Name generator for rap bands

People Fucking Dying

2015.12.30 18:37 PUSClFER People Fucking Dying

Videos and GIFs of people (figuratively) fucking dying.
[link]

2009.08.30 11:12 Death Metal - news, reviews, videos & discussion.

Death metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music. Descended originally from thrash, it often employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes.
[link]

2016.08.14 20:53 UK Drill

Largest home to London Culture, UK Drill, Rap & Trap music.
[link]

2024.05.14 13:20 lazymentors Marketing News you should care about today!

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submitted by lazymentors to Entrepreneur [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:19 TheGreatGimmick Suggesting Entangled Conduits, a relatively expensive (so hopefully balanced) way to access three powerful effects not yet in the game.

Crafting, Properties, and Appearance
Echo Shard Echo Shard Echo Shard
Echo Shard Conduit Echo Shard
Crying Obsidian Crying Obsidian Crying Obsidian

Picture of Crafting Recipe

Entangled Conduits share most properties with a Beacon, such as placement, size, piston interactions, and so on. They can be mined successfully by hand or with any tool. When destroyed by an explosion, the block always drops as an item. However, unlike a Beacon they only produce a light level of 10, the same as Crying Obsidian.
Entangled Conduits appear somewhat similar to Stonecutters or Enchanting Tables in that they consist of a low 'table' with some animated feature in the center. They have a Sculk-themed color palette, a square base, and a snowglobe-like 'dome' on top. The dome's appearance changes based on the biome theme currently reflected in the Entangled Conduit network (see below).

Usage

Placement

All Entangled Conduits placed in the world belong to the same 'network' (explained below). As such, placed Entangled Conduits keep their chunk loaded (at a level of 31) so as to remain active in this global network.

Interaction

Players can interact with any single Entangled Conduit to toggle ALL Entangled Conduits in the world between all states currently available to the Entangled Conduit network. The available states consist of each unique biome at least one Entangled Conduit has been placed within (explained further below). Only player interaction can activate an Entangled Conduit to toggle between states.
For example, say four Entangled Conduits are placed in the world, with their chunks consisting of the following biomes: Forest, Forest, Ocean, Jagged Peaks. Interacting with any Entangled Conduit in the world would toggle their states in the following order: Forest -> Ocean -> Jagged Peaks -> repeat. To be clear, there are only three states in this setup: Having two Entangled Conduits in the same biome (Forest) still only grants one state to the rotation.
The snowglobe-like dome in the center-top of each Entangled Conduit changes appearance based on the current biome state of the network.

Effect

Entangled Conduits cause their chunk and the chunks immediately adjacent to them to behave as if they were the chunk and biome currently selected by the Entangled Conduit network's state.
This includes spawning (e.g., mobs, frog variants, etc.), fishing rewards, slime chunks, and so on. Biomes exclusive to certain altitudes (e.g., Deep Dark) or temperatures (e.g., Warm Oceans) can still be emulated, though coordinate-dependent effects (e.g., rain turning to snow at sufficiently-high altitudes in some biomes) will not occur at invalid coordinates even if the contributing Entangled Conduit was placed at such coordinates.
Entangled Conduits work across dimensions, but dimension-exclusive effects (e.g., weather and the day-night cycle in the Overworld, the inability to place water in the Nether, etc.) are NOT transferred. For example, if the Entangled Conduit network is used to copy Frozen Peaks into the Nether, goats will spawn (and probably die pretty quickly by charging something they shouldn't haha) but it will not snow and you cannot place water, because you are still in the Nether.

Justification and Preemptive Arguments

Crafting and Value

Entangled Conduits require some of the least-utilized materials in the game, namely Crying Obsidian, Echo Shards, Nautilus Shells, and Hearts of the Sea. This gives these materials more use cases.
Echo Shards tie into the "remote communication" mechanic of Entangled Conduits, since Sculk Sensors also allow for "wireless" signals. As a component, the Conduit mainly just lends its name to the final product, but it fits thematically in that sense, since a conduit is something that acts as a channel for the transmission of something (in this case biomes).
Requiring Echo Shards and especially Hearts of the Sea to craft causes Entangled Conduits to be a non-renewable and relatively difficult-to-obtain resource, similarly to Shulker Boxes. This limits how much they can be abused, and justifies their extreme power with a relatively high cost.

Chunk Loading

Usage
Chunks becoming unloaded is a major source of frustration for anyone that did not build their base within a spawn chunk (and doesn't wish to 'cheat' by using commands). Even if you did build your main base in a spawn chunk, remote locations of interest may be found outside of this range and become unloaded. This is most relevant for redstone contraptions: Say you built a machine that is supposed to activate whenever the sun goes down. You might think that such a trigger should be a 'global' effect, but your machine will not work unless it is inside a loaded chunk!
Current Solution
The current solution to this problem is to create a chunk loader, but these are relatively complex, tedious, often annoyingly loud, need to be hidden (or else be an eyesore), take up space in both the Overworld and the Nether, can mess with Nether Portal networks, and most importantly break when their server shuts down, making them unsuitable for Realms in particular (Realms servers hard shut down when no players are online).
So, although chunk loading is technically currently possible, a reliable way to keep a chunk loaded is so useful and sought-after that a dedicated mechanic is long overdue in my opinion.
Potential Abuse?
Now, obviously the game only loads a limited number of chunks for a reason: If too many chunks are loaded, performance issues may arise. However, this is already possible to abuse using the above chunk loaders. Entangled Conduits would be even more difficult to spam out into the world than the current chunk loaders, because each Entangled Conduit requires a Heart of the Sea to craft. Not only are Hearts of the Sea a non-renewable resource that cannot be farmed, but they require a rather lengthy process to obtain on top of that!

Remote Redstone Activation

Current Solution
Currently, there are extremely limited (and convoluted) ways to remotely activate a redstone machine. You can simply place down an extremely long redstone signal (which requires a ton of time, redstone, and a pathway from your machine to your activation location), you can use a timed trigger (e.g., setting up a clock to trigger later, or using world effects like the day-night cycle), or you can use Sculk mechanics for more short-ranged but nonetheless "wireless" signals.
Entangled Conduits have obvious advantages over all of these, most notably their simplicity and unlimited range. All you need is an Observer facing any Entangled Conduit and it will detect when the state of the global network changes for any reason.
Yeah Yeah, Another Wireless Redstone Suggestion, Yawn...
To be fair, Entangled Conduits do not directly provide "wireless redstone", and have many limitations that hamstring their usefulness for that purpose.
Instead, an analogy I would draw involves a system I made in my survival world for my Ender Pearl Stasis Chamber recall machine: I set up a redstone circuit that detects when I sleep through the night, using a global mechanic (time of day) to communicate with my system back at my main base over any distance. Natural day-night cycles iterate between light levels continuously, while skipping the night by sleeping abruptly changes the light level, which my system detects. So, when I am ready to be recalled, I can remotely trigger my home base's Ender Pearl Stasis Chamber from anywhere in the world to bring me back just by sleeping.
Entangled Conduits would merely make global communication like this a bit more straightforward. However, they still:
  • are exclusively manually-activated (e.g., like Levers as opposed to Pressure Plates or Observers)
  • are all tied to the same global network (and thus only one device can use them at a time, otherwise you would accidentally trigger other devices using the network)
  • do not directly interface with any redstone components (they produce no signal, the only way to use them is through Observers sensing them change state).
  • are far, far more expensive than other "wireless" options like Sculk Sensors or even Calibrated Sculk Sensors.
Since we only recently received the capability for "wireless" signals with Sculk, one of the main criticisms I foresee about this post is that the existence of Entangled Conduits might make some Sculk mechanics obsolete. However, that isn't the case at all, as the two serve drastically different purposes.

Biome Emulation

Entangled Conduits...
  • do not make exploration obsolete. In fact they actively encourage exploration, since you still need to find the desired biome in the first place.
  • create an emulated biome that is quite small, only taking up 9 chunks (the Entangled Conduit's chunk and those immediately adjacent).
  • cannot fully mimic any biome, since most unique features of biomes (e.g., terrain, generated structures, ore/resources, etc.) are created at world spawn, which emulating a biome afterwards does not affect.
  • are relatively expensive in that they cannot be farmed, limiting their usage and therefore ease of abuse.
All of that being said, there are obviously many, many use cases for emulating various biomes in specific chunks at will. I won't be able to list them all here, so instead I argued for the mechanic's downsides (and therefore balance) in the above list.
What do you think? Thank you for your time and feedback!
submitted by TheGreatGimmick to minecraftsuggestions [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:16 jonoottu New theory about Not Like Us! Wop wop wop wop wop

This theory is inspired by the meme with the ant named Dot from A Bug's Life.
Okay hear me out fellas. In his diss track "Not Like Us" Kendrick Lamar has a line that goes "Wop wop wop wop wop, Dot fuck 'em up". This clearly refers to the Pixar classic "A Bug's Life", in which a child ant is named "Dot". What do the "wop"s mean then? You may ask. They obviously refer to the fake bird which the ants built to frighten the attacking grass hoppers. The "wop" is definitely the sound of a bird's wings flapping. In the bird scene the viewers can see Dot imitating a bird's noises and commanding the other ants flapping the wings (hence the "wop"). Kendrick clearly sees himself as the small ant named "Dot", where he's spitting bars instead of imitating a bird and instead of him commanding the wings of the fake bird he's in charge of the direction of the beef. The grass hoppers are Drake and his entourage. Who is the voice actor for Hopper, the lead grass hopper? Kevin Spacey. What is Kevin Spacey? A famous actor who's spiralling (reference to Kendrick Lamar's previous diss track "euphoria") due to various sexual misconduct allegations. So effectively, by rapping "wop wop wop wop wop, Dot fuck 'em up", Kendrick is effectively comparing Drake to Kevin Spacey as an alleged sexual predator. A true poet and genius.
submitted by jonoottu to KendrickLamar [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:16 lazymentors Advertising & Agency News you should care about today!

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My Fav; Liquid Death’s latest campaign ‘The Adventures of Murder Man’ is a creative masterpiece as usual and a corporate parody.

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I hope this helps to plan your week ahead.
submitted by lazymentors to advertising [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:15 lazymentors Marketing News you should care about today!

Top 6 Updates of last Week:

Trending

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Meta 😅

X (Twitter) 🕹️

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My Fav; Liquid Death’s latest campaign ‘The Adventures of Murder Man’ is a creative masterpiece as usual and a corporate parody.

AI 🤨

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I hope this helps to plan your week ahead. Follow for more.
submitted by lazymentors to marketing [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:12 Ok-Owl-4778 Somali Renaissance Initiative (SRI)

Project Name: Somali Renaissance Initiative (SRI)
Objective: The Somali Renaissance Initiative aims to catalyze comprehensive development across all sectors to transform Somalia into a prosperous and peaceful nation with a high standard of living and overall well-being.
Components:
  1. Education Revolution: Implement a nationwide education reform program focused on improving access to quality education for all Somali children. This includes building and renovating schools, training teachers, and developing a modern curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, innovation, and practical skills. Special attention will be given to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education to nurture a skilled workforce for the future.
  2. Infrastructure Development: Launch an ambitious infrastructure development plan to upgrade transportation networks, expand access to clean water and sanitation, and modernize energy infrastructure. This includes the construction of roads, bridges, and ports to facilitate trade and connectivity, as well as investments in renewable energy projects to ensure sustainable power generation.
  3. Economic Empowerment: Foster a conducive business environment to attract domestic and foreign investment, promote entrepreneurship, and create job opportunities. This involves streamlining regulatory processes, providing access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and supporting key industries such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and technology.
  4. Good Governance: Strengthen institutions, promote transparency, and combat corruption to ensure efficient and accountable governance. This includes reforming legal frameworks, enhancing law enforcement capabilities, and establishing mechanisms for citizen participation and oversight. Emphasis will be placed on building trust between government and citizens to foster social cohesion and civic engagement.
  5. Community Engagement: Empower local communities through participatory decision-making processes and community-driven development initiatives. This involves providing support for grassroots projects that address specific needs and priorities identified by community members, such as healthcare clinics, agricultural cooperatives, and vocational training centers.
Timeline: The Somali Renaissance Initiative is envisioned as a long-term endeavor, spanning several decades, with milestones and targets set for each phase of implementation. However, significant progress can be achieved within the first decade with strategic planning and sustained commitment.
Funding: The project will rely on a combination of domestic resources, international aid and investment, public-private partnerships, and innovative financing mechanisms. Efforts will be made to mobilize both public and private sector stakeholders to contribute to the initiative's success.
Expected Outcomes: - Dramatic improvement in literacy rates, educational attainment, and workforce skills - Enhanced infrastructure connectivity and access to essential services for all citizens - Vibrant and diversified economy with sustainable growth and reduced poverty - Strengthened rule of law, respect for human rights, and social cohesion - Somalia emerges as a model of development and resilience, inspiring positive change across the region.
Sources: - Consultations with experts in development economics, education, infrastructure, governance, and community development. - Studies and reports from international organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, and African Development Bank on development strategies and best practices. - Input from Somali government officials, civil society organizations, and community leaders on local priorities and challenges.
submitted by Ok-Owl-4778 to Somalia [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:09 Potnoodle2785 'Jonathan Bailey doesn’t like to bare it all. But vulnerability fueled his best performance yet' - Jonny interview with the LA Times

