All over Oakland right now people are wearing Warriors shirts and flying their Warriors flags from their cars, and as much as we like our hometown team here at 99pi, we've been following these NBA finals for another design-related reason. When you watch the games in Toronto the whole stadium is filled with people wearing red raptors jerseys, but every now and then you'll see these little flashes of purple. Those bold fans are wearing one of the most polarizing jerseys in the history of sports. A jersey that we actually did a whole episode about last year. So in honor of the Toronto Raptors, and the beautifully ugly jersey they gave the world, we're gonna rerun that episode for you today, along with an update from our new 99pi team member Chris Berube, a Torontonian and Raptors fan since he was a kid.

The Barney Design Redux

When Singapore gained its independence they went on a mission to re-house the population from densely-packed thatched roof huts into giant concrete skyscrapers. In 1960, they formed the Housing and Development Board, or HDB, and just five years later they had already housed 400,000 people! In Singapore, where land is scarce, it’s not unlikely for apartment buildings to be built on top of land that was graveyards not too long ago. But building on top of a graveyard has its complications.

Life and Death in Singapore

Men are often the default subjects of design, which can have a huge impact on big and critical aspects of everyday life. Caroline Criado Perez is the author of Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, a book about how data from women is ignored and how this bakes in bias and discrimination in the things we design.

Invisible Women

Before we turned our phones to silent or vibrate, there was a time when everyone had ringtones -- when the song your phone played really said something about you. These simple, 15 second melodies were disposable, yet highly personal trinkets. They started with monophonic bleeps and bloops and eventually became actual clips of real songs. And it was all thanks to a man named Vesku-Matti Paananen.

All Rings Considered

Donald Trump took office 977 days ago, and it has been exhausting. Independent of where you are politically, I think we can all agree that the news cycle coming out of Washington DC has been very intense for anyone who has been paying attention at all. One of the reasons for the fervor is Trump’s role as a very norm breaking president. If you like him, that’s why you like him, if you hate him, that’s why you hate him. But my reaction to all this, was that I realized I didn’t really know what all the norms and rules are, so I wanted to create for myself a Constitutional Law class and the syllabus would be determined by Trump’s tweets. This is where my friend, neighbor and brains behind this operation, Elizabeth Joh, comes in. She is a professor at the UC  Davis school of law and she teaches Con Law. And since June of 2017, she has been kind enough to hang out with me and teach me lessons about the US Constitution, that I then record and release as the podcast What Trump Can Teach us About Con Law. We call it Trump Con Law for short.

After a long hiatus, we’re back with monthly episodes, so I wanted to reintroduce it to the 99pi audience because you may not know about it and because people often comment that the nature of the calm historically grounded, educational discussion is a soothing salve amidst the chaotic and unnerving political news of the day.

We’re presenting two classic episodes on Impeachment and Prosecuting a President.

Subscribe to What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law on Apple Podcasts and RadioPublic

If you heard that there was a piece of technology that could do away with traffic jams, make cities more equitable, and help us solve climate change, you might think about driverless cars, or hyperloops or any of the other new transportation technologies that get lots of hype these days. But there is a much older, much less sexy piece of machinery that could be the key to making our cities more sustainable, more liveable, and more fair: the humble bus. Steve Higashide is a transit expert, bus champion, and author of a new book called Better Busses Better Cities. And the central thesis of the book is that buses have the power to remake our cities for the better.

Missing the Bus

The only truly accurate map of the world would be a map the size of the world. So if you want a map to be useful, something you can hold in your hands, you have to start making choices. We have to choose what information we're interested in, and what we're throwing out. Those choices influence how the person reading the map views the world. But a map’s influence doesn’t end there, maps can actually *shape *the place they’re trying to represent and that’s where things get weird.

Map Quests

During the boom times of recent years, businesses concentrated on growing the top line and managing costs, and not as much time focused on working capital components, such as accounts receivable, accounts payable and inventory. Now with financial strain on businesses as a result of COVID-19, business owners and leadership teams need to not only...

The post 10 Tips for Managing Cash Flow in a Crisis appeared first on Anders CPA.

The St. Louis County Small Business Relief Program, (SBR), slated to award $17.5 million to small businesses, was recently announced by County Executive Sam Page. The grants make up about 10% of the $173.5 million in federal relief funds the county received from the CARES Act. The program will provide financial relief to small businesses...

