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mortispoxi · 11 months

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After taking the time to really sit and process the roller coaster of information that was the recent People Make Games video about the drama surrounding Studio ZA/UM, I wanted to make this post to go over some of my thoughts that I had about the video. If you have not watched the video but are curious what people are saying about it or you have and you want to read someone else’s perspective, then I invite you to read through as I babble incoherently.

Overall, I thought it provided an interesting, in-depth look at the timeline of events leading up to Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere’s dismissals while also giving us a proper inside scoop to the interpersonal relationships of both the former and current Studio ZA/UM employees. However, I do think the video has a couple of problems specifically with the way some of the information is presented on top of the fact that it loses focus partway through from the real issue which is the alleged fraud that took place by the investors to acquire the majority share within the company.

A big problem that I had with the video was the way in which Kurvitz behavior and final statement are disproportionately framed in the narrative. Now I am not about to go on a lengthy rant to dismiss everything Robert Kurvitz did to his friends during his time at the studio. In fact, the thing that I really liked about this video was how Chris Bratt, the writer and interviewer, holds no punches when it comes to the accusations of misconduct we heard from current Studio ZA/UM employees against him. Instead, I think it needs to be addressed that Bratt left out background context, whether intentionally or unintentionally I do not want to speculate, that could potentially explain what happened to everyone leading up to the expulsions to make Kurvitz appear far worse than how he might’ve been. I fully believe every word Argo Tuulik, Kaspar Tamsula, and Petteri Sulonen has said about working under Kurvitz and his inner circle so by piecing together all their statements to create a timeline of events the investors start to look far less innocent than how they portray themselves to be in the video.

It’s abundantly clear that Kurvitz was notoriously hard to work with. However, what’s also clear was the tremendous amount of stress everyone was under while also still being in the throes of burnout after working on the game nonstop for months. I think the investors (Kender, Haavel, and Kompus) purposefully set the team up for failure by creating impossible deadlines without informing the writers, approving Kurvitz and his inner circle to take time off while disallowing the others from taking theirs, and attempting to restructure the company in preparation to franchise Disco Elysium against Kurvitz wishes and thus he felt scared enough to push for his role to be de facto creative leader anywhere he could. What seems to be three full years of forcing everyone to crunch, miscommunicating when important deadlines were, setting impossible work standards to meet, and readying themselves to snatch more power within the company may have helped sow the seeds of animosity the writers began growing towards one another.

All of this is nothing new for those of us who have been keeping an eye on the drama from the start. We were told long in advance by the likes of Martin Luiga, who although left the project early on has been friends and worked alongside him for the better part of two decades, that Kurvitz possesses less than stellar leadership skills and that there was no merit in what the investors would end up accusing him of doing to warrant his dismissal. That confirmation was given long before the release of the PMG video and cements the idea in my mind that perhaps Kurvitz erratic behavior that was described by the current Studio ZA/UM employees was not the cause but rather a symptom of a much larger problem happening around him (i.e. a toxic work environment brought on by the investors using manipulation tactics to further stress and cause resentment amongst the collective). Yes, Kurvitz was at times uncooperative and dismissive towards his fellow employees, but this aspect of his character and the situation was played up to be a far greater problem in the PMG video than what the context suggests. I’m also inclined to believe this interpretation because Argo Tuulik, despite having legitimate, unresolved issues with his friend, does still regard Kurvitz very highly and even believes that he should still have artistic access to Elysium.

When you think about it from this perspective, it makes perfect sense as to why Kurvitz was acting erratically around his fellow coworkers who eventually lashed out at him. On top of Kurvitz’s subpar leadership skills, he clearly was rapidly losing control of the situation which caused a great amount of stress for everybody involved as he scrambled in every which way to hold onto his position within the studio. It does not surprise me when it’s admitted by Sulonen that Kurvitz was thinking of taking the source code to potentially start over with a newly founded company since the situation was rapidly deteriorating and everyone was getting more and more frustrated with him and his inner circle. The impossible working conditions they found themselves in was a pressure cooker for the animosity and resentment building within the disillusioned group. Clearly the investors made their workers run themselves ragged in order to divide everyone and make it easier for them to take advantage of Kurvitz’s now frequent outbursts to finally push him out of their way.

Everything that I’ve said above can easily be discerned from the context clues found in the interviews from the current and former ZA/UM members. Which if you think about it is an unfortunate statement because Bratt does not seem to register the complaints of mismanagement by the hands of the investors from either side and instead only points the spotlight at Kurvitz’s past transgressions. What I am describing is one of the major issues I have with the PMG video. The video talking about the ongoing legal battle to determine if corporate fraud took place seemed to disproportionately focus on the problems Kurvitz and his inner circle had with other team members and not issuing a public apology to his former colleagues. Now that doesn’t sound all too bad on paper, right? If Kurvitz apologized, it could help begin the healing process and make for a good closer for the video. Well, that’s where the problem comes into play because Kurvitz response to Bratt’s request for comment regarding what Tuulik, Tamsalu, and Sulonen said about his poor conduct should not come as a surprise to anyone who had been paying attention. In the video, Bratt hails the email Kurvitz sent back to him as arrogant and dismissive which he then uses to accuse him of not standing with his fellow workers in solidarity and not taking accountability for his actions. However, right at the start of his interview, Kurvitz informs Bratt that at the behest of his lawyers he does not want the full interview to be published as they are worried Studio ZA/UM might take something he said as an admission of guilt and use it against him in a court of law. Therefore, when asked to comment about what his former colleagues said about him, he fires back an email that basically says that he wants the focus to be on the thing that really matters, the lawsuits and the shady activities of the investors. Bratt, clearly not liking his response, decided to attack his statement even though had Kurvitz given PMG what they wanted he could potentially be incriminating himself. Whether he denies or fully understands that his actions hurt others, the way he responded is 100% justified and did not deserve the level of vitriol he got from both Bratt and the public. It seems like a double standard that Ilmar Kompus can deny answering a question by claiming he cannot comment due to the ongoing lawsuit during his interview but when Kurvitz does it for the exact same reasons he is attacked. Again, Kurvitz is fully responsible to rectify the hurt he caused others but legally he’s in the clear and Bratt seemed to purposely neglect that aspect of the ongoing narrative.

Now, I’m not about to pull a whole reddit conspiracy in my write up. I do believe Chris Bratt, who directed this video, went into this with the very best of intentions to tell the full story with an emphasis on the workers who were affected by the situation. However, the problems that I’ve listed above make me worry what will be the takeaway from someone who is only a casual observer of the ZA/UM situation. Personally, I have been following this from the beginning so I’ve had a lot of time to develop my own insight into things but that’s usually not the case for most people. What I’m concerned about is whether Bratt may have unintentionally furthered the investors narrative by pushing people’s focus away from themselves and onto Kurvitz who has largely had the support of fans and outside viewers up until this point. Studio ZA/UM as it stands is desperate for a leg up in the PR battle it’s had with Kurvitz since October 1st, 2022. They lost so much support once the announcement was made that Kurvitz and his inner circle had been terminated, and lost even more upon the release of collage mode, that it makes logical sense that they want more people to be on their side so when the time comes for the studio to announce another game their reviews and sales numbers won’t immediately be tanked by angry fans. So, the fact that this video seemingly only held its focus on the misgivings of Kurvitz closing statement and personality instead of what is actually being fought over, alleged corporate fraud and theft of IP, may have unwittingly handed the investors that distraction that they have been looking for. Since the release of this video, I’ve seen an unfortunate mix of people arguing over the ethics of the situation, those switching sides to now support the studio, and outright calling for Kurvitz to lose the right to access his life’s work. This is not the outcome me and many other like minded fans want to see from this mess. At the end of the day, Elysium is Robert Kurvitz’s life work, and he deserves a chance to legally regain those rights even if he is a prideful and arrogant person. His personality should not dictate whether he is allowed to prove in a court of law that the investors took something that isn’t theirs. Bratt’s well-meaning but deeply misguided efforts to report on the ZA/UM situation may have done more harm than good. I consider this to be the biggest flaw of the video and the reason why the contents ultimately did not sit right with me despite the accuracy and importance of the reporting.