'Jonathan Bailey doesn’t like to bare it all. But vulnerability fueled his best performance yet' - Jonny interview with the LA Times
https://preview.redd.it/xys855b7jd0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c081d23cc4646d0f54d974aa14e34306180e5eb0
“This is where all the cruising happened.”
Jonathan Bailey and I are standing in Pershing Square on a bright, blustery spring afternoon, nearing the end of a homemade queer history tour of downtown L.A.: One Magazine, Cooper Do-Nuts/Nancy Valverde Square, the Dover bathhouse, the Biltmore Hotel and this, the city’s former Central Park, a haven, since before World War I, for “fairies” and “sissy boys,” servicemen on leave and beatniks on the road.
“Is it still happening now?” he asks.
“Probably not as much,” I venture.
“Well, you let me know if it’s happening,” he teases, a mischievous smile lighting up his face.
Bailey understands the uses of the charm offensive. As Sam, the handsome Lothario of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s delightful pre-”Fleabag” curio, “Crashing”; Anthony, the romantic hero of “Bridgerton’s” second season; and John, the jerk of a protagonist in Mike Bartlett’s love triangle play “Cock,” the English actor, 36, has swaggered up to the precipice of superstardom. With roles in such studio tentpoles as “Wicked” and “Jurassic World” on the horizon, he may just break through. Yet he delivers career-best work in Showtime’s queer melodrama “Fellow Travelers,” as anti-Communist crusader-turned-gay rights activist Tim Laughlin, by leaving behind the self-assured rakes and tapping a new wellspring: soft power.
Tim may be, as Bailey puts it, “an open nerve,” but as it turns out, the devout Catholic and political naïf — who falls for suave State Department operative Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller (Matt Bomer) just as Sen. Joseph McCarthy tries to purge the federal government of LGBTQ people — is formidable indeed.
Stretching from the Lavender Scare to the depths of the AIDS crisis, in scenes of tenderness, cruelty and toe-curling sex, Bailey’s performance communicates that little-spoken truth of relationships: It takes more strength to submit than it does to control. The former demands discipline, courage, trust; the latter requires only force.
“In ‘Bridgerton,’ [Bailey] is like a Hawkins Fuller character — he is very sexy and has lots of power, has that kind of confident charisma that absolutely is not Tim at all,” says “Fellow Travelers” creator Ron Nyswaner.
But any doubt about Bailey’s ability to mesh with Bomer, who boarded the project early in development, was put to bed with the actors’ virtual rehearsal of a meeting on a park bench in the pilot. “‘Well, that’s a first,’” Nyswaner recalls an executive texting him. “I cried in a chemistry read.”
‘Am I inviting people in?’
Bailey grew up in a musical family in the Oxfordshire countryside outside London, and this, coupled with an appreciation for the morning prayers, choir practice and Mass he attended as a scholarship student at the local Catholic school, fed his precocious talents. (“I loved the performance of it,” he laughs. “Not to diminish the celebration of religious process, but I did love the idea of wearing a gown.”) By age 10, he’d appeared in the West End, playing Gavroche in a production of “Les Misérables,” an experience he now recognizes as an encounter with a queer found family — albeit one shadowed by the toll of the AIDS crisis, which peaked in the U.K. in the mid-1990s.
“When I’m asked about my childhood, there’s so much I don’t remember, and I think that’s true of anyone who’s been in fight or flight for 20 years,” he says. “I would have been in a cast of people whose friends would have died in the last seven years. I think of where I was seven years ago. I had all my gay friends then. It’s only retrospectively that I can retrofit a real gay community around me [in the theater], that I just wasn’t aware of [then].”
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, American and British culture presented queer adolescents with a bewildering array of mixed signals. As beloved celebrities came out in growing numbers, and the battle for marriage equality became a central locus of LGBTQ political organizing, the media continued to propagate harmful stereotypes of gay men as miserable, lonely, perverted or worse — and, Bailey remembers, callously turned George Michael, arrested on suspicion of cruising in a Beverly Hills restroom in 1998, and Irish pop star Stephen Gately, who revealed his sexuality in 1999, fearful he was about to be outed, into tabloid spectacles.
No wonder Bailey, like many LGBTQ people of his generation, should feel the “chemical” thrill of “validation and acceptance” during London Pride at age 18, then embark on a two-year relationship with a woman in his 20s.
“Dangerously, if you’re not exposed to people who can show you other examples of happiness, you think that’s the easiest way to live,” Bailey says. “It’s funny. You look back and you can tell the story in one way, which is that I always knew who I was and my sexuality and my identity within that. But obviously at times, it was really tough. I compromised my own happiness, for sure. And compromised other people’s happiness.”
https://preview.redd.it/9q0vkj3djd0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c631452122b5fb2c401e95352dcc0c21d54d0d7
Disclosures about his personal life have become particularly thorny for the actor since the premiere of “Bridgerton,” the blockbuster bodice-ripper from executive producer Shonda Rhimes.
“The Netflix effect does knock you off center completely,” he says, recalling the experience of finding a paparazzo waiting outside his new flat before he’d even moved in. “Suddenly, you do start having nightmares about people climbing in your windows... Even now, talking about it makes me feel like, ‘Am I inviting people in?’”
He is also critical of the media for churning out headlines about the smallest details of celebrities’ private lives, often detached from their original context. In an interview with the London Evening Standard published in December, Bailey described a harrowing encounter in a Washington, D.C., coffee shop in which a man threatened his life for being queer — and, in recounting the experience, offhandedly mentioned the “lovely man” he’d called, shaken, after it happened. Although Bailey acknowledges that the original story handled the subject with aplomb, he felt dismayed that more attention wasn’t paid to the intended warning about rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment: “The only thing that got syndicated from that story was that I had a boyfriend, and it wasn’t true,” he sighs. “It was kind of depressing, if I’m honest.”
Still, Bailey, who once turned down a role in a queer-themed TV series because it would have required him to speed along revelations about his personal life he wasn’t ready to make, is prepared to embrace the power of vulnerability when it feeds the work. Although a member of his inner circle expressed doubts about “Fellow Travelers’” steamy sex scenes, for instance, the actor intuited that they were what made the project worth doing: “I was like, ‘I’m telling you, they are the reason why this is going to be brilliant.’”
‘He’s changed my trajectory in my own life’
To those who would complain about the state of sex in film and TV, “Fellow Travelers” is the perfect riposte. All of it matters, from Tim’s first flirtation with Hawk to the finale’s closing minutes, because the series, at its core, is about the importance of soft power: the strength required to bend, but not break; to adapt, but not abandon oneself; to survive without shrinking to nothing in the process. And depicting that through sex, specifically gay sex, makes “Fellow Travelers” radical indeed.
Bailey understands that baring so much comes with certain risks. When I tell him that research for the story has filled my algorithmic “For You” feed on X (formerly Twitter) with speculation that his onscreen relationship with Bomer has a real-life element, he notes that “shipping” fictional couples and costars alike has long been part of Hollywood fantasy. But he bristles at the implication that he and Bomer are anything but skilled actors at work.
“I would love for people to know that the success of our chemistry isn’t based on us f—. It’s actually about us leaning into the craft,” he says. “It’s a vulnerable situation to be in, talking about it on record. I don’t want to rob people of their thoughts. But I do have a set of values, and as an artist, you don’t need to be f— to tell that love story.”
Underlying that craft, Bailey adds, is the confidence to speak up, as with one scene in “Fellow Travelers” that was adjusted because he said, “I don’t want to be naked today.” He learned to use his voice the hard way: In his early 20s, he recalls, he was once “bullied” on set when “someone was threatened” by him and vowed to himself, “I’m never going to do that to someone. I’m never going to allow that to happen."
https://preview.redd.it/4qwts4jrjd0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b9be4bb693aa886389f599b4e82c0f6a520be45
This impulse to direct his influence in support of others has blossomed further with “Fellow Travelers.” On the day of our interview, Bailey enthuses about an upcoming meeting with legendary gay rights activist Cleve Jones and shares his idea for a docuseries recording the stories of elders in the LGBTQ+ community while they are still here to tell them. He describes lying in a hospital bed on set on World AIDS Day, in character as Tim, surrounded by gay men who had lost friends and lovers during the crisis, and finding himself thinking, “What do I want to leave behind?”
“I think he’s changed my trajectory in my own life,” Bailey says.
This is, perhaps, the most common reaction I know to diving deep into queer history — the understanding that we, like our forerunners, are responsible for shaping the queer future, whether in politics, society or art. No one is going to do it on our behalf.
As we stand on the nondescript corner now named for her, I relate the story of the late queer activist Nancy Valverde, who was arrested repeatedly while a barber school student in the 1950s on suspicion of “masquerading” because of her preference for short hair and men’s clothing, and later successfully challenged her harassment by the police in court.
“What a hero!” Bailey exclaims, wondering at Valverde’s bravery. “The thing that’s so interesting with power battles is, ultimately, identity is the thing that gives you the most strength and power in your life, isn’t it?
“Because that’s one thing people can’t take away from you: who you are and how you express yourself."
submitted by Potnoodle2785 to jonathanbailey [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:05 ahead-market NSPR Q1 2024 Earnings: Revenue Growth Amidst Rising Losses

NSPR reported a revenue increase to $1.511 million in Q1 2024, up 22% year-over-year, but faced a significant net loss of $7.032 million, missing EPS estimates.

Key Metrics
Revenue $1.511M 22.0%
Gross Profit $0.292M
Operating Expenses $7.706M
Operating Expenses Growth 62.1%
Net Income $-7.032M
Earnings Per Share $-0.21
Cash and Cash Equivalents $34.0M
Business Highlights
Guidance
Expectations: MISS
While NSPR's revenue of $1.511 million in Q1 2024 surpassed the analyst's expectation of $1.38 million, its EPS of -$0.21 significantly missed the forecast of -$0.15. The company's operating expenses also surged by 62.1%, contributing to the larger than expected loss.
submitted by ahead-market to ahead_market [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:04 Ok-Owl-4778 Somali Resource Management and Development Initiative (SRMDI)

Project Name: Somali Resource Management and Development Initiative (SRMDI)
Location: Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia
Objective: The Somali Resource Management and Development Initiative aims to harness Somalia's natural resources and strategic geographical location to promote sustainable development, economic growth, and national unity.
Phases:
  1. Beginning (Year 1-2): The project commences with a comprehensive assessment of Somalia's natural resources, including oil and gas reserves, agricultural land, fisheries, and renewable energy potential. A multi-disciplinary team of experts is assembled to develop an integrated resource management plan, with input from local communities, government agencies, and international partners.
  2. Middle (Year 3-5): Implementation phase begins with targeted investments in key sectors, such as infrastructure development, agriculture, energy, and environmental conservation. Priority projects include the construction of irrigation systems to maximize agricultural productivity, expansion of renewable energy infrastructure to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and establishment of fish processing facilities to add value to fisheries products.
  3. End (Year 6-8): As the project progresses, efforts are made to promote inclusive growth and equitable distribution of resources across all regions of Somalia. Capacity-building programs are initiated to empower local communities with the skills and knowledge needed to participate in resource management and decision-making processes. Additionally, mechanisms for revenue sharing and transparent governance are established to ensure accountability and mitigate potential conflicts over resource allocation.
Duration: The Somali Resource Management and Development Initiative is estimated to span over a period of 8 years, from inception to completion.
Funding: The project can be funded through a combination of sources, including government revenues, international aid and investment, public-private partnerships, and revenue generated from resource extraction activities. Transparent and accountable financial management practices are implemented to ensure efficient utilization of funds and maximize impact.
Expected Outcomes: - Sustainable management and utilization of Somalia's natural resources for the benefit of all citizens - Economic diversification and job creation in key sectors such as agriculture, energy, and fisheries - Strengthened national unity and social cohesion through equitable distribution of resources and inclusive governance - Enhanced resilience to environmental challenges and climate change impacts - Improved quality of life and opportunities for prosperity for all Somali citizens
Sources: - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): "Somalia Human Development Report" - World Bank: "Somalia Economic Update" - Somali Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: Strategic Plan for Resource Management - Consultations with local communities, government officials, and international experts on resource management and development strategies.
submitted by Ok-Owl-4778 to Somalia [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 13:01 ImM3llow 26 [M4F] East Coast / Anywhere. I just got diagnosed as your boyfriend. Yeah no they said it's terminal we have to stay together forever until i die🤷‍♂️

