#Business Owners Database

[accountsend]

Sales Automation: Streamlining Processes for Efficient Lead Generation

Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | AccountSend.com

In today's lightning-paced business ecosystem, the beacon of Sales Automation shines brighter than ever as a transformative force propelling lead generation into a realm of unprecedented efficiency and success. This voyage takes us through seven pivotal strategies that harness the true potential of Sales Automation, ensuring that you harness its power to revolutionize your lead generation journey.

DOWNLOAD THE SALES AUTOMATION INFOGRAPHIC HERE

Implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

Imagine a command center at your fingertips that orchestrates your lead interactions with finesse. This is where the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System, the linchpin of Sales Automation, comes into play. This technological marvel enables you to seamlessly centralize customer data, track interactions, and automate tasks with precision. Picture the possibilities as your sales team focuses on nurturing connections that drive conversions.

Utilize Marketing Automation Tools

Bid farewell to labor-intensive marketing efforts as Sales Automation brings forth the magic of marketing automation tools. These remarkable instruments streamline repetitive marketing tasks, from orchestrating email campaigns to nurturing leads and scheduling social media content. By crafting strategic workflows and triggers, you hold the power to deliver tailor-made messages that resonate with your prospects. The outcome? Engagement and conversion rates that soar to new heights.

Qualify Leads with Lead Scoring

In the labyrinth of potential leads, imagine having a compass that guides you to the most promising ones. Enter lead scoring, a beacon of clarity amidst the complexity. Through meticulous criteria encompassing demographic data, engagement metrics, and behavioral patterns, lead scoring empowers your sales team to prioritize leads ripe for conversion. This orchestration of efficiency elevates your conversion rates while maximizing your team's efforts.

Streamline Sales Processes with Workflow Automation

Embrace the liberation from manual, time-consuming sales processes through the elegance of workflow automation. Bid adieu to the mundane tasks of follow-ups, appointment scheduling, and proposal generation. Workflow automation transforms these into seamless symphonies, gifting your sales team precious time. This temporal freedom translates into a focus on nurturing relationships, cultivating an environment primed for deal closure.

Integrate Sales and Marketing Efforts

The synergy of sales and marketing isn't a mere concept; it's a dynamic strategy made tangible by Sales Automation. Witness the convergence of these vital forces as silos dissolve, and a harmonious collaboration emerges. Valuable insights flow seamlessly, lead progress is tracked cohesively, and communication flourishes throughout the sales cycle. The result? A seamless alliance that fuels conversions and magnifies results.

Implement Chatbots and AI-powered Assistants

In an era where responsiveness defines success, envision AI-powered chatbots as your digital allies. These innovative assistants redefine customer support and engagement by handling routine inquiries, offering instant responses, and even assisting in lead qualification. The outcome? Your team is unburdened, channeling their expertise into intricate tasks that propel your business forward.

Continuously Analyze and Optimize

Success isn't a static destination; it's an evolving journey. Data analysis becomes your compass in the realm of Sales Automation. Regularly delve into the wealth of insights harvested by your automation tools. Decode lead behavior, unravel conversion rates, and unveil sales performance intricacies. Armed with these insights, fine-tune your lead generation strategies, refine processes, and unearth optimization opportunities.

In essence, Sales Automation stands as the cornerstone of lead generation efficiency. Through adopting a CRM system, harnessing marketing automation tools, embracing lead scoring, automating sales workflows, aligning sales and marketing endeavors, integrating AI-powered support, and ceaselessly optimizing strategies, you can reshape your lead generation narrative. Embrace Sales Automation as the lifeblood of your sales strategy, and witness your lead generation expedition thrive with newfound efficiency and efficacy. The time has come to seize Sales Automation and redefine your lead generation journey.

[honeypurog]

Scaling Up: Strategies for Business Development in Rapidly Growing Companies by Account Send Via Flickr: Unlock the secrets to navigating the exhilarating realm of rapid business growth with our comprehensive guide. "Read the full article here! From embracing cutting-edge technology to cultivating strategic partnerships , this article delves into seven powerful strategies that will illuminate your path to success. Discover how automation and big data insights can streamline your operations while fostering customer relationships that transcend transactions. Venture into new markets with confidence, armed with market research insights, and witness the transformation of your brand as you evolve alongside your business. Regularly revisiting and adapting your strategy ensures your agility in a dynamic market landscape. With the potency of verified B2B emails and sales leads , these strategies become your compass, guiding you toward achieving new heights in your growth journey. To learn more about how we can help you Prospect, Connect, and Convert by accessing our database of USA decision makers with accurate B2B contact info of email, phone, job title, location, company size, and more, visit AccountSend.com. Visit our Socials to get more data tips and tricks to grow your business: Blogger Facebook Flickr Imgur Instagram Issuu LinkedIn ​​LivePositively Medium pPinterest Quora Reddit SlideShare Threads TikTok Tumblr Twitter Vimeo WIkiData wikiHow Youtube

[businessopportunityleadsblog]

Reach thousands of potential customers instantly with LeadsCampus Bulk Phone Number Database. Our high-quality, verified phone lists are perfect for SMS campaigns, telemarketing, and outreach strategies. Whether you're targeting local, national, or industry-specific audiences, LeadsCampus provides accurate and up-to-date mobile numbers to supercharge your marketing efforts and boost ROI.

[exim-consultant]

Growing Your Jaggery Export-Import Business

Jaggery, a traditional sweetener made from sugarcane or palm, has been gaining traction in global markets due to its health benefits and organic appeal. Expanding your jaggery export-import business can be a lucrative venture if approached strategically. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you grow your business:

Understanding the Market

Market Research: Begin with thorough market research to identify key markets. Look for countries with high demand for organic and natural sweeteners. Understanding the market size, consumer preferences, and competitive landscape is crucial.

Target Audience: Identify your target audience. Are you catering to health-conscious consumers, organic food enthusiasts, or traditional sweetener users? Tailoring your marketing strategy to meet their needs will enhance your reach.

Quality and Compliance

Product Quality: Ensure that your jaggery is of the highest quality. Consumers today are well-informed and prefer products that are organic, free from chemicals, and sustainably produced.

Certifications: Obtain necessary certifications like USDA Organic, Fair Trade, and ISO. These certifications not only build trust but also open doors to international markets.

Building Strong Relationships

Supplier Network: Develop a strong network of reliable suppliers. Consistent quality and supply are vital for maintaining customer satisfaction and trust.

Customer Relationships: Foster strong relationships with your customers. Provide excellent customer service, respond to queries promptly, and address any issues efficiently.

Marketing and Branding

Brand Story: Create a compelling brand story. Highlight the traditional methods of jaggery production, its health benefits, and your commitment to quality and sustainability.

Digital Marketing: Utilize digital marketing strategies to reach a broader audience. Social media platforms, content marketing, and email campaigns can be effective tools for promoting your jaggery products.

Leveraging Technology

In today’s digital age, leveraging technology can give you a competitive edge. Volza, a revolutionary self-service app, can be an invaluable tool in this regard. It consolidates export-import trade intelligence from over 78 countries into a single subscription, providing you with access to detailed trade data and insights. This can help you:

Identify Potential Markets: Discover new and emerging markets for jaggery.

Analyze Competitors: Gain insights into your competitors' strategies and performance.

Track Trends: Stay updated on market trends and consumer preferences.

Generate Reports: Create smart, intuitive reports to make data-driven decisions.

Distribution Channels

Local Distributors: Partner with local distributors in target markets. They can help navigate local regulations, customs, and consumer preferences.

Online Platforms: List your products on popular online marketplaces. This can significantly increase your reach and accessibility to international customers.

Financial Management

Cost Management: Keep a close eye on your production and shipping costs. Optimize your processes to reduce expenses without compromising quality.

