#IT Risk Strategies

[techbreeze-it-solutions]

Risk Management in IT Projects: Strategies for Success

Ensure your IT projects succeed by mastering risk management. Learn to identify, assess, and mitigate risks with real-life examples and practical strategies. Stay ahead with our latest insights! #ITProjectManagement #RiskManagement

In the rapidly evolving field of Information Technology (IT), projects are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. With this complexity comes a heightened level of uncertainty, making risk management a crucial component of successful project delivery. Effective risk management not only mitigates potential threats but also uncovers opportunities for improving project outcomes. According…

[eggnogtoast]

redraw of this old warm-up drawing!

[thefloatingwriter]

Abt victors being complex - that's why my personal unpopular headcanon is that most of them didn't have positive feelings about Katniss or Peeta. Because let's be real for a moment, even if you're the nicest person in the world or the most broken and beaten down by the Capitol and the Games: you would think "why wasn't I enough? Why didnt people care enough about me to riot? Why do I have to go through this hell again? Why did they get to break the rules?" And tbh, KP's naivety as victors, from that perspective, would be absolutely grating, they never really seem to Get It until its too late and everyone else has to pay for their mistakes.

yes!!! this!!!! you get it!!!!!

katniss and peeta never had to go through the normal Victor Experience with the pain of mentoring or victor prostitution or the companionship within the victors. they just don’t Get It, like you said. and that’s not their fault!! the capitol shows these people hanging off capitol citizens arms, oohing and awing at everything in their path every year, fully convincing everyone that the victors are happy. that they want to be here, away from their home and families hanging off of strange men and women’s arms. they depict the perfect victors, who smile and wave and sign autographs. victors like chaff and haymitch get about five seconds of screen time before being pushed aside because they’re not interesting, they’re not the focus, they’re not complying with the image we are depicting. they don’t conform with the images we are showing to our citizens.

i truly believe that there was no way all of the victors liked katniss and peeta. actually, i don’t think many of the victors liked katniss and peeta. as in, there was probably like two that genuinely liked them. and also, from their perspective, these are the reason they’re going back into the arena!! none of the victors wanted to do that!!!

we really need more complex victors representation in this fandom…

[definite-human]

Headcanon: there's nothing wrong with Murderbot's risk assessment module - it's just accurately accounting for how much more capable it's become at handling things now that it's actively pushing itself and doing it's best

[fannedandflawless]

Hogwarts Security Issues: The Safest Place? Really?

"Hogwarts is the safest place there is."—Allegedly.

✔ This quote (or a close version of it) comes from Hagrid, who says:

“Hogwarts is the safest place in the world for something like the Philosopher’s Stone, apart from Gringotts.”

📌 Dumbledore indirectly supports this claim, as he is the one who allows the Stone to be kept there under school protection.

But oh, darling. The irony. The Golden Trio? They lived through all of this—year after year, chaos after chaos—and still got homework assigned like none of it ever happened.

🧱 YEAR 1: PHILOSOPHER'S STONE & TROLLS

A fully grown mountain troll breaks into the dungeons during a feast. No alarms. Just vibes.

Three eleven-year-olds sneak past every enchantment protecting the Philosopher’s Stone.

Quirrell, possessed by Voldemort, was teaching all year. No one noticed the face on the back of his head.

Hogwarts’ response? "Ten points to Gryffindor."

🐍 YEAR 2: THE BASILISK IN THE DRAINS

A basilisk has been slithering through the plumbing.

Several students are petrified, and still no evacuation plan is activated.

Myrtle was killed decades ago, and no one thought to check the bathrooms?

Oh, and the Heir of Slytherin was allegedly back—but no adult investigated seriously.

Hogwarts security: "Let’s ask the cat."

🐺 YEAR 3: WEREWOLF PROFESSOR & DEMENTORS

Remus Lupin, a werewolf, is hired as DADA professor—without telling a single student.

The only safeguard? Wolfsbane Potion, brewed exclusively by Severus Snape. One missed dose? Chaos.

When Lupin transforms unexpectedly, it is Severus who steps between the children and danger:

"Get behind me, Potter."

And yet, he’s branded the bitter one.

Meanwhile, Dementors—soul-sucking wraiths—hover freely around the school.

Sirius Black, an escaped convict, sneaks into the castle multiple times. Once even into the dormitories.