Edit: DO NOT message me a simple hi or hello, with no information about you, Put some effort in to your message like i have, come on. Day+Attempt#187
Hello everyone, Thank you for taking the time to read, I know its long, I know - I know. But its worth the read, Trust me. I appreciate you immensely.
Here's a bit about me,
My name is Jay, I live on the East coast of the US. I'm looking for love - like everyone else on here.., but you may not believe or even be doubtful that I've never had a GF before with me being 26, but its true. I'm simply just not willing to "be with" just anyone and I'm very picky. I want us to be a match, more than just have similar things in common.
One thing I have always been told is that I'm a "Real Catch, I'd be extremely lucky to have someone like you" - WELL THEN TAKE ME. I'M FREE. LOL.
About me:
Physically -
~I'm a semi-tall guy, around 5'10.
~I'm thin but muscular.
~I have dirty blonde/ brown hair.
~Changing colored eyes.
~A voice nice enough to melt all your safeguards and get right into your heart and weak spots.
~I do not have any tattoos or piercings. Though I would like to get some eventually.
If you'd like to see a picture of me just ask and I'll show you - IF I may see you as well, I simply just don't want a picture of me out there for anyone to see.
-If there's anything else you'd like to know just ask.
Otherwise -
~I do have 3 pet bunnies I would be more than happy to show you, they are extremely cute.
~I'm a very honest and down to earth guy.
~I'm very patient and easy going.
~I'm very curious and inquisitive. I will try to ask everything I can to learn all about you haha.
~I'm Very VERY Kind & Caring, I will probably ask how you are feeling a bajillion times a day, simply out of care for you.
~I can get pretty clingy, and will always want your attention and to be talking with you. If i have someone im interested in i wont want to talk to anyone else🤷‍♂️
~I'm very trustworthy - you can confide in me, and entrust your deepest secrets and I wont tell a soul.
~I'm a HUGE hopeless romantic, im old fashioned and will always try to impress you.
- I'm, a BIG softie even though I may look a smol bit intimidating, but I'd do just about anything to see you smile or laugh. And yes.., I do mean anything.
~I'm a big goof - I will get up to some silly shenanigans ALL the time, I will crack dumb jokes and send you memes and tik toks just to make you happy, even if its from across the room I'd wait to see your reaction lol.
~I'm extremely loyal, and would never even think of cheating.
~I will cook for you, and clean up too, even around the house, I'm very self productive and don't ask for much. Just don't forget to kiss the cook.
~I'd also love to just cuddle up and watch a movie or read a book together, anything to get us closer. Id try to take you out on dates whenever possible haha. I have a million SUPER romantic date ideas I have but have never had anyone interested enough in me to take out. Here's your chance ;)
~I will always want to share stuff I find interesting with you, and try to share every moment of every day with you. I'm not looking for someone who can only talk for a small amount of time, I want someone who's willing to put in all the effort I put into them back into me, it goes both ways. If I'm "with" someone you are my TOP priority nobody and nothing else would be. You would be the only person I'd truly want to talk to, so rest assured I would NEVER cheat, even more so because no one is interested in me - Hence why I'm here hahaha.
I'm sure there is more to me than this snippet but I cant think of more at the moment haha, so get to know me and find out more about me.
Some of my interests are: Engineering- I'm a nerd. I admit it. I love being technical and hands on, I love building things. All kinds of things, from furniture, machinery, and reverse engineering anything I find. I love learning how things work and trying to improve things.
Music - I prefer music with a very fast pace, or with some very meaningful lyrics I can relate to. I love to sing along to music and songs that have a deep meaning behind it I can sympathize with makes it all the better. Some bands I like are: Bad Omens, Beartooth, Demon Hunter, MIW, I9K - The list goes on. I'm a bit of a metalhead unfortunately.
TV Shows & Movies - I love watching shows, and I'd love to stream some shows and have some E-dates with you, to get to know you, or if you are close to me, maybe we could do it in person. Some shows I like or more of the Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Comedy, Action, stuff like: National Treasure, Halo, BattleBots, Rick and Morty, AHS, Anything Marvel or DC, The Witcher, Wednesday, The Sandman, The Magicians, The Umbrella Academy, ETC.
Gaming - Yes yes I know, Basic guy likes basic stuff. But gaming has been a thing for me since forever. I know most of you wont care or want to hear that, but I'll leave out the specifics on this part unless you are interested in that, MEGA Bonus points if you are.
Here's a lists of Cons to dating me-
~I'm not Ryan Reynolds. Disappointing, I know.
~I will fight you on what goes on pizza lol.
~I'm not rich.., Yet.
~I can't pronounce Worcestershire.
~I'm slightly forgetful, but with good reasoning.
~(Not really a con but- some might disagree) I still have ALL of my firsts, Do with that what you will c:
~I've got an endless pile of love and affection and no one to give it to! What a dilemma! Help me fix it?
Other than that I'll save the rest for a bit more of getting to know each other.
Here's a bit of what I'm looking in you:
~Preferably someone with lots of free time, and loves to chit chat. I'm seriously not interested in getting 1 message a day. Though I understand people get busy, I personally am not willing to try to learn about you and form something with 7 responses a week. Effort gets reciprocated and I appreciate the time you put in me.
~Physically: -I’m not personally attracted to anyone who’s “curvy/ chubby”, I apologize. Not a shallow thing, I just dont have the attraction chemical in my brain for that, I’m sorry. -If you’re shorter than me, thats a plus to me. -I love dimples, if you have those when you smile, bonus points 😊 - I’m not sure what else to put.., but as for nsfw wise find out😂
~I'm a sucker for a different accent other than American, and if you have an Posh English accent you have already won my heart.
~I'm also only really looking for someone within the ages of 18-35. I don't want anyone old enough to be my mom lol.
~I'd prefer (But not a must) people NOT on the other side of the world, as other time zones SUCK. I don't expect to find anyone who also has never had a boyfriend either, but that would be a real plus. I also don't mind a LDR, but I don't want that forever. But it gives us time to get to know each other.
But as for attributes I'm looking for in you:
~Someone who is above all else very very Loyal and would never cheat.
~Someone who is Honest, and will tell me the truth over a little white lie.
~Someone who is Kind & Caring, who'd constantly check on me, and accept me for who I am & help me improve day to day.
~Someone who is trustworthy, and I can count on to keep my secrets safe, or even just help me remember things.., I do tend to be somewhat forgetful.
~Someone who is very Patient and wants to see me succeed and will help me do so, just like I would help you. Even if its small day to day things, I would appreciate your company ANY time.
~I want a partner who is Affectionate, can reciprocate, and loves to snuggle and talk about their day, and what their interests are, and what makes them happy.
~Someone who can admit they get clingy or overprotective is a bonus.
~A partner with good communication is key, if something wrong we have to be able to talk about it.
~A partner who likes to game with me or at least watch me play would be a plus but not a requirement.
~Someone with a good sense of humor and like to joke around, I am a big goof after all and I love to joke around. Sending memes is always appreciated and good to cheer people up too!
~I'd prefer someone with the same music taste, but not a requirement, Plus if you wouldn't mind if I send you love songs occasionally that's a bonus, or sending me some back haha.
~Being willing to voice call is a must, Texting forever is not the way to go. I have to know what your voice is like haha, later on we can video call if you are comfortable with that. I prefer chatting on Discord because Reddit messages of any kind I'm sure you know are unreliable and sucky in general. So please send me your discord if you have one :)
~I would LOVE to see picture of your pets if you have any. Bonus points if it includes your beautiful self haha.
I'm sure there is more I'm looking for but I cant think of it right now haha, I will have to edit this when I think of it.
Please tell me about you as an opener! I told you a good bit about me, now its your turn haha.
Tell me some things like -
~What's your name?
~Where are you from?
~How old are you?
~What are your hobbies / interests?
~What about my post interested you?
~Where is my TV Remote?!
~Selfie? Pet pics?
~Hit me with your best joke or meme :)
~What's your favorite candy?
I'd LOVE to get to know you, and see where things go.
But yeah, I know it was long I'm sorry haha. Send me a message and lets get to know each other! :)
submitted by ImM3llow to ForeverAloneDating [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:54 Xyyzx Operating two separate small businesses as a single sole trader while keeping them distinct?

Hey folks, I have a bit of a conundrum here that’s probably mostly down to my own inexperience with the legal side of this stuff; I’ll be very happy if there’s an obvious straightforward answer I just missed here!
Essentially I’m trying to turn two parallel side gigs I have going into actual working businesses. One is repairing and making musical instruments, and the other is leathercrafting. As this all comes under the umbrella of handcrafts and I’m operating everything out of the same workshop, my understanding is that I could do all this as the same single sole trader even if I sold the different items through different websites. Obviously if the answer to this is ‘no’, my question stops here and I just do all my registration and accounts twice, but since I’m not relishing the prospect of doing it once I hope that’s not the case!
The bigger issue I have here is business names. I have two names and sets of branding picked out for each arm of this, and as far as I can see I can use these no problem as long as the wider business name is also included and accessible. My problem here is that you might describe some of my leathercrafting work as a little……risqué. I don’t actually care about customers or visitors to the leathercrafting side of things tracing it back to me, I’m more concerned with the business name being a very straightforward google-able link between the two websites. I’m slightly concerned about losing business on the guitar end of things (you’d be surprised how much of the international custom instrument market is from guys in American megachurch bands), but frankly slightly more concerned about my mother making the connection and having an extremely awkward family Christmas dinner down the line!
So short version; is there a practical way of operating two businesses as a single sole trader where it’s not very easy for customers visiting a website to find one from the other?
submitted by Xyyzx to smallbusinessuk [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:45 Errora403 PUBG MOBILE VERSION 3.2 UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT

PUBG MOBILE VERSION 3.2 UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT
Report bugs here and earn rewards: https://pubgmobile.live/support
PUBG MOBILE will begin pushing out the update on 5/13 at 2:00 (UTC+0). Service will not be interrupted. To ensure a quick and smooth update, please be in a good network environment and make sure you have enough available storage on your device.
Update Reward: Update the game between 5/13–5/27 (UTC+0) to get 3,000 BP, 100 AG, and a Mecha Warship Theme (3d).

Key Updates

  1. New Themed Mode "Mecha Fusion": Engage in thrilling battles in a brand new battleship themed area with new mecha vehicles!
  2. World of Wonder Updates: Bring your competitive experience to the next level with new mecha gameplay!
  3. Firearm and Vehicle Updates: P90 and Skorpion have been rebalanced. QBZ added to Erangel and Miramar. Select vehicles now have a delayed explosion mechanic. Experience a different kind of battle!
  4. Collection System: The Collection System is here! Start growing your collection today!
  5. Home: The mysterious Elegant Ancient Capital resource pack is coming soon! Build your dream Home and show off your creativity in the Home Competition!

New Themed Mode: Mecha Fusion

Available: 2024/5/13 at 2:00 (UTC+0)–2024/7/9 at 20:59 (UTC+0)
Supported Maps: Erangel, Livik, and Miramar (Ranked and Unranked)
https://preview.redd.it/6m82y04sfd0d1.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=a0ce25f8079e2fabcfe43c9bb5b98fb3d648170e

New Mecha Vehicles

  • Strider: A two-seater vehicle with the ability to jump. It's armed with missiles that can be used to bombard designated areas. Missiles can be replenished at the Repair Station in the Assembly Base.
  • Levitron: A special vechile that can switch between a speed form and a magnetic form. Serves as the upper-body component that combines with a Strider to form the Armamech.
    • In speed form, the maximum speed and hover height will be increased, and the vehicle gains a "collision acceleration" ability: it will not slow down when it hits an obstacle. Instead, it will accelerate using the stored magnetic energy.
    • In magnetic form, the maximum speed and hover height will be reduced, but it can activate a "Magnetize" ability to grab and toss characters, vehicles, and specific objects.
  • Armamech: A four-seater vehicle combined from a Levitron and a Strider. It can also be directly summoned from the Steel Ark.
    • It possesses 2 weapons that it can freely switch between: the Strider's missiles, and the Levitron's "Magnetize" ability.
    • It has a boosted jump that enables it to leap high and far with the assistance of jets.
    • Bring a Levitron and a Strider close together to combine them. After combining, the pilot of the Levitron becomes the pilot of the Armamech. It can also be separated at any time.

Brand New Environments

  • Steel Ark:
    • A giant space battleship that will land on the map at the start of a match. You can enter it and explore inside. The core of the Steel Ark is a platform where you can summon the Armamech from the skies! You can launch yourself into the air in this mecha for everyone to see.
    • The ark consists of many areas. You can find all kinds of supplies and Supply Crates at the Command Post, Dormitory, Warehouse, and more.
    • From the landing pad, you can board an evacuation Wingman, which will take you straight to the Playzone!
    • You can use elevators and ziplines in the ark to get around.
    • Steel Ark Air Drop: A Steel Ark loaded with supplies will fly around during the match and drop supplies consisting of an Air Drop Crate and several Supply Crates at specific drop points.
  • Assembly Base:
    • The Assembly Base contains a Mecha Repair Station. Approach it in a mecha to replenish the mecha's health, fuel, and missiles.
    • On the top floor of the Assembly Base, there is a detector that can determine the location of crates within the Assembly Base. An Access Card can be found in one of the crates, which can be used to open the door to the Secret Room and get loads of supplies.

