#my phone is a glorified ipod

[petrareads]

I think all my life’s problems would be solved if I had more storage on my phone

#have i had no storage for probably a year now? yes #am i going to do something about it? #like probably not? #like im trying #but not really trying #and #basically waiting for my phone to die #like what am i supposed to do not download music on spotify #that's ridiculous #my phone is a glorified ipod #petrareads #petraposts #shitpost

[thisgirllovespasta]

Eating Disorders on Tumblr - A Socialization Lens

How is it that so many people get sucked into online spaces that romanticize and glorify eating disorders? How is it that anorexia and bulimia have become so prevalent in society, especially since the 1970s?

My hypothesis: socialization.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is socialization?

Socialization relates to the narratives we are fed from the world around us. It is "messages that we receive from mainstream culture about what groups mean and which group is 'better'" (Seth, 21 January 2024, pp. 13-14).

There are numerous methods in which socialization can occur, permeating various aspects of our lives. Mainstream media, including television, movies, and advertising, plays a significant role in shaping societal norms and values. Educational systems instil in us cultural ideals and historical perspectives, often reinforcing dominant narratives and marginalizing alternative viewpoints. Religious traditions teach moral and ethical frameworks, guiding individuals' perceptions of right and wrong (2024).

Additionally, cultural history and heritage contribute to our socialization by transmitting traditions, customs, and collective memories across generations. Family dynamics, peer interactions, and social institutions such as government and law further reinforce social norms and expectations (2024).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How does all this relate to eating disorder Tumblr?

Well, to put it plainly, social media shapes us.

As we saw through the interviews I conducted, a similarity that existed between all participants was the young, impressionable age in which Tumblr use began at, followed by the drastic impact that the things the participants saw on Tumblr in relation to ED culture had on the participants self-esteem.

Tumblr contributes to the development and perpetuation of eating disorder culture by exposing individuals to media influences, peer interactions, cultural narratives, and community norms that normalize and reinforce disordered eating behaviours and beliefs about body image.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In her 2019 article for Pacific Standard, Angela Y. Lee describes the experience she had with ED Tumblr in the early 2010s.

"Buried deep under my covers, I cried myself to sleep every night for months, illuminated by the glow of my phone screen showing me model after model after stick-thin model—each tagged, labeled, and raised on a divine digital pedestal with the words #beautiful, #inspiration, #goals, and #thinspiration. I wished the Internet could teach me how to look beautiful, how to lose weight. And the Internet delivered, slipping me tantalizingly easy advice on how to survive on 300 calories a day and how to starve the right way, carefully explained in floral lettering" (Lee, 2019).

The ways in which we engage with social media have long-lasting impacts on us. For so many of us, the side of the internet that we were on in our youths was teaching us directly how to have eating disorders. And this was normal. It was normal for us to go on our iPods late at night and consume content about weight loss and restriction without a second thought because we were socialized in the digital age. So many of us were raised in front of screens by parents who didn't fully understand the internet. Unrestricted internet access paired with consuming content both online and on TV, in books, and in movies raised an entire generation of people who didn't know any better.

Socialization shapes our online experiences just as it does our offline interactions, highlighting the interconnectedness of the digital and physical worlds in shaping our perceptions of ourselves and others.

[bones-of-eldest-daughter]

Phone?what’s a…..

Oh! You mean the glorified iPod I track my calories on?

#bonesofeldestdaughter

[kyogos]

Am I trash? Probably

#I need to get my sim changed from micro to nano #Which I'll try to do over the weekend #But new backgrounds lads #This phone is currently a glorified ipod

[lapisdeis]

what do i hate more? this sorry excuse of a "phone" or disney+ & netflix?

#to explain: i haven't had a working phone since 9th grade. i am currently using an old phone of my mom's. this phone is also broken #it is so broken that the only app i can use that plays videos is youtube. both netflix and d+ don't work on this phone #besides that the power button doesn't work and the charge i have isn't meant for this model of phone. #:/// my brother is asleep so i can't double check what site he uses to watch tv shows. #would like to add all phones i've used did not have data. so they are just a glorified ipod #don't rb #please don't rb #if you don't follow dni

[batmansymbol]

turning off notifications

hello friends! i have been reading an excellent and horrifying book called The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, by Shoshana Zuboff. in part, it discusses social media giants’ desire—driven by profit—to create compulsive and reliant behaviors in its users. zuboff goes on to detail the effects on our mental health. spoiler, they’re Very Very Bad.

it’s funny, because in the moment i’ve historically felt like it’s so difficult to identify why i feel depressed. but right now, i am looking back over the course of the last 12 years of my life, and. i started having issues with depression at the exact time my facebook usage ramped up. i had my worst episodes during the period that i was on facebook and twitter and instagram all the time. since i left facebook and twitter, i haven’t had a serious episode.

i’m not saying it’s a hundred percent causal. but i’ve never ever EVER regretted leaving facebook or twitter, and i’m starting to think about how good i could potentially feel if i continued flushing the rest out of my system. so, in light of this, i am going to leave instagram and goodreads.

i’m also thinking pretty seriously about ‘bricking’ my smartphone and turning it into basically like, a glorified ipod for music and audiobooks, and getting a flip phone/”feature phone” for actual life usage. does anyone here have a flip/feature phone or have experience with this?

i considered leaving tumblr, too, but poking around through the settings, i’m actually pleased with the provisions tumblr has for privacy, agency, and user control. there are a lot of jokes floating around about how, somehow, this hellsite has become the most livable place on the internet, but it’s true!!!! the lack of an algorithm deciding what we should see and when, what’s most likely to shove us into endless cycles of anger, envy, or other highly “engaged” emotions—this is stuff i really appreciate about being here.