🌳 The WHOMPING WILLOW Issue

Planted specifically for Remus Lupin to access the Shrieking Shack during full moons.

The tree is sentient and violent—can literally kill a child in passing.

There is no protective barrier around it.

Only a secret knot can calm it—and yet students are never taught this.

It’s framed as a quirky landmark, when in truth it’s a hazardous liability.

🧪 SEVERUS SNAPE: The Unsung Safety Net

Brewed Wolfsbane every month—flawlessly.

Protected students even when he despised some of them.

Risked his life to shield the Trio from a raging werewolf. He literally puts himself between the children and a charging werewolf, even though: ‣ He hates Harry. ‣ He despises Sirius. ‣ And has massive trauma from being nearly killed by Lupin once during a "prank."

And yet. He still protects them. Dumbledore: “Severus, please be civil.” Severus: “CIVIL? I JUST FOUGHT A WEREWOLF FOR YOUR CHOSEN CHILD.” (🪧 Me in the background holding a sign that says: “Give the man a raise or a new spine, he’s carrying the whole plot.” You can hold the backup sign. It says: “I just watched him fight a werewolf in pressed robes—PAY HIM.” 😤)

Knew the truth about the Marauders’ past, the Map, Lupin’s condition—and still kept silent.

Endured mockery and suspicion, but always acted when it mattered.

Hogwarts would have collapsed into a heap of magical malpractice without him.

🐉 YEAR 4: THE TRIWIZARD DISASTER

Harry is forced into a lethal tournament through magical coercion.

Students have died in this contest historically, yet it's brought back for funsies.

Children fight dragons, swim with grindylows, and nearly die in a hedge maze.

Ends with Voldemort's return and the murder of Cedric Diggory. No reparations offered.

🧠 YEAR 5: TORTURE IN THE CLASSROOM

The Ministry places Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts—who literally tortures children with quills that carve words into skin.

Teachers are aware. Nothing is done.

Dumbledore ghosts Harry for an entire year to “protect him emotionally.”

Ministry interference, student trauma, and no adult protection. Gold star for Gryffindor trauma.

💔 YEAR 6: DRACO'S CLOSET OF DOOM

Draco secretly repairs a Vanishing Cabinet to let Death Eaters into the school.

Katie Bell is cursed by a necklace. Ron is poisoned. Multiple near-deaths.

The grand finale? Dumbledore dies on the Astronomy Tower. Iconic, but preventable.

💥 YEAR 7: DEATH EATER BOARDING SCHOOL

Hogwarts becomes a military regime.

Carrows torture students in class.

Neville leads a resistance movement from within the school.

Snape, as Headmaster, walks a tightrope of silent resistance, but it's still a war zone.

"Hogwarts is safe"—If you're the Chosen One. Maybe. 😂

—

Before we venture further into Hogwarts' ever-growing list of structural curiosities and magical oversights, my next post will take a detour into one particularly absurd contradiction: how Sirius Black managed to infiltrate Hogwarts with ease, while several powerful ex-students turned Death Eaters couldn’t do the same.

✨ Stay tuned for: Sirius Black Vs The Wards: Why Death Eaters Weren’t Invited To Tea

[astralhope]

I get so happy when I see Astral enthusiastic for a duel.

Even if most of his duels are a matter of life and death for him and he can't play them directly, he still enjoys dueling with all his being.

[lesbianralzarek]

"you can homebrew anything into 5e, its really genre-neutral" <- guy who assumes the health system used in d&d is the "default" and hasnt thought about the fact that healing up to full in 8 hours is a) buck fucking wild, and b) absolutely crucial to the power fantasy and foolhardy adventuring atmosphere that d&d is centered on. d&d wants you to rush into challenges, give it everything, barely survive, and then do it again the next day. fights in d&d default to not having long-lasting consequences (unless the dm gives them higher stakes on purpose as a conscious decision). thats fun for an adventuring game. do not do this in survival games

this is just one of the many, many mechanics in this game that give a certain vibe that tons of people love. changing this one thing wont change the genre entirely, but you have to change it if youre really that dedicated to reinventing the wheel in d&d. i am not nitpicking. this is huge. if you dont see why its such a big deal, i dont trust that you understand game design well enough to make a genre-hopping d&d homebrew

[picaroroboto]

Managers

[dairine-bonnet]

A slightly modified game's dialogue: my headcanon version

(first, it was supposed to be a completely separate and independent dialogue. But somehow it turned into that one!)