Just as a quick reminder for those who aren’t entirely up to speed or want a refresher, the reason why Kurvitz and Studio ZA/UM are fighting over the IP rights in the first place started when Kurvitz was promised by the investors that if he signed over the rights to Elysium and his book he would eventually be able to buy back a portion of the shares to the company and upon release of the sequel buy back even more. At no point was anyone supposed to possess a majority percent of the shares in the company to remain equitable amongst all participants. So, Kurvitz signed this contract under the assumption that the investors would hold up their end of the bargain while in the short term he would get the funding needed to complete the rest of the game. Unfortunately, when Margus Linnamäe left his position within the company, Ilmar Kompus agreed to buy him out of his share allegedly using the money intended to produce the sequel thus acquiring the majority share which tipped the balance of power. Now, the IP rights are currently held by the company YESSIRNOSIR Ltd. which no one holds shares of but is still owned and controlled by sources within Studio ZA/UM. The lawsuit itself is Kurvitz claiming that the way Kompus bought into the majority share of the company was done illegally and should he be able to prove in a court of law that fraud took place it would immediately delegitimize and invalidate Kompus’s control which would then give Kurvitz and Rostov a chance to reclaim power along with all the subsidiaries of the company which includes YESSIRNOSIR Ltd.

From the way I saw it, it certainly felt like Bratt went out of his way to put blame on the deteriorating work environment and splintering of a two-decade old artist collective squarely on Robert Kurvitz shoulders. If I were to speculate, I think in his anger after not receiving the conclusion he had been hoping for from his interviewee, Bratt refused to acknowledge the very real fact that his hands are legally tied with the things that he can publicly talk about which had the unintentional consequence of villainizing Kurvitz. Bratt is still correct in his assessment that Kurvitz is arrogant and people were hurt by his actions but whether intentional or not misrepresenting how much Kurvitz and his inner circle was responsible for the strife while neglecting to even acknowledge the amount of meddling the investors were doing behind the scenes only detracts from his argument and puts into question who he’s really representing in his video.

#disco elysium #za/um #studio za/um #robert kurvitz #people make games #my thoughts #'kurvtiz was a shitty boss' and 'kurvtiz didn't deserve to have his shit stolen from him' are two statements that can coexist #i don't condone his actions but I do think they didn't just come out of a vacuum #cause if it was just his bad behavior that got him dismissed it doesn't explain why Rostov and Hindpere were fired along with him #it's just weird to me that pmg didn't think to question if the investors might've been the ones to kick off the chain of events #yes yes I know this is meandering but this is a ramble post so it was never gonna be concise in the first place #mp

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bodybeyondstories · 9 months

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dicks keep growing around me - 1 (Myron)

(I couldn't get this phrase out of my head and I thought it was funny, so I'm seeing where it leads.)

Until recently, Myron was oblivious to the fact that dicks would get mysteriously bigger the longer someone hung out with him. He begins putting the pieces together as his boss, Miguel, starts going through all too familiar changes below the belt.

2 - Next

“Dicks keep growing around you?”

“Yes,” I said. “Or at least I think. It’s not exactly an airtight theory, but there are some examples.”

“And it just…happens,” responded my supervisor Miguel.

“Apparently.”

“And it’s happening to me?”

“Pretty sure.”

So I have a theory. Maybe just a hunch, I don’t know. And I’m not doing it on purpose, but I’m pretty sure I’m the cause. For lack of a better way of saying, dicks keep growing around me. And I don’t mean chubbing up, I mean literally growing. Like adding on real, tangible inches with no end in sight. It’s very slow, and I think it comes down to how often we’re in close proximity, but if you spend enough time around me, you may end up with more, sometimes much more, below the belt. I don’t have any idea how this works, but I wish I did. I’m still just piecing clues together.

So I guess Exhibit A would be my boss, Miguel. I do a lot of temporary contract work, which isn’t ideal, but allows me to string together rent while working on some of my own creative freelance stuff. I was hired onto this project six months ago to restructure the data management system of a small, local startup and they miscalculated the resultant shift in office space. After a series of awkward corners and at least one broom closet, they decided to just stick me in Miguel’s office. Miguel requested it actually. He figured I would be of more use working in tandem with him than I would blocking everyone’s path to the bathroom.

I was less than pleased to look like his makeshift corner secretary, and honestly I’ve dealt with much worse, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he seemed to welcome the company. Miguel kept a tight beard and even tighter fade, always perfectly put together in what looked like one-step-below-designer business casual, with the cherry on top being the neon purple and green barefoot shoes he tended to wear to work. I would’ve been annoyed if not for the fact that he was a genuinely nice, thoughtful guy, and more than just a captivating smile. Plus, I came around on his use of a balance ball chair once I was introduced to his tight butt clad in well fitting slacks. Not that I ever really thought about him that way.

So we shared a space and had a congenial enough dynamic. We both had similar tastes in some of the experimental music scene locally and would even go out to some shows together. Also he’s a self professed menswear expert and started systemically giving my wardrobe a much needed overhaul. So I found it odd when his usual form fitting, modern pants began to lose their flair.

At one point, he chalked it up to seasonal shifts, trying out some new, looser looks for the spring. Not to mention baggier, boxier styles had been taking the place of slim fit jeans and tight shirts, at least according to him. A few times he texted me in the morning, saying he was running late because of a ‘wardrobe malfunction,’ which I never thought much of. I had come to expect him cycling through three or four outfit changes before he finally made it out.

For a while it seemed like he might’ve just been getting the wrong fit, since he developed a habit of adjusting his crotch often, or even wincing slightly when he sat down too hard. And I had had multiple friends and partners with similar issues, so offered some tailoring tips, but he didn’t want to dwell on it.

I got a good idea why when we went to a show together one evening. A DJ we both liked was playing a set at a warehouse on a Thursday night, and we figured we had to go. We’d bring a change of clothes, work late on Thursday, then roll into the office late Friday morning. We could even call it a team meeting or professional development or something.

The show was euphoric. I felt like I was rising up and outside of myself as our bodies bounced on the packed dance floor, in so small part due to the haze of surprisingly strong drinks and party drugs. While Miguel seemed to be enjoying it, he was still preoccupied with the constant need to readjust his crotch. I had seen him in this pair of skinny leather pants–his ass alone was unforgettable–but they seemed especially constricting.

“Told you you’d look great in those pants,” came Miguel’s familiar voice in my ear. He never missed an opportunity to brag about being my personal stylist, but I had to admit I looked better than expected. However, I didn’t expect Miguel’s strong hands to linger on my hips, nor did I expect myself to close the rest of the gap between us. I’d been catching guys checking us out all night and I was feeling myself, so I thought Fuck it, as we began grinding to the rhythm. Maybe it was the fantasy of the moment or whatever I was on, but the bulge in Miguel’s pants felt major, and his crotch was radiating heat.

Suddenly, Miguel’s hands tensed up and he pulled away, his hand trailing against my lower back as he turned to leave. I asked if he was doing alright and he sputtered something about needing to piss, quickly disappearing into the crowd. I didn’t think much of it, and quickly got lost in the crush of moving bodies, and more than a few lingering caresses just below my hips. To say I was getting hot and bothered was an understatement and eventually I realized that I also needed to relieve myself, aiming in the vague direction of the bathroom but quickly getting lost in the crush of the crowd. Eventually I stumbled into a back alley, a rush of chill spring night air hitting my lungs as the party thumped through the wall behind me.

I turned my head at the sound of a deep sigh of visceral relief, looking to the left to see Miguel, eyes closed and head thrown back as he pissed loudly against the side of the wall. I wasn’t exactly in my right mind, and didn’t stop myself from glancing at his cock, which, semisoft, was hanging halfway down to his knees, jiggling comically as he shook off the last drops. It wasn’t just massive, it was beautiful, majestic under the streetlight, draped in shadow by Miguel’s outstretched arm, other hand bracing against the wall.

“Sorry,” he said, making me quickly realize that while my eyes were hyperfocused on his schlong, his were on me watching me hyperfocus on his schlong. “There was a line to the bathroom and it was about to be a photo finish,” a slight smile turning up his lips as he saw me finally draw my eyes away from his stunning dick.

“I, uh, was just about to join you,” I replied, deliberately keeping my eyes on his as he struggled to fit his prodigious cock back into his pants, by some miracle getting the zipper up after a few tries.

The awkwardness must’ve been my own anxious imagination, as the next day at work he actually seemed more relaxed than he had in a while, his bubble butt perched on his exercise ball chair as he sat with a leisurely spread, his bulge plainly visible. I guess the secret’s out, I thought. At least between us.