@staff y’all should push even further in this direction and position yourselves as the privacy-oriented, anti-surveillance social media... it’s the good and politically radical thing to do

ANYWAY, the point of this post is to say that i'm disabling all notifications. i’m no longer going to get the little flag in the top right for comments, tags, etc., so if you tag me in something and i don’t reply, send me an ask or a DM!

also, i highly recommend reading the surveillance capitalism book! we are being numbed to the seizure of the contents of our lives, and tech companies operate totally outside the realms of democratic oversight, and i sure hate it so much. zuboff's discussions of targeted advertising are particularly scary. until now i’ve thought of it in humorous terms - “oh, lmao, i bought a vacuum cleaner and now google thinks i want to fill my home with vacuum cleaners!”

but these targeted ads, where and when they present themselves, are getting more and more granular with these companies’ growing awareness of our lives and emotions. more and more, we are being subjected to ads and all sorts of digital nudges at the moments we are the most susceptible.

as data mining picks up more and more information about our facial expressions, our feelings, and our behaviors, we’ll inevitably be advertised to when we’re the most stressed, numb, alone, depressed, insecure, or otherwise vulnerable, in order to yield the greatest profit for surveillance companies’ partners. we deserve a better and more humane future.

#personal

[azroazizah]

Psychedelic Happenstance

okay so..... I’m so.... so late 😭 but I’m soooooo proud to finish this fic. I hope this doesn’t feel too rushed T^T

This fic is inspired by @redphlox‘s [MakeDamnSure.mp3] You can view her art here!

Psychedelic Happenstance

Pairing: Soul x Maka

Warning: language, slight sexual jokes, mid-2000s setting, and probably a lot of secondhand embarrassment bc Soul is dumb

Summary: He is a cool guy. Or so he thought, until he sees the pretty girl in pigtails who claims she’d found his lost iPod. And oh. Apparently, flirting is hard. 

~~

Excerpt:

“Excuse me, are you Soul Evans?”

Soul stops his darkening thoughts on time to turn around when he hears his name. All right, this is it. Just ask the iPod back, say thanks, and lock himself in his room and listen to the damn thing for three days straight, no funny business, no—oh…

Man is he bad at following a plan.

She is a very tiny girl. With a pair of wide and round green eyes, rosy cheeks and silky ash-blond hair—in pigtails, of all things.

Not only her face, but her way of dressing is also completely adorable, with blue miniskirt and a matching sleeveless blue blouse. Her boots are a little mismatched with the rest of her, though, but they suit the look surprisingly well.

In short… She. Is. So. Damn. Cute.

He catches himself and does a pathetic attempt at clearing his throat, pretending he hasn’t been ogling her like a creep. He is Soliel Arthur Evans. Embodiment of sarcasm. Cool guy extraordinaire. He’s so not gonna have a crush on a girl he’d just met and gaping like a catfish out of water.

“I—uhm, yes…”

“I’m Maka, the one who called you yesterday!” She slides to sit beside him and puts a paper cup on the table. Gone was his resolve to have one simple interaction. Damnitall. Even her voice is cuter without the phone’s filter.

To be noted, Soul has never associated any girl, boy, or any other human being whatsoever, with the word cute. And this speaks something, as he is a son of a rich family and practically growing up with the concept of beauty drilled into his brain.

“Uh-huh. Thanks for calling me.”

She produces a pretty smile, revealing a single crooked tooth—as if she isn’t too cute already—and answers, “You’re welcome! Figured it was something important.”

“Yeah,” Soul exhales dumbly. Is this what people glorify as love at the first sight? The one with flowery background and erratic but exciting heartbeat? Soul gulps. False advertisement. It’s more like wanting to puke from the amount of nervousness.

“Wow, your hair is really white! And it looks so fluffy!”

Her big eyes zoomed on his head, making him struggle not to blush. Oh my god, they’re so green. Come on Evans, you’re a cool guy.

“S’natural,” he croaks.

Maka let out a chiming laugh, revealing her crooked tooth, “You’ve said. I’m sorry, it’s not that I think your hair is weird. It looks cool. You look cool.”

Don’t blush. Don’t blush. Don’t blush.

“Thanks,” he manages to mumble. “Can I get my iPod now?”