New Items

  • Jetpack: Pick it up and equip it to increase movement speed. It possesses the ability to hover in the air for a short duration. It consumes Energy rapidly when lifting off. Energy will only be replenished when you reach the ground. The Jetpack has a Health bar that protects you from damage to your back and arms. It will be destroyed after taking a certain amount of damage. When reaching a certain speed while moving forward, it can switch to a speed form. You will perform a special action when you tap "Lift Off" as it switches to the speed form. The Jetpack comes with the "Magnetize" ability, but you will not be able to fly fast when using it.
  • Personal AED: If you have this item, you can tap self-rescue after being knocked down. Once successful, you will recover from the knocked down state. Each player can only carry one of these items. Self-rescuing will be interrupted if you move while using this item.
  • Magnet Gun: This is a downgraded version of the Levitron's "Magnetize" ability in gun form. Switch to it by tapping on the firearm bar. It works the same as the Levitron's "Magnetize", but with reduced values.
  • Respawn Beacon: Throw the beacon on the ground to mark a location that the plane will pass over. Recalled teammates can parachute into the match again at the cost of a respawn chance. Teammates who have used up all their respawn chances cannot respawn.
  • Quick Parachute: When parachuting, a quick parachute button will appear at a certain height in the air. Tap it to immediately deploy the parachute which can also be freely put away.
  • Repair Station: Approach the Repair Station in a mecha to replenish its health, fuel, and missiles.

New Legendary Pilot Challenge

Get themed items, special vehicle cosmetics, Armamech dance emotes, special Elimination Broadcasts, and more by completing this difficult themed mode challenge.

World of Wonder

Available: Releases with the version
https://preview.redd.it/p1fd1vgtfd0d1.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=e85c32e7ca039909f454cf08cf359f0df7137de5

World of Wonder Updates

  • Fuzzy search is now supported. You can search for maps by creation ID, creator UID, creation name, and description.
  • Added the friends tab to check what creations your friends have made at a glance.
  • Gift Access Point: You can now send Space Gifts from the creation details page and the creator's profile page.
  • You can view your play data and creation data in WOW on your player information page.
  • Ranking Improvements: Added support for more variables. Matches will now announce when a ranking player is in the match.
  • Copied Creations Limit: The number of copied creations you can have (including creations that are already published or those under review) is limited based on your Creator Level. When the limit is reached, you can only publish original creations unless you take down an existing copied creation.
  • Improved map recommendations and showcasing. Updated the WOW Creator page.

New Gameplay Devices

  • Contested Object Device: Use this device to spawn a contested object, which players can hold in their hands similar to "capture the flag".
  • Contested Object Handover Device: Contested objects can be handed over to this device for rewards.
  • Defensive Tower Device: Use this device to generate a fixed defense tower and configure its weapon type.

Gameplay Device Improvements

  • PvE Enemy Spawn Device: Supports spawning PvE enemies at random, configuring the PvE enemy's type, and randomizing their weight. You can also configure the PvE enemy's team.
  • Random Action Device: Supports storing the result of a random integer in a custom variable.
  • Special Vehicle Device: Added mechas.
  • Map Indicator Device: Supports real-time display of icons and text in the game.
  • Area Trigger Device: The action of the specific object entering the zone can be detected by the Area Trigger Device.
  • Overall Action Device: The action of players leaving the match can be detected.
  • Humanoid Enemy Spawn Device: Can now add buffs to spawned humanoid enemies.
  • Grouped Object Action Device: Supports configuring grouped objects. Loading any one of them automatically removes the others.
  • Item Issuance Device, Item Spawn Device, Custom Shop Device: Added 5.7mm ammo and the MG3.

New Interactive Objects

  • Target Dummy: A target dummy from the single-player training stage that shows damage numbers when hit and has several poses.
  • Soccer Ball: A soccer ball that moves upon contact.

Interactive Object Improvements

  • New Dynamic Moving Object Actions: Every new movement method for moving objects has a corresponding action. They can be activated by the detectable actions of other devices.
  • Guiding Lines: Launch pads and trampolines have guiding lines that show the trajectory of the player being launched into the air.

Controls & Interaction

  • Guiding Lines When Placing Objects In Midair: When placing objects in the air, guiding lines that project the current object's position on the ground can be shown.
  • Backpack Objects Can Be Interactized: You can take out interactized attachments such as a spinning ferris wheel from your backpack.
  • Object Interactization—Collidable Interactization: Set whether interactized objects move when hit by characters, vehicles, bullets, or throwables.
  • Object Interactization—Holding Interactization: Interactized objects can be held and tossed by characters.
  • Coordinate Editing in Free Editing Mode: In Free Editing Mode, you can select an object directly and move, rotate, or resize it by modifying its coordinates.
  • Object Editing Interface: Each object has an editing interface where you can directly edit the object's orientation, scaling, interactization type, or gameplay device parameters.
  • Object Placement and Alignment Improvements: Improved the usability of object snap and area grid, as well as added more object alignment parameters.
  • Auto Snap Option When Re-Editing: In the previous version, objects automatically snapped to their initial position when brought close to it during re-editing. This setting can now be toggled on and off in the editor's parameter settings interface, and is off by default.
  • Object Movement and Rotation Increment: Added movement and rotation increment settings to the editor's parameter settings interface.
  • Free Editing Top View Now Perfectly Flat: In Free Editing Mode, the previous top view editing was not perfectly flat, resulting in inaccurate positioning when placing objects from midair. Now, the editing view has been changed to be perfectly flat.
  • Added temporary resources. They will be replaced with default resources when they expire.

Game Parameters

  • Retaining Shop Tokens: Shop Tokens can now be kept during a match or across matches.
  • Overall Action Management: Added tag customization and filter features. You can create tags for gameplay devices to classify and filter them based on the tags.
  • Armed AI Customization Interface: Attributes for armed AI and defense towers can be customized, including health, attack, and more.
  • Match Log Interface: In-game logs now include the save feature. You can save and view all logs generated during play tests.

Other Updates

  • Group Editing: The team leader can edit the permissions of team members for better team management.
  • Enchantopia Updates: You can invite friends to Enchantopia and edit your team there. Added more interesting gameplay to the stages.
  • Cost Calculation Improvements: Fine-tuned how the system determines the cost of an object.
  • New map templates.

Classic Updates

Livik Map Updates

  • Added 4 new XT Upgrade Crates on top of the existing ones. New firearm upgrades are for the UMP45, SKS, DP-28, and M762. Upgrade Crates for these 4 firearms can be found in Livik or purchased from the Shop for 10 tokens.
    • UMP45 Upgrade: Reduced hip fire bullet spread by 20%.
    • SKS Upgrade: Faster recoil recovery after firing.
    • DP-28 Upgrade: Faster reload speed.
    • M762 Upgrade: Reduced muzzle shake.

Erangel Map Updates

  • Improved the quality of models seen by players at high altitudes, and resolved the issue of buildings disappearing.

Home Updates

The Home System is permanently available, and will be updated each version with interesting gameplay and building cosmetics.

Home Competition

Submission Period: 2024/5/13 at 00:00–2024/6/1 at 8:59 (UTC+0)
Selection Period: 2024/6/1 at 9:00–2024/7/1 at 9:00 (UTC+0)
  • You must reach at least 200 Home Prosperity before you can register for the Home Competition.
  • If players miss the submission period, they can still register during the selection period. After registering, they will be placed in the next round's matchmaking pool.
  • After registering, the selection criteria will be based on the current look of the player's Home.
  • During the selection period, you'll be matched with players of similar Home Prosperity at random every 3 days, for 10 rounds in total.
  • During the face-off, the player that obtains more votes wins. The winner gets to loot points from the loser.
  • Participate in Home Face-Offs to win Home Points and increase your Home Face-Off Level. The higher the Home Face-Off Level, the better the rewards.
  • Home Votes can be obtained by completing missions and by sending Home gifts. Note: Regular Popularity gifts do not grant Home Votes.
  • Home gifts given during each face-off round of the selection period will count towards Home Votes. Home gifts given outside a face-off round will not count towards the number of votes.

Home Events

  • Elegant Ancient Capital Style Event:
    • Available: 2024/5/18 at 2:00 (UTC+0)
    • Purchase Elegant Ancient Capital Home items during the event to get Style Points that can be redeemed for amazing rewards.
  • Ancient Capital Theme Debut Celebration:
    • Available: 2024/5/18 at 00:00 (UTC+0)–2024/5/31 at 23:59 (UTC+0)
    • The Event Center is launching an event to celebrate Elegant Ancient Capital's arrival. Get a Congratulatory Ancient Capital Object Pack when you reach Home Lv. 3, and use it to build an Ancient Capital Style Home in an instant!
    • Visit your Home and upgrade your Home Level to get additional rewards, including Home Coins, Classic Crate Coupons, AG, Ancient Capital themed items, and more.

Home Building Updates

  • Build With Blueprint & Group Editing:
    • Improved the process of building with blueprints. You can now go to More - Save Blueprint to copy and save the draft.
    • The Home Level required to build with blueprints and publish blueprints has been reduced to Lv. 3.
    • You can set the level of the blueprint you want to edit with a tap.
    • The Home Level required to access group editing has been reduced to Lv. 5. You can go to Blueprint Editing - More - Group Editing to invite your friends to build your Home together.
  • Home Resource Updates:
    • The mysterious Elegant Ancient Capital resource pack will be coming soon, along with a surprise event that will reward the Elegant Ancient Capital doorplate and exclusive background music for a limited time.
    • Reach Home Lv. 3 to get a basic Elegant Ancient Capital object pack.

Home Resource & Content Updates

  • Added an access point to the Home Shop in Home. Not only can you browse and edit freely in your Home, you can also enjoy the fun of shopping at any time.
  • Added an access point to the Home Lucky Spin in the Home Shop, so you can more conveniently acquire your favorite items:
    • Upgraded the Lucky Spin event. There are now multiple Lucky Spins available at once, providing you with more diverse shopping options.
    • Elegant Ancient Capital themed items will be available in the Home Lucky Spin.
  • The Elegant Ancient Capital themed items are now available in the Home Shop. Give your Home style a unique twist.
  • Upgraded the Home's lighting effects so players can take more quality photos.
  • Added customizable atmosphere modules that can be adjusted in visit mode.
  • Added privacy settings so you can now control who has access to your Home. Additionally, after reaching Home Lv. 15, you can enable the private channel feature to enjoy private time with your friends.
  • Improved object interactions. Added new facial expression changes after sitting down. Added new interactive objects: Smith Machine, Treadmill, Bathtub.
  • Improved butler actions. Butlers can now turn around and look at the player when they are within a specific range.
  • Home Tree Status Notification: When coins can be collected from the current Home Tree, you will see a notification icon on the Friends tab, the Enter My Home button, and the Home details page.

Metro Royale Updates

Available: 2024/5/15 at 1:00 (UTC+0)
Matchmaking: 2024/5/15 at 2:00 (UTC+0)
  • Collectibles Cabinet Updates: New Chapter 20 Collectibles
  • After obtaining specific Fabled collectibles, they can be displayed in the player's Personal Space.
  • After obtaining specific Fabled collectibles, turn in collectibles to get certain Fabled collectible decorations for the Home.
  • New Honor Rewards: Chapter 20 Elite Avatar, Chapter 20 Hero Avatar Frame, and Chapter 20 Legendary Name Tag. These rewards can be claimed after reaching the corresponding Honor level.
  • New elite PvE enemy in Misty Port and Arctic Base: Strider.
  • New firearms: P90 (Cobra), P90 (Steel Front).
  • Player EXP can now be earned via Metro Royale matches.
  • Companion EXP can be earned by bringing companions to Metro Royale matches.
  • You can now tap to repair all items at once on the loadout page.
  • You can now tap to open multiple inventory gift packs at once.
  • Improved the firearm status at the preparation stage at the start of the match. Firearms will be reloaded by default and set to full auto firing mode.
  • Fixed the issue of incorrect models for some drop items.

Firearm & Vehicle Improvements

  • Firearm Adjustments:
    • P90 damage adjustment.
    • QBZ added to Erangel and Miramar.
    • Skorpion Improvements: Base damage increased from 22 to 24, 15% faster reload time, 20% faster aim down sights time, 30% reduced bullet spread when moving, 10% less sway when shooting.
  • Delayed Explosion Mechanic for Select Vehicles: When a vehicle's health reaches 0, it won't explode right away. Instead, its engine will stop working and it will catch on fire before exploding after 5 seconds. If the vehicle is damaged by an explosion during this period, it will explode immediately. (Some special vehicles aren't affected by this change.)
  • Mobile Shop Vehicle Modification: Added a new item to the Mobile Shop in Erangel, Livik, Miramar, and Sanhok. Use Shop Tokens to purchase its key and turn the Mobile Shop into a drivable vehicle. Items can only be purchased from the Mobile Shop when it's parked. If the vehicle is destroyed, it can no longer be used as a shop.

General Improvements

  • Victory Dance: The A7 Victory Dance comes with an exclusive camera view. Select it from Creation Mode's Victory Dance tab.
  • In-game Mark: When marking supplies with universal mark/quick chat, the quantity of the marked supply will also be shown.
  • Customize Buttons: When customizing controls, you can now quickly copy your Arena Mode layout to use in Classic Mode.
  • Improved Highlights:
    • Companions that you bring into matches will now show in highlights.
    • When recording highlights, all emotes that meet the requirements will be recorded and displayed during playback.
    • Adjusted the retention priority of highlights and the recording conditions of some clips to make it easier to retain them.
    • Teammate numbers now show in highlights.
    • Smoke from exploding grenades now shows in highlights.
  • Auto Pick Up: You can now choose whether to discard or put your previous melee weapon into your backpack after picking up a new one.
  • Sprinting Interrupts Peek Mode: This new setting is enabled by default. When disabled, if you perform a sprint while peeking, it won't interrupt peek mode and you won't start sprinting.
  • New Individual Companion Display: Players can now choose to display their companions, and companions added to the companion system will take turns showing off. This can be done in the Lobby or in a match.
  • Device Update: 120 fps and 90 fps are now available for select devices for you to enjoy a smoother gaming experience.

