The Society of Apocryphal Gentlefolk: The Whispering Man, Part IV

100% Free Online Dating Site for Men & Women Over 50. Get them to create your profile and then pair you up with best suitors they think would be your ideal match. Non-specialist singles There's no need to avoid the more mainstream dating sites, as many attract a diverse online of sites. SinglesOver60 is a free UK-based senior dating site that says it’s making over-60 dating “a whole lot easier.” But you don’t just have to be British, Welsh, Scottish, or Irish to join. SinglesOver60 is also available in Australia, Canada, Norway, the US, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden.

Better dating & a better you. If you’re feeling nervous about taking your love life online, it may help to know over 50s are one of the fastest growing demographics in online dating, and with roughly 34.4 million singles or unmarried persons in the US aged 40-69 you’re in good company 1. Senior Dating at SeniorMatch.com. The largest and most effective senior dating site for baby boomers and seniors! SeniorMatch focuses on users over 50 years of age and does not allow members under the age of 40. By doing so, we maintain a consistent age range dedicated specifically to mature members interested in meeting others online.

2021.12.24 16:00 the-third-personThe Society of Apocryphal Gentlefolk: The Whispering Man, Part IV

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2021.12.24 11:43 STEPS_KochiCreate an effective social media content calendar

Creating an effective content calendar is one of the most effective methods of organizing tasks to keep a steady flow of works without wasting too much time. Social media content calendar strategy is different for each company, You can search for assistance to build a content calendar by any methods like consultation or training.
The best internet marketing training in Kochi will be taught by highly experienced and accredited trainers who are widely regarded as some of the best in the industry, resulting in an unrivaled learning experience. Along with the teaching, the course includes a variety of hands-on tasks on each topic. Looking for online digital marketing training in Kochi? Read this blog to the end to learn about some of the best digital marketing topics for content calendar creation and more.

What is a social media content calendar?

A social media content calendar serves as a roadmap for creating and sharing content with your target audience. It could consist of a combination of blog posts, videos, and social media posts. A content calendar lists the day and time each piece of content will be published, as well as an outline of the material that will be included in each.
The channels that will be used to distribute your content should be included in your content calendars. Facebook, LinkedIn, email, and YouTube are just a few examples of popular distribution channels. Using a social media content calendar to keep track of your content preparation and posting is also a good idea:

• Save time, stay organized, and prepare for seasonal changes in issues that are important to your company (such as holidays).
• Attract new readers by providing them with new perspectives on what they desire from their reading experience. To attract more readers, use social media networks like Facebook and Twitter to distribute your information.

When do you need a content calendar?

Social media content calendars are useful for preparing any type of content, including blog entries, social media postings, videos, and case studies – anything that will be distributed to educate and inform your audience about your business. A content calendar is required if you create and distribute material more than a few times per month. If you collaborate with multiple people, you’ll need a content calendar to keep everyone informed about what’s going on.

What should your content calendar include?

To keep everyone up to date and organized, content calendars are used. Putting everything on the content calendar prevents things from falling through the cracks and eliminates confusion.
The following items should be included in a content calendar:

• The content’s topic
• Due dates, including the start and end dates of content distribution and promotion
• Links to the information that is currently being written
• Who is responsible for creating, editing, and releasing the content?
• It’s also a good idea to include in big holidays or events that have an impact on your organization or industry while preparing.

Make a list of your objectives

Before you create a content schedule, you need to know what your goals are, whether you’re blogging, posting on social media, or running a marketing campaign.
For example, if you want to increase your blog readers and Twitter followers, write weekly blogs with good SEO keywords in the titles that will entice people to click through to your site; if all of this seems too time-consuming, focus on one post every few weeks about something interesting to keep things simple. Once again, know what you want to achieve first!

Choose a Template

You can choose from several different sorts of content calendars. Monthly calendar templates, week-based calendar templates, and yearly calendar templates are all available to fit your needs for the coming year. The type of calendar you should choose is determined by the frequency with which you post. There are a plethora of content calendar designs and platforms to choose from, making it simple to get started.

Distribute Your Content

After you’ve created some material, don’t stop there. You should disseminate your information in places where your target audience spends time. Consider which platform is the most popular among your target demographic. Do they have a Facebook account? What about Instagram and LinkedIn?
If you’re promoting a blog piece, provide a list of summary points in your social media post. Most social platforms don’t show posts with links to external sites very often, so use a description of your material within the social post to catch the user’s attention.

Use the Calendar Year

Make sure you keep up with what’s going on in your sector to stay competitive and informed on current trends and hot topics.
When designing your content calendars, use indicators like holidays and seasonal shifts to help you develop a successful content marketing strategy early on. This will aid in establishing competitive advantages while remaining relevant in ever-changing markets.

Repurpose Older Content

Use this as a means to recycle old content if you have content that changes seasonally or can be renewed each year. For example, if your content is titled “Best Marketing Automation Platforms,” rename it “Best Marketing Automation Platforms for 2022” to keep it current and relevant.

Decide how often and when you’ll publish

You’ve created the ideal content calendar, but now it’s time to choose a publishing schedule. Each day? Weekly? For some brands, daily publishing might be difficult because they require more time and resources than weekly or monthly releases of fresh content.
When selecting what’s best for your audience, think about their preferences: do they prefer longer pieces that require a lot of thought, or do they prefer shorter bursts more frequently?
Place a higher value on the quality of your effort than the quantity. Don’t merely publish material for the sake of publishing it. Producing high-quality content takes a long time.

Review Your Calendar

Make time to examine your content calendar with your team frequently. This will keep everyone on track and allow them to make adjustments as needed. It’s much easier to do this if you have a shareable and up-to-date content calendar.

Keep an eye on the performance of your content

Analysis tools like Google Analytics can help you figure out which posts get the most page views and from which sources. Use the platform’s capabilities to track impressions and engagements like comments, likes, and shares if you’re posting on social media.
Look back at what spurred conversation among your followers (and prospective new ones) in the past to see where you should focus your advertising efforts next.

Conclusion

A content calendar is a great way to stay organized with your marketing activities. If you lay down the different types of posts you plan to write, it will be easier to stay on top of your commitments and accomplish everything on time.
Plus, by making a detailed strategy that includes all of the information you’ll need upfront, you’ll be less likely to make mistakes or experience delays down the line.
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2021.12.24 03:46 alfielad2021Wells Fargo, Bank of America and other banks temporarily close hundreds of branches – L.A. Biz

​ Bank of America ByMark Calvey– Senior Reporter, San Francisco Business Times Dec 23, 2021 Big banks are temporarily closing branches across the nation as they cope with labor shortages and ongoing complications from Covid-19, including the arrival of the more contagious Omicron variant. It mirrors widespread branch closures at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 when many thought the economic lockdown would be measured in weeks. The new round of temporary closures — sometimes occurring sporadically — are sparking anger, confusion and angst among customers. “Many of our locations may have reduced hours, alternate days of operations or may have been temporarily closed,” Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) tells customers on its website. “We are doing everything we can to reopen as soon as possible, though some locations may remain closed for an extended period of time.” This week, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) were tight-lipped on how widespread the temporary closures are, with both declining to provide national numbers. The two banks referred CBJ sister publication the San Francisco Business Times to their website branch locator tools, which don’t offer a high-level overview. Their reluctance to talk is fueling concerns about the fate of many branches as the industry seeks to permanently scale back costly brick-and-mortar locations. A spot review of BofA’s branch locator on its website this morning found that about 20 branches across the area are temporarily closed, including several locations near center city such as at 301 S. Kings Drive in the Cherry neighborhood, 1235 E. Blvd. in Dilworth and 212 Iverson Way in South End. In a few instances, BofA also indicates on its website that some temporarily-closed financial centers will permanently shutter in early 2022. Locally, that includes branches such as at 3021 Prosperity Church Road in Charlotte and 368 W. Plaza Drive in Mooresville. Bank of America has 59 local branches, according to CBJ research. Nationally, Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) said it has about 4,800 branches and 94% are open, suggesting that approximately 288 branches are temporarily closed across the country. Its website lists at least one branch in the Charlotte area as temporarily closed — at 13715 Conlan Circle in the Ballantyne area. Others, like at 10630 Providence Road in Charlotte and 153 N. Main St. in Mooresville, are only offering drive-up service. Wells Fargo has 86 branches across the Charlotte region. “Our temporarily closed locations will resume operations as soon as possible. We are sorry to inconvenience any customers who may do their banking at one of our temporarily closed branches,” said Wells Fargo spokesperson Edith Robles. Wells Fargo customers are advised to check the bank’s website to find out whether a branch is open or closed or use the bank’s online and mobile banking features to conduct their banking. Bank of America offered some insight into what’s driving its temporary closures. “Our temporary financial center closures have occurred in areas where we’re seeing fewer visits, or where our staffing is not sufficient for all to remain open,” said Bank of America spokesperson Betty Riess. She continued: “If we had a known exposure (to Covid), whether client or associate, we will close the financial center for deep cleaning. When a center closes, we work to reopen it as soon as possible. Our branch locator tool on our website offers the most up-to-date information on hours of operation as well as the nearest ATMs. We appreciate our clients’ understanding and flexibility during these times.” Some bank customers aren’t so understanding, with one Bay Area BofA customer taking to Twitter to voice anger over lack of access to a safe deposit box at a temporarily closed location. BofA is often advising customers on its branch locator site to email the bank to make an appointment to access their safe deposit box at temporarily closed locations. Other customers are posting on hyperlocal social-media site Nextdoor, comparing notes on the status of local branches in terms of whether the closure is thought to be temporary or permanent. The temporary branch closures occur as many banks see eliminating branches as a way to cut costs as more people handle their banking electronically. https://nypressnews.com/news/usa/atlanta/wells-fargo-bank-of-america-and-other-banks-temporarily-close-hundreds-of-branches-l-a-biz/ submitted byalfielad2021toSuperstonk [link][comments]

2021.12.23 23:05 mvdw73New Qld Rules & My Experience

Cast: My Wife and I, both fully vaxxed, residing in SE Qld.

Friday 17/12

My wife had her hair done before her work Christmas party.

Tuesday 21/12

My wife received an email from the hairdresser that there had been 3 positive cases among the staff, and hence it was a close contact location. So I left work, went home and picked her up, and we went to get a COVID test(*).
At this stage, the close contact tracing locations on the Qld Health web site did not show the hairdresser as a close contact location, but nonetheless we were assuming that she was classed as such, and I was classed as a secondary contact. In the meantime she told the people that went to the Christmas party of her contact status, so they could arrange for tests or whatever they needed to do.
Also at this stage, the full rules for quarantine starting December 22 had not been published, so we were unclear how our contact status would affect the run up to Christmas.
Due to our status as Close Contact and Secondary Contact, and also as we had both just been tested, we placed ourselves in isolation. Helpfully our neighbour bought us some lemons and limes for the drinking that inevitably comes with that status.
Compounding our woes our son was due to arrive from Tasmania on this day; his flight was in the air when we received the notification. Our other son had already arranged to be picking him up, but he was supposed to stay at ours so a hotel was arranged for the first night before he could stay with our daughter (his sister) from Wednesday onwards.

Wednesday 22/12

On this day, the new rules for isolation were published. These new rules for vaxxed/vaxxed close/secondary contacts essentially meant that my wife was in isolation for 7 days from the date of contact, and we both had to have tests at day 1 and day 5 after contact. So, at about 3pm off we went for another test, this being day 5, even though we still hadn't received the results for the previous day testing.
At about 7pm we both recieved the text message from the previous day's test that we were both negative.
Even though the rules stated that me as a secondary contact did not have to isolate, I was of the understanding that since I had just had a test I had to isolate until the results came back. At the time, the Qld health web site did not provide any other direction, so we went straight home (with the fuel light on the whole way), and back into iso.
I rang Qld Health to receive clarification, but the person I got through to didn't know the new rules were in effect, didn't know where to find the new rules on their own web site (I had to direct them to it), and then provided advice in direct contradiction to what was stated on the page - they told me I had to go into isolation when the page clearly & explicitly stated I did not.

Thursday 23/12

Still in isolation, my wife due to her status as a close contact, and me due to having had a test and no result yet. Stayed up till about 10pm waiting for our results to come through, but nothing.

Friday 24/12

Woke up this morning to negative covid test results, and also updated close/secondary contact rules on the web site, where it explicitly states that fully vaxxed secondary contacts do NOT need to isolate while waiting for test results. It seems that the web site has been cleaned up, with many of the rules clarified and simplified, and also the pages with outdated information have been removed or edited to reflect the new rules.
Also, as of 6am still have not received official notice from Qld Health that my wife is a close contact, but we are still behaving as if she is. Tomorrow, Chirstmas Day, is day 8 from contact, so she will thankfully be out of quarantine, but will still have to mask up at the family christmas party.

Summary

So in summary, my wife and I have behaved as if we had received notification from Qld Health that we are close/secondary contacts respectively, and have followed all the rules as published at the time.
The rules published on the web site change frequently, and do not necessarily show all the requirements. For example, early on they didn't explicitly state I didn't have to isolate while waiting for my test results, so I have been unnecessarily isolating for 3 extra days while waiting on results. Moreover, there are (were?) pages still with outdated information from the previous directive, and you have to search to find the page with current rules.
The Qld Health Hot Line is staffed by people who do not necessarily have a grasp on the nuances of the rules - when I rang for clarification I had to point them to the correct web page, and then they provided advice that was in direct conflict with what was on the page.
As of the morning of day 7 after contact my wife still has not received formal advice from Qld Health that she is a close contact, even though she attended the close contact site during the contact period. I told her this means that she is not classed as a close contact, but she is adamant she's going to still continue wearing a mask and acting as though she's received the formal notification.
Thanks for reading; I don't expect many of you to have got this far - the length has probably meant that there were as many writers as readers. If you did get this far, and you have experience as a close contact in Qld - were you notified by Qld Health as such, and given directives?
(*) - COVID tests were done at the Ipswich showground drive-through testing centre, where the wait was precisely ZERO cars both tests.
submitted bymvdw73toCoronavirusDownunder [link][comments]

2021.12.23 19:48 marksteven001TOP 20+ Business Listing Sites You Need to Know

Looking to run your business using the internet? Then you’ll need to build up your online presence by making sure that all of the major search engines are aware of you and what you have to offer. One way to do this is through business listing sites, which act as an online directory or yellow pages of sorts where people can come and find businesses like yours. You may be wondering: How many business listing sites are there in the United States? Why should you list your business on each one? Luckily, we’ve researched and collected all the top 20 free business listing sites in one place so you can easily find, compare, and start using them right away. Read on to find out which sites make the cut! What are business listing sites? There are tons of websites offering free business listings. And you should take advantage of as many as possible! Local businesses have become increasingly dependent on online marketing in recent years and it’s easy to see why: by building a brand online, it’s easier than ever for customers across cities or even across countries to find your shop. Let’s begin with a common misconception – businesses can be listed on these sites for free. Yes, they offer free listings, but there are hidden costs that you must take into consideration. By signing up for their free service you may also be subject to receiving advertisements and calls from them as well as those that partner with them. Even though it may seem like you’re saving money by using one of these services, make sure you check out their terms and conditions before creating your account or giving any personal information such as your phone number or email address. ​ Free Business Directory Sites But with so many options available, where do you start? These are our twenty picks for free business listing sites that small business owners need to know about. 1) Google My Business One of several free sites that Google offers, Google My Business allows you to manage all of your online business listings in one place. In other words, if you want to be found by people searching for businesses in your area, you'll need a Google My Business account. These days it's nearly impossible for consumers and clients to find information about a business without using a search engine. If you're not using GMB, then someone else is – and they might be getting more calls than you are. With GMB at your disposal, you can ensure that information about your business is readily available when needed most. 2) Bing Places As one of Microsoft’s products, Bing is always improving, innovating, and trying new things. Although it was once in third place among search engines—behind Google and Yahoo!—it now finds itself in second place (outranked only by Google). This shows just how quickly a business can rise to success in today’s tech-savvy world. When you list your business on Bing Places, you can connect it with your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This can help spread the news about your business without any extra effort on your part. It also has a form that lets you recommend other businesses in your area. Make sure to include those details so that people can find them as well. Even if you don’t want to rely on your local market or want global exposure, you can use Bing Places to list your business free of charge. A free listing on Bing will give you access to millions of users in every country on Earth. That’s how big it is: more than 250 million people use Bing each month! 3) TopSEOBrands With thousands of companies listed on its site, TopSEOBrands is a great place to find potential candidates. You can easily research a company by reading reviews and opening profiles that allow you access to email addresses and other important information. Whether you are looking for local IT services or nationwide providers, TopSEOBrands is your go-to place for finding them. With millions of business listings, we’re sure you will find what you are looking for. What makes the site different from other directories is that its website encourages reviews and recommendations, meaning that people can get a better picture of what they’re going to get before making a decision on hiring someone. 4) Clutch Clutch has developed into a crowdsourced business-review site with more than 500,000 registered users. It’s designed to assist professionals in finding well-reviewed businesses or accessing public information about them. Businesses can add or claim their profiles on Clutch—or update them as necessary—to enhance their reputation. According to CrunchBase, not only does it have an active user base of people who have read business reviews on sites like Yelp but also a network of high-quality subscribers (including employees from companies like Cisco) that search for business information. 5) GoodFirms GoodFirms provides detailed reports on sites that provide business listings for businesses to create profiles and links. Reviews on a scale of 1 to 5 are given for different areas of service including advanced SEO tactics, directory submission options, domain privacy protection offered by each site, ability to customize profile pages, template features available for businesses to use when creating their own profiles with images and videos. Each review also points out where you can save money through discounts available at some sites (e.g., coupon codes). 6) Apple Maps Sometimes Apple Maps is on point and will guide you directly to where you need to go. When it doesn’t work, though, it can lead you astray. Apple Maps has also been known to neglect local businesses in favor of bigger companies and chains. Yelp has a better track record when it comes to smaller establishments—although it too tends to favor certain brands over others. What these have in common is they’re both Google products; if a search engine isn’t sure how to get from point A to point B, it usually routes people through Google maps instead of taking its chances with one of its own services. 7) Foursquare Foursquare is a social networking service that helps you find new places, share tips with friends, and learn more about your local community. If you like sharing where you go and what you do, Foursquare is worth using. The app can connect with other social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, so your friends can see where you are too. It’s also an excellent way to track how many times people visit a business over time; if something suddenly goes viral in popularity, it could be useful info for an entrepreneur looking at how much money a small business can make from tourism. Plus, it’s free! 8) Yahoo Local Yahoo Local is, in many ways, just like Craigslist—it’s a place for local businesses and services to post ads for free. The goal of Yahoo Local is for people looking for businesses and services nearby (in their area) can go to one website and search from there. It’s also really simple to set up a listing page, so if you’re just starting out as a business or service provider, it can be an easy way of getting started without too much overhead or effort. This makes it great for small businesses that don’t have a lot of time or money but want to get their name out there (and/or build their online presence). Because it's free and easy, you can't beat that with a stick! 9) Yelp Yelp started in 2004 as a way for people in San Francisco and Seattle to quickly connect with businesses and services around them. Today, Yelp has millions of active users and is used in cities across 65 countries. This free business listing site helps consumers find everything from their favorite deli or coffee shop (Yelp knows you love coffee) to handyman services, mechanics, and even schools. As you might imagine, small business owners have mixed feelings about Yelp but it’s hard to deny its influence on local businesses. In fact, 91% of consumers use online reviews as a source of information when they're ready to buy products or services—and 72% have changed where they shop based on an online review! 10) MerchantCircle MerchantCircle is a free, local business listing site. It's not as popular as some of its competitors, but it boasts over one million members in 7,000 cities across the United States. In order to submit your business listing to MerchantCircle, you have to do so manually—but it's relatively easy. If you're just starting out with your company and don't have many clients yet, it's a great place for networking and visibility. Keep in mind that free listings only appear on city-specific pages; if people want more information about your business (phone number, address, etc.), they'll need to upgrade their free account or pay for an ad. Paying for ads is definitely an option if you're looking for even more exposure! 11) Hotfrog US This is one of our favorite free business listing sites or business directory sites ! Hotfrog is a great resource for finding businesses by city, state, category, and industry. The directory includes some basic information about every listing including opening hours, address, and contact details. Of course, all listings also include a website link so you can get more info. from there. The website was founded in 1996 and now has over 9 million listings, which makes it a great place to start your business search if you’re looking for local options only. To make sure that Hotfrog US remains focused on small business owners only, anyone who needs paid advertising services or has more than 200 employees is automatically excluded from having their listing featured here. 12) Craigslist (the US Only, requires premium account) If you want to discover hidden gems in your area, Craigslist is a great place to start. With over 50 million visitors each month, Craigslist’s local sections can be an excellent source of leads for both small businesses and freelancers. Like other free listing sites, Craigslist allows you to create free listings for events and services like classified ads, but those looking for more extensive listings should upgrade their account with craigslist premium. 13) Yellow Pages (the US Only, requires premium account) If you’re looking for a physical location and want information on nearby businesses, contact your local yellow pages and ask them for a list of their business listings. If they don’t have one, you can look up your zip code on Google and find out who owns that local phone number. Then, call them and ask for their list of nearby businesses. This is particularly helpful if you’re interested in online businesses because it shows you what other types of businesses are doing well in your area; it gives you leads for potential partners or competitors, and allows you to go directly to local customers instead of having to start with referrals from another state or country. 14) Insider Pages Insider Pages is a free business directory website that lets you add and edit businesses, events, sales promotions, and more. Once you’ve created your account on Insider Pages, you can submit your local business for inclusion in their database, which is searchable by category and location. Though it’s not as heavily trafficked as some of its competitors (mainly because it doesn’t have as many listings), insider pages have a reputation for being reputable and giving preferential treatment to listed businesses over those who pay up. But whether or not they deliver on that promise or if they are actually biased toward paid advertisers remains up for debate. 15) Citysearch If you have a small business, or if you’re searching for a new restaurant or store in your area, Citysearch has tons of resources. Users can even create their own pages on Citysearch and add information like their hours of operation, contact information, and any reviews they might have written. Citysearch is available in major cities around the country, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It’s also available internationally in London, Toronto, and Melbourne. No matter where you live or what you’re looking for, there will probably be an appropriate listing site nearby. Be sure to check it out when doing your own search! 16) Ezlocal.com EZLocal, LLC has been recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s 500 fastest-growing companies for four consecutive years. In addition, EZLocal has ranked as one of Deloitte’s Fast 500 technology companies for three years in a row. EZLocal is a local business search engine that has been delivering accurate and reliable business information since 2006. With an extensive directory, EZLocal includes detailed company profiles with up-to-date contact information and social media links, directions and hours of operation, prices and specials, user reviews, photos, and even coupons! 17) Avvo A legal community that helps you find an attorney and provides ratings and reviews for businesses, schools, doctors, dentists, and more. Avvo has more than 100 million visitors each year across its suite of consumer brands. It is based in Seattle with offices in San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Boulder. In July 2016 it was acquired by Navellier & Associates for $100 million dollars. Avvo has received over $70 million in venture capital funding from Benchmark Capital and Naspers Ventures (Naspers owns a majority stake in Flipkart). 18) Healthgrades Free tools for medical professionals who are trying to connect with patients. Professionals can include doctors, dentists, psychologists, and pharmacists. On Healthgrades you can find reviews about your medical professional in addition to a public forum for questions and answers about that specific health professional. All of these resources are free and allow you to connect as quickly as possible with people who can help you manage and/or diagnose your condition. 19)Vitals The Vitals Award-Winning Business Directory is a compilation of thousands of businesses in more than 130 different categories. What makes Vitals unique is that it’s completely free for both businesses and consumers, as well as its Yelp-like rating system. Users can rate a business based on experience and take advantage of daily deals from nearby places they can check out in person or online. Plus, Vitals features business ratings (both positive and negative) from previous customers that help put others at ease when deciding where to spend their money. This means you don’t have to blindly trust reviews—you can see what people are saying about real experiences firsthand. 20) DealerRater Founded in 1999, DealerRater is a Web and mobile automotive marketplace where car shoppers can find detailed dealer reviews and connect with an online community of vehicle owners. Dealerships use their listings on DealerRater’s website and mobile app to build awareness of their brand and share important information about new models, service specials, or sales events. Users can search for cars based on make, model, price range, and features. They also can filter by specific dealership location(s), service history, price, or type of ownership (lease vs. buy). In addition to selling cars and services directly from dealerships through its site, DealerRater provides local businesses with a platform for lead generation and helps facilitate social engagement between customers—and potential customers—and local businesses in their area. Here are few more free business directory sites: grotal.com mapquest.com trustpilot.com manta.com angel.co indiamart.com yellowbot.com sulekha.com bizcommunity.com snapdeal.com justdial.com showmelocal.com lacartes.com trepup.com tuugo.co.uk Salesforce AppExchange Better Business Bureau Glassdoor Manta Capterra HundredX Facebook Ratings and Reviews Conclusion In today’s world, getting your name out there for potential customers is crucial. Business listing sites are a great way to do just that: by appearing on these websites, you’re showing up in search results which makes it easier for interested parties to find you. While some of these sites may not be essential—they can help get your business name out there and don’t cost much (if anything). We recommend starting with our list of top 20+ free business listing sites and then adding others as you see fit! submitted bymarksteven001tou/marksteven001 [link][comments]

2021.12.23 19:09 ZestyBellsThe ten channels of digital marketing and how to apply in 2021

What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is a term defined to achieve your business objectives and goals using the online channels that include but are not limited to search engines, social media platforms, affiliate marketing, email marketing, content creation & advertising in order to educate, engage & market your product or service to potential buyers. Digital marketing now includes other forms of new digital channels such as mobile, digital TV, digital watches, and other digital and IoT-related products linked with the internet.
Just a decade ago, if a business wanted to reach out to target customers, they would promote using traditional marketing mediums such as TV, radio, print. Simply because that’s where the potential customers’ used to spend their time. However, as humans evolved our technology advanced giving rise to a digital revolution. To simply state, people started spending more time on online platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc to stay acquainted with news, entertainment, and commerce. Hence, today our lives run on a click.
Digital has become a part of our existence. From shopping apparel to groceries, furniture & getting laundry delivered everything is online. With this new shift, marketers did not waste any time and quickly adapted to use social media & other digital tools to push & pull the consumer which gave birth to Digital marketing.
No matter the size of your business, digital marketing is the most effective way to grow and achieve your goals which could vary from any of the following:
Top Objectives of Digital Marketing

• Increase revenue
• Build brand awareness
• Market your product or service
• Decrease cost
• Improve efficiency
• Increase productivity
• High return on investment
• Identify loyal customers

Apart from these business objectives, digital channels can be used effectively for:

• Educating & engaging with potential users
• Increase website traffic
• Providing valuable information
• Building trust
• Customer reviews
• Grow online community
  Top Ten Types of Digital Marketing
  

1 - Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
2 - Search Engine Optimisation (PPC Paid Marketing)
3 - Affiliate Marketing
4 - Social Media / Influencer Marketing
5 - Display Advertising
6 - Email Marketing
7 - Content Marketing
8 - Mobile Marketing
9 - Pragmatic
10 - Remarketing
1 - Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Whoever controls the door to the Internet, controls the Internet. And now search engines have become the default entry point to the Internet. We start with a simple search by typing a few words into a search engine, often oblivious to exactly what happens behind the scenes. When we search in Google, for example, we are not actually searching the Internet; we are searching Google's index of the Internet, that is, the list of the sites that it has found online. So the challenge for effective search engine optimization (SEO) involves understanding how search engines work and how to play by their rules.
SEO statistics by Forbes cite Borrell Associates to emphasize that by 2020, businesses in the US will be spending as much as $80 billion on SEO services. This number is significantly higher than in 2016 and 2018 when businesses were spending $65.26 and $79.27 billion on search engine optimization, respectively.
The SEO Process
1. Goals. From the outset, it's important to be aware of the benefits of SEO. They will serve as key drivers as you navigate the development of your SEO strategy. You must decide upon and set up clear, realistic goals and targets for your SEO campaign. The benefits of spending time developing goals far outweigh the risks of walking the plank blindfolded into the competitive world of search marketing. Just one error could result in a six-month search engine penalization — with SEO, ignorance certainly is not bliss!
2. On-page optimization. This deals with the granular, technical optimization of the various elements on your website. It involves ensuring search engines can easily read, understand, crawl through, and navigate the pages of your site to index it correctly.
3. Off-page optimization. This refers to techniques used to influence website position in organic search results that cannot be managed by on-page optimization of your site. It's a long-term, iterative process focused on gaining website authority, as determined by what other websites say about you. To put it simply, it's about building a digital footprint and earning online credibility.
4. Analyze. This stage is very much a cyclical process. You're now looking at the data coming back, analyzing it, and deciding upon the adjustments needed going forward. This will help you tweak your goals accordingly as you implement additional goals and changes.
Top Five SEO Tools

• Google Search Console Free Tool
• ahref
• Moz
• SEMrush
• Majestic
  2 - Search Engine Marketing (PPC - Pay Per Click Marketing)
  

Appearing in the number-one position of a SERP is no easy feat, but what if you were told that SEO was not the only way to achieve this mammoth accomplishment? Search marketing, in particular pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is another lucrative option available to you. The difference between SEO and PPC, however, is in the name, you have got to pay for PPC! Have you ever noticed those three listings at the top of a SERP with a yellow ad icon beside them, almost unfairly pushing down organic search listings? Those are the product of PPC savvy digital marketers, reaping the benefits of high click-through rates (CTRs) by paying a little extra.
The Process
1. Set your goals. Before beginning and investing in your PPC journey, you first need to learn about the benefits PPC can bring to your business. With this knowledge, you can then define exactly what your goals will be and how to align KPIs with them.
2. Set up your account. In this stage, you will be guided step-by-step through every element involved in setting up your very own Google Ads account, from creating PPC campaigns to assigning budgets.
3. Manage your campaigns. This stage details what happens after your campaigns have been launched and how best to manage them. The finer details of the Ads interface will also be explored to help you discover the variety of options you can implement to yield a higher return on investment (ROI).
4. Analyze your results. The final stage in the PPC process is all about measuring your success through KPIs, tools, and reports. By using this data you will be able to better optimize your campaigns for the next iteration while considering the relevant data protection and privacy issues associated with PPC.
Top Five PPCAd Networks

• Google Ads
• Bing Ads (Microsoft)
• Facebook Ads Manager
• LinkedIn Ads
• Twitter Ads
  3 - Affiliate Marketing
  

Affiliate marketing combines the value of personal sales and technology solutions offered by online marketing. To companies with a lower budget, it provides an opportunity to increase profits and raise awareness of its brand.
In today's marketing, we are recording condensed advertising information flow. Advertisement recipient perceives from all sides. Marketing communication follows the trend of the closest contact with the recipients. This is doubly true in online marketing. With social networks, people provide the most personal information that today's technology can process in their favor. It is still, however, communication between the company and customers. Affiliate marketing is when you get paid a commission for promoting products/services for other companies.
Entities in Affiliate Marketing
Many affiliate marketing experts claim that this type of affiliate marketing works on the relationship between two entities, namely:
1. Merchant = merchant, sponsor, who created the affiliate program.
2. The actual affiliate = intermediary, the person who accepts the conditions of the affiliate program and promotes the product on the internet.
With the growing popularity and effectiveness of affiliate marketing to the said two entities joined the third - the owner of the affiliate network. This entity monetizes its position in this relationship by providing space to create affiliate programs for merchants. In the hierarchy of these entities, it is going to the highest point.
For the proper understanding of the financial flow of commissions, it is necessary to explain theoretically and define the individual entities.
Affiliate Network is a central hub tech and affiliate campaign management company on which takes place and runs affiliate programs that are generated by merchants. Affiliate Network brings together not only merchants but affiliates themselves as well. The value of an affiliate network is expressed by the number of active affiliate programs and the number of available affiliates. Some networks require a fee for access to the network. Other work on the principle of sales commission. Apart from the space for the creation program, they offer affiliate know-how as well. Networks are able to develop a detailed analysis of the target audience, how to communicate or make judgments on the affinity of the product for affiliate marketing.
Merchant is an eCommerce store that enters into affiliate networks in order to set up an affiliate program, increase profits and expand its product among Internet users at a relatively low cost. The merchant, therefore, offers its products through an affiliate program. He creates the conditions under which the affiliate receives a commission for each sale. Affiliate must then perform some type of action. This is usually about the sale, but there are programs that have a commission for registration, for filling in the form, and so on.
An affiliate is a person who can register to a particular affiliate program and promote the product in the online environment. The forms of promotion are diverse, but it consists mostly of banners and simple text ads. Every registered affiliate acquires its special link - a referral link, which becomes the identification in the system, with which the system can detect and record the activity of the affiliate.
The Benefits of Affiliate Marketing

1. You can make a lot of money without lots of effort or extraordinary skills.
   
2. You can make money while you sleep. Once you have a profitable campaign it can make money for you 24/7. You can even build employees and systems to take over everything.
   