Her smile is replaced by an apologetic look. “Oh—oh yeah, sorry, wait—”

Soul tries to manage his facial expression, but he’s distracted by the way she frowns as she rummages through her bag. With a childish ‘A-ha!’, she pulls out a familiar iPod and its headset, holding it out.

“Here!”

“Thanks,” Soul murmurs, concentrating on schooling his face into what he thinks is a cool and detached expression, trying his best to ignore how their hands touch when he retrieves the thing.

At times like this, Soul should’ve remembered that he’s naturally bad at dealing with physical contact. His hand both wants to stay longer atop hers and retreating immediately, resulting in a weird flail that whips the headset to Maka’s coffee cup and spilling its contents all over her shirt.

His first thought is horror. The second is an ultimate need to bury himself in the nearest cemetery.

read the rest on AO3 or FFN!

#chibiverb! #reverb 2020 #soul eater #Soul x Maka #Soul Evans #Maka Albarn #zi writes

[katsukikitten]

Hewwo! I was wondering if you could do a Bakugou x Fem Athlete reader? I use to be a wrestler and when I watch bnha and see their workouts/training, it brings me back to the good times where i use to slam ppl into the floor lol (im soft i swear-). Maybe reader goes to a boot camp and doesn't see bakugo for awhile and they come back hella buffed up and can even lift Bakugou with ease, maybe they're a weightlifter?? Idk but i wanna see bakugo shook at his strong gf lol

I hope you like this my dear.

You were what most people called a behemoth.

A thick woman with muscle on an athletic build instead of thick hips. Your shoulders were broad, strong and could carry the weight of the world.

And often times it did.

It used to bother you that you were not as femme as other girls. As cutesy and petite until one day you came to the realization that you'd never look like the women on the front of magazines.

And that was a o fucking kay. And everyday since then you fought with yourself and your self image.

Because bitch you were a queen.

And being a confident cut throat queen added to your muscular stature had most *boys* avoiding you like the plague.

But that was fine because you were looking for a M! A! N!

Although you didn't know you'd find him so soon and in such an odd package.

It took one deadly smirk aimed at you for you to fall head over heels.

And it took one knockout punch for him.

Depsite the mutual feelings the two of you only ever interact or text to spar. You too worried that you're reading into his excitement too much. Thoroughly convinced he only sees you as a bro he can actually go all out with.

While he is too fucking oblivious to even realize he had feelings for you. Paying you compliments and even bragging on you in class with simple songs of praises such as "Tch. Y/LN would break your puney fucking arm in a wrestling match Kirishima!"

The doting ash blonde would eye you then, smiling proudly daring anyone to test your strength.

And double daring anyone to comment on that powerfully beautiful body of yours.

If he heard a single off colored comment or joke about you, whether you were there to defend yourself or not he would step in. Hands popping with unkempt rage as a shit eating grin erupted on his kissable lips.

The thought of him defending your honor had your cheeks burning with blush as you waltz through the thick doors of the gym, exactly where Kirishima said you could find him. Silently thankful that he is wearing headphones with music loud enough that he does not hear the door shut as you spy his damp, sculpted back pull his body upward as he counts with barely a grunt.

Well into the upper thousands as your heart flutters, body heating to the point that your kneecaps melt. Struggling to stand you turn on your heel, losing the nerve to tell him goodbye although you will only be gone for a short month. Still you wonder if you should send a text, thumbs hovering over the lit keyboard debating if he would even want to read a stupid message from a lousy extra like you.

And it wasn't like you'd get a reply while you were gone and even if you did where you were going your phone would be no better than a glorified iPod touch with the lack of signal out in bumfuck nowhereville.

You decide against it sliding your phone into your leggings pocket as you tighten the straps on your book bag setting out for what will hopefully push you in the right direction.

Camp is hard as you knew it would be. You were training with the best strength oriented quirk pro heros in the game! Sending you through grueling obstacle courses with semi truck tires and endless pits of sand and mud.

Not to mention you were pushed to the point of puking more often than not. Still you somehow made friends in between the exhausting training and gnarly cafeteria food. Laughing, helping one another and even exchanging numbers with promises to text when a mythical bar of service was found.

Cool water drips form your hair as you plop down on the bottom bunk with a sigh, your bed mate pokes her head out to look down at you. Meanwhile you stare at the last text your friend Mina had sent you for the umpteenth time this week. A photo of you and Bakugo sharing a rare laugh during training both of your cheeks flushed and hair clinging to sweating foreheads over a joke long forgotten. But the feeling would never fade.

You damn her silently for being so sneaky and sneaky enough to catch both you AND Bakugo off guard.

"You've been sighing like you're s/o is away at war!" She chides, "So who are you staring at?"

This gains the attention of the other two girls in the bunks across the way, eyes gleaming at the thought of sharing crushes. Heat flushes your skin bright pink as you attempt to lock your phone but swift hands above snatch it from your normally steely grip.

"Oh." Is all she says as she looks closely at the photo, Bakugo shirtless with, dripping with sweat and wearing his best smile as you're three quarters to the camera cheesing hard as hell.

