairstyle is something that’s going to hold me back career-wise? I love it, but it’s pretty far outside of the norm and tends to provoke a lot of questions and comments, and I would hate to have people make assumptions about me or be distracted from the quality of my work. So should I suck it up and wear it in updos at work forever, or can I sometimes go full-on Tangled at work and wear it in ways where it’s visible?
If you’re awesome at what you do, almost-floor-length hair isn’t going to hold you back. But it’s definitely unusual enough that you’re likely to become known as The Person with the Floor-Length Hair and some people will find it odd. You might be totally fine with that, but there’s also an argument for not wanting people at work to be thinking about your hair at all. It’s up to you where you come down on that.
3. Using sick days for vacation time
I started at a company in July that has a fairly generous PTO program (three weeks vacation, four employee-designated holidays, 10 sick days). I am of the mindset that sick days are for when you are too ill to come to work and/or need a mental health day. The only time I’ve ever pre-scheduled sick time is when I’ve had a medical appointment or a medical procedure scheduled in advance.
I was approached by a new hire who is fresh out of college, whose mother works in HR at another company. She advised him that when taking time off, in general, to use sick days and employee-designated holidays first, since they don’t carry over from year to year, then dip into vacation. He mentioned that he plans on taking the one employee designated holiday and the two sick days he has for this year at Christmas since he has to travel to see his family.
I encouraged him to talk to his manager and get his input, but I’m wondering how I should have advised him as a colleague with slightly more time with the company and more life experience (I suspect I’m old enough to be his mother – eek!). Am I being too strict in how I think of using sick days? We have the ability to work from home, so I typically use them when I am at death’s door or just mentally exhausted (I’m bipolar II with generalized anxiety disorder, so I consider it a public service taking a day off when I feel a depressive cycle coming on).
Nope, the way you described this working is how it works at most companies. Sick days and vacation days aren’t interchangeable; that’s why they’re not in one pot. They’re a safety net to be used for when you really need them, which is part of why they don’t roll over.
Your company almost definitely doesn’t intend for sick days to be used for pre-scheduled vacation, so you were absolutely right to encourage him to talk to his manager about it. If you’d wanted, it also would have been fine to just say bluntly, “That’s never been the case anywhere I’ve worked, and in some companies you’d get in trouble for using sick days that way so you should definitely talk to your boss before you do it.”
4. My manager scratches his butt before high-fiving us
I am a supervisor for a retail store and work with a sales manager who is very big on high-fives as motivation. However, I have seen him many times scratch his butt and then go to high-five someone. If it was a one-off scratching a small itch, that would be one thing but it’s happened many times and it’s a full-on scratch (leg straight and into the crack scratch). The first time he tried to high-five me after I saw this, I hugged my hands to my chest and said I have a germaphobia about high-fives and getting sick. I do have a slight germaphobia (12 years in retail will do that) so it’s not a full-on lie, but the issue is now when my staff do something I can’t high-five them without him noticing. Is there another way to deal with this?
Do you have the kind of relationship where you could just be straightforward? As in, “I saw where your hand just was! No thanks.”
If not, then you’re going to have to stick with the germaphobia story, which you’ve already put out there anywhere. And yeah, that means you can’t high-five others.
But also, why is he prefacing all his high-fives with a butt scratch? This is weird indeed.
5. My boss wants two months notice
I work in a very small office where I am the office manager, in-house biller/accounts receivable manager, technical producer for our in-house podcast, head of volunteers and interns, HR manager, etc. As you can tell, I wear almost every hat in my current company. Because of this, I am worried about pulling away from this role, leaving such a large gap to fill. My boss and I have discussed it briefly when we had our yearly review meeting where I requested a raise (as I was originally hired on as an office manager only several years ago) on the basis of maintaining at least six different positions, more than enough for just one person. My boss explained that he was fine with me looking for another job if I was unhappy with what I was being paid, but I would have to give two months notice to find someone as “specialized” as myself. I know he is worried that no one will agree to six different people’s jobs with the mediocre pay, and he’ll end up needing to hire more than one person to fill my position, which I get the feeling he is trying to avoid. And while he said he was fine with me looking, it was delivered very passive aggressively and ended with, “Good luck finding a job that pays you as much as me,” along with a whole slew of other rude remarks.
If I manage to get a job offer, how do I (1) tell my boss that two months notice is too long for a job to hold a position for me and (2) either convince someone to take on six different roles with very little pay, or convince my boss to break up my role into several roles?
You can certainly suggest to your boss that he break the job up into several roles, but you don’t need to convince him, and you don’t need to convince someone to take on the job for little pay. None of this will be your problem; it’s your boss’s, and you don’t need to solve it for him because it’s not your responsibility to that and it won’t affect you any longer.