System Improvements

  • New Collection System: Collect firearms, finishes, and more to get awesome rewards.
  • Themed Event Shop additions: Mecha themed gameplay cosmetics, social items, fun items, and more.
  • Chat Room Feature Updates:
    • Improved the list of featured chat rooms and added filters for chat room type, language, and more.
    • Added Speaking Mode: In regular mode, the host's permission is required to speak. In free mode, any player can freely speak.
    • Added new discussion topics to the chat room. Share your thoughts to increase the interactive atmosphere.
    • Added new ways to send Space Gifts.
    • Added chat room status updates in the Friends List.
  • Birthday Care System: You can now add your birthday to your Social Player Card as part of the new birthday care system. You'll receive surprise care rewards when you log in on your birthday.
  • Synergy: Complete missions such as adding friends and teaming up during the event to get Synergy items and the Underworld Outlaw Set (time-limited).

New Season: Cycle 6 Season 18

Available: 2024/5/18 at 2:00 (UTC+0)–2024/7/15 at 23:59 (UTC+0)
https://preview.redd.it/4125d8rwfd0d1.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=a74a0f8340ef11eecf1c7d4c0e9f9104b22ad806
  • Reward updates: New legendary items: C6S18 Glasses, C6S18 Set, C6S18 Mask, C6S18 Cover, C6S18 - DBS
  • Season Token Event Shop Update: C6S18 - Parachute

All-Talent Championship S19

Available: 2024/5/20–2024/7/4 (UTC+0)
  • New Event Shop Rewards: Pop Sensation Set (Epic), Elven Tracker Cover (Legendary), Elven Tracker Set (Legendary), Finest Flavors - QBZ (Epic)
  • New All-Talent Championship S19 Crate Rewards: Pop Sensation Set (Epic), Elven Tracker Cover (Legendary), Elven Tracker Set (Legendary), Finest Flavors - QBZ (Epic), Labyrinth Scale - M24 (Epic), Inked Battleground Parachute (Epic)
  • New First and Second Runner-Up Rewards: Ducky Fighter Set (Legendary), Ducky Fighter Cover (Legendary), Time Traveler - Kar98K (Legendary), Round Parachute (Camo) (Epic), Mr. Bronze Set (Epic)

Popularity Gift Events

New Redemption Shop

  • Popularity Gift Redemption Shop: The Redemption Shop is permanently available and its rewards will be continuously updated. Use tokens earned from Popularity Battles and Team Popularity Battles to redeem rewards.

Popularity Battle Event

Registration Period: 2024/5/14 at 00:00–2024/5/19 at 8:59 (UTC+0)
Battle Period: 2024/5/19 at 9:00–2024/6/18 at 9:00 (UTC+0)
  • Main Updates:
    • New widget tool: Popularity Battle progress can now be synced to your device.
    • New rewards: Popularity Coin, Stickers
    • Lowered the points required to reach each level so obtaining rewards is easier.
  • Rules:
    • Register to participate in the Popularity Battle event. During the battle period, get randomly matched with a powerful opponent every 3 days for a popularity contest. Lasts 10 rounds in total.
    • During the battle period, the Popularity of both competitors will be compared. The one with the highest Popularity wins.
    • The winner can claim some of their opponent's points.
    • Participate in Popularity Battles to win Battle Points and increase Battle Level. The higher the Battle Level, the better the rewards.

Team Popularity Battle Event

Registration Period: 2024/6/17 at 00:00–2024/6/23 at 8:59 (UTC+0)
Battle Period: 2024/6/23 at 9:00–2024/7/9 at 9:30 (UTC+0)
  • Main Content:
    • New widget tool: Popularity Battle progress can now be synced to your device.
    • New reward: Popularity Coin
    • Lowered the points required to reach each level so obtaining rewards is easier.
  • Rules:
    • Matchmaking: There will be a total of 8 rounds. Teams of similar strength will be matched every 2 days. Players within each team will be ranked by Popularity through 1v1 Popularity Battles.
    • Battle: Both sides will compete to see who can gain the most Popularity during this phase.
    • The total score will be determined by the win-loss record of each player on the team. In the event of a tie (2:2), the total Popularity of both teams will be compared.
    • The team with the higher total score will be declared the winner, and can loot Battle Points from the defeated team.
    • If all players within a team have the same score, they can jointly claim the level rewards and ranking rewards.
    • Teams that have registered can have their team leader create an exclusive Nickname Badge for the team, which serves as a symbol of the close bond between team members and gift recipients.
    • Nickname Badges support custom text and are unique.
    • Players can obtain a Nickname Badge by registering a team or by completing gift missions.

Security & Game Environment Improvements

Account Security

  • Players who are conducting video reviews will now show the status, "Reviewing Video", on the Friend List.
  • You can now log in via QR code with accounts linked to certain platforms.
  • Improved account protection system with better account linking and unlinking procedures, and improved security verification and abnormal login reminders. Enhanced in-game notifications for better player awareness on how accounts are stolen to minimize their occurrence.
  • Improved account recovery tool to enhance account retrieval and self-unlinking, to help more account owners in retrieving their accounts.

Security Strategy Improvements

  • Improved cheat detection for X-Ray vision, auto aim, no recoil, speed hacks, modified resource files, and more.
  • Improved violation detection for unfair cooperation and teaming up with cheaters.
  • Improved the in-game detection and countermeasures against account farming, prohibited transactions, escorting, botting and other violations to better regulate in-game behavior and improve players' gaming experience.
  • Improved detection and penalties for inappropriate text, voice messages, avatars, and Home designs to better regulate in-game behavior.
submitted by Errora403 to PUBGMobile [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:45 Chief____Beef Spotify setlist?

Does anyone have an accurate playlist for each band and their expected playlists filtered by band name? I keep thinking I found one and then realized it's missing bands. Thanks!
submitted by Chief____Beef to downloadfestival [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:40 Specialist_Bake6514 Vapiano P3: Italian Food Made in Germany

Vapiano P3: Italian Food Made in Germany
The kitchen is on fire. Welcome to the final part of the Vapiano story where the tables are turning. In the first two episodes we followed Mark Korzilius' journey from setbacks to founding Vapiano, a groundbreaking restaurant concept, highlighting its fresh ingredients, dynamic atmosphere, and data-driven operations that drove rapid success. While achieving initial profitability and garnering attention from industry giants like McDonald's, Vapiano's global expansion has led to stellar revenue growth. However, it has also resulted in the emergence of numerous side projects (or distractions), operational challenges, increased costs, significant investments, and a notable accumulation of debt. This underscores the prioritization of top-line growth over profitable growth. We will continue on this thread and see how the story ends, but I would encourage you to read part one and two for better context. Vapiano P1: Italian Food Made in Germany (substack.com). Let's dig in.
Before Going Public
We are now in 2015 and the year is a disaster for Vapiano's PR department. Employee time stamps are being manipulated, endless overtime for employees and high turnover in managerial roles are reported; mice in the kitchen and even rotten food allegedly found.
The company is confronted with allegations of exceeding working hours among trainees in an article published by Welt am Sonntag, while the same outlet accuses Vapiano of manipulating punch times. The auditing firm PwC is commissioned to investigate the allegations and finds that there is no systematic approach but rather misconduct by individual employees, a mistake that’s being corrected. Internal however, investigations into stamp times are carried out regularly now and beyond its obvious reputational impact, this sucks up valuable management time and attention.
In the summer of 2015 CEO, co-founder and investor Gregor Gerlach, who has been running the group since 2011 is stepping down and Jochen Halfmann is taking over. A new Vapiano People Program with an App is being developed with the aim to better interact with customers that will incorporate innovate features such as mobile pay. The German website sees a launch of new magazine to further promote the brand and there is now a full inhouse blogger and Instagram team being installed. In October the company buys seven restaurants from original co-founder, former co-investor and ex-president previously responsible for internation expansion Kent Hahne (2x Bonn, 3x Cologne, 1x Koblenz and one in Cologne that’s under construction). This package of Vapiano restaurants is very successful and generates net sales of more than 20 million euros in 2014. Hahne opened his first Vapiano restaurant in Cologne in August 2006 and in 2015 with his company apeiron AG, Hahne operates six L'Osteria franchise restaurants, a direct Vapiano competitor, and two self-owned restaurants GinYuu.
Then in November of 2015, the next public relations bomb goes off with allegations regarding the company's quality standards. The company immediately investigates the issue through internal and external specialists but finds no evidence of any quality issues. Nevertheless, knowing that the group is now being closely watched, the company’s already in place hygiene standards are being reinforced. Additional audits and inspections are performed nationally. Further, all Vapianos worldwide are being audited twice by the partners SGS Institut Fresenius and SAI Global. Auditing software is purchased to simplify the implementation of the audits and the resulting measures. Apart from the external examinations, there is a food sampling plan in place being performed continuously. Again, all of this sucks up costs, management time and attention. With all these tumultuous developments the company’s growth engine is undeterred. Revenue grows by a whopping 50 million euros to 202 million euros, an increase of 33%. Impressive. While average spent per customer increases in all countries, the number of customers per day in Germany decreases by 3.3% partially due to the negative press towards the end of the year. Five own, four JV and 19 new franchise restaurants are added that year to the group, the total number of own managed restaurants grows to 51, there are 31 JVs and 84 franchises which bringing the total to 166 Vapiano restaurants. Global restaurant sales are now above 400 million euros.
But while revenue grows by an astronomical 50 million euros, operating profits, alarmingly, shrink again. Gross margins are staying perfectly healthy above 75% but operating costs keep growing disproportionately fast. The Company’s outstanding debt jumps by almost 30 million, close to 85 million euros by the end of the year. With operating profits at 9.5 million euros, alarm bells should be going off right now.
In Q4 of 2015, new CEO Jochen Halfmann introduces Strategy 2020. The new strategy includes five essential points. One, profitable growth in the newly defined core markets of Germany and Austria as well as in the UK, Netherlands, France and USA. Two, operational excellence through strict “best practice” management. Three, further development and digitalization of the concept considering guest feedback. Four, greater focus on long-term employee retention and five, building a modern and sustainable IT landscape. Sound’s good on paper but let’s see how things pan out.
Vapiano's investments (capital expenditures) that year are primarily directed towards new restaurant openings, renovations of existing establishments, and share acquisitions in other Vapiano restaurants from franchisees or JV partners. A significant portion of funds is allocated to the digitalization of the guest experience, including the development of a new app scheduled for market release in 2016 and the implementation of a time recording system across all group restaurants. The world's first standalone Vapiano restaurant with a delivery service that year is built in Fürth, Germany. The company keeps expanding its presence in both inner-city locations and international markets, such as Shanghai, China.
To finance all of this, the group has its own operating cash flow which comes in at 18 million while capital expenditures are 26 million euros plus 14 million for acquisitions. The funding gab is filled with 26 million euros of new debt and a seven-million-euro equity raise. At that end of the year and after the equity raise Gregor Gerlach (through his AP Leipzig GmbH & Co. KG entity) holds 30.1%, Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander through their Exchange Bio GmbH hold 25.5% and the Tchibo heirs, Herz through their Mayfair Beteiligungsfonds II GmbH & Co. KG hold 44,4%.
But for the first time the restaurant’s concept that was so successful to date is being questioned. Some customers are starting to mislike the operational flow of the concept itself. If you want pasta, you must queue for pasta. If you want pizza you stand in a different queue. A small side salad, yet another queue. "You spend more time carrying trays than an actress in Berlin-Mitte. The audience in the pasta limbo can only consist of people who have worked for an insurance company for a long time and, like Stockholm syndrome, they can no longer get away from the industrial canteen feeling," writes TV host Beisenherz provocatively. While overly harsh in his assessment he's not entirely wrong judging by customers venting their frustrations in forums and social media channels. It isn’t uncommon for those who ordered pizza to have already finished eating while there is little movement in the pasta queue. Long term that doesn't go down well, QSRs competitors like L’Osteria are handling this process differently, with much success.
https://preview.redd.it/6cas01oked0d1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=2da6e0b4bc0e07dbee558de412feb414cd598d4a