"Well shit I'd be sighing too. Your man is hot as hell! Does he train with you?"

"A..ah he's um not.." Fear grips your windpipe as you try not to sound creepy as fuck for looking at a picture of what is only your classmate. You clear your throat, "We're just sparring partners."

"What?!" She zooms in on his face before showing it to the other girls and yourself as best she can out of your reach, "My sparring partner never smiles. Make him your man!"

"I'm not his type, Kimi!" You rush out, embarrassment having you cover your face. Shit you'd never be his type.

You couldn't imagine anything more than a petite fiery or even just plain shy girl who wore dresses and heels. A woman with all the right curves that would dangle from his arm as he showed her off. Not some brute who could practically snap any man in half.

Your heart sinks into your gut, tears threatening to spill.

"Then what's his type?" She asks dryly above you. Mind racing as you think of how Bakugo looks at the opposite sex, hell even the same sex in your class and you come up with the same face each time. He wears his ever agitated snarl and that's if he even glances their way. Scarlet eyes narrowed into slits save when the look at you. They are narrowed only from the effects of his upturned lips.

"I reckon he ain't got a type then?" She says staring down at you from over her mattress. You avoid eye contact as you speak.

"I...I just can't see him with me. I'm all bulky and burly like." You flex your banded arms for emphasis before pointing at your bunk mate above, "While you're more toned and that of a fitness magazine model."

"So what? So fucking what! Haven't you seen me oogling you all week? Or the other women who would kill to have your gains! We see it sis, we see it and stan it. You carry muscle where most women DREAM to!" She jumps from the top bunk lifting your shirt up to your sports bra," Abs bitch, you've got washboard abs! Meanwhile my stomach can barely become flat. And your back! Ugh don't get me started how you're stronger than super girl with that toned back and beautifully rounded ass. Why are you selling yourself short?"

Your lack of answer is met with a harsh slap on your stomach before the timed lights in the cabin die out.

"The first thing I want you to text me about is how you asked that hottie blonde out." She threatens before jumping to the top bunk like an agile cat.

The month ends with tight hugs and a long ride home. You welcome the scenery of the winding roads and mountains as the train speeds past, muscles screaming from the month before.

And stomach growling wanting nothing more than a home cooked meal. If you did the math right on the chore wheel. You'd be coming back to Katsuki's cooking. You slip in and out of conciousness dreaming of spicy grilled chicken.

A surprise waits for you as you get off at your stop for the train. The platform crowded with familar bodies of class 3A

as you dismount from the steps.

"WELCOME HOME Y/N!" They shout in unison as Mina and Urarka rush in for a hug. You pull away laughing before your eyes scan for a blonde and when they come up empty your stomach twists for a moment. Mina pulls your thoughts away as slips her pink arms through yours guiding you towards the exit of the train station. She fills you in on the things you'd missed that fun summer month.

Swimming, fireworks, watermelon.

All activities that they planned to do again of course, espeically now that you were back. Not to mention her now boyfriend, Kirishima who, always the gentleman, took your bags to carry on your soon to be journey down six blocks back to UA, to home.

Still you wish Bakugo would have come to greet you too, you pull out your phone for a moment. Ready to text Kimi how you were gonna be forever alone, instead you lock your phone angrily shoving it into your bag.

With each step closer towards the dorms your body becomes heavier, weighted down with your mood drop that you brush off as "I'm just tired Mina-chan" endlessly until you reach the dorms.

The class floods into the their third year dorms as the smell of food wafts over your senses, causing mixed feelings to fist fight in your stomach.

"I'm just gonna get some sparring in before dinner." You smile at Mina, as you head out clad in your ever present athleisure wear, short black shorts and a tanktop.

The outdoor punching bag takes the brunt of your anger, of your disappointment and mostly your own self loathing over being upset over your training buddy not coming to greet you.

Still it stings to know he didn't even bother to show up. Hell he didn't even greet you at the damn door to the dorms!

Arching your fist you slam it into the bag that bursts open as the chain snaps, soaring into the treeline behind the dorms. You huff, back turned before your stomach growls, begging to be fed.

You collect yourself as you hear the sliding door to the living room open.

"Oi! Y/N!" His voice comes out biting as he approaches. You look to the source damning your heart for fluttering at just the sight of him. You notice his skull shirt seems a bit tighter than when you last saw him, muscled arms flexing as he keeps his calloused hands in his pockets. Harsh eyes look you up and down. Roving over your body making you feel naked beneath their intensity as he silently assess your thick frame. Scarlet lingering on exposed soft thighs that he may or may not imagine himself between sometimes. It took the entire month of his "sparring" partner gone to realize she may have been more than just that.

He fights the blush on his cheeks before a devilish grin overtakes his normal snarl.

"Atta girl, coming back stronger than ever. Bet you kicked some ass at camp huh?" His praises has your heart soaring as your body moves on it's own. Anger melting into warmth as you scoop up the muscled man into a bone crushing hug, giggling as you swing him in a circle. That is before you realize your giddy action could make him seem weak, something Bakugo loathes. You set him down with several rushed "Sorry"s before he grips your wrist tightly. Eyes boring into yours as he struggles to keep his breathing even.