—

When the summer sun had come to stay, and my contract was wrapping up, he proposed an office hiking trip at one of his favorite trails, a moderately strenuous 3.5 mile track that led to an impressive waterfall tucked away just outside the city. I hadn’t been, but was familiar with it because my roommate, Ty, worked in the kitchen at a bar nearby that was kind of the post-hike spot. My apartment, according to Miguel, was “on the way” to the trailhead. I begged to differ, but he insisted on the kind gesture of giving me a lift, until we reached the compromise of me getting a ride home with Ty when their shift ended. So Miguel picked me up from my place, decked out in hiking boots, thick socks, a breezy short sleeve button down, and some five inch linen shorts with a sizable bulge. I had already caught a glimpse of his dick, so I wasn’t surprised by what looked like rolled up tube socks tucked into his crotch, but this looked bigger than I remembered.

And I don’t think I was the only one who noticed either. Miguel was certainly the center of attention when we met up with the others at the trailhead, albeit delightfully oblivious in his excitement to take us on this outing. And it looked like I may have missed the memo about the dress code. All the other guys were wearing similar short shorts, showing off their own respectable bulges–though not as impressive as Miguel’s.

As we set off down the trail, Miguel took an early lead, looking like he had no intention of slowing down. As we settled into a rhythm, I found myself consistently a few steps behind him–admiring more than the view of the scenery–with the rest of the group farther back but still within earshot. I began to think that Miguel should’ve stuck to the breezy bottoms he had fallen into wearing, because he was constantly adjusting the hem of his shorts as they dug into his meaty quads. At times, he seemed visibly uncomfortable.

As we reached a bend in the trail with a makeshift bench, we decided to take a breather and let the others catch up. Miguel’s shirt was glued to the middle of his back by a trail of sweat that ran down to his butt crack. I had trouble noticing anything else as he bent over and rested his hands on his knees, pushing his tight butt in my direction as he caught his breath.

From behind, the crotch of his pants looked overstuffed and straining at the seams. I thought it must have been my exhausted brain and overactive imagination until with a soft rip, the crotch of his shorts gave out, his dick gracefully bobbing two thirds of the way to his knees, definitely bigger than before and paired with some proportionately huge nuts. Miguel, his cock now freed of its constraints, let out a sigh of relief before apparently coming to the realization of the cool breeze on his oversized genitals.

Hearing the others approaching, I sprang into action, pushing him off the trail and just behind a stand of bushes, hoping passers by would assume he was relieving himself and keep moving.

“Sorry,” he said. “I brought up a backup pair just in case, give me one second.”

“A backup pair?” I asked, wanting to respect his privacy but also betraying my own fascination with this super dick that I had now been introduced to twice.

“Yeah, I thought I wouldn’t have an issue yet with these pants, but wanted to be careful.”

“What do you mean issue?” I asked. “And what do you mean yet?”

“I don’t know, I think I need to see somebody about this, it’s like–” he was cut off by one of their co-workers catching up to them on the trail. He quickly finished changing and stuffed his cock back in his shorts, shooting me a brief look of thanks.

—

Thankfully, the rest of the outing passed without incident. We actually had a great time, and Miguel was certainly correct about the waterfall being worth the aggravation. A few of the guys even waded in to cool off, inadvertently revealing some very heavy bulges through the thin, wet fabric of their shorts. Miguel hung back.

We got drinks afterward and it was obvious Miguel was a post-hike usual. As the afternoon wore on to evening, everyone fell away slowly, until it was just the two of us. He insisted on hanging around until Ty could take me home, and I would’ve staunchly refused if not for how much I enjoyed his company–and how he would’ve stayed against my wishes anyways.

He hadn’t really been drinking–concerned about everyone else having a good time, in typical Miguel fashion–but I had maybe had more than I should. During a lull in the conversation, he leaned in slightly and said “Thanks for the save back there. Would’ve never lived it down at work.”

“To be honest, I was not expecting all that,” I said, trying to be careful not to push boundaries too far too fast.

“Honestly, me neither,” Miguel responded, his eyes widening slightly as he glanced into the distance. “TMI, but I’ve been kind of having a late growth spurt the last six months. Or something.”

And well, this is when the pieces finally started to come together. I had had hunches and musings over the years about my propensity to meet some truly noteworthy cocks, but something deep in my brain felt compelled to ask “When did it start?”

With a thoughtful look in his eye, he glanced at me and said, “Around when you showed up. You might be my lucky charm.”

This is when it finally clicked.

#male tf #dick growth #bodybeyond

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myastrotarot · 3 months

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Pluto: From Capricorn to Aquarius

This is a post from my old blog, originally written a year ago, but I think it is still relevant since Pluto is back in Aquarius. It will retrograde once more into Capricorn in May before moving forward into Aquarius in October.

Pluto in Capricorn

Pluto is the planet of transformation and rebirth. It’s actually one of my favorite planets to study in astrology. I’ll do another post of Pluto traveling through the houses on a transit and natal chart, but for this post I want to focus on where Pluto is during this writing and what it might mean for Pluto going to Aquarius in 2024 (it will dip into the sign in 2023, but will retrograde back to Capricorn shortly after. So we’ll only get a taste before we feel the full force a year later).

Pluto first entered the sign of Capricorn back in 2008. But I think it’s more helpful to understand its effect by looking at the last time it entered this sign. Now Pluto takes over 200 years to circle the zodiac, meaning it spends many years in one sign, even longer due to retrogrades. Because of this very slow transit, it affects us on a societal level rather than simply personal like the sun. That’s why its effects can be seen on a more broad level of reconstruction within society while also highlighting the shadow side of humanity. Pluto asks us to dig deep and transform areas of our lives, or be forced to rally against the change, which only leads to more anguish and depression. Change is inevitable. The only course to take is to adapt.

Pluto in Capricorn represents restructure in government and authoritative structures. This can represent a transformation in religion, finance, political and legal systems, any area in which there is a hierarchy ruling over an area of life. Think preachers, presidents, and powerful companies. We’ve seen this happen with the pandemic that forced governments to shut down and restructure their infrastructure to accommodate the health of its citizens. We’ve seen people break away from organized religion to discover their own means of spirituality. I’ve seen people on social media uncover dark truth and hidden secrets in our government and political leaders. People have quit their jobs (the Great Resignation of 2021, as many business and economic publications called it) in order to seek better employment and career opportunities. This was a transformation in societal and economic structures, which I believe will solidify when Pluto enters the innovative sign of Aquarius.

But let’s go back to 1762, when Pluto was last in Capricorn. Its transit continued until 1778, when it entered Aquarius. This article lists out some events that represented this energy. During that time, the US broke away from the restrictive control of Great Britain, leading to the nation being independent. Great Britain was the most powerful country, taking control of India and having a powerful influence over Spain as well. But it lost much of that influence, power, and financial control during Pluto’s transit into Capricorn. It’s important to note that this transformation of the US also forced immense transformation for the native Americans as well, as these foreigners transformed the country into their own version of a free nation with little consideration of the natives already here. Since this happened in 1776, you could say the internal transformation of the country is more of an Aquarius influence, starting from scratch and innovation.

The thing is, we can see history repeating itself as the US waged war in the Middle East and then scurried to try and find a source for more oil. This blog post by mystic writer and author Jessica Davidson explains it:

“The social structures we have built are collapsing because they’re based on values and ideas that no longer work for the mass of humanity.”

I love this because it accurately describes what Pluto energy is, a reformation on a mass level. Remember this was written in 2017, before Pluto conjunct Saturn in 2020, right when the pandemic exploded globally. Talk about restructuring society on a mass level. She also describes the US as “[becoming] the monster it once despised”. This is regarding how America at the time saw Britain as too controlling and authoritative, and great transformation was needed to gain a sense of freedom.

We can say that recently many events have mirrored this sentiment. The pandemic, the Trump presidency, Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Supreme Court’s overturn of abortion rights. It’s harrowing to witness the powerful leaders dig in their heels and try to keep people controlled because of some outdated beliefs and methods. So again, I’m excited to see how some of this becomes rectified next year and then for good in 2024. Keep in mind however that there’s a dark side of Aquarius, which I’ll discuss next.

