Peoples bank buckhannon wv

Future of West Virginia: Points of Amipolitican

2023.05.28 04:50 OkRadio9933 Future of West Virginia: Points of Amipolitican

(Note: Most of these policies are renewed from my former governorship race.)
The points I present for my candidacy of the governorship of West Virginia will include:
EVERY MAN A KING The Destruction of Excessive Bureaucracy The Strengthening of the Supreme Reality of America The Fair Share of Taxation The New Deal's Resurrection The 2nd Amendment Reexamined The Policy of Healthcare Establishment of the State CO-OP Corporation
We will strengthen unions for the sake of the bargaining power and workplace democracy, we shall build hospitals in WV, bridges, factories, and create jobs. We will make the common man feel important, involved, and free. The elimination of unemployment in WV, and the raising of the minimum wage to 15 dollars, as well as the shortening of the work day to 6 hours! Every able-bodied man will have a good-paying job, under our administration. Furthermore, we wish to introduce the 'Economic Efficiency Plan'. We will ensure every family and every community has the resources and power to form their own lives, American lives. It is imperative that excessive bureaucracy must be cut out, and the swamp must be drained. Spending put towards projects that face no clear-cut goal or efficient plan will not be tolerated. Inefficient bureaucrats will be fired and audits will be regularly issued towards committees and state functionaries. There is neither black, nor white. Neither Asian, nor Hispanic. There is only American. All Americans will be equal, in the workplace, in the school, and before the law. They will work as America, and towards a goal that is uniquely American, that is, the prosperity of all peoples. Such will be established in our state of West Virginia. A progressive income tax on the wealthy. Every man must be a king, the great banquet that is devoured by the elites must instead be a banquet for the common man. A man will make his pie, and keep his pie. No Rockefeller will come and take it away, and instead, hand him a meager salary that cannot pay his bills. The wealthy's money shall be used for public development, the support of our veterans, the elderly, and the sick. We will heavily invest in new economic construction plans. We will reopen the PA pipeline, we will construct new roads, we will construct new buildings, new plants, new factories, new trains, new hospitals, and we shall make jobs in the process! Silent factories will once more roar with life. Restart nuclear age within PA, reopen and open new powerplants off of safer plutonium to provide free energy for electric cars and get off of less and less natural gases. The strengthening of communities. Churches, tradition, and communities will be revived. The right to bear arms will be bolstered. Communities will self-manage, and work as organisms in the great social machine that is our state and our nation. On the new policy of healthcare, we will act to eliminate all private healthcare sectors of West Virginia in turn for a totally free, state provided healthcare system that can both treat you for little cost, and eliminate the problem of healthcare from your life, destroying stresses for the poverty stricken rural sectors of West Virginia, with all of the healthcare funding being provided by heavy taxation reforms of the rich. In addition, healthcare education and training will be shortened to the minimum required to become a doctor to prevent the economic pandering of students to spend more time in college paying for a health education. One of the first enactments of my administration will to establish the SCOC, stated above.What will the SCOC be? It will be a state corporation that would fund more, and more economic Cooperation communities of labor throughout West Virginia. For example if we funded miners in northern WV to establish a CO-OP, they as a group would own the land together and sell the excess materials together, with the state requiring a quota of the CO-OP's mined materials to sell on the external market. This with each CO-OP being a council democracy, provides the workers of our GREAT Miners state of West Virginia to prosper in liberty of the fruits of his labor.
Upvote 2
Downvote
0 comments
Share Share
submitted by OkRadio9933 to PoliticalSimulationUS [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 04:41 Rare-Bid-6860 In the movie Evil Dead: Rise (2023) all the hassle is started by a GenZer pissing about in a bank vault, because the studio wanted to reinforce the fact that young people can't deal responsibly with money and shouldn't have it.

In the movie Evil Dead: Rise (2023) all the hassle is started by a GenZer pissing about in a bank vault, because the studio wanted to reinforce the fact that young people can't deal responsibly with money and shouldn't have it. submitted by Rare-Bid-6860 to shittymoviedetails [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 04:18 almxghty-nsa Saved the world lol

Saved the world lol
I played as an astronaut like 10 times so far but only through nasa, I ended up joining the uk space program and almost immediately after joining they made me save the world by shooting an asteroid which I never had to do in nasa, not complaining since it gave me 25 million
submitted by almxghty-nsa to BitLifeApp [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 04:16 jasonf1984 Fake purchase on coinbase card

So I got a notification on my phone that someone spent 500 dollars on my coinbase card, I immediately called them and blocked the card, I haven't used that card in a year and I certainly wasn't buying handmade Italian leather purses. I called and talked to customer service, they told me that they don't do credit card and that I would get a email in a couple of days to help me out. About 2 days later I finally get a email asking me what the issue was, she said that the reason I needed help hadn't transferred correctly in the system, so I told her again what had happened. She told me that she will put it in for investigation and it generally takes up to 10 business days it may take up to 30 days and that I will be getting a new message from a 3rd CS person and closed the thread. It's been about 10 days and I haven't heard anything! I still don't know how they got my card since I have it in my possession and never use it, but anyway 30 days and 3 people to investigate a 500 dollar credit charge? I have never had a fraudulent purchase take this long, and $500 is a lot of money to me, if the first person would have known how to stop the purchase I think that we could have stopped it b4 it went through since it was still pending when I called, but that is a car payment, is it normal for it to take 30 days? I am glad that is not my primary account otherwise I would be in a bind. Is there something I can do to hurry this along? Doesn't mastercard have zero liability on fraud purchases? Can I contact the credit card issuer directly? I am assuming that it's a separate bank or card company? This is ridiculous.
submitted by jasonf1984 to CoinBase [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 04:13 threedollarbillqueer What jobs are currently in demand?

I’m a SAHM that’s been at home with my kids for some time, and with my littlest twins going off to kindergarten in a few months I’d like to explore working again. Problem is I see so many folks struggling to find work. I was considering school for a degree but don’t want to end up with debt and no job.
Most of my working experience is in retail and sales, with little stints in banking and property inspection. I’m interested in all kinds of things and am a very extroverted friendly people person.
What fields need people?
submitted by threedollarbillqueer to jobs [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:51 Rogiee PSA - Lurers are using an unsafe bank square on Fossil Island for Lures, using a PvP world between 2 un-quickhoppable worlds. It goes without saying but DO NOT withdraw items on this square.

PSA - Lurers are using an unsafe bank square on Fossil Island for Lures, using a PvP world between 2 un-quickhoppable worlds. It goes without saying but DO NOT withdraw items on this square. submitted by Rogiee to 2007scape [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:45 coronavirussssss Haythem El Mekki is spreading false info about 50 Cent

Haythem El Mekki is spreading false info about 50 Cent
Hey fam, let's clear the air and drop some knowledge about our man 50 Cent, 'cause somebody out there's spreading some false info (see screenshots).
First things first, let's get the facts straight. It ain't true that Fiddy started dissing Nas, Fat Joe, and The Game just to stay relevant. Nah, that's straight-up bogus! Our boy 50 had already fired shots at Nas and Fat Joe in his track "Piggy Bank," released on March 1, 2005 when he was on top of the rap game. And there's no evidence to suggest that Dr. Dre personally made a call to Fat Joe regarding 50 Cent's diss track. By the way, 50 Cent had already been engaged in a beef with Ja Rule before any shots were fired by Nas or Fat Joe.
Let's set the record straight once again. Someone commented on his post saying that Nas dissed 50 Cent in the song "Don't Body Ya Self," and they got their facts right. But the guy insisted that the song where Nas actually took aim at 50 Cent was "Made You Look". It's important to note that this track, "Made You Look", came out before any beef had even begun between the two artists. It was released in 2002. Oh yeah! He's wrong again.
Now, don't let anyone fool you into thinking that people have forgotten about 50 Cent. Nah, he's still out there hustlin' and making major moves. Remember the hit TV show "Power"? Well, guess what? Our boy Fiddy is one of the executive producers of that badass series, and it's been getting mad love from fans all around. Same thing for BMF. And now, he's teaming up with Eminem to produce a series based on the smash hit movie 8 Mile.
And here's some fresh news for you: 50 Cent is ready to tear it up this summer on a worldwide tour alongside the legendary Busta Rhymes! They're about to bring the heat and set stages ablaze!
So next time someone tries to spread that false narrative, you tell 'em they're dead wrong. 50 Cent ain't fading out, he's still out here grinding and making power moves. He's got TV shows, he's got tours, and he's always got that street vibe that keeps him in the game.