3. It’s simple to get started. All you need is a computer, internet, and some money to spend on traffic. You don’t have to hire employees or rent office space.
   
4. There are no commitments or contracts. Don’t want to promote the offer anymore? Then stop. Want to go on vacation for 3 months? You can pause the campaign and go.
   
5. It’s the best direct marketing training in the world. Many people use affiliate marketing as a stepping stone towards new opportunities. Affiliate marketing is business training on steroids.
   

The role of SaaS solutions in Affiliate Marketing
The aim of SaaS solutions such as RevGlue.com in affiliate marketing is to make affiliate marketing simple with a unique set of interactive tools, structured contents, and dynamic modules. These SaaS tools and contents are offered on a monthly subscription of revenue share basis to publishers to help them monetize their current affiliate websites, mobile applications or create new websites within minutes.
Top Affiliate Networks in the UK

• Awin
• CJ
• TradeDoubler
• TradeTracker
• Webgains
• Impact
• Paid On Results
• Rakuten

4 - Digital Display Advertising
Do you know those ads that follow you around the Internet? The ones that somehow know exactly what you have been searching for? Your computer is not psychic, you are simply experiencing remarketing, one of the tools of digital display advertising (DDA). As a digital marketer, you can create online ads just as you would for an offline campaign. These online ads (or display banners) contain copy, logos, images, maps, and video, anything that will hook users as they browse. Then you can call on certain publishers to pick the most relevant websites, social media channels, and devices for your ads to appear on. You learned that SEO is all about driving traffic to your site. Just as you should optimize your site so that it shows higher in search results, you should also optimize the ads that direct users to it by including a hyperlinked call to action, for example.
The Process
1. Define. This stage starts by helping you to identify and segment your customers based on demographics like age, location, and interests. You will learn how to find the right publisher for your ads and how to set display campaign objectives in line with your overall goals.
2. Format. This stage will introduce a range of creative ad formats, among which you can choose the most appropriate, according to your target audience and budget. Once you have looked at formats, you will learn about the media channels available to you and how you can create compelling ad copy across these channels.
3. Configure. You can maximize your campaign's potential by using targeting tools like Google Display Planner and assigning KPIs to help you track your campaign on an ongoing basis. Once you go live, you can't hide from the eyes of the public so it is best to iron out any bumps early on.
4. Analyze. The final stage is when you measure the success of your campaign using analytics. Then you can enhance and optimize your ads as necessary before getting ready to relaunch.
Top Five Display Advertising Ad Networks

• Google AdSense
• Facebook Audience Network Ads
• Apple Advertising
• Yahoo / Bing Network
• Taboola

5 - Email Marketing
In a constantly evolving digital landscape, tools and platforms come and go. An email has remained a steadfast and dependable channel with 3.2 billion email accounts worldwide. That's three times more than the number of Facebook and Twitter accounts combined, and if optimized correctly, an email marketing campaign can be all-powerful, driving better returns on investment and higher levels of engagement. The fact that you can dispense with printing flyers, save trees, and be an email marketing pro? Well, those are just added bonuses!
The Process
1. Data. The first step in any email marketing campaign should always be the creation of a subscriber list. This is a compilation of email contacts who have consented to receive your communications (they've opted in). You can create as many lists as you need in order to segment your subscribers so that you can target them with relevant, personalized content that they will actually care about.
2. Design. This step involves deciding which content you should include in your email and the design principles you must follow, to ensure that your email ends up in a subscriber's inbox, ready to engage and excite them.
3. Delivery. This step is all about the delivery of your marketing emails. You will learn how they are managed through an email service provider (ESP), which facilitates everything from email style and layout to scheduling. Step 3 covers what happens to an email after it has been sent and delivered. You will learn how to utilize testing to decide what your email should look like and when you should send it to guarantee the best possible open rates.
4. Discovery. Analysis and reporting are fundamental when revising and refining your digital practices. Leveraging analytics tools will allow you to track every cent spent on your email marketing and let you track open rates, total opens, and unique opens. You will be able to track ROI through CTRs, unsubscribes, and bounce rates. Analytics tools are a gateway to highly detailed, clinical data that will enable you to tailor your email marketing strategy, taking into account both your successes and failures.
Top Email Delivery Tools

• Hubspot
• GetResponse
• Sender
• MailChimp
• Sendblue

6 - Social Media Marketing
Find me on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter. Check out my blog. Ten years ago these phrases meant nothing, yet now they are part of everyday speech. More and more people are connecting through social media to stay in touch with friends, to date, or to interact with brands and businesses. Which is great news for digital marketers like you. This is no time to be a wallflower. Because in order to survive and thrive, you will need to be active on the main platforms, competing in an online popularity contest with other companies. SMM is a huge topic and the most important digital marketing type.
Media Types: Earned, Owned, and Paid
Before getting into how you can promote yourself on social media, let's look at the options that are available. You can choose to post content through the following media types:
Earned media is free publicity, generated by fans and customers in response to content they like (your kudos for making them happy).
Owned media includes communications that a brand creates and controls via its own platform (you blow your own trumpet).
Paid media is any paid activity that drives traffic to owned media properties (you pay up for the shout-out).
Whatever option you choose, remember that there will be hidden costs involved. An engaging profile requires a great copy, multimedia assets like photos and videos (which you may want to take yourself), and a solid strategy. And since there is no point in having the world's greatest profile if no one knows you exist, you will have to fork out for some kind of advertising to reach socially tuned-in audiences. Finding and training the right staff, compiling digital assets, and advertising your business takes time and money—so bear that in mind when setting out your short- and long-term goals.
Top Social Media Marketing Tools

• SproutSocial
• Falcon
• Loomly
• eclincher
• Crowdcontrol HQ

SMM and Influencer Marketing
A Modern Phenomenon. Creating a New Frontier Of Virtual Opportunities.
Influencer marketing involves marketing products and services to those who have sway over the things other people buy. This market influence typically stems from an individual’s expertise, popularity or reputation. Marketing to an audience of influencers is similar to word-of-mouth marketing, but it does not rely strictly on explicit recommendations.
Social media have been crucial in revitalizing this instrument, creating greater and better opportunities for its use. While in the past, branding has been focused exclusively on well-known personalities, it has later moved to well-known bloggers and today it is about everyday consumers who have a huge impact. More and more brands and companies are focusing on their marketing activities to find new opportunities for presenting themselves. They are looking for someone to ‘tell’ their story.
Who Is An Influencer?
Every time you go online, you’ll interact with influencers. Whether you’re watching a video from your favorite YouTube vlogger, picking up recipes from a chef on Pinterest, or reading the latest Facebook story about your favorite celebrity, you’re engaging with an influencer. These are the people who are at the forefront of social trends. They could be innovators, who create new ideas, concepts or content, that grabs the attention of social media on a regular basis. Or early adopters. Those that discover trends before anyone else, and invigorate them with their own creativity, spreading them further into the social medium.
Influencers have their finger on the internet’s pulse, and social media users listen to them.
The 3 Types of Influencers.
Generally, when the industry talks about influencers, they categorize them into 3 levels based on their potential reach. For ease, they’ve been ranked the same here as...
The Celebrities These are the biggest players and probably a brand within their own right. They’re TV and movie actors, sports and music stars, and social media masters, with around 1 million-plus follower.
The Execs These are your macro-level influencers. Here, you’ll find journalists, bloggers, industry experts, and other content creators, with between 10,000 to 1 million followers.
The Everyday This is the lowest level of social media influencers, but there are more of them than the other two levels combined. With 500 to 10,000 followers, they could be your employees or even vocal customers. You can include your day-to-day consumers in this category too, encouraging them to generate content for you.
Top Influencer Marketing Platforms

• Klear
• Upfluence
• ASPIREIQ
• Tagger
• #paid

7 - Mobile Marketing
People have grown pretty fond of their phones. Their little devices of metal, plastic, and glass are like phantom limbs and they panic if they forget it, even for a few hours. This addiction means that consumers have become used to having their mobile devices with them constantly. So what opportunity does this pose for marketers? Right you are. A big one.
The Process
Effective mobile marketing is a cycle of discovery. Since it is a relatively new channel, there is no real rule book to follow so you will need to experiment with and augment your strategy as you go along.
As a digital marketer, if you want to reach the widest audience the smartphone is your new best friend because it helps you to reach a mass audience in an incredibly easy way. For example, Citigroup has found that while TV took 13 years to reach an audience of 50 million users, an entity like Facebook took only 3.5 years. (and Angry Birds took just 35 days :)
The sheer size of the mobile audience and the speed with which you can reach it is incredible. You instantly have a marketplace and an ecosystem that is global, with devices in the hands of everybody that you want to reach, and even a distribution mechanism that facilitates reaching them.
The key benefits of mobile include:
Personal Connection. Gone are the days of so-called brochure websites that contained merely a brand's logo, contact details, and location. With mobile, you can become a social media butterfly and create engaging ads that beg to be noticed whatever you choose, you can connect with users on their personal devices to form deeper relationships.
Access/Immediacy. People's phones are always with them, and unlike newspapers, they do not throw them away. Generally, their phones are always on, too so when you send a notification, it will be noticed. How quickly will it be seen? Well, 37 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds will see it within an hour, and 55 percent of those aged 25 to 40 years will see it within three hours. Well, we wouldn't want to miss anything!
On average, people check their phones 150 times a day, which roughly works out (depending on their sleep patterns) to every 6.5 minutes. They interact with their phones more than with any other technology, which means your message will be seen pretty quickly once sent.
Distribution. You have seen how fast an app such as the one for Angry Birds can reach a global audience. That is largely due to app stores such as the iOS App Store and Google Play, which let you reach millions of consumers instantly.
Seamless UX. Thanks to advances in digital wallets and built-in payment mechanisms, users can browse, select, and purchase with a few touches. And if you can provide them with a seamless, interactive experience, how could they not fall for your charms?
Cross-Platform Capabilities. You can use mobile to activate static media, such as print ads more on that in the section on proximity marketing.
Top Mobile Ad platforms

• Google Ads
• Bing Ads
• AdMob is now part of the Google family
• Airpush
• AdColony

8 - Content Marketing
Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
Content marketing is the opposite of advertising. It’s about engaging consumers with the stuff they really want, in a way that serves your brand’s purposes and ideals, rather than just trying to jam your logo into their periphery. It’s reaching the exact consumers you want, instead of a vaguely defined demo. It’s helpfully providing an experience they want, instead of trying to distract them from the one they came for. In short, it is the very evolution of advertising itself into something more effective, more efficient, and much less odious.
Traditional channels vs Digital channels
The most relevant difference between Content Marketing and Traditional Marketing is the means of distribution. While Traditional Marketing uses TV, radio commercials, newspaper and magazine ads, banner ads, direct mail advertisements, brochures, flyers, billboards, and signs to get its message out, Content marketing uses very different distribution channels like social media, which is the most popular way to publish content (used by 92% percent of content marketers), email newsletters, website articles, blog posts, infographics, videos, webinars, and podcasts, white papers, and e-books.
Talking vs. Giving
Traditional marketing talks about your product or service, to target audiences: why they need it, and how to get it. It attempts to persuade customers to make a purchase, without itself providing value. Content marketing takes a completely different approach. Rather than placing your product before the consumer, you publish material that the target audience finds useful or interesting. You give them something of value, and if you’ve done your job well, they will come back to you when they need your product or service.
Monologue vs. Dialogue
Traditional marketing is one-sided. You send out fliers or TV spots and people can see them, but they can’t interact with your brand, they can’t make questions or leave comments. Content marketing is interactive; thanks to the Internet, it provides the opportunity to have a dialogue with your customers (or potential customers), rather than merely forcing them to listen to your monologue.
Generalized vs. Personalized
Traditional marketing generally involves a message that is transmitted for several months or even years, so it is designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. On the other hand, because Content Marketing is about earning the user’s trust, the content needs to be directed towards a smaller, more specific audience so that it speaks to them directly and gives them a reason to engage with you.
Static vs. Shareable
Traditional marketing content is not easily shareable while Content marketing offers the customer something funny, informative, or inspiring, and does so in an interactive forum like social media, where it is easier to share. And because people share what makes them look good, the better the content, the more exposure it will get.
Top Content Marketing Platforms

• SEMRush
• StoryChief
• Rockcontent
• Contently
• Buzzsumo

9 - Pragmatic Marketing
The main goal of pragmatic marketing is to try to deliver products almost precisely as specified by the customer. This is what makes pragmatic marketing one of the most efficient ways to deliver.
Pragmatic Marketing is a sophisticated marketing approach defined as a product creation process that continually adapts itself based on experience. During adaptation, the marketing strategy is tested and re-adapted to ensure that the relevance of the customer to the customers’ expectations are met.
Pragmatic Marketing involves a series of product adaptations and tests to ensure that the final product will satisfy the target market. For example, a TV manufacturer designs a TV with specific features for a particular audience. They use pragmatic marketing by testing the TV with a sample of the audience. From the feedback they get from the sample, re-adapting will be done to ensure that it fits well with user demands.
Pragmatic Marketing Rules

1. An outside-in approach increases the likelihood of product success.
2. The answer to most of your questions is not in the building.
3. We are all pragmatic marketers.
4. If the product team doesn’t do its job, other departments will fill the void.
5. The building is full of product experts. Your company needs market experts.
6. Win/loss should be done by someone not involved in that sales effort.
7. Your opinion, although interesting, is irrelevant.
8. Only Build solutions for problems that are urgent and that the market will pay to solve.
9. Positioning drives execution.
10. Positioning focuses on the problems you solve.

You can compare pragmatic marketing with agile software development. You must test and re-adapt the software until the final result evolves. You must find out what the customer wants to buy. Theoretically, presenting a perfect product in the right way will make it sell quickly.
10- - ReMarketing or Retargetting
Remarketing or Retargeting are terms used to describe the process where the advertisers follow a user or customer via retargeting ad networks and sell a product or a service to a potential customer. Imagine you visit amazon.co.uk and start searching for a cheap laptop under £500 but you cannot make up your mind in that session, so you close the browser and get on with your other work. However, when you browse the internet again for reading news or just socializing, you can see that amazon ads are showing up on those websites with laptops in them and even with prices under £500. That is what retargeting ads do to hit you again and again on cross-devices you are connected to until you are convinced and make a purchase. On average a user may see a regarding ad about 7-10 times before he may be able to make a purchase.
Remarketing is great for many reasons.

• Reduced cost per impression
• Better conversion rates
• Improved ROI
• Precise targeting
• Cost-effective branding

Top retargeting Ad networks

• Adroll
• Facebook Ads
• Google Adsense
• Chango
• Criteo

Thank You...
submitted byZestyBellstomarketingmadesimple [link][comments]

2021.12.23 10:20 goingbankaiVitamin D as the ignored intervention and the evidence double standard

This is going to be a rather wordy post on why Vitamin D in its various forms is:

• An effective treatment mechanism for covid-19
• Predictive of outcomes (severity) of covid-19
• Able to lower cases and reduce mortality across populations

A more specific tl;dr is at the bottom.
I've written this post as a more 'academic' vent, since I am extremely frustrated with the clear double standards held by every major academic and governmental institution regarding covid-19 treatment and prevention. Major institutions are desperately focused on NPIs like lockdowns, mask mandates, or movement restrictions while simultaneously sitting on their hands when it comes to even such a safe intervention as Vitamin D. Early treatment or better yet preventative measures that target the disease are obviously better than the late treatment we have seen in hospitals around the world. In this case, any sort of prevention and even early (post-testing or post-positivity) treatment has been systemically rejected or ignored, while we see NPIs pushed as some apparently infallible intervention. I have come to view it as an equivalent to abstinence-only sex ed: they'll only teach you how not to have covid.
I live in Australia but have used US sources for my discussion of the evidence double standard, since they are quite jarring to read. Frankly, Australian institutions have been far lazier than their US counterparts (somehow) and have not even looked at Vitamin D as far as I can tell.
Although many treatments have been proposed, many of them have far more significant criticisms in terms of legitimacy and efficacy than Vitamin D. Whereas we see criticisms of somewhat popular drugs that are proposed for treatment such as ivermectin or fluvoxamine in a general lack of high-quality supporting evidence (I would tend to disagree, but I digress) such criticisms are not valid for Vitamin D. Even so, I will only be citing publications in Q1 sources for this post. For anyone not familiar with academic rankings, a Q1 source is one which is in the top 25% of publications overall, and I'll use scimagojr for this. Although I am not one to completely discount articles from sources that are not Q1 journals, limiting the sources in this post to Q1 only makes the work by comparison much harder to critique in a lazy manner that you typically see.
I will briefly mention some very high-quality meta-analysis/review articles that have been published on this subject, as my post is essentially a far less rigorous version of what others have done. A particularly thorough article published in Advances in Nutrition, which included studies published only up until Nov. 2020, concluded that there was a higher risk of infection (over 50% increase) in Vitamin D deficient individuals. It also found a statistically significant increase in disease severity, but at the time the results on certain outcomes including ICU admission and hospitalization was not consistent. The most recent analysis that I have found, published December 2021 (NB: Q2 journal, chose for recency), finds that Vitamin D deficiency results consistently show association with increased disease severity, ICU admission, and mortality.
These reviews both reach the same conclusion I will, although naturally the first one mentioned was limited in the studies which could be included. Multiple studies I include have been published very recently, and although I have not thoroughly read the Frontiers in Public Health article, I suspect many have been included there.

Country-scale Analysis

People typically produce Vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight on a daily basis. It starts out as cholecalciferol, which is most common naturally in the body and is further converted to calcidiol in the liver and then calcitriol in the kidneys (NB: EJCN was apparently Q2 in Nutrition in 2020, but historically is mostly Q1). As it is most common for people to get Vitamin D through sunlight exposure, clearly one can analyze the impact of Vitamin D on covid through sunlight exposure as a relevant proxy for population-wide Vitamin D levels.
The first studies to investigate Vitamin D levels used latitude of a country as a proxy, and came out very early in 2020. A wide-ranging study of 88 countries and their covid-19 mortality rates found 16% of the mortality variation in a country was explained by proximity to the equator (NB: journal is Q2 in Epidemiology, but Q1 in public health/health policy). This was limited in terms of analysis mainly due to the date it was published (June 26th) but does clearly indicate Vitamin D's effect on a nation-wide scale so early in the pandemic.
Later in the year, a paper published in Scientific Reports supported that earlier analysis, approached this hypothesis by testing the correlation of surges of covid-19 cases in Europe with latitude of the country. Fig. 3 in the study clearly shows these results succinctly, with no correlation between temperature/humidity and covid surges, but a linear relationship between latitude and surge date. Even more impressive is the correlation of the surge dates to the date that sun UVB drops below 34% of what would be at the equator, which has an R² value of an astounding 0.9993, a near perfect fit. Clearly both these relatively early studies show the correlations one would expect if Vitamin D levels had an effect on the spread of covid-19.

Direct Use of Circulating Vitamin D Levels

Few studies show the impact of Vitamin D on covid-19 better than one by Kaufman et. al. in PLOS ONE. With a total of 190,000 patients' covid-19 test results included and those patients' most recent Vitamin D test adjusted for seasonality, this is one of the largest non-population studies I've seen on covid-19. They find one of the most impressive relationships of any Vitamin D study, a halving of covid-19 positivity based on Vitamin D levels (R² value 0.96). If you read one discussion of pretty much any of the studies I'll cite, I'd suggest this discussion because they very clearly step through how this relates to previous findings for other respiratory pathogens and what limitations exist in the study (few). A very wide-ranging study of over 300,000 UK residents also showed that insufficient Vitamin D (under 25ng/ml) had a roughly 40% increased chance to have a case of covid or severe case, though it is unclear exactly when these measurements were performed.
There are plenty of smaller scale studies which focus on Vitamin D levels of patients, but specifically those who have their circulating Vitamin D levels measured clinically as part of the study. In Israel it was found that those with Vitamin D levels under 30ng/ml were more likely to test positive, and an American team found risk of a case [more pronounced with Vitamin D levels under 20ng/ml](10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19722). Korean scientists found a more pronounced relationship between Vitamin D levels and disease severity in patients who were hospitalized where 80% of patients on ventilators had Vitamin D levels under 20ng/ml (note: study labels as dL not mL, have to assume typo). This was further confirmed by scientists in Germany, who found a 6 times increase in risk of death for those under 12 ng/ml, in Brazil where it was found that nearly 100% of those admitted to the ICU were deficient with levels under 20ng/ml, and again in the US showing inverse association between Vitamin D levels and risk of ventilation and mortality in all analyses done (NB: video presentation for the final one is good). It was even found recently that US cancer patients with Vitamin D levels under 20ng/ml were close to 50% more likely to be infected.
Continuing to discuss study after study is unnecessary, however for anyone interested the journal Nutrients has by far the most high-quality studies as regards Vitamin D levels in covid patients. At this point the association between circulating Vitamin D levels (measured as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] typically) and adverse outcomes in covid-19 should be abundantly clear. The Israeli scientists start their study by saying 'Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide pandemic' and the Brazilians recommend mass administration of Vitamin D supplements to those at risk. Given their results, nobody should be surprised that these are their conclusions. Regardless, all studies I have mentioned stress the need for studying intervention with Vitamin D supplements or general treatments, which I'll walk through next.

Preventative Supplementation

A recently published study of predicted Vitamin D status in US nurses found that nurses who supplemented with Vitamin D were half as likely to be hospitalized with covid. This study also supported the country-scale analysis of UV light exposure (which of course generates Vitamin D) by finding that those in the top quartile of UV-A or UV-B lowered risk of covid infections. One intentional supplementation study done in frail elderly (average age of 77) patients some of whom were given Vitamin D supplements regularly or after diagnosis. They use doses of 50,000IU cholecalciferol monthly, and found a mortality rate of 7% in the regularly supplemented group, 19% when supplementation occurred directly after diagnosis, and around 31% mortality rate without supplements. This group has also registered a clinical trial for an RCT on early supplementation but unfortunately no results have been published yet.
One of the most interesting studies done is from Spain, where doctors analyzed a cohort of nearly 16,000 patients who were hospitalized Andalusia in 2020. Figure 2 in their study shows an impressive comparison between patients who had a prescription of Vitamin D in either the form of cholecalciferol or the converted form of calcifediol. Those who had the converted form (calcifediol) closer to hospitalization were at significantly lower risk of death than those that had the typically prescribed cholecalciferol further from the date of hospitalization. The clear inference that the authors make is that calcifediol supplementation close to hospitalization would have positive effects worldwide.
The final supplementation study I'll discuss is one that has very interesting implications that relate to the body's hydroxylation of Vitamin D that I previously discussed. Patients of chronic kidney disease in Spain were studied at a population level. The last hydroxylation of Vitamin D in the body occurs in the kidneys, and obviously those without proper kidney function need direct supplements of calcitriol since their kidneys may not properly perform this. Those who took calcitriol supplementation were both less likely to develop covid (about 20% less likely than the control group) and had about a 40% reduction in mortality.
The relationships shown here have clear implications. Taking a more activated form of Vitamin D, as the Spanish doctors have shown in multiple studies, reduces risk of contracting covid-19 and also reduces risk of severe outcomes. Even minor supplementation from US nurses resulted in a halving of hospitalization risk.

Treatment

There are by comparison few 'proper' randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compare treatment using Vitamin D (cholecalciferol, calcifediol, or calcitrol) to either placebo or standard of care. Doctors in Western Mexico (NB: unsure if Q1, but the journal says it is) compared placebo to 10,000IU/day of cholecalciferol in a small (42 patient) RCT and found that no patients in the intervention group had multiple symptoms at their 7 and 14 day follow ups, but 4 in the control group did. In Britain, doctors performed a retrospective analysis of treatment cohorts given a standard Vitamin D booster therapy. The primary cohort showed a shocking (adjusted) risk of death 87% lower than those not receiving Vitamin D, while the validation cohort showed a more reasonable 60% reduction in mortality. Indian doctors published very similar results in a small RCT with a higher dose of 60,000IU/day leading to a (not statistically significant) 60% reduction in mortality and major reduction in inflammatory markers compared to placebo.
Of particular interest is a 'proper' pilot RCT done in Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital in New York of 50 patients given calcitrol for 14 days or until discharge. The study was too small to find results of statistical significance, however they found the average length of stay in the calcitrol group was 5.5 (±3.9) days, while the placebo group was 9.24 (±9.4) days. No deaths occurred in the intervention group but there were 3 in the control group, again too small of a study group to reach significance. This study is particularly interesting because it shows only positive outcomes from the calcitrol (activated Vitamin D) group, and despite the small sample size the effects are substantial. The results are in line with the pronounced difference between the use of calcidiol compared to cholecaciferol in the Spanish study mentioned earlier.