As for the amount of notice you give: It’s ridiculous for him to expect two months notice. When you resign, give the standard two weeks and if he objects you can say, “They need me to start in two weeks and don’t have any flexibility.” If he reminds you that he asked for two months, you can say, “I didn’t think you were serious about that, since two weeks is standard and there’s no way they’d hold the job for me that long.” And if he’s really obnoxious about it, remind him that he suggested you look for another job if you wanted to be paid more.
You may also like:
how can I make sure my team meets deadlines?
how to manage a project when you don’t have formal authority
my boss is constantly texting and emailing during meetings
my coworkers won’t come to my meetings, ankle-length hair at work, and more was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.
from Ask a Manager https://ift.tt/2KR4XrO
0 notes
cryptochurp · 6 years
Text
‘I Think ICO is a Dirty Word’ – Lessons in Compliance from KodakCoin (Interview)
Bitcoinist spoke with Darren Marble, CEO of CrowdfundX, a fintech marketing firm that uses artificial intelligence and digital marketing to help its clients acquire retail investors and shareholders at scale. His company was responsible for designing, producing, and marketing historic Reg A+ IPOs to NASDAQ, NYSE, and OTC Markets Group, as well as Security Token Offers (STOs) such as KodakCoin.
I predict that NASDAQ, the NYSE, or OTC Markets Group will launch a token market. If they don’t, they may become obsolete.
– Darren Marble
Bitcoinist: First, what does your company, CrowdfundX, do? Darren Marble: CrowdfundX (CfX) is a FinTech marketing firm. We help companies raise capital online using Reg D 506(c) or Reg A+. Some of our clients include KodakCoin; Drake, who is a co-founder of Virginia Black Whiskey; and Fatburger. Prior to entering the blockchain space, CfX marketed historic Reg A+ IPOs to NASDAQ, the NYSE, and OTC Markets Group. Our Reg A+ clients have raised north of $100 million USD in the past two and a half years. We operate at the high end of the market and generally prefer to work with established brands.
Bitcoinist: What are the steps ICOs must take to become SEC-approved and avoid getting shut down by regulators?
Darren Marble: Let me start by noting that I personally don’t like the term ICO, and I encourage industry participants—at least in the US—to use the term Security Token Offer, or “STO” instead.
I think ICO is a dirty word—it has a negative connotation in the US market. ICOs are associated with the sale of unregistered securities and outright fraud in some cases. An STO is a regulated offering, whereby the issuer is selling programmable equity—backed by some tangible asset—to the investor.
Now that I’m done ranting . . . issuers have several options when it comes to running a compliant deal. Reg D 506(c) has no cap on the raise, allows accredited investors to invest, and gives you the ability to generally solicit or market your deal. It’s fast, easy, and efficient. The downside is that you’re limited to accredited investors who must prove they are accredited, and there is a one-year lockup on tokens.
Reg A+ has a $50 million cap on the raise, allows anyone over 18 to invest—regardless of income or net worth—and also gives you the ability to market your deal. Reg A+ issuers must submit two years of audited financials (if available) and file a Form 1-A with the SEC, which can be time-consuming and costly. The advantage is that anyone can invest, and there is no lockup on tokens.
Firms like tZERO, CoinList, and Templum are developing compliant, secondary markets for the trading of security tokens, and several should be live later this year. These platforms—which will be regulated and SEC-approved—will encourage institutional investors to participate in the market.
Bitcoinist: Would it be easier to simply ban US citizens from participating in an ICO like many are doing? And is this a viable strategy for ICOs for the time being?
Darren Marble: For those running an ICO outside the US, sure, you can ban US citizens, but I don’t see this as a viable long-term strategy. For companies based in the US, you should register your deal with the SEC, or use an applicable securities exemption like Reg D or Reg A+.
Let me be clear: regulation protects investors—it’s not a bad thing. At the end of the day, investors are the fuel for the entire industry. If investors continue to get burned in scam deals, or deals with limited or no disclosure, they will simply stop investing. If that happens, the truly innovative ICOs will struggle for funding.
That’s why I’m pro-regulation; I believe investors should be protected, because without investors generating positive returns, there is no industry.
Bitcoinist: Is Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. banning questionable cryptocurrency/ICO advertising ultimately a good move for Bitcoin and the crypto industry as a whole?
Darren Marble: I am working on developing a solution to this very problem—a permission-based marketplace that connects issuers to qualified investors. CfX has an audience network of 500,000 self-directed individual investors, and we will be licensing our IP to a new company I am starting to tackle this issue. (Connect with me on LinkedIn to learn more.)
While the crypto advertising ban will surely root out some of the scam deals, it has also created a gap in the market. Retail investors—both accredited and unaccredited—are still highly interested in crypto, and they want to be able to invest in quality deals. At best, the ban has forced issuers to be creative in how they market to retail investors, but at worst, some issuers will only market to crypto funds, leaving retail investors entirely out of the equation.