https://preview.redd.it/0tqcpwnypi2b1.png?width=587&format=png&auto=webp&s=c260465ae10966b30ad91e2f44b6207d951907ba

https://preview.redd.it/0o5v9gkapi2b1.png?width=393&format=png&auto=webp&s=720f21aa1bda60742d3718d9b9a747ff107ebb68
submitted by coronavirussssss to Tunisia [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:45 chaotic_troll Legality of camping in Indian forests/beaches/river banks

I wanted to know how feasible it is to just go on a hike, set up a tent and campfire openly (without any prior permission or just informing local authorities without any hassle) in forests/beaches/river banks in India. I see people abroad go on treks regularly without having to worry about police harassing them. Is something like that feasible in India too?
I know the answer can change based on certain variables. So here's an overview of those that I can think of:
(a) State: Maharashtra or Goa. If not sure about the answer for these states, you could also answer it assuming the question is for the state you know about.
(b) Type of areas:
i) No Protected/Sensitive/Military areas, but optionally consider rivers in wildlife sanctuaries too which might be land under the forest department. Or beach areas near coast which might be under coast guard
ii) What about areas where there is already some commercial camping activity and I just bring in my own tent there and start camping
(c) What kind of camping? : Small tent, carries 3-4 people. Something like this. Simple bonfire made out of wood-stock. Cooking food on it.
(d) Safety measures: Assume only being done in safe weather. No high tide or landslide warnings, etc.
I would really love to go backpack trekking in India but not with these tour people who spoil the experience. I would appreciate your inputs on this. I made a similar question about rafting here. If you have any idea about that, it would be great to hear about it from the community.
Lastly, if you could recommend some communities where I can ask this question, I would really appreciate it.
submitted by chaotic_troll to india [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:44 chaotic_troll Legality of camping in Indian forests/beaches/river banks

I wanted to know how feasible it is to just go on a hike, set up a tent and campfire openly (without any prior permission or just informing local authorities without any hassle) in forests/beaches/river banks in India. I see people abroad go on treks regularly without having to worry about police harassing them. Is something like that feasible in India too?
I know the answer can change based on certain variables. So here's an overview of those that I can think of:
(a) State: Maharashtra or Goa. If not sure about the answer for these states, you could also answer it assuming the question is for the state you know about.
(b) Type of areas:
i) No Protected/Sensitive/Military areas, but optionally consider rivers in wildlife sanctuaries too which might be land under the forest department. Or beach areas near coast which might be under coast guard
ii) What about areas where there is already some commercial camping activity and I just bring in my own tent there and start camping
(c) What kind of camping? : Small tent, carries 3-4 people. Something like this. Simple bonfire made out of wood-stock. Cooking food on it.
(d) Safety measures: Assume only being done in safe weather. No high tide or landslide warnings, etc.
I would really love to go backpack trekking in India but not with these tour people who spoil the experience. I would appreciate your inputs on this. I made a similar question about rafting here. If you have any idea about that, it would be great to hear about it from the community.
Lastly, if you could recommend some communities where I can ask this question, I would really appreciate it.
submitted by chaotic_troll to LegalAdviceIndia [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:43 sgtslaughterTV A more "sober" perspective on Hong Kong and crypto. Let's stop smoking the China "hopium."

Context: I've been to China and I've been to Hong Kong, in both cases for work.
To speed up the conversation here: the currency people use in Hong Kong is the HKD, and in mainland China, people use the RMB. In mainland China, you cannot access YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, any western websites at all. In Hong Kong you can - or so last I checked that's how things work there.
I don't see how, if for any reason, Hong Kong's regional government encouraging crypto trading will lead to China "unrestricting" crypto for all of its people. If you are from China and you want to go to Hong Kong, you need to have a visa to go there with few exceptions - like perhaps you're in the Chinese military and you were cracking down on the protests a couple of years ago. Another exception might be a high-net-worth individual from China that has legitimate reason to start a business in Hong Kong that they might have difficulty starting in China (Example: a new social networking website, or starting a new APAC-based hedge fund management group).
There are, of course, back-door methods for a person in China to get their money into Hong Kong to buy crypto, but these methods are even riskier than using OTC methods to buy crypto in China (which can lead to your WeChat pay or Alipay accounts getting restricted/punished). I heard a story about a Taiwanese actress who went to China for work a few years ago, and she wanted to get all of her money out of China and into a Taiwanese bank account. China has capital-flight controls, meaning they limit the amount of money you can take out of the country. So, what did this actress do? She talked to a mafia boss and said she wanted to get all of her money out of China and into a Taiwanese bank account. The mafia boss did everything to make it look like they were swapping money, but ran off with all of her money (probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars) and disappeared.
Anyone trying to make a connection between Hong Kong's crypto industry and mainland China encouraging crypto trading is smoking too much hopium.
submitted by sgtslaughterTV to CryptoCurrency [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:41 palocci The Brazilian "Secular Stagnation" and what Lula can do about it