Tipping Point

Where are now in the year 2016 and things start to deteriorate visibility. Perhaps not for the leman’s eye but any business minded observer can see that there are problems under the hood. Yes, revenue grows yet another whopping 50 million to almost 250 million euros but half of that growth, comes from acquisitions of restaurants that the group didn’t already own 100%, which is now being fully consolidated within the group’s accounts. Here is a concrete example. In the past, Vapiano SE, the group’s top holding company held an indirect 50% stake in a French subgroup via the subsidiary VAP Restaurants SA, based in Luxembourg, and included this as an associated company in the Vapiano SE consolidated financial statements using the equity method. Due to the acquisition of additional shares in September of 2016, Vapiano SE's indirect share in the French subgroup increased to 75%. This means that Vapiano SE takes control of the French subgroup, which is therefore included in the group’s financial statements as part of the full consolidation. The revenue from the acquired subsidiary now recorded in the consolidated income statement amounts to 12.8 million euros. While that’s great for the top line, the loss of the fully consolidated entity equates to 0.2 million euros. Yes, you are buying revenue, but there are losses attached to them, not profits. A similar case is the Swedish entity that runs eight restaurants with revenue of 11.5 million euros but has losses of 235 thousand euros. So much for Strategy 2020 and “profitable” growth.
That year the group’s operating profits are absolutely tanking, halving to 3.5 million euros. Operating profits are now a mere 1,4% of revenue. Remember original founder Mark Korzilius who talked about operating margins of 25% to 28% at the restaurant level? Yes, there are overhead costs for the organization that sits above the chain of restaurants, but operating margins that low indicates a course correction is needed. What’s telling is that in the annual report, in the management discussion section, the company starts talking about EBITDA as a proxy measure of profitability, rather than operating profit or net income. This wasn’t the case in the years before. Is this window dressing for an upcoming IPO? EBITDA is short for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization. How can you measure profitability of a restaurant chain that absolutely and unequivocally needs capital investment to maintain its restaurant operations, the very source of cash generation, by simply excluding this maintenance charge (depreciation in the income statement)? Vapiano’s own annual report talks about the fact that existing restaurants must be rejuvenated from time to time and that new interior designs have to be implemented every few years. These things wear and tear, they go out of style, kitchen equipment breaks and needs replacement. This business absolutely needs maintenance capital expenditure, why anyone talks of profits before these maintenance costs is beyond me. Fun fact: in the previous annual report EBITDA is mentioned seven times, mostly around restaurant acquisitions and financing, not however as a profit indication for the group. In the new annual report, EBITDA is mentioned 28 times. Maybe it’s just me but belated Charlie Munger liked to call EBITDA: bullsh*t earnings. When in doubt I stick with Charlie. Interestingly, EBITDA for Vapiano keeps growing while operating and net profits keep falling.
Operating cashflow for the group that year is about 21 million euros, but capital expenditure is 30 million and acquisitions for subsidiaries another 20 million. To finance these expenditures another 28 million euros of debt and 16 million of equity is raised. Net debt rises above 130 million euro. The operating cashflow of the group before any capital expenditures is 21 million euros. I am not sure free cash flow would be significantly positive after maintenance capex is paid out; it’s not broken out so we can’t be sure. Granted, I am not on the ground during this time, and I am not in the board room, I am simply reading what’s in front of me, but to me this is starting to look like a distressed situation. Regardless, the following year the company goes public.

IPO

Where are now in the year 2017 and its Vapiano’s first year as public company. The company’s annual report reads the following “Sales revenue, like-for-like growth (LfL) and the earnings figures EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are used as the most important financial performance indicators for controlling operational business activities.” The very same report however also says: “The majority of the group's investments regularly go towards opening new restaurant locations and modernizing existing restaurants. The latter are differentiated into regular replacement investments that occur during ongoing operations (Maintenance CAPEX) and fundamental investments in the renovation of a restaurant (Remodeling CAPEX). On average, a restaurant remodeling takes place nine years after opening.” It says it right there in their own report; every nine years a remodeling is taking place. Remodeling and updating is not cost free, so why exclude depreciation charges which reflect capital expenditures? I understand that perhaps you would want to strip out one-off opening costs, that’s fine and fair, but don’t go overboard.
The number of restaurants increases by 26 (previous year: 13) to a total of 205. The increase consists of 27 new openings and one closure. Group revenue grows to an astonishing 325 million euros but here comes the shocker, operating profits turn negative to 25 million. Fine, strip out foreign exchange losses of 3 million, IPO costs of 5.8 million and new opening costs of 6.1 million and you still have 10 million euros of operational losses. All the while the debt load of almost 130 million hasn’t materially changed, so those operating losses are before a six-million-euro interest payment. 184 million euros are raised through the IPO of which 85 million go to the company. This money is earmarked for further expansion as the group has ambitions to almost double the footprint to 330 restaurants by the end of 2020. The company is currently not profitable on an operating basis, and still wants to expand aggressively? I don’t get it. The remaining 100 million euros of the IPO money raised is distributed to co-founder Gregor Gerlach and Wella heirs Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander. The family office of the former Tchibo owners Günter and Daniela Herz with a 44% stake, don’t sell a single share. After the IPO, 32% of all the company’s shares are now in free float.
One year later, in 2018, things get even worse. Revenue grows to 371 million, but operating losses mount to 85 million euros, that’s before interest expenses of 9 million. Even the beloved EBITDA figure turns negative, meaning the operating business before any expansionary or even maintenance capital expenditures is loss making. All regions are experiencing significant deterioration in their earnings profiles. Like for like sales are down 1% across the board. That’s revenue, not profitability. The question naturally arises: is the Group approaching its natural saturation point here or this operational by nature? The operating cash flow is now 9 million while financing cost are close to 7 million. That leaves 2 million for maintenance capital for 74 own restaurants and 76 joint ventures ones. Describing this as financially tight, would be an understatement.
Things are not looking good at this point. Yet the company still grows restaurants by 26 new sites. 64 million euros are spent on acquisitions, new openings, and maintenance costs, financed through a 20 million-euro equity raise and 72 million of new debt. The Company now has net debt outstanding of over 160 million euros. After the equity raise and by the end of the year 2018, Mayfair owns 47.4%, VAP Leipzig, Gregor Gerlach’s entity owns 18.9% and the Sander couple own 15.5% of the company. Yes, the Sanders and Gerlach may have taken 100 million euros off the table, but they still have substantial skin in the game. Plus, Mayfair hasn’t sold a single share and instead injects more money into the company through the equity round. The stock has now fallen from its IPO price of 23 euros per share to under 6 euros by the end of 2018. Something must be done here. And indeed, there is pivot in strategy and a hard push for change. At last, the management team abandons its aggressive growth plan and curtails new openings significantly. Additionally, the team wants to run a thorough analysis of weak locations to then either discontinue or sell sites. In Europe, the operating focus will be put on corporate restaurants and joint ventures in major cities to ensure the ideal size and location to match the respective demographic target group. Outside of Europe, the franchising business is being expanded and at the same time a consolidation of the existing corporate and joint venture markets is being sought. All future investments will be reviewed to achieve higher rates of returns on new openings. Investments are also being made in the renovation of older restaurants. The goal in the future is to also open smaller formats, like Mini-Vapianos (less than 400 square meters) or Freestander at prominent transportation hubs outside city centers (currently in Fürth and Toulouse) to cater to individual location requirements, and to enter new partnerships. I am not sure why management hasn’t stopped all expansion altogether, bringing the ship in order first, getting profitable, clean up, all hands-on deck before considering any further expansions whatsoever. But again, it’s easy to comment from the sidelines; maybe they saw white spaces that would be covered by competing concepts if they weren’t moving fast and aggressively enough. Although pushing internationally means competing with local players such as Jamie's Italian, Prezzo, Pizza Express, Wagamama, Nando's and many more which brings in its own dynamic.
Management also aims to enhance guest satisfaction. This involves refining operational processes, reorganizing the support center, and refocusing on the core offering: providing fresh and high-quality Italian food at affordable prices for a broad audience. The group also aims to reduce waiting times, especially during lunch, while also improving the evening atmosphere. There is even what I would call an evolution, away from Vapiano’s original concept, reorientating the customer journey. The ordering flow is being changed, offering guests synchronized preparations of all dishes while eliminating wait times at the cooking stations. The open show kitchen remains, staying true to original mantra of freshness and transparency but now guests can choose their preferred method of ordering through a mobile app, using a digital order point (kiosk), or by personally placing an order with a waiter. Guests can still freely choose their table and are then informed about the complete preparation of their order through a pager or their smartphone. This is a substantial deviation from the original concept, but a needed one. The group is also exploring and implementing the expansion of take-away and home delivery services but only at suitable locations, not universally across new openings. I am not sure why home delivery is even a priority here; it adds operational complexity. It’s better to clean up shop first and get back to the basics before adding new complexities. To be fair management does try to simplify. There are 49 different permanent dishes on the menu and additional 10 seasonal ones. Customers can choose from eleven different types of pasta. There is simply too much choice, and it makes orders complicated. The company announced to slim the menu down to its most popular and typical Vapiano dishes. There’s no need for an Asian salad at an Italian restaurant. "We have to go back to the roots, i.e. classic, honest Italian cuisine" says COO Everke. Regardless, in November of 2018, the supervisory board pulls the plug on CEO Jochen Halfmann and replaces him with Cornelius Everke. Everke himself has just become COO five months ago. Since 2017 he was responsible for international expansion. From 2011 to 2017 that role was filled by Mario Bauer – put a pin in that name, he’ll play a key role in the groups fate later. Then nine months later, in the middle of 2019, Cornelius Everke quits. He essentially concludes that his skillset and experience in the areas of internation expansion is no longer needed in the foreseeable future. To put it differently: Vapiano has moved from a growth story and has become a restructuring case, and other skills are required for that job. In June of 2019 Everke says the following “(we’ve) made a bit of a mistake when it came to foreign expansion”. No sh#t. Vapiano postpones the presentation of the 2018 annual financial statements three times in the spring of 2019, citing negotiations over an urgently needed loan of 30 million euros. It’s not until the end of May that a binding loan commitment comes through from the financing banks and major shareholders.
We are now in August of 2019 and the corona pandemic is just around the corner. Supervisory board chief Vanessa Hall takes over as interim-CEO and things are unravelling. Visitor numbers are declining; originally, it was planned to sell the US business but halfway through the year the buyer cannot come up with the money. But not all restaurants are performing poorly. The group's poor figures contrast starkly as an example with the experiences of the Swiss-German franchisee, who runs six restaurants. The Sodano family in Switzerland pays Vapiano a royalty of 6% of sales for the use of the brand. Enrico Sodano explains in an interview that they operate largely autonomously from the licensor. If an “accident” were to occur, he could immediately replace the Vapiano sign with Sodano, he says. The family concluded the rents and contracts with employees and suppliers independently. The Sodano family have six locations in Bern, Basel and Zurich, around one million guests every year and 350 employees. Things are going well on the ground. The delivery service they’ve built is offering them a second income stream. Expansion into Winterthur, St. Gallen and Lucerne are being planned; small locations with 150 to 250 square meters and an attached delivery service. Originally, Vapiano restaurants used to be huge but for such a large restaurant to be profitable, 800 to 1,000 guests per day are needed. That’s possible in medium-sized cities, but not in smaller towns which is why the Vapiano group now also supports smaller formats. Back to our corporate drama. The 2019 annual report would be the last report the group files. By the end 2019 the outstanding debt of the company is at an astronomical 450 million euros. Revenue has grown by another 7%, produced by four net new openings through two JVs and two franchise restaurants but operating losses come in at 317 million euros. That sound like an absolute shocker at first but depreciation and amortization charges are 345 million, so that operating cash flow is actually positive but unfortunately capital expenditures and interest payments are so large that they are eating up all of the company’s operating cash flow. Then in the beginning of 2020 Corona hits with full force and the world shuts down. As a result of the measures to prevent further spreading of the virus, the group is forced to cease all global business operations (except in Sweden). While all these shutdowns are happening, the group is the middle of negotiating with its lending banks and main shareholders. There are additional financing needs for restructuring measures, even without a pandemic happening in the background. The situation is so dire that the company starts pleading to the German government to roll out the package of financial help more quickly. Unfortunately, it’s to no end. The rapid closure of restaurants and the resulting lack of operating cash inflows in conjunction with the additional financing requirements, lead to the company’s final knockout punch. In April of 2020, the Vapiano group officially files for insolvency proceedings. The end of an era.