The post $17.5 Million in Grants Available for St. Louis County Small Businesses appeared first on Anders CPA.

Some small business owners are finding themselves in yet another predicament as they try find new ways to keep their businesses open and comply with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness – workers are taking unemployment over returning to work. In some cases, employers are offering to match or even exceed the unemployment amounts to...

The post Businesses Get a Break on Employees Taking Unemployment Over Returning to Work appeared first on Anders CPA.

Anders tax partner Dave M. Finklang, CPA/CGMA, MBA and tax supervisor Rebekah J. Tucker, CPA have been selected to join the St. Louis Small Business Task Force. Founded by Erin Joy, CEO of Black Dress Circle, the Task Force is a new initiative to bring together leaders from varied industries to clearly define and address...

The post Dave Finklang and Rebekah Tucker Named to St. Louis Small Business Task Force appeared first on Anders CPA.

What does returning to business look like in a post COVID-19 world? Join us on Thursday, May 14 at 10:00am CDT for a webinar discussing the state of the world after we reach the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll learn about: Economic impact from COVID-19 Best practices for moving your business forward How to...

The post WEBINAR – The Great Viral Recession: Light at the End of the Tunnel? appeared first on Anders CPA.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, it was apparent that there would be more assistance needed to help our nation’s small and medium sized businesses. Although the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was in full swing, it seemed to be a temporary fix for a much longer-term challenge. On April 9th, the Board of Governors of the...

The post Main Street Lending Program: Is it Right for My Business? appeared first on Anders CPA.

NECA Legislative Update for the week of November 22, 2019

This week in government affairs: NECA opposes bill to raise top tax rate for pass-throughs, NECA member testifies before the house small business committee and NECA Wins in NDAA.

NECA's top three legislative items for the week of January 6, 2020.

This week in NECA Government Affairs we spotlight infrastructure legislation, the new SBA Administrator and the newly signed US/China Trade Agreement.

1. New Joint Employer Rule Issued by the NLRB

On February 25, 2020, the National Labor Relations Board released the details of a new joint-employer liability rule. This new rule, which began the regulatory process almost two years ago, reverts the regulatory language back to its pre-2007 form, requiring companies to exercise direct control over workers to be considered their employer. The new joint-employer rule creates a much higher threshold for the employers to be held jointly liable for violations; benefiting organizations and corporations structured around franchising and third-party hiring.

NECA’s Look Ahead: This rule takes effect April 27, 2020. NECA will continue to monitor this rule change, assessing its impacts on jobsites.

2. The Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act Passes the House 

On February 25, 2020, H.R. 561, the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act, passed the House by unanimous voice vote. This legislation will aid veteran-owned small businesses by directing the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with those businesses. Veteran-owed small businesses will be required to perform a majority of the work they are awarded on these government contracts with large subcontractors and will be restricted from performing the work set aside for these types of small businesses. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA applauds the House on the unanimous passage of this legislation and expects it to be received favorably in the Senate. We will continue to monitor this issue as it moves to the Senate and are confident in a positive outcome.

3. The Committee on Small Business Held Hearing to Discuss FY2021 Budget

On February 26, 2020, the House Committee on Small Business held a hearing to discuss the 2021 Budget with the Small Business Administrator. Recently appointed Administrator, Jovita Carranza, gave an overview of the administration’s budget requests and the committee was able to examine the potential opportunities and challenges that small businesses participating in the SBA’s programs will face. 

On March 26, 2020, the Senate passed “Phase III” of the Coronavirus Response Package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in a 96-0 vote.

In open world games, level design is the central feature, not the game system. Discover key issues designers must address when planning their open world. ...

The IRS recently released guidance on the CARES Act employment tax deposit deferral. Below are the highlights of the deferral, including eligibility, timeline and use with other incentives.
Deferral Eligibility
The CARES Act allows employers to defer deposits and payments… Read More

The post IRS Defers Employment Tax Deposits and Payments Through 2020 appeared first on Anders CPAs.

There’s no doubt that businesses have been thrown into a “new normal”. For the past few weeks, business owners have worked to understand the aspects of the CARES Act, and the FFCRA, while trying to rework budgets, cash flow projections,… Read More

The post GAAP Financial Reporting Considerations Related to the COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Anders CPAs.