The Brazilian
Introduction
Here's another effortpost on Brazil! This time I'll be talking about why the Brazilian economy stagnated, and what we can expect from Lula in terms of economic policy (I've talked about this in the past but now I'll go into more detail).
Between 1920 and 1980, Brazil was a clear economic success story. For 60 years, our GDP grew at an average of 4% a year. This 'golden age' ended in a hyperinflation crisis, which made the 1980s become known as a 'lost decade', and since its resolution in 1994 with the Plano Real, our economy has experienced minimal growth: from 1980 to 2020, the average GDP growth rate was only 0.7%.
Evolution of the Brazilian per capita product, at 2010 prices, from 1900 to 2021. The scale of the graph is logarithmic in base 2.
In this post, I'll try to explain the reasons for Brazil's low growth in the last four decades and what Lula's plans are to address them.
The debate
Before delving into the actual causes of the "semi-stagnation", I would like to explain the economic debate in Brazil. This debate revolves around two major groups of economists: the "developmentalists" and the "liberals." The term "developmentalism" may be unfamiliar to many people here, but it is very present in Latin America. A decent explanation for it could be "dirigisme with Latam characteristics."
In short, liberalism in this context is associated with economic orthodoxy and a pro-market orientation in economic policy, while developmentalism leans towards economic heterodoxy and advocates for direct state interference in the economy. This debate is, in theory, separate from the traditional right versus left political divide, as we have had governments from both ends of the political spectrum adopting policies aligned with either school of thought. For instance, Lula I (2003-2007) represented a left-wing liberal government, while Geisel (1974-1979) presided over a right-wing developmentalist government. However, in practice, liberalism is associated with the right-wing while developmentalism is associated with the left-wing.
One area of major divergence between those two groups is full employment. Liberals argue that the Brazilian economy generally operates at full employment, which means that there are well-defined supply-side limits and restrictions in the economy, whereas developmentalists believe it tends to operate below that level. This implies that the economy's natural state is one of perpetual aggregate demand deficiency, and thus the government could just increase spending to mobilize idle production factors and stimulate economic growth.
Furthermore, liberals typically view direct state intervention in the economy with distrust, opposing increased public investments in infrastructure and most forms of industrial policy. Their preference generally leans towards reducing government spending and relying on a 'crowding in' effect, together with supply-side reforms. Conversely, developmentalists perceive state intervention as a necessity to stimulate the economy, favoring a robust industrial policy and increased public investments.
Those are significant oversimplifications, and many economists do not align themselves with either group. In any case, I would say this categorization reasonably represents the current debate.
It's a tradition in Brazil to divide ministries between liberals and developmentalists to ensure a balance between the two. The current Finance Minister, Fernando Haddad, believes in a middle ground approach, with some of his secretaries (e.g., Guilherme Mello) leaning more towards developmentalism, while others (e.g., Bernard Appy) lean more towards liberalism. Planning Minister Simone Tebet and Industry and Commerce Minister Geraldo Alckmin are firmly in the liberal camp. However, due to the nature of his ministry, Geraldo Alckmin will probably concede more to developmentalist policies (as he's already doing). Aloizio Mercadante, the President of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), is considered the leader of the developmentalist branch of the government, along with Workers' Party President Gleisi Hoffmann (some people jokingly refer to her as the main opposition to Fernando Haddad and the 'Twitter Shadow Finance Minister' due to some of her tweets).
Without further ado, let's get to the causes of Brazil's stagnation.
Guido Mantega (Finance Minister between 2006 and 2014) and Antônio Palocci (Finance Minister between 2003 and 2006). Mantega is associated to developmentalism and Palocci to liberalism.
Education
First of all, the significant growth of the 20th century left a terrible educational legacy. Brazil only began to have a somewhat consistent educational policy in the 1990s and 2000s, when basic education was universalized. To put it into perspective, in 1990, the average number of years of schooling in Brazil was 3.8 years. Even Sub-Saharan African countries like Congo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia had higher average schooling levels than ours. Approximately a quarter of the population were illiterate.
The key change came with the 1988 Constitution, which decided that Brazil would try to become an European-style social democracy. Since then, considerable progress has been made, but clearly not enough. The main educational bottleneck lies in Elementary School II, which typically spans the ages of 12 to 15. It is during this stage in Brazil that the discrepancy between age and the appropriate grade level drastically increases, leading to higher rates of grade repetition and students falling behind in their education.
This problem is probably related to the transition from a single teacher trained in pedagogy in Elementary I to several specialists teaching only one subject. This transition also occurs at the onset of adolescence, which is naturally a turbulent phase already, with the introduction of drugs, alcohol and various forms of prejudice being normal. The result ends up being a distancing of the student from school.
Two Brazilian states, which have been governed by center-left parties for many years, serve as examples in Brazilian educational policy: Pernambuco and Ceará.
A highlight in Ceará is the Programa de Afabetização na Idade Certa (Program of Alphabetization in the Right Age), which aims to ensure that all students in the state's public school systems achieve literacy by the age of 7. The plan was based on the following pillars: (1) the elaboration of a specialized literacy curriculum that was adopted in all the municipalities, with structured materials for teachers and students containing a daily routine of classroom activities and homework assignments; (2) pedagogical practices to encourage reading in the classroom; (3) financial incentives for the municipalities that achieve better results in education; and (4) evaluation and monitoring of the program, with a census and diagnostic test that is applied at the beginning of every semester.
Pernambuco has implemented a Full-Time High School system that stands out. The system is based on the following pillars: (1) the introduction of a subject called "life project," which encourages students to create plans with goals and objectives for their lives; (2) guided study, providing a space for autonomy in learning and fostering self-directed learning skills; (3) hands-on, practical classes that combine theory and practice; (4) youth clubs, where collective interests of young people are pursued; (5) tutoring, where teachers (tutors) interact with students to support their development; and (6) full-time education, of course.
Both plans have been tremendous successes and could be implemented nationwide. The Member of Parliament Tabata Amaral has proposed the program "basic education like Ceará's, high school like Pernambuco's." We might see that put in practice. Izolda Cela, the mind behind Ceará's basic education plan, is the Executive-Secretary of the Ministry of Education, and the current Minister of Education is Camilo Santana, the governor of Ceará between 2014 and 2022.
Izolda Cela (Executive-Secretary of the Ministry of Education) and Camilo Santana (Minister of Education).
Public Investments
Furthermore, there is a general consensus that the significant decrease in public investment since 1980 explains part of the problem. During the Golden Age of Brazilian growth, public investment mounted to about 6% of GDP, whereas it currently stands at approximately 4% since the lost decade. Liberal economists tend to attribute this to the expansion of the welfare state, that came with a substantial increase in the tax burden (from 25% of GDP in the 1970s to 35% in 2000). On the other hand, developmentalist economists point to the decline in public savings due to the privatization of state-owned enterprises in the 1990s.
In his second government, Lula created the Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC) (Growth Acceleration Program), whose objective was precisely to expand public investments. Unfortunately, the plan ended up with highly controversial results, primarily due to the low administrative capacity of the Brazilian State and corruption (some like to call the plan the Corruption Acceleration Program!).
But now the Workers' Party has gained new experience. Many of its state governments became famous for extensive investment programs in partnership with the private sector, delivering positive results. Chief of Staff Rui Costa, in particular, had a successful experience with public-private investments during his tenure as the governor of Bahia. He is now expected to lead the "New PAC", which will probably be announced at some point between today and July. (The project still has no name and is provisionally being called "New PAC").
Here's what Rui Costa has said about the project: "We will have, in an unprecedented way, investments with Public Private Partnerships (PPIs) at the federal level. Many states, including Bahia, have made PPI projects. [...] We are negotiating with the Ministry of Finance the conditions for guarantees so that we can leverage these projects."
Lula wants to meet with the 27 state governors to determine which state projects the Union should prioritize for its investments. In recent weeks, Costa has held individual meetings with the state governments to define which projects will be included in the new PAC. In all, eight governors have already been heard.
In a speech on the May 1st holiday, Lula said the following about the project: "We are inviting foreign businessmen to invest in Brazil and we are showing them the great projects that we are going to present in the third PAC. It will be the largest infrastructure project in this country."
Former Governor of Bahia (2014 - 2022) and current Chief of Staff Rui Costa.
Deindustrialization
Another problem is the early deindustrialization that is taking place in Brazil: we are losing our industry before becoming rich. In the beginning of the lost decade, the industry accounted for one-quarter of the Brazilian GDP, whereas today it represents around one-tenth. The reason for this process is complex, and once again, economists disagree. Liberals point to the new form of production organization that emerged with globalization, where the manufacturing of goods was fragmented into different stages, each executed in different countries. According to this line of thinking, Brazil failed to adapt to the new industrial configuration and remained stuck in an unrealistic autarkic dream. On the other hand, developmentalist economists usually argue that after the end of hyperinflation, Brazil fell into a trap of having an overvalued currency and high interest rates, demolishing the industry's competitiveness. (I am more inclined towards the first thesis, although it is a fact that the Brazilian exchange rate was detrimental to the industry after the Real Plan).
Now I want to talk a little bit about the Brazilian industrial bourgeoisie and its problems. In the 1960s, the then sociologist and future president Fernando Henrique Cardoso published his thesis on the Brazilian industrial entrepreneurs. Based on his research, he concluded that Brazilian industrialists did not have any national project, and (1) "only cared about their personal interests when speaking on behalf of the class" and (2) "[their] political action consists of personal participation in the patrimonialist game." Brazil has a serious problem related to what we call 'patrimonialism,' which refers to the capture of resources from the Brazilian state to benefit private interests.
Unfortunately, industrial policy in Brazil often results in tax exemptions, subsidies, tariff protections, etc., for an inefficient, patrimonialist, and somewhat broken industry that was developed in the 20th century. The Workers' Party itself fell into this outdated corporatism while in power, especially during the first Rousseff administration (2011-2015). It is a shame that advocating for greater state involvement in the economy ends up becoming a defense of those interest groups.
In this sense, I find myself opposed to both liberals and developmentalists. While the latter end up promoting an agenda that only benefits private interests, albeit with good intentions, the former dismiss any state planning, believing in an 'economic abiogenesis.' Since 2016, we have been reducing the role of the state and waiting for a crowding in effect, but with no success. We need strong a industrial policy, but it has to be transparent and not perpetuate the old game of patrimonialism.
In the words of the brilliant economist Laura Carvalho: "We want a State that identifies ways to stimulate technological innovation and product development in partnership with the private sector. But this policy cannot become hostage to the existing private sector. We have remnants of our industry of the 20th century, for example the automobile industry, and when we do industrial policy, we end up just giving incentives to them. This is a state that does not choose winners, but rather is chosen by losers. Those who are struggling in the industry try to eat the resources of the state to survive."
Unfortunately, the signals from the new Lula government are quite negative. Industry and Commerce Minister Geraldo Alckmin recently announced a plan of incentives for the automobile industry, which is essentially the same program that has failed several times in the past. There are positive things coming from his ministry, but few of them have much to do directly with a well-made industrial policy. It's a shame.
His plans beyond industrial policy appear positive, as shown in the following excerpt, at least: "Brazil had an early deindustrialization. Europe also deindustrialized, but ours was precarious and severe. More than reindustrializing, we need a neo-reindustrialization. A central issue is the competitiveness agenda. There is a principle in medicine that says: suppress the cause and the effect ceases. We have to act on the causes of low growth. Our tax model generates an absurd cost for companies. It is not fair. We have an absurd judicialization that leads to legal insecurity and hinders exports. The whole world has a VAT (value added tax. I defend it. I think Haddad is doing well and I am a great enthusiast of the tax reform."
Probably more than any other politician of expression today, Haddad positions himself as a republican and talks about reducing the patrimonialist distortions of the Brazilian public budget. He talks about "closing the drains of what is called Brazilian patrimonialism" and "ending a series of abuses that have been committed against the fiscal base" of the country. He says that many sectors have been "overly" benefited "with rules established over the decades and that have not been reviewed by any outcome control. Many have expired from the point of view of efficiency, and need to be revoked."
Former Governor of São Paulo (2001 - 2006; 2010 - 2017) and current Vice-President of Brazil and Minister of Industry and Commerce Geraldo Alckmin.
Business Environment
Brazilian productivity has been stagnant for decades. What is causing this? The main suspect is the Brazilian tax system. There is an enormous complexity in the various indirect taxes (ISS, ICMS, PIS/Cofins, and IPI), which forces every company to have an excessively large department dedicated to tax payment. Additionally, numerous divergences of interpretation arise between the Federal Revenue, state authorities, and businesses. On every corner of our cities, there is a specialized tax law office to assist companies in dealing with the extremely high level of litigation in our taxation system. To make matters worse, our indirect taxes discourage investment in locations with higher social returns, as the tax complexity and special tax regimes artificially alter the profitability of investments and production. A general simplification of these taxes, with the adoption of a Value Added Tax, could have an impact on the economy's efficiency equivalent to the Plano Real, which ended hyperinflation.
Even beyond the tax issue, the Brazilian business environment is terrible. According to the World Bank's Doing Business 2020 report, which measures the ease of doing business in 190 countries, Brazil ranks 124th. This problem is related to excessive bureaucracy, unexpected judicial decisions, loopholes in regulatory frameworks, and disrespect for contracts.
The Tax Reform is going to be the government's main priority after the approval of the New Fiscal Anchor. Planning Minister Simone Tebet summed up the reform as follows: "The Tax reform is the only silver bullet that we have to save Brazil."
And here's what Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has said about it: "There is no way to grow Brazil's productivity with this tax system [...] We are developing a tax reform that is even more modern, because it introduces in the national tax system a Value Added Tax that solves a good part of the flaws of the current system that, in my opinion, is the great villain for the low growth rates of our productivity." The idea is to approve the Tax Reform still this year (Haddad talks about doing it in the first semester!).
Special Secretary for Tax Reform Bernard Appy.
Economic Isolation
Brazil has a very closed economy. Among the 160 countries analyzed by the World Bank, the Brazilian economy is only less open than that of Sudan. The average protection applied by Brazil to capital goods is 14 times higher than in Chile and 25 times higher than in Mexico. This is probably the most expressive cause of the low productivity and deindustrialization in Brazil, together with the tax system. Here, I quote the brilliant economist Edmar Bacha: "[The closure of the Brazilian economy during the Geisel government (1974 - 1979)] caused a tremendous drop in the economy's productivity and an increase in the cost of capital goods. And this, I believe, is what lies at the root of our stagnation after the so-called economic miracle (1968-1974). Our industry became unable to compete internationally. And we were forced, because the industry has this extraordinary lobbying capacity, to prevent the redesign of the Brazilian industry to participate in global value chains."
Bacha's argument makes sense: the collapse of GDP growth coincides with the collapse of capital accumulation (the growth rate of the capital stock) after Geisel's government. Why did capital accumulation collapse? Bacha explains that using a decomposition of the investment = savings relationship: K' = s(1/p)v - δ, where K' = capital accumulation, s = savings rate, p = relative price of investment, v = output-capital ratio, and δ = depreciation rate.
Between 1950-1980, the "golden age" of Brazil, K' grew at nearly 9% per year. Between 1981-2014, this number was 3%. Why? Looking at the historical series, the difference is not in savings or depreciation. What happened was that the output-capital ratio fell by about one-third, and the relative price of investment increased by one-third. In other words, the capital requirement per unit of output increased significantly, and at the same time, the price of investment goods rose significantly. According to Bacha, this process occurred between 1973 and 1983, a period in which the Military Government pursued an autarkic economic policy.
The ideal scenario for Brazil would be to open its economy and have an export-oriented industry. The industry we have developed is heavily reliant on our domestic market, without external competition. In the words of economist Nelson Barbosa: "Brazil cannot produce ships, but it can produce airplanes. Brazil does not have car manufacturers, but it has bus manufacturers. Brazil cannot have a domestic production of microelectronics, but it has a good domestic production of electric motors. So we need to study what worked in these sectors to see if it can be replicated in other sectors. All these successful sectors, Embraer, Weg, Marco Polo, are sectors that are competitive in Brazil and in the world. Here is the first clue: correct industrial policies create domestic production that competes domestically and internationally. They are integrated products that import and export extensively. Value chains."
However, an open trade policy without a plan may not be positive either. In Nelson's words: "Development always means increased productivity. Opening the economy can stimulate productivity, but it can also lead to a negative specialization. You can open your economy and become a country that only exports commodities, with an inflated services sector that only sells domestically, with a significant portion of your population relying on informal jobs. Which is what happens in Brazil. So I think trade openness is inevitable, more developed countries are more open, but thinking that just opening up will automatically lead to development is naïve and something we shouldn't do in the 21st century. I believe that strategic trade integration is crucial and necessary for development. Unilateral openness, without any plan, will only reinforce the specialization we already have today."
In any case, it is certain that the current excessive protectionism cannot be maintained. Opening up would allow broader access for companies to (1) cheaper and higher-quality inputs and (2) foreign-produced capital goods and technology, (3) create significant competition effects to invigorate the economy, and (4) create a 'selection effect' that would eliminate losers and favor winners.
But this is the agenda that I am least hopeful about. Trade openness is a topic that faces strong opposition from the Brazilian left and would likely only occur under a moderate center-right government. I hope, at least, that some trade agreements can be reached to open up the economy. The European Union-Mercosur trade agreement would have a significant impact and would be very important but I'm not very hopeful that it'll be approved.
Haddad is still optimistic, though! He said that a more emphatic diplomatic effort will be made starting in the second semester, in a movement that will take advantage of Brazil's leadership in Mercosur and Spain's leadership in the European bloc.
Simone Tebet (Planning Minister) and Fernando Haddad (Finance Minister).
Interest Rates
Interest rates in Brazil are much, much higher than the global average. Our credit is scarce and dysfunctional. Lula likes to repeat that Brazil is a capitalist country without capitalism because there is no credit.
Brazil has the second-highest bank spread in the world, second only to Madagascar. This means that banks in Brazil charge very high interest rates for lending money. To give you an idea, Brazil's bank spread is higher than the average observed in countries at war. There are several reasons for this, but some stand out: (1) savings in Brazil have historically been very low (around 20% of GDP), (2) the government consumes a significant portion of savings to finance itself, and (3) the Brazilian banking sector is extremely concentrated, with a few banks dominating the entire sector.
The other issue in this discussion is the current policy interest rate set by the Central Bank. Brazil currently has the highest real interest rate in the world, at around 9%. The debate about whether this interest level is correct or not is quite active in Brazil, with its proponents arguing that the current Brazilian inflation is demand-driven and pointing to inflation in the services sector and core inflation, while its critics argue that inflation is not demand-driven, pointing to the fact that Brazil has had a negative output gap since 2015 and that supply shocks can explain the inflation in services.
This debate is complex, and it is hard to determine definitively which side is right. Nevertheless, the Central Bank is strongly adhering to the first thesis.
The current Chairman of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto (RCN), is the grandson of an economist of the Military Dictatorship and was appointed by Bolsonaro. He will remain in his position until 2024 due to the new autonomy granted to the Central Bank in 2021. In this scenario, Lula engaged in a public war against RCN, urging him to lower interest rates. The situation became tense, but Lula never showed any willingness to take effective action to remove him, remaining only in rhetoric. Throughout the conflict, Haddad positioned himself as a moderate, playing a certain "good cop, bad cop" game with Lula and gaining trust in the financial market. Apparently, Lula intends to nominate former executive-secretary of the Finance Ministry Gabriel Galípolo to replace RCN in 2024. He was recently appointed as director of monetary policy at the Central Bank, and is widely identified as a heterodox economist.
Haddad's current plan is to stabilize Brazil's deficit to allow for a monetary loosening. Here's what he said: "We are not at a point where fiscal expansion is going to help the economy. If there is room for any stimulus, it will be monetary. If we know how to make the transition, there is room for a lower interest rate, you just have to give security to the monetary authority." He does not seem to be concerned about banking concentration, though.
Chairman of the Central Bank Roberto Campos Neto.
TL;DR
The Brazilian economy has seen very little growth since the the lost decade in the 1980s. One of the primary factors contributing to this stagnation is the economy's low productivity. There are several reasons behind this low productivity, including:
  1. Inadequate infrastructure and insufficient investments in its development.
  2. A significant delay in comparison to other countries in terms of investing in education.
  3. Unreasonable economic protectionism.
  4. Private groups exerting undue influence and capturing the Brazilian state (patrimonialism).
  5. Failure to adapt our industry to a globalized world.
  6. Excessively high bank spreads.
  7. A terrible business environment, particularly due to the tax system.
There are other reasons for sure, but I'd say most people would agree those are the most important ones. Also, here's my effortpost on the Workers' Party, in case you haven't read it.
submitted by palocci to SocialDemocracy [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:39 moishepesach U GO DOWN 101010101