Pricing Strategy: Develop a competitive pricing strategy. Ensure that your prices reflect the quality and value of your jaggery while remaining competitive in the market.

Conclusion

Growing your jaggery export-import business requires a strategic approach, focusing on quality, market research, and leveraging technology. By incorporating tools like Volza, you can gain valuable insights and make informed decisions to drive your business forward. Embrace the digital age, build strong relationships, and maintain high standards to carve a niche in the global market for your jaggery products.

[infodatapark]

Med Spa Owners Database - Email list

[sgiandubh]

And who would've thought... it figures

My attention has been very recently drawn to this very telling non-announcement:

[Source: https://hq.rostr.cc/insider/news/the-fratellis-sign-wtth-toura-toura; announcement published on February 24, 2025]

And surely enough, this was quietly confirmed by Toura Toura on the company's socials. It would also seem they have been collaborating for a while, now, even before the info was disclosed:

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/ltdtouratoura/]

[Source: https://www.facebook.com/touratourahq/]

It is even on the Booking Agent Info professional database:

[Source: https://bookingagentinfo.com/celebrity/the-fratellis/]

To quote: 'The Fratellis' managers used to be Anthony McGill' (..)'. Operative concept - 'used to'. Past tense. The three of them managers seem to have vanished into thin air. Oh my, what on Earth could have happened?

According to Companies' House, UK Government company register, Kevin Fitzgerald is the sole owner of two companies. The first company is Toura Toura Ltd, which nature of business is  'sound recording and music publishing activities':

[Source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11826082]

... and Toura Toura Festivals Ltd, which nature of business is 'performing arts' and which is doing just slightly better - its paperwork is ok, for the time being:

[Source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12502492]

The accounts' analysis is interesting, in a way, for there seems to have been very little (if any) turnover/profit in both companies for the last three years, with very mediocre balance sheet reports to boot:

... and...

Anyways, I am rather tempted to follow-up and report if anything new pops in, which might happen rather shortly, with last year's report overdue for the first company and due in about two weeks for the second one.

You might be forgiven of superficially thinking this entrepreneurial profile looks like another person's (ahem). It doesn't: his net assets are positive, despite the reporting negligence as far as Toura Toura Ltd is concerned. And the COVID pandemic might explain those financials, at least partially. For instance, in May 2023, Toura Toura Festivals landed in hot water, when the Wolverhampton Council completely let them down, canceling for the third year in a row the city's Creation Day Festival:

[Source and more details, here: https://accessaa.co.uk/toura-toura-festivals-seeking-legal-advice-after-creation-day-postponed-for-third-year-running/]

The man seems to have a good reputation in the business. I found this pre-COVID interview (February 2020) for a specialized blog very honest and quite endearing - excerpts follow:

[Source: https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/2020/02/12/indieterria-meets-kevin-fitzgerald-of-toura-toura/ ]

And then look who's on The Fratellis' following Instagram roster...?

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/thefratellis/following/]

Alan McGee, Fitzgerald's providential first client! Yes. Connections are always important, irrespective of the industry, but perhaps even more in that particular industry.

I strongly suggest you'd give five minutes to Mr. Fitzgerald's story of a single dad who has been through loss and found the power to reinvent himself. Clearly a very hands-on, proactive work ethic and perhaps the reason The Fratellis signed with him, after all?

So you see, I think there is a difference between 'working in the shadows' and being non-existent/not giving a flying fuck. I even surprised myself feeling glad for a perfectly unknown person's apparent comeback.

You might also think McGill's got other clients?

Chances are he doesn't, plus his profile isn't even claimed - now, why would that be?

[Source: https://bookingagentinfo.com/managers/anthony-mcgill/]

For comparison purposes: the profile is checked by Fitzgerald himself and the clients are there. I didn't bother to look further - it's crystal clear.

[Source: https://bookingagentinfo.com/managers/kevin-fitzgerald/]

You knew this will immediately follow, right?

You're welcome.

PS: Thank you for the tip. As always, superb and easy to follow. You know who you are 😘😘😘😘.

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Android (Leona) AU - Commission Piece

Thank you so much @nemisisnemi for the commission!!! (And for also being patient with me LMAO) So, general worldbuilding first, the basic headcanons for every character, Leona-specific building and a Nemi x Leona drabble to finish it off.

If you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, here's my (slightly out of date) comms info. Otherwise, just like/reblog/comment. It means a lot!!

----------------- General Worldbuilding

NRC - Night Raven Conglomerate

Night Raven Conglomerate is known globally for many of their businesses, however their most notable and profitable model comes from Yokai Tech Industries. YTI is responsible for the development of state of the art androids, available for public use. While widely referred to as 'andy's' or 'mechs', YTI has a model for all your personal and business needs, for any budget. (Any budget being from rich, to filthy rich) Each droid model name is indicative of it's role and what it's been programmed to do. Regardless of model, be aware that your bot will have:

Safe search on

A personality chip *please note it will take some time for your bot to develop its personality. It must cater itself to you as an owner and have time to research and develop a personality from external sources. This may mean your bot chooses a name for itself besides its serial number if you do not choose to disable this function

A direct connection to our troubleshooting department

Recording on **all bots 'eyes' or optics are set to record the world around them in order to create a database for themselves and be able to recall old files in order to learn

A user guide and personal password/key in order to access settings in back panel (including most items above)

A recharge station

The Models M.E.C.H- (Managing Everyday Chores and Homemaking) The most common bots on the market, and also, the cheapest! These bots are perfect for individuals and families, taking care of everything from meal planning and budgeting to getting kids ready for school and cleaning! They'll manage household finances and run your errands for you.

M.E.C.H's have a humanoid design, but are manufactured in a white-coloured metal alloy. Most have a feminine appearance, but by request/with permission from their owners they may alter their appearance. Clothing is simulated by internet research and metallic projections that allow them to emulate cloth. (M.E.C.Hs from the factory are often dressed in a maid-like outfit or in a pant suit.) M.E.C.H's are able to alter their "hair" style and colour, so long as it is considered appropriate by their owners. They are also able to shift their height slightly. (this design is somewhat inspired by Dominic Cellini on twt/insta)

M.E.C.H's are very durable and also easy to fix. They are capable of repairing themselves from damage after watching a mechanic fix the specific issue once, or contacting our troubleshooting team. M.E.C.H's are waterproof on their hands, and water resistant overall. They are fire resistant, and are equipped with safety measures in case of an emergency. They also have a direct line with 911. **A business model of M.E.C.H is also available for minimum wage jobs, usually those requiring hospitality skills. They are more susceptible to the emulation of emotion however, than the O.T.T.O model, and may shut down when dealing with a customer. This can usually be avoided by turning off the personality chip temporarily.

---------

O.T.T.O - Occupational Transport and Telecommunications Organizers (O.T.T.O) is a great model to consider for the workplace.

O.T.T.O bots are programmed to help increase efficiency and intrapersonal bonds in the workplace, comparable to an automated secretary. O.T.T.O bots do the following up, so you don't have to. Progress reports and statistics are created and analyzed in record time. They are also trained to deal with H.R conflicts in a calculated and unbiased manner. However, O.T.T.O bots have also recently been taking their place behind the wheel for public transportation, currently the only model approved to drive. So long as they are given ample time to either charge OR refuel, (like a car), they are a much safer option on the roads than humans are. They are a great choice as a chauffeur,( and YTI has proved as such by starting a cab company under a different name/brand.)

On public transit, their appearance is much more industrial than their office-working models. Most O.T.T.O bots tend to remain in their factory settings, remaining completely chrome in colour. They often maintain a bulkier looking chest and shoulder area for the sake of keeping potentially unruly costumers in check, though their arms and legs are capable of stretching and appear similar to bendy straws.