Pluto in Aquarius

Pluto will transit to the sign of Aquarius in 2024 and will stay there until roughly 2044 roughly. When we talk about the transition from Capricorn to Aquarius, we see the structures that fell apart being rebuilt in a new and innovative way that better serves the greater whole. Capricorn is about authority, whereas Aquarius is about community development in a way that encourages freedom and individuality. I feel like we’re already seeing these effects as people get more in tuned to their own personal power and not blindly accepting what leaders and authorities tell us to believe. Yes, that means we see the wacky and delusional come out, but it’s not held by these outdated methods and beliefs, but imagination and innovation to counteract the dark secrets that were uncovered with Pluto in Capricorn. Keep in mind that as of this writing, Neptune is in Pisces, which adds another layer to this transit. So, although people are more spiritual and imaginative, we also see these delusions more prominently. I’ll explain more when I write about Neptune. But for now, let’s go back to what happened last time Pluto was in the sign of freedom, technology, and innovation.

Pluto was last in Aquarius approximately 1778-1797. This was a period of enlightenment for much of the world. The French Revolution was from 1789 to 1799 and brought radical changes to that society. The relationship between the ruling class and the rest of society was disrupted and resulted in many massacres, including Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, the last monarchs of France.

In America, the industrial revolution took off, a period of innovation and technology. Many philosophy writers came to prominence and there were serious discussion about change from societal norms such as the slave trade. Many colonies abolished slavery, although we wouldn’t see states start make laws against it until the 1880s, when Pluto crossed into Pisces.

Now let’s speed up to today. Many astrologers are predicting the same type of radical societal changes indicative of the past. We’ll see reformation of the government and political structures, more so than we have with Pluto in Capricorn. We’ll see more cultural movements for independence, more freedom of expression, and radical ideas in philosophy. Many sites I’ve looked at will say how we’ll collectively grow into our independence and embrace great changes in technology.

However, with any of the astrological signs, there is a shadow side. And the shadow side of Aquarius is adopting a hive mind that does more harm than good. People can become so attached to their ideals that they plunge into stubborn delusions, demanding everyone adopt their way of life because it is more enlightened and freeing. I’m thinking of the fat acceptance movement, in which many young people, to break away from harmful and restrictive practices promoted in diet culture, have done a 180 and claimed that being obese is okay. The people of this movement therefore reject any medical advice and scientific studies that prove otherwise. And I believe this is an example that we’ll see. To further break away from the corruption discovered during Pluto in Capricorn, we’ll swing in the opposite direction and adopt views that, while at first feeling liberating, will actually bring about another distortion and more problems. The key is balance, something that many people aren’t the best at.

Another hint at Pluto in Aquarius’ energy that I can sense is the discussion around AI (artificial intelligence). I’ve seen increased discussion about the fear of it, how the robots are going to continue stealing our jobs and replacing original intellectual property created by humans, such as artists and writers. Others argue we should embrace the change. I don’t believe that technology will advance so far that robots will become sentient beings or force us to colonize Mars. However, I believe that those who are fearful of AI will be forced to face those fears and adapt. But AI isn’t the answer to our prayers for change and innovation. In some ways, it’s helpful, even if there will be flaws and concerns as with any invention. But I don’t think it’ll take over the world. Us humans again aren’t that accepting of change and when change comes, there’s a lot of panic before real solutions and beneficial discussions take place. But again, this is the energy of Aquarius, with Pluto forcing us to come to terms with our humanity, the ugly as well as the empowering. Sure, the industrial revolution brought many technology changes. But since then we’ve written better workplace laws to curb much of the harrowing and toxic environments that many were forced to work in during the 1880s.

Conclusion

As I’ve said, Pluto is about adapting to change. It’s about going through deep transformation and shedding beliefs and ways of life that no longer work for us. It’s about tapping into our own personal power to both weather the storms of society but also carry out the change that we believe society needs. We’ll see what happens as society continues to morph and adapt the new and ever-changing energy of the world.

#pluto #pluto in aquarius #pluto in capricorn #astrology transits #astro observations

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davidmariottecomics · 1 year

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Comics Job Security

Hello!

This week, Amazon gutted Comixology. Roughly 75% of staff was laid off in one fell swoop, with the remaining staff kept on with the knowledge that they are there to "mop up" and then will be let go. I've said it before, and we all live in the world and should be aware of this anyway, but Amazon sucks. And this is the latest in a series of bad practices that they've had.

Also this week, the HarperCollins Union hit their 50th day on strike. One of those "post your cancellable comics take" tweets did the rounds over on Twitter. I questioned what, if anything, ever happened with all the creators who took money from Substack and said they'd be following up with the company in light of the amount of transphobia, nationalism, fearmongering, and misinformation spread through their distribution system. In publishing at large, there's also a lot going on in terms of the relationship of the author/editor and the reviewer, particularly on Tiktok and conversations around the general disconnect between decorum and actual professional behavior in the industry. And across the larger landscape, there's a lot of job instability happening in entertainment/tech--from massive layoffs at big tech companies to continued layoffs and restructuring (often merger based) at some of the media conglomerates to the lingering concerns about increased use of AI.

This week, I want to talk about what that all means on a creator level and how you might be able to help cushion yourself from some of those blows.

State of the Industry Just using publicly available information, we can say 2022 saw a weaker year across the entertainment industry as a whole. Bloomberg reported it as the worst year in like 3 decades for some of the major media companies as the split between the idea of theaters, traditional TV, and streaming become more complicated with things being reopened and, generally, some amount of fatigue over streaming's big swing changes and increased segmentation. And this will always matter to comics because Warner Bros owns DC, Disney owns Marvel, and various other comics companies are owned by other big media corps.

In the book industry, overall book sales are understood to have fallen by about 6% last year. However, some categories still saw growth, one of which being adult graphic novels (which includes a lot of manga). That's an especially important number given that the previous year, 2021, may have been the greatest year of comic sales on record. Which is also very interesting given that comics sales records are getting increasingly hard to track.

So overall, it's kind of a weird landscape. While a lot of comics and book publishers themselves might in okay shape after last year, their parent companies might not be doing so hot. And when the parent company isn't doing so good and is looking to tighten purse strings, publishing is an easy target. But also, maybe publishing is in a good place because while book sales were softer in 2022, books remain one of the last bastions of physical media (go to your local Target, chances are GOOD that you now have a book section in what used to be the Movies and Music section--not that they're all gone, but that the ration has inverted).

Overall, I can't predict where publishing itself is going, but I think these factors are important to keep in mind, particularly when we're seeing things like the Comixology layoffs.

On Cancellation In terms of staying afloat and secure in this industry, a lot of that for a creator comes down on the personal level. To that end, I wanted to talk briefly about being "cancelled". Projects get cancelled, people don't. Everyone knows that J.K. Rowling is a transphobe who has decided to double-down on her public persona being an advocate for anti-transness. Folks have extensively gone over her works and pointed out when they are transphobic, racist, and otherwise inherently engaging in the language of oppression against different groups. By all means, were "being cancelled" a thing, she would and should be. And yet, the upcoming game based on her works (and based specifically on one of the most antisemitic aspects of her work) is apparently the top selling game on Steam of the year so far even though it won't release for a few more weeks.

There are also sooooooo many other celebrities we can look at, some of whom have not just been convicted in the court of public opinion, but LITERALLY CONVICED OF THEIR CRIMES who, uhh, lemme check my notes, continue to receive regular work, tour, and otherwise be hyped up and make money. The good news for dirt bags, I guess, is you can be a dirt bag and suffer relatively little punishment for it as long as there are people who enjoy your work, even if the work itself is also compromised by your dirt bag views.

Relatedly, I think when we're having the conversation of "cancellable opinions" and using that language instead of, lightly controversial opinions or hot takes or whatever, it normalizes the idea that both "cancelling" is a thing and that it doesn't/shouldn't actually have any effect. And as a result, it makes accountability that much harder.

So, no, you aren't going to get cancelled in comics. But there are a number of people who are in hiring positions who are paying attention to creators' behavior and who may want to hold those who are acting poorly accountable for their behavior. And I think that standard, largely, is like "hey, is this person fearmongering against a group of people" or "acting in a criminal manner" or "being a bully" or "closely associating with a person who does one of those things". So you should probably try to be a cool person to avoid losing work for being a dirt bag.

Positive Considerations to Make

With that all understood, not being a dirt bag does seem like a pretty good way to ensure future work. But with the changing landscape, that's not enough. What else can you do to keep yourself in a good place?