Tonight scrawled in blood red chalk, in front of the steps of my old south Brooklyn walk-up, read the words, "U GO DOWN 101010101".
I have to tell this tale in case something happens to me and I don't get another chance.
It all began with lunch.
"I once threw a cat out a window!" he blurted, mouth full of burrito. He was my new manager. His name was Tony.
"Was there a fire?" I asked.
"Naw man!" Tony responded, his voice no longer just edgy. It was now agitated too.
"Were you on the first floor?" I asked.
I tried a slow deep breath through my nostrils. I felt my trapezius muscles tense.
"Naw! It wasn't no first floor!" Tony retorted. The edge sharper. The agitation more frenzied.
Now his full mouth soliloquy gnashed meth fast. I blinked hard.
"Why did you do that?" I asked, releasing the breath that could never have been deep enough for this meshugge.
But here I was. Tony was the one who interviewed and hired me when nobody else wanted to. And now Tony looked warpath angry.
"I DON'T KNOW!" he barked. A man and a woman with ID cards around their necks looked up from their big salads then quickly away. Their faces wore an uncomfortable look.
I was jealous. I wished I was merely uncomfortable. What I was, was raging nauseous. I could feel adrenaline enter my stomach with acid and gravitas.
My skin was crawling beneath the July sun while the yachts bobbed nonchalantly in the marina behind our office as we ate our lunch.
This was my third day on the job. And it was right then and there I heard that little voice in my head that I was first introduced to at the age of five when my parents split inform me, once again, "I was doomed."
I thought of my bank account. I thought of rent. I thought about my advancing age. I thought about the job interview at a big bank I had just walked out of two weeks before that. Why had I walked out? Because the dude wrote down a bunch of names of fruit down on a piece of paper with associated prices and then a kumquat with no price and asked me how much it would cost.
Like I say, I had a relationship with IT full stack development gigs and the inevitable egos, irrationalities and EMO like prima donna pettiness the way Sean Penn had a relationship with paparazzi in the 1980s.
And there it was again. That little familiar voice whispering in my ear; dude; you are fucking doomed like Christ on the cross. You are doomed like Joan of Arc at a French fry. You are doomed like the third season of Family Guy. You are Charlie Brown football interruptus doomed.
So, after spending the better part of the last twenty-five years as a software developer, engineer or whatever the cool kids are calling my job these days I can tell you this with no equivocation; I.T. consulting sucks.
Why does it suck?
Firstly, as a consultant or sub-contractor you are not subject to the vast majority of rules, regulations and policies that protect the full time corporate employee from being treated like a disposable object. Generally speaking you are subject to one and only one rule; the golden rule; i.e.; they who's got the gold makes the rules. And, I thought I was okay with that. I've tried full time work and my soul bled.
Hell, I wouldn't even be a consultant if my comic book mail order subscription club hadn't gone belly up during the infamous Comic Book Distributor Wars of the mid to late 1990s. But I don't feel sorry for myself; sometimes a dream ends in bliss and sometimes, or always in my case; fiasco. But I never believed in evil before. I never looked into a face and saw true evil. I can't say that anymore.
Well, like I said I knew IT consulting sucks but what I did not know is the operation I'm sub-contracting for is being terrorized by a malevolent spirit more evil and insidious than anything I've ever dealt with. And about the only thing I am absolutely certain of is the malevolent force is not feline.
Fast forward a couple of years later and I have witnessed Tony yell at my colleagues at the top of lungs menacingly; ladies who had given over three decades of their lives to the company at the top of his lungs. I have seen Tony shred everybody's code always finding a reason why it was unacceptable.
I have seen Tony get three other consultants fired for being, "unable to do the job," after he lied about non-existent memory leaks to Mohan that turned out to be simple configuration issues he prevented my predecessors from fixing.
But somehow, perhaps because I grew up with a crazy mad single divorced Mom I knew how to read Tony. Slowly I put together my resources and made lateral moves with Tony's boss Mohan that continuously minimized my time with Tony. And then I was granted full time remote status.
I thought we were free of Tony.
And then Mohan informed us a couple of weeks ago we were subject to a disaster recovery exercise and I had to build a new version of our application and deploy it to a new site in less than twenty-four hours. And that's when Tony began to shred me and my team's work.
He cornered me in a meeting and told me, "You can lose your job. I don't think you can do it. It's not the 80s anymore! It's not the 80s! Get it? You shbot down my idea to trash the data dictionary and rewrite that old piece of shit! You made me look bad! Yea, you can lose your job!"
"Tony, if that's the case I will just thank you all for a wonderful two years or so. I've met so many wonderful people. But I have a call so if you'll excuse me I have a hard stop now."
"Yea! No problem! No problem!" Tony barked untruthfully.
I called a meeting with Elena and Dina. They had been there running the main system for over thirty years. They had worked with all my predecessors. They had watched them disappear into the aether as one by one they had incurred Tony's wrath and then, had poisoned Mohan against them. And then they were gone. I told Elena and Dina I had gone to Mohan and I was going to tell tales.
Later that day two years of evil bubbled to the surface. The cat. Tony's spastic-macho stories of how he always wielded a baseball bat in hand whenever answering the front door of his Bronx home.
Tony had once explained to me; "I'm from the Bronx! I hate liars. I know jiu-jitsu and I can dead-lift 400 lbs. Anybody rollup on my front door looking for trouble; batter up!"
The following Monday after the cat incident Tony, mouth full of donut turned to me and said, "I was at Chuck E. Cheese with my son and he bit this kid and the mother came up to my son and I said, 'OHNONOBODYCOMEUPTOMYSON!!!!!IWASGONNA!'"
And there I was finally, two years later in a meeting with Mohan and our chief compliance office, Dave. I felt the dam burst.
I told Mohan how Tony had once screamed at Elena on my fourth day on the job in front of the office so loud that my ear drums hurt for hours. I told him how once Daisy, the nice lady who was the office admin and my friend who watched sunsets with me and sat next to us offered him a homemade cookie once.
Tony barked, his three chins trembling with rage, "I don't eat candy!"
Daisy, unperturbed, offered me a cookie. I gratefully accepted and as Daisy walked away Tony swiveled at me, eyes unnaturally red, spittle dripping from the corner of his mouth blurting out, "I hate DAISY!"
Six months later Daisy was dead. There had never been an announcement formally. It was just casually mentioned in a meeting. I was bereft.
And there I was, for the first time in my entire life, ratting someone out to their boss.
I finished telling my twisted Tony tales to Mohan.
Mohan asked Dina and Elena if what I said was true.
Elena explained that Tony was a bully and had humiliated people in meetings for things that they simply never did or he had misunderstood. Dina explained people had made remarks or complained informally countless times and that things were, "not very pleasant with Tony."
Finally, when all was said done Mohan said, "Well, I can't have silos. Tony is our top architect. I need you to still meet with him regularly and I need this disaster recovery done fast."
"He threw a cat out a window, Mohan!" I heard myself exclaim. "I don't think we can trust him with a disaster recovery. I think he's a disaster waiting to happen."
Mohan looked at me and said, "I have worked with some evil horrible people. Sometimes we all have to. If I am nothing you know that I am pragmatic."
"I won't give him any oxygen," I heard my voice say. "I have to go. We'll have to find a way around but right now I'm too upset for this meeting."
A few days later a recruiter called me with a job that seemed my perfect escape.
It turned out it was at my company doing the exact same thing I do.
The recruiter said, "Man, I think something is up."
I thanked him. He didn't have to do that.
The next day I was told by Mohan I have until Friday to simulate a disaster and recovery in 24 hours.
It feels like a setup.
Then tonight I saw it in the chalk.
U GO DOWN 101010101
I looked around and I thought I saw an ominous fat fucking figure that looked like Tony under the tears of the weeping willow that stands guard over the community garden across the street from my apartment.
I turned and broke into a jog to cross the street. Then with the Doppleresque certainty of the alarm's increasing red glare I was prevented by an FDNY ambulance from crossing.
When it finally passed there was no sign of Tony.
But, even more disturbingly, when I went back to take a picture of the red chalked threat at the foot of my building; it too was gone.
Just. Gone.
I am not superstitious. I am a rational person and I know what I saw. I know what I saw.
The dread I feel now in the pit of my stomach is like none other and somewhere in the distance I hear the sound of a tortured cat's mewling. I feel like I am the victim in a crime not yet committed.
Please advise?
submitted by moishepesach to nosleep [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:34 BNFO4life State Farm Halts Home-Insurance Sales in California