Some Conclusions

Overall it should be clear both that Vitamin D deficiency is an aggravating factor in cases of covid-19, and deficiency in Vitamin D correlates often to severity of the disease. Almost every study which measures circulating Vitamin D levels in covid patients have found them to be significantly lower than healthy controls, with lower circulating Vitamin D often leading to more pronounced risk. Many supplementation studies showed that consistent Vitamin D supplementation lowered risk of cases of covid-19, or lowered the risk of severe outcomes of a case. More active forms of supplementation (calcidiol or calcitrol instead of cholecalciferol) show increased benefits, especially when given closer in time to a covid case.
Vitamin D is so easy to get that you can usually find it in the local supermarket. Chances are they'll have 1,000IU cholecalciferol lying around, because in general it is extremely difficult to 'overdose' on. NIH recommendations under 'Health Risks from Excessive Vitamin D' put the level at which extreme side effects occur to be greater than 150ng/ml. Most of the studies I have linked have patients with levels between extremes of ~10ng/ml (extreme deficiency) to ~50ng/ml (well over sufficiency). None of the treatment studies, even those with extremely high dosing, found the negative side effects listed on the NIH site.
The main benefit of Vitamin D is how cheap it is. For obvious reasons I won't be linking to any products, but a quick search of online retailers will show you that most packs are around 20USD for a supply that lasts a few months or even a year. Realistically most of these treatment studies would be very cheap, at least in terms of actual supplements, to do. Any sort of widespread supplementation, even of an entire country, could be done with (napkin math) about 1USD/person/month. Dirt cheap intervention, very likely to be effective and extremely unlikely to have adverse effects.
In addition to having helpful pages on Vitamin D, the NIH has some treatment guidelines for covid specifically on Vitamin D. They are, at least compared to my take on the matter, decidedly in the camp of 'not enough evidence'. Their last update to this page was done on April 21, 2021, which I will note is well after this systemic review and meta-analysis came out. They cite (and I'm not kidding here) one Brazilian RCT that investigated high-dose Vitamin D and the impact on hospital stay.
The RCT in question was published in JAMA in February 2021. They gave patients 200,000IU of Vitamin D an average of 10 days after onset of symptoms when almost 90% (!) of patients already required some form of supplemental oxygen (not ventilation). The study almost found statistically significant results for lower mechanical ventilation among the Vitamin D group (7.6% VD, 14.4% control, p=0.09) but ultimately no results were statistically significant.
So after reading a single study, just one, the NIH decided there was no evidence to conclude that Vitamin D should or should not be used in treating covid patients. They haven't cited a single review, meta-analysis, or more than one study relating to covid-19. There's no indication that they've decided to change their minds for 8 months now, after plenty more studies have come out (some RCTs too) on treating covid with Vitamin D.
Clearly the NIH has, to be generous, been lazy with their review of all the data relating to any treatment of covid-19, but especially Vitamin D. The Office of Dietary Supplements have actually made no recommendations for or against any and all supplements including Vitamin D. In this page, they actually do make reference to many of the studies I discuss and note most if not all results are positive but then (I am not joking) reference the NIH's own page where they say the data are insufficient while citing just one study. Apparently they can't email their references to whatever department makes the treatment recommendations?
Nevertheless, many agencies such as the CDC have made it clear that face masks are unequivocally necessary, good, work, and more. The NIH hasn't done much of anything on masks aside from publishing the odd news article in support of them. As far as citations? Not a one on the CDC page, masks just work don'tcha know!
A working paper from Cato written by AMA guest Vinay Prasad and others is by comparison critical of mask efficacy. They take what I think anyone should consider a reasonable approach with a critical look at relevant literature and found that of sixteen meta-analysis, the half that recommended face masks did so mainly on the precautionary principle rather than qualitative results. In their words, the 'weak evidence' (and any reasonable reading of it would indeed conclude the evidence is weak) should not preclude the intervention, but the fact that the evidence is weak should at least be properly communicated.
While generally weak evidence for mask wearing and mandates results in mandates across the globe and a near-universal belief that masks work, far higher quality evidence in much more substantial quantity exists supporting Vitamin D as an intervention for covid patients. Instead of universal belief that Vitamin D works, or major institutions shouting from the rooftops that 'Vitamin D works!' or recommending children over 2 supplement with Vitamin D instead of the current recommendation that they wear a mask, we see near universal indifference. At this point, I think it would be incredibly generous to characterize this response as incompetence but will refrain from speculating further.
There's more than enough circumstantial (population-wide) evidence to support the hypothesis that Vitamin D levels impact covid-19 in the number of cases, date cases occur, and even severity of those cases. More studies than I care to count have shown an association between Vitamin D deficiency and severity of covid-19. Now there are many studies which show that Vitamin D treatment can be used to quite substantial effect in treating cases of covid, even in those at high risk of death (elderly).
Since Vitamin D is so cheap and recognized as Safe and Effective (TM) to the point where you can buy supplements off the shelf, it would make a perfect addition to covid-19 treatment protocols. It's even better in poor nations which have difficulty getting those at risk vaccinated, or where you need to make it just a few more months before those at risk (particularly the elderly) are able to be vaccinated. Establishment institutions such as the NIH being at absolute best lazy with their reviews and cherry-picking to get the results they want has likely cost many lives. Their focus on unproven, generally ineffective NPIs that caused many at-risk individuals to spend far more time at home (not getting Vitamin D) and discounting potential treatments has been an utterly catastrophic decision and if nothing else their abject laziness and incompetence should be what people remember when they think of the government response to covid.
submitted bygoingbankaitoLockdownSkepticism [link][comments]

2021.12.23 09:18 crimsonheart4269What is the matrix of Midisaint?

^{>>This document me and a few others of the Blood Paws put together for anyone new that might have stumbled on this or visiting Midisaint. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail on some things. That is what asking questions on a BBS is for, right?
-Dead Paw}
In Midisaint the internet is a few steps above and beyond what most will experience in other nations. In the nation of wolves it is given the name of the matrix, as it is a combination of the standard world wide web as well the protocols needed that allows one to experience it either VR¹ or AR².
It is the infrastructure behind most electronics. It’s what’s behind the interface you interact with everyday. It is literally everywhere, runs everything, and yet for all of that, it’s as close as anything can come to being invisible.
People don’t think about the power grid and how it works when they plug in a hair dryer or drive their car to work, they just use it. It’s the same with the matrix: they make phone calls, send email, ask their car for directions and perform a million other little tasks, never thinking about how the connections are made and data is transferred. There is almost no place on the planet that isn’t connected to someplace else via the matrix: from phone calls to video conferencing, credit card transfers to security systems - any time information moves anywhere in the world, it does so over the matrix.
THE MATRIX AND EVERYDAY LIFE
The matrix isn’t just something you look at occasionally. It makes sure the lighting in your living room is just at the level you prefer. It is the reminder on your commlink³ that there’s a special on pink roses for your date that you should take advantage of, because she doesn’t like red ones.
There is almost no period of time, day or night, when the matrix is not in use in some way in the major metropolitan areas. In your home, car, or office: whenever you carry any device that transmits or receives data; whenever you go out and watch the latest concert on live feed at your local nightclub: you’re using the matrix. It has become the universal constant in a world of uncertainty, crossing every social and economic class barrier. Even the homeless can use the matrix through street corner public access terminals. It is the ultimate social service.
The matrix is even available from the road. Let’s say a car has a flat tire. A call for roadside assistance goes out from the vehicle through a satellite uplink, along with its location and a brief description of the problem, to the processing host of the auto service with which the person has an account. The nearest tow truck is dispatched, along with a notation that it would be worth several customer service points (because the driver is diabetic and it will have been two hours by the time he gets there in traffic) if the driver brings an energy bar with him. In the past this sort of thing would have been done by phone and radio using a real, live operator, but in today’s world all this is transmitted directly to the wireless terminal mounted in the dash of the tow truck nearest you. Most importantly, once the car is up and running again, the power-utility company uses the internet to transmit the data that the car generates regarding its power consumption, so that the owner’s monthly bill can be updated appropriately.
Most people never venture past the superficial levels of the matrix, considering it little more than a venue for increased virtual socialization, more convenient shopping, on demand entertainment, and, of course, work. Communication is key here, since it is the primary way most people talk to their friends, their bosses, their colleagues, even their families.
Most homes still have a central cyberterminal4. It is an all-in-one computer, phone/email service, message center, simsense player...everything. Now the cyberterminal has also been condensed into the size of a personal commlink that’s carried with you everywhere, all the time, connecting you to the AR world 24/7. With today’s faster-than-thought transmission speeds, there are no global barriers any more. The matrix is the ultimate way to bring your life up to speed and let you live it to the fullest. You can read your gossip news in one AR screen, have directions to guide you to the nearest coffee shop in another AR window, and be talking to someone in another city in a third. Once upon a time you’d see someone walking down the street and talking to themselves, and you’d figure they’d lost it. Now you can walk down any urban street and you’ll see crowds of people, AR glasses on, holding conversations with people only they can see or hear.
Another side effect of the AR communication change is that people mostly use their avatars5 as their virtual representation. Used to be you had to be sitting in front of your cyberterminal or staring into the tiny screen/camera of your phone to have a video enabled conversation with someone around the globe. Now, unless you’re willing to walk around, carrying a camera pointed to your face while you talk, your avatar is what the other person sees, not your face.
The technology exists to create a virtual you, a perfect representation of yourself complete with mannerisms and personal quirks, and use it as your avatar. Since so many people interact solely in cyberspace, why not be exactly who you want to be?
BUSINESS
Through AR, employees can be logged in from home, from the road, or even from nomadic work environments. Virtual offices are considered convenient, quick to set up, and most importantly cost efficient. With no central offices, wageslaves become their own mobile offices, eliminating the costs of maintaining central buildings, increasing the amount of hours an employee can be available, and ensuring business can run 24/7/365.
Other corporations provide fully jacked-in offices were wageslaves go, plug in, and then spend the next twelve hours in a VR office, with no outside distractions to hamper full productivity. In high security areas, the system may be completely offline with employees required to “check” their personal commlinks at the door and use a workplace commlink while on site. Naturally, this does lead to a high number of burnout employees, but hey, people are replaceable, right?
Businesses have also discovered the ease of using AR for training, monitoring employees, and disseminating corporate bullshit. AR transmissions are so easy to eavesdrop on, employees in the new AR world have no privacy at work or at home.
AR technology has also allowed corporations to better deploy their personnel in dangerous or difficult environments, such as mining, underwater environments, and even construction. By using RFID tags and AR, corporations can reduce risk through constant surveillance of every worker, warning them of dangerous zones, preventing entry into unsecured areas, and monitoring vital signs and productivity.
The other big business interest in AR is selling stuff to all those wageslaves (and you). Lots and lots of stuff. With the ability to track every purchase you make, real-time. Every store you enter, every restaurant you patronize, right down to the milk you added to your coffee this morning ...well, let’s just say, the system knows more about you and your preferences than you do. It didn’t take long for corporations to realize what a lucrative business market data tracking is. There is some seriously heavy competition out there for your buying data, and everyone with a SIN and disposable income is targeted. You walk down the street and get bombarded with restaurants reciting their daily specials, stores advertising sales of your preferred brand of underwear, street side vendors blasting you with viral ad-software, entertainment parlors flashing neon AR signs to get your attention...it is impossible to escape the constant data assault in any commercial center. Any time you actually show interest in one of the ads, your attention is noted and compiled with the rest of your consumer profile. Corporate interests have ensured that turning your commlink to hidden mode (or chucking it into the nearest recycler) is suspicious or illegal, and will almost always get you noticed by police forces. For the average Joe on the street, the constant ad-war is a simple fact of life.
HOME
The home of your average Joe is a fully networked, fully controlled AR-enhanced environment managed through a central node that is linked to the resident’s commlink. If the fridge unit detects that the milk is getting sour, the central home management software notices your commlink, which then orders a grocery delivery, pays through automatic debit from your bank account, and even sends your kid a reminder note to dump the old milk down the sink
when he gets home from soccer practice. More affluent homes will skip the kid part, of course, since those critters are notoriously unreliable, and simply tell the home drone to perform the task. Homes in more modern apartment buildings, neighborhoods, and corporate enclaves are designed to take care of all those pesky homeowner responsibilities like scheduling regular maintenance, monitoring systems like plumbing or HVAC, and automatically requesting repairs or upgrades from authorized service providers. You’ve got a problem with your laundry machine? The machine notifies the central home management software, which asks you to approve the repair charges then authorizes a repair tech to your home, who is allowed access to your home when he approaches with his work order and service ID (stored, obviously, on his commlink), all while you are out enjoying yourself shopping for more gadgets.
In addition, AR connected interior design programs are very popular, allowing a user to customize wallpaper or carpet patterns, change lighting and music options. For those who prefer to live a totally augmented life, a variety of AR image overlays exist, providing virtual artwork, virtual image overlays for furniture and appliances, virtual pets, even virtual roommates for those who want them. The only limits are imagination and the depth of your bank account.
EDUCATION
Education has jumped on the AR bandwagon for better or worse. School districts in the poorer areas have switched to educational software, tutor agents, and virtual teachers for many of their hard-to-staff schools. For the cost of one teacher’s salary, you can provide 400 kids with second-hand commlinks and knock-off AR goggles. Of course, in affluent areas, or for the favored corporate citizens, education is enhanced by the availability of AR. Specialized teachers from around the globe can lecture to hundreds at a time, advanced coursework can be taught through interactive software, and advanced degrees can be attained without ever stepping foot on a physical college campus.
Corporations, the government, and military operations have embraced virtual training simulations. SWAT and special ops teams can link up in virtual reality to train for any situation, from urban combat zones to extreme weather conditions.
ELECTRONIC FUNDS
Most of the money in Midisaint is nothing more than bits of electrons, shuttled between virtual banks with an implied agreement to honor the dataflow. Everyone utilizes their commlink. You need to have a commlink with a valid SIN hooked up to a valid bank account. For the average Joe, the entire system is convenient and practically invisible. His paycheck is deposited into his account electronically. The government gets first dibs, with taxes automatically calculated, filed, and paid promptly, without any thought from Joe. After that, his regular bills are paid, set up for automatic debits that don’t require any attention on Joe’s part. When Joe catches the bus to work in the morning, the bus fare is automatically paid via his commlink, same thing for the coffee he grabbed from the street vendor at the bus stop. All of these transactions take place real-time, and smart consumers utilize money-management software to ensure they don’t overextend themselves.
THE AUGMENTED WORLD
The augmented world has been designed to appeal to consumers’ desire for instant gratification, simplicity, and ease of use. Most wireless users adapted quickly to having multiple screens of data displayed, allowing us to satisfy our short-attention spans and need for instantaneous news, music, entertainment, whatever we desire. Global AR coverage means you can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. AR-enhanced products like clothing, makeup, and body augmentations mean we never have to make due with the boring, mundane world. Virtual clubs, societies, and communities ensure that you’ll meet like-minded folks around the globe, even if you never meet in the flesh. For many users, the virtual world has become more real - and certainly more interesting and fulfilling - than the unaugmented world.

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Daily life is constantly augmented. People view the world through their AR glasses using the AROs that guide them through the streets, enjoying or ignoring the constant barrage of advertisements, and watching streaming news or gossip feeds. Look at other people crowding around you and you’ll see their augmented appearance - perhaps they are wearing clothes
embedded with AR functionality, changing a plain bodysuit into a swirling mass of colors and textures when viewed through AR. Makeup and haifur products do similar things. Cover your face with AR-enhanced dyes and your features will change into anything you can imagine. Hair and fur can be transformed into writhing masses of snakes or colors never seen in nature.
Socially, more and more people are turning to the virtual world to find companionship and romance. Dating networks (and the spam they let loose) are more common than fish in the sea. In the last few years the Midisaint government has granted legal status to virtual marriages (and virtual divorces).
Augmented and Virtual Reality
There are two ways to experience the matrix: through augmented reality and virtual reality. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but both allow you to use the matrix with equal access. With only a few exceptions, anything you can do in VR can be done in AR, and vice versa.
Augmented Reality
The majority of matrix users operate in AR most of the time. With augmented reality, the matrix is not a place you go so much as a parallel world of data and imagery that you experience as an overlay onto your normal range of senses via technological devices. Your commlink accesses matrix data and feeds you the results by any number of interface devices. AR sensory input is specific and personalized to each user.
In its most basic form, AR is experienced as visual sight cues, icons known as augmented reality objects, or AROs (pronounced “arrows”). You can see AROs with smart goggles, glasses, or even contact lenses, which is linked to your commlink. By default, ARO data appear as ghostly images and text in your field of view, so it does not fully obstruct your vision. You can customize your interface to view this data any way you like, or to filter out certain content (like visual spam AROs). If you accept an incoming video call, for example, the caller’s image or icon appears in your field of vision, but transparent so the real world can be seen through it.
You can also experience AR through audible cues, transferred and heard via an audio link which can be in earbud headphones, subdermal bone-vibrating speakers, or even goggles or glasses that send tight-beam audio to your ears. You can control the volume and you don’t have to worry about snoopers overhearing since it’s all in your head. Advanced AR systems can convey tactile information (called haptics) relayed through simsense or by feedback gloves and clothing customized to convey temperature, pressure, and resistance. If you want the full AR experience, you can translate AR input into smell and taste sensory data through simsense.
The easiest way to get your AR fix is through simsense. You need a direct neural interface - either via an implanted sim module, a datajack, or a trode net—along with a sim module for your commlink to interpret the signals and feed you the data. Simsense feeds take AR a step further because they can also relay emotions, though services that relay full emotive sim are rare and sometimes illegal or downright disturbing: advertising spam is bad enough, but do you really want to feel it?
Control and manipulation of the AR interface can be accomplished with a variety of means. Input devices include vocal commands into a microphone, AR gloves, micro-laser eye trackers in glasses, or even mental commands through direct neural interface. When all else fails, the rudimentary controls on the commlink itself can be used.
Virtual Reality
For those who want the full matrix experience, you can go a step beyond AR and fully immerse your senses in the virtual reality of the matrix. In VR, your physical perceptions are overridden by the matrix’s sensory information. Rather than experiencing the real world around your physical body, you experience the electronic simulation of the matrix as your persona’s icon.
A simsense module and a direct neural interface are required to access full VR. As a safety precaution, simsense overrides your motor functions while you are in VR so that you don’t unknowingly move in the real world and potentially harm yourself or your surroundings. This means that your physical body is limp while you’re online, as if you were sleeping.
Virtual reality is popular for several reasons. VR environments are fantastic for intense and realistic gaming experiences, and customizable simsense entertainment feeds are more popular than standard video. Since your icon can have any sculpting, VR is more anonymous
than AR and is an excellent medium for conducting shady deals or simply socializing without having to overcome barriers raised by looks, social class, etc. Sometimes just moving through some of the matrix’s specially sculpted VR landscapes is an interesting way to pass the time - like living in a video game. It is also extremely useful for a number of professional functions including virtual modeling, high-speed transactions, security, remote cooperative ventures, etc.
In VR, you become your persona icon. The persona firmware makes you feel like your senses and consciousness are embodied in the icon; in a very real sense it becomes your body in the matrix. Persona icons are customizable and an immense range of possibilities are available; you can be literally everything. Want to be a purple ogre with eight arms? No problem. How about a cybernetic aphid with jet thrusters?
USE THE MATRIX BEFORE IT USES YOU
^{>>The following is a little snippet I snagged from a school doc for those that might be new to all this matrix lingo and what not. Your welcome.
-Dead Paw}

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^{>>Why are you snooping around school docs, Dead?
-Ph03n1x
>>Cause I get curious every once and a while what they are teaching.
-Dead Paw}
THE BASICS
The first thing you’re going to need is a commlink. You’re also going to need an operating system, or OS. Always try to get the best commlink model and OS you can afford.
You’re also going to need some interface gear. Sure, you can use the commlink’s built-in screen and thumb-buttons, but that’s pretty lame. Get an image link so you can see AR objects and data; it can be built into shades, regular glasses, goggles, or even contact lenses for that natural look. Grab some earbuds or headphones (depending on your look) so you can catch your tunes and other audio. A microphone will let you make commcalls without having to use your commlink’s mic. Add some AR gloves to complete the ensemble; you can get them as gloves, paste-ons, or even as a set of full-finger rings. Whatever your look, you can use the Matrix in style.
Direct Neural Interface
Be wary of people who tell you that DNI is the only way to fly. You might think that you can get a datajack even though it’s illegal in most places to buy a DNI before you’re 21, but be
careful. You’re probably not done growing, so a datajack is not a good idea yet. But even with trodes, DNI is a gateway directly to your brain, and a person can get seriously messed up through that interface. Nevertheless, the ability to simply think your commands is an incredible ease-of-use factor that makes trodes worth the risk.
To roll with a DNI trode interface, you’ll first need to spend a few minutes configuring your trodes to your brain the first time you use them. Your trodes will slave themselves to your sim module, and then your commlink will give you a series of mental exercises to do.
SURFIN’ THE MATRIX
The matrix is a virtual place. Technically, it’s a synthetic hallucination that is expressed using the analogy of geography by consent of its users. Which is the scientific way of saying that it’s only a place because we’ve decided it would be. All those nifty virtual landscapes you’ve been looking at? All fake, phony, and not there, not even a little bit. Somebody’s imagination on steroids.
What does this mean for you? Absolutely nothing. The matrix was designed to appear to be a physical location on purpose, so if you treat it like it’s a place, everything will work just fine. But the Matrix isn’t just an imaginary place, it’s a bunch of imaginary places.
Nodes and Icons
The Matrix is really made up of a whole bunch of nodes. A node is a virtual location that represents a matrix system. Everything in the matrix is either a node or in a node. In fact, your PAN (that thing we set up with your commlink and peripherals) is a node, too!
Everything else in the matrix is called an icon. Every file, user, datastream, device interface, everything has an icon. Icons usually look like things, and you can touch them to interact with them, just like in real life. Everything in the matrix that isn’t a node is an icon.
Things in the matrix are designed to look, smell, feel, taste, sound, and act a certain way. This is called sculpting. A node can be sculpted to look like a church, a classroom, a beach, or even empty space. Icons are sculpted, too. Don’t worry about not being able to tell different icons apart from each other and from the node. Your commlink will identify which objects are icons and which are just pretty background.
Less Talking, More Surfing
Okay, let’s have a look. You’re currently just looking at things in AR mode, which means you have a couple of small windows open to the side of your field of vision. Note how in AR, everything is depicted as small icons, small amounts of text, and small video clips? And it’s all transparent, so you can see what’s happening in the real world too? That’s because that is the point of AR, to let you interact with the physical world and the matrix at the same time.
First off, mental click on that icon to the right, and take a closer look at the expanded view. That is your current icon. When people see you in the matrix this is what they’ll see. Unless you got a really cheap OS, you’ll have hundreds of different options to play with. Go ahead and sort out your first look, I’ll be here when you’re done.
All set? Okay, now see that window on top, the one with the logo on it? That is your commlink icon. Mental click on that and drag it to the center of your vision. Now mentally toggle over into virtual mode. See how it shifted from an icon to a window? Through that window, you’re looking at the default sculpting of your OS, a bare-looking room with a logo on it. This is what your commlink node looks like in VR, only we’re still viewing in AR so you see it like you would presented on a display screen. VR is a whole different experience - if you were in VR, you’d actually be there, completely immersed in that environment. It’s not a real place, but it might as well be. Don’t worry about the decor right now, you can futz with it later.
Now, let’s check out the matrix. Start by mentally clicking the icon that says “local grid.” See the window that popped up with a big list of names? Those are all of the local nodes within wireless range. Now look back to the virtual view window, and you’ll see the point of view has changed so that you’re now floating above your node, which probably looks like a box with the same logo. This is a spatial representation of the nodes that your PAN can access directly. Straight down is your node, and there’s probably your household node nearby, unless you’re not at home). Maybe some neighbors’ nodes around, and possibly some others. You might see some moving nodes that belong to passersby or vehicles outside. You can probably see a lot of advertising, too, floating here and there. Nice view, huh?
Ok, pop up a search window and look up the address for your MSP, or just select it from that node list. Hit the connect button. Bam! You’ve just accessed the public area of the MSP’s nexus. If you were in VR, you could have just flown over (or zoomed in on) and touched the MSP node’s icon. By convention, they’re usually sculpted as towers (but then so are nodes for actual towers, so if you live near a tower, it could get confusing). In the virtual view window, you can see what the inside of this node looks like in VR. Pretty wild and noisy, huh? Go ahead and look around, you can’t damage anything here, and you certainly won’t crash the matrix.
About this time, you’re probably getting your first spam, unless you’ve got a really good firewall. Spam is not dangerous, and most of the time your OS pushes them to the edge of your view, but they can get annoying. You will only encounter extreme spam in heavily tracked areas (both in real life and the matrix). Trust me, you don’t want to buy anything from a spammer, so just let them open, do their thing, and close again.
You don’t actually need to see all this wild bedlam, so this would be a good time to start playing with your filters. Look for a funnel or sieve icon, or the word filter (if you’re using DNI like I told you not to, you’ll need to think it; it might take you a few tries). Select (or think) “Remove Traffic” from the menu that pops up. That should calm things down a bit in the virtual view window. Now your commlink has stopped rendering network traffic. It’s still there, but you don’t sense it any more. You can be as selective as you like with your filter, and even “fly blind” by filtering out everything but the scenery. Try out some different settings; you can fine tune it later.
If you’re done playing around with the MSP’s node and your filters, look around for the regional link. It usually is sculpted in the form of a globe or a map. Now touch the map and activate the regional view. Yow! An even bigger list of nodes has popped up! This is all of the nodes that the MSP is aware of, and that’s usually in a big area. You can go to any of these nodes you like, although you’ll only be able to get into the public areas (and most of those just say “go away” or a variation thereof ). Later on, you can bookmark or fave nodes that you like, so you can just go straight there instead of hunting for it.
If you want to get into a node properly, and not just its public areas, you’ll need an account on that node. Then you’ll be able to get inside the node and use whatever the owners allow you to use.
Let’s try a public library. Open a search box and find one. Then go to it and sign up for an account. It will access your SIN information and get you hooked up.
Check out how the virtual view of the node changes when you get your account. You’re on the inside, baby! You can check out books and videos and stuff later, but first notice how big the place is. It’s actually bigger, but there’s stuff here you can’t see. Just like stores and things have back rooms, nodes have private areas that you can’t even see without a higher-level account. In fact, there are probably icons for things you can’t access floating around right now. Don’t worry, if your commlink can’t detect it, it can’t interact with you, either.
Okay, that’s your training flight. Go play around or buzz your friends’ home nodes or something. Don’t be afraid to try things, a node won’t let you do anything it doesn’t want you to do. When you’re ready to find out more about the matrix, keep reading.
FACE TIME
Now that you are loaded up and running some progs on your commlink, let’s get out into the wide world of wireless. The matrix is a big place, so you’ll not only be able to keep in touch with your current friends, but make new ones around the world. It’s not all fun and games, though; there are some freaks and dangers out there, but if you follow my lead and surf smart, you’ll be able to use the matrix before it uses you.
You’ve Got the Look
You get to decide how people see you in both AR and VR. The technical term for what people see when they look at you in the matrix is “icon,” but a lot of people call it your avatar. There are literally thousands of icons available from stores, “off-the-rack” as it’s called in the matrix. You can get pretty much anyone you want, and all of them come with customizable detailing. If you really want to stand out, though, you use a custom icon. Custom icons are hella expensive, but totally wicked, and guaranteed to be unique. If you’ve got an artistic bent, you can make your own icon, too, but you’ll need a good Edit-class program and a massive amount of time (every single action of your icon has to be programmed, animated, and pre-rendered).
Commcalling
When you make the call, you can specify audio, text, image, video, or any combination of the above. Just pick the commcode of the person you’re calling, hit the commcall button (or whatever you’ve set up for your personal commlink), and wait to connect. If you don’t need to talk to them right away, just compose a message, in voice, text, or images or whatever, and bam, you’ve sent an email.
You are also able to call more than one person at once. You don’t even have to have all of the conversations at once. You can hold some, merge others, only send messages to part of a group, whatever you want. The power is totally in your hands!
Remember that while you can call anybody, anybody can call you, so always screen your calls before you connect, and leave the auto-answer feature alone!
You Are Who You Know
One of the coolest things you can do on the matrix is connect with your friends on social sites. There are a bunch to choose from, like blog hosts, interest clubs, forums, info boards, and so on. They offer chat proxies (so you can call people without giving out your commcode), file sharing, and discussion groups where you can post your thoughts and read those of others.
A social network can help you out and help you find folks who can do you favors, but don’t forget that it’s all give-and-take. Every social network has a reputation system of some sort, be it ranks or smileys just a number. If your reputation is low on a site, you’re not likely to be popular, and if you ask for too much you might get kicked off , so be polite and lend a hand when you can.
Awesome Places to Be
There are some sweet clubs, hip-hoppin’ hang-outs, and neo rawkin’ raves going on in the matrix. These places are just like real-life clubs, except that all the architecture is virtual. Jump in, pop your AR to full-view (you still aren’t using VR, right?), and enjoy.
These are the places where your icon can be important. They are the best venues to see and be seen, whether you’re wearing off-the-rack or a custom number. In fact, if your avatar is good enough, people won’t immediately assume you’re a kid and not take you seriously (yeah, grown-ups suck, I know). Some places won’t even let you in if your icon isn’t up to snuff. A lot of places will disconnect visitors who misbehave, too, so mind your manners!
It’s true that you could go to these places in VR. I’d hold off on the whole virtual reality thing, but if you’re going to do it, read what I have to say about it later on before you jack in!
Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Pwned!
You da playa? Got game? Prove it over one of hundreds of massively multiplayer games! You can find pretty much any kind of game you’re looking for, from Miracle Shooter to Pony Trainer and everything in between and on either side. Be careful not to get into it too much, though, ‘cuz the stories about kids dying because of an AR game aren’t all urban legends.
The Matrix Knows Everything
Almost the whole of the world’s knowledge is sitting on the matrix, waiting to be found. You’ll need a good browsing program of some sort, but your MSP has one, if you have an MSP. Most databases aren’t free, but a lot of them will come with your MSP. For the others, you might need an account. Aetherpedia is a good and comprehensive database of information about everything under (and around) the sun, and it’s free if you have any kind of MSP.
But Wait! There’s More!
There are all kinds of services and surprises available in the matrix. Data havens, hidden clubs, meta-games, blogs, escrow services, newsfeeds, you name it, it’s probably out there.
But that’s not all that’s out in the big bad virtual world ...
THE DANGERS
There’s more to the matrix than data searches and a social scene full of awesome. There is a lot of bad stuff out there, and if you don’t play it smart, it’ll chew you up and spit you out. The matrix ain’t for kids. Don’t worry, though, just read my warnings and stay smart, even if your friends aren’t. Don’t be a statistic!
Brainfried
You can read it in the newsfeed almost every day. Some kid gets brainfried on DNI. That kid thought that it could never happen to them, but there they are, brain dead and drooling. DNI can mess you up hard, before you can blink. You don’t need it. Everything you can do in VR you can do in AR.
But if you’re not going to take my advice, then at least don’t be an idiot about it. Use trodes instead of an implant, so you can take them off if things get dangerous. If your commlink suddenly starts the configuration process with your DNI again, take them off and reboot, you’ve been hacked. And never go solo; make sure there’s someone there with you to pull the trodes if things look bad.
In today’s matrix, you don’t have to use VR at all. You really shouldn’t. But if you’re going to do it anyway, always do it in a safe place with people you trust. You might think that you can handle it, and you’re probably right, but you can be dead right.
You Got the Power
There are plenty of hackers out there that might want to get into your commlink. They have different reasons: curiosity, data mining, marketing research, or they are just mean or homicidal. They have tricksy ways of getting into your commlink, too. It might look hopeless, but you’ve got an ace up your sleeve.
Find your commlink’s power button or switch and make sure you can find it by touch. Hackers can’t hack what isn’t on. The moment your commlink starts to act funny, or an icon shows up in your node without your permission, hit that power switch and report it to the authorities (your parents, a teacher, the police, whoever). Hopefully, by the time you reboot, the hacker will have gone to look for easier pickin’s.
Iconism
The good news is that when the world only sees your icon, they can’t be prejudiced about your gender, race, age, or anything else. But folks will judge you on your icon. It’s like extreme class discrimination, except that it’s based on your soft ware. What passes for acceptable or contemptible changes depending on which node you’re in, so don’t let yourself get ambushed by digital bigots.
Spam
Most of the time, spam is just annoying. But some of it can carry viruses and other buckets of digital nasty. Never run a program attached to spam, ever. Keep that firewall up.
Blog Smart!
Keep your personal information out of the public eye. Don’t give it to anyone that isn’t a cop, teacher, or other person who will keep it safe. Once you put something onto the matrix, it is on the matrix forever.
GET READY TO RAWK
By now, you should be soaring through the matrix like a natural. If you’re not, don’t worry; it’ll come. Now go out there and shake up the matrix. You will have freedom that you’ve never had before. Enjoy it, but be careful. With great power comes great responsibility.
Be good, and if you can’t be good, be safe!
​

1. ^{VR - Virtual Reality aka A state where outside stimuli are ignored and the user is only receiving impressions from the matrix. Requires a direct neural interface.}
2. ^{AR - Augmented Reality aka information added to or overlaid upon a user’s sensory perceptions in the form of visual data, graphics, sounds, haptics, smell, and/or limited simsense.}
3. ^{Commlink - A computer the size of a PDA or cellphone, the ultimate personal networking tool}
4. ^{Cyberterminal - A computer that has the capability to transmit, translate, and store ASIST records as well as everything else a normal computer can do.}
5. ^{Avatar - Icon of a person}

submitted bycrimsonheart4269tocreatethisworld [link][comments]

2021.12.23 03:06 smebeMy boyfriend cheated on me. I'm so lost

submitted bysmebetoTwoXChromosomes [link][comments]

2021.12.23 02:30 AutoModeratorGeneral Questions Thread, December 22, 2021

A thread for new collectors to ask basic questions of the community.
Frequently Asked Questions below!
A longer version of the subreddit rules is here.
For questions specifically concerning bootlegs or vendor legitimacy, please ask in the Bootleg Megathread.
NSFW & Spoiler Guidelines

• For Self Posts: include a bolded NSFW note next to links in that post.
• For Links to sites/images: If the figure is NSFW, or the website has any NSFW content (including ads) be sure to tag your post NSFW and use the appropriate link flair.