1. Be informed about this stuff. A big part of my personally following up about Substack is I still see a lot of people gravitating toward it and signing up and issuing their newsletters there. I understand that some of those people are being paid by Substack to be there--some are even receiving health benefits. I also know a lot of folks are defaulting to Substack because they've seen other people--including those who got paychecks from them--be successful there. It's similar to Patreon, right, where at least in the US comics community, it kind of blew up to be the standard quickly, and while there are definitely people using alternatives like pixiv fanbox or Subscribestar, there's some safety in name recognition of the platform, regardless of it's problems... This is not to say that I won't work with people who have a Substack, just that to be informed, it's worth pursuing and seeing if there was follow-up from people who theoretically were being courted and had some amount of power in that dynamic to make a change and whether or not anything came of it. I'll also say, Trung Le Nguyen shared a public Patreon post about declining Substack's offer that I think is worth reading.

2. Be considerate about who you work for. I feel for the people who've lost their jobs at Comixology. I am in solidarity with the folks on strike at Harper. I inherently dislike their parent companies (Amazon and News Corp) and unfortunately find those companies disrespect for their employees unsurprising. Which is not to blame the folks at Comixology or at at Harper--there are many lovely people working there and fighting the good fight within the larger corporate megastructure. But between, say, not crossing the picket line and signing a deal with Harper while the workers are on strike to, say, using the Creator Resource publisher page to check in on the latest about various comics publishers as organized and vetted by your peers, knowing who you're dealing with can go a long way for you.

3. Be considerate for those you work with. This is one of those things that gets repeated again and again, but comics is a collaborative medium. You can point at all the ways and times that isn't true, but, generally speaking, comics are often not made on an individual level. And a lot of us have very different takes on what behavior is acceptable--some folks are very comfortable producing NSFW work and some aren't, some are open with their political views and some only speak up occasionally, some people are very private and some are very open. It does you good to know the comfort levels of your peers and collaborators because sometimes a misstep might come off as a larger slight than it's meant to be, which is always unfortunate.

4. Last and not least, don't buy into NFTs or AI or whatever the latest criminal "art" fad is. Y'know, that one seems pretty easy, but boy howdy. Just avoid that stuff.

5. If you write a blog about the actions of various companies, know you may be putting yourself in a precarious position in the future, but feel secure in standing by your morals and the facts.

And, again, a lot of that all folds in to if you act nicely and respectfully and professionally, other people in the profession will meet you at that level, which can be helpful when things are uncertain. You certainly can find success in comics outside of the industry, and different people have different standards of what they're looking for, but not being a jerk is a good thing.

I think that wraps up this week. Next week: The brandification of nerd culture, or how Funko became the new Band-Aid.

What I enjoyed this week: Abbott Elementary (TV show), Blank Check (Podcast), Honkai Impact (Video game), House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Book), Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (Manga), Drip Drip by Paru Itagaki (Manga, I actually read this a few weeks ago and think I just forgot to mention quite enjoying it), Coraline (Movie), 17-21 by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Manga, I've only read the first story so far, but quite looking forward to the rest), Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast) New Releases this week (1/18/2022): Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #4 (Editor)

New releases next week (1/25/2022): Godzilla Rivals: Round One TPB (Didn't work on this, but plugging Zilla)

Final Order Cutoff (1/23/2023): Sonic the Hedgehog #58 (Editor)

Announcements: Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival - 2/25! It's a one day comic-focused event in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets are only $10. Attending artists include me, Becca (who once again is dropping some new stuff on their Patreon, see below), Mitch Gerads, Steve Rude, John Layman, Henry Barajas, Jay Fotos, Jeff Mariotte, Marcy Rockwell, John Yurcaba, Andrew MacLean, Alexis Zirrit, Meredith McClaren, James Owen, Ryan Cody, and many more! Come and see us! Becca'll have some very cool new merch, too!

Becca contributed to Aradia Beat, a Magical Girl Anthology Magazine! It's now on Kickstarter! It's both a tribute to 90s magical girl stories and part of a larger project about the overall preservation of magical girl stories!

We're also waiting to hear back on if Becca got in to another con on their own, but may have another update soon.

And finally, happy Lunar New Year!

Pic of the Week: This is just our little banner pulled from the AZCAF site! It came out really well! See ya there in just over a month!

#AZCAF #comics #arizona comic book arts festival #comics editorial #comics news #aradia beat #comics jobs #comixology

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digitalchase · 2 years

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The Queen Mother 🇬🇧

Hi everyone,

James here from Digital Chase, with the awful news that the Queen mother has fallen ill and her family being brought to her side is a major event in the royal family that leads to speculation her reign may come to an end shortly.

This is an event we never thought we’d have to plant for but unfortunately we may have too. Being a British team, based in the UK means we may have to restructure plans based on the news as it breaks.

When the Queen passes away there are some unspoken rules around the media and brands that are in place as a mark of respect. To those not under the ruling of the queen, they may sound ridiculous, one rule is that no comedy be shown on BBC until after the funeral which is around 10-12 days after death.

With this possibly being a major event, we are discussing with our teams about the correct route to take should this happen before the anticipated launch of DC3.

We will be monitoring the situation and follow suggestions and the leads of other companies around the UK, we will keep you posted should anything change in our launch schedule.

- James, Marketing Officer

#Queen #UK #respect

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college-girl199328 · 3 months

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The Towns of Thornbury development has fallen into receivership and will soon be sold to the highest bidder. The prominent development adjacent to the Foodland grocery store has been under construction for several years and was recently placed into receivership by Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter J. Cavanagh. The project’s lenders, Foremost Mortgage Holding Company and Foremost Financial Corporation, asked the court to place the property in receivership after the property’s owner defaulted on mortgage payments.

Foremost says it is owed $8.8 million on the property, with costs and interest continuing to accrue.

In late December, Justice Cavanagh appointed KSV Restructuring Inc. as interim receiver. A representative from Foremost told Collingwood Today via email that the company’s plan is to sell the property to the highest bidder sometime in February if the loan owed to the company was not paid by the end of January.

The Towns of Thornbury property is owned by a numbered company: 2521311 Ontario Inc., owned by Nick Sampogna, the president of the Janik Group. The Janik Group’s website for the Towns of Thornbury project is no longer active. Court documents filed in the case reveal multiple issues with the ongoing construction of the 23-unit subdivision in the heart of Thornbury.

KSV reported to the court that the project requires several million dollars more than its initial budget. KSV also told the court that the developer had pre-sold 21 units and collected $1.64 million in deposits from purchasers. According to the receiver’s report, all but $53,000 of those deposits were spent on construction costs. A notice posted on the fence surrounding the property says the lenders have taken control of the property. Court documents state that the Foremost was anxious to take control of the property to protect the buildings from the looming winter.

With significant portions of the buildings on the development unfinished and exposed, Miller said there is construction activity on the site as they work to protect the buildings from the winter weather.

From Collingwood Today to Sampogna requesting a comment on the not returned. In Justice Cavanagh’s decision, the property owner’s lawyer – R. Brendan Bissell – responded to Foremost’s petition for a receiver to be appointed and said the lender had acted prematurely.

The response also stated that the mortgage company was aware of many of the issues with the project, that two of the three liens on the property had been settled, and that any stop work orders from the municipality had been addressed. The response and all related court documents can be found online here.

Tim Hendry, manager of communications and economic development for The Blue Mountains, said the town has no formal comment on the current status of the development monitor the issue.

CollingwoodToday spoke to one local resident who had purchased a home in the Thornbury Towns development and asked that her full name not be used in this story.

After purchasing a unit in 2020, she described a stressful situation and multiple delays waiting for her home to be finished and having to move several times when it didn’t happen.

Delays forced her and her family to move out of their first rental home in Collingwood after six months and find another place to live while the construction continued.

She said the final straw for her was a request for the builder on a Monday for another $100,000 for the project to be paid that Friday. She pulled out of the project in May 2023 and said the deadline for her deposit to be returned was the end of January 2024. She is now renting a home in Thornbury.