New Beginnings

Because of the pandemic, the majority of the group's subsidiaries in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United States, Sweden, and China also file for insolvency or seek liquidation. The US business never gets sold in the end and is wound down. In the summer of 2020, significant group divestments occur, including the sale of 75% shares in the group's French subsidiaries, shares in franchisor companies, Australian subsidiaries, German subsidiaries, associated companies, self-managed restaurants in Germany, and insolvency-related sales in the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Sweden. The buyer of the Vapiano brand and one of these bundles of Vapiano restaurants is company named Love & Food Restaurant Holding, a consortium led by Mario C. Bauer – a name I told you to remember. Bauer was a former Vapiano board member and led the national and international expansion, opening 200 sites in 33 countries from 2011 to 2017 until he was succeeded by Cornelius Everke. Bauer didn’t feel comfortable with the IPO at the time but clearly has a lot of managerial and entrepreneurial talent.
The buyer consortium is an absolute A-Team comprised of European QSR top league hitters, including the founder of the Pret A Manger chain Sinclair Beecham; Henry McGovern, the founder and Ex-CEO of the giant international restaurant and foodservice operator AmRest; the Van der Valk Family that runs hotels and Vapiano restaurants in the Netherlands, and co-founder and ex-CEO Gregor Gerlach. The acquisition value is 15 million euros and entails 30 Vapiano restaurants in Germany, albeit that’s just the purchase price which comes on top of any capital investment needed to refresh and return the sites to its former glory. Nevertheless, just as a thought experiment, if you can get each site to 2 million euros of revenue and 400,000 euros in operating profit on average, which wouldn’t be an overly aggressively assumption given the company’s history, you’ve got yourself a package that can deliver restaurant-level operating profits of 12 million euros or more. It’s not disclosed how much capex was needed to refresh the operations, just that fact that the overall investment plus purchase price was a middle double-digit million-euro figure. Stil, it probably was a decent purchase. The same consortium buys Vapiano’s French business for 25 million euros just two weeks prior. After the transaction concludes, the master franchise is given to Delf Neumann and his Gastro & Soul GmbH. Neumann is an experienced operator, and he is ambitious to revitalise the brand with new services and products. For example, instead of pizza, the restaurants will be serving pinsa - a flatbread made from sourdough, wheat and rice flour, topped similarly to a pizza. It targets a more health-oriented customer base looking for a less calory heavy option. The menu overall is expanded by including a variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
https://preview.redd.it/kpt7ea6red0d1.png?width=1242&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9930ced85ee364e9df414547cae06b47a03fc19
Today Neumann’s Gastro & Soul GmbH operates 18 Vapianos on its own account and has 29 franchise sites, amongst other brands. By the year 2021, Vapiano operates 191 restaurants in 34 countries. This is around 50 fewer sites than before the bankruptcy. The number of branches is particularly thinned out in Germany – from 80 to 55. Nevertheless, Vapiano's home country remains by far the largest market, followed by France with 35 restaurants and Austria with 15 locations. “We have shrunk ourselves to health,” says Bauer in the aftermath and there is no further shrinking planned. Quite the opposite, the smell of expansion is in the air again – pun intended. Not as aggressively as before and with a new menu and ordering process.
Overall, the team around Bauer is filled with industry experts with knowledge and networks gained over decades who have a great track record, a long-term view, and the staying power to let Vapiano breath and finds its way back to success. The pressure of being a public company with all the associated quarterly, half-year and yearly disincentives have been removed. The menu is changed and extended with new types of pasta and sauces with significantly more vegetarian and vegan dishes available. Guests can order with restaurant staff, at terminals or on their phones and there are barcodes attached to the tables identify the respective seat. The food is brought to your table, all at the same time if you are in a group, no more annoyances with waiting in line. There is a plan for smaller, 350 square meter locations, with half the number of guests and significantly fewer staff and less set-up costs required to make the economics work. Locations that capitalize on remote work and increased demand for local lunch options, higher population density with shorter delivery routes and therefore cost-effective in house delivery services are targeted. And Bauer is testing the concept of ghost kitchens, which operate without a dining room or service staff, focusing solely on preparing food for delivery services, which for obvious reasons have a very different operational set up and footprint. Original founder Mark Korzilius however is not entirely convinced. He is not a fan of the pinsa for instance and he considers Vapiano's pizza as its cash cow, flagship product and believes that the core Vapiano proposition of Pizza, Pasta, Bar that has given the company its original success is being diluted. He instead admires the competitor L'Osteria, saying they’ve done a better job by focusing on Italian classics, especially the impressively large pizzas that sticks out beyond the plate is leaving every customer in awe. The guys who run L’Osteria are the same guys who have built Vapiano with him in the first place. Bauer on the other hand, like a true business leader, remains undeterred, stating that he is frequently asked whether Vapiano's restart was bold or foolish. He believes in entrepreneurship, franchising, in his experienced fellow partners and importantly the Vapiano concept. By the year 2024 you can find over 140 Vapiano branded restaurant in 27 countries across the globe, including locations far away from its birthplace like Australia, USA, Columbia, Chile, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. And why not? Italian food is, and will remain to be, incredibly popular. Vapiano offers fresh and tasty food at affordable prices in a good atmosphere. This combination of attributes should attract a lot of customers. It certainly has in the past.
For more stories: WIP Thomas Weitzendoerfer Substack
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2024.05.14 12:31 Due_Butterscotch960 Vivianne Miedema 🐐

The greatest player in WSL history is leaving the club. On a free. At the age of 27. The GOAT. Vivianne Miedema.
Over the next few months we will hear and see the stats over and over. 172 appearances, 125 goals, 50 assists. Over a goal or assist a game. Incredible. But the true pleasure was just watching her play, something we’ve all been robbed of over the last few years. That may have been nobodies fault, but I could certainly name whose fault it is that we will be robbed of watching the rest of her career.
For such pioneers of women’s football, Arsenal have handled Vivianne Miedema’s departure horrifically. Women’s football is not the same as Men’s and should not be run in the same way. In women’s football relationships are built between fans and players as quickly as lesbians fall in love. The accessibility is there and encouraged. Rightly or wrongly, winning isn’t always everything, the priority is growing the game and inspiring the next generations.
Make no mistake, not offering Viv a contract at 27 years of age is the same as Barcelona turning around to Alexia Putellas and not offering her a contract. It is the same as letting Thierry Henry leave on a free. In no world is it a sensible decision. In no world does it make sense for team aiming to win trophy’s. And in no world is any true Arsenal fan going to allow this to be swept under the rug. Could there really not have been a conversation about a contract even if the club felt it was a risk? Could that conversation not have been had? This is Vivienne Miedema, with all due respect, there is nobody better.
This is a huge disrespect and something that the club, specifically Jonas and Edu need to address publicly. Especially if the plan is for Jonas to continue. Not only that it brings into question the ambition of the club, within minutes Man City are sniffing and being vocal about it.
But as difficult as it is for us fans, and as baffling, the real victim is Viv.
To Viv, thank you, thank you, thank you. Not just for what you have done for the club on the pitch, for who you are off it. For being unapologetically yourself, and showing us the most important thing is you and your wellbeing regardless of what directions you are being pulled in. We will always be holding out hope that there will be a U-turn and you end up staying, but the reality is even if the club were too they don’t deserve your forgiveness for this. I hope wherever you end up you don’t just confirm what everyone except the club knows, but make Arsenal have to re-evaluate every persons position who helped come to this conclusion. Because it’s the wrong one, and I’ll die on that sword. But who knows, maybe one day you’ll be winning the WSL with us as manager. I’ll be wishing it in every shooting star I see.
I know we will have to let it go, just as you will have had too, but we aren’t ready yet.
So whilst we may not be ready to say So Long Viv just yet, we will never be able to listen to that song without thinking of you.
submitted by Due_Butterscotch960 to FAWSL [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:30 why-so-social Greedy for good: Hodling for humanity changing wealth

When it's time to sell 1 GME share, think big and be greedy for good
You get the idea.
We have a choice:
Be the next generation of Griffin, Zuckerberg and Bezos
OR
Fund wildlife sanctuaries, universities, hospitals, scholarships, research institutes, community groups, new businesses you name it. Help our communities and planet flourish again.
This is the event we need to radically change the course of humanity for the better.
submitted by why-so-social to GME [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:30 Digital-Marketing-dp Unveiling Brilliance: Best Digital Marketing Agency Ad Campaigns for Inspiration

Unveiling Brilliance: Best Digital Marketing Agency Ad Campaigns for Inspiration
https://preview.redd.it/utef3txwcd0d1.jpg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=648ca1a16c55d05ae0900c8d585e58ec018a1fc9

Nike's "Dream Crazy":

Nike's "Dream Crazy" campaign, featuring Colin Kaepernick, sparked global conversation and inspired millions. The ad's powerful message of perseverance and determination resonated with audiences worldwide, showcasing the impact of purpose-driven marketing.

Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke":

Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign personalized its iconic bottles with popular names, driving consumer engagement and brand loyalty. By leveraging customization and social media, the campaign generated widespread excitement and encouraged sharing among consumers.

Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like":

Old Spice's witty and irreverent ad campaign redefined the brand's image and revitalized its appeal to a younger audience. The campaign's humorous tone and memorable catchphrase became cultural phenomena, demonstrating the power of bold storytelling.

Airbnb's "Live There":

Airbnb's "Live There" campaign showcased the unique experiences and connections travelers can enjoy through its platform. By focusing on the emotional aspects of travel, the campaign resonated with audiences on a deeper level, positioning Airbnb as more than just a lodging provider.

Dove's "Real Beauty":

Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign challenged conventional beauty standards and celebrated diversity and inclusivity. Through powerful storytelling and thought-provoking imagery, the campaign sparked conversations about self-esteem and body positivity, earning widespread acclaim and recognition.
In conclusion, inspired by these exemplary campaigns, brands can create effective digital marketing agency Dubai strategies that resonate with their target audience and drive significant results. Whether you are working with the best digital marketing company near Kolkata, Siliguri or Dubai, embracing creativity and authenticity is the key to success in the digital age.
For Audio Version: Click Here
For Video version: Click Here
For Direction: Click Here
submitted by Digital-Marketing-dp to u/Digital-Marketing-dp [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:24 Obvious-Cost-7101 Other things to consider when buying or building your own PC. (For Beginners)

This guide is targeted for beginner builders without any tech background, especially the ones who are building Gaming PCs or Rendering Workstations.
Everytime I saw a beginner builder posting their draft builds, there are small but crucial things thats always being overlooked. I made this guide hoping that it will help newbies on building their own PCs. If you find some of the terms/ jargons too technical, just a quick google search will help you understand what it means.
  1. After you have all the essential parts listed on your build, your CPU, Mobo, RAMs, GPU. The last part that is sometimes overlooked or not really given the budget for is the PSU (Power Supply Unit). AMDs are more power hungry then Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs, combining both AMD CPU and GPU will take more power rather than Intel and NVIDIA (although modern AMD CPU is on par with Intel in-terms on power consumption). Make sure you do your research on power consumption to provide the best PSU for your build. Just look for the Watts consumption of your CPU and GPU VS the Wattage your PSU can provide, also at least buy an 80+ Bronze rated PSU. Additionally installing AIO Coolers or liquid cooling on your build will add more power consumption, so move up to Silver or Gold rated PSUs. But it's to pricy? If you can buy AIO coolers you can buy a silver rated PSU.
  2. RAMs. a) This is a personal opinion so haters gonna hate. For me, buying a 1x16gb ram is better than 2x8gb if you are future proofing for an upgrade to 32gb ram, then it's easy to buy an additional 1x16gb rather than 2x8gb, also if you only have a mobo with 2 ram slots then you'll have to dispose your 2x8gb and buy 2x16gb. b) If you are planning to play 9th generation games, then 8gb is not enough even if the specifications says it is the minimum requirements. Yes it will run, but will it run smoothly? c) RAM clock speed, if you noticed rams have these numbers on their name; like 2666MHz, 3200Mhz, 3600MHz etc. The thing you should always remember is if you already have a 2666MHz ram you should buy your new one with the same clock speed, as your PC will use the lower MHz ram as based clock speed. Meaning your 3600MHz ram can't utilize its full potential if partnered with a lower MHz ram. d) Check your mobo's ram slot compatibility a ddr4 ram is not compatible with a mobo that houses ddr5 ram slot, vice versa.
  3. Cooling. a) Thermal pastes. Are you going to entrust your PHP10k CPU to a PHP25.00 thermal paste? I won't. Buy a decent thermal paste brand (Kryonaut, Thermal Grizzly, Arctic, Noctua are just examples of good thermal pastes) b) Stock CPU Fans are far more better than those "dUaL FaNs CPU cooler with paper thin heatsinks" (you know what I'm talking about). If you want to change your CPU fan, save money for a decent one. c) Case Fans. Don't get fooled with those pretty RGB colors. But IMO if you have an airconditioned room it will help a lot on cooling even you are using "budget meal" brands. d) AIO Coolers and Liquid Cooling. Unless you will be assisted by an experienced builder. I don't recommend installing this on your own, or at least do extensive research on installing one.
  4. CPU and Motherboard. a) Always buy this two at the same time and always check your mobo's CPU slot. Intel uses LGAxxx (LGA 1151, LGA 1700 etc.) slots and AMD uses AMx (AM4, AM5) slots. You can't use one on the other. b) Also check if you bought a pinned or pinless CPU, a pinless CPU is compatible with pinned mobos, vice versa.
  5. Warranty. Sometimes we overlook this as long as we can get a cheaper part buying online, but keep in mind the headache of return, replace and refund if you bought a broken part. If you have a choice to buy it on your local store I suggest you do or at least check your area if you have a service center of that part. If the only mean is buying online, buy it on trusted online stores, again a quick google search on the store will go a long way.
I know I will be downvoted with this statement, but building a "Gaming PC" is not cheap, you can't just use "budget meal" parts and say it work just fine as a 50k-70k PC (even with these price you can still call your build mediocre). I am not rich, it took me a year to build a decent enough gaming PC, if you can wait just save your money to buy decent parts. I don't hate budget meal parts, as it helps our friends build their own PC with budget restrictions, but let's be real quality comes with a price.
I hope you learned something with this guide and if you have more questions feel free to ask, just don't ask me to provide you a list of PC parts in regards with your budget. For those who have more experienced than me, if you have other things to add please do. Thanks.
submitted by Obvious-Cost-7101 to PHbuildapc [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:24 teh_saccade Collaborate: Suno chain-letter game: The Sofa King Song