WSJ Article
Excerpts:
State Farm is stopping the sale of new home-insurance policies in California effective Saturday, because of wildfire risk and rapid inflation in construction costs.
For 2022, State Farm’s auto-insurance companies reported record underwriting losses, totaling $13.4 billion, due primarily to rapidly increasing claims severity. Its homeowners’ business reported an underwriting gain. State Farm is a mutual company, meaning it is owned by its policyholders, and it has deep pockets. It ended 2022 with net worth of $131.2 billion.
What amazes me is the media is focusing on global warming and inflation... as that was the cause of this decision. While I think global warming is a real concern, this is just another example of government incompetence making housing less affordable for the average American. The fact is... for years... Newson 1) blocked insurance companies ability to drop policy in high fire risk areas (e.g. thus subsidizing a bunch of homes that should have never been built and largely for the wealthy) and 2) blocked premium increases to keep up with the true rate of inflation (This guarantees insurance companies will lose money in California and meant that other states were essentially subsidizing the cost). The end result is insurance companies are now leaving the state, there will be less options/competition, and insurance rates are bound to continue to go up.
Most people don't understand how major insurance products (e.g. home, auto, etc) work. Essentially, money goes into a pool (aka float) and the insurance company acts as a bank and loans out that money temporarily. But the float eventually returns to the policy-holders. Now, there can be corruption and inefficiencies within insurance companies. For example, these companies can charge administration fees, which eat away at the float. But generally speaking, premium rates are a reflection of the true cost to provide insurance. No one is increasing rates and pocketing the difference. It is math done by actuaries.
These measures, as well as all the other CA nonsense that occurred with COVID(e.g. rent moretoriums for over 2 years) will discourage development, inflate rent, and inflate the cost of home ownership.
But at least California will have a bullet train going from bakersfield to Merced (population 400k and 90ks) since connecting places where people actually live (e.g. LA and SF) was too expensive. I really feel like the entire state is going the way of Illinois. Just incompetence all around.
submitted by BNFO4life to REBubble [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:14 dizzystarrr All I’ve ever wanted was for her to love me.