Bootlegs
Any collection posts containing bootlegs, comments advocating buying bootlegs, or links to sites selling bootlegs, recasts, or unlicensed merchandise will be removed.
People often ask about the legitimacy and/or safety of a number of websites which sell large resin statues. The more commonly-asked of those deal primarily in resins from studios which do not have a license from the Japanese IP holders to produce merchandise. Therefore links to those sites are not permitted here. Another sign is if MyFigureCollection doesn't list the either the statue, its manufacturer, or the shop it's being sold on.
MyFigureCollection
My Figure Collection is like MyAnimeList... but for figures! Their database includes thousands of items which been produced during the last couple of decades, along with reviews of shops and other helpful articles. One can also list their own collection and post gallery photos.
Shops

Retailers:
AmiAmiHobbySearchMandarake (sells rare figures) Good Smile Company Online Shop (often has exclusives) Good Smile Company US shopCrunchyroll ShopHobby Link Japan (aka HLJ) Solaris Japan (MFC partner) BigBadToyStore (MFC partner, US retailer) Big in Japan (also has proxy service) Tokyo Otaku ModeRight StufFigureHavenArchonia (EU) Yorokonde (EU) Figuya (EU) Dekai Anime (UK) Gamersheek (UK) Jungle
List of retailers on MFC
/AnimeFigures' List of Retailers
Community Guide to Shopping in Japan

Blogs/News:

Nekomagic (News/Previews) NyaaFigurines (Reviews/Releases) Kahotan's Blog (News/Reviews) Figma Blog (JP)

Buying & Shipping

1. What’s the best place to buy my anime figures from?
That’s going to depend a lot on what works for you, but most people around here buy them from Amiami, Big in Japan, Hobby Search, HobbyLink Japan, or Tokyo Otaku Mode. If none of those work for you for whatever reason, there’s a list of reputable retailers in the sidebar that you can check out at any time. Be extra careful when ordering figures from websites like Amazon or ebay, as there are a lot of bootlegs on those sites. Don’t be afraid to ask in our Bootleg Megathread if you’re unsure.
2. What differences are there between the shipping options I get from most Japanese shops?

Best Website For Singles Over 50

Below is a rundown of the main shipping choices you’ll get at most retailers. Keep in mind that if an order is large enough you will be forced to use one of the more expensive options, as SAL shipments have lower size and weight restrictions.

• Unregistered SAL: Sometimes referred to as uSAL, is usually the cheapest method. It does not come with any tracking or insurance. Usually takes up 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• Registered SAL: Sometimes referred to as rSAL, is insured for the declared value up to 6,000 yen. It comes with a tracking number and usually takes 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• EMS: This method of shipping is much faster than either SAL options, usually arriving within a week of shipment. EMS shipments are insured for the declared value up to 2,000,000 yen.
• Airmail
• E-packet
• Surface: Shops don't offer this very often. It's an actual cargo ship and slow as a result.
  
• DHL: Becoming more available as an alternative to EMS on AmiAmi and other sites. Can be less expensive than EMS and of comparable speed, but may be more reliant on the specific geographical area being shipped to. The price is also determined by the size of the box. Offers their own tracking.
  

3. I placed two+ orders for figures at different times. Will my items be shipped together, or will I have to pay shipping twice?
Most shops will ask you to pay shipping on a per-order basis, but here are some that will allow combined shipping:

• Amiami: You can combine orders here, as long as the orders ship in the same month. It doesn’t matter if the item is new or preowned. Any preorders that are set for that month can also be combined with other orders for that month. However, be aware that if the preorder gets delayed, Amiami will remove that item from that month’s shipment and place it on a new order. To combine orders on Amiami, use the “Combine Orders” feature under “My Account”.
  
• Hobby Search: Hobby Search will let you combine orders that release in the same month, but you cannot combine in stock items with preorders. If you want to combine multiple preorders, or multiple in stock items, you can do so using the “Order Recombination” feature on your account page.
  
• HobbyLink Japan: At HLJ, you have the option to send paid orders to their “Private Warehouse”, where you can store them for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to ship the items, you simply select which items to ship and HLJ will combine them into one shipment for you. To use this, just select the “Private Warehouse” option as shipping when you order.
  
• GSC Web Shop: Here you’ll pay a flat 2,000 yen fee per order. It doesn’t matter how many items you put in your order, or how many different months the items release in. They will charge you 2,000 yen and ship all items as they release. The exception to this rule is their Wonder Festival exclusive items. Those can only be placed in the same order as other Wonder Festival items.
  

If you’re unsure about whether or not a shop we haven’t listed will combine your orders, please refer to their individual FAQ’s.
4. When will I get charged for my preorder?
Most Japanese shops charge you once the item is in stock and ready for shipment. When that happens, they will send you an email asking for payment. Some shops (mostly overseas ones), will allow you to pay for the item up front though, if you’d like. A few with that option are:

• Big in Japan (Japanese store)
• Tokyo Otaku Mode
• Anime Island
• Crunchyroll

Keep in mind that overseas stores will likely get the figure a few months after Japanese ones, so pay attention to the release date stated on the website you are buying from so as to avoid that confusion.
5. Should I expect to pay customs fees when importing figures?
That depends on where you live. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Australia: 10% GST is now assessed up front.
• Canada: Minimum declared value for charges is around CAD$20 for regular shipments, and CAD$60 for gifts (gifting something only seems to lower the declared value by about CAD$40, not deplete it completely). When using Amiami, try their Small Air Packet option. It comes with tracking, gets there in about the same time as EMS, and is better at avoiding customs.
• Europe: Using EMS raises your chance of getting charged for customs. SAL can still avoid customs in some countries, but generally gets checked in the UK now if the items are above the threshold. Amiami offers a shipping service called “Small Air Packet” that is really good for avoiding customs when you are only shipping one or two figures. Small Air Packet usually takes about the same amount of time as EMS, and still comes with tracking.The minimum declared value for customs charges in the Europe is pretty low- around £15 (£36 for gifts) / €20.
• Mexico: Minimum declared value for customs fees is USD$300 for shipments by post, and USD$50 for shipments by courier.
• United States: A shipment has to have a declared value of USD$2,000 before customs starts hitting you with fees, so you most likely won’t have to worry about them at all.

6. The figure I want is an exclusive, how do I go about ordering one outside of Japan?
You have three options for this:
A.Big in Japan is known to stock exclusive figures and ship to other countries. Usually the price is higher because they build in their proxy fees, but it’s easier than worrying about using a forwarder or proxy service. If you live in the US, Crunchyroll, Right Stuf, and Tokyo Otaku Mode also get exclusives sometimes, but out of the states the shipping can get expensive.
B. Forwarding Services: A forwarder is someone who you ship an exclusive item to so that they can forward the package on to you, usually for a flat fee + shipping. When using a forwarder you still make the purchase yourself, and enter their address into the shipping field. When the box arrives at the forwarder they will then stick your address onto the package and send it on its way.
Some popular forwarders are:
Be sure to read each sites instructions on forwarding carefully!
C. Proxy Services: With a proxy, you tell them what the item you’re looking for is and they will purchase it in your stead. This is handy for when a company doesn’t accept foreign credit cards, or you’re having trouble navigating a Japanese website.
Some popular proxies are:

• Big in Japan (Won’t proxy for Yahoo Auctions)

Again, be sure you thoroughly read through each sites proxy instructions.
7. I see a bunch of really cheap figures that ship from China on ebay. Are those okay to buy?
Generally, no. They’re most likely bootlegs. If you want a second opinion on that, feel free to ask in the Bootleg Megathread that’s always stickied at the top of the sub.
8. What’s a bootleg, and how can I avoid buying them?
A bootleg is a counterfeit figure often made using rejected molds of the official product. They are usually priced significantly lower than the genuine article, and in order to make their profit, bootleggers use lower quality materials and have less attention to detail- resulting in a substandard figure.
The Bootleg Megathread that I mentioned in question 7 is a great tool to avoid buying any bootlegs. It has a few tips and tricks to avoiding them to begin with, and a few more on how to spot them if you’re worried you might already own one.
9. Does anyone know when figure X is going to be released? How do I know if it was delayed?
My Figure Collection (sometimes referred to as MFC) does an excellent job of staying on top of information like release dates and delays. If you’re curious about an upcoming figures release date, check there first. This information can be found directly under the “Releases” section on a figure’s entry. If you only see a month and a year in that section, it means the release date has not yet been announced by the manufacturer, and there is still a chance the figure could be delayed.
If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.
10. The figure I want is long sold out at normal retailers! What’s the best place to pick it up in the aftermarket?
A list of reputable retailers can be found under the “Shops” section of the /AnimeFigures sidebar. They all sell legitimate products, and many of them also sell figures second hand. However, the most frequently suggested second hand sites are Mandarake and Amiami- who has a preowned section that they update every night save Sundays and Japanese holidays around 1PM JST and again around 6PM JST.
AmiAmi grades their pre-owned items on a letter scale. The general consensus from buyers is that their ratings are conservative, so unless the item and/or packaging is specifically indicated as having significant flaws, pre-owned items from them are usually in at least as good a condition as their rating suggests.
Note:When you search Mandarake, you’ll get the best results by using the Japanese characters for whatever you are searching. If you don’t know them, you can find them on MFC by clicking on any of the “details” in that figure’s listing.
11. Amiami has a figure I’m interested in labeled as “For sale in Japan only”. Does this mean I can’t order it without a proxy or forwarder?
No, you can still order it. Amiami’s English site has that warning on many items, and it’s mostly meant to inform you that this product was made for a Japanese market, and as such, will have Japanese speaking/writing in it- so don’t expect any instructions to be in English. If Amiami doesn’t want foreigners buying a certain product, they won’t even list it on their English site.

Displaying Your Figures

12. What display cases do you recommend?
If you live near an Ikea try out one of these:

• Detolf *
• Billy (Often used with Morliden doors and glass shelves.)

*If you decided on a Detolf, you might find that there is a lot of wasted space. Here are a few tutorials on raising the shelves or and adding extra ones in.
If you don’t live near an Ikea, Amazon has a few display options, though they are more expensive. Also keep an eye on your local Craigslist (or your country’s equivalent) and stores near you that are closing up.
13. What lighting do you guys recommend?
Ikea’s Dioder LED strips are often suggested. They come in white or muti-colored.
Most hardware stores carry something similar though, if you don’t live by an Ikea. Just make sure that the lights don’t get too hot!
14. What are those clear plastic boxes that I see under everyone’s figures in their collection posts, and where can I get them?
Those are called risers. Most of us use standard acrylic risers like these. Some other, easy to find things that have been suggested are:

• If you’re feeling adventurous, try making your own!

Check your local hobby store for the first 2 options, or your local hardware store if you want to make your own.
Another common suggestion is to visit The Container Store if you have one near you. They have a lot of things to choose from that can suit a variety of needs. Be sure to check out their standard acrylic risers, their Amac boxes, and the various display cases they sell (baseball cases, mini car cases. hockey puck cases, etc).
15. Should I keep my figures sealed?
That is, of course, up to you really, but here are a few things to keep in mind when debating this question:

• Keeping it sealed can actually damage your figure. PVC figures usually have something called plasticizer in them, and that plasticizer needs to be able to breath. If a PVC figure isn’t exposed to oxygen, after a period of time the plasticizer starts to break down and form a sticky substance on the surface of the figure. Simply opening your figures and taking them out of the box prevents this from happening. If you happen to find plasticizer goo on one of your figures, Kahotan has a handy guide for dealing with it.
• Unlike some other figure markets, keeping an anime figure sealed won’t raise its value by a whole lot. In fact, because of the plasticizer problem mentioned above, your figure could actually be in better condition if you open it versus keeping it sealed.

Finding the Right Figure(s) for You

16. What are 'scales' and 'prizes'? What is the difference between them?
Those are classifications for figures based on a few factors.

• 'Prizes' are generally more simply produced figures which are intended to be given as prizes for playing arcade games such as claw machines. They are inexpensive and lack the detail of scale figures, though some prize figure lines have standouts which may approach lower-end scales in quality. That is uncommon and often depends on the individual figure.
• 'Scales' are called such because they are nominally designed to be proportional to the dimensions of the character which they are based on. They are generally of much better manufacture and materials than prize figures, allowing for more detail in painting, accessories, or complex poses.
• 'Trading' figures appear in gashapon machines or as blind boxes on shop counters, often as sets which include multiple characters. As suggested by the class name, the randomness encourages trading. They are usually very inexpensively-produced, though as with prizes, some series are better than others.
• 'Non-scale' encompasses a variety of other categories. It is often used to encompass poseable figure lines such as figma (which actually do fit inside a broad scale classification) and Nendoroids.

In recent years producers such as Good Smile Company have attempted to further bridge the gap between prize quality and scales by introducing figure lines which are intended to be moderately-priced while retaining a higher level of detail than the typical prize figure.
17. There are so many figure companies! Who makes good figures?!
Obviously this is a very subjective question, but as a general starting point, here are a few well renowned figure companies:

• Alter
• Max Factory
• Good Smile Company
• Kotobukiya (usually hit or miss for people. Use your best judgement based off of the prototype)
• Aquamarine
• Flare
• Stronger

18. I really love “series X / character X”- how can I check if any figures were ever made for it?
My Figure Collection can be your best friend here. Simply do a search on the name of the series or character using the search bar located at the top right of the screen, and all associated figures pop up!
Alternatively, if you’re looking at a figure’s MFC entry, most of the text under the “Details” section can be clicked on and used to run a search.
19. How can I commission a custom figure?
None of the major figure companies (Alter, Kotobukiya, Good Smile Company, etc.) will take a commission for a single figure. This thread has a few websites in it that you can check out, or you can look into garage kits. Some kit painters would be willing to resculpt, frankenstein together, or otherwise modify kits for the right price.
If you're looking for help completing a garage kit, /brushforhire may be useful.

Keeping Up with New Announcements

20. How can I keep up with figure news (announcements, updates, etc.)?
Most people use a MFC combined with any or all of the following news sites:

• Alter’s Blog (In Japanese)
• Kahotan’s Blog (Only GSC and their sister companies)
• PlastiKitty (No longer updated, still has useful information in its archives)

To use MFC for this I’ll quote question #9.

If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.

Most companies have one or more Twitter accounts. Some examples: Good Smile Company sales, Good Smile's USA branch, Max Factory, AmiAmi Hobby News.
21. Everyone’s excited about something called Wonfes….. what the heck is that?!
WonFes (short for Wonder Festival) is a biannual figure expo where many figure producers (both large and small) show off new sculpts and updates to figures already under way. Most companies save their most exciting announcements for WonFes, so we all look forward to the expo whenever it rolls around! Winter Wonder Festival is usually held in February, while Summer Wonder Festival is usually in July. The event has also spread to Shanghai, in the late spring.
22. One or two (or 15) figures were announced at WonFes that I’m really excited about! How can I keep track of their progress once the event is over?
MFC is always really quick about getting new WonFes announcements (or any others throughout the year, for that matter) listed in their database, so we suggest using that. To find a figure from the event you can search any number of things, including the name of the character or the name of the show. You can also use the tag search to search “WonderFestival 20xx_[season]” to see all items announced at that event.
submitted byAutoModeratortoAnimeFigures [link][comments]

2021.12.22 06:39 thomascullenokAussie Apes: turn your superannuation into GME shares and DRS them!

This post contains detailed instructions to do exactly what the title says: turn your super money into GME shares and then DRS them. It's easy to do but there are a lot of steps and forms to complete. Disclaimers:

• Expect this process to take approximately 4 to 8 weeks. It will cost about $800 out-of-pocket. Your super fund can pay you back in a few weeks, but you will need to be able to pay up front on a credit card.
• You will need your Driver Licence, Passport, Tax File Number, and other documentation such as recent bills with your name and address on them.
• I do not work for or endorse any of the companies referenced in this post. I am not receiving any financial benefit for mentioning them or using them.
• There may be other ways to do this. This is the way I found.
• This is your retirement money. There are strict rules about what you can and can't do with it other than investing in international shares. Make smart financial decisions.
• I suggest completing this process on a desktop computer, not a mobile device. Access to a printer and a private document scanner is also important.
• You will be required to fill in a lot of forms. This post will guide you through, but you also need to read the documents and forms carefully yourself.
• This is version 1.0 of this post, dated 21 December 2021.
• I do not have enough karma to participate in the GME subreddits. If you would like to support me for writing this post please visit this page on reddit, and upvote and leave me a comment.
• I am not a Financial Advisor. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.

How it works

You are going to be establishing something called a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) and turning as much of your superannuation money as you decide into GME shares that are direct registered (DRS) with Computershare. As the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) says on their web site: 'The difference between an SMSF and other types of [super]funds is that the members of an SMSF are usually also the trustees. This means the members of the SMSF run it for their benefit and are responsible for complying with the super and tax laws.'
It sounds hard but you are going to pay someone to do it for you.

Phase 1: Apply for your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)

1. Go to the ESUPERFUND web site. This company is who will manage your SMSF so that you don't have to manually complete the process with the ATO. Your superfund will pay ESUPERFUND about $1,000 a year to take care of it for you.
2. Click the 'Apply Now' button.
3. Email address: use a secure address that no one else can access, preferably one that has 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. Don't use a shared email address, Ape.
4. Mobile number: use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
5. Residential address: put the address where you live. This should match your Driver Licence.
6. Postal address: put your Post Office Box or other similar secure postal address if you have one, otherwise leave blank.
7. How many people in your SMSF: 1 Person.
8. Select Trustee Type: Company Trustee.
9. Select 'Company Details'.
10. Do you have an Existing Company to act as the Corporate Trustee? No. Don't be tempted to use an existing entity, Ape.
11. Do you want to establish a Company now? Yes. Don't be tempted to use an existing entity, Ape.
12. Select Number of Company Directors: 1 Company Director.
13. Is the sole purpose of the Company to act as the Trustee of the SMSF: Yes.
14. Preferred Company Name: Think of a company name that you would like to use. Don't name it anything silly or offensive, it will get rejected and slow you down. You can search on the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) web site to see if the name is already taken.
15. Director 1 Details: Fill everything in accurately. Do not change the default entries unless you know what you are doing.
16. Preferred SMSF Name: Think of a superfund name that you would like to use. This is the name your GME shares will be held in at Computershare. No matter what you choose, the word 'Superfund' will be added by ESUPERFUND as the last word of the name. Don't name it anything silly or offensive, it will get rejected and slow you down. You can search on the ASIC web site to see if the name is already taken.
17. Make the payment for the Pty Ltd Company Trustee setup. ESUPERFUND will pay ASIC on your behalf.

Phase 2: Complete documentation for your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)

1. Wait patiently to hear from ESUPERFUND. You should receive your SMSF Establishment Documentation within 3 business days.
2. Print out 2 copies of your SMSF Establishment Documentation. Go to the ESUPERFUND Client Portal and log in to your SMSF's account by following the instructions they emailed to you. Go to the 'Documents' section. If the ASIC Certificate of Registration is there, download it and print 2 copies of it.
3. Carefully sign both copies of your SMSF Establishment Documentation everywhere that it says 'Sign Here'.. EXCEPT where there is a 'Witness Must Sign' next to it. Keep those pages separate.
4. Read the 'Identification requirements for your SMSF' section and do what it says. Photocopy 2 copies of your ID and documents as described using the template, ready to be certified.
5. Take the 2 copies of the unsigned, unwitnessed pages you kept separate as well as the photocopied ID templates to a Justice of the Peace (JP). Don't use someone you know, Ape. Take the rest of the SMSF Establishment Documentation with you in a folder just in case. There are JPs who will witness and certify your documents for free at most shopping centres throughout Australia. If you don't know where to find one, look at the official web site for your location: ACT JP web site, NSW JP web site, NT JP web site, QLD JP web site, SA JP web site, TAS JP web site, VIC JP web site, and WA JP web site
6. Sign your documents with the JP and have them witness it. Have them certify the ID documents.
7. Collate your completed SMSF Establishment Documentation in order, and scan it in as a PDF. Do the same for your ID documents. If you don't have access to a flatbed scanner you can buy a cheap one at a shop like Officeworks for around $150. You could also take photos of each page in a well-lit room using your mobile device, but that will be complicated and time consuming.
8. Go to the ESUPERFUND Client Portal and log in to your SMSF's account. Upload your SMSF Establishment Documentation and ID documents as prompted.
9. Wait patiently to hear from ESUPERFUND that your company trustee, superfund, and ANZ bank account are all registered and ready to use.
10. Download everything ESUPERFUND put for you in the 'Documents' section of the Client Portal. If your ASIC Certificate of Registration wasn't there before, print 2 copies of it now and go back to the JP so they can certify it. Print the ESUPERFUND Final Setup Package document and take it with you. You will also need to take all of your ID. Go to an ANZ bank branch and ask to set up ANZ Internet Banking for your SMSF. You will be required to show ID and your account details from the Final Setup Package document you printed. Set up the ANZ Shield app on your mobile device while you are there. The ANZ Shield app secures your bank account and allows you to transfer more than $25,000 per day.
11. Print copies of everything you downloaded from ESUPERFUND. Put those and the originals signed by the JP in a folder for your records.

Phase 3: Transfer from your existing superfund and establish the SMSF brokerage account

1. Using the Inbox on ESUPERFUND's Client Portal, send a New Query. Select a Subject of 'Investments' and a Sub-Category of 'Investments Allowed'. Where it says 'If the above answers didn't answer your question please type your question below', type in 'Direct Registration of International shares'. A button will appear that says 'I would like to submit a Query directly to ESUPERFUND'. When the message box appears, write them a polite message like: 'Dear ESUPERFUND team, I created this SMSF to invest in International shares. I am a long-term investor and would like to Direct Register (DRS) the shares with the company's nominated transfer agent. Is it ok for me to manually report this? Kind regards, Your Name Your Superfund'.
2. While you are waiting for ESUPERFUND's response, call your existing superfund and explain you have created a Self-Managed Super Fund and would like to transfer your money out. If you leave some money with them, you can usually keep receiving your super payments from your job there without closing your account. It's up to you. Every superfund is different, but once they verify your details they should just email you a form to fill in. Follow their process. They usually take a minimum of 5 to 10 business days to send your money to you. Use your SMSF's ANZ bank account to receive the money.
3. While you are waiting for your money to arrive in your SMSF's ANZ bank account, you are going to establish a brokerage account for your SMSF with Interactive Brokers (IBKR). You are going to buy the GME shares there and then DRS them. You may have received a brokerage account with EBROKING as part of your ESUPERFUND signup, but EBROKING does not support DRS. Do not buy shares with them.
4. Go to the Interactive Brokers web site and select 'For Individuals' and then 'Self-Managed Superannuation Funds'. Scroll until you find the 'Start Application' button and click it.
5. Put in your Email address, choose a Username, put in a secure password, confirm it, and click 'Create Account'.
6. Verify your email address by clicking the link in the email IBKR sends you, then log in to 'Complete a Started Application' when prompted.
7. From 'Select an Account Type', choose 'Trust Accounts', then 'Self-Managed Super Fund'.
8. Under 'Legal Residence' select the State you used in your address when ESUPERFUND established your SMSF. Click 'Start Application'.
9. Trust Name: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) from the Final Setup Package document.
10. Date Established: the date your Superfund was established by ESUPERFUND, in YYYY-MM-DD format.
11. Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): leave blank.
12. Principal Place Of Business: make sure you fill this in and it matches exactly what you told ESUPERFUND, including Mailing Address if you have one.
13. Tax File Number: your Superfund's TFN from the Final Setup Package document.
14. Source of Wealth: Select 'Other'. Type in 'Retirement fund'.
15. Click 'Continue'.
16. Trustees: click 'Add Corporate Trustee'.
17. Entity's Name: the name of your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee (not your Superfund) from the Final Setup Package document.
18. Is this Trustee the Primary Trustee? Yes.
19. Is the Entity publicly traded on a regulated exchange? No.
20. Principal Place Of Business: your residential address.
21. Contact Information: use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
22. Tax Residency: your personal Tax File Number. Do not attempt to use anything else. The process will fail. Your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee does not have a TFN.
23. The Trustee is authorized to execute documents and legal agreements and receive disclosures and notices on behalf of the trust and if applicable all other trustees: Yes.
24. The Trustee is authorized to buy or sell financial products, instruct third parties, to withdraw or direct the withdrawal of money on behalf of the trust and if applicable all other trustees: Yes.
25. Click 'Save'.
26. Authorized Person: fill this in as it appears on your ID documentation.
27. Director: Yes.
28. Secretary: Yes.
29. Officer: No.
30. Owner: No.
31. Residential Address: must match your documentation.
32. Contact Information: use a secure email address that no one else can access, preferably one that has 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. Don't use a shared email address, Ape. Use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
33. Identification: use your Driver Licence if you can.
34. Tax Residency: your personal Tax File Number. Do not attempt to use anything else.
35. Security questions: choose questions and answers that nobody else knows. Be smart, Ape.
36. Click 'Save'.
37. Click 'Continue'.
38. Tax Classification: Complex Trust. Click 'Continue'.
39. Regulatory Information: Answer each of these questions accurately.
40. Do you have an Australian Business Number? Yes. Your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
41. Click 'Continue'.
42. Annual Net Income in AUD: Answer accurately.
43. Net Worth in AUD: Answer accurately.
44. Liquid Net Worth in AUD: Answer accurately, including the total amount of money in your superfund / previous superfund.
45. Growth: Yes.
46. Hedging: No.
47. Preservation of Capital and Income Generation: No.
48. Profits from Active Trading and Speculation: No.
49. Trading Experience and Knowledge Level: Answer accurately. I imagine anyone who found and is reading this post would have Extensive Knowledge. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
50. I am interested in trading Options: No. Selecting Yes may cause your account to not be approved.
51. How Did You Hear About Us? Recommendation. Influencer. I bet IBKR's marketing wankers will love that.
52. Click 'Continue'.
53. Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities): this is for people who sell GME from IBKR. Even though you are going to DRS with Computershare this form must still be accurate.
54. Part I. Question 4. Chapter 3 Status (entity type) (Must check one box only): Complex Trust.
55. Part I. Question 4. If you entered disregarded entity, partnership, simple trust, or grantor trust above, is the entity a hybrid making a treaty claim? If 'Yes' complete Part III: No.
56. Part I. Question 5. Chapter 4 Status (FACTA status): Nonreporting IGA FFI. Complete Part XII.
57. Part I. Question 7. Mailing address (if different from above): only if you have one.
58. Part I. Question 8. U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN), if required: leave blank.
59. Part I. Question 9a. GIIN: leave blank.
60. Part I. Question 9b. Foreign TIN: your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
61. Part I. Question 10. Reference number(s) (see instructions): leave blank.
62. Part III. Question 14. Does the beneficial owner qualify for the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States? Yes.
63. Part III. Question 14a. The beneficial owner is a resident of: Australia.
64. Part III. Question 14b. The beneficial owner derives the item (or items) of income for which the treaty benefits are claimed, and, if applicable, meets the requirements of the treaty provision dealing with limitation on benefits. The following are types of limitation on benefits provisions that may be included in an applicable tax treaty (check only one; see instructions): Other (specify Article and paragraph). Type in 'Article 16 (2)(g) – ownership/base erosion test'.
65. Part III. Question 14c. Special rates and conditions (if applicable—see instructions): leave blank.
66. Part XII. Check the box at Question 26.
67. Part XII. Question 26. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: select Australia.
68. Part XII. Question 26. The applicable IGA is a: Model 1 IGA. and is treated as a: Exempt Beneficial Owner - Retirement Plan. If you are a trustee documented trust or a sponsored entity, provide the name of the trustee or sponsor whose GIIN is provided on line 9a (if any): leave blank.
69. Part XXX. Certification. Answer accurately. Click 'Continue'.
70. Certification of Entity Tax Residency: this is for reporting to meet the U.S. Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).
71. Question 5. Global Intermediary Identification Number (GIIN): leave blank.
72. OECD Common Reporting Status: Investment Entity not listed above.
73. Check the box if you agree. Click 'Continue'.
74. Review all of your details. Check the boxes if you agree. Click 'Continue'.
75. Application Status: this is the final part of the IBKR application.
76. Fund Your Account: do not complete this step.
77. Proof Of Authority Of Authorized Person: go to ASIC's web site then find 'Search ASIC Registers' and search within 'Organisation & Business Names' for: your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee's name. Click 'Go'. Under 'Company extract' Select Item 'Current company information' ($9). Click 'Checkout'. Pay for it. When you receive the PDF in your email, upload it for this step.
78. Proof Of Existence (Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee): Upload a scanned copy of the ASIC Certificate of Registration that the JP signed for this step.
79. Submit A Photo ID To Verify Your Identity: Upload a scanned copy of your Driver Licence that the JP signed for this step.
80. Proof Of Existence (Superfund): Upload your completed Trust Deed document provided to you by ESUPERFUND for this step.
81. Wait patiently to hear from IBKR. Within 5 business days you should receive an email telling you your account is approved.