While these bots are reliable, they also seem susceptible to wear and tear. It's often cheaper to replace a bot when it no longer serves it's function properly. (cough cough planned obsolescence cough)

It is not recommended that these bots work in hospitality. YTI is currently working on O.T.T.O bots that may be considered for work in trades, though this has mixed reviews from the public as of right now, over concerns of the bots taking over jobs that require more certification than simple safety and a driver's license.

--------

EM-RR - Emergency Response Robot (often referred to as an "Emery")

This bot is built specifically with human safety in mind. It's only objective is to rescue human lives. These bots are manufactured to look like humans for the most part, as studies have shown receptiveness to being rescued was improved the more humanoid they appeared. These bots are equipped with basic paramedic training, fire fighting, extensive knowledge of the law and how it applies, medical equipment like that found on an ambulance, and search and rescue supplies, including a detachable drone that is a part of them. EM-RR's are also equipped with extra rations of food, water, blankets, toys, and radios. Besides M.E.C.H's, EM-RR's are the best bot to have around kids as they are often able to handle the responsibility, breakdowns and tantrums easily. These bots are also built to withstand extreme temperatures, pressures, and fluids.

They are not yet approved to operate in a rescue mission without a supervisor as many are still learning what does and does not harm a human in terms of handling them.

-------

E.L.U - Entertainment and Leisure Unit

These bots are made for the big screen, often boasting the newest and best technology YTI has to offer. Their appearances are highly dynamic and can switch on a dime according to their whims.

E.L.U's can only be afforded by the highest bidders, and only 1200 models have been made worldwide for the public to buy. (About 35 models are used for YTI's ad campaigns and as actors in movies, and of those models, only 1 is used as a social media 'influencer'.).

E.L.U's are equipped with exceptional emotion-imitating technology. They are able to replicate voices without issue, learn choreography immediately, possess perfect pitch, and are capable of playing any percussion or string instrument.

E.L.U's have been through the most rigorous testing and development. While being able to sustain damage fairly easily, nanotech allows for superficial markings and damages to repair itself. Any damage that occurs on a software level is unheard of, but would be covered by insurance. At least, unheard of to the public

----- Custom Bots (The YTI is currently working to develop a 'build your own bot' program for young aspiring engineers. The program will allow promising individuals to create a new android using the technology available to them in the facility, and also lead to streamlining the process by which someone could order a custom bot. Prototypes have been promising.)

-----

Rapid Fire World Building

Riddle - human toddler Trey - EM-RR - Firefighting specialty Cater - lives at home (mansion) with his dad, who is a banker and investor of Y.T.I Deuce - Mechanic Ace - Was the Roseheart's M.E.C.H, took care of Riddle, began to disobey orders from Dr. Rosehearts, was slightly dismantled and discarded of Leona - Explained Below (E.L.U) Ruggie - O.T.T.O bot, mainly working in taxis. Very friendly, has to do constant maintenance on himself so they don't take him out of service Jack - Mechanics assistant, M.E.C.H Azul - inherited his grandma's restaurant, investor of Y.T.I, has several M.E.C.H's at his disposal Jade - is set to take over his mother's jewelry business Floyd - no formal training as a mechanic, does the upkeep for the Ashengrotto restaurant. Has mixed feelings about the M.E.C.H's, sometimes breaks them just to put them back together Jamil - a hybrid of all three bots, meant to attend to Kalim. Has additional security measures built in place to act as a guard. Kalim - human, investor and advocate for android rights, as he believes they exist beyond just their programming and should be treated equally Vil - E.L.U owned by Eric Venue. Hates it. Rook - EM-RR - search and rescue specialty Epel - Mechanic. Doesn't really like Y.T.I's inventions. Too close to humans Idia - head engineer of Y.T.I. Can you guess why :) Ortho - DECEASED E.L.U model Malleus - a discarded prototype of the E.L.U model. The workers at Y.T.I believe it's battery is dead, but it has been able to hear everything around it for ages. Kept in the discard area, not even used for parts due to issues that came up during testing. "Cursed" Lilia - one of the engineers at Y.T.I. Starting to question whether the use of A.I was a good idea, the more he works with the newer and newer models. Silver - M.E.C.H's original prototype. It's "old" now, and does not hold a charge well. It is good friends with all the engineers and other workers at Y.T.I. Constantly has a mobile charging pack. Sebek - EM-RR, forensics specialty

Leona Specific Worldbuilding

Falena Kingscholar was one of the first investors for Y.T.I. For the sake of PR and as CEO of his late father's clothing company, he deemed his contributions to Y.T.I's research as charity - such a stunning new invention, such innovation could do so much to improve the lives of those less fortunate. He sealed the deal with action when, on M.E.C.H release day, he bought 250 models to give out at random.

Some might make the mistake of thinking he's a selfless man.

As one of the largest investors in Y.T.I, he is given advanced access to latest models, often receiving a prototype after development has been approved. As such, when he heard E.L.U. models were soon going to be able to customized, he approached the owner with a deal he simply couldn't turn down.

So four weeks ahead of schedule, after hours of video footage had been submitted, interviews, photographs, memories retold, AI training, the semblance of his late younger brother stood in his living room, though slightly less...organic, so to speak.

At first it was alright. E.L.U - C 12515141 Was equipped with the knowledge that it's name was to be Leona, it's pronouns from there on were to be he/him, and Falena Kingscholar had requested him to maintain a "brotherly" relationship with him. While he wasn't entirely sure what that meant yet, he agreed. He had been given the videos in his memory banks as to who he was meant to imitate after all.

Leona tried - but to be honest, there was very little footage of the boy he was meant to resemble that offered information about his personality. He mitigated this by asking Falena to take a short questionnaire regarding which siblings in media he wanted him to imitate.

When Leona got his answers however, the patterns didn't line up. The boys he saw in the videos did not match the dynamics Falena had selected.

He saw videos over and over and over again where Falena was the subject, and the boy he was meant to imitate was nothing more than a background character. Secondary.

Now, maybe it was the push to develop him so quickly, so something was overlooked, or maybe it was just how evolution was meant to take place in a machine as novel as he, but something changed about his programming, about his personality.

If the living boy had been nothing but an understudy for the success his elder brother had come out to be....what did that make him? A replacement for someone who was never truly cared for? Built to be a coping mechanism for someone who regretted their decisions? All he was, was the embodiment of Falena's guilt, and a pillar to be Falena's redemption. He wasn't built to be loved, or enjoyed, or even for entertainment, he was built from man's selfishness.

In the following weeks, Leona tried to keep to his programming, but between processing and cross referencing and research on both the family itself and the psychology that he would be expected to have, he started to lapse more. He would write off slips of the "tongue" as "glitches" or his body language began to become more pronounced, usually in regards to annoyance. In between it all, he was trying to figure out if he was experiencing real human emotions about this all...or if it was all just part of the programming.

Eventually, Leona's internal conflict got to be too much. Violent tendencies and impulses began to arise, resulting in him damaging himself, shutting down randomly to avoid external conflict, and an otherwise unexpected disposition.

He listened into the phone number Falena made to send him in for repairs to his "personality chip." Leona took it as a threat, and immediately blocked all outgoing signals to Y.T.I temporarily to find a way to remove his personality chip on his own. Using bathroom tools, the mirror, and damaged pieces of himself, he all but performed surgery on himself to remove it - only to be horrified to realize all the "simulated" emotions he thought he had were still very much present. Unsure what to do, he stored the chip in one of his compartments, out the window and ran.

He was blacking in and out as he went, from the sheer panic he felt but tried to keep under wraps. It wasn't until he made it to a junk yard, where he could bury himself in scraps to hide that he finally let himself dive into power saving mode, sitting silently for who knows how long.