That’s it. It’s really that simple. The only thing I’ve ever asked for my egg donor to do is love me. Instead she constantly just screws me over and finds any possible way to abuse me.
Last summer when I was pregnant, my younger sister came to me for advice about our mom. My narcissistic mom texted me and said “you don’t deserve to be a mother, I hope you lose the baby.” Knowing I had had two miscarriages prior to that pregnancy.
Well, months later, our son was stillborn. She called me and lovebombed me, apologized, all this crap. And I wanted to believe it so badly. But then my cat meowed in the background and she said, “aw… that sounds like a baby, is that a baby?”
I hung up and blocked her. This was beginning of October. Haven’t talked to her since.
Mother’s Day arrives, and she found a way to send me flowers via a different relative. Obviously I was reeling on that day. Couldn’t get out of bed.
Well my mistake! Since I did nothing to contact her, she called the bank my car is with. She unfortunately co-signed on it six years ago. But I’ve always paid for everything, every payment. I was a doula before I lost my son. Then my husband got hurt and so we fell behind. Happens to everyone. But the bank was ALWAYS willing to work with me. As long as I had a payment scheduled, they wouldn’t send the account to be reviewed.
My narcissistic, obsessive, horrible mother called and was able to cancel a payment that I SCHEDULED. So what happened? My car got repossessed. Just like that. And now I’ve gotta scramble to get it back.
There is so much more to say about her, and I’m only just getting started. But my heart is shattered. I don’t understand why.
Why do these people do these things? I’ve spent so much time on this sub reading about other people who were or still are trapped in the same situation as me. This is the type of thing that just makes me want to give up. I feel like she will stop at nothing, and I feel like she’ll strike at any moment. Today I severed ties with everyone else who has a relationship with her because I can’t risk it. I have no idea how to get her name off the car - if I even get the car back ffs.
Why do they have to ruin everything? I never did anything to her but try.
submitted by dizzystarrr to raisedbynarcissists [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:13 SpecialistWasabi3 Logan Was Such an Insecure Man Who Always Competed With His Kids

Case in point:
Season 1 when he had a stroke that caused the share prices to fall and made the bank demand their $3B back. Ken saved the company by bringing in Stewy and Sandy. Not ideal, but it saved their asses. He thought his dad would congratulate him, you could see his desperation for a 'good job'. But what does his sick father do? He uses his very sparse breath to croak out, "You're a fucking idiot."
Season 1: The foundation gala. Kendall is preparing a speech congratulating his sick father who just won't die. Can't come up with a joke to make his frustration palatable to an audience and leaves a reminder to do so on the teleprompter. Connor sees the vague note and tells Logan, who doesn't hesitate to announce a comeback because he thinks Kendall was going to retire him by force. He believes this because that's what he'd do. Because he's a piece of shit and can't imagine a world where his own son won't be a piece of shit back.
Season 3: Logan is sick, AGAIN, when the vultures are at the door, AGAIN. He makes multiple wrong calls that people follow until they realize he's out of it. Shiv runs to Sandi and rescues the deal, securing an extra board seat for both of them. The deal is struck, the meeting doesn't go into a vote, the Roys still control WayCo. Good? Nope. Logan tells Shiv that she got shafted in the ass and he'd have struck a better deal (OK gramps, how about you try not to have a UTI tomorrow). Then he almost knocks the champagne flute out of her hands and yells at her in front of the executives. Like yikes.
Season 4: The Pierce deal. The kids did good. A small win, but it's against their dad so it's a biggie. Logan calls them 'fucking morons'.
I honestly don't think there's a man more afraid of his kids than him. He truly enjoys their failures because they make him feel needed. He likes fixing their fuck ups and giving them reassuring hugs and pats because he knows that's how to keep them juvenile and reliant forever.
submitted by SpecialistWasabi3 to SuccessionTV [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 03:12 SufficientRooster452 astronaut update 🔛🔝

submitted by SufficientRooster452 to bitlife [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 02:59 autobuzzfeedbot 23 Useless Disney Facts That Are A Lot More Interesting Than These People Gave Them Credit For