"No I should be the one who's sorry." He growls.

"For what?" He answers as he pulls you closer to him until your lips crash into his. Hands roving up your toned arms before strong fingers pull at the hair at the nape of your neck deepening the kiss while you turn into putty in popping hands. After a few moments he breaks free, looking over your stunning features.

"For not fucking doing that sooner. For not fucking realizing that I admire more than just your strength." He looks away slipping his hand into yours as he pulls you back to the dorms, "Come on! I didn't make my girl's favorite just so it could get cold damn it!"

He drags you into the house as you watch after him before you snap a photo sending it to Kimi with a caption underneath.

"He beat me to the punch."

#bakugo x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #bakougo katsuki x reader #bnha katsuki x reader #bakugo katsuki x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #katsuki x reader #bnha au #bnha ask #bnha ask prompt #bnha asks #bnha x reader

[neko-shinigxmi]

Hey hey Aki how's married life with Wrench treating you? :) 💖🧡 [robotarmjokes]

@robotarmjokes

   Whoops, a bit late responding to this since today has been...quite a bit of a whirlwind, but-! Honestly, it’s....interesting?? Is the best way to put it????

   Like... The wedding definitely happened. But it’s still a new thing so sometimes I space out an’ forget, but look at the fact Wrench now has a band on his finger (or around his neck; the necklace thing is convenient for both of us, considering our work, tbh) and immediately get sappy all over again, cause!! Oh my gosh!!!! That’s MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MARRIED THAT GUY ON THE SIXTEENTH!!!!!!

   He’s just...somehow even more precious to me (I don’t know how that’s even POSSIBLE but IT IS) and more of a comfort; the feeling of home..... Hhh. I’m being so sappy and gushy but it’s the TRUTH.

   ....Also finally changed my phone wallpapers. It used to be my OC, but now? Now it’s Wrench. Every time I turn on my Glorified iPod, Wrench is my lockscreen. Open it up? Another picture for my homescreen.

   Belated, but still another fantastic decision by yours truly.

#robotarmjokes #Aki answers #otp; purrfect anarchy #[wHEEZES]

[stripey-land-shark]

This is why I don’t own a phone, and never fucking will

Every time I purchase credit? Can’t access it, can’t fucking use it, and the phone becomes a glorified iPod. Eat my ass

#In the last 6 years I've probably put over $300 into phones #and didn't get anything out of it #fuck phones #fucking worthless devices #Stripey Rambles

[casualinvestor-blog]

A Simple Guide to Why WeWork is Failing

In January 2019, Softbank Group, a Japanese equivalent of Berkshire Hathaway, invested $2 billion into WeWork, an American commercial real estate company masquerading as a tech startup. The $2 billion investment valued the company at a whopping $47 billion. Not bad for a company that had been founded less than 9 years prior to that. Things were going great for WeWork, who began to plan an initial public offering for later in the year. Fast forward just 9 months, to the beginning of October 2019. The company has scrapped its IPO, its CEO has resigned, its valuation has plummeted to just $10 billion, layoffs are underway, and there are very legitimate concerns whether the company will survive for another few months. WeWork has rapidly become a cautionary tale of the excesses and hubris of the startup craze that is starting to come home to roost. How does a company go from filing an IPO prospectus (plan to go public) to staring down a looming bankruptcy in two months? It’s not hard to find what the culprits are.

Lack of Innovation

Tech startups built their name and reputation on innovation and disruption. Apple gave us the IPod and smart phones. Google gave us answers, or a way to find answers, to almost any question imaginable. Facebook gave us a way to keep in touch with our friends no matter where in the world we are. And Farmville. Never forget Farmville. These companies represent the successes of Silicon Valley. WeWork gave us… ummm… hmmm… reduced size office spaces? Shorter lease terms? Beer kegs in the common areas (this is a real thing)? Struggling to find anything truly innovative here. The company’s entire business model consists of signing long term leases from property owners, dividing up the area into smaller “offices”, and then leasing those smaller offices on shorter term leases to small businesses and freelancers. They are a glorified subletter. There’s no innovation in that. It’s taking a business that already exists, rental real estate, repackaging it, and branding it as a completely different business. WeWork has provided nothing new or exciting. It isn’t even a tech company, which we’ll get to in a little while. It’s no wonder that the bottom fell out as people started to come to the realization that they were valuing a company with nothing memorable at $47 billion.