Lynette von Valancius: Conversing with you is no less disconcerting for me, Master van Calox

Heinrix van Calox: After serving in the Holy Inquisition all these years I am used to people being wary of me. But do you think there is anything to reproach you for?

Lynette: If one has lived 37 years, and there is nothing to reproach them for, they have probably been in coma since birth.

*There is a barely noticeable smile on Heinrix's face*

Lynette: However, you misunderstood me. I am not unnerved by your status, but by you personally.

Heinrix: I... You have no reason to be.

[you-need-low-tar]

Today's thinking about Holmeses psyche. Or Holmeses in general. Very long.

One core of BBC Mycroft that's prominent in ways that I don't remember seeing in ACD Mycroft is that he is, in the end, a man of action. It's been a decade since I read ACD, so I could be wrong. But the idea is that BBC Mycroft *does* things. Makes decisions about execution, or implementation. Is accountable for them, whether they turn out right or wrong. 

He takes action when he thinks something is up. Sherlock has a new roommate? Kidnap and test him. Sherlock relapsed? Search his flat. Mycroft is inclined to find a solution, to have something done, about a situation, about a crisis. Less interested in the what and when and how and why. Less interested in 'truth' or 'facts'. Could be because he would already know. I think he just doesn't consider it as important as salvaging the remains and controlling the damage. Fixing things. 

Sherlock sees something wrong and tries to observe to figure out the truth. Like watching a lab environment system. He disturbs it, sometimes a lot, when he thinks it would get him an answer. His interference of this system doesn't change the facts, the information, the truth of the system, which is all he wants. Mycroft is completely different. Mycroft deliberately interferes to change the state of the system into something he prefers. I define this 'action'. 

Sherlock is about perception. He's the physicist, wondering how things work and what's the mechanism. Mycroft is about implementation. He's the engineer, building things (and sometimes building things wrong). Making sure that things happen. A structure is built, not just designed on paper. 

Now, just that Sherlock isn't interested in the implementation, doesn't mean he's bad at it, or that he doesn't do it at all. His cases are mostly finding the truth, the who-what-when-where-how-why. There are times when it's a mission to something, such as getting the Bruce-Partington Plans, or getting Irene Adler's phone, or getting Magnussen's copy of scandalous letters. That's taking action, as it interferes the system without really asking questions. He decides that action is worth taking. He converts it into truth-finding again, very cleverly, because the circumstances allow it. Getting things = knowing where they are = truth finding. 

And then there are other times. There is taking down Moriarty's network. There is setting a trap for CAM such that he would give files of interest to Sherlock (twice in HLV, actually). There is having a plan to get Culverton's confession (he already knows that Culverton kills). There is having a plan to save John Watson, as Mary puts it. 

The genre is extremely limited, not counting the Moriarty thing. The genre is what I call 'leading mistakes out of people'. It's manipulating people so that they do what he wants them to do, instead of what people want to do themselves. The Moriarty one is more... I don't know the English for it. Letting someone carry out their plans and beating them at their own game. Kinda. 

I leave you to draw conclusions on his ability of making and executing plans. And the Moriarty one is aided by Mycroft. I tend to think that the shift in style has a lot to do with Mycroft.

And I think that's why Sherlock didn't anticipate Mycroft coming up with the Flight of the Dead to the Coventry Conundrum. It's Mycroft's way of thinking, not his. Sherlock's habit, his course, in his line of work, is to stop, once he knows that there is a terrorist attack coming and all the relevant facts. Doesn't think too hard about how to solve it. In TEH, he informs other people of the who-where-when-how-what, for other people (presumably Mycroft and his people) to come up with a protocol to take down the whole thing safely. 

Between Bond Air and Moriarty, I conjecture that Mycroft's style is actually a lot more passive. I'm not sure, and there's not a lot of evidence. But Sherlock's plans always involve him taking action to lure action out of his opponent. Mycroft's is... waiting... for an opportunity, I guess. No idea what he'd have done with CAM, if it were up to him. 

It kind of makes Sherlock a better strategist and Mycroft a better tactician? Which is not what I expected? (Strategy is designing a course of action out of thin air when you know nothing but your goal, which is to win. Tactics is the course of action when there is an attack coming from the other side, often specifically to deal with that attack.) 