  1. "Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the performers for Alice in the Main Street Electrical Parade in the 1970s."
  2. "How about the bullet hole in the glass above the ballroom scene in The Haunted Mansion?"
  3. "There are at least four (unsure of the number since 2018 when I last worked there) beagles that sniff the Disneyland hotels for bedbugs almost daily. They're amazing little sniffers and loved by all that work with them or have been honored to meet them. Disneyland makes good and sure no bedbugs come bugging ya!"
  4. "Doritos were invented at Disneyland."
  5. "The Jungle Cruise is behind the stores on Main Street. So all the trees you see over the tops of the building are jungle on the other side. It's most notable next to the fire station. Just a weird little tidbit that puts the size of the park in perspective."
  6. "Disney parks use a grayish green color nicknamed 'go away green' to camouflage things like show buildings and electrical boxes that they don't want you to notice in the park."
  7. "The letters that spelled out 'C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A' at California Adventure are now in Sacramento at Cal Expo. This is my favorite Disney fact. I grew up climbing on those letters and now I live close to Sacramento."
  8. "I’m Korean American, and I remember there was a 'Korean Day' at the parks in the ’80s! With a parade of Korean Celebrities! The park was packed with Korean People!"
  9. "A lot of people know about the Disneyland cats! They are an integral part of the Disneyland ecosystem. But what you might not know is that cats that are considered 'too friendly' are adopted out! Usually, Disney works with the local shelters and rescues to adopt out the super friendly kitties!"
  10. "You used to be able to buy bras on Main Street in Disneyland!"
  11. "Walt Disney designed the push-flap garbage can. He took it to manufacturers and everyone thought it was useless so he never filed for a patent."
  12. "New Orleans Square at Disneyland cost the same amount of money as the Louisiana Purchase."
  13. "There was a hostile Yippie takeover of Tom Sawyer's Island at Disneyland in 1970 that effectively shut the park down for one out of the only four times the park has been closed."
  14. "Back in 1999, they put a cast member in the haunted house dressed in a suit of armor. He prowled the area near the corridor of doors and his job was to sneak up on the doom buggies to scare passengers. It did not last because people would get scared and punch the knight or he would discover people doing intimate things in the buggies. I was on it with my dad, the knight scared the bejesus out of me and I screamed really loud and startled him too."
  15. "There are small offices in the castle. Source: Worked in one above Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique."
  16. "In 2004, Cary 'Jay' Sharp won a charity auction to become the Haunted Mansion’s 'official' 1,000th ghost. His honorary tombstone can be found near the Phantom Five at Disneyland with the text 'JAY, doctor lawyer legal clerk, forever buried in his work.'"
  17. "The singing bust on the haunted mansion that people think looks like Walt Disney is actually the guy who voiced Tony the Tiger (Thurl Ravenscroft). He did many other voices throughout Disneyland, too."
  18. "One of the more well-known ones, but it's still fun to drop on people who aren't park regulars or don't know about it. Haunted Mansion is mostly a facade building, with the stretching room (elevator) taking guests below ground, then they walk through a tunnel (double-image portrait gallery) that passes under the park's train tracks and into a whole other building for the majority of the Doom Buggy ride."
  19. "Bank of America was the sponsor of It's a Small World when it opened in 1966 at Disneyland. Louis B. Lundborg, the bank's board chairman, sat in the first boatload with Walt and some children."
  20. "On Main Street, on the right-hand side facing the castle, there's a little inlet roughly halfway through, by where the Starbucks is. There's usually some seating back there and that's where Disneyland's lockers are. Right next to the lockers, there's a brick wall with a water fountain. This wall was where they tested the look of various bricks while constructing Disneyland. One side has very smooth and regular bricks, the other has uneven and mismatched bricks, so they could see which style they preferred. When construction was finished, they either didn't have the money to replace the wall or left it there as a little nod to the construction efforts."
  21. "When I worked in the parking structure I found out there are way more plainclothes officers and security guards at the park than I previously thought."
  22. "Before popcorn was in the parks they used to sell peanuts but the shells were so messy so they switched to popcorn!!"
  23. Finally, "My 1992 season pass to Disneyland cost $250. It was a laminated card with my photo and was called a 'Disneyland Picture Passport.' It was good for the following 365 days, had no blackout days, and included parking."
Link to article
submitted by autobuzzfeedbot to buzzfeedbot [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 02:57 MightyXeno FIRE is killing us

A lot of people here complain about low wages and corporate profiteering, but I don't think that's the entire picture. The economist Michael Hudson pointed out that post world war 2, the US switched from industrial capitalism (making things) to finance capitalism (rent seeking). Nobody really noticed this switcheroo.
The US economy is now largely dominated by the FIRE sectors (Finance, insurance, and Real estate). These rent seeking sectors produce nothing of value and leech off the productive sectors of society. A classic example of this is the traditional landlord. This class produces nothing (the residential units being produced by construction workers) but charges an access fee (rent). They leech of people who are working and are more productive than the landlord. Insurance and banking are the same. Hudson rightfully argues that the revenues earned by these parasitic industries should be subtracted from GDP, not added to it.
Since wealthy individuals and corporations have the ability to drive up rents, this hurts a lot of small to medium sized businesses. This in turn drives down wages as these businesses struggle to stay afloat. Insurance, bank fees and interest also tax wealth and cripple the middle class. FIRE is sucking disposable income which will eventually make capitalism entirely unsustainable. Of course one could also argue that this cannibalism is a symptom of late stage capitalism. I think anti-work seriously needs to address the blood sucking FIRE sector.
submitted by MightyXeno to antiwork [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 02:56 startiramisu Comeback promotions

Hello! This might be kind of silly, but I’m still unfamiliar with promotions, specifically where to watch the lives and stages. I know that groups promoting their comebacks perform on for example, music bank, and then later there is a countdown where they reveal the win. I am not sure if that is everyday or every week they announce the win or perform the stage, but with DC’s new comeback I want to be there in all of it and maybe get a chance to experience seeing them win live if they do! I am not really sure about at the stuff, I see people posting online on it and I wish I could’ve been there in the moment during a live. I just don’t know what is what and where it is 😅 I would appreciate the help on it!
submitted by startiramisu to dreamcatcher [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 02:54 moralandoraldecay Ethics of Investing?

Hi All,
I've recently been struggling with the ethics of real estate investing and am not really sure who to speak to about it. I feel most of my family and friends would look at me like I had rocks in my head for considering selling after the work I put in to buy the place, and others I could speak to don't share or understand my values and so I wouldn't necessarily be able to do a lot with their advice.
Context
I grew up in Western Sydney and was advised from early on that to achieve financial freedom, you should invest in property. I aspired to this, and thus did the 'work 2 jobs, save hard, delay gratification' until I had saved up enough to buy one in Queensland.
The property is still cashflow negative and is currently rented for approximately 10-15% lower than comparative listings online. I still work quite hard, and try to avoid conspicuous consumption, but I understand that I'm still economically privileged relative to many, including my tenant. I haven't yet sold the property but have deferred recent rental increases suggested by my property manager because of my discomfort with doing so.
The Dilemma
Since purchasing the property approximately 5 years ago, I've become more educated on political economy and would summarise my thoughts as being quite left wing. I now feel that my being a landlord is at odds with my political beliefs and have been considering what to do to try resolve this internal conflict.
My dilemma thus is that whilst I have deeply held aspirations for equity in our society, I would also consider myself a pragmatist and want to be able to provide for myself and my immediate family. I don't aspire for sportscars, expensive watches or things like that, but I have also watched relatives live fairly frugally, work hard for 50 years, only to retire and commence an almost 'subsistence' level of living on the pension. I don't want this for myself and my family, but I don't know how I can achieve this without also taking part in some kind of investment. I will explain the options I'm considering and would welcome any thoughts on them.
Possible Options (as I see them)
Option #1 - The simplest option of course would be to divest from residential real-estate. This is the option I'm considering most strongly, having spoken to an agent recently about selling. Following the sale, I could then instead keep my money in a HISA, or alternatively invest in asset classes.
My issue with this approach is that in my eyes, most other kinds of investing are also morally dubious. For example, following a more standard 'buy VAS/Index funds' approach, I then feel I am investing in companies which are actively eroding the standards of our society, and having far more deleterious effects than I would necessarily be from owning an investment property. VAS is the ASX300 and thus you have the banks, resource and energy companies, weapons manufacturers, insurers, etc. In my mind, returns I see from these investments may be a direct result of things like like lobbying governments to remove mining taxes, profiteering from endless conflicts, destruction of natural environments, etc. etc. Even with 'ethical investing' many issues still present themselves like tax 'avoidance', screwing down of smaller suppliers, exploitation of employees, etc. Even keeping money in a HISA, the bank is only able to pay the interest to me because it is investing the money elsewhere and generating a return.
One thing I had considered is instead trying to invest in commercial real estate via REITs or similar.
Option #2 - Alternatively, I could continue to hold the residential property and gradually increase rents more inline with 'actual costs', rather than 'market rate', as well as a small allowance for profit (after all, the point of my investing is to generate wealth to achieve financial freedom/security). The issue with this approach is that I am reducing the performance of the investment, perhaps significantly so, if I keep rents in line with costs. I make this point only as a statement of fact, not to cry poor.
Conclusion
The analogy which my mind goes to is that of the 'meat-eater' vs. 'hunter'. Those who hunt for food may be seen as bloodthirsty, but they also come into direct contact with the consequences of their dietary choices. On the other hand, a meat-eater will never have blood on their hands, yet it's likely that the cruelty required to provide the meat they buy from a supermarket is far greater, however it's simply occurs at arms length. Trying to relate the analogy, I wonder if by being directly involved with my investment decisions (via owning this property), it makes me more conscious of their impact, rather than just taking the returns generated by the ASX300 with no regard for how they were achieved.
Finally, whilst this is a problem for me, I acknowledge it is one I am very privileged to deal with. I was fortunate enough to have been born in the mid-late 80s, meaning that I was able to earn and save enough before inflation meant I was forever priced out. I hope that people can empathise with the conflict between broad overarching political beliefs and the reality of personal financial security for yourself and your family.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and any thoughts you wish to offer. Apologies for the dorky formatting, I tried to spend quite a bit of time parsing this all out and it helped me organise my thoughts.
submitted by moralandoraldecay to fiaustralia [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 02:52 urmombitch4 mom, I accomplished a few of my major goals!!