Phase 4: Secure and fund your IBKR account

1. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account. You may be asked to add a Trusted Contact in the event that you are not able to access your account. You will need to decide if you want one. If you do, click 'Continue'. If you don't, click 'Ask Me Later'.
2. Follow the instructions to scan the QR code with your smartphone under 'Fast, Secure Login with IBKey' to secure your account.
3. Click 'Transfer & Pay'. Click 'Transfer Funds'.
4. Click 'Make a Deposit'.
5. Select 'Australian Dollar (AUD).
6. Click 'Get Instructions' next to 'Electronic Funds Transfer'. This option is faster than 'Online BPAY'.
7. Save Bank Information? Yes.
8. Sending Institution: type in 'ANZ'.
9. Account Number: type in your SMSF's ANZ bank account number.
10. Account Nickname: type in 'ANZ SMSF account'.
11. Deposit Amount: type in the amount you want to transfer. If you have the ANZ Shield app configured you can transfer up to $50,000 per day. If you don't, the maximum is $25,000.
12. Click 'Get Wire Instructions'.
13. Print or save the Bank Wire Instructions for later.
14. Click the person icon in the top right corner. Click 'Log Out'.
15. Go to the ANZ web site and log in to your SMSF's ANZ bank account.
16. Click 'Settings'. Under 'Payments' click 'Change my Pay Anyone limit'.
17. Select the per-day limit based on the amount of money you will be transferring to buy GME shares. Click 'Change Limit'. Complete the process.
18. Click on your V2 PLUS Account.
19. Click 'Pay Anyone'.
20. From: V2 PLUS Account.
21. To: click 'Add a new payee'.
22. How would you like to pay? BSB/Account number.
23. Account name: type in the PTY LTD company under 'Bank Account Title & Address' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
24. BSB: type in the 'BSB code' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
25. Account number: type in the 'Bank Account Number (Local EFT)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
26. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process. Make sure you leave enough money in your SMSF's ANZ bank account to pay ESUPERFUND fees, life insurance, and any other expenses your SMSF will have in the next few years.
27. Amount ($ AUD): the amount of money you will be transferring to buy GME shares. Allow a $50 buffer for currency fluctuation and the DRS fee.
28. Reference (optional): only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
29. Message (optional): only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
30. Your name or business name: only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
31. When: Today.
32. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process. Save a PDF receipt for your records.
33. Wait to receive an email or notification on your mobile device from IBKR telling you the funds have been received.

Phase 5: Buy GME shares

1. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account.
2. You are going to buy $6 in USD to pay for IBKR's DRS fee plus a small buffer.
3. Click 'Portfolio'. Click 'Cash Report'.
4. Click 'Convert Currency'.
5. Currency I Have: select AUD.
6. Current I Want: select USD.
7. Enter Amount USD: type in '6'. The AUD amount should fill in automatically.
8. Click 'Submit'.
9. Now you are going to buy your SMSF's GME shares.
10. Click 'Trade'. Click 'Stocks'.
11. Enter a symbol: type in 'GME'. Hit enter.
12. Click 'Stock' under 'GAMESTOP CORP-CLASS A - NYSE'. Verify you have selected the correct stock.
13. Click 'Buy Order'.
14. Quantity: the number of GME shares you want to buy.
15. Order type: 'Limit'.
16. Limit Price: type in the amount in U.S. dollars you want to pay for each GME share.
17. Time-in-force: Day, unless you know what you are doing.
18. Outside RTH: No, unless you know what you are doing.
19. Profit Taker: No. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
20. Stop Loss: No. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
21. Click 'Submit Buy Order'. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.

Phase 6: DRS your GME shares

1. Wait 2 full U.S. business days from the date and time that you purchased your GME shares.
2. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account.
3. Click 'Transfer & Pay'. Click 'Transfer Positions'.
4. Click 'Outgoing'.
5. Transfer methods are dependent on your region: select 'United States'.
6. Click 'Select' next to 'Deliver Shares to the Issuer's Transfer Agent / Registrar'.
7. Account Number at Transfer Agent: leave blank.
8. Check the box under 'Assets' for your 'GAMESTOP CORP-CLASS A'. The 'Quantity' should now match the 'Available Quantity'.
9. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process.

Phase 7: Express Computershare account statement

1. After 1 to 5 business days when the GME shares no longer appear in 'Positions' under the 'Portfolio' page of your SMSF's IBKR account, go to the Contact Us page on Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
2. Click 'Contact information for a specific company'.
3. Ticker symbol or company name: type in 'GME'.
4. Select 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
5. Dial the international telephone number listed under 'Toll' during their opening hours. This will be a late night or early morning call for most Aussie Apes. International charges will apply. Check your phone plan before calling.
6. When the automated phone system asks you for the name of the company you hold stock in, press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Sorry, I didn't understand that'.
7. The automated phone system will ask you again for the name of the company you hold stock in. Press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Your call needs to be handled by one of our representatives' and then put you through to a person.
8. When a Computershare representative answers, explain that you are a new Computershare customer and you would like to have an express Computershare account statement sent out. Also tell them your entity is the owner of the shares, and you are calling on behalf of your entity. If you are asked for your role in the entity, you can tell them 'I am the sole director, shareholder, and company secretary. I am the entity's only authorised representative'.
9. They will ask which shares you own. Tell them 'GME - Gamestop Corp'.
10. They will ask you questions like your full name, date of birth, and address. Tell them.
11. They will want to verify the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) and how many GME shares your SMSF sent to Computershare. Tell them.
12. Once the Computershare representative has verified your details, explain your would like to pay the $45 fee to have the Computershare account statement expressed to you so that you can receive your Holder Account Number.
13. If they are unsure how to express, ask them politely to check. Once they are ready, they will ask you for your credit card details. Tell them.
14. They will then read you a receipt number confirming your credit card charge for the express account statement.
15. The express statement takes about 6 business days to arrive in Australia, but it could be longer.

Phase 8: Computershare account creation and express validation code

1. When your Computershare account statement arrives, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
2. Click 'Register now'.
3. Click 'Holder Account Number'.
4. Click 'I am not a U.S. resident'.
5. Holder Account Number: type in your Holder Account Number from your Computershare account statement.
6. Last Name/Surname/Business Name: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee).
7. Select a company you own shares in: 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
8. Please type the characters shown: type in the characters shown.
9. I would like to receive information about future online services: check the box if you would like to receive information about future online services from Computershare.
10. I agree to the Terms and Conditions: Check the box if you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
11. Click 'Next'. If you get an error message, remove everything from 'Last Name/Surname/Business Name' and type in only 'Superfund', then try clicking 'Next' again. If you still get an error message, remove everything from 'Last Name/Surname/Business Name' and type in only the last word of your Superfund's name, then try clicking 'Next' again.
12. Contact Information: Fill everything in accurately.
13. Login Details: Choose a User ID and type in a password. Do not use the same password you use on other web sites, Ape.
14. Personal Site Seal: follow the instructions and pick 3 words that you will recognise as yours every time you log in to Computershare.
15. Security questions: choose questions and answers that nobody else knows. Be smart, Ape.
16. This is my device: check the box if you are using a device you own.
17. Click 'Next'.
18. Confirm your email as prompted.
19. Before you gain access to your portfolio there's just one final step we need you to complete: click 'Logout'.
20. Go to the Contact Us page on Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
21. Click 'Contact information for a specific company'.
22. Ticker symbol or company name: type in 'GME'.
23. Select 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
24. Dial the international telephone number listed under 'Toll' during their opening hours. This will be a late night or early morning call for most Aussie Apes. International charges will apply. Check your phone plan before calling.
25. When the automated phone system asks you for the name of the company you hold stock in, press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Sorry, I didn't understand that'.
26. The automated phone system will ask you again for the name of the company you hold stock in. Press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Your call needs to be handled by one of our representatives' and then put you through to a person.
27. When a Computershare representative answers, explain that you are a new Computershare customer who has just registered their Invester Center account and you would like to have an express verification code sent out. Also tell them your entity is the owner of the shares, and you are calling on behalf of your entity. If you are asked for your role in the entity, you can tell them 'I am the sole director, shareholder, and company secretary. I am the entity's only authorised representative'.
28. They will ask which shares you own. Tell them 'GME - Gamestop Corp'.
29. They will ask you questions like your full name, date of birth, and address. Tell them.
30. They will want to verify the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) and how many GME shares your SMSF sent to Computershare. Tell them.
31. Once the Computershare representative has verified your details, explain your would like to pay the $45 fee to have the Computershare verification code expressed to you so that you can complete your Investor Center account registration as soon as possible.
32. If they are unsure how to express, ask them politely to check. Once they are ready, they will ask you for your credit card details. Tell them.
33. They will then read you a receipt number confirming your credit card charge for the express verification code.
34. The express verification code takes about 6 business days to arrive in Australia, but it could be longer.

Phase 9: Computershare W-8BEN-E

1. While you are waiting for your verification code, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center printable forms web site to download the printable Tax Form. You will not need to log in.
2. Click 'Tax Forms & Letters'.
3. Click the 'View Form' button for 'W8-BEN-E - Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for US Tax Withholding & Reporting (Entities)'. Print a copy of it.
4. In the top left corner under 'Name of Beneficial Owner and Mailing Address' for 'Name' write in the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee). Write in the Address and City, State, Zip (Postcode) as provided to IBKR. If you used a mailing address, write that in instead.
5. In the top right corner write in your 'Holder Account Number' (the Computershare ID that begins with 'C') and write in 'Company Name' as Gamestop Corp (GME).
6. Part I. Question 1. Name of organization that is the beneficial owner: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee).
7. Part I. Question 2. Country of incorporation or organization: Australia.
8. Part I. Question 3. Name of disregarded entity receiving the payment: leave blank.
9. Part I. Question 4. Chapter 3 Status (entity type): Complex Trust.
10. Part I. Question 4. If you entered disregarded entity, partnership, simple trust, or grantor trust above, is the entity a hybrid making a treaty claim? If 'Yes' complete Part III: No.
11. Part I. Question 5. Chapter 4 Status (FACTA status): Nonreporting IGA FFI. Complete Part XII.
12. Part I. Question 6. Permanent residence address: the Address and City, State, Zip (Postcode) as they appear when you log in to your Computershare account.
13. Part I. Question 7. Mailing address: only if you have one.
14. Part I. Question 8. U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN), if required: leave blank.
15. Part I. Question 9a. GIIN: leave blank.
16. Part I. Question 9b. Foreign TIN: your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
17. Part I. Question 10. Reference number(s) (see instructions): leave blank.
18. Part II. Questions 11, 12, and 13. Leave blank.
19. Part III. Question 14. Does the beneficial owner qualify for the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States? Yes.
20. Part III. Question 14a. Check the box. The beneficial owner is a resident of: Australia.
21. Part III. Question 14b. Check the box. The beneficial owner derives the item (or items) of income for which the treaty benefits are claimed, and, if applicable, meets the requirements of the treaty provision dealing with limitation on benefits. The following are types of limitation on benefits provisions that may be included in an applicable tax treaty. Check 'Other (specify Article and paragraph)'. and write in 'Article 16 (2)(g) – ownership/base erosion test'.
22. Part III. Question 14c. Do not check the box.
23. Part III. Question 15. Leave blank.
24. Part IV. Questions 16 and 17. Leave blank.
25. Part V. Question 18. Leave blank.
26. Part VI. Question 19. Leave blank.
27. Part VII. Questions 20 and 21. Leave blank.
28. Part VIII. Question 22. Leave blank.
29. Part IX. Question 23. Leave blank.
30. Part X. Questions 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d. Leave blank.
31. Part XI. Questions 25a, 25b, and 25c. Leave blank.
32. Part XII. Question 26. Check the box. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: select Australia.
33. Part XII. Question 26. Check the box.
34. Part XII. Question 26. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: Australia.
35. Part XII. Question 26. The applicable IGA is a: check the box 'Model 1 IGA'; and is treated as a: write in 'investment entity wholly owned by exempt beneficial owner'.
36. Part XII. Question 26. If you are a trustee documented trust or a sponsored entity, provide the name of the trustee or sponsor whose GIIN is provided on line 9a (if any): leave blank.
37. Part XIII. Question 27. Leave blank.
38. Part XIV. Questions 28a and 28b. Leave blank.
39. Part XV. Questions 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f. Leave blank.
40. Part XVI. Question 30. Leave blank.
41. Part XVII. Question 31. Leave blank.
42. Part XVIII. Question 32. Leave blank.
43. Part XIX. Question 33. Leave blank.
44. Part XX. Question 34. Leave blank.
45. Part XXI. Question 35. Leave blank.
46. Part XXII. Question 36. Leave blank.
47. Part XXIII. Questions 37a and 37b. Leave blank.
48. Part XXIV. Question 38. Leave blank.
49. Part XXV. Question 39. Leave blank.
50. Part XXVI. Questions 40a, 40b, and 40c. Leave blank.
51. Part XXVII. Question 41. Leave blank.
52. Part XXVIII. Questions 42 and 43. Leave blank.
53. Part XXIX. Leave blank.
54. Part XXX. Sign your name. Print your name as it appears on your ID. Date with today's date in U.S. MM-DD-YY format. Check the box.
55. Take the completed form to the Post Office and mail it to the address on the top right corner of page 1.

Phase 10: Computershare account log in

1. When your Computershare verification code arrives, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site and log in to your SMSF's Computershare account.
2. Confirm your verification code as prompted.
3. You can now take a screenshot and post it to your favourite GME subreddit if you like.

Your SMSF now owns GME shares that are direct registered with Computershare

Congratulations Ape. Good luck to us all. See you on the M-O-O-N.
thomascullenok
submitted bythomascullenoktoGMEmate [link][comments]

2021.12.22 04:15 millertime1216Aussie Apes: turn your superannuation into GME shares and DRS them!

I’m posting this for a friend u/thomascullenok. He deserves all the credit. (or the blame 😉) Please give him some love for trying to spread the word about DRS!
Aussie Apes: turn your superannuation into GME shares and DRS them!
This post contains detailed instructions to do exactly what the title says: turn your super money into GME shares and then DRS them. It's easy to do but there are a lot of steps and forms to complete. Disclaimers:

• Expect this process to take approximately 4 to 8 weeks. It will cost about $800 out-of-pocket. Your super fund can pay you back in a few weeks, but you will need to be able to pay up front on a credit card.
• You will need your Driver Licence, Passport, Tax File Number, and other documentation such as recent bills with your name and address on them.
• I do not work for or endorse any of the companies referenced in this post. I am not receiving any financial benefit for mentioning them or using them.
• There may be other ways to do this. This is the way I found.
• This is your retirement money. There are strict rules about what you can and can't do with it other than investing in international shares. Make smart financial decisions.
• I suggest completing this process on a desktop computer, not a mobile device. Access to a printer and a private document scanner is also important.
• You will be required to fill in a lot of forms. This post will guide you through, but you also need to read the documents and forms carefully yourself.
• This is version 1.0 of this post, dated 21 December 2021.
• I do not have enough karma to participate in the GME subreddits. If you would like to support me for writing this post please visit this page on reddit, and upvote and leave me a comment.
• I am not a Financial Advisor. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.

How it works

You are going to be establishing something called a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) and turning as much of your superannuation money as you decide into GME shares that are direct registered (DRS) with Computershare. As the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) says on their web site: 'The difference between an SMSF and other types of [super]funds is that the members of an SMSF are usually also the trustees. This means the members of the SMSF run it for their benefit and are responsible for complying with the super and tax laws.'
It sounds hard but you are going to pay someone to do it for you.

Phase 1: Apply for your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)

1. Go to the ESUPERFUND web site. This company is who will manage your SMSF so that you don't have to manually complete the process with the ATO. Your superfund will pay ESUPERFUND about $1,000 a year to take care of it for you.
2. Click the 'Apply Now' button.
3. Email address: use a secure address that no one else can access, preferably one that has 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. Don't use a shared email address, Ape.
4. Mobile number: use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
5. Residential address: put the address where you live. This should match your Driver Licence.
6. Postal address: put your Post Office Box or other similar secure postal address if you have one, otherwise leave blank.
7. How many people in your SMSF: 1 Person.
8. Select Trustee Type: Company Trustee.
9. Select 'Company Details'.
10. Do you have an Existing Company to act as the Corporate Trustee? No. Don't be tempted to use an existing entity, Ape.
11. Do you want to establish a Company now? Yes. Don't be tempted to use an existing entity, Ape.
12. Select Number of Company Directors: 1 Company Director.
13. Is the sole purpose of the Company to act as the Trustee of the SMSF: Yes.
14. Preferred Company Name: Think of a company name that you would like to use. Don't name it anything silly or offensive, it will get rejected and slow you down. You can search on the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) web site to see if the name is already taken.
15. Director 1 Details: Fill everything in accurately. Do not change the default entries unless you know what you are doing.
16. Preferred SMSF Name: Think of a superfund name that you would like to use. This is the name your GME shares will be held in at Computershare. No matter what you choose, the word 'Superfund' will be added by ESUPERFUND as the last word of the name. Don't name it anything silly or offensive, it will get rejected and slow you down. You can search on the ASIC web site to see if the name is already taken.
17. Make the payment for the Pty Ltd Company Trustee setup. ESUPERFUND will pay ASIC on your behalf.

Phase 2: Complete documentation for your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)

1. Wait patiently to hear from ESUPERFUND. You should receive your SMSF Establishment Documentation within 3 business days.
2. Print out 2 copies of your SMSF Establishment Documentation. Go to the ESUPERFUND Client Portal and log in to your SMSF's account by following the instructions they emailed to you. Go to the 'Documents' section. If the ASIC Certificate of Registration is there, download it and print 2 copies of it.
3. Carefully sign both copies of your SMSF Establishment Documentation everywhere that it says 'Sign Here'.. EXCEPT where there is a 'Witness Must Sign' next to it. Keep those pages separate.
4. Read the 'Identification requirements for your SMSF' section and do what it says. Photocopy 2 copies of your ID and documents as described using the template, ready to be certified.
5. Take the 2 copies of the unsigned, unwitnessed pages you kept separate as well as the photocopied ID templates to a Justice of the Peace (JP). Don't use someone you know, Ape. Take the rest of the SMSF Establishment Documentation with you in a folder just in case. There are JPs who will witness and certify your documents for free at most shopping centres throughout Australia. If you don't know where to find one, look at the official web site for your location: ACT JP web site, NSW JP web site, NT JP web site, QLD JP web site, SA JP web site, TAS JP web site, VIC JP web site, and WA JP web site
6. Sign your documents with the JP and have them witness it. Have them certify the ID documents.
7. Collate your completed SMSF Establishment Documentation in order, and scan it in as a PDF. Do the same for your ID documents. If you don't have access to a flatbed scanner you can buy a cheap one at a shop like Officeworks for around $150. You could also take photos of each page in a well-lit room using your mobile device, but that will be complicated and time consuming.
8. Go to the ESUPERFUND Client Portal and log in to your SMSF's account. Upload your SMSF Establishment Documentation and ID documents as prompted.
9. Wait patiently to hear from ESUPERFUND that your company trustee, superfund, and ANZ bank account are all registered and ready to use.
10. Download everything ESUPERFUND put for you in the 'Documents' section of the Client Portal. If your ASIC Certificate of Registration wasn't there before, print 2 copies of it now and go back to the JP so they can certify it. Print the ESUPERFUND Final Setup Package document and take it with you. You will also need to take all of your ID. Go to an ANZ bank branch and ask to set up ANZ Internet Banking for your SMSF. You will be required to show ID and your account details from the Final Setup Package document you printed. Set up the ANZ Shield app on your mobile device while you are there. The ANZ Shield app secures your bank account and allows you to transfer more than $25,000 per day.
11. Print copies of everything you downloaded from ESUPERFUND. Put those and the originals signed by the JP in a folder for your records.

Phase 3: Transfer from your existing superfund and establish the SMSF brokerage account

1. Using the Inbox on ESUPERFUND's Client Portal, send a New Query. Select a Subject of 'Investments' and a Sub-Category of 'Investments Allowed'. Where it says 'If the above answers didn't answer your question please type your question below', type in 'Direct Registration of International shares'. A button will appear that says 'I would like to submit a Query directly to ESUPERFUND'. When the message box appears, write them a polite message like: 'Dear ESUPERFUND team, I created this SMSF to invest in International shares. I am a long-term investor and would like to Direct Register (DRS) the shares with the company's nominated transfer agent. Is it ok for me to manually report this? Kind regards, Your Name Your Superfund'.
2. While you are waiting for ESUPERFUND's response, call your existing superfund and explain you have created a Self-Managed Super Fund and would like to transfer your money out. If you leave some money with them, you can usually keep receiving your super payments from your job there without closing your account. It's up to you. Every superfund is different, but once they verify your details they should just email you a form to fill in. Follow their process. They usually take a minimum of 5 to 10 business days to send your money to you. Use your SMSF's ANZ bank account to receive the money.
3. While you are waiting for your money to arrive in your SMSF's ANZ bank account, you are going to establish a brokerage account for your SMSF with Interactive Brokers (IBKR). You are going to buy the GME shares there and then DRS them. You may have received a brokerage account with EBROKING as part of your ESUPERFUND signup, but EBROKING does not support DRS. Do not buy shares with them.
4. Go to the Interactive Brokers web site and select 'For Individuals' and then 'Self-Managed Superannuation Funds'. Scroll until you find the 'Start Application' button and click it.
5. Put in your Email address, choose a Username, put in a secure password, confirm it, and click 'Create Account'.
6. Verify your email address by clicking the link in the email IBKR sends you, then log in to 'Complete a Started Application' when prompted.
7. From 'Select an Account Type', choose 'Trust Accounts', then 'Self-Managed Super Fund'.
8. Under 'Legal Residence' select the State you used in your address when ESUPERFUND established your SMSF. Click 'Start Application'.
9. Trust Name: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) from the Final Setup Package document.
10. Date Established: the date your Superfund was established by ESUPERFUND, in YYYY-MM-DD format.
11. Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): leave blank.
12. Principal Place Of Business: make sure you fill this in and it matches exactly what you told ESUPERFUND, including Mailing Address if you have one.
13. Tax File Number: your Superfund's TFN from the Final Setup Package document.
14. Source of Wealth: Select 'Other'. Type in 'Retirement fund'.
15. Click 'Continue'.
16. Trustees: click 'Add Corporate Trustee'.
17. Entity's Name: the name of your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee (not your Superfund) from the Final Setup Package document.
18. Is this Trustee the Primary Trustee? Yes.
19. Is the Entity publicly traded on a regulated exchange? No.
20. Principal Place Of Business: your residential address.
21. Contact Information: use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
22. Tax Residency: your personal Tax File Number. Do not attempt to use anything else. The process will fail. Your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee does not have a TFN.
23. The Trustee is authorized to execute documents and legal agreements and receive disclosures and notices on behalf of the trust and if applicable all other trustees: Yes.
24. The Trustee is authorized to buy or sell financial products, instruct third parties, to withdraw or direct the withdrawal of money on behalf of the trust and if applicable all other trustees: Yes.
25. Click 'Save'.
26. Authorized Person: fill this in as it appears on your ID documentation.
27. Director: Yes.
28. Secretary: Yes.
29. Officer: No.
30. Owner: No.
31. Residential Address: must match your documentation.
32. Contact Information: use a secure email address that no one else can access, preferably one that has 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. Don't use a shared email address, Ape. Use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
33. Identification: use your Driver Licence if you can.
34. Tax Residency: your personal Tax File Number. Do not attempt to use anything else.
35. Security questions: choose questions and answers that nobody else knows. Be smart, Ape.
36. Click 'Save'.
37. Click 'Continue'.
38. Tax Classification: Complex Trust. Click 'Continue'.
39. Regulatory Information: Answer each of these questions accurately.
40. Do you have an Australian Business Number? Yes. Your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
41. Click 'Continue'.
42. Annual Net Income in AUD: Answer accurately.
43. Net Worth in AUD: Answer accurately.
44. Liquid Net Worth in AUD: Answer accurately, including the total amount of money in your superfund / previous superfund.
45. Growth: Yes.
46. Hedging: No.
47. Preservation of Capital and Income Generation: No.
48. Profits from Active Trading and Speculation: No.
49. Trading Experience and Knowledge Level: Answer accurately. I imagine anyone who found and is reading this post would have Extensive Knowledge. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
50. I am interested in trading Options: No. Selecting Yes may cause your account to not be approved.
51. How Did You Hear About Us? Recommendation. Influencer. I bet IBKR's marketing wankers will love that.
52. Click 'Continue'.
53. Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities): this is for people who sell GME from IBKR. Even though you are going to DRS with Computershare this form must still be accurate.
54. Part I. Question 4. Chapter 3 Status (entity type) (Must check one box only): Complex Trust.
55. Part I. Question 4. If you entered disregarded entity, partnership, simple trust, or grantor trust above, is the entity a hybrid making a treaty claim? If 'Yes' complete Part III: No.
56. Part I. Question 5. Chapter 4 Status (FACTA status): Nonreporting IGA FFI. Complete Part XII.
57. Part I. Question 7. Mailing address (if different from above): only if you have one.
58. Part I. Question 8. U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN), if required: leave blank.
59. Part I. Question 9a. GIIN: leave blank.
60. Part I. Question 9b. Foreign TIN: your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
61. Part I. Question 10. Reference number(s) (see instructions): leave blank.
62. Part III. Question 14. Does the beneficial owner qualify for the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States? Yes.
63. Part III. Question 14a. The beneficial owner is a resident of: Australia.
64. Part III. Question 14b. The beneficial owner derives the item (or items) of income for which the treaty benefits are claimed, and, if applicable, meets the requirements of the treaty provision dealing with limitation on benefits. The following are types of limitation on benefits provisions that may be included in an applicable tax treaty (check only one; see instructions): Other (specify Article and paragraph). Type in 'Article 16 (2)(g) – ownership/base erosion test'.
65. Part III. Question 14c. Special rates and conditions (if applicable—see instructions): leave blank.
66. Part XII. Check the box at Question 26.
67. Part XII. Question 26. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: select Australia.
68. Part XII. Question 26. The applicable IGA is a: Model 1 IGA. and is treated as a: Exempt Beneficial Owner - Retirement Plan. If you are a trustee documented trust or a sponsored entity, provide the name of the trustee or sponsor whose GIIN is provided on line 9a (if any): leave blank.
69. Part XXX. Certification. Answer accurately. Click 'Continue'.
70. Certification of Entity Tax Residency: this is for reporting to meet the U.S. Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).
71. Question 5. Global Intermediary Identification Number (GIIN): leave blank.
72. OECD Common Reporting Status: Investment Entity not listed above.
73. Check the box if you agree. Click 'Continue'.
74. Review all of your details. Check the boxes if you agree. Click 'Continue'.
75. Application Status: this is the final part of the IBKR application.
76. Fund Your Account: do not complete this step.
77. Proof Of Authority Of Authorized Person: go to ASIC's web site then find 'Search ASIC Registers' and search within 'Organisation & Business Names' for: your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee's name. Click 'Go'. Under 'Company extract' Select Item 'Current company information' ($9). Click 'Checkout'. Pay for it. When you receive the PDF in your email, upload it for this step.
78. Proof Of Existence (Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee): Upload a scanned copy of the ASIC Certificate of Registration that the JP signed for this step.
79. Submit A Photo ID To Verify Your Identity: Upload a scanned copy of your Driver Licence that the JP signed for this step.
80. Proof Of Existence (Superfund): Upload your completed Trust Deed document provided to you by ESUPERFUND for this step.
81. Wait patiently to hear from IBKR. Within 5 business days you should receive an email telling you your account is approved.

Phase 4: Secure and fund your IBKR account

1. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account. You may be asked to add a Trusted Contact in the event that you are not able to access your account. You will need to decide if you want one. If you do, click 'Continue'. If you don't, click 'Ask Me Later'.
2. Follow the instructions to scan the QR code with your smartphone under 'Fast, Secure Login with IBKey' to secure your account.
3. Click 'Transfer & Pay'. Click 'Transfer Funds'.
4. Click 'Make a Deposit'.
5. Select 'Australian Dollar (AUD).
6. Click 'Get Instructions' next to 'Electronic Funds Transfer'. This option is faster than 'Online BPAY'.
7. Save Bank Information? Yes.
8. Sending Institution: type in 'ANZ'.
9. Account Number: type in your SMSF's ANZ bank account number.
10. Account Nickname: type in 'ANZ SMSF account'.
11. Deposit Amount: type in the amount you want to transfer. If you have the ANZ Shield app configured you can transfer up to $50,000 per day. If you don't, the maximum is $25,000.
12. Click 'Get Wire Instructions'.
13. Print or save the Bank Wire Instructions for later.
14. Click the person icon in the top right corner. Click 'Log Out'.
15. Go to the ANZ web site and log in to your SMSF's ANZ bank account.
16. Click 'Settings'. Under 'Payments' click 'Change my Pay Anyone limit'.
17. Select the per-day limit based on the amount of money you will be transferring to buy GME shares. Click 'Change Limit'. Complete the process.
18. Click on your V2 PLUS Account.
19. Click 'Pay Anyone'.
20. From: V2 PLUS Account.
21. To: click 'Add a new payee'.
22. How would you like to pay? BSB/Account number.
23. Account name: type in the PTY LTD company under 'Bank Account Title & Address' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
24. BSB: type in the 'BSB code' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
25. Account number: type in the 'Bank Account Number (Local EFT)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
26. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process. Make sure you leave enough money in your SMSF's ANZ bank account to pay ESUPERFUND fees, life insurance, and any other expenses your SMSF will have in the next few years.
27. Amount ($ AUD): the amount of money you will be transferring to buy GME shares. Allow a $50 buffer for currency fluctuation and the DRS fee.
28. Reference (optional): only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
29. Message (optional): only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
30. Your name or business name: only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
31. When: Today.
32. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process. Save a PDF receipt for your records.
33. Wait to receive an email or notification on your mobile device from IBKR telling you the funds have been received.