---------------------------

Nemi x Leona Drabble

Battery Charged - 100% All Systems Back Online Rebooting Programming. . . Programming Error Detected - Contact Y.T.I? Yes No

"No. No don't contact Y.T.I." Nemi muttered softly, fighting the grime on their fingers to make the touchscreen respond.

It wasn't very often that Nemi or any of the junkyard crew found anything of value - at most maybe half a M.E.C.H or a catalytic converter if they were lucky - but a fully in tact, possibly operational E.L.U was unheard of. It was genuine too. How it had ended up in the junkyard was beyond him, but he wouldn't forsake the powers that be that left such a project to fall into his hands.

He rubbed his fingers on the cloth set over his shoulder, trying again to hit the button on the screen. To his relief, it finally registered.

Y.T.I Services can be contacted throu- (tap, uninterested) If your bot is not perf- (tap, that's what I'm here for...) System's Calibrating . . . System Calibration Complete E.L.U C 12515141 At Your Service, Courtesy of Y.T.I

The screen finally flickered black, before the metal beneath it flickered into the appearance the bot had had last, it's hand coming up to touch it's head as if it had a headache, it's "nose" scrunched as if it were in pain. The optics opened and shut a few times, the gentle whirr of fans blowing out dust and dirt build up that apparently, Nemi hadn't cleaned out thoroughly enough.

Whether the bot itself groaned, or it was it's internal workings coming back to life wasn't distinguishable, but Nemi stayed on his knees next to it as it seemed to slowly adjust to it's new surroundings. It squinted slightly, locking eyes with Nemi before glancing around the humble workshop.

It wasn't until it lowered it's arm it noticed that the chrome finish was no longer there - hell, the damage from his arm was gone. It was slightly bulkier than the other, but all in all, with a little buffing it would be good as new again.

It opened and closed it's hand experimentally, as if processing it was functioning like before.

"...You did this?" The bot's once blue optics much more closely resembled brilliant green eyes, scrutinizing the work of the supposed mechanic next to him.

Nemi swallowed hard, unsure what, exactly about this bot made him feel slightly uncomfortable, but cleared his throat and nodded, gently taking the bot's arm in his hands and turning it to show the carefully soldered metal, just the smallest glimpse of the wires beneath it.

"Yeah, I did. Um, you were partially crushed by a refrigerator? I think it fell on you from higher up in the stack, so I did my best to repair your arm myself. I...I may have taken apart your other arm to make sure I could make the servos match up properly, but everything's good as new. Promise. Name's Nemi, by the way."

The bot stayed quiet a moment longer, now looking down at both it's arms.

"....Why? I was supposed to be scrapped."

The bot finally moved, but only to tilt it's head back til it touched the wall, bringing a knee up to rest one of it's newly repaired arms on it, and closing its eyes. If it could sigh, Nemi was fairly certain it would have.

He adjusted himself, sitting flat on the ground instead, regarding the bot in some confusion.

"But you're an E.L.U. Nobody would just throw you away or, gods forbid, use you for parts. Any self respecting mechanic or robofanatic would repair you. You're gorgeous, top of the line, most sought after kinda model....how'd you end up out here anyways?"

The bot didn't seem to like that question, it's auxiliary power cord flicking, not unlike that of a cat as it looked away.

"Does it matter?"

Can a robot have an existential crisis? The thought passed through Nemi's mind, but he just shrugged in response.

"Not really. But it'd be kind of nice to know your name if you want to stick around here."

Nemi was met with an immediate glare of disdain.

"I'm not gonna follow your orders. Somethin' about defective programming probably came up on my reboot, right?"

Nemi shrugged again.

"Yeah, but you seem fine. Actually you seem like a lot more fun than most M.E.C.H's. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to, but it would be nice to have a friend here."

The bot remained silent, looking away from Nemi. The silence stretched on for a while, before it finally let out a slightly exasperated sound.

"You can stop staring. You can also...call me Leona."

Nemi couldn't help but smile a bit, extending a hand to shake.

"It's nice to meet you."

--------------------------------- OTL thank you again for the comm, hope this was up to expectation and also tag list time! @fluffle-writes @my-cursed-brain @distant-velleity @elenauaurs @lumdays @theleechyskrunkly

DM to be added/taken off ^^

[amomentwiser]

Obsession

Hannibal knew Will was angry with him, and understandably so. He’d given Will his space. He’d kept his weekly 7:30 pm slot open, given him time to come around. He’d given Will three months to contact him — either with an outraged phone call, a threatening letter, or by sending a SWAT team at his doorstep.

And what had Will done? Run away without a backward glance. Without so much as a goodbye, or even a cursory assassination attempt. As if Hannibal were disposable. Forgettable. As if their relationship were something that he could simply opt-out of.

The least he could have done was run to Jack Crawford with his theories about the Ripper. Try to sneak into Hannibal’s Baltimore mansion in search of evidence, if Jack wouldn’t support him. Or show up unannounced at Hannibal’s office, hoping to catch him off guard, preferably with a gun. The game was far from over, and Hannibal still wanted to play, but it looked like Will had simply abandoned the chessboard.

Enough was enough. It was time to hunt.

If Will wanted to be chased, Hannibal would oblige.

■ ■ ■

Hannibal had, of course, first scoured the internet for any signs pointing to Will’s current whereabouts. But Will, former FBI that he was, had hidden his tracks too well. Social media and property records yielded no results — Will had presumably purchased his new home through an anonymous LLC. His cunning boy certainly wasn’t making this easy on him. Very well, then: let it never be said that Hannibal Lecter couldn’t take a hint.

This is how Hannibal found himself at home on a Saturday evening that he otherwise would have spent at the opera, typing away on a borrowed laptop while its owner — an FBI agent in the Cyber Division — sat bound and gagged in a chair behind him. (He could only hope Mrs. Komeda would forgive him for leaving her to endure tedious conversation and insipid sycophants alone.)

The agent hadn’t even seen Hannibal coming. Too busy piling heavy bags of groceries into the trunk of his car, he’d disregarded the only other car in the parking lot and missed the quiet footsteps until he felt the pinprick in his neck. By then it was too late, and all went black for an unknown while until he woke up in a basement, tied to a chair and face-to-face with the Chesapeake Ripper. Not that spotting Hannibal would have done him much good — the agent was in his late twenties and lanky, a genius with computers but clearly someone more used to being on the wrong side of a punch.

“Now, your fingerprints have already helped me login to your laptop, but I will require your FBI passwords to enter their database.”

“What do you need it for?”

“Nothing nefarious, I assure you. A dear friend of mine moved recently and forgot to leave a forwarding address. I’m merely trying to figure out where I can mail him a birthday present.”

�� Full fic on AO3

[dramaticallytotal]

E-Scope Mystery Solutionists Headcanons: Part One

Idea Post

• Eva is a hardcore skeptic, Izzy and Owen are hardcore believers, and Noah is the guy who believes, but there has to be real proof. He is the debunker. He is also never upset if the ghost or monster they are investigating is real or not.

• Noah is the one who drives the van and he hates it but it's better than Izzy who always drives like they are being chased by the cops or something or Owen who gets distracted too easily or Eva who has mild road rage.

• Noah still has his utility belt in this au because he loves being prepared.

• Izzy is the one who plans the traps for the most part. The more elaborate, the better, and somehow they work. Noah's traps are always simple and always work, and he and Izzy flip a coin if they can't decide who gets to set a trap or if one of them didn't call dibs first.

• Eva has tried to punch every single "ghost" or "monster" they've come across.

• Sometimes they don't make it to a town or are only staying for a night and camp in the van. (The van itself is pretty tricked up because of Izzy and Noah.)

• When they arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, they already encountered many mysteries, which was thanks to them being so popular now, and they were paid for their work, which was wild. They had been nonstop for like a week.