I always thought the opposite because Mycroft is a lot about control, and about action. I headcannon Mycroft (and not ACD Mycroft, mind) as some sort of workaholic because he seems the type to feels safer when he has something to do. But then I guess it makes sense that he has more to lose when he's being the active party, making first moves, in his line of work. 

[speedyowl152]

Jet Lag the Game Spoilers ahead!

Me and my mum could write an essay on Sam's bad luck and this guy opens up with "the way to win this thing is high risk high reward". Noooooo Sam! You can't do high risk, you'll lose against all odds! This is how you wind up stranded in Singapore with no possible route out, I'm telling you.

That episode was heart wrenching, I'm such a team badam simpleton but then Sam gets himself into Situations like this and i just. This poor man, someone help him.

[screambirdscreaming]

I wish I knew the right amount of complaining about something to make it not feel bottled up but also not make me lean into it

[cementcornfield]

The flaws in the team - is this fixable in one offseason?

I’m worried they’re gonna see how close some games were and talk themselves out of making necessary changes 😕

god. i have no idea. the thing is that the bengals have always had this reputation, and it's a fair one for the most part. but as a new fan, i've only been experiencing these good years. (became aware of them during the super bowl, really got into them the next season. luckily became a fan right around when they went on a 10 game win streak so like, i wasn't aware this team DID lose?? and now look at me.)

i think, if you want to be Fair, the front office and organization HAVE been making changes. selling the stadium naming rights, making an in-season trade, paying joe the most guaranteed money they've ever paid, these are all steps in the right direction. but you can also fairly point out that a lot of this is way too little too late. they are far far behind the way most other front offices are run, and we're seeing the consequences of that.

i hope that progress keeps being made. i hope they see what they have in joe and ja'marr after this insane season, and see how they've let them down. i think joe (and certainly ja'marr lol) is the type to speak his mind when he sees something he's not happy about. i'm not sure how much power or sway he does have in the organization, but i imagine it's more than pretty much any player they've had til this point. and i can only hope they listen to him!! (without him having to threaten a trade, which i wouldn't blame him for. but i don't think it's come to that quite yet.)

in terms of what changes they could reasonably make this offseason, i think we need to (ONCE AGAIN) focus on drafting and signing defensive talent. it sucks because oh my god we've dedicated so many resources to that the last few years, but we just keep missing (and of course letting the actual proven talent go, assuming we can replace and it turns out we can't!) and then when you think about how high-potential players haven't developed, you do have to look at coaching. lou has been incredible for us scheme-wise the last few years. he is one of the few DCs who has proven he can consistently limit patrick mahomes, josh allen, and even lamar sometimes (less so this year lol). but! when you take away his top talent, he's not able to reproduce these results reliably. which i mean, that's a hard ask for anyone, but it's his job to work with the tools given, and two years in a row now he's proven that he can't set up the players he has currently on the roster for success. so the answer might be in replacing him? or at the very least, keep him for his scheming creativity but maybe replace position coaches? who actually work with and develop the guys every day?

i still think zac's job is safe. and i know i'm in the minority when i say i'm mostly okay with that. when you look at this team's problems, and what they've been able to do on offense this year despite key injuries, i still think that's impressive. and obviously you can attribute some of that to joe's ability to improvise, but i think when you look at the game plans recently, they've been pretty good overall. zac definitely still has trouble with deciding on when to be aggressive, and sometimes he gets too cute with shit, but i really don't think he's this team's biggest problem, and i think joe is still very much on his side. if that changes though, then yeah, i'd think zac's seat could get pretty hot.

oh i do think we need to get rid of frank though. our o-line is better at pass protection this year, especially when orlando is in and having one of his best years statistically. and i get that when we have joe at qb, we're always going to prioritize passing, that's fine. but i'm pretty sure we're dead last in run blocking. which is a shame because chase brown has shown he can be pretty special! but we need to give him SOMETHING to work with on these runs. and given that frank is the o-line AND run coordinator, it's pretty evident that he's the problem there. so maybe the team gets rid of him? hopefully?

i dunno, this has become a whole rant but these are just some of the things that i think could happen? and maybe if they do, we'll be in better shape next year to get things figured out. i'm excited to watch our young guys this season, see what we have in them. because they could definitely be the key to success next season!