Phase 5: Buy GME shares

1. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account.
2. You are going to buy $6 in USD to pay for IBKR's DRS fee plus a small buffer.
3. Click 'Portfolio'. Click 'Cash Report'.
4. Click 'Convert Currency'.
5. Currency I Have: select AUD.
6. Current I Want: select USD.
7. Enter Amount USD: type in '6'. The AUD amount should fill in automatically.
8. Click 'Submit'.
9. Now you are going to buy your SMSF's GME shares.
10. Click 'Trade'. Click 'Stocks'.
11. Enter a symbol: type in 'GME'. Hit enter.
12. Click 'Stock' under 'GAMESTOP CORP-CLASS A - NYSE'. Verify you have selected the correct stock.
13. Click 'Buy Order'.
14. Quantity: the number of GME shares you want to buy.
15. Order type: 'Limit'.
16. Limit Price: type in the amount in U.S. dollars you want to pay for each GME share.
17. Time-in-force: Day, unless you know what you are doing.
18. Outside RTH: No, unless you know what you are doing.
19. Profit Taker: No. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
20. Stop Loss: No. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
21. Click 'Submit Buy Order'. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.

Phase 6: DRS your GME shares

1. Wait 2 full U.S. business days from the date and time that you purchased your GME shares.
2. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account.
3. Click 'Transfer & Pay'. Click 'Transfer Positions'.
4. Click 'Outgoing'.
5. Transfer methods are dependent on your region: select 'United States'.
6. Click 'Select' next to 'Deliver Shares to the Issuer's Transfer Agent / Registrar'.
7. Account Number at Transfer Agent: leave blank.
8. Check the box under 'Assets' for your 'GAMESTOP CORP-CLASS A'. The 'Quantity' should now match the 'Available Quantity'.
9. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process.

Phase 7: Express Computershare account statement

1. After 1 to 5 business days when the GME shares no longer appear in 'Positions' under the 'Portfolio' page of your SMSF's IBKR account, go to the Contact Us page on Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
2. Click 'Contact information for a specific company'.
3. Ticker symbol or company name: type in 'GME'.
4. Select 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
5. Dial the international telephone number listed under 'Toll' during their opening hours. This will be a late night or early morning call for most Aussie Apes. International charges will apply. Check your phone plan before calling.
6. When the automated phone system asks you for the name of the company you hold stock in, press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Sorry, I didn't understand that'.
7. The automated phone system will ask you again for the name of the company you hold stock in. Press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Your call needs to be handled by one of our representatives' and then put you through to a person.
8. When a Computershare representative answers, explain that you are a new Computershare customer and you would like to have an express Computershare account statement sent out. Also tell them your entity is the owner of the shares, and you are calling on behalf of your entity. If you are asked for your role in the entity, you can tell them 'I am the sole director, shareholder, and company secretary. I am the entity's only authorised representative'.
9. They will ask which shares you own. Tell them 'GME - Gamestop Corp'.
10. They will ask you questions like your full name, date of birth, and address. Tell them.
11. They will want to verify the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) and how many GME shares your SMSF sent to Computershare. Tell them.
12. Once the Computershare representative has verified your details, explain your would like to pay the $45 fee to have the Computershare account statement expressed to you so that you can receive your Holder Account Number.
13. If they are unsure how to express, ask them politely to check. Once they are ready, they will ask you for your credit card details. Tell them.
14. They will then read you a receipt number confirming your credit card charge for the express account statement.
15. The express statement takes about 6 business days to arrive in Australia, but it could be longer.

Phase 8: Computershare account creation and express validation code

1. When your Computershare account statement arrives, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
2. Click 'Register now'.
3. Click 'Holder Account Number'.
4. Click 'I am not a U.S. resident'.
5. Holder Account Number: type in your Holder Account Number from your Computershare account statement.
6. Last Name/Surname/Business Name: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee).
7. Select a company you own shares in: 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
8. Please type the characters shown: type in the characters shown.
9. I would like to receive information about future online services: check the box if you would like to receive information about future online services from Computershare.
10. I agree to the Terms and Conditions: Check the box if you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
11. Click 'Next'. If you get an error message, remove everything from 'Last Name/Surname/Business Name' and type in only 'Superfund', then try clicking 'Next' again. If you still get an error message, remove everything from 'Last Name/Surname/Business Name' and type in only the last word of your Superfund's name, then try clicking 'Next' again.
12. Contact Information: Fill everything in accurately.
13. Login Details: Choose a User ID and type in a password. Do not use the same password you use on other web sites, Ape.
14. Personal Site Seal: follow the instructions and pick 3 words that you will recognise as yours every time you log in to Computershare.
15. Security questions: choose questions and answers that nobody else knows. Be smart, Ape.
16. This is my device: check the box if you are using a device you own.
17. Click 'Next'.
18. Confirm your email as prompted.
19. Before you gain access to your portfolio there's just one final step we need you to complete: click 'Logout'.
20. Go to the Contact Us page on Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
21. Click 'Contact information for a specific company'.
22. Ticker symbol or company name: type in 'GME'.
23. Select 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
24. Dial the international telephone number listed under 'Toll' during their opening hours. This will be a late night or early morning call for most Aussie Apes. International charges will apply. Check your phone plan before calling.
25. When the automated phone system asks you for the name of the company you hold stock in, press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Sorry, I didn't understand that'.
26. The automated phone system will ask you again for the name of the company you hold stock in. Press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Your call needs to be handled by one of our representatives' and then put you through to a person.
27. When a Computershare representative answers, explain that you are a new Computershare customer who has just registered their Invester Center account and you would like to have an express verification code sent out. Also tell them your entity is the owner of the shares, and you are calling on behalf of your entity. If you are asked for your role in the entity, you can tell them 'I am the sole director, shareholder, and company secretary. I am the entity's only authorised representative'.
28. They will ask which shares you own. Tell them 'GME - Gamestop Corp'.
29. They will ask you questions like your full name, date of birth, and address. Tell them.
30. They will want to verify the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) and how many GME shares your SMSF sent to Computershare. Tell them.
31. Once the Computershare representative has verified your details, explain your would like to pay the $45 fee to have the Computershare verification code expressed to you so that you can complete your Investor Center account registration as soon as possible.
32. If they are unsure how to express, ask them politely to check. Once they are ready, they will ask you for your credit card details. Tell them.
33. They will then read you a receipt number confirming your credit card charge for the express verification code.
34. The express verification code takes about 6 business days to arrive in Australia, but it could be longer.

Phase 9: Computershare W-8BEN-E

1. While you are waiting for your verification code, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center printable forms web site to download the printable Tax Form. You will not need to log in.
2. Click 'Tax Forms & Letters'.
3. Click the 'View Form' button for 'W8-BEN-E - Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for US Tax Withholding & Reporting (Entities)'. Print a copy of it.
4. In the top left corner under 'Name of Beneficial Owner and Mailing Address' for 'Name' write in the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee). Write in the Address and City, State, Zip (Postcode) as provided to IBKR. If you used a mailing address, write that in instead.
5. In the top right corner write in your 'Holder Account Number' (the Computershare ID that begins with 'C') and write in 'Company Name' as Gamestop Corp (GME).
6. Part I. Question 1. Name of organization that is the beneficial owner: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee).
7. Part I. Question 2. Country of incorporation or organization: Australia.
8. Part I. Question 3. Name of disregarded entity receiving the payment: leave blank.
9. Part I. Question 4. Chapter 3 Status (entity type): Complex Trust.
10. Part I. Question 4. If you entered disregarded entity, partnership, simple trust, or grantor trust above, is the entity a hybrid making a treaty claim? If 'Yes' complete Part III: No.
11. Part I. Question 5. Chapter 4 Status (FACTA status): Nonreporting IGA FFI. Complete Part XII.
12. Part I. Question 6. Permanent residence address: the Address and City, State, Zip (Postcode) as they appear when you log in to your Computershare account.
13. Part I. Question 7. Mailing address: only if you have one.
14. Part I. Question 8. U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN), if required: leave blank.
15. Part I. Question 9a. GIIN: leave blank.
16. Part I. Question 9b. Foreign TIN: your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
17. Part I. Question 10. Reference number(s) (see instructions): leave blank.
18. Part II. Questions 11, 12, and 13. Leave blank.
19. Part III. Question 14. Does the beneficial owner qualify for the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States? Yes.
20. Part III. Question 14a. Check the box. The beneficial owner is a resident of: Australia.
21. Part III. Question 14b. Check the box. The beneficial owner derives the item (or items) of income for which the treaty benefits are claimed, and, if applicable, meets the requirements of the treaty provision dealing with limitation on benefits. The following are types of limitation on benefits provisions that may be included in an applicable tax treaty. Check 'Other (specify Article and paragraph)'. and write in 'Article 16 (2)(g) – ownership/base erosion test'.
22. Part III. Question 14c. Do not check the box.
23. Part III. Question 15. Leave blank.
24. Part IV. Questions 16 and 17. Leave blank.
25. Part V. Question 18. Leave blank.
26. Part VI. Question 19. Leave blank.
27. Part VII. Questions 20 and 21. Leave blank.
28. Part VIII. Question 22. Leave blank.
29. Part IX. Question 23. Leave blank.
30. Part X. Questions 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d. Leave blank.
31. Part XI. Questions 25a, 25b, and 25c. Leave blank.
32. Part XII. Question 26. Check the box. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: select Australia.
33. Part XII. Question 26. Check the box.
34. Part XII. Question 26. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: Australia.
35. Part XII. Question 26. The applicable IGA is a: check the box 'Model 1 IGA'; and is treated as a: write in 'investment entity wholly owned by exempt beneficial owner'.
36. Part XII. Question 26. If you are a trustee documented trust or a sponsored entity, provide the name of the trustee or sponsor whose GIIN is provided on line 9a (if any): leave blank.
37. Part XIII. Question 27. Leave blank.
38. Part XIV. Questions 28a and 28b. Leave blank.
39. Part XV. Questions 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f. Leave blank.
40. Part XVI. Question 30. Leave blank.
41. Part XVII. Question 31. Leave blank.
42. Part XVIII. Question 32. Leave blank.
43. Part XIX. Question 33. Leave blank.
44. Part XX. Question 34. Leave blank.
45. Part XXI. Question 35. Leave blank.
46. Part XXII. Question 36. Leave blank.
47. Part XXIII. Questions 37a and 37b. Leave blank.
48. Part XXIV. Question 38. Leave blank.
49. Part XXV. Question 39. Leave blank.
50. Part XXVI. Questions 40a, 40b, and 40c. Leave blank.
51. Part XXVII. Question 41. Leave blank.
52. Part XXVIII. Questions 42 and 43. Leave blank.
53. Part XXIX. Leave blank.
54. Part XXX. Sign your name. Print your name as it appears on your ID. Date with today's date in U.S. MM-DD-YY format. Check the box.
55. Take the completed form to the Post Office and mail it to the address on the top right corner of page 1.

Phase 10: Computershare account log in

1. When your Computershare verification code arrives, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site and log in to your SMSF's Computershare account.
2. Confirm your verification code as prompted.
3. You can now take a screenshot and post it to your favourite GME subreddit if you like.

Your SMSF now owns GME shares that are direct registered with Computershare

Congratulations Ape. Good luck to us all. See you on the M-O-O-N.
thomascullenok
submitted bymillertime1216toSuperstonk [link][comments]

2021.12.22 03:12 ZakArbitrary list of popular lights - Winter Solstice 2021 edition

Happy Solstice!
In honor of Winter Solstice for the northern hemisphere, I've made an updated list of popular lights. Today is the day you're most likely to need a flashlight if you live north of the Equator.
There is no best flashlight, so this is an amalgamation of what enthusiasts have been buying and recommending to others lately along with the author's arbitrary preferences and biases. To search more lights by their attributes, try http://flashlights.parametrek.com/index.html
Where possible, official manufacturer URLs are linked here. Sometimes the manufacturer offers good deals through direct orders, sometimes vendors have the best prices. There are coupon codes available that apply to many of the lights listed.
Some people have asked if they can give me kickbacks or gratuities for maintaining the list. I have two options for that now: I'm hosting a version of this list on my own site with affiliate links, and I've set up a tip jar. Please don't feel obligated to use either.
There is a global supply chain disruption as 2021 comes to an end, so some popular lights are temporarily or permanently unavailable. In many cases, this list reflects current availability.

If you're not interested in flashlights as a hobby, you should probably just get one of these

All of the lights in this section come with a rechargeable battery and have a charger built in to the light. The battery will be a standard size you can buy online from third parties, and the charger will use USB as its power source, though some options do use a special cable. Aside from the A4, all have very good color quality compared to the average LED flashlight, improving your ability to see details. In this section, I've linked good places to buy the lights rather than the manufacturer.
This section is strongly influenced by what is available for purchase within the US. Changes from last time reflect current availability and may be updated before the next list as that changes.

• Wurkkos FC11 - a general-use light for $30. USB-C charging, and it now has proper C-to-C support. There's a strong magnet in the tailcap, and a pocket clip for carry. A 25mm (1 inch) diameter and 120mm (4.7 inches) long is suitable for larger pants pockets. I think most people will like 4000K or 5000K, which look like afternoon and midday sunlight, respectively. 2700K is available for those who miss the look of incandescents. 18650 battery.
• Skilhunt M150 with high-CRI LH351D LED option - a smaller everyday carry light with many characteristics similar to the FC11, but a smaller (14500 size) battery and magnetic charging connector. This light can also use AA batteries, both rechargeable and disposable, but the built-in charger only works with a 14500. $44 with coupon code 'reddit', and sometimes available on Amazon, but not always with the right LED, which is important since the color and beam quality of the other options is poor. 21mm (0.82') at its widest point and 84mm (3.3') long.
• Skilhunt H04 RC with high-CRI LH351D - a headlamp, right-angle handheld, and magnetic work light all in one. This version has a beaded optic with a somewhat diffused beam, but there's also a reflector version with a little more focus. This version has USB-magnetic charging, but it's available without for a lower price. $58 with the optional bundled 18650 battery and coupon code 'reddit'.
• Sofirn SP36 (Anduril/LH351D version) - a larger high-output light with three 18650 batteries and a $60 price tag. It has USB-C (A-to-C only) charging and a more complex user interface, but basic operation is similar to most of the others in this section. If you need to light up a room for a long time, or light up a field, this is up to the task. I think most people will like 4000K or 5000K, which look like afternoon and midday sunlight, respectively. 2700K is available for those who miss the look of incandescents.
• Thrunite Catapult V6 SST70 - a long-range light able to provide fairly good visibility at 350m and detect large objects at twice that. This one doesn't have good color quality of the other options in this section. 26650 battery included, and USB-C charging. Usually $75, but a 15% off coupon was shown at the time this list was published.

These are at the top of the list not because they're the best in some objective sense, but because they're easy to own, use, and buy. They score well on most measures flashlight nerds care about while also being beginner-friendly.

Read more about things flashlight enthusiasts look for in the wiki.

Everyday Carry Lights

These are selected for pocketability first and performance second, but most of the larger options are perfectly adequate for house/cacamping/etc... uses. This section excludes right-angle designs that double as headlamps, but many people do use those for pocket carry, so see that section as well.

• Nitecore Tube 2.0 - a brighter, variable output, USB-charging replacement for button-cell keychain lights with shortcuts to high and low modes from off. $10
• Rovyvon Aurora A1x (Nichia 219C version) - neutral tint, 90 CRI, 450 lumens (briefly), USB charging, under 17g weight. Non-removable battery, so this will eventually wear out. Other Nichia Rovyvons are similar, offering different body materials, sizes, and sometimes colored LEDs on the sides. $20
• Sofirn SC01 - neutral tint, 95 CRI, 330 lumen advertised max, which is sure to drop quickly because this runs on a tiny, but standardized and removable 10180 battery, which can be charged inside the light through a micro-USB port. This seems to be a continuation of the Cooyoo Quantum design that inspired many rebrands and derivatives. Currently only offered in stainless steel, but aluminum may make a return. $20 from Sofirn's site, shipped from China. $23, shipped from the USA

AAA battery

• Wurkkos WK01 - a basic 1xAAA light with 95 CRI (in the 4000K version) and a tailswitch. $13, or a bit more from Amazon
• Skilhunt E3A - a simple 1xAAA light with a twist switch for $12
• Wurkkos WK02 - a basic 1xAAA light with 95 CRI (in the 4000K version) and a tailswitch. $14, or a bit more from Amazon
• Nitecore MT06MD - 2xAAA, 90+ CRI, neutral white, and still shipping with the Nichia 219B as far as I know. It's here because the light from the 219B is very clean even compared to other high-CRI options. $26

AA battery

• Skilhunt M150 with high-CRI LH351D - this is the AA/14500 version of the M200, without the mode customization feature. It's only offered bundled with a 14500. The onboard charging works with any 14500, but won't charge NiMH AA inside the light. There's low-voltage protection for both battery types, so unprotected 14500s are OK. $44 with battery
• Skilhunt E2A with high-CRI 4000K SST-20 LED. This is a basic, inexpensive 3-mode mechanical tailswitch light running on AA or 14500. It has nice mode spacing, low-voltage protection for the 14500, and impressive maximum output for the size and price. $20
• Zebralight SC53c - 90+ CRI, warm-neutral white, e-switch with shortcuts to low, medium and high with several sub-levels for each. AA only. $57
• Manker E05 - for those who want over 200m of throw (when used with a 14500 Li-ion battery) in 20mm diameter. Big throw in a small package is this pony's only trick. $26 in aluminum, or $50 in titanium.

CR123A/16340 battery

• Sofirn SC21 - a very small 16340-only e-switch light with USB-C and a magnet. The LH351D LED is a sunlight-like 5000K and 90 CRI for good color quality. $25 without battery or $27 with shipped from China. $35 on Amazon.

18350 battery

• Thrunite T1 (neutral white suggested) - 1x18350 (included), MicroUSB charging, magnetic tailcap, 1500 lumen max mode with a ramping UI for medium levels. $40, usually
• Eagletac DX3B Mk II - for those who might need to use a lot of light under stress, but want a more compact package than the average 18650 light. Mash the proud tailswitch and get 2500 lumens and 257m of throw; it always starts on high unless the sideswitch is also held, in which case it starts on low. An 18350 battery is included and the light has onboard micro-USB charging IlluminationGear has what looks to be a dealer exclusive option with an Osram White Flat LED for over 300m throw. Pricey at $95.

18650 battery

• Sofirn SP31 v2.0 - a dual-switch light where a tailswitch controls power and a sideswitch changes brightness. This style used to be very popular, but has fallen out of favor with enthusiasts. It makes a great loaner because explaining its operation takes two seconds. The SP31 has a reasonably efficient driver and optional, recommended high-CRI LH351D LED for the very budget price of $27 with battery and charger shipped from China.
• Zebralight SC64c LE - the SC6x series has long been an EDC favorite for their compact size, high efficiency, great low modes, and a user interface that was well ahead of the competition when it came out. Now, many would prefer ToyKeeper's Anduril firmware as used on the FW3A and D4v2, but Zebralight has added some configuration options that should keep most users happy. The 828 lumen max output sounds low next to today's hot-rods, but lights this size can't sustain more than that for longer than 5 minutes without burning the user's hand. $80
• Thrunite TC15 - high output and throw from a 25mm tube light with USB charging, though color quality may not be the best. $56
• Skilhunt M200 (high-CRI LH351D option recommended) - Were you considering the Olight S2R? Consider this instead. Magnetic charging, but with a standard 18650. Optional high-CRI neutral white LH351D. Magnetic tailcap. The linked version even has configurable mode groups, and you can decide whether to pay extra to get it with a battery. Pending due to lack of reviews, but Skilhunt stuff is usually solid. $43 without a battery, $51 with.
• Wurkkos FC11 - 18650 EDC light, high-CRI Samsung LH351D, battery included, magnetic tailcap, USB-C charging, e-switch with the option of fixed modes or ramping. Wurkkos is affiliated with Sofirn, and this seems very much like some SP36S parts found their way into an SC31. Early versions had some UI wierdness, but the UI has been revised and is now very good. The tint could stand to be better, but the color rendering is very good, and it's $30. Now there's a choice of color temperatures: 2700K for the incandescent look, 4000K for afternoon sunlight, and 5000K for midday.
• Acebeam L17 - a compact thrower more suited to a jacket pocket than everyday carry like the rest of these but still quite compact for its 800m throw. This is unconventional in having its e-switch on the end of the tailcap. $75
• Fenix PD32 v2 - for those who want a lot of throw without a flared head, the PD32 v2 manages almost 400m FL1 throw with a straight 25mm tube shape. It doesn't have good color rendering, sub-lumen modes, onboard charging, or useful shortcuts in its user interface, but it sure is throwy. $60

If I could have only one portable light, it would be a right-angle light that functions as both an everyday carry light and a headlamp. Some lights in this form factor also offer a magnetic tailcap, allowing them to act as mountable area lights.

Small

• Sofirn HS05 - AA or 14500 battery, tailcap magnet, high-CRI LH351D LED. There aren't many reviews out yet, but this has a lot going for it for $22 without a battery and $25 with.
• Manker E02 II - 1xAAA or 1x10440 makes this the smallest on the list in this class. At 21g without battery and headband, I suspect even /ultralight will tolerate this, and the 95 CRI SST-20 (only in the neutral white option), users will be able to see detail. A magnetic tailcap expands the utility. $23, but note a headband is not included; that costs an extra $7.
• Manker E03H II - the above, but AA/14500 and with sliding diffusers, including red, which some people insist on. Again go for the neutral white, high-CRI option. $35
• Skilhunt H04 Mini RC - 18350 battery and USB-magnetic charging with my favorite headband in the industry and optional high-CRI LH351D. This offers a floody TIR, less floody reflector (R model) or reflector with flippable diffuser (F model) for $50.
• Nitecore NU25 - the other ultralight option. Sealed Li-ion pouch cell, so no carrying spares, and it's effectively disposable when the battery wears out. The primary emitter is cool white and low-CRI, but there's a high-CRI secondary. Some sacrifices must be made for a weight of 28g. $36
• Acebeam H17 - right-angle form factor, three emitters, high-CRI, and an 18350 battery. I think most will prefer the Nichia 219C's tint. Expensive at $70

Medium

All of these use one 18650 battery.

• Skilhunt H04 - the popular version has a honeycomb TIR optic for a diffuse beam pattern. A reflector for more throw and a version with a reflector and a flip-out diffuser are available. Uses a timed stepdown. Available in neutral white. Magnetic tailcap. These now offer a high-CRI LH351D option, making it considerably more competitive. $44, or $52 for the RC version with magnetic charging. Battery not included by default, but Skilhunt and dealers usually add one for less than $10.
• Sofirn SP40 (with LH351D) - high CRI, USB charging, a choice of color temperatures and a battery included for the price is pretty compelling. There's even an 18350 tube to make it smaller, but only the 18650 battery is included. The -A model uses a TIR optic, but a lack of reviews has me holding off on recommending that yet. The other options on the list have advantages, but you'll pay for them. $36
• Zebralight H600Fd IV - very compact, neutral white, great efficiency, well-regarded user interface, boost driver. What's not to love? The pocket clip isn't so good. 90+ CRI, a frosted lens for a more diffuse beam and a slightly cooler neutral tint that's a close match for the midday sun. H600d for non-frosted and a little more throw. $89
• Zebralight H600Fc IV - the H600Fd, but with warmer tint, like the late afternoon sun. $89
• YLP Panda 2M CRI - 1x18650 dedicated headlamp, with high-CRI neutral white LH351Ds. Not the most efficient, but the light quality is great and with an 18650 battery, most people won't mind. $38
• Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia 144A - 1x18650 right-angle light with a beautiful high-CRI neutral white emitter, boost driver for stable output, magnetic tailcap, magnetic charging, and excellent low mode. I pushed for this light's creation, so I'm biased, but I do think it's excellent. The manufacturer, however is not, and I recommend ordering from Killzone in the US to avoid customer service and shipping problems. Try coupon code 'reddit' for a discount. $90

Large

• Acebeam H30 - 21700 battery (also compatible with 18650), USB-C charging, powerbank function, 4000 lumen main output with optional neutral white, red secondary, choice between a green secondary, UV secondary, or a high-CRI Nichia 219C secondary. Boost driver for stable output when the battery is low or cold. Many people would consider this too heavy for a headlamp, but it weighs a lot less than a motorcycle helmet. Noncompliant USB-C behavior requires charging with an A-to-C cable. $120
• Wurkkos HD20 - 21700 battery, two LEDs (one throwy, the other high-CRI), and USB-C in a right-angle form factor.
• Fenix HP30R v2 - 2x21700 batteries (included) in a remote box that can be attached to the headband on worn on a belt, an efficient driver, and both spot and flood options make for a headlamp that can run all night at 1000 lumens with a peak output of 3000. No ultra-low modes here; that's not what this is for. The battery box can serve as a USB powerbank and charges via USB-C. Wearing the batteries under clothing makes it effectively immune to cold. Expensive at $220, though there's usually a 20% off code available for Fenix products.

These are suitable for first responders and possibly members of the military in combat roles. The focus is on simple operation, reliability and a good way to make sure the light starts on high.

• Acebeam L35 - Very high output of 5000 lumens from a single 21700 battery, though expect it to thermal throttle quickly to about 1300. Tailswitch is max-only, with other modes on the sideswitch. $90 from Killzone, who still has the longer-throwing Latticepower LED option.
• Eagletac GX30L2-R - for those who want a better Streamlight Stinger. 2x18650. Onboard charging. The included battery pack is just two 18650s in series. It says not to charge standard 18650s, but there's no technical reason for that, and it is reported to work. Protected 18650s recommended. $120
• Acebeam L18 - this is the L35, but optimized for throw with 1000m FL1 throw and 1500lm output. This is probably a secondary light for most people for when something is too far for the primary light. $85

Most lights on the list are easy to carry, with performance constrained by size and thermal mass as a result. After all, the best light is the one you have. Here are lights to bring when you know you'll be using them.

Flooders

Turn night into day, but not necessarily very far away

• Thrunite TC20 v2 - 1x26650, 1xXHP70.2. This is still small enough for a jacket pocket, but has a bigger battery than most EDC lights, and a spectacular 180 lm/W efficiency on medium. USB-C charging. Ugly tint, even when neutral. Over 4000 lumen max, and more efficient than most competitors in all modes. $90 typically, but often $70
• Sofirn SP36 BLF edition - 3x18650, 4xLH351D, Anduril firmware, USB-C charging. Be careful, there's another version of this light with Cree XP-L2 emitters, which are ugly. Several options for color temperature exist, and batteries are usually bundled now, but not always. 90+ CRI, 5500+ lumens, 350m FL1 throw. $42 from Sofirn's site without batteries, $52 with, more from Amazon.
• Acebeam E70 FC40 - a compact option with spectacular color quality (when the FC40 is selected) or excellent efficiency (when the XHP70 is selected). Acebeam's efficient driver helps make up for the LED's inefficiency, and a thermal sensor prevents severe overheating, though it still gets warm. $80

Throwers

What's that over there? WAY over there? The hotspots of these lights tend to be too focused for comfortable use up close, though using a diffuser is an option. These tend to be most useful for search and rescue, boating, and the like.
FL1 throw is the distance at which large objects can be detected in clear air. At half that distance, there's usually enough illumination to see clearly, though with more extreme throwers, the distances may be so great as to require binoculars to see clearly even during the day. Throwers have visible backscatter from the atmosphere even in clear air, which may obstruct the user's view of the target. Warmer color temperatures tend to have less.

• Sofirn IF22A - 21700 battery, about 700m FL1 throw, 2100 lumens, USB-C, and a powerbank function. Battery included for $49 shipped from the USA, a bit less shipped from China.
• Manker U22 III - 21700 battery, 1km FL1 throw, USB-C, and finally a reasonable user interface. Osram for more throw, SFT40 for a bigger hotspot and brighter spill. This has a more efficient driver than the IF22A, so it should handle sustained operation better. $70
• Noctigon K1 - choice of LEDs, 21700 battery, USB-C, and an advanced, configurable user interface. Osram W1 for most throw, Osraw W2 for some more output at a cost of heat and battery life, SBT90 for a lot of output, a lot of heat, $50 extra, and not much battery life. This is an enthusiast-oriented light, but it gets a place here because Illumn sells it, so it's easy to buy if you're in the US. $102

Hybrids

Some throw, some flood... probably a lot

• Acebeam K30GT - a hybrid, but leaning toward the throw side of things with 1km. 5500 lumens, but not for long due to heat. 3x18650. $160
• Acebeam K65GT - 1.6km and 6500lm, but much bigger than the K30GT with 4x18650 batteries, giving it the ability to say bright longer without overheating. $240
• Convoy 4x18A SBT90 - a budget K65GT with 4x18650, USB-C charging, 5400lm and 1.1km throw. It's prone to overheating, so it's probably best held in a bare hand during operation - if it isn't painful to hold, it's safe for the batteries. $90
• Imalent MS18 - proprietary battery pack, 18xXHP70.2. Heat pipes. Fan cooling. 100,000 lumens. 1350m FL1 throw. This thing weighs 5 pounds, isn't waterproof, sounds like a jet engine, and I trust Imalent's build quality about as far as I can throw an MS18, not to mention the price. It makes no sense for nearly any practical purpose, but it's the brightest flashlight you can buy, so it goes on the list. A warm white option was added at some point, and I'd probably go with that if I was getting one. $560

Stuff that doesn't fit somewhere else goes here.