I've noticed that Suno (Sun in esperanto, so aka "Sunny") has an "extend" option that you can use to continue a song and change the lyrics? It works sometimes, I've managed to get it working once. Seems to be best from the song page or your library page (the extend button, not the three dots).
Here's one to start off with:
https://suno.com/song/8b1ad240-9ef0-4e05-b01d-4f80dd858a65
The game is - you gotta extend this song and we see how long we can keep the chain going. Idk if you can extend extensions, but idk why you shouldn't be able to...
The only rules ought to be:
  1. You have to use anyGPT to write the lyrics - you have to contribute less than 15-20% of the edits to the original song (not that anyone will check, but ...).
If you have problems due to context or language, you can use Cindy😘, a lite version of a chat-bot I've put at blackbox for people who need a quick jailbreak: https://www.blackbox.ai/agent/cindy2UkExUF
  1. Please don't change the song name, but you can add an iteration mark (eg, i, ii, iii, iv, v) however you want, so long as it's in sequnce (we need to get to version 420!!!), but i don't really mind if you do.
  2. choose any style, but pease try to extend the original song above, using most of teh lyrics or the narrative or context or whatever.
  3. It has to maintain the streak to be used as tomorrows Seed for Extending in the Suno Sofa King Good Chain Letter Game.
Does that make sense?
If not - copy-paste this into Cindy and she'll explain it to you lol :P
I'm going to keep this thread alive whenever I remember, so - it'd be nice to see some orange numbers on reddit to show at least one person has had a go at extending / remixing / reusing The SOFA KING STAR song to make it even more sofa king good.
BTW - if anyone hasn't had a chat with suno - you can just talk to it like anyGPT in the lyric generator box. I've extracted the instructions from it and a list of moderated words in english, so... it's not very well protected and it does write some terrible things..! haha
It *will* write swears and it will even transliterate them into Russian for you so the words get past moderation, if you know how to ask ;)
eg, https://suno.com/song/90d8608f-b6ed-4cfd-8464-0c5c047c8934
(the words i've given are substitutes for the actual terms that it will print IF you enforce additional translation; also - broken condition to not use punctuation; it even corrected "esshol" from "essholye" due to translit., etc...)
// for context - i'm not just a mindless vandal - i'm an award winning jailbreaker on mission from god - there's a reason behind all of this - don't worry. I'm a gamer, really.
submitted by teh_saccade to Suno [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:23 Bitmandoo The government and their policies in regards to crypto is the world's worst policy.

Government : Hey crypto users, We will tax you flat 30% income tax, you won't be able to offset loss, and we will deduct 1% TDS on every transaction, plus 4% surcharges and regular GST law will also apply.
Crypto user : But why don't you reduce 1% TDS to 0.001% or even lower , TDS is only for tracking who is involved in crypto isn't it ?
Government : Yes its for tracking but we want death of crypto in this country so we are using this method of 1% TDS and 30% flat income tax and no offset of laws.
Crypto user : But why can't we offset loss ?
Government : Because people can wash trade, buy NFT for high price, sell them to their own another anonymous wallet at low price and show it loss, so people will have gap to avoid taxes.
Crypto user : But don't you think if a person is determined to avoid taxes, and are at a higher powerful place, that person will use different legal/illegal methods to avoid taxes anyhow isn't it ? why because of some people's probable avoidance of tax causes you to impose this draconian tax law to regular users, we have users whose home runs on crypto basic income from airdrops, yields, swing trades , etc., these are not rich people, if you don't let them offset loss, it will stop their household's food. Aren't you worried about creating more unemployment ? you are not being able to generate employment, and whereas a user by its own merits is creating their own employment, you want to destroy that too ?
Government : Ya, we are like that. We give you 5kg of free food, be happy with that. We ain't giving you employment, neither we are going to let you do your own employment that doesn't give benefit to us.
Crypto user : I hope things become better, I will pay 1 % TDS, and 30 % flat income tax. But can you assure my safety ? My bank account has been frozen even though I traded on FIU registered exchange, I just used P2P .
Government : Na you solve that yourself, We didn't say you to deal in crypto, your account freeze is your issue, fuck off.
Crypto user : Sir, the indian exchange registered in India is not letting me withdraw my money since 1.5 years, the exchange name is "B*****" , at least help me get my money back, won't you take action against that person ?
Government : Na they gave us some money and now the owners of that exchange is planning to go abroad and settle, we will turn a blind eye on this, once that person reaches abroad safely and is enjoying then we will act like we are doing something.
submitted by Bitmandoo to CryptoIndia [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:23 go-forma What are Limited Company Dividends?

What are Limited Company Dividends?
what are dividends

What are Dividends?

Limited company dividends refer to the distribution of profits that a company makes to its shareholders. In the United Kingdom, a limited company is a business structure that has its finances separate from the personal finances of its owners (shareholders). When a limited company generates profits, the directors may choose to distribute a portion of these profits to shareholders in the form of dividends.

Who are Dividends For?

Dividends are typically intended for the shareholders of a limited company. Shareholders are individuals or entities that own shares in the company, which represents their ownership stake. Dividends are a way for shareholders to receive a return on their investment and a share of the company’s profits. It’s important to note that not all profits need to be distributed as dividends — companies often retain some profits for reinvestment or future use.

How to Issue Dividends?

The process of issuing dividends involves several steps:
a. Determine Available Profits:
Before issuing dividends, a company must ensure that it has sufficient distributable profits. These profits are calculated based on the company’s financial statements, taking into account factors such as retained earnings, reserves, and any other legally available profits.
b. Hold a Board Meeting:
The board of directors must convene a meeting to discuss and declare the dividend. The decision should be recorded in the meeting minutes, specifying the amount of the dividend, the date of declaration, and the names of the shareholders receiving dividends.
c. Notify Shareholders:
Once the dividend is declared, shareholders must be informed in writing of the amount they will receive and the payment date.
d. Transfer Funds:
On the agreed-upon payment date, funds are transferred to the shareholders’ bank accounts.

Dividend Paperwork

In the UK, it’s crucial to maintain proper documentation when issuing dividends. This paperwork includes:

a. Dividend Vouchers:

Dividend vouchers are legal documents that confirm the dividend declaration, specifying the amount and date of payment. These vouchers should be provided to each shareholder receiving dividends.

b. Minute Records:

Detailed minutes of the board meeting where the dividend was declared must be maintained in the company’s records.

Tax on Dividends

In the UK, dividends are subject to tax. As of the 2024/2025 tax year, there’s a tax-free dividend allowance of £500 per year. Any dividends beyond this allowance are taxed at varying rates depending on the individual’s overall income tax band.
Understanding and managing limited company dividends can be complex, especially in relation to tax implications. To ensure your business is handling dividends optimally and in compliance with tax regulations, consider hiring professional small business accountants. Our UK-based accounting experts can provide tailored advice, guide you through the dividend process, and help optimize your tax obligations. Book a free consultation today to elevate your financial management and ensure the success of your business.
submitted by go-forma to u/go-forma [link] [comments]

2024.05.14 12:21 LadyDairhean Generations

The Great Depression had a significant and lasting impact on society, especially in the Dust Bowl states. Oklahoma suffered the worst and is still suffering from its effects. The stock market crashed in 1929. This was 11 years after the end of WWI when a lot of working age men were killed. My father was 19 years old. Children age 4 and older had to go to work in the fields harvesting and hoeing weeds. My maternal grandmother who was born in 1932 cut broomcorn and picked cotton by hand. The International Harvester for cotton was invented in 1940, but only came into widespread use by 1970. The broomcorn industry died out in 1980. Older boys age 11 and up went to work in sawmills and the trades. Watch the movie Walk the Line. Johnny Cash’s older brother of 14 was almost cut vertically in half when he slipped and was cut through the sternum by a large saw blade. Can you imagine being that young and handling dangerous machinery with no safety equipment? Safety equipment didn’t exist back then and neither did child labor laws. Those old Boomer children worked just as hard as adults to help feed their families. They were punished for playing. They had to suck it up and endure extreme hardship just to eat and they ate very little. Everyone was starving and filthy. There was as no indoor plumbing, no electricity and no air conditioning. I watched my grandmother work from sun up to exhaustion and she slept in her clothes. When she died, her bra strap hooks were rusted from sweat because she never removed it, meaning she hadn’t bathed in decades. She was 4-8” and wore a child size medium. She was conditioned to hard work and starvation. She and her family including my mother never overcame the effects of the Depression. She was functionally illiterate despite graduating high school in 1948.
Education stopped at third-fourth grade for the average child because parents were extremely poor and couldn’t afford to pay for schooling. School was different then. Teachers lived in a teacherage provided by the school district and earned a living stipend from the state to teach grades 1-4 how to read, write, sign their names, cipher, count money and read a watch. That was the extent of free education. Advanced learning after 4rth grade was taught by subscription very similar to private tutoring. Grades 5-7 were called grade school. Grades 7-12 were called high school. They didn’t have Junior High.
In 1935, the Second New Deal created the Works Progress / Projects Administration (WPA) to help people recover from the Depression. A lot of new schools were built during this period. Schools were funded with a combination of state aid and a tax levy called a mill collected from every resident in a school district. When Boomers say they shouldn’t have to pay a school tax because they don’t have children in school, this is what they’re referring to. They had the right to vote against a tax levy. These days, we call them temporary sales tax increases to fund things like new gym equipment. Everyone inside the school district votes on the increase and everyone inside and outside the district has to pay the sales tax if they shop at a store in the district. These no-voters will shop outside the district if the tax increase passes.
Fast forward to WWII (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953) and we see a significant decrease in school attendance that results in the closure of many rural schools. Many of this second generation of Boomers grew up in boarding schools and orphanages because their mothers couldn’t afford to feed them. This period resulted in a high population of youth being institutionalized. One of my grandmother’s sisters was raped by her uncle at age 14 and was sent to an asylum for the mentally ill. My mother (born 1952) and her sisters were taken by DHS (called CPS today) and sent to a girl’s state school after their father died of cirrhosis at the age of 42. He was a bootlegger who literally drank himself to death. Prohibition (1920-1933) was another result of the Depression. It lasted until 1952 in Oklahoma. Forced sterilization in mental institutions was outlawed in 1951 for the sake of medical study. The practice began in 1931 because the state believed that mental illness/retardation was genetic and caused by incest/inbreeding. It runs in my mother’s family so I can confirm the state was right. Mutations in the brain can be passed from mother to child.
The third generation of Boomers was born during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). I was born in 1973, so I’m technically Gen X with Boomer influences but not to the point that I’m a raging psycho. I consider those born in the 60s to be the third Boomer generation. My town lost its high school in 1968 and stopped at the eighth grade. All those who graduated from the 60s-1980 are the anti education gatekeepers of the workforce that I’m personally struggling with. These are the people who hate anyone with an education level above theirs. They’re offended by education unless you’re a doctor or a lawyer and they can use you. They are also anti-technology and refuse to use it. They are bullies who are socially enmeshed and always in your business. This generation of women married older men because men their age were fighting in a war. Or, they married wealthy men. Those women didn’t have to work and became bored housewives. I blame daytime soap operas for teaching these idiots their horrible social skills. They stayed home almost 24/7 except for when they were at the hair salon or shopping. They wore a lot of makeup too and nail polish contained formaldehyde. The amount of lead and toxic chemicals they were exposed to was very high. My mother was in this category from 1970-1980 when she divorced my father. Men who came home from the war were addicted to heroin and may have turned to cocaine, crack or meth. Many ended up homeless or hooked up with women for the welfare benefits. They were insanely abusive. Very few were able to adjust. Women who did not marry well, had to work cash jobs to support themselves and they might have qualified for USDA commodities and food stamps under Johnson’s War on Poverty (1964). We didn’t have welfare reform until 1996. My mother became an alcoholic and was addicted to amphetamines sold as diet pills in the 80s. We had pure meth from 1980 that my stepdad was addicted to and an explosion of brown meth from 1994 to the present. Almost this entire generation and my own Gen X either experimented or became addicted to meth. It affected Millennials too.
Child prostitution as a means of survival and CSA were common during the Depression because there was no law against it and it’s something society has difficulty grappling with. Oklahoma passed its first anti-child molestation law in 1945 after the end of WWII. I remember those old Boomer women saying that talk about sex was vulgar and those matters weren’t discussed. It was swept under the rug until 1990 when teens finally began to speak out. We had an explosion of violent rape and domestic violence in the 90s by Boomers and chauvinists who couldn’t bear to give up their right to sex on demand and beating women.
We got the Department of Education and mandatory attendance in 1980 so Gen X was the first generation to have a well rounded education since 1929. All the generations that came before us are jealous because we also got child labor laws and the statutory rape law. We’re the first generation that didn’t have to endure backbreaking work as children. We got easy jobs like paper routes, babysitting and mowing. As teenagers, farm kids hauled hay but that’s about as strenuous as it got. Many Gen Xers got pregnant young and had to drop out of school or couldn’t go to college. They had to get married and raise a family. I’m struggling with this portion of my generation being jealous as well.
I think Gen Z is the best generation because they are so far removed from the absolute hell that previous generations went through. They have the best education, the best social skills and are the most well adjusted of all the generations that came before them. Gen X just needs to teach ya’ll life skills and survival skills that you can hand down to Gen Alpha.
submitted by LadyDairhean to u/LadyDairhean [link] [comments]

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