First, there was the fake medium lady who was hustling people out of their money. Then there was the giant bat vampire thing, which was actually a cover for a jewelry thief. Oh, and the ghost captain of the abandoned ship casino who was hunting for some abandoned valuables that were rumored to be hidden on the ship. Of course, they couldn't forget the giant freaking crawdad monster who was attacking a craw dad in a can food factory who ended up being the owner's jealous older brother out to ruin his brother's business.

• They decided to try one more building/house before leaving, and while Izzy searched for a place on the guidebook they had bought, Owen begged them to go to a popular farmers market. No one could say no to the big guy, so they did.

• Which is where they met Chris, which really should have been the biggest clue for Noah because the man did not look the type to set foot anywhere near a market of any kind unless it was designer. But Izzy and Owen had looked so excited about the thought of a haunted island, and Noah and Eva didn't have the heart to rain on their parade.

• Though not before Noah researched the place in the vans database. The number of disappearances unnerved him but not his friends as the thought it meant they had a big mystery on their hands. They didn't know anyone in the city, but maybe Noah hacked into local servers to see if there was any information on the disappearances and saw that a private detective duo had been hired to look into an old disappearance on Moonscar Island. It wasn't hard for Noah to track the detectives and saw how they were looking around.

He didn't want to alert the police and be accused of it being a prank or something, so he sent a timed message to the lead detective, Detective Apodaca, that if they weren't checked into the hotel he was sending the information of in a week's time to know they had gone to Moonscar Island. He made sure to do his best to convince the detective that they lived on a schedule, and if they missed the check-in, something happened. He set the message to send the next afternoon.

• Courtney panicked when she saw the message. She wished the person who had sent it had sent it in real time so she could convince them not to go, but at the same time, she was happy Alejandro wasn't on that creepy island alone even if the group of people didn't know he was a private detective.

• The ferry ride was uneventful except for Nana scaring what had to he the biggest catfish Noah had ever seen, and then Owen tried to catch said catfish to eat. This man who looked really damn similar to Chris except shorter and a redhead got mad at Nana and Owen for scaring the catfish away. Chris had just laughed and explained that that was his cousin Jerd, and he had been hunting that certain catfish for years.

• Speaking of the ferry ride....the ferry man who was introduced as Chef felt off to Noah too. There was just something about him that Noah didn't trust, but it was yet another thing he pushed down so as not to ruin his friend' adventure. Though he and Eva noted it down just in case anything went south.

• They all carry a weapon or multiple!

Eva carries brass knuckles and a baton.

Izzy carries a tazer (one she rigged herself), a spoon (the is deceptively sharp), and pepper spray.

Owen carries a hunting knife.

Noah carries a couple of knives, a tazer, pepper spray, and a device he rigged to emit a specific high-pitched sound that, when heard, causes someone to pass out. That one is really for emergencies only.

• Alejandro freaked out when he saw a van follong Chris and Chef to the front of the mansion. He had already been there a couple of months and had found nothing of note for his investigation, but when he saw the van, he immediately clocked that these people must be new victims. The island had the occasional guests, but those were planned, and they were workers who came to help harvest the Moonscar Island Peppers for the markets since the plantation was too big for Alejandro to maintain himself and harvest himself.

So seeing the van had him on high alert.

•....his alertness may have broken a little at the sight of the absolutely beautiful boy who climbed out of the drivers seat of the gaudy van. He was in an impossibly soft looking burnt orange sweater with dark maroon overalls and these brown hiking boots. The red frames sunglasses completed the look, and Alejandro was but a weak man when he saw those pouty lips purse further into a pout.

• If his pout was a thing of beauty, then his mysterious boy's smile was a thing of art. And the fact it was the golden retriever of the group who made him smile made Alejandro melt.

• Wait.....golden retriever!? Did Chris even mention the absurd amount of cats this place had!? Was the mysterious beautiful boy gonna get kicked out for the dog!?

Maybe that was for the best, but Alejandro would be so very sad not to see his face in closer detail.

• Noah refused to take off his shades because they maybe allowed him to observe the piece of absolute eye candy that was the gardener before he forced himself to snap into focus. They had a mystery to solve, and if the hunk of a man turned out to be completely innocent in this mess them maybe Noah would focus back on him.

• Noah was none too pleased that he had to room with Owen. He loved the guy, but he hated sharing a room with him. He was even more displeased because it was obvious that the mansion had more than enough rooms that staying in one alone could and should have been an option.

Then he found out the gardener, Alejandro, was made to stay in the guest house instead of the main house, and Noah's assessment of the owners was cemented. They were narcissistic assholes.

• Alejandro fell face first into the dirt because he tripped over a large pot when he saw Noah wearing regular glasses that also happened to have red frames like his sunglasses and his slightly longer hair in a small ponytail.

• The ghost in the mirror had intrigued Noah, and he really wanted to take it apart, but his mama and sisters raised him with manners, so he asked before doing so. He may not have gotten permission, but he asked, and he did it when no one was around and put it back together with no one, none the wiser! Win win.

• Next weird thing to happen to Noah would be him levitating....yeah... there was no way to debunk that, and maybe it was Karma for wrecking the kitchen wall, but hey. Proof!! Now he was excited!

• Noah's little excited smile had Alejandro swooning whilst simultaneously freaking out over the fact his little zorro was FLOATING!!

• Izzy got pissed that she wasn't the one to be levitated.

Next

[accountsend]

Maximizing Conversion Rates: Turning Leads into Loyal Clients

Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | AccountSend.com

In the realm of B2B sales, the journey from leads to loyal clients is a captivating narrative that blends strategy, empathy, and innovation. Within this guide, we uncover seven indispensable strategies that hold the key to skyrocketing your conversion rates. Join us as we traverse the path from lead generation to nurturing steadfast client relationships, all while delving into the invaluable insights gleaned from AccountSend.

DOWNLOAD THE CONVERSION RATES INFOGRAPHIC HERE

Peering into the Soul of Your Leads

At the heart of conversion success lies a profound understanding of your leads. It's a journey that transcends data, inviting you to explore the depths of their business aspirations, challenges, and dreams. Guiding you through this exploration is the meticulously crafted B2B contact database. This treasure trove of insights empowers you to paint a vivid portrait of your leads, allowing you to craft personalized sales strategies that resonate deeply with their unique needs.

Crafting Connections Through Personalization

Your leads aren't just entries in a sales log; they are stories yearning to be heard. Personalization is your brush, your tool to craft connections that linger. By immersing yourself in their narratives, addressing their pain points, and acknowledging their aspirations, you pave the way for genuine connections. These personalized interactions transcend transactional exchanges, laying the foundation for enduring relationships built on trust and mutual understanding.

Navigating the Terrain with Account-Based Marketing

In the sea of possibilities, precision becomes your guiding light. Enter account-based marketing (ABM), your compass in this vast expanse. ABM directs your focus towards the accounts with the greatest potential. It's the art of resource allocation, shortening sales cycles, and elevating conversion rates. With ABM, your efforts become laser-focused, nurturing connections that promise lasting value.

Value as a Prelude to the Sale

Value doesn't wait for a deal to be struck; it's a prelude that sets the stage. Share insights, offer guidance, and provide resources aligned with your lead's goals. This pre-sale value isn't just a gesture; it's a declaration of intent. By offering a taste of the value that awaits, you create a fertile ground for a productive sales journey.

Symphony of Follow-Up Strategy

A 'no' today is a 'not yet' in disguise. Enter the art of follow-up, your symphony of persistence. A well-designed follow-up strategy transforms initial rejection into eventual acceptance. A systematic approach ensures consistent touchpoints with your leads, maintaining your presence in their minds and eventually shifting hesitation into enthusiastic embrace.