• Pelican 3315 CC - 3xAA, 130 lumens, intrinsically safe. The only reason to get this is because an intrinsically safe or explosion proof light is required. This is the least bad option with a warm color temperature and high CRI. $55
• Viltrox L116T - a 95 CRI, adjustable color temperature LED panel intended to be used as a camera light with adjustable output from about 200 lumens to 1000 lumens. Also works great as fixed lighting with a DC power supply, or a portable area light with a Sony NP-F camera battery. A battery holder and a bit of soldering will allow it to run on 2x18650. $38
• Viltrox VL200T - The 2500 lumen version of the L116T. DC power supply included. Radio-based remote control. $65
• Fenix WF30RE - the closest thing to an enthusiast-grade flashlight with an intrinsically-safe rating. This is a low-powered, but relatively normal e-switch tube light running on a field-replaceable proprietary battery. The battery has 18650 performance, but 21700 size, and requires a hex key to change, which should only be done in a safe atmosphere. In most cases, a proprietary battery results in automatic exclusion from this list, but I'm sure it's the only way they could achieve the hazardous environment ratings. $100
• Sofirn BLF LT1 - 4x18650 lantern with Anduril and variable color temperature at 90 CRI. USB-C charging and powerbank functionality on newer models. $65 from Sofirn's site without batteries.

Enthusiast lights can be subject to a bit of a flavor of the month phenomenon, and this section isn't necessarily going to try to include them all. What you'll find here are enthusiast lights with some staying power. There will probably be an Emisar D4 of some description this time next year, but not necessarily the latest new FW variant or whatever's currently trendy from Nightwatch.

Everyday carry

• Lumintop FW3A - this light was designed by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. It's unusual in having a tail e-switch, while most others position it on the side. It has an open source firmware with continuous brightness adjustment and lots of options. 2800 lumen max (briefly), about 800 lumens relatively sustainable (thermally regulated). There are currently five LED options, and I would recommend most people go with one of the high-CRI options. Luminus SST-20 for more throw and less heat, but the Nichia 219C may have more pleasant tint. Caution: this light requires an unprotected, 10A rated battery and can set things that get too close to its lens on fire. This has fairly inefficient electronics, but the large capacity of the 18650 battery makes that a minor issue for a lot of use cases. There are titanium, copper, etc... versions for more money. Build quality and reliability may be a bit questionable, but these pack in a lot of features for the money. Several larger versions with higher output exist, but the original still makes the most sense to this list's maintainer. $40
• Lumintop FW3X - a fancy FW3A with a buck/boost circuit for efficiency and stability in lower modes and colored aux LEDs. $80
• Emisar D4v2 - every flashlight geek's favorite way to burn a hole in their pocket has been upgraded. It now comes with colored aux LEDs that can serve as a decoration, locator, and battery status indicator. Some versions of this light can exceed 4000 output at power-on, though efficiency is not one of its goals, even at lower levels. Not to be outdone by the FW3A, there are eight LED options, from which I'd suggest the 4000K, 95+ CRI SST-20 to most people. Optional extras include a tailcap magnet, steel bezel, pocket clip, 18350 and 18500 battery tubes, and different optics. There are exposed programming headers on the battery side of the driver for those who want to modify the firmware, or just keep it up to date with ToyKeeper's latest revisions. That's right, it's 2021 and you can get software updates for your flashlight. $45
• Emisar D4v2 channel switching - the above with the option to ramp or switch between two pairs of different LEDs. There are many possibilities to choose from, including different color temperatures, or a flood set and a throw set. $55
• Noctigon KR4 - This is almost a tail-e-switch D4, but it uses a variable linear driver that provides a bit better efficiency and more stable output as the battery drains as well as allowing brightness adjustment without PWM and enabling the use of ultra-low-voltage LEDs like the Nichia E21A. If you were thinking about the Lumintop FW4A, this is likely a better option. SST-20 4000K would probably still be my pick here because the E21A doesn't seem to play all that well with the Carclo quad optics. $55 As with the D4, there's a channel switching version for $60
• Convoy S2+/219C - Popular light for DIY and modification. Many parts are available from the manufacturer and Mountain Electronics. S2+ linked. S3 is similar, but with a removable steel bezel. S6 has a deeper reflector for a narrower spill and longer throw. The high-CRI Samsung LH351D Nichia 219C and Luminus SST-20 LEDs, in order of most output to most throw, are strongly recommended over the prior options. 219C 4000K will probably make the largest number of people happy. 'Body color' is actually drive current. More 7135 chips means more power, which means more output, shorter battery life, and more heat. x6 is a reasonable choice that should never get too hot to hold. x3 or x4 for giving to people who will waste the battery. x8 for max output. Convoy will assemble other combinations of compatible parts not listed in their store - just contact them and ask. $15

Jacket pocket, maybe

• Noctigon DM11 (boost driver) - 1x21700 - advertised as a 'middle range thrower', I'd describe it more as a throwy general-purpose light with about 1600lm and 380m throw from the Nichia B35A (with excellent color rendering) or Cree XHP35 HI (a bit more throw). With the boost driver, the DM11 has stable output at most levels, good performance in the cold, and more efficience in medium and low modes than many enthusiast lights. Many color temperatures are offered with the B35A, and RGB aux LEDs provide a colorful accent (or battery voltage monitor) under the TIR optic. $75
• Noctigon DM11 (linear driver) - 1x21700 middle-range thrower with a bit over 700m FL1 throw using Osram Boost series or Luminus SFT40 LEDs, all in cool white. Red, green or blue main Osram emitters are available as well, along with SST20, SST40, XP-L HI and likely anything else that runs at 3 volts by request. $60 or $65
• Noctigon KR1 - Do you miss the Emisar D1? This is a jacket pocket light can reach nearly 700m FL1 throw with certain emitter options. As with the DM11 (linear), several colored and high-CRI otpions are offered as well. $55
• Convoy C8 SST-20 - 1x18650. 4000K and 7135x8 will produce the best results for most users. Over 4000K is low-CRI for the SST-20, and yes, CRI still matters in a semi-thrower like the C8. This isn't in the performance class of the other high-output lights, but it's over 500m FL1 throw that fits in a jacket pocket for $20. Note that there are a lot of C8s on the market from different companies, but this C8 is the one most people should get. $21
• Convoy M21C FC40 - 1x21700, GT-FC40 high-CRI LED. I'd probably go with the 'crumpled' reflector and 4000K for the nicest beam. $36
• Emisar D18 - 3x18650, 18xSST-20 (XP-L HI by request). 4000K recommended for 10,000 lumens of 95+ CRI light (thermally limited). Efficiency is not a goal with this model's FET driver, but the battery capacity will make up for it for a lot of use cases. Uses ToyKeeper's excellent open source Anduril firmware. $99
• Astrolux FT03 SFT-40 FET driver, SFT-40, big reflector, 26650/21700/18650 and USB-C (probably only A-to-C) charging. 1200m throw and 2220 lumens advertised, which seems realistic. 54
• Noctigon K1 - 1x21700, USB-C charging (including C-to-C!), and probably the most throw of any single-cell LED flashlight (LEPs are impressive, but not quite ready for prime time). 1600m FL1 throw with the Osram White Flat 1, 4500 lumens and nearly as much throw (briefly) from the Luminus SBT-90.2. A balanced beam and stable output from the boost-driver equipped Cree XHP35 HI. Several other emitters are available, though some are not listed and can only be had by request - email and ask if there's a combination you want. $100 and up depending on emitter.
• Astrolux MF01 Mini - 1x26650/21700/18650, 7 Luminus SST-20s (4000K, 95 CRI available), USB-C, Anduril firmware, FET driver, aux LEDs. Like a bigger D4v2 with more emitters and a USB port. $65, but check for active discounts
• Convoy L21B SFT40 - 1x21700, 1258m throw, $36. Remember when 1km LED throwers started at 5x that price? It wasn't long ago.
• Convoy S11 FC40 - a basic 26650 tube light with a tailswitch, but the big news is the GT-FC40 LED, a large, floody, very high CRI LED. It's pretty, and this is a way to experience it for $30, but be warned this light lacks an effective temperature control mechanism and is prone to overheating.

Big

• BLF GT90 - A huge 8x18650 flashlight with a Luminus SBT-90.2 for over 7000 lumens and 2700m throw claimed, but that's going to be limited by heat and power. For sustainable performance, the original may have the advantage. For short bursts, this will be most impressive. 400, but look for discounts

• Skilhunt M150 restored to its rightful place in the quick list
• Throwers section fixed
• GX30 link fixed
• WF30RE description updated

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2021.12.21 22:31 l_oneHow do I *politely* tell a company I do not wish to provide services because of their reputation for non-payment?

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2021.12.21 21:02 kingzplaceTop Marketing and Advertising Ideas

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2021.12.21 18:44 botanisty[USA--CA] Tenure-track faculty in applied fire science and management (closes 14 Feb)

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2021.12.21 12:55 LaDeckardרצון האבוד

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2021.12.21 09:57 thomascullenokAussie Apes: turn your superannuation into GME shares and DRS them!

This post contains detailed instructions to do exactly what the title says: turn your super money into GME shares and then DRS them. It's easy to do but there are a lot of steps and forms to complete. Disclaimers:

• Expect this process to take approximately 4 to 8 weeks. It will cost about $800 out-of-pocket. Your super fund can pay you back in a few weeks, but you will need to be able to pay up front on a credit card.
• You will need your Driver Licence, Passport, Tax File Number, and other documentation such as recent bills with your name and address on them.
• I do not work for or endorse any of the companies referenced in this post. I am not receiving any financial benefit for mentioning them or using them.
• There may be other ways to do this. This is the way I found.
• This is your retirement money. There are strict rules about what you can and can't do with it other than investing in international shares. Make smart financial decisions.
• I suggest completing this process on a desktop computer, not a mobile device. Access to a printer and a private document scanner is also important.
• You will be required to fill in a lot of forms. This post will guide you through, but you also need to read the documents and forms carefully yourself.
• This is version 1.0 of this post, dated 21 December 2021.
• I do not have enough karma to participate in the GME subreddits. If you would like to support me for writing this post please visit this page on reddit, and upvote and leave me a comment.
• I am not a Financial Advisor. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.

How it works

You are going to be establishing something called a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) and turning as much of your superannuation money as you decide into GME shares that are direct registered (DRS) with Computershare. As the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) says on their web site: 'The difference between an SMSF and other types of [super]funds is that the members of an SMSF are usually also the trustees. This means the members of the SMSF run it for their benefit and are responsible for complying with the super and tax laws.'
It sounds hard but you are going to pay someone to do it for you.

Phase 1: Apply for your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)

1. Go to the ESUPERFUND web site. This company is who will manage your SMSF so that you don't have to manually complete the process with the ATO. Your superfund will pay ESUPERFUND about $1,000 a year to take care of it for you.
2. Click the 'Apply Now' button.
3. Email address: use a secure address that no one else can access, preferably one that has 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. Don't use a shared email address, Ape.
4. Mobile number: use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
5. Residential address: put the address where you live. This should match your Driver Licence.
6. Postal address: put your Post Office Box or other similar secure postal address if you have one, otherwise leave blank.
7. How many people in your SMSF: 1 Person.
8. Select Trustee Type: Company Trustee.
9. Select 'Company Details'.
10. Do you have an Existing Company to act as the Corporate Trustee? No. Don't be tempted to use an existing entity, Ape.
11. Do you want to establish a Company now? Yes. Don't be tempted to use an existing entity, Ape.
12. Select Number of Company Directors: 1 Company Director.
13. Is the sole purpose of the Company to act as the Trustee of the SMSF: Yes.
14. Preferred Company Name: Think of a company name that you would like to use. Don't name it anything silly or offensive, it will get rejected and slow you down. You can search on the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) web site to see if the name is already taken.
15. Director 1 Details: Fill everything in accurately. Do not change the default entries unless you know what you are doing.
16. Preferred SMSF Name: Think of a superfund name that you would like to use. This is the name your GME shares will be held in at Computershare. No matter what you choose, the word 'Superfund' will be added by ESUPERFUND as the last word of the name. Don't name it anything silly or offensive, it will get rejected and slow you down. You can search on the ASIC web site to see if the name is already taken.
17. Make the payment for the Pty Ltd Company Trustee setup. ESUPERFUND will pay ASIC on your behalf.

Phase 2: Complete documentation for your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)

1. Wait patiently to hear from ESUPERFUND. You should receive your SMSF Establishment Documentation within 3 business days.
2. Print out 2 copies of your SMSF Establishment Documentation. Go to the ESUPERFUND Client Portal and log in to your SMSF's account by following the instructions they emailed to you. Go to the 'Documents' section. If the ASIC Certificate of Registration is there, download it and print 2 copies of it.
3. Carefully sign both copies of your SMSF Establishment Documentation everywhere that it says 'Sign Here'.. EXCEPT where there is a 'Witness Must Sign' next to it. Keep those pages separate.
4. Read the 'Identification requirements for your SMSF' section and do what it says. Photocopy 2 copies of your ID and documents as described using the template, ready to be certified.
5. Take the 2 copies of the unsigned, unwitnessed pages you kept separate as well as the photocopied ID templates to a Justice of the Peace (JP). Don't use someone you know, Ape. Take the rest of the SMSF Establishment Documentation with you in a folder just in case. There are JPs who will witness and certify your documents for free at most shopping centres throughout Australia. If you don't know where to find one, look at the official web site for your location: ACT JP web site, NSW JP web site, NT JP web site, QLD JP web site, SA JP web site, TAS JP web site, VIC JP web site, and WA JP web site
6. Sign your documents with the JP and have them witness it. Have them certify the ID documents.
7. Collate your completed SMSF Establishment Documentation in order, and scan it in as a PDF. Do the same for your ID documents. If you don't have access to a flatbed scanner you can buy a cheap one at a shop like Officeworks for around $150. You could also take photos of each page in a well-lit room using your mobile device, but that will be complicated and time consuming.
8. Go to the ESUPERFUND Client Portal and log in to your SMSF's account. Upload your SMSF Establishment Documentation and ID documents as prompted.
9. Wait patiently to hear from ESUPERFUND that your company trustee, superfund, and ANZ bank account are all registered and ready to use.
10. Download everything ESUPERFUND put for you in the 'Documents' section of the Client Portal. If your ASIC Certificate of Registration wasn't there before, print 2 copies of it now and go back to the JP so they can certify it. Print the ESUPERFUND Final Setup Package document and take it with you. You will also need to take all of your ID. Go to an ANZ bank branch and ask to set up ANZ Internet Banking for your SMSF. You will be required to show ID and your account details from the Final Setup Package document you printed. Set up the ANZ Shield app on your mobile device while you are there. The ANZ Shield app secures your bank account and allows you to transfer more than $25,000 per day.
11. Print copies of everything you downloaded from ESUPERFUND. Put those and the originals signed by the JP in a folder for your records.

Phase 3: Transfer from your existing superfund and establish the SMSF brokerage account

1. Using the Inbox on ESUPERFUND's Client Portal, send a New Query. Select a Subject of 'Investments' and a Sub-Category of 'Investments Allowed'. Where it says 'If the above answers didn't answer your question please type your question below', type in 'Direct Registration of International shares'. A button will appear that says 'I would like to submit a Query directly to ESUPERFUND'. When the message box appears, write them a polite message like: 'Dear ESUPERFUND team, I created this SMSF to invest in International shares. I am a long-term investor and would like to Direct Register (DRS) the shares with the company's nominated transfer agent. Is it ok for me to manually report this? Kind regards, Your Name Your Superfund'.
2. While you are waiting for ESUPERFUND's response, call your existing superfund and explain you have created a Self-Managed Super Fund and would like to transfer your money out. If you leave some money with them, you can usually keep receiving your super payments from your job there without closing your account. It's up to you. Every superfund is different, but once they verify your details they should just email you a form to fill in. Follow their process. They usually take a minimum of 5 to 10 business days to send your money to you. Use your SMSF's ANZ bank account to receive the money.
3. While you are waiting for your money to arrive in your SMSF's ANZ bank account, you are going to establish a brokerage account for your SMSF with Interactive Brokers (IBKR). You are going to buy the GME shares there and then DRS them. You may have received a brokerage account with EBROKING as part of your ESUPERFUND signup, but EBROKING does not support DRS. Do not buy shares with them.
4. Go to the Interactive Brokers web site and select 'For Individuals' and then 'Self-Managed Superannuation Funds'. Scroll until you find the 'Start Application' button and click it.
5. Put in your Email address, choose a Username, put in a secure password, confirm it, and click 'Create Account'.
6. Verify your email address by clicking the link in the email IBKR sends you, then log in to 'Complete a Started Application' when prompted.
7. From 'Select an Account Type', choose 'Trust Accounts', then 'Self-Managed Super Fund'.
8. Under 'Legal Residence' select the State you used in your address when ESUPERFUND established your SMSF. Click 'Start Application'.
9. Trust Name: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) from the Final Setup Package document.
10. Date Established: the date your Superfund was established by ESUPERFUND, in YYYY-MM-DD format.
11. Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): leave blank.
12. Principal Place Of Business: make sure you fill this in and it matches exactly what you told ESUPERFUND, including Mailing Address if you have one.
13. Tax File Number: your Superfund's TFN from the Final Setup Package document.
14. Source of Wealth: Select 'Other'. Type in 'Retirement fund'.
15. Click 'Continue'.
16. Trustees: click 'Add Corporate Trustee'.
17. Entity's Name: the name of your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee (not your Superfund) from the Final Setup Package document.
18. Is this Trustee the Primary Trustee? Yes.
19. Is the Entity publicly traded on a regulated exchange? No.
20. Principal Place Of Business: your residential address.
21. Contact Information: use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
22. Tax Residency: your personal Tax File Number. Do not attempt to use anything else. The process will fail. Your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee does not have a TFN.
23. The Trustee is authorized to execute documents and legal agreements and receive disclosures and notices on behalf of the trust and if applicable all other trustees: Yes.
24. The Trustee is authorized to buy or sell financial products, instruct third parties, to withdraw or direct the withdrawal of money on behalf of the trust and if applicable all other trustees: Yes.
25. Click 'Save'.
26. Authorized Person: fill this in as it appears on your ID documentation.
27. Director: Yes.
28. Secretary: Yes.
29. Officer: No.
30. Owner: No.
31. Residential Address: must match your documentation.
32. Contact Information: use a secure email address that no one else can access, preferably one that has 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication. Don't use a shared email address, Ape. Use a mobile number that no else can access. Don't use a shared mobile, Ape.
33. Identification: use your Driver Licence if you can.
34. Tax Residency: your personal Tax File Number. Do not attempt to use anything else.
35. Security questions: choose questions and answers that nobody else knows. Be smart, Ape.
36. Click 'Save'.
37. Click 'Continue'.
38. Tax Classification: Complex Trust. Click 'Continue'.
39. Regulatory Information: Answer each of these questions accurately.
40. Do you have an Australian Business Number? Yes. Your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
41. Click 'Continue'.
42. Annual Net Income in AUD: Answer accurately.
43. Net Worth in AUD: Answer accurately.
44. Liquid Net Worth in AUD: Answer accurately, including the total amount of money in your superfund / previous superfund.
45. Growth: Yes.
46. Hedging: No.
47. Preservation of Capital and Income Generation: No.
48. Profits from Active Trading and Speculation: No.
49. Trading Experience and Knowledge Level: Answer accurately. I imagine anyone who found and is reading this post would have Extensive Knowledge. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
50. I am interested in trading Options: No. Selecting Yes may cause your account to not be approved.
51. How Did You Hear About Us? Recommendation. Influencer. I bet IBKR's marketing wankers will love that.
52. Click 'Continue'.
53. Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities): this is for people who sell GME from IBKR. Even though you are going to DRS with Computershare this form must still be accurate.
54. Part I. Question 4. Chapter 3 Status (entity type) (Must check one box only): Complex Trust.
55. Part I. Question 4. If you entered disregarded entity, partnership, simple trust, or grantor trust above, is the entity a hybrid making a treaty claim? If 'Yes' complete Part III: No.
56. Part I. Question 5. Chapter 4 Status (FACTA status): Nonreporting IGA FFI. Complete Part XII.
57. Part I. Question 7. Mailing address (if different from above): only if you have one.
58. Part I. Question 8. U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN), if required: leave blank.
59. Part I. Question 9a. GIIN: leave blank.
60. Part I. Question 9b. Foreign TIN: your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
61. Part I. Question 10. Reference number(s) (see instructions): leave blank.
62. Part III. Question 14. Does the beneficial owner qualify for the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States? Yes.
63. Part III. Question 14a. The beneficial owner is a resident of: Australia.
64. Part III. Question 14b. The beneficial owner derives the item (or items) of income for which the treaty benefits are claimed, and, if applicable, meets the requirements of the treaty provision dealing with limitation on benefits. The following are types of limitation on benefits provisions that may be included in an applicable tax treaty (check only one; see instructions): Other (specify Article and paragraph). Type in 'Article 16 (2)(g) – ownership/base erosion test'.
65. Part III. Question 14c. Special rates and conditions (if applicable—see instructions): leave blank.
66. Part XII. Check the box at Question 26.
67. Part XII. Question 26. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: select Australia.
68. Part XII. Question 26. The applicable IGA is a: Model 1 IGA. and is treated as a: Exempt Beneficial Owner - Retirement Plan. If you are a trustee documented trust or a sponsored entity, provide the name of the trustee or sponsor whose GIIN is provided on line 9a (if any): leave blank.
69. Part XXX. Certification. Answer accurately. Click 'Continue'.
70. Certification of Entity Tax Residency: this is for reporting to meet the U.S. Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).
71. Question 5. Global Intermediary Identification Number (GIIN): leave blank.
72. OECD Common Reporting Status: Investment Entity not listed above.
73. Check the box if you agree. Click 'Continue'.
74. Review all of your details. Check the boxes if you agree. Click 'Continue'.
75. Application Status: this is the final part of the IBKR application.
76. Fund Your Account: do not complete this step.
77. Proof Of Authority Of Authorized Person: go to ASIC's web site then find 'Search ASIC Registers' and search within 'Organisation & Business Names' for: your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee's name. Click 'Go'. Under 'Company extract' Select Item 'Current company information' ($9). Click 'Checkout'. Pay for it. When you receive the PDF in your email, upload it for this step.
78. Proof Of Existence (Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee): Upload a scanned copy of the ASIC Certificate of Registration that the JP signed for this step.
79. Submit A Photo ID To Verify Your Identity: Upload a scanned copy of your Driver Licence that the JP signed for this step.
80. Proof Of Existence (Superfund): Upload your completed Trust Deed document provided to you by ESUPERFUND for this step.
81. Wait patiently to hear from IBKR. Within 5 business days you should receive an email telling you your account is approved.

Phase 4: Secure and fund your IBKR account

1. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account. You may be asked to add a Trusted Contact in the event that you are not able to access your account. You will need to decide if you want one. If you do, click 'Continue'. If you don't, click 'Ask Me Later'.
2. Follow the instructions to scan the QR code with your smartphone under 'Fast, Secure Login with IBKey' to secure your account.
3. Click 'Transfer & Pay'. Click 'Transfer Funds'.
4. Click 'Make a Deposit'.
5. Select 'Australian Dollar (AUD).
6. Click 'Get Instructions' next to 'Electronic Funds Transfer'. This option is faster than 'Online BPAY'.
7. Save Bank Information? Yes.
8. Sending Institution: type in 'ANZ'.
9. Account Number: type in your SMSF's ANZ bank account number.
10. Account Nickname: type in 'ANZ SMSF account'.
11. Deposit Amount: type in the amount you want to transfer. If you have the ANZ Shield app configured you can transfer up to $50,000 per day. If you don't, the maximum is $25,000.
12. Click 'Get Wire Instructions'.
13. Print or save the Bank Wire Instructions for later.
14. Click the person icon in the top right corner. Click 'Log Out'.
15. Go to the ANZ web site and log in to your SMSF's ANZ bank account.
16. Click 'Settings'. Under 'Payments' click 'Change my Pay Anyone limit'.
17. Select the per-day limit based on the amount of money you will be transferring to buy GME shares. Click 'Change Limit'. Complete the process.
18. Click on your V2 PLUS Account.
19. Click 'Pay Anyone'.
20. From: V2 PLUS Account.
21. To: click 'Add a new payee'.
22. How would you like to pay? BSB/Account number.
23. Account name: type in the PTY LTD company under 'Bank Account Title & Address' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
24. BSB: type in the 'BSB code' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
25. Account number: type in the 'Bank Account Number (Local EFT)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
26. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process. Make sure you leave enough money in your SMSF's ANZ bank account to pay ESUPERFUND fees, life insurance, and any other expenses your SMSF will have in the next few years.
27. Amount ($ AUD): the amount of money you will be transferring to buy GME shares. Allow a $50 buffer for currency fluctuation and the DRS fee.
28. Reference (optional): only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
29. Message (optional): only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
30. Your name or business name: only the Account Number from the 'Payment Reference/For Further Credit to (Required)' from IBKR's Bank Wire Instructions.
31. When: Today.
32. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process. Save a PDF receipt for your records.
33. Wait to receive an email or notification on your mobile device from IBKR telling you the funds have been received.

Phase 5: Buy GME shares

1. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account.
2. You are going to buy $6 in USD to pay for IBKR's DRS fee plus a small buffer.
3. Click 'Portfolio'. Click 'Cash Report'.
4. Click 'Convert Currency'.
5. Currency I Have: select AUD.
6. Current I Want: select USD.
7. Enter Amount USD: type in '6'. The AUD amount should fill in automatically.
8. Click 'Submit'.
9. Now you are going to buy your SMSF's GME shares.
10. Click 'Trade'. Click 'Stocks'.
11. Enter a symbol: type in 'GME'. Hit enter.
12. Click 'Stock' under 'GAMESTOP CORP-CLASS A - NYSE'. Verify you have selected the correct stock.
13. Click 'Buy Order'.
14. Quantity: the number of GME shares you want to buy.
15. Order type: 'Limit'.
16. Limit Price: type in the amount in U.S. dollars you want to pay for each GME share.
17. Time-in-force: Day, unless you know what you are doing.
18. Outside RTH: No, unless you know what you are doing.
19. Profit Taker: No. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
20. Stop Loss: No. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.
21. Click 'Submit Buy Order'. This is Not Financial Advice, Ape.

Phase 6: DRS your GME shares

1. Wait 2 full U.S. business days from the date and time that you purchased your GME shares.
2. Go to the IBKR web site and log in to your SMSF's IBKR account.
3. Click 'Transfer & Pay'. Click 'Transfer Positions'.
4. Click 'Outgoing'.
5. Transfer methods are dependent on your region: select 'United States'.
6. Click 'Select' next to 'Deliver Shares to the Issuer's Transfer Agent / Registrar'.
7. Account Number at Transfer Agent: leave blank.
8. Check the box under 'Assets' for your 'GAMESTOP CORP-CLASS A'. The 'Quantity' should now match the 'Available Quantity'.
9. Click 'Continue'. Complete the process.

Phase 7: Express Computershare account statement

1. After 1 to 5 business days when the GME shares no longer appear in 'Positions' under the 'Portfolio' page of your SMSF's IBKR account, go to the Contact Us page on Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
2. Click 'Contact information for a specific company'.
3. Ticker symbol or company name: type in 'GME'.
4. Select 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
5. Dial the international telephone number listed under 'Toll' during their opening hours. This will be a late night or early morning call for most Aussie Apes. International charges will apply. Check your phone plan before calling.
6. When the automated phone system asks you for the name of the company you hold stock in, press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Sorry, I didn't understand that'.
7. The automated phone system will ask you again for the name of the company you hold stock in. Press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Your call needs to be handled by one of our representatives' and then put you through to a person.
8. When a Computershare representative answers, explain that you are a new Computershare customer and you would like to have an express Computershare account statement sent out. Also tell them your entity is the owner of the shares, and you are calling on behalf of your entity. If you are asked for your role in the entity, you can tell them 'I am the sole director, shareholder, and company secretary. I am the entity's only authorised representative'.
9. They will ask which shares you own. Tell them 'GME - Gamestop Corp'.
10. They will ask you questions like your full name, date of birth, and address. Tell them.
11. They will want to verify the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) and how many GME shares your SMSF sent to Computershare. Tell them.
12. Once the Computershare representative has verified your details, explain your would like to pay the $45 fee to have the Computershare account statement expressed to you so that you can receive your Holder Account Number.
13. If they are unsure how to express, ask them politely to check. Once they are ready, they will ask you for your credit card details. Tell them.
14. They will then read you a receipt number confirming your credit card charge for the express account statement.
15. The express statement takes about 6 business days to arrive in Australia, but it could be longer.

Phase 8: Computershare account creation and express validation code

1. When your Computershare account statement arrives, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
2. Click 'Register now'.
3. Click 'Holder Account Number'.
4. Click 'I am not a U.S. resident'.
5. Holder Account Number: type in your Holder Account Number from your Computershare account statement.
6. Last Name/Surname/Business Name: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee).
7. Select a company you own shares in: 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
8. Please type the characters shown: type in the characters shown.
9. I would like to receive information about future online services: check the box if you would like to receive information about future online services from Computershare.
10. I agree to the Terms and Conditions: Check the box if you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
11. Click 'Next'. If you get an error message, remove everything from 'Last Name/Surname/Business Name' and type in only 'Superfund', then try clicking 'Next' again. If you still get an error message, remove everything from 'Last Name/Surname/Business Name' and type in only the last word of your Superfund's name, then try clicking 'Next' again.
12. Contact Information: Fill everything in accurately.
13. Login Details: Choose a User ID and type in a password. Do not use the same password you use on other web sites, Ape.
14. Personal Site Seal: follow the instructions and pick 3 words that you will recognise as yours every time you log in to Computershare.
15. Security questions: choose questions and answers that nobody else knows. Be smart, Ape.
16. This is my device: check the box if you are using a device you own.
17. Click 'Next'.
18. Confirm your email as prompted.
19. Before you gain access to your portfolio there's just one final step we need you to complete: click 'Logout'.
20. Go to the Contact Us page on Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site.
21. Click 'Contact information for a specific company'.
22. Ticker symbol or company name: type in 'GME'.
23. Select 'GME - GAMESTOP CORP'.
24. Dial the international telephone number listed under 'Toll' during their opening hours. This will be a late night or early morning call for most Aussie Apes. International charges will apply. Check your phone plan before calling.
25. When the automated phone system asks you for the name of the company you hold stock in, press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Sorry, I didn't understand that'.
26. The automated phone system will ask you again for the name of the company you hold stock in. Press '1' on your phone's keypad. It should respond 'Your call needs to be handled by one of our representatives' and then put you through to a person.
27. When a Computershare representative answers, explain that you are a new Computershare customer who has just registered their Invester Center account and you would like to have an express verification code sent out. Also tell them your entity is the owner of the shares, and you are calling on behalf of your entity. If you are asked for your role in the entity, you can tell them 'I am the sole director, shareholder, and company secretary. I am the entity's only authorised representative'.
28. They will ask which shares you own. Tell them 'GME - Gamestop Corp'.
29. They will ask you questions like your full name, date of birth, and address. Tell them.
30. They will want to verify the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee) and how many GME shares your SMSF sent to Computershare. Tell them.
31. Once the Computershare representative has verified your details, explain your would like to pay the $45 fee to have the Computershare verification code expressed to you so that you can complete your Investor Center account registration as soon as possible.
32. If they are unsure how to express, ask them politely to check. Once they are ready, they will ask you for your credit card details. Tell them.
33. They will then read you a receipt number confirming your credit card charge for the express verification code.
34. The express verification code takes about 6 business days to arrive in Australia, but it could be longer.