[pixelartpeach]

Beat the first half (I assume it's half) of Inscryption. It took me about 7 hours, even knowing what things did and where powerups were (watched a few Markiplier videos before deciding I wanted to play myself).

Talked my roommate (@too-many-blorbos) into trying the game. She beat the first half in 2ish hours.

She did not die once on the final boss.

Also a fun fact, where it took me ~12 tries to beat Ganondorf in TotK, WITH my best gear, she ALSO beat him in one go. Without flurry rushing because she hated the timing of it.

My roommate's gaming skills are cracked.

[vounoura]

........I think I may have accidentally optimized too hard in E33 bc a boss that i think was supposed to be fairly hard was uh. annihilated in three or four turns

[nordstarvisions]

Top 5 data management mistakes costing UAE businesses millions

Introduction

In an increasingly digital economy, poor data practices have become more than just an IT issue—they are an enterprise-level risk. 

Across the UAE, businesses are losing millions annually due to fragmented systems, inconsistent governance, and reactive strategies. 

In this article, we’ll unpack five critical data managementmistakes, their tangible costs, and what forward-thinking firms are doing to stay compliant, competitive, and data-resilient in 2025.

1. Fragmented Data Silos Across Departments

While decentralization may speed up local decision-making, it often comes at the cost of data cohesion. Sales, marketing, finance, and operations frequently maintain isolated datasets that never sync—each with its own metrics, definitions, and reporting cycles. The cost? Missed opportunities, duplicated efforts, inconsistent KPIs, and customer insights that are either delayed or distorted due to incompatible sources. Fix: Implement centralized data lakes or unified ERP/CRM systems to bridge these silos. Introduce cross-departmental governance protocols, and enforce scheduled data synchronization to maintain consistency across all business functions.

2. Weak Data Governance and Access Controls

Many UAE businesses still lack formal governance policies. There’s little clarity on who owns the data, who can access it, and how data quality is maintained across systems and touchpoints. The cost? Increased risk of data breaches, GDPR/DIFC non-compliance, unauthorized exposure of sensitive information, and eroded stakeholder trust—especially in sectors like healthcare, finance, and public services. Fix: Deploy a robust data governance framework with clearly defined roles, role-based access controls, automated audit trails, and regular compliance reviews. Embed accountability at every stage of data creation and usage.

3. Overreliance on Legacy Infrastructure

Outdated database architectures, manual Excel trackers, and siloed on-prem systems continue to dominate back-end processes—despite widespread digital front-ends. The cost? Performance bottlenecks during scale, limited real-time data visibility, high IT maintenance overheads, and an inability to integrate with modern analytics or automation tools. Fix: Migrate to cloud-native platforms that support elastic scaling, system redundancy, and embedded analytics. Incorporate APIs for seamless integration with existing digital tools while phasing out legacy dependencies.

4. Lack of Data Quality Assurance

Inconsistent formats, missing fields, outdated records, and duplicated entries remain common issues across enterprise datasets—especially when multiple input sources aren’t standardized.

The cost?

Flawed business reports, poor AI/ML model performance, customer experience setbacks, and incorrect decision-making based on unreliable data.

Fix:

Introduce end-to-end data quality frameworks that include automated validation checks, enrichment protocols, and AI-driven anomaly detection. 

Regular audits and cleansing routines should be part of standard operations.

5. Treating Data Strategy as a One-Off Project

Many businesses initiate data initiatives as one-time efforts—an implementation followed by months (or years) of stagnation. 

Without ongoing refinement, systems become outdated, and processes lose alignment with evolving business needs.

The cost?

Strategic misalignment, increasing technical debt, and declining ROI on digital investments that fail to evolve with the organization’s goals.

Fix:

Create a living data strategy—an adaptive roadmap reviewed quarterly, driven by key stakeholders across departments. 

Tie progress to measurable KPIs like operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, or revenue growth from data-led initiatives.

Turn Costly Data Chaos into Smart Business Decisions: Nordstar Vision

At Nordstar Vision, we help businesses move from fragmented systems to future-ready data ecosystems. 

Whether you’re struggling with outdated infrastructure, data silos, or lack of governance, our team brings tailored solutions to help you scale confidently in a data-first economy.

Let’s turn your data into a growth engine.

Reach out to us today at +(971) 50 1108756 or visit nordstartvision.