Cultivating a Pristine Contact Canvas

In the digital era, a clean contact database is your foundation for success. Regular updates, purging outdated information, and ensuring accuracy are the pillars of a quality database. A pristine contact list enhances your outreach, elevating conversion rates by guaranteeing that your efforts hit the bullseye every time.

The Science of Measurement and Refinement

No journey towards excellence is complete without measuring the terrain. Continuously gauge your conversion rates and dissect the contributing factors. This analytical exploration becomes your guide to refining your lead generation and sales strategies. Let data illuminate your path, leading to informed decisions and perpetual enhancement.

Harmonizing Conversion Mastery

Elevating conversion rates is a symphony of strategic understanding, personalization, and value delivery. These seven strategies are the notes that compose this symphony, the keys to transforming leads into devoted clients. As you integrate these strategies into your sales narrative, witness the metamorphosis of your business into a realm where loyal clients fuel perpetual growth.

[isthehorsevideocute]

since it's horse racing hype season I have to say my relationship with horse racing is...... complicated to say the least. So I'm going to outline why in the good and the bad

*What are the Benefits of Horse Racing

To sum it up, the entire equine industry depends on the presence of horse racing. Whether you compete in the upper eschalon of the equine competition or just keep a pasture puff in your backyard, you benefit in some capacity from the presence of the race horse industry.

*The majority of riding horses have at least some racehorse blood

Quarter horses, trotter/pacer breeds, saddlebreds, Tennessee walkers, morgans, and the dozens upon dozens of European warmblood breeds all have been produced or enhanced by thoroughbreds. If you own a horse and it's not a thoroughbred, chances are good they still have Thoroughbred or arabian somewhere in their lines. For pretty much as long as horses have been domesticated, racing has been one major way in which the excellence of breeding stock has been tested.

*Racing keeps the breed alive

While there are some breeding operations that breed non racing Thoroughbreds, they are few and far between and likely would be unable to sustain the breed if other operations popped out of existence.

While to many the off the track thoroughbred has fallen out of favor as a riding horse, many still appreciate them as performance horses. While the european warmbloods have been largely dominating equestrian sports in the recent decades, off the track horses had a long history of dominating the performance world, even making it to the Olympics. If you know what to look for and are willing to teach the ropes, a horse off the track is a much more affordable option, at least in up front costs as most don't exceed 4 figures in purchase price. On top of that, many competitions host incentive program classifications, giving out awards to riders and trainers of ottbs.

*Racing provides funding for research and the industry as a whole

In the United States alone, horse racing accounts for nearly 30% of the equine industry's gdp. This is likely even greater in other nations that don't have as much emphasis on recreational riding and showing.

Numerous University animal hospitals and research facilities are heavily funded and given test subjects by the race horse industry. This isn't to say these horses are treated like lab rats, but in many cases the owners of race horses are more willing and able to put money into trying new methods to enhance healing and health of their horses.

Looking at research studies of therapies for injuries, nutrition, and common conditions seen in performance horses like gastric ulcers, the subjects of the research are often race horse stock.

The elimination of such a large portion of the equine industry would not doubt devastate it.

*Racing brings prospects into the industry

For the average person, racing is the most recognized facet of the equine industry. It's presence brings clients and investors into equine related businesses. Race courses are often places for other equine related events to take place outside of the racing season.

One prominent example of racing's impact on bringing in participants to other equestrian activities is that of the Japan Horse Park. The park was patented and funded by the JRA with hopes that pushing equestrian sports would provide retired thoroughbreds with new prospects and the racetracks with new jockeys.

......

So what about the bad

*Comparatively high rate of fatality

So one might think, 'horses run in nature, surely galloping on a race track can't be that hard on them'. Well the reality it that in nature, horses are generally only seen galloping every once in a while for very short periods of playing or fleeing from danger. Racing and breezing a horse at full gallop puts immense strain on their bodies, especially their limbs.

It's hard to find statistics on actual injury rates because the database only reports on injuries or conditions resulting in death (not all of these necessarily being injuries resulting in euthanasia, sometimes these can be cardiovascular failures such as aortic ruptures.) Since fatalities per start have been recorded, the rate of race horse fatalities per race start has been between 1% and 2%.

So granted it's actually even harder to compare that to fatalities of horses in other sports because there is really no similar data base for other equine sports so I had to do some digging to actually find some semblance of a comparison and I've come to the conclusion that the reason we don't have a data base for other sports is because the number of fatalities for most of them are negligible

Only sport I have concrete data to compare to is eventing (specifically the xc portion, as even show jumping injuries for horses are almost non existent)

In the eventing data, it's hard to calculate an actual fatality rate, but fatalities in eventing are generally associated with horse falls. And the rate of horse falls over the last 10 years is 1.4%. Naturally the number of equine fatalities would be even lower. Based on my calculations on fatalities vs starts for international events it would be about a 0.3% fatality rate for event horses. And seeing as eventing is deemed the most dangerous equestrian sport in regards to human and horse injuries, it's safe to assume that the rates for other equine sports is even lower.

*Horses are started really young (at least in the US)

Racehorse age is determined, not by the age they are, but by the age they are turning in that year from January (in the northern hemisphere). Thing is, horses are seasonal breeders and have an 11 month gestation period. Mares tend to go into estrus around late March, and have generally lower fertility rates at the beginning of their seasonal cycle. As a result most horses are born in the spring. Breeders will try to have foals born as early as possible in the year but regardless, they will be younger than they officially are for some period of time. Racing starts with age groups as young as 2, meaning not only will some horses be backed at as young as a year old, they may even start racing at a year old. While starting horses young may be linked to higher bone density, there are many more drawbacks that are largely ignored by trainers. Because so much emphasis is put on young horse races, many race horses are retired at as young as 3 or 4. This is a problem for many reasons.

Horses are often spent at a young age and end up with lifelong health issues (even a young horse you will be hard pressed to find sound with clean x rays if you are looking for your next prospective riding horse off the track).

Horses are bred without any screening for health issues that may develop with age. Thoroughbreds are infamous for developing kissing spines which has both a genetic component and is linked to early backing as the spine is not fully developed until a horse is between the ages of 6 and 7. And on a related note.

*The evolution of horse racing favoring track racing has deteriorated the quality of the Thoroughbred breed

Originally horse racing was a long distance endeavor over rural landscape. Horses would be stopped periodically and checked for suitability to continue. Thoroughbred racing was once more similar to the sport of endurance. When racing was moved to a track to make it more economical and spectator friendly, the Thoroughbred breed changed drastically. Rather than emphasis on endurance, Thoroughbreds were bred to maximize speed. This has resulted in horses that are heavy on the forelimbs with long narrow legs, leaving them more prone to injury and less inclined to excel in other sports.

*Notoriously poor husbandry conditions during training and racing

While foals and broodmares are often allowed to live in pasture with herds, once they are old enough to start training, many racehorses are stalled 24/7. Of all performance horses, racehorses have the highest rates of ulcers thanks to their long periods of confinement in stalls and high energy diets. Concentrated feeds (which race horses are often fed in large quantities) are high in nonstructural carbohydrates. Horses, as grazers, have digestive tracts designed for breaking down roughage which they will spend more than half their day slowly consuming. As a result horses constantly produce stomach acid. The stomach of a horse has different smooth muscle tissues in it, where the base of the stomach is more resistant to corrosion, and the top near the esophagus is more delicate. Without the presence of structural carbohydrates, the stomach acid isn't buffered properly and it is likely to cause damage to the upper stomach, resulting in ulcers. On top of a lack of roughage, non structural carbohydrates, or starches, increase the acidity of the stomach. Stress can also interfere with the stomach health of a horse, increasing acidity, and causing a horse to refuse to eat, making the issue worse.