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ailtrahq · 7 months

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Users of the Hong Kong exchange JPEX claim they cannot withdraw assets after JPEX converted their holdings to JPC. Their protests come less than 24 hours after the exchange floated a new restructuring plan approved by 68% of customers. According to one user, their funds became unavailable because the exchange had converted their USDT and other crypto assets to JPEX’s JPC token. They said the conversion was done without knowing the exchange rates between JPC and other tokens. Is JPEX Locking Users’ Funds After DAO Proposal? “Given the unknown price and the impossibility of withdrawal, our assets have now become just waste paper.” The customer, who chooses to remain anonymous, said they knew of others experiencing similar challenges. JPEX has not publicly responded to the allegations. JPX/USD Price | Source: BeInCrypto Reports of withdrawal difficulties come less than 24 hours after the exchange finalized a dividend proposal to pay concerned customers. On October 4, 2023, over two-thirds of JPEX customers agreed to a new proposal to convert JPEX into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). As voting members, JPEX users would become shareholders eligible for payouts according to a DAO Shareholder Dividend Scheme. Each user will earn some of the fees JPEX charges for listing new tokens and enabling spot and derivative trades. Read more: FTX Collapse Explained: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Empire Fell The company will distribute its JPC coin and USDT in proportion to a user’s dividend percentage. This will happen until the USDT in the exchange’s vaults has been exhausted. DAO dividends can be claimed two years after they are allocated. This means they are effectively illiquid before that, which could explain why customers cannot withdraw. JPEX Advertising May Come Under Scrutiny JPEX’s restructuring comes shortly after police arrested individuals allegedly involved in $191 million fraud at the exchange. Police have already apprehended at least 11 individuals and formed a joint task force with the Securities and Futures Commission staff to tackle crypto crimes. The two government departments will share information and perform comprehensive risk assessments on “risky” crypto exchanges. A point authorities will likely focus on during the JPEX investigation is allegedly fraudulent marketing messages to attract retail customers. Like FTX, the collapsed exchange that once made Hong Kong its home, JPEX spent heavily on local influencers to promote their products to ordinary Hong Kongers. Its promotional messages claimed it applied for an SFC license and contained words like “high-yield,high-return,” and “low-risk.” On October 8, new laws in the UK will attempt to fix this problem by only allowing companies authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority to create and publish crypto promotional material. The US Securities and Exchange Commission also tabled a proposal requiring financial companies to be more specific in describing their products. Read more: Everything You Need To Know About Ripple vs SEC Do you have something to say about JPEX allegedly locking users’ funds after its recent restructuring proposal or anything else? Write to us or join the discussion on our Telegram channel. You can also catch us on TikTok, Facebook, or X (Twitter).

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efjconsulting · 9 months

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The Importance Of Formation And Company Secretarial For Businesses In Bexleyheath

For any accountants in Bexleyheath, the formation and company secretarial you hire will have a direct impact on the success of your business, and thus the success of your company too.

A business that’s set up properly from the start will be able to grow quicker than one that isn’t, and if you end up working with a team of accountants who aren’t as good as they should be, it’ll be harder to do everything you want to do with your business and your company in general.

You’ve been working towards your business dream for months now, finally you have the financial backing and you’re on your way to the big time. You’ve worked hard, devoted time and money, but that’s not all you need to start accountants in Bexleyheath.

You need Formation and Company Secretarial in Bexleyheath as well, so if you’re looking to start up a new company or even to restructure an old one then finding the right accountants in Bexleyheath may be crucial to your success as this is what they are trained in and do all day long.

What Is Company Secretarial?

Company secretarial is the oversight of a company’s legal needs such as keeping records, managing the company, complying with laws and maintaining good corporate governance. It can also be called governance or administration.

Company secretarial helps to keep a company running smoothly by ensuring it complies with all applicable laws. This is important because if you are ever found out to be violating a law, you could be fined or even lose your business license. There are two types of company secretaries: statutory and voluntary. Statutory company secretarial is mandatory while voluntary ones depend on the size, complexity or industry that your business operates in.

Voluntary company secretarial includes accounting, management consulting and property management.

Some companies might have more than one kind of company secretarial (e.g., statutory plus voluntary).

In some cases, both a general practitioner accountant and an insolvency practitioner might be needed depending on the nature of your company’s financial affairs.

Statutory company secretarial will ensure that your business has been set up correctly; if not, then this must be done before any other work can commence. Voluntary forms will take care of what happens after the formation stage has been completed successfully but won’t do anything about problems caused by lack of formation in the first place.

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masievialvin · 10 months

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The Part of Analytics in Driving Commerce Change

Introduction:

In the present era of a digital revolution, Analytics has a crucial role to play in bringing about a transformation in businesses. With the enormous amount of data that the digital age offers, Analytics helps us gain valuable insights into our customers, marketplace, and overall business scenario. This makes data the reigning monarch of the digital terrain.

To put it simply, analytics helps you understand what’s happening on your website or mobile app. It gives you insights into how your customers are interacting with your brand and where you should focus on improving their experience.

Gathering information from different sources is vital in analytics. Website traffic, social media engagement, email open rates, and customer feedback are some of the data used to have a better understanding of customer behavior. This understanding can assist in developing a marketing strategy, product development, and achieving business objectives. However, navigating through the vast amount of data and extracting meaningful insights can be a complex task. That’s where trusted analytics experts can provide invaluable assistance.

Companies can benefit from the convenience of analytics software such as Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Kissmetrics that enable easy analysis of data collected from different sources. These tools track a variety of metrics such as time spent on a site, conversion rates, and bounce rates. Based on these details, businesses can discover weak points and improve their website/mobile applications to better meet their audience’s needs.

Driving Commerce Change

The significance of analytics in propelling commercial transformation lies in comprehending the requirements and actions of your patrons.

The process of analyzing information from different sources can reveal interesting patterns in how customers behave. As an example, it may come to your attention that customers have a tendency to leave their shopping carts behind on your website as soon as they are presented with a shipping option. Such analysis of data can provide valuable insights for businesses, enabling them to make informed choices in areas such as customer interaction, product creation, and marketing tactics.

Through analytics, businesses can enhance their sales funnel by pinpointing the stage where customers exit the process or become dissatisfied. As an illustration, if a significant proportion of customers abandon their shopping carts at the payment stage, enterprises can delve into the issue and implement measures to mitigate the situation. This information could trigger changes in shipment procedures or the provision of free shipping to minimize cart abandonment percentages.

By utilizing analytics, businesses can enhance their sales funnel by detecting problem areas wherein customers may be leaving or encountering difficulties. For instance, if there is a sizable volume of customers who do not go through with their purchase after reaching the payment page, businesses can take measures to determine the cause of the issue and discover solutions to counteract it. This knowledge can inspire businesses to restructure their shipping process or provide complimentary shipping as a means to cut down on the rate of customers abandoning their carts.

Businesses can gain insights from analytics that go beyond enhancing customer experience. They can utilize data to shape their marketing strategies by analyzing key metrics such as traffic sources, referral sites, and user demographics. By doing so, they can identify the most effective channels that attract valuable traffic and modify their marketing efforts accordingly.

It could be beneficial to explore alternative messaging or audience targeting strategies if you observe that a substantial amount of your website traffic originates from social media platforms but has low conversion rates.

Conclusion

Analytics plays a critical role in transforming business by enabling organizations to make informed decisions, identify opportunities, increase operational efficiency, and foster innovation When the power of analytics is harnessed, businesses can unlock the true power of their data and propel themselves to success in today’s competitive landscape.

#Analytics #management #innovation #efficiency #Analytics Platforms

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thetoxicgamer · 10 months

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Deus Ex’s Adam Jensen says “no one called” about a new game

The latest significant installment of the immersive sim series, Deus Ex, was released back in 2016, and there has been no word on what comes after that. The actor who played Adam Jensen in the Deus Ex video game claimed that he hasn't received any requests to return to the series, even though RPG games are still timeless. Deus Ex might be in jeopardy if you add this to Embracer Group's existing situation. Deus Ex’s Adam Jensen actor, Elias Toufexis, has once again spoken about the future of his character and potentially the future of the iconic series, making it clear he would love to reprise his role as Jensen despite not receiving any calls. “Yeah, as happy as I am to be busy, I wish I was even more busy on a new Deus Ex,” Toufexis says on Twitter. “I am not under any NDA for Deus Ex because no one has called me about it. Truly.” Toufexis made it clear a few months ago that he’s interested in returning to Deus Ex, telling fans to get in touch with Eidos Montreal and Embracer Group to help make it happen. Embracer Group acquired Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montreal, and Eidos Montreal last year alongside multiple IPs including Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, but no new Deus Ex project has been announced. The group did say it sees “great potential, not only in sequels but also in remakes, remasters, spinoffs as well as transmedia projects” in all of these IPs though. So if there is a Deus Ex game currently in development, with or without Toufexis, it could very well be in jeopardy, as Embracer is currently undergoing a massive restructuring. An undisclosed deal that would have apparently brought in $2 billion over six years to Embracer fell through recently, so now the company is undergoing a massive restructuring, which includes layoffs, studio closures, and the cancellation of unannounced projects. There’s no word yet on what studios and games will be impacted, so even if there is a new Deus Ex game in development, it may not be for long. This isn’t the most absurd thing you could read about Deus Ex today though, as it turns out Twitter owner Elon Musk actually sleeps next to a replica of a gun from Human Revolution. If talk of Deus Ex has you reminiscing, we’ve got a comprehensive list of the best old games you can, and should, be playing on PC right now. We’ve also got a breakdown of all the biggest upcoming games too; fingers are crossed Deus Ex makes that list soon. Read the full article

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ecardon1 · 1 year

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What Happens After Envision Files for Bankruptcy

Envision, a private equity-backed clinician staffing firm that also manages ambulatory surgical centers and care after hospitalization, is expected to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy if reports from the Wall Street Journal prove true.