Bitcoinist: What do you look for when recommending and marketing ICOs?
Darren Marble: I always start with the team. The team has to be credible, savvy, and experienced for CfX to even review the deal. If it’s a younger team with less experience, that’s fine, provided the team is well-connected and respected inside the crypto community.
Secondly, I prefer to work on deals that have existing technology or some unfair advantage in the market. For instance, KodakCoin—with their partnership with Kodak—has global brand equity.
Lastly, I look for deals that have a solid marketing budget. If a company tells me they want to raise $25 million, but they’re just starting up and only have a $25,000 marketing budget, I’m out. In the ICO/STO space, deal marketing is the most critical aspect of any successful raise (assuming a strong deal), and the marketing budget should reflect that reality.
Bitcoinist: What kind of role did you play with KodakCoin’s ICO?
Darren Marble: The Chairman of KodakCoin has been following CfX for years and knew of our track record and market leadership in the Reg A+ industry. He contacted me last December and asked me to bid the deal. Because KodakCoin is a branded deal, and because they were running one of the first regulated STOs in the US, we were eager to partner with them.
CfX is marketing KodakCoin to both retail and strategic investors. On the retail side, KodakCoin now has more than 80,000 leads from retail investors who indicated interest on their website; we are now beginning to run these investors through the accredited verification process.
On the strategic side, CfX has marketed KodakCoin to more than 250 blockchain and crypto funds—mostly small hedge funds with $5 to $500 million in assets under management in the US. Our role has been to been to make warm introductions between these funds and KodakCoin’s management team and let KodakCoin sell securities. CfX now has tight relationships with the largest, most credible funds in the industry.
Bitcoinist: What is your response to the criticism of KodakCoin, which includes everything from jumping on the ICO bandwagon to being an outright scam?
Darren Marble: KodakCoin has generated tremendous PR, some good, and some bad, which is inevitable in a deal that has been so widely publicized. But for starters, people need to know that Kodak is a $220 million market cap company trading on the NYSE—the most reputable national securities exchange in the US—and their CEO, Jeff Clarke, has been intimately involved in the deal.
Some in the industry criticized KodakCoin when they delayed the launch of their deal, but the delay was intentional—KodakCoin was actively communicating with the SEC to ensure they were in full compliance with US federal securities laws.
KodakCoin takes compliance and disclosure seriously, and I think they did the right thing by slowing down the deal to prioritize investor protections above capital raising. Now the deal is moving forward, and it’s exceeding expectations on all fronts.
Bitcoinist: How much did KodakCoin raise in its pre-sale?
Darren Marble: All communications are being managed through the KodakCoin website, and interested parties can sign up at KodakCoin.com to learn about the deal’s progress.
Bitcoinist: What is your opinion on ICOs having pre-sales for insiders? Doesn’t this undermine the entire concept of democratizing the IPO process?
Darren Marble: The decision to run a pre-sale is made by the issuer. Some issuers have run pre-sales while others have not. In many cases, it’s savvy for issuers to run a pre-sale, as it allows them to get critical early funding into their deal and signals positive momentum to retail investors.
I believe that Reg A+ is going to become an increasingly popular vehicle for STO issuers in the US as it allows anyone to invest, which aligns nicely with the crypto philosophy of democratizing VP and IPO processes.
Bitcoinist: What projects are you currently most excited about? And has the ICO hype reached its peak or is this only the beginning?
Darren Marble: Two weeks ago, I met with the CEO of a multi-billion dollar gaming company in Silicon Valley that is planning an STO. They have hundreds of millions of users, hundreds of employees, and proven, best-in-industry technology. This is what I refer to as an “enterprise offering,” and I think these deals will become more common in the months and years ahead. Investors won’t generate a 100x return in a deal like this, but at least their risk is highly mitigated relative to your average ICO.
Bitcoinist: Finally, what does your crystal ball show for the ICO industry in the months ahead?
Darren Marble: I predict that NASDAQ, the NYSE, or OTC Markets Group will launch a token market. If they don’t, they may become obsolete. Public companies will slowly “upgrade” their shares to tokens as tokens will function more efficiently than shares. The future is bright—and it will be regulated.
[Disclosure: CrowdfundX was compensated $150,000 USD to market KodakCoin’s securities and $305,000 USD to market Virginia Black Whiskey’s securities. For more information on KodakCoin, go here; for more information on Virginia Black Whiskey, go here.]
Will the ICO industry mature and become regulated? Share your thoughts below!
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Crowndfundx
The post ‘I Think ICO is a Dirty Word’ – Lessons in Compliance from KodakCoin (Interview) appeared first on Bitcoinist.com.
from WordPress https://ift.tt/2HKa3Vy via IFTTT
0 notes