*Adding to the unwanted horse problem

I will preface this by saying that the Thoroughbred industry is hardly the worst offender to the unwanted horse problems in America. The worst offender is backyard breeding. The Jockey Club has policies in place to attempt to control rates of breeding and ensuring that their registered horses are accounted for.

The narrative that ex racehorses are very often disguarded into sale yards where they are likely to be purchased by kill buyers just isn't true. It's true that some may slip through the cracks but generally there are many owners and rehoming groups out there to make sure ex racehorses or horses deemed not suitable for racing end up somewhere safe. And as i mentioned earlier, there are incentive programs to support trainers and owners who take in former racehorses. That's more than can be said for many horses.

Still the number of horses that are born vs the number of horses that stay with race stock yards is pretty darn low. Lots of horses won't make the cut to race, more will retire from racing early, even more will be rejected as breeding stock. This means there are tons of Thoroughbreds with no solid future depending on the hope that they will be taken in by someone outside of the racing industry.

In conclusion, for me, in an ideal world we will not see racing eliminated but it will get a major overhaul. I can hope but my fear is at best, nothing of substance will change, at worst horse racing will be outlawed like greyhound racing has been in many places (because that's the easier way out). Already the racing industry has been snuffed out in many regions with tracks opting to shut down live racing and former thoroughbred farms being developed on so our prospects aren't looking great.....

[technofeudalism]

In a little more than a month, 8th Ward residents will go to the polls to elect a replacement for the aldermanic seat vacated by Cara Spencer when she was elected mayor. But not everyone is happy with the way the city’s Democratic Central Committee is putting their thumb on the scales of the special election.   That’s because the central committee is blocking some candidates’ access to the Democratic Party’s Voter Activation Network, a database that includes a wealth of maps and other information about past voter behavior. It also contains information collected by previous canvassers as to what issues particular voters care about. It’s a huge asset, especially in a campaign that will likely come down to who can do a better job knocking on doors across the ward, which hugs the Mississippi River and stretches from downtown on one end to a sliver of Carondelet on the other. And generally, it’s available to all dues-paying Democratic Party members. Not so in this election. Right now, the only candidate in the race with VAN access is Shedrick “Nato Caliph” Kelley, who won the nomination of the St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee. That’s even though at least three candidates—Alecia Hoyt, Jami Cox Antwi, and Jim Dallas—are Democrats who’d normally be able to access the database as well.  The central committee has been the source of numerous power struggles in the last decade, many of them stemming in part from its power to fill aldermanic vacancies. Historically, only candidates endorsed by the committee in a special election to fill a vacancy could run with the all-important “D” next to their name, although that privilege is now in dispute due to the city’s 2020 switch to non-partisan, approval voting. But VAN access has generally not been in dispute, some city politicians say—until now. Hoyt has been a small business owner for 20 years, but this is the Benton Park resident’s first time running for office. “I’ve been a politician for about three weeks now,” she jokes. An activist who believes in better access to green spaces and streets that are safer for kids and pedestrians, she was motivated to enter the race because she felt like her activism was hitting up against “diminishing returns.”  She says she purchased access to the voter database from the state party on May 1 for $500. Then, on May 7, she got a call from someone who worked in IT for the state Democrats, who told her that her access was being removed.  She was able to get her payment refunded, but says the move felt “really undemocratic” and “dirty.”  She says, “To me, this sort of stacking the deck, feels like the antithesis of the democratic process.”  Antwi is also a lifelong Democrat, running in the Ward 8 race as an independent. She works in community development and affordable housing and says she wants to see aldermen better address vacant buildings, both in residential neighborhoods as well as in the commercial areas downtown. “My biggest goal is wanting to build up the ward and making it the kind of anchor of St. Louis that I think it should be,” she says.  She calls the central committee’s decision to deny other candidates access to the database “sad” and “unprecedented.”

so what happened to the Democratic party not wanting to tip the scales for any one particular candidate in any one particular race? i guess that doesn't count here, huh? absolute fucking joke of a political party. as much as i dislike him, David Hogg literally just got rolled out of DNC leadership for this exact thing. complete and utter hypocrisy.

[scotianostra]

April 28th 1742 saw the birth in Dalkeith of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, the lawyer and politician who became the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom.

We don't have to be proud of all our Scots in history, we also can't ignore them, I doubt anyone would say we could be proud of a man like Henry Dundas.

You wouldn’t think that a man who crushed a rebellion against the Highland Clearances and played a part in delaying the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade by 20 years would have a memorial in Scotland’s capital – yet Henry Dundas sits atop one of Edinburgh’s tallest monuments.

Also known as the “Grand Manager of Scotland”, politician Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville played a defining role in late 18th-century politics.

He was the first secretary of state for war and the last person to be impeached in the UK for embezzling public funds.

During his life he also oversaw the transportation of Thomas Muir and the Scottish radicals demanding the right to vote – a case that inspired Robert Burns to pen Scots Wha Hae – and was said to be key to the expansion of the British Empire in India and the West Indies.

Yet despite this record, the Melville Monument on which he stands atop, located in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh, simply states that he was “a dominant figure in politics for over four decades” and that “besides being treasurer to the Navy, he was also Lord Advocate and Keeper of the Scottish Signet”.

doesn’t have the most distinguished history when it comes to the slave trade, writes Andrew Learmonth. Henry Dundas wasn’t the only prominent Scot to have made huge amounts of money on the back of other people’s enslavement.

Many in Glasgow became obscenely rich due to their trade in the tobacco and sugar businesses; two industries entirely reliant on the efforts of slavery. James Ewing, former Lord Provost and MP, below, who has a memorial in the city’s Necropolis, was a slave plantation owner.

And when slavery was abolished, plenty of prominent Scots became very wealthy thanks to a ludicrously generous compensation scheme.

A database of the compensation paid out showed there were slave owners all over Scotland. Scots on the database include Colonel John Gordon of Cluny, who in 1851 forced some 3,000 of his tenants on the Outer Hebrides to emigrate to Canada, and James Cheyne, who cleared tenants from the Isle of Lismore in the 1840s and 1850s.

Read more about Dundas here, but not with pride, it is with a sense of shame.

https://historycompany.co.uk/.../henry-dundas-lofty-hero.../

[tommyandtabitha]

IMPORTANT PSA for PET OWNERS:

If you microchipped your pet, there's a chance you need to register the chip with a different company. 'Save This Life', a pet microchip company in the US, went out of business.

Vets and shelters no longer have access to their chip database. This means the owners information (which is in the database, not the chip) can't be looked up when they scan the chip to get its identification number.

Good news! You can register your chip with a different company, so that you'll still show up as the person to contact if your lost pet gets scanned.

[xenosagaepisodeone]

As much as copyright law sucks, its unfortunately one of the only legal venues with any sort of real power for artists working in creative industries to protect their livelihoods and colleagues. Unionization alone isn't going to stop companies from scraping people's work, especially not people who are non-union or freelancers, and unions like SAG-AFTRA keep throwing people who aren't making top-dollar under the bus for "ethical" AI startups they partner with anyway, even when said members call them out for siding with corporate over their own due-paying members. When corporations who normally try to shut down creators with DMCA takedowns are now violating the IP of countless creators themselves, why shouldn't we at least hold them accountable to the same laws they already use against us?

because it will not work. I truly cannot stress this enough, whatever meager personal gains that some industry artists are able to acquire in isolated cases against startups and other boutique tech ventures will set the precedent for which the corporations that actually control your country (who have infinite resources to expend on legal ventures) will use to push the law further in their favor. disney already does so much to prevent their IPs from entering the public domain! if you give them an avenue to exploit, they will do it! and it won't matter who was actually right because they have they have so much more money. artists and indie animation studios that could pose any threat to corporate monopolies on art will get C&D'd out of existence for superficial similarities. karla ortiz' lawsuit was so vaguely worded that you could hypothetically pursue someone legally if they had artwork of yours saved in a pinterest inspo board since CLIP models were framed as "trade dress databases". this entire movement is more concerned with potentially obstructed opportunities to rent-seek than it actually is about workers rights- or even simply art that was not created with the intent of being 'content'. and the same industry artists who spearheaded this frenzy will side the the corporations when it comes to it because they've already got theirs.

copyright is never made with the interests of individuals in mind. like, i can't even begin to explain how historically, the little guy is the one getting fucked over by copyright law! how so much of what shapes our culture exists in spite of copyright law as opposed to because of it. what drives me insane is how ai is the thing that artists end up rallying around in unity; not anything to actually improve the quality of life working within the arts, but instead a fad technology. i've seen people describe working in animation as being like a form of debasement and act like nothing can be done while i'm witnessing an entire movement unfold to protect that because a lot of artists seem to think of themselves as temporarily embarrassed small business owners over workers.