Bad Business

WeWork had a business niche. The company was going to target a consumer base that large real estate companies had neglected: the freelancer. The company believed that it could tap into thousands of freelancers that did not yet have the resources to lock themselves into long term leases, or did not have the need to lease out entire floors of a building. They did this by creating small offices within their WeWork floors for those looking for a cheap workspace. This by itself was not actually a bad business. There was a problem with this strategy, however. Renters don’t make a ton of money on short term leases to small businesses. They make their money on long term leases to large companies. Locking in small, short term leases results in higher turnover and higher vacancy rates. There’s little stability and consistency in this method. Meanwhile, the leases that the company was locking itself into could run for 15 years. I have been in four different WeWork offices; each of the office buildings that I have worked in in my career had separate WeWork floors. I do have to admit that they are pretty trendy places; fruit infused water on tap, beer kegs, swanky common areas, and fancy coffee. But there was something else that I noticed as well. The floors and offices were at least half empty. Every single one of them that I visited.

Photographer's rendering of a WeWork office WeWork’s business model was never going to succeed. Taking out a long term lease and then subdividing it into smaller, shorter term leases was a huge gamble. The company was putting itself on the hook for a lot of money with very little collateral. It was nice for freelancers to take on very little risk, but it was not good for the company. By the company’s own admission in August 2019, it had entered into long term leases valued at $47 billion, but it had only $4 billion of future lease commitments owed to it. It doesn’t appear that it would have had any chance of succeeding? $47 billion in commitments versus $4 billion in receivables. That’s a lot of ground to make up. If the economy hits a downturn, rental rates drop and vacancies rise. But the $47 billion had already been locked into. There was never a chance of making up that shortfall. Which begs the question: What exactly did Softbank see in the company to pump its valuation so high? Softbank’s Vision Fund, a $100 billion venture capital fund, is the largest tech focused venture capital fund in the entire world. With $100 billion to play around with, it’s no surprise that money was a little too loose. it’s a good thing that many of the fund’s partners stepped in and prevented the company from investing an additional $14 billion into the company, which it had at one point considered. The model had very little chance of succeeding. This should have been obvious at an earlier stage. Also, again, WeWork is not a tech company. Why is a tech focused venture capital fund investing in a non tech company?

Timing

The most talked about date in any startup is almost always the IPO date. This is the date that the stock of the company becomes publicly available to trade. This is also the day that company executives and employees can cash in their shares. The IPO date represents PAYDAY for the owners and early investors. The problem with WeWork’s IPO has a lot to do with its timing. By many indications, the American economy is at the end of its bull run. Growth is starting to stagnate, and investors are becoming more conservative with their cash. They are also becoming more skeptical about investing in companies that have yet to turn a profit. It started with Lyft and Uber, really. Both companies went public in 2019, and both IPOs have been unmitigated disasters. Uber had hoped for a valuation of $120B when it went public. As of the first week of October, the company’s market capitalization is less than $50B. The company is burning through billions of dollars each year and, by its own admission, won’t be turning a profit for at least several years. Uber’s stock price has responded accordingly, declining by more than 37% from its high in just a few months. Lyft has faced similar issues as Uber, and its own stock price is nowhere near its price on its IPO date. By the time WeWork filed its paperwork to move forward with its IPO, investors were already weary of pumping cash into a company that had yet to turn a profit. Had WeWork gone public a year earlier, there’s a very real chance that the company would be thriving. The fact is that in late 2019, investors are not as loose with their cash as they had been in the years prior. They do not have the appetite for investing in companies that have a very real chance of NEVER turning a profit.

Greed and Excess

Then there’s the excess. Oh so much excess. Silicon Valley startups have long been a symbol of wasteful spending. Hundreds of startups have received huge cash injections, leading many to become reckless by burning through cash on perks for employees and executives. WeWork was no different. WeWork CEO Adam Neumann enjoyed traveling for business via private jet, so his company purchased one for $60M. Leaving aside the fact that owning a plane is a very bad investment, is a $60 million purchase a good idea for a company that had never made a penny of profits? Expenses like these aren’t smart business decisions. It’s not about the business, though, it’s about appearances. What better way to tout the success of your business by showing up everywhere in a Gulfstream G650?

Decisions like these scream managerial incompetence. Again, the company thought it was wise to purchase a $60 million private jet at the same time they were burning through hundreds of millions of dollars each. Well, the company eventually saw the error of their ways. They sold it prior to filing its IPO paperwork because the optics were terrible. It turns out that the goal for Neumann was never to operate a successful business. The goal was to make people think he ran a successful business and to enjoy the lifestyle that came with it. It wasn’t about a vision. It was about the money and the prestige. By his own admission in a profile in The Wall Street Journal, Neumann wanted to become king of the world and the world’s first trillionaire. When did Steve Jobs flash his immense wealth? Bill Gates? Larry Page? Jeff Bezos? For these successful entrepreneurs and innovators, the flash wasn’t the prize. It was about achieving their dreams, and watching an entire country and world embrace their vision. It was never about becoming the richest person in the world. If that is your goal when running a business, you are sure to fail.