One of the biggest areas of CARES Act that benefits businesses is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). With big benefits, comes many questions around one detail specifically: loan forgiveness.
Which loan expenses are forgivable?
According to the CARES Act, if… Read More

The post Using PPP Loan Proceeds to Maximize Loan Forgiveness appeared first on Anders CPAs.

As a source of information and guidance for businesses and individuals since 1965, Anders is here for you during this time of uncertainty. We’re researching and dissecting the latest legislation, local news and relevant updates around COVID-19 and sharing them… Read More

The post COVID-19 Resource Center Offers Insights and Guidance for Individuals and Businesses appeared first on Anders CPAs.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting businesses across industries, this is an ideal time to look for other ways to find funds to be able to recover quickly and get business back to normal. One way to do that is through… Read More

The post Sales and Use Tax Reviews Provide Opportunity for Businesses to Recover Overpaid Taxes appeared first on Anders CPAs.

President Trump recently signed a new coronavirus relief bill into law that will help replenish the depleted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), among other initiatives. Below are the details of the relief package.
Details of the New Bill
The new relief… Read More

The post New $484 Billion Stimulus Package Replenishes PPP and Offers Relief for Hospitals and Businesses appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Moon Studios - award-winning creators of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps - are looking for Senior Game Designers. After redefining the Metroidvania genre with the Ori series, our next goal is to revolutionize the ARPG genre.  Join our family, help us create some of the best games the industry has ever seen and work with some of the most talented individuals in the world! Please note that Moon Studios is a distributed development studio: Everyone at Moon works remotely and we accept job applications from participants all over the world! We're looking for: Individuals who can work autonomously - We don't count your hours, we won't babysit you. Your job is to enchant us with your raw talent and professionalism! Individuals who want to have a voice - Unhappy with the current state of the industry? Every person at Moon Studios has a voice and can help shape the games we're making. Individuals who believe in collaboration - We work together as a team, as a family, to challenge the status quo and raise the bar! Individuals who want to grow - Contrary to other AAA studios, our goal is to remain a comparatively small studio made of elite talent. We strive to only hire the absolute best talent in the industry and encourage them to further grow their skills with us. Tired of being the smartest gal or guy in the room? Join our community, inspire us, and be inspired! Since Moon Studios is a distributed game development studio, we work with talent from all around the world. To keep things personal and foster communication, we hold annual Team Retreats to touch base and figure out what challenges we want to tackle next. Drinks, dinners, flights, accommodations, and an overall swell time all included! We want you to be: A Designer by heart: While playing games, you just intuitively know how to improve upon the weaker aspects of a title. You indulge in analyzing things that don’t quite work and love to think about how this or that aspect could have been perfected. Experienced: You've worked in the industry before and know the ropes. You're looking for a no-bullshit studio to call home where you can voice your opinions and work with the best talent this industry has to offer! Passionate: You’ve played and studied RPGs your whole life and you still can’t get enough of them. You have a love for all things Diablo, Zelda, Dark Souls and other games in the genre. You’d love the opportunity to work on an RPG that dares to innovate and go far beyond what the genre has offered players thus far. Open to new challenges: We're constantly striving to raise the bar here at Moon Studios. We're not looking for specialists in one field or genre, we want you to be open to help wherever help is needed and be the well-rounded multi-talented creative genius you are. A cool dude / dudette: Life is too short to deal with Prima Donnas: You're cool, open-minded and always willing to learn new things. Simply send your Resume + Portfolio to jobs@moongamestudios.com Moon Studios is an independent video game development studio, founded in 2010 by Thomas Mahler (former Cinematic Artist at Blizzard Entertainment) and Gennadiy Korol (former Senior Graphics Engineer at Animation Lab). The company focuses on highly refined gameplay mechanics and prides itself on an excessive ‘iterative polish’ process. Moon Studios is a distributed development house: Our team members are spread throughout the world, allowing Moon to work with the best and most talented people in the games industry. In 2014, Moon announced it was working on Ori and the Blind Forest, which was released on March 11th, 2015 for Xbox One and PC via Steam, quickly followed up by the Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition a year later. Ori and the Blind Forest received overwhelmingly high praise, a fantastic debut for Moon Studios.   Ori and the Will of the Wisps is slated to be released on March 11th, 2020. Moon Studios is simultaneously also working on a yet uannounced title.