If Envision goes bankrupt, it could impact emergency departments, hospitalist services, anesthesia, radiology, and services for women and children.

While Envision did not make perfect decisions over the past few years -- it has received criticism for its out-of-network billing practices, for example -- it will not be the only healthcare provider who could suffer this fate. In fact, if the growth and power of private payers like UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and Aetna is unchecked by new government regulations, we could see a slew of care providers go bankrupt in the coming months.

While organizations may use bankruptcy to restructure their financial obligations, and can continue operations while they do so, the uncertainty of Chapter 11 could harm employees and clients as they wait to hear about potential layoffs, renegotiated contracts, services, and altered benefits.

Additionally, of the 46 healthcare bankruptcies filled in 2022, only five were over $500 million. Envision's financial collapse would likely be more significant-and it could be one of the first canary in the provider services and hospital-based coal mine.

We can blame COVID and its lingering effects for rising provider expenses and declining revenues. We also can blame the gumming up of the arbitration system, which is difficult to access and often costly for providers.

But providers were in trouble long before COVID, inflation, and the No Surprises Act.

There has been a steady decline in reimbursement from both government and non-government payers over the last several years. For example, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and PAYGO ties increases and decreases to provider reimbursement to sustainable funding for the program -- even though funding is not keeping up with inflation. Moreover, the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) -- the unfunded mandate -- compels emergency doctors to treat patients regardless of insurance coverage. Though crucial, this law burdens physicians with hefty costs. For uninsured patients, doctors' groups receive minimal or no compensation from Medicare, despite shouldering the expenses of patient care. For a company like Envision, which has heavy penetration in hospital-based services and emergency services specifically, these cuts and mandates are likely especially challenging.

However, one of the biggest drivers of Envision's allegedly came from one of the nation's largest health insurers: UnitedHealthcare.

UnitedHealthcare's first quarter revenues grew 13% to $70.5 billion and its operating earnings grew 14% to $4.3 billion. Most of the revenue was derived from their Optum provider services, Medicare Advantage plan participation, and pharmacy benefits managers. However, in late April 2023, United Healthcare lost a legal battle with Envision, which had sued the insurance giant in 2018 over billing practices. While this may not change Envision's reportedly impending bankruptcy, it emphasizes the role of private payers in the declining revenues of care providers.

CVS Health's revenue topped $300B in 2022 -- even before news broke that the company will snap up more primary care clinics. Aetna, CVS Health's insurance wing, brought in $91.4 billion in revenue in 2022, an increase of almost $10 billion from 2021. By the end of 2022, both UnitedHealthcare and CVS had revenues of $330 billion and the three companies combined made nearly $1 trillion in revenue in 2022, an amount more than the GDPs of more than 160 countries.

These companies also have amassed power by creating vertically integrated conglomerates in the market, which are going unchecked. Despite concerns, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has continued to approve mergers. We are now seeing the results.

Since these models encourage patients to remain within tight networks, patients generally have fewer choices. Additionally, other businesses that interface with these giants have reduced ability to negotiate.

As a country, we cannot watch private payers-provider conglomerates amass power while hospitals close, healthcare outcomes worsen, provider groups shutter, and physicians burn out.

Ed Cardon

EPC Search International LLC

470-345-0846

[email protected]

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sassenashsworld · 1 year

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The living dead part 2/3

Shaun has to decide, but decide what? The second part (as if it were not written in the title) of this narrative attempt from which I try to draw emotions…

He watches her sleep. He does it often. Ironically, being a synth gives him the opportunity to sleep very little. Usually, it ends up succeeding around dawn for three or four hours. Sometimes less.

He watches her sleep because, in the meantime, she looks normal.

Of course, she often has nightmares, but even during these rough times, she looks normal.

She looks like a sleeping woman who’s gonna wake up and live.

Shaun sits on the chair at the foot of the bed where Nick sometimes settles when he keeps her company. The poor old synth continues to spend most of his time with her, telling her the details of what he may have gleaned the night before at the bar, as if it could be useful. As if she’d be interested.

She sits on her bed and stares at the wall facing her without giving any sign she is listening.

But he continues.

And it pisses Shaun off.

It’s such a waste of time.

They should lock her in a room where she won’t bother anyone. Instead, the entire city has restructured its activity around her.

Why? For what damned reason did the most amazing personalities of their time lock themselves up around her? Shaun has no idea.

He couldn’t go hunting the day before. An urgent problem with the water supply required all the attention of Sturges who could not take over from Preston. One (very rare) Raiders attack at the Red Rocket has retained Danse.

So Shaun had to stay locked inside the walls of Sanctuary.

For three years, his frustration has been forming, he has been trying to swallow it, she has been coming back like a tenacious wave. Not being able to go hunting when he needed so much to vent has blown the floodgates.

He understands. He understands very well. He understands it’s not Sturges' fault, Preston’s fault, or Danse’s fault.

No, it’s her fault.

She, his mother, who sleeps there, before him, peacefully as if the whole existence of all those who love her had not fall apart the day Deacon had breathed his last breath.

He wasn’t even his closest friend, for all Shaun knew. Nick told him about the death of a Sam, but Shaun didn’t give a damn. He might understand that losing Dance or Nick would be destructive, but who was this Deacon? A guy on the road most of the time? What had he been for his mother who had kept her in silence for the last three fucking long years?

Three years. Three springs, three summers, three autumns, three winters. Every day weighed his body a little more viciously than the previous one. Each day came to add a fair share of bile to all the hatred that was accumulating in his heart. Every day, the thoughts became vivid scenes in his head where he saw himself put an end to their suffering of all.

Of course, like everyone else at the beginning, he had hoped it would be temporary. He respected his mother was in shock and she would need time.

But how much fucking time did she need?

After a first year in which he had gradually had his freedom taken away to “keep him safe”, he had begun to worry. He was told that trauma could easily take a year to absorb and he was told Nora had her share of trauma.

But she didn’t learn to pay?

No.

No, that idiot had kept everything inside, sucking, moving forward, lying to herself, clinging to illusions. The illusions had exploded by losing the first of her small band of close friends.

But in the world where they live in, she didn’t expect it? To always empty the camps of raiders, gunners and super mutants, did she really had no idea this could happen?

Shaun had gotten to thinking like Strong. His mother is a larva. He does not know how she built her reputation, or rather he has some idea of it, because he is often told her exploits and he must admit he accompanied her a few times.

But for three years, the memory of what she may have been has faded behind this pathetic being who no longer smiles, who no longer speaks, who no longer even looks at the people still alive around her.

Shaun tightens his grip on the pillow resting on his knees.

A little bit of courage.

So little of courage.

He will be despised, hunted down, slaughtered. But he will no longer be a prisoner. Neither he nor any of Nora’s companions.

But how many times in the last few weeks.... how many times has he stood there, in that chair, watching his mother sleep, sticking his fingers into the pillow, repeating to himself it would be better to end it immediately—

… to finally get up, walk down the hall to his room and rest his head on his pillow to get some rest.

A little courage. That’s all he needs.

But he doesn’t have it.

He doesn’t have it because somewhere, deep down, deep in his heart, like everyone else, he hopes.

He’s hoping Nora will finally shake.

He’s hoping she’ll react eventually.

He still hopes anyway.