Phase 9: Computershare W-8BEN-E

1. While you are waiting for your verification code, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center printable forms web site to download the printable Tax Form. You will not need to log in.
2. Click 'Tax Forms & Letters'.
3. Click the 'View Form' button for 'W8-BEN-E - Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for US Tax Withholding & Reporting (Entities)'. Print a copy of it.
4. In the top left corner under 'Name of Beneficial Owner and Mailing Address' for 'Name' write in the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee). Write in the Address and City, State, Zip (Postcode) as provided to IBKR. If you used a mailing address, write that in instead.
5. In the top right corner write in your 'Holder Account Number' (the Computershare ID that begins with 'C') and write in 'Company Name' as Gamestop Corp (GME).
6. Part I. Question 1. Name of organization that is the beneficial owner: the name of your Superfund (not your Pty Ltd Corporate Trustee).
7. Part I. Question 2. Country of incorporation or organization: Australia.
8. Part I. Question 3. Name of disregarded entity receiving the payment: leave blank.
9. Part I. Question 4. Chapter 3 Status (entity type): Complex Trust.
10. Part I. Question 4. If you entered disregarded entity, partnership, simple trust, or grantor trust above, is the entity a hybrid making a treaty claim? If 'Yes' complete Part III: No.
11. Part I. Question 5. Chapter 4 Status (FACTA status): Nonreporting IGA FFI. Complete Part XII.
12. Part I. Question 6. Permanent residence address: the Address and City, State, Zip (Postcode) as they appear when you log in to your Computershare account.
13. Part I. Question 7. Mailing address: only if you have one.
14. Part I. Question 8. U.S. taxpayer identification number (TIN), if required: leave blank.
15. Part I. Question 9a. GIIN: leave blank.
16. Part I. Question 9b. Foreign TIN: your Superfund's ABN from the Final Setup Package document.
17. Part I. Question 10. Reference number(s) (see instructions): leave blank.
18. Part II. Questions 11, 12, and 13. Leave blank.
19. Part III. Question 14. Does the beneficial owner qualify for the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States? Yes.
20. Part III. Question 14a. Check the box. The beneficial owner is a resident of: Australia.
21. Part III. Question 14b. Check the box. The beneficial owner derives the item (or items) of income for which the treaty benefits are claimed, and, if applicable, meets the requirements of the treaty provision dealing with limitation on benefits. The following are types of limitation on benefits provisions that may be included in an applicable tax treaty. Check 'Other (specify Article and paragraph)'. and write in 'Article 16 (2)(g) – ownership/base erosion test'.
22. Part III. Question 14c. Do not check the box.
23. Part III. Question 15. Leave blank.
24. Part IV. Questions 16 and 17. Leave blank.
25. Part V. Question 18. Leave blank.
26. Part VI. Question 19. Leave blank.
27. Part VII. Questions 20 and 21. Leave blank.
28. Part VIII. Question 22. Leave blank.
29. Part IX. Question 23. Leave blank.
30. Part X. Questions 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d. Leave blank.
31. Part XI. Questions 25a, 25b, and 25c. Leave blank.
32. Part XII. Question 26. Check the box. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: select Australia.
33. Part XII. Question 26. Check the box.
34. Part XII. Question 26. Meets the requirements to be considered a nonreporting financial institution pursuant to an applicable IGA between the United States and: Australia.
35. Part XII. Question 26. The applicable IGA is a: check the box 'Model 1 IGA'; and is treated as a: write in 'investment entity wholly owned by exempt beneficial owner'.
36. Part XII. Question 26. If you are a trustee documented trust or a sponsored entity, provide the name of the trustee or sponsor whose GIIN is provided on line 9a (if any): leave blank.
37. Part XIII. Question 27. Leave blank.
38. Part XIV. Questions 28a and 28b. Leave blank.
39. Part XV. Questions 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f. Leave blank.
40. Part XVI. Question 30. Leave blank.
41. Part XVII. Question 31. Leave blank.
42. Part XVIII. Question 32. Leave blank.
43. Part XIX. Question 33. Leave blank.
44. Part XX. Question 34. Leave blank.
45. Part XXI. Question 35. Leave blank.
46. Part XXII. Question 36. Leave blank.
47. Part XXIII. Questions 37a and 37b. Leave blank.
48. Part XXIV. Question 38. Leave blank.
49. Part XXV. Question 39. Leave blank.
50. Part XXVI. Questions 40a, 40b, and 40c. Leave blank.
51. Part XXVII. Question 41. Leave blank.
52. Part XXVIII. Questions 42 and 43. Leave blank.
53. Part XXIX. Leave blank.
54. Part XXX. Sign your name. Print your name as it appears on your ID. Date with today's date in U.S. MM-DD-YY format. Check the box.
55. Take the completed form to the Post Office and mail it to the address on the top right corner of page 1.

Phase 10: Computershare account log in

1. When your Computershare verification code arrives, go to Computershare's U.S. Investor Center web site and log in to your SMSF's Computershare account.
2. Confirm your verification code as prompted.
3. You can now take a screenshot and post it to your favourite GME subreddit if you like.

Your SMSF now owns GME shares that are direct registered with Computershare

Congratulations Ape. Good luck to us all. See you on the M-O-O-N.
thomascullenok
submitted bythomascullenoktou/thomascullenok [link][comments]

2021.12.20 07:55 zlonovPublic ICS Disclosures - Log4Shell Advisories

Not Affected

Braun published an advisory reporting that none of their products are affected. Medical device vendor.
Braun (USA) published a statement reporting that none of their products are affected. Medical device vendor.
BR Automation published an advisory reporting that none of their products are affected.
Carestream published an advisory reporting that none of their products are affected. Medical device vendor.
Draeger published an advisory that none of their products are affected. Medical device vendor.
DrayTek published an advisory/) reporting that none of their products are affected.
CODESYS published a notice reporting that none of their products are affected.
HMS published an advisory reporting that their Argos and HMS Hub web services are not affected. No change.
HMS published an advisory reporting that their Ixxat products are not affected. No Change.
HMS published an advisory for their WEBfactory product line. Updated to not affected.
Meinberg published an advisory. Updated to report that none of their products are affected.
Sprecher published an advisory reporting that none of their products are affected.
Baxter published an advisory. Medical device vendor.
BD published an advisory. Provides list of unaffected products. Medical device vendor.
Boston Scientific published an advisory. Provides a list of unaffected products. Medical device vendor.
Emerson published an advisory. Provides lengthy list of unaffected products.
GE published an advisory. It provides a list of GE Digital products that are not affected by Log4Shell, but evaluations on continuing on GE Digital Plant Manufacturing product family.
GE Healthcare published a statement that they are looking at the problem. Medical device vendor.
Genetec published an advisory. Provides list of unaffected products. Still evaluating ATM Diebold plugin.
HMS published an advisory for their Anybus product line. They provide a list of unaffected products, but other products are still be evaluated. Unaffected product list updated.
Johnson Controls published an advisory. Added list of unaffected products.
Medtronic published an advisory. No specific products listed either way. Medical device vendor.
Moxa published an advisory. Provides link to list of not-affected products.
QNAP published an advisory. They are still waiting on word from 3rd party suppliers for the status of other products. Added QES to list of not-affected products.

Vendors With Affected Product Lists

Aruba published an update. A list of unaffected products is provided.
Eaton published an advisory that reports that they have directly contacted affected customers with affected products.
Hitachi Energy published a generic Log4Shell advisory.
HPE published an advisory. Affected products include some version of their XP Performance Advisory, SimpliVity, 3Par, SANnav, and Intelligent Management Center. Updated list of affected products.
Phenix Contact published a statement of the Log4Shell vulnerabilities. List of unaffected products. Working on mitigation measures for cloud products.
Philips published an advisory. Contains list of probably affected products. Medical device vendor.
SonicWall published an update for their advisory was originally published on December 10th, 202.. They updated the lists of affected and unaffected products.

Vendors With Mitigation Measures

ABB published an advisory (3rd revision). Reports that their ABB Remote Access Platform (RAP) is fixed.
Aruba published an advisory for their Silver Peak product. Mitigation measures are available.
Boston Scientific published a separate advisory) for their Latitude product line. List LATITUDE Link™ as being affected and provides patch. Medical device vendor.
Broadcom published an advisory. Affected products include some versions of Brocade SANnav. Mitigation steps (Dlog4j2 settings change) are outlined. A list of unaffected products is provided. No change
Dell published an advisory for their Dell EMC Ruckus Wireless Controllers. They provide a link to updates for some of the affected products.
Dell published an advisory for their Dell Wyse Management Suite. They provide an update that mitigates the vulnerability. NOTE: Dell has advisories for other non-ICS related products as well. No change.
Fujitsu published an advisory for a wide range of products. Provides lists of affected, unaffected, and under investigation products. Provides new versions for some of the affected products.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their UNEM Products. They provide a new version for some of the affected products.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their FOXMAN-UN Products. They provide a new version for some of the affected products.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their Lumada Enterprise Asset Manager & Field Service Manager (EAMFSM) Products. They provide generic mitigation measures.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their y Counterparty Settlement and Billing (CSB) Product. They provide generic mitigation measures with a patch expected December 22nd.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their Network Manager Advanced Distributed Management System (NM-ADMS) Product. They provide generic mitigation measures.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their MMS Internal Facing Subcomponent. They report that a patch has been delivered.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their Lumada Asset Performance Management (APM) Product. They report that the Lumada APM Software-as-a-Service has been fixed. Generic mitigation measures are provided for remaining affected products.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their nMarket Global I-SEM. They provide a new version for both the SAAS and onsite versions.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their Network Manager SCADA/EMS Product. They provide generic mitigation measures.
Hitachi Energy published an advisory for their Axis Product. They report the SAAS product has been fixed.
HMS published an advisory for their EWON products. HMS has a new version for their eCatcher product and has fixed their Talk2M cloud infrastructure. Updated list of unaffected products.
HMS published an advisory for their Intesis product. They report the SAAS products are fixed.
HPE published an advisory for their HPE Service Director product. They have a new version that mitigates the vulnerabilities.
HPE published an advisory for their StoreServ Management Console. They have a new version that mitigates the vulnerabilities.
Prosys OPC published a blog post discussing the Log4Shell vulnerabilities. Provides list of affected and unaffected products. Lists mitigation measures for SDK product.
Rockwell published an advisory. Rockwell identified a preliminary list of affected products and reports that they have all already had mitigation measures applied. Updated affected product list and affected versions.
Ruckus published an update. Ruckus provides new versions for some of the affected products and expected release dates for many of the remainder.
Schneider published an advisory. Schneider provides new versions that use the 2.16 version of Log4j.
Sick published an advisory. Sick has a new version that mitigates the vulnerability in the affected products.
Spacelabs published an advisory. Provides list of unaffected products. Review on cloud product and has fixed a second cloud product.
VMware published an update. More new versions available for more of the affected products.
WIBU published an advisory. WIBU lists two affected products and has new versions for each.
Wind River published an update. Wind River lists one affected product and has a new version to mitigate the vulnerabilities.
Xylem published an advisory. Provides list of affected products and reports that patching is complete on two of those products.
Source:https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/public-ics-disclosures-log4shell-32e
submitted byzlonovtoIndustrialCyberSec [link][comments]

2021.12.20 06:00 bridger713RECRUITING, TRAINING, & LIFE IN THE FORCES THREAD - Ask here about the Recruitment Process, Basic & Occupational Training, and other questions relating directly or indirectly to serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

This is the thread to ask all your questions about the Recruitment Process, Basic & Occupational Training, and other questions relating directly or indirectly to serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Before you post, please ensure:

1. You read through the the previous Recruiting Threads.
   
2. Read through the Recruiting FAQ, and;
   a. The NEW 'What to expect on BMQ/BMOQ Info thread'.
   
3. Use the subreddit's search feature, located at the top of the sidebar.
   
4. Check your email spam folder! The answer to your recent visit to CFRC may lie within!
   

• With those four simple steps, finding your answer may be quicker than you think! (Answers to your questions may have already been asked.)

Every week, a new thread is borne:
This thread will remain stickied for one week and will renew Sundays at approx. 2200hrs ET.
RULES OF THE THREAD:

1. Trolling, off-topic comments, sarcastic, or wrong info/answers/single word answers will be removed. Same with out-dated information, anecdotal (' I knew a guy who...') or bad advice; these comments will also be removed.
   
2. Please don't delete your questions (or answers), as others/lurkers may be looking for that same info. Questions duplicated throughout the thread may be removed by Mods, and those re-posting may be restricted from participating.
   
3. NO 'Let me Google that for you' or 'A quick search of the subreddit/Google...' -type answers. We're more professional and mature than that. Quote your source and provide a link, but make sure the info you provide is current (within a couple of years). But, it is strongly suggested you see points 1-3 above.
   
4. Please do not send PM's to people answering your questions. Conversely, don't ask for PM's from people posting questions. Ask your questions, give answers in these threads, for all to see. We can't see your PM's, and someone lurking may be looking for the same answequestion. If the questions are too 'sensitive,' then use a throwaway, or save it for the MCC Interview. Offenders will be reported to the Mods, and potentially banned from participating in these threads.
   
5. Questions regarding Medical Eligibility (except Vision) will be removed, as no one here is qualified to answer whether or not you will be able to join with whatever condition you have. Likewise, questions asking what conditions in general would lead to disqualification will also be removed. If you have such a question, you're encouraged to review the Medical FAQ. Questions regarding the Recruiting Medical Process, Trade Eligibility Standards, or the documentation you need to submit regarding your medical condition as part of your application may still be accepted. Vision requirements are fine to post, as the categories are publicly known. Source
   
6. If you report a comment, or have concern about info being provided, Message the Mods, and provide a link. Without context or explanation, the report will be ignored. Comments may be removed at Moderator discretion, with or without warning.
   

USEFUL RESOURCES:

• Forces.ca - Official CAF Recruiting Website
• Military Pay Rates
  
• The Canadian Armed Forces Dress Instructions
  
• Medical Standards for Military Occupations
  
  • Read Rule 5 and the Medical FAQ before asking any medical questions.
  • Annex A - The Medical Category System
• National Defence Act
  
• Policies, standards, orders, directives and regulations from the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. (Compensation and Benefits Instructions (CBI), Queen's Regulation & Orders (QR&Os), etc.)
  

DISCLAIMER:
The members answering in the vein of CAF Recruiting may not have specific information pertaining to your individual application status or files. The information presented in this thread should be current, but things do change. Refer to the forces.ca site or your local CFRC detachment for the current official answer. This subreddit, moderators, and users hold no responsibility or liability as to the accuracy of information, given or received. All info here is presented as 'at your risk.'
submitted bybridger713toCanadianForces [link][comments]

2021.12.19 20:44 wizardarraysI've reported over a dozen security concerns and vulnerabilities to my high school, and I'm unsure where to take the situation.

It would be best to start this story from the beginning and have a timeline of what exactly has transpired from the day I reported my first vulnerability to now.
I started high school a few months ago for the first time. For context, the district my school is in has over 9,200 students and ~2,000 are from the school I'm at now. In early September I reported a vulnerability in Google Drive. It wasn't specific to this school, but essentially anyone could type in source:domain into the search box and everything shared with the entire district could be viewable. I wouldn't say this is the most severe thing now, and if you look at it now it's just Google Sites people made about genocides and photos of teachers, but I reported it to the librarian anyway since I managed to find a few things (I've forgotten them since) that shouldn't be shared with everyone in the district. The librarian forwarded my email to the guy who does IT for the school who said that they would be notifying staff about the status of the things they share, as well as forwarding the email to the guy who manages the G Suite permissions (who I would later come in contact with). I learned from my friend (whose mom works as a teacher for one of the schools) that an email was actually sent out.
I wouldn't call myself a Marcus Hutchins for that, nor for anything I'm going to detail in this post, but regardless I thought that would be the last thing I would find out. That's a pretty reoccurring theme and something that ends up to me being a bit of a problem.
A week later from my initial email to the librarian, I decided to go directly to the person who does IT for the school to report a vulnerability with ViewState in ASP.NET (which some of the district's custom-coded websites use). I never got a response back, although I did meet with him a month later and got acknowledgement it was read.
Two months pass since my second email and I decided to send an email to him again, this time with a massive amount of security concerns and vulnerabilities, and sent two more replies within the week with even more of those things. A month had passed and nothing had been fixed, which I had no problem with since I was aware that not everything gets fixed because IT especially in a school environment often has limited resources. The only fixed vulnerability was a part of a larger one, which was that certain Google Groups could be viewed by anyone. One of those was a 'catch-all' email for error logs, bug reports, and the sort, which was limited from public access if only because the person who did IT at the school was a manager of the group.
After a month of nothing being done, I decide to directly to the IT director of the whole district (he's also the one that manages G Suite permissions). Before approaching him, however, I went to my friend whose mom is a teacher for one of the schools and received a message over Discord from him that I could approach the IT director, and if nothing was done then it would be taken up to administration. Despite the option of being anonymous, I decided against it given that they had already known my name.
What happened from there was taken between his mom and the IT director, which was a text message conversation. My friend had kept me posted on the events that transpired, which amounted to the IT director knowing my name, then getting the email, and saying/suggesting that he was mildly annoyed that I knew more about the systems I had wrote about than he did. I received a 'Thank you' reply back, but my friend had informed me that that's about the extent of what he's going to say.
Directly a week after my initial email to him, I sent another one two days before Christmas break (the email was three days ago) which detailed an even higher severity vulnerability. I hadn't gotten a response back from either my friend nor the IT director, but to date apart from that one Google Group none of these vulnerabilities have been fixed. I'll list all of them here for context (obviously not in detail):

Initial email

• A misconfiguration in around ten Google Groups allowed anyone to view them.
• A misconfiguration in one of the groups allowed anyone to send as the email that the Google Group is attached to, which is just one word.
• A misconfiguration in some of the groups might allow someone to add everyone in those groups to a Google Doc or potentially a Google Calendar entry.
• A feature was left open allowing anyone to view everyone in the entire district's emails (including students). It's limited to around 10 or so entries at a time so no one can just copy them all at once, but that doesn't stop anyone from using WebDriver. The reason why this was a highlighted thing in my email is because the district previously had a problem where someone had emailed all of the Google Groups where students for each school were added to and I don't need to explain why Reply All is the worst thing in history.
• A COVID-19 reporting form didn't have proper file upload restrictions.
• All of the district's custom-made sites leak the ASP.NET version in the HTTP header, as well as the IIS version.
• Similarly, they all lack HSTS (which is essential when you consider someone can just bring a Wi-Fi Pineapple to school), CSP, and X-Content-Type-Options.
• One of the sites that everyone in the district uses daily doesn't redirect to HTTPS.
• Some essential cookies aren't secure, like authorization cookies. If the site were to link to an HTTP resource, this would be pretty bad.
• There were some SSL/TLS security concerns I won't go into since they're really technical and I'm worried they sound like technobabble.

Second email

• The district uses a domain for all kinds of reports and data collection, which only some users have access to. There's a URL that allows you to view as any user. I don't need to explain this one.
• There's no DMARC record for emails in the district which means that a certain email that's sent out every week can just be forged and the link in it replaced with whatever the person wants. The first email will still be sent but having a DMARC record is still really important and people will click on the second (fake) email.
• Some of the sites leak the internal IP address of who's hosting it and WebResource.axd.
• The jQuery version used on the sites is really old and from 2013.

I'm not sure where to take this situation from here. I read a post from Racingteamsam last night that led me to make this post and I'm torn now. On one hand I read comments like this:

The problem is that they are aware you have access to those resources because of your emails. If you decide to 'wreak havoc' or 'leak the data' as the others suggested, they'll start to suspect you. From their perspective, there's a mysterious black box that shouldn't be touched by anyone besides the IT guy. After so many peaceful years, a student says that he knows how to access it. Soon after that, there's a data leak. Even the dumbest person would connect the dots and know who's going to be the first suspect...

It wasn't immediately across my mind, but now I've realized I might be framed if someone finds one of the vulnerabilities and exploits them. Suddenly, I'm a prime suspect. The truth is I don't intend on exploiting them and I genuinely just want them fixed at this point, because if they don't do it now then someone is going to light a fire under their asses and it won't look good for IT or me.

My (un)professional response to your question? Exploit the weaknesses and demonstrate how you did it. These people are reactionary and only learn through pain. If you don’t do it, someone nasty will!

I don't intend on doing this either.

As someone who did something similar to you, both at school and when I was on work experience when I was 16.. People don't like to look stupid. They wont be patting you on the back, no on the contrary, you will be seen as someone dangerous and someone who needs to be dealt with. This isnt your fight, let them worry about it. Do however keep your curious mind, and keep doing what you're doing but I assure you they will make you suffer if you point this out and put a bad taste in your mouth. Keep learning, but yeah... people dont like to look incompetent, especially from 'kids' - again I am speaking from personal experience. When I pointed things out they got in 'experts' at great cost to them to make sure I had not hacked anything else, a full investigation. Luckily for me I am in the UK, and this was back in the day. Suffice to say it cost them money and I was blacklisted - luckily I was leaving in a few months, but not after being told I'll be in prison within 6 months of leaving for hacking (which is bullshit as it was hardly hacking, and I was doing them a favour)
I'd thread very, very carefully. Your actions, even with good intent, were illegal. You cannot access machines you don't own or have permission to use. Even if you were to make a disclosure anonymously, it could be tied back to you given your existing access and the logs that would have generated, in addition to the emails you sent.
Be very careful how you proceed here. Being the messenger in these situations never ends well.
I’ve been in similar situations, and all I can tell you is that they can get really dicey really fast. First of all absolutely do not access that server or mention that you did if possible (although it may be to late for that.) Make sure you have extensive documentation of any problems and always stop one step before you get to the actual vulnerability. You want to know that it’s theoretically possible, but don’t want to make it possible to prosecute you for hacking. It’s often easier for a bureaucracy to make the problem “go away” by alleging misconduct on your part rather than doing the right thing and fixing the issue.
Honestly just forget you know about it. They're not going to work with you, when I found security bugs at my high school it turned into a 7 month long court case that ended in me being convicted of a felony.
Also, you seem to be setting yourself up for expulsion and a talk with the FBI when you embarrass your school administration by openly exposing their incompetence and giving them a reason to have you put away as a 'hacker'. Schools love to shoot the messenger. It has happened many times.
You are playing a high stakes game whether you know it or not, you’ve already surely broken a handful of acceptable use policy items and accessed sensitive personal info you were not authorized to access. Better be careful. Of course what they SHOULD do is thank you and give you an award, but there are numerous examples of people getting a legal asspounding after such situations or even less, you’re gambling on who’s in charge here and how they’re going to react.

Obviously, I didn't access a server with a default password and username, but the point still stands. I'm on very thin ice at this point.
On the other hand, I was told from my friend's mom that I wasn't liable in this situation and in my words the ice is thicker than I think it is. But who knows? Accessing users on that one domain doesn't sound like it's small enough for me to have no liability.
At the end of the day my ideal situation is for IT to fix the problems. It would be a dream to be able to work with them, but that's really unrealistic and dangerous. What it's heading to is either after break me having to go up to admin and then things start to go off the rails from there and I get in serious trouble, or someone gets fired. I don't want either situation, and especially the former.
I know one of the responses I'm going to get, or a lot of them, is just to 'ignore everything that's happened and let IT take over'. I'm taking an active approach to this situation for two reasons. One, I'm pretty sure I'm going to find another vulnerability and I'm not waiting to report it only for some attacker in the district or not to exploit it. Two, since both of my emails nothing has happened.
What do I do in this situation? I have a teacher on my side, but I fear that may not be enough and I'm still very liable. I started from a few button presses to one of the worst vulnerabilities this district has probably ever seen in a while where alone people's COVID-19 positive/negative/vaccination statuses are visible and most likely way worse stuff. I don't think I'm not liable for that at that point and I'm reaching into territory that is, to say the least, illegal.
submitted bywizardarraystohacking [link][comments]

2021.12.19 11:01 UnemploymentWABotWeekly CLAIM & Processing/Paid/Posted Thread

-----At-A-Glance Updates-----

• Job search IS BACK, and! we ESD is now asking us to report Activity Details, starting this week (8/8)Added 7/9ESD: Last Minute Change to Job Search Reporting: >>>Click 'Yes', Not Requiring Details to be Reported<<<

Added 6/13Return of the Job Search on July 11, FAQ
Added 6/15ESD Clarification: 1 Job Search Activity on PUA, 3 for PEUC
Historical Clarification: Job search suspension is tied to the Washington State covid-19 emergency declaration, it has nothing to do with State Reopening Phases or Federal Benefit Extension guidelines. Recent post and reply on the subject.

• Possible Batch Processing Issue delaying some payments ~24-48hrs.

See this poll

-----

This is the Weekly Thread! Please post here.

------Foreword-----

It is important that users have a Post in which to comment and share their questions and experiences. It is also important to me as a moderator so that I can track the development, propagation or disappearance of issues related to Paid/Processing/Posting; which currently is very verywas* difficult because of the volume and number of duplicates, and the lack of information provided by users who do not include their claim type and bank.
I urge you, when posting, to include your bank and your claim type.
I urge you, as much as you can, anticipate delays for weeks with holidays.
Request for separate threads will be entertained, if you can send me a direct message with a good reason that is backed by some sort of evidence.

---------

The most consistently accurate and applicable is in The Archive and The Roadmap

-----Weekly Claim Questions------

NEW 4/12: ESD's site for Weekly Claim Questions - Reporting Earnings
NEW 4/12: ESD's site for Weekly PUA claim Questions
NEW 4/12: ESD's site for Restarting your Claim
ESD's site for Waiting Week/ When Will Payments Start
NEW 4/12: What if I didn't Work this Week?
2 jobs? Paid Late? Reporting Complex Earnings
Added 7/5What if I wasn't AA for 2 days or less last week? WBA gets prorated, no Add'l fact-finding
Use a Password Manager, otherwise you might Lock Your Account and have to contact Technical Support
Added 4/22 Traveling and Claiming: 'Able and Available'? Cannot Mark Yes to AA
Added 7/7 Website won't work? Call in the Claim, or do it later - it will stay there for 5 weeks
Added 8/22 How to File a PUA Claim By Phone - From ESD Handbook & Our Community
Added 8/22 MFA Code Is Timing Out or Late? Switch to Google Authenticator App
Added 8/29 Severance pay: 3 Laws

-----Processing/Paid/Posted-----

• After a Weekly claim is submitted, it first says “Processing-Web ^￦ ', then^¥ “Processing”, then “Paid”, and it takes 48 hours on average to post in an account, if the amount is significant, refer to this post. Related Post
• The average time between when the payment shows 'Paid' and when it appears in a bank account is dependent on the bank.

Weekly claims that are filed by web are generally all processed sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening. So if you filed a a claim last Wednesday it will probably not be processed until the following Tuesday.
(￦) If you did your weekly claim via the web. Weekly Claim status is 'Processing - IVR'? Normal: You filed by phone IVR means Interactive Voice Response
(¥) This happens when the submission moves from 'Submitted' to 'Processed', within Online Activity

------Known Issues------

3. Appearance of 'Waiting Week' on some pre-existing claims
_______(1/9) WA House Minority Leader (R) J.T. Wilcox did not approve the Extension of 20.21; the WA Governor's 10th successive proclamation which waived the waiting week, by sending the Governor a letter the day the extension lapsed Contact him directly at [jt.wilcox@leg.wa.gov](mailto:jt.wilcox@leg.wa.gov). So on Jan 7, ESD Policy Director Dan Zeitlin filed an Emergency Rule, which appears to have no end date. It is believed that due to no rule prohibiting a waiting week between Dec 28-Jan 7, that some pre-existing claims erroneously began to show this. See this post and comments.
Update (1/23) New FAQ from ESD ON Waiting Week

11. (New 1/19) Changing your address/phone numbebank account will likely stop payments, and require an Identity confirmation that may take 6-8 weeks. (Because of a continuation of an Audit) See above in Best Practices for changing eServices notices/letters from Mailed to Electronic. See this post

5. (NEW AS of 1-11) Disappearance of Weekly Claim Prompt Link. As suggested in this post and reply, it is solvable manually by calling the call center. . (New 1/25: Additional Info: Details of Resolution call) Another example (2/11)Another example 3/2

-----Roadmap Sections Expanded Above-----

Weekly Claim Subsection

• Job Search Requirements 10+ entries
• Processing/Paid/Posted Issues 5+ entries
• Weekly Claim Questions 5+ entries
• Earnings Deductions / Working Part Time 5+ entries
• Refusal to Work/ Suitable Work 5+ entries
• Able and Available 2 entries
• Known Issues 19+ entries

We are all on government benefits; this is not an employee employer relationship where we always get paid at the exact same time every week; they do not have the same responsibility to pay at a predetermined time and it's unreasonable to hold them to that standard. They will get around to paying us when they get around to paying us, unfortunately. Holding that expectation is a false hope, and being constantly disappointed is not a productive thing.
submitted byUnemploymentWABottoUnemploymentWA [link][comments]

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