this post may be all over the place, but I just wanna first say thank you to all the wonderful brothers/sisters/mothers who participate in this sub. It’s so very appreciated by all kinds of people. Especially me. My bio mom is a raging narcissist who’s addicted to drugs and alcohol, (see post history if needed) so I’ve never had anyone to seek advice from, talk about boys with, achievements, etc. so I really love and appreciate each and every one of you in this sub<3! I just wanted to share a few important things I’ve done in the last couple weeks please!
I graduated from high school and got college endorsements stamped on my diploma! I’m the 2nd in my bio fam to graduate and the first to go to college!!! I never had any help with my hw as most of my bio fam dropped out/didn’t see the point in school nor care if I dropped out or stayed and got an education. But I firmly believe that an education is the one thing no one can take away from me and that it’s my way out of this hell hole. I also boosted my gpa by 3 points and got A/B honor role for this whole semester! Even in my AP/Honor classes!
Mom, I also got my first credit card! I didn’t have anyone to teach me about finances so I read some books and did research about credit cards, debt, etc and trusted myself to finally get one so I can eventually become financially free and independent from my fam.
I took my bio mom off bank account! Since I was a minor, she legally had to be on my account but would often steal money from it without me knowing. She refused to sign a document agreeing to come off my bank account, so once I turned 18 (on the 13th of May), I went to the bank that following Monday and closed the account and opened a brand new one that no one has access to but me. It was incredibly scary (esp bc I had just gotten my covid shot and was so sick during the whole time I was at the bank) and she threw the biggest bitch fit ever but I’m so glad I got over my fear and did it!
I got vaccinated! I finally got updated on major vaccines against my family’s wishes! The covid shot was a bitch tho, I felt like I got punched by Mike Tyson and then hit with his car, but it felt really relieving to get vaccinated and do what I want with my body.
And finally, instead of getting into a fight with bio mom and getting mad at myself for her defaults, I actually journaled about it/listened to music and felt loads better! My family…isn’t the best so instead of doing what I saw them do growing up (for example, punching holes in the wall) I chose a healthy way to express my emotions! I’m also now in therapy mom and really connect with my therapist! I’m trying to hang in there as best as possible as I leave for college this fall and I can’t wait to reinvent myself and not have to live in feabe controlled anymore!!!
And as always, thank you again to anyone who reads or even replies love, your daughtesister🤍
submitted by urmombitch4 to MomForAMinute [link] [comments]


2023.05.28 02:25 p_terrydactyl First Time Trip 5/25-5/26

First time trip to Cedar Point! Me and the GF had gotten gold passes for my local park last year and this year decided to get the platinum pass and make a trip. I also travel for work so I've been fortunate to hit a handful of other CF properties so its been tremendous value already and summers just begun!
Was able to ride all coasters for credits and do a few laps on my favorites. Friday was pretty busy but not unmanageable. Few thoughts on the rides:
Maverick (4x rides) - This was the first thing I rode, and might actually be my favorite in the park. Wow. This really captures the feeling of being bucked around by a horse. Staying low the the ground and the quick side to side transitions really sold it for me. Second launch was also excellent! I keep wanting to compare this to velocicoaster. I really liked that rides features more, but this one is a bit more intense. If I was being objective I'd say they're equal, but I tend to prefer airtime, which makes Veloci eek out a win. The GF liked maverick more. Either way, excellent ride. Got to lap it a few times right a close!
Steel Vengeance: (4x rides) - Along with Maverick this also might be my favorite in the park? It also muddies up my top coasters list a bit... The ride just does not let up and I love it. Excellent airtime, I love how the ride will buck you one way then very quickly roll the opposite. The little hills at the beginning really set the ride off on the right foot too, letting you know it doesn't mess around right from the start. I loved how alot of the ride is hidden in the woodwork of the ride so you don't see everything while waiting in line and much of it was a surprise on the first ride. I think Maverick had higher high points, but SteVe is just more consistently excellent.
Millennium Force: (1x ride (but was row 1)) - I appreciate what Millennium Force is, and the context of when it was built. Its a record-breaker and feels like it! My only issue was I rode Fury 325 literally a few days prior and I just really enjoyed that more. I liked the narrower trains, and the cable lift hill up was nerve-wracking. Getting hit by bugs at 92 MPH was less fun. This ride definitely deserves the reputation it has!
Valravyn (2x rides) - I couldn't get super into this one, but I also wasnt able to get a front row ride. Was my first Dive coaster, but I feel like this type of coaster doesn't particularly cater to my preferences. My local park is supposed to be getting one of this next year, maybe more rides will change my opinion. It still was fun though!
Magnum XL-200 (2x rides) - GF hated this thing. We have a very similar looking coaster in our local park and she was excited because we both like that. I told her it was likely going to be much rougher since it was an Arrow and she didn't believe me until after we got off...The arrow jank wasnt too bad IMO, and I liked the steep banking on the turnaround, and the tunnels.
Gatekeeper (2x rides) - I was really excited for this and was a little dissappointed. Once again it wasn't bad or unfun, but just wasn't what I personally prefer. I did really like the near miss elements though, those were very creative use of the coaster type.
Raptor (1x ride) - Actually the longest wait we had, and probably my least favorite. It was kinda meh? I also had just ridden Afterburn early in the week which absolutely blew me away. My GF forgot we rode it entirely. B&M inverts normally are usually not my favorite (not bad just not my absolute preference), and I kinda prefer the one in my local park.
Rougarou (1x ride) - Not bad. I liked the second half, and I liked its position in the park, being surrounded by trees and over the water. The dip between the lift and the first drop was pretty neat.
Blue Streak (1x ride) - Solid woodie. Nothing to note, but was a solid time.
Gemini (2x rides) - Track type was interesting on this one. Racing aspect of this ride is what made it memorable, as people in each train interacted with each other and cheered.
Iron Dragon (2x rides) - This one was a fun low-thrill coaster! I liked flying through the trees, and never had ridden that type of coaster before. GF saw a turtle in the ride queue and I think she got more excited over that than the ride haha.
Wild Mouse (1x ride) - This was a surprise! We got a lot of spin on our car so we were constantly whipped around and it was a lot of fun. Wasn't expecting to like this one much.
Corkscrew (1x ride) - The lift attendant was very vocal about how this ride was better than valravyn (probs sarcasm?). Standard arrow, wasn't as jank as Carolina Cyclone so it was decent.
Mine ride (1x ride) - I rarely ever ride these, but had a decent time. Not much was super memorable, but the scenery around it was nice.

Few other comments - Food was surprisingly great, the all day dining plan was a great deal. My GF said the food (particularly backbeat, and also the thai chili tendies) was better than Disney (I've never been). We had a drink bottle, as our park has bins on every coaster, wasn't expecting to have to rent a locker for the bottle, it was kinda a pain having to constantly worry about it. Overall was a great trip, I'm excited to visit again when Dragster is back!

Edit - removed some redundancy
submitted by p_terrydactyl to cedarpoint [link] [comments]