Who We Are: At Visual Concepts, we believe great games are made by diverse and empowered teams with a shared passion for play. As one of the world’s top game development studios, we have shipped over 100 mullti-sku titles to critical acclaim and commercial success. Our teams are independent and entrepreneurial. Our studios in Agoura Hills, Novato, Orange County, Budapest, Shanghai, and Seoul are committed to artistry and technical innovation, offering top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry.  What We Need: Do you live and breathe combat design? Do you decode games into strikes, blocks, reversals, range, damage and combos the moment you pick up the controller? Do you love designing archetypes, inventing amazing signature moves and infusing combat with personality and spectacle? If so, we’d love to have you join us to help deliver amazing experiences for our players. Our Agoura Hills studio is looking for a Senior Combat Designer for the next iteration of the WWE 2K franchise. In this role, you’ll help define core combat philosophy as we translate the amazing spectacle of the WWE into the arsenal of moves our players will take into the ring. You’ll script movement trees, architecting advantage and vulnerability into range, combinations, setups, baits and throws. You’ll dream up signatures and spectacular finishers, differentiate archetypes, and balance a massive roster of Superstars to help deliver accessible, deep, spectacular combat. You’ll work in a creative environment with a diverse team of designers, artists and engineers, touching everything from combat to camera to the emotion and spectacle of one of the greatest shows on Earth. What You Will Do: Develop a combat vision integrating intuitive control, kinetic move sets, meaningful differentiation and strategic depth Work with design, animation and engineering teams to conceive, implement and polish character vs. character combat Play and reference both classics and contemporaries to build on what works while driving new innovations in combat design Design and implement systems for combat depth, strategy and spectacle Identify and document tools and systems that make creating character vs. character combat more efficient Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit: 4 or more years of game design experience, 2 or more in a combat designer role Experience implementing and tuning animation and timing windows for attacks, blocks, branching actions, hit reactions and other related combat actions Experience scripting combat in LUA or similar framework Experience conceiving and differentiating characters, developing signature moves, and balancing asymmetrical fighter types Experience working across disciplines, including animation, art, VFX, audio and engineering to produce a great result Outstanding written and verbal communication and collaboration skills Advanced Qualifications: Experience and love of combat driven by character stats and role-playing elements Experience designing and improving gameplay editing tools Direct experience and understanding of key distinctions of wrestling games Programming/technical experience

    Who We Are: Visual Concepts is one of the world’s top game development studios with a flat, entrepreneurial, and non-corporate work environment. We have a proven track record having shipped over 100 multi-SKU titles to great critical acclaim. Our studio in Foothill Ranch, CA is committed to gaming and technical innovation and offers top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry. What We Need: We are seeking a Senior Systems Designer to join our development efforts on an exciting new game! Within this role, you’ll be focused on creating, maintaining, and balancing engaging gameplay systems. You’ll work with engineers, artists, and other designers to build innovative mechanics and economies that form the backbone of our new project. What You Will Do: Document, build, implement, bug-fix and “own” your ideas, overseeing them from concept through to final release Design, write, and prototype new systems and some of the meta-game such as player progression, character creation, game balance, economies, and other related systems Evangelize core gameplay features to the rest of the team and help develop best practices Collaborate with game and world designers, gameplay engineers, artists, and animators to implement, tune and balance gameplay systems Prototype and pitch your own design ideas to the team Analyze, validate, and incorporate feedback from the team, as well as from external user testing, as needed Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit: 5+ years’ experience within the video game industry Shipped at least 1 AAA game within a Game Designer role Experience in system design for console or online games, such as player progression and advancement, social mechanics, rewards, economy, or customization/in-game editors Experience with scripting (proprietary or third party)  Strong understanding of development processes, workflows, and tools Experience working in-engine, either prototyping or implementing your ideas Comfortable with a development that is playtest-driven and focused on iteration and polish Ability to find new opportunities for improvements and additions within a game Ability to work in a team and collaborate with engineers, artists, and other designers Good communication and presentation skills Self-motivated and proactive What Will Help You Shine: Experience working with analytical data sets for balancing and fine-tuning  Experience with Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) and working knowledge of UE4’s Blueprint system Experience with programming (C++, Python)