Arrogance

Perhaps the most ridiculous assertion from the company during its entire IPO debacle is its insistence on being labeled a technology company. This wasn’t just for show, however, as there was a business reason behind this push. Tech companies typically receive higher valuations for its intangible assets. Assets that have value, but are not physical things. The data and information that companies like WeWork extract from their users are considered intangible assets. WeWork was hoping to be labeled as a tech company to boost its valuation. It is painfully obvious that WeWork is not a technology company, to the point that its insulting to have even tried that angle. Having an app and setting up Wi-Fi networks in their offices does not make them a technology company. And investors and reporters quickly saw through it. Companies that rent out commercial office space are considered real estate companies. Therefore, WeWork is a real estate company. Valuing real estate companies is relatively straightforward. One can simply sum the total values of all properties owned by the company. These values are determined by analyzing the current and future earning potential of each property. A problem that WeWork has is that it doesn’t physically own the properties that it leases. It merely leases these offices from the actual property owner. If they don’t own any property, then where does their value lie? It’s hard to see how the company has much value at all beyond its brand. Even at $10 billion, it feels very hollow. It was a noble effort by WeWork, and it may have worked in prior years. But 2019 is a new day for startups with high valuations and huge losses.

Is there any hope for WeWork?

There is little doubt that the company will declare bankruptcy within the next 6-12 months. No investor is going to provide the cash that the company needs to stay afloat. It comes back to that $47 billion vs $4 billion that we talked about earlier (again, how is this company still valued at $10 billion?). That gap is far too steep to overcome. Bankruptcy would be the best bet in hopes of clearing out some of those liabilities and starting fresh. Or the company could declare bankruptcy and close up shop for good. The only thing of value left for the company is the name. Even then, with the recent onslaught of negative publicity, the name isn’t probably worth very much anymore. In the race for disruption and being first to market, WeWork abandoned important business principles that an aspiring entrepreneur would typically learn in a business 101 course. Its business plan wasn’t fully thought out – it would be interesting to see their original projection on when they expected to achieve profitability – yet its investors didn’t seem to notice until the last minute. This company will never make money as currently constructed. It’s safe to wonder whether they had ever expected to generate profits, or if the goal all along was to go public, get rich, and then dump the problem on to less suspecting investors, namely the general public. It may have worked 3 years ago, but it will no longer work in 2019. Check out our podcast on another high profile startup that has seen better days: Uber! Learn more about investing in stocks, bonds, real estate, and even weed! Read the full article

[c0smicsalt]

light pink, french rose, cameo pink, gamboge, laser lemon, fern, mauve :)

    I….actually expected to get nothing…… Oh boy; okay, here we go!

Light Pink - Do you have stuffed animals?

    Oh, you bet I do!! A lot of them… I’m a sucker for plush toys, honestly. If it’s cute and an animal I like, I want it.

French Rose - What is your favourite flavour?

    This is pretty vague… Like, of all flavors overall? Of ice cream?? I guess in general I’m a sucker for sweets and sour things... For the longest time, I wasn’t too fond of spicy things (it involves a slight accident when I was younger), but I’m really liking them more now!

   So... From there, some examples are anything watermelon or cherry flavored (ya can’t really go wrong there no matter how you look at it), chocolate, and- oh!!- sea salt ice cream~! ...Wait, I shouldn’t get into liked foods; I could go on forever about those!!

Cameo Pink - Favourite movie?

    This is one of the most basic questions, making it the most popular...and I never quite know how to answer! I used to like a lot of movies most to a majority of people think are “cringy” (such as “iRobot” and Halle Berry’s “Catwoman”....), but recently I’m not sure what my favorite movies are, anymore?

   I really liked seeing Wonder Woman and Logan, though! Along with quite a handful of animated films, like Howl’s Moving Castle and Song of the Sea.

Gamboge - Where do you want to travel?

    The better question is where don’t I want to travel?! There’s a lot of places on this planet I’d really love to see~   I definitely still want to go to Japan and Brazil, Italy, and Greece, though... Maybe England? That’s something I’m debating on now, ahaha!

Laser Lemon - What kind of phone do you have?

    It’s a cheap, pay-as-you-go from AT&T, I think? I technically have an iPhone, but..... It doesn’t work as a phone and by now, it’s super old; so I call it my “Glorified iPod.”

Fern - Favourite plant?

    Trees would count, right...? Cause re-reading this, “fern” somehow connected in my head as “weeping willows” and I love that sorta tree so much.... I’m also super cheesy, so I like roses. Followed by lilies and douglas iris!

Mauve - What would you name your kids/pets?

    I actually used to think about this a lot... Especially kids-wise; I’m a family-oriented person at heart, tbh. Now, though? Names will come, when they will~ I think I like looking for and settling on a name when the time is coming, you know?   Though with pets... They tend to relate to my fandoms or what I end up feeling is right for them~ (Such as my ferrets, Lady Loki and Wheatley. Or the litter of kittens my cat Precious had: Midnight, Comet, Pikachu, and Fat Boy...cause he ended up growing to be just as big of a kitty as his dad was! Though looking back on the name that stuck with him, I do feel a little...weird about it now?? I dunno what he was called before, but it stuck somehow; mostly due to my stepdad, I think.....)