And it kills him, even more likely that the pillow between his fingers could kill his mother in her sleep.

So, he gets up, crosses the hallway, snuggles in his bed and cries on his pillow until sleep wins him over.

Another day rises where he finds his mother at her window. Where Preston comes to leave the water bottles and question him how the night was bad. Where Nick then comes to take his turn of guard with his friend.

Where the monotonously stifling routine leaves him free to wait impatiently for the night to try again to have the courage…

It’s too many days.

It was the death of too many friends for his mother that pushed her into immobility. It’s the too many days for Shaun that pushes him into mobilism.

He opens the door in one fell swoop, slamming it on the wall-mounted shelf, misses knocking Preston over in his way and runs out into the street. He does not look back. They will find him; he does not care. If there’s one more day at Sanctuary, he’s gonna go to the armory, grab a machine gun and kill them all.

He runs down the street, up the hill towards the vault. One, his gesture may lure the companions to think he is going to collect, giving him several hours of respite before the hunt begins, and two, he has accumulated in the square everything he needs to survive in the landscape.

He has to go. He has to run. He can’t live like that anymore. He can no longer contemplate the emptiness of his existence through his mother’s empty gaze. He must go.

As he predicted, no one is holding him back. His action may be spontaneous, but it is far from surprising. Who would be surprised if, after three years of residential, a young teenager explodes and runs off to get away from his prison? At least a little?

He activates the safety door of the place and while the alarms are ringing and the lights are flashing, he eagerly drums the access ramp with his fingers.

In a few seconds, he will enter the tomb of the preceding inhabitants of Sanctuary, he will seize his bag, the few weapons he may have stolen, and he will leave.

He’s going far away.

It’s so simple.

Never come back.

He has often thought about this day. He has often thought about it in many ways. He thought that if he ends up killing his mother, he should run. But he also thought that without even doing the irreparable act, he might end up wanting to leave.

He puts on his harness, buckles his belt, slips the weapons in the holsters, pulls his bag. That’s it. So equipped, with his mother’s Pip-Boy, he finally feels ready. Even if, by chance, someone surprises him before he is too far away, he can claim to go hunting on his own. It’s normal to equip oneself like this when one moves away from a colony, would it be as well organized and located as Sanctuary.

He’s staring at the map on the Pip-Boy.

He thought about moving east, going to rebuild his life in the colonies on the seashore, but he knows in the bottom it would not be far enough. He knows full well that one day, a colon will inform Preston via the radio.

No, he can’t stay anywhere in the Commonwealth. If he really wants to get his life back on track, he has to leave the land where he was born. It has to go west, to the Capital Wasteland or the Republic of New California. If not to the north, to Canada that no one knows about anymore. Or to the south, to the lands that, it seems, are wilder than anything we could imagine. But to the south means crossing a good part of the Commonwealth and risking be recognized. There is also this saying about the south; the further south we go, the more terrible the enemies are.

Shaun wants to live, not get killed.

He prefers to play an almost safe card.

He’s going west.

The sun rises on the earth and extends disturbing shadows at the foot of the hill where Shaun stands. He feels anguish profiling his icy fingers in his heart, spreading throughout his body. He felt this anguish incessantly, every time he tried to escape. It’s especially this paralyzing feeling that kept him at Sanctuary during the last year.

But not this morning. Shaun is leaving this morning.

He forces his foot to advance one step. Then another. One leg after another, one step in front of the other, he goes down the hill in the direction he never took. One small step at a time, then his strides lengthen.

Finally, before realizing it, the hill hiding the vault in its bowels is no longer in sight.

When Shaun finally turns to cast a last glance towards his motherland, he already no longer recognizes the landscape.

And contrary to what he may have believed over the past few months, he does not feel a huge relief invading him.

He feels a knot in his stomach. He feels a weight on his heart. He feels like he didn’t do the right thing.

He should have killed his mother before he left.

He should have released the others.

As she had set him free. With an explosion. At the cost of innocent lives. By spilling blood.

But it’s too late. If he goes back now, there could be another year, or three years, before he has the courage to leave again.

If he returns now, he may come across a companion, let his intentions be guessed, and find himself under even stricter surveillance.

No, Shaun’s back to the sun again.

He progresses in the direction where the shadows lie while they still indicate the road to follow.

He’s making progress.

He’s never coming back.

He mustn’t have any regrets.

He needs to move on.

If only for the salvation of his own soul.

#synth shaun #nora fo4 #nora fallout 4 #nick valentine #preston garvey #strong #fallout 4 #fo4 #fo4 companions #sassenash writing #fanfiction #fallout fanfic #fallout

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jadebusinessservices · 1 year

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Empowering Business By Data Migration: Specifications and Details

The process of transferring data from one data storage system to another, as well as across different data formats and software programs is referred to as Data Migration. In addition to this, data transfers are required across a variety of file types and software programs.

In addition, the process of data migration involves the preparation of data, the extraction of data, and the transformation of data. It is often carried out at the same time as a company is implementing new procedures and systems.

COMMON DATA MIGRATION SITUATIONS INCLUDE:

· Upgrade and replacement of legacy software.

· Companies migrating to the cloud to improve operations.

· Consolidating websites.

· Coexisting and augmenting existing apps sharing the same dataset upkeep.

· Interoperability requires centralized databases.

· IT consolidation.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA MIGRATION AVAILABLE WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. BUSINESS PROCESS MIGRATION :

The migration of business processes necessitates the transfer of business software as well as data about business KPIs and processes to a new environment. Information on customers, products, and operations may all be included in the metrics. It is usual for corporate optimization and restructuring, as well as mergers and acquisitions, to be the driving force behind the migration (M&A). These kinds of corporate mergers and acquisitions are often required in order to keep up with the competition and enter new markets.

2. CLOUD MIGRATION:

The term "cloud migration" refers to the process of transferring data or applications from a place on-premises to the cloud, or from one cloud environment to another within the same cloud. In its most basic form, it is a storage migration of a certain kind. IT professionals continue to see an uptick in the migration of businesses to the cloud, and they anticipate that the vast majority of significant firms will be running their operations from the cloud by the time the decade ends in 2030.

3. STORAGE MIGRATION:

The process of migrating data from one storage place to another is referred to as storage migration and is performed by businesses. The data are moved from one physical media to another throughout this process. One of the most prevalent motivations for storage migration is the process of upgrading storage equipment to more advanced and contemporary storage equipment. As a result, it spans the transition from paper to digital, from tapes to hard disc drives (HDD), and from hardware-based storage to virtual (cloud-based) storage.

This shift is not being driven by a shortage of space; rather, it is being pushed by a desire to improve storage technologies. In most cases, neither the substance nor the format of the data is changed by it. Several processes, including data validation, cloning, data cleansing, and data redundancy, are all options for execution throughout the storage transfer process.

4. DATA CENTER MIGRATION:

The transfer of data from an older data center infrastructure to new infrastructure equipment at the same physical site is an example of data center migration. Data center migration may also refer to the process of moving the infrastructure of a data center to a new physical location. The infrastructure for data storage, which is responsible for the upkeep of an organization's vital applications, is housed in a data center. It is made up of computers, network routers and switches, storage devices, and other data equipment that is connected to the servers.

5. Application Migration:

When an organization changes its application software or its application vendor, application migration happens. This migration entails shifting data from one computing environment to another. Because of new application interactions after the transfer, a new application platform may need a drastic change.

The main problem stems from the fact that the old and target infrastructures have different data models and use various data formats. Vendors may offer application programming interfaces (APIs) to ensure data integrity. Vendor web interfaces may be automated to help in data migration.

6. Database Migration:

Databases are organized data storage mediums. Database management systems handle databases (DBMS). As a result, database migration entails switching from one DBMS to another or upgrading from the current version of a DBMS to the most recent version of the same DBMS. The former is more difficult, particularly if the source and destination systems employ distinct data structures.

CONCLUSION:

To conclude, There are various appropriate techniques accessible to achieve the highest possible quality data transfer procedure. For a project, qualified professionals should be employed to oversee and drive the project. Before beginning to write mapping scripts, all data should be collected.

Data that has to be sent should be appropriately sized. Data cleansing may help ensure that only valuable and high-quality data is sent. There are several hazards involved in data transfer: make a backup and then carefully transfer data with the assistance of a professional. as a result, the danger of data loss is reduced. To guarantee security, data should be encrypted prior to transfer.

#Data Migration

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