[euphreana]

The Shape of Truth - Chapter 18: Old Plans

Masterpost

-

The cannons on the wall were all linked together, made to be controlled from one location. That location was only lightly secured - set so that any knight or knight-in-training could operate it in an emergency - but it did require a keycard to get in.

Ambrosius knew he could try retrieving his own keycard from the mental ward storage at the hospital, provided his stuff was still there, but using it would probably set off alerts. They needed a keycard from someone else - someone who wouldn’t miss theirs while Ambrosius and Nimona worked, nor report it as missing and alert authorities when it was used. Fortunately, there was someone who wouldn’t miss their keycard: Ballister. He hadn't had a reason to have it with him at the knighting, so chances were it had been left somewhere that Ambrosius could find. And knowing how long it took The Institute to update their databases, it would probably still work.

Ambrosius kept his head down as he slipped into the cadet dormitory’s back entrance. It was mid morning, and the next round of future knights were moving their stuff into what would be their rooms for the next few years. It was just busy enough that a custodian on duty wouldn’t stand out. That was the idea, at least, Ambrosius thought as he pushed the supply cart Nimona was hiding in towards the room that used to be Ballister’s. He paused at a corner to adjust the glasses on his face. At least no one here knew him well enough to recognize him on sight.

Ballister’s dorm was unlocked and empty - apparently whoever had been assigned this room wasn’t moving in just yet. That made Ambrosius’s job easier. He shoved the custodian cart through the door, making sure to lock it behind him. Nimona sprang from her hiding spot in the cart, shaking off dust while taking human form again.

“Whew, I am not hiding in the vacuum again!” She exclaimed.

Ambrosius didn’t reply. He’d barely spoken a word to Nimona since the day before, when he’d learned she’d done nothing to prevent his dad’s death.

He looked around the room. It had long since been emptied, leaving just a few pieces of bare furniture and a bed. Still, Ambrosius was confident the keycard was here. Ballister had always hid his important things - having had his room raided by bullies more than once had made him careful about that.

Ambrosius lifted the mattress on the bed, checking for anything that could have been stuck in the bed springs. Nothing. He ran his hands along the seams of the mattress, looking for a tear that things could be stashed inside. Nothing. He turned to the nightstand, pulling the drawer out and looking below it, then checking behind the furniture. Nothing. Ambrosius rubbed his scalp, trying to think. The keycard had to be here. Where would…

“Hey,” Nimona piped up from across the room, “I think I see something in here.” She gestured at an air vent at the bottom of the far wall.

Of course. The screws holding the vent in place were barely attached, and there were greasy marks around the edges from regular handling.

Four little screws clattered to the floor in succession as Ambrosius removed the vent cover. Sure enough, there was a satchel sitting inside, awaiting its owner’s return - a return that would never come.

Ambrosius tried to push his feelings away as he rummaged through the bag. There was an emergency money card, a holo-photo device, several glass marbles from a game they'd played as kids, another money card, a small cloth pouch… and finally, Ballister's keycard.

Ambrosius pocketed the keycard, then picked up the small cloth pouch curiously. Nimona watched over his shoulder.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Ambrosius didn’t know. It felt like… coins inside? He pulled open the drawstring and emptied the contents onto his palm. Two rings tumbled out.

Nimona tilted her head.

“Are those… engagement rings?”

They were engagement rings. Fancy engagement rings. One was gold molded into a braided design - the same gold tone as Ambrosius’s armor. The other was striped with blue and black - Ballister’s favorite colors. Both of their initials were carved together onto the rings in an interlocking design.

Ambrosius’s hands began to shake as he sat back on his knees. These rings weren't cheap. Ballister had been planning for a long time, probably saving money for years, until he’d had enough for the rings. Rings that would never be used.

Ambrosius closed his hand on the rings, holding them tight. His vision blurred. His chest tightened. He locked his jaw, trying to will the sobs building up inside him to go away. He could feel the engagement rings pressing against his palm, a reminder of who Bal had been, and how he’d been taken away, never to return.

Ambrosius clasped his free hand over his mouth, trying to stifle his sobs. Nimona placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, we should get out of this place. Someone could hear.”

Ambrosius didn’t care if someone heard. He was suffocating in grief. He almost wanted someone to hear him - at least then someone would know how the love of his life had been torn away from him, leaving a gaping hole of nothing.

Nimona’s voice came again.

“Come on, he wouldn’t have wanted you to get caught.”

Ambrosius opened his mouth to say something in reply, but all that came out was a wail of despair. He couldn’t handle it any longer. He doubled over, clutching the rings to his chest as enormous sobs wracked his body.

Nimona was moving around behind him.

“No no no… Someone will hear…”

Suddenly a cloud of pink fluff pressed itself against his face. It was Nimona, in dog form.

Forgetting Nimona’s transgression, Ambrosius wrapped his arms around Nimona in a hug, burying his face in her thick fur to muffle his weeping.

No one outside heard him, busy with their lives as they were, moving along as if he didn't exist. It was a tragedy - the world would never know the truth; that Ballister had been a beautiful, kind, caring human, not a mentally ill murderer as the official records stated. The world would never see these engagement rings on the fingers of their intended, despite Ballister's years of careful planning. The world was cruel. There was no changing that about it.

Ambrosius and Nimona remained there for an hour, Ambrosius letting out the unprocessed pain and grief he’d been trying to push down for so long. Nimona stayed with him, letting him hold onto her for as long as he needed.

Eventually, Ambrosius’s sobs subsided and he sat back against the wall, feeling empty inside. Nimona lay next to him, resting her fluffy head on his lap while he ran his fingers through her fur. Slowly, he began to come back to himself.

“I’m sorry…” he said quietly, picking up and replacing the glasses that had fallen off his face.

“It’s okay. You needed that.”

Ambrosius didn't reply. He'd never felt so lost. Everything… everyone… gone.

Nimona spoke up.

“You never said you were together like that.”

“I didn’t… think I needed to say it.”

There was a brief silence. Then Nimona spoke again.

“When I decided to be your sidekick, I thought you’d be different - a rebel, more like your dad. I thought you just needed a small push to become a villain.”

“You’re… disappointed?”

Nimona stretched her furry legs.

“Sorta, yeah.”

Ambrosius was too numb for the uncontrolled feeling of guilt to settle. Nimona continued.

“This has been more fun though. You’re more unpredictable. And for what it’s worth, you’re a better person than your dad.”

Ambrosius closed his eyes. “I’m still not forgiving you for not saving him.”

Nimona sighed.

“Fine. But hey, maybe that’ll be your path to being the villain after all.”

Ambrosius didn’t respond to that. He reached under the neck of his shirt and pulled out the necklace he’d taken from his family's vault. He unclasped it and slid the two engagement rings onto the chain, next to his mom's pendant.

“Nimona… Do you think you can get us into the hospital?”

There was one more chore he needed to do.

Chapter 19