#crankykabuki #Aki answers #about me #me

[island-delver-go]

@odric-master-swagtician tagged me in the lock screen, selfie and last song deal. I just got a new phone tonight so I'm still in the process of moving things hence the picture of my old phone which is a glorified knock-off iPod right now I'll tag @phyrexian-without-a-cause, @dougbeyermtg, @moxymtg and @markrosewater. Go big or go home

#selfie #my wife #ask meme

[kyogos]

/

#who do i even have on my home/lock screens on this other phone #at the moment its a glorified ipod #bc i cant put my sim in it lmao #current phone is mark and fedal #i want these 2 to be different #hmmm #maybe stan? #fernando? #grigor? #i have no idea #suggestions appreciated

[littlemisshagstrom]

Newtonian Economics in 21st Century America

Newtonian Economics in 21st Century America

Apple invented the smartphone, when it morphed a glorified Sony Walkman, the iconic iPod, into a telephone.

Now, the phone is (almost) the part you don’t need, and the pod has become a proper little pad. A little iPad – like the iPad’s little brother. But it’s a phone, still … for now.

Through the company’s long history Apple has invented many cool things. But not many new ones lately.

The bubble…

View On WordPress

#Advertising #Googlevertising #Mark&039;s Writing #Marketing #New World Order

[itsgiftofthegab-blog]

Which Tech Giant Would You Drop? - Quiz

“Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, are not just the largest technology companies in the world...they are also becoming the most powerful companies of any kind, essentially inescapable for any consumer or business that wants to participate in the modern world. But which of the Frightful Five is most unavoidable? If an evil monarch forced you to choose, in what order would you give up these inescapable giants of tech?” - Taken from article “Which Tech Giant Would You Drop?” by Farhad Manjoo

It was surprising for me to find out that a lot of the products and technology I own and use, and a lot of the websites and streaming subscriptions I have and utilise on a daily basis all fall under only these five big companies. Upon a minor bit of research into what exactly these companies looked after, and what I used them for in my personal life, my choices on which company I would drop in what order was not an easy one to make. But here are my decisions and why.

1. Microsoft

I chose to drop Microsoft first for a few reasons. Firstly, in my daily life, I have always preferred iOS software and the Apple hardware to Microsoft and its Windows software. Sure, the Office products such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel and the emailing service, Outlook were used a lot by me through out primary school and high school for assignments and the such, but I don’t really use these products much anymore except for assignments. I found other products such as Gmail and Telstra Bigpond services for emailing, and even Google Docs and iWork to replace the home office system. I know personally I don’t really care about the new fancy technology and gaming laptops and etc and I prefer Sony’s Playstation to the Xbox any day.

2. Facebook

I chose to drop Facebook second. Although, I, like the rest of my generation, love being a part of the social media world, and am personally quite nose-y in the politest way possible, I can easily give up its dramas and means to connect me to other people. I would still have phone calls and text messages as a way to contact friends and loved ones, and there’s nothing like dusting off a couple of old family photo albums and looking through them in a “retro-instagram” style. 

3. Amazon

I chose to drop Amazon third. Purely this is because the Amazon website is not really widely used in Australia yet, and the only things you can buy from their website is kindle books. If I want to read a book, I’d just purchase it from my local bookstore, and besides, who doesn’t love the smell of a brand new book? But I also put this third as there is a lot of services owned by Amazon that I use quite frequently and don’t want to give up as easily as Microsoft and Facebook. There are healthier alternatives to McDonald’s, I know, and I could survive without it, but it’s a good 3am pick me up when you’re a little tipsy and in need of urgent food. I’d also find it hard to fill my spare time if it wasn’t for Netflix, I mean where else am I going to find out who Gossip Girl really is!? And don’t get me started on the loss of Spotify! I use this service the most out of anything else, because I love a good jam, but I do also know it can be substituted for another service such as Apple Music or Google Play. All these services gone, but not forgotten. 

4. Apple

It was hard to choose between putting Alphabet or Apple last but Apple is in at number four, and here’s why. With the amazing iOS software and the beautiful products Apple produces, sadly they’d just be useless fancy gadgets without all the other companies’ products. The iPhone won’t really be much more than a standard mobile phone and glorified iPod with the Apple Music software to me if I couldn’t check my instagram feed on it or search for fluffy kittens doing stupid things on Google Search at 4am when I can’t sleep. Let’s just face it, Apple relies a fair bit on these other companies to sell their products too, and without them being around anymore, Apple would fall well behind.

5. Alphabet

I believe getting rid of Alphabet last is one of the best things to do. I would still have so so many programs, products and technology left to utilise and rely on if I only had this company left. From Docs and Gmail to replace Office, Google Maps for directions, Google Play Music to get my fix for tunes, and devices such as the Chromebook and Pixel Phone to replace my Apple products, I would still be content. Let’s not forget about those self-driving cars of the future or all the research the company funds for healthcare and disease prevention such as cancer or Alzheimer’s. I believe Alphabet does so much we don’t even realise, and contributes to so many things, sometimes going unnoticed by the mass society and so that is why they come in last for me.

#microsoft #facebook #amazon #apple #alphabet #google