Volition is looking for an experienced Environment Artist to help us build the world for the next Saints Row title! You will work with a tight, collaborative team of artists and designers to create environments that are both beautiful and fun to play in.  You will be making major contributions to our world using our unique approach to world building with our proprietary world editor.  Responsibilities: Create environments from initial rough layout to completed polished spaces Build urban, interior, and natural spaces using our in-house world editor Author game ready assets that work well within given technical limitations Collaborate closely with level designers to create spaces that adhere to gameplay requirements Focus on the "big picture." Understand when details matter, and when broad strokes are more important Qualifications: 3+ years of experience in game development creating environments Strong communication skills. Must be able to be a master collaborator Ability to work with a library of assets to build visually interesting, dynamic gameplay spaces Strong understanding of form, shape, structure, and silhouette in regards to scene composition A keen eye for developing a visual mood as it relates to storytelling Comfortable working within technical limitations such as vertex and object counts, materials (draw calls), streaming conditions, etc. Fluent knowledge of at least one major 3d package (3dsmax preferred) Experience building environments in a game engine (Unreal4, Unity) Well-versed in PBR workflow Pluses: Strong foundation in the traditional arts, including but not limited to figure drawing, environmental development and/or architectural illustration Familiarity with procedural content authoring tools (Substance Designer, World Machine, Houdini) Basic Level Design Knowledge Sample Work Required: Portfolio should demonstrate ability to build fully realized environments. Fully fleshed out spaces are more helpful than examples of individual assets To apply, please send your resume, portfolio/sample work, and a cover letter to jobs@dsvolition.com with “Environment Artist” in the subject line. At Deep Silver Volition we believe in fostering an open, collaborative and diverse environment, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without attention to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, veteran status, or military status.

Sponsored Post With so many companies trying to one-up each other on desirable employment packages, what's the best employee benefit? Here's our choice.

Franchises lost the fewest jobs, but overall the unemployment number was unprecedented.

Shopify has launched a new point of sale system for small businesses that should benefit them post-pandemic.

Small businesses should have better access to PPP funding after new protections put in place by Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin.

Brent Leary chats with SMB Group's Laurie McCabe to talk about how small businesses are using technology during the pandemic response not just to survive but in some cases, thrive.

A new series called Stories in Place on Vimeo shares the stories of small businesses across the US dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of our small business community have tips for transforming your business in 2020.

The easiest way for marketers to create a unified communications strategy is by using a content management system

Companies have a difficult challenge breaking through to the most advanced levels of digital maturity

Understanding natural language processing, common obstacles faced, and methodologies to overcome them

There are just a few games have managed to accurately convey how people use texting and the internet in their everyday lives. They're intriguing examples for how we might tell stories for a digital age. ...

The sports brand enhanced its workflow with collaborative virtual reality

Enhances the airline's digital transformation strategy and streamlines compliance reporting

TBWAWorldwide uses content services platform as foundation for "cloud-first" directive

The?ADLINK Edge Smart Pallet?solution improves accuracy and efficiency

New program offers licenses, consultation hours to help support remote work strategies

Physician compensation models are evolving to keep up with the new quality metrics defined by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Switching from a fee-for-service structure to a value-based payment model changes the focus to providing better quality… Read More

The post Making the Move from Volume to Value-Based Physician Compensation appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Many physicians are aware that the medical services they provide are typically exempt from sales tax. However, the physician may still be required to pay sales or use tax in his or her medical practice. The liability depends on the… Read More

The post Are Physicians Exempt from Sales and Use Tax in Missouri and Illinois? appeared first on Anders CPAs.

As part of the CARES Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is authorizing accelerated and advance payments to any Medicare physicians, provider or supplier who submits a request to the appropriate Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) and meets… Read More

The post CMS Offers Accelerated and Advance Medicare Payments for Physicians, Providers and Suppliers appeared first on Anders CPAs.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) recently released the 2014 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, and I noticed one overarching theme as I read through it: fraud has been and continues to be a costly… Read More

The post Occupational Fraud Continues to Plague Businesses appeared first on Anders CPAs.