#Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices

[northern-passage]

i thought there was a call to boycott the entirety of black friday and cyber monday?

i think there are people on tumblr & twitter that are advocating for a full boycott (which is good), but specifically with BDS & according to their website they're just calling for a targeted boycott against puma, HP, and marvel for black friday and cyber monday (along with the other targeted companies)

personally, i'm also boycotting starbucks (for their treatment of unionized workers) as well as a few of the other companies not listed in the immediate full boycott list.

as of 11/22 on their twitter, this is what they shared:

1. Consumer boycott targets - The BDS movement calls for a complete boycott of these brands carefully selected due to the company's proven record of complicity in Israeli apartheid.

2. Divestment targets - The BDS movement is pressuring governments, institutions and investment funds to exclude and divest from as many complicit companies as practical, especially weapons manufacturers, banks, and companies listed in the UN database of business involved in Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise, as well as the WhoProfits and AFSC Investigate databases of companies enabling the occupation. Below we give some of the targets we are campaigning against.

3. Pressure (non-boycott) targets - The BDS movement actively calls for pressure campaigns against these brands and services due to their complicity in Israeli apartheid. We have not, on strategic grounds, called for a boycott of these brands and services, instead we strategically call on supporters and institutions to mount other forms of pressure on them until they end their complicity in Israeli apartheid.

4. Organic boycott targets - The BDS movement did not initiate these grassroots boycott campaigns but is in support of them due to these brands openly supporting Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.

ultimately the companies listed under the first category you absolutely should be boycotting 100%.

and i'm not going to tell you to not also boycott black friday, especially since it coincides with the temporary 4-day "truce." like i said, i know there are groups that have been advocating for a full boycott this weekend along with protests; there were hundreds today, from Washington, DC, to Massachusetts, to California, to Florida... i shared the creator's day because they do that every other month or so on itch.io anyways & i wanted to link the BDS information alongside it. they may update in the future as well and call for more targeted boycotts as the holidays ramp up so i suggest bookmarking the website or following them on twitter, and look for a campaign near you to get involved directly.

BDS has also called for a global day of action on November 29th, which includes intensifying all targeted boycotting campaigns.

[nerdykeppie]

So! NerdyKeppie is working on a test program to permit exchanges of our clothing for size/fit purposes. This will be a little long, so bear with me.

As most of you know, our clothing is produced to order. This approach is part of what permits us to offer most of our patterns in over a dozen different flags as a matter of course (currently: Ace, Aro, Bear, Bi, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Gilbert Baker/8-Stripe, Lesbian, MLM/Gay Men, Non-Binary, Pan, Progress, Rainbow, Trans). If we had to carry stock, we would have to restrict ourselves to The Big Flags, simply as a matter of practicality. So, as long as we've been in operation, we haven't been able to offer exchanges as a matter of practicality. We had nowhere to store the returned items, and we didn't carry stock or have the ability to sell those returns.

But on the other side of practicality is the reality of shopping on the internet. While we do our best to provide sizing charts and good images, shopping online has a certain amount of risk to it, and that risk centers a lot on whether or not something fits.

We are looking at instituting the following change to our return/exchange policy:

Customer's first item exchange: NerdyKeppie pays return postage on your first item exchanged, and we'll file the replacement order with our manufacturer as soon as the exchange is confirmed. You must still return the item & may be charged if it isn't returned in resaleable condition. Exchanges must be requested within 15 calendar days of item delivery.

Customer's subsequent exchanges: On subsequent items, the customer pays the return postage to NerdyKeppie, and the replacement order will be filed when the item is received in resaleable condition. Exchanges must be requested within 15 calendar days of item delivery.

1. What happens if NK gets the item back and it isn't in resaleable condition (odor, stains/wear, shoes worn outside)?

You can pay to get it back from us if you'd like, but we can't exchange what you didn't return to us in good condition. If this is your first return, and we've already shipped your replacement, you may be liable for the cost of the 2nd item.

2. Can I return things and get my money back if they don't fit?

We'll be happy to help you with an exchange to find the right fit for you.

3. Can I exchange for a different item?

We may permit this in the future if this policy works out, but we need to start with exchanging only for size so we can see if this works, first. Too many variables make it harder to assess for us.

This policy is not yet in place; we are finalizing some logistics bits. :) Once it goes live, we will announce the length of the test period as well.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Caroline Orr Bueno at Weaponized Spaces:

As Elon Musk and his crew at DOGE have taken a wrecking ball to the federal government over the past several weeks, I have been doing a little thought experiment, the results of which I will share with you in this article. (They’re not good.) First, let’s get you up to speed in case you haven't been following the rapidly devolving situation in Washington. Newly elected president Donald Trump tapped Elon Musk to lead a non-existent government agency (DOGE) tasked with reducing government waste. It bears repeating here that this is not a government agency — it’s a “special” agency, according to the Trump administration — and does not have much of any authority beyond what we bestow upon it by accepting its legitimacy. Unfortunately, much of the country, including elected officials in Congress, have decided to play along (at least for now), granting Musk and his crew enough manufactured legitimacy to convince the public to go along with it, too (aka, manufactured consensus). We’ve heard a lot of talk in recent years about the fragility of democracy and the need to actively reinforce our commitment to democratic values and principles, and this is exactly why those warnings were needed. Timothy Snyder wasn’t just waxing poetic when he told us, ”don’t obey in advance.” He was giving practical advice for situations just like this. Unfortunately, that advice wasn’t heeded by a lot of our fellow citizens. And so here we are, with a fake government agency being weaponized by an unelected billionaire in an effort to dismantle actual government programs and services.

[...]

As I’ve watched the events of the past few weeks unfold, I have started to notice some interesting and uncomfortable parallels between the way Musk and his crew are carrying out their assault on our institutions, and the way a malicious computer program might try to infiltrate and immobilize, take over, or destroy a computer network. While it may seem that they are acting haphazardly and running around government like a bull in a china shop, it appears to me that there actually is a method to their madness — a method that seems to be rooted in a system of logic that functions a whole lot like artificial intelligence. This is where my thought experiment started to take shape. “Would this situation really look that much different,” I asked myself, ”if instead of dealing with Musk and his crew of barely-legal college kids, we were dealing with a rogue AI system seeking to seize control and ultimately incapacitate our government?” The startling answer I arrived at was “no” — it wouldn’t actually look all that different. The main difference is that it would likely be far more inconspicuous if an AI system were carrying out the same agenda as DOGE, because the AI wouldn’t be holding press conferences, taking pictures and video, and documenting its deliberate destruction of government on social media for all to see. It would do its work quietly, unknown to all or most of us, and may not become apparent until it had its tentacles wrapped around all of the systems that keep our government running — systems that control our nation’s finances, maintain critical infrastructure, safeguard public health, warn us of national security threats, and more. If we aren’t equipped as a society to stop an authoritarian takeover of our government led by a billionaire and a group of college kids doing his bidding — and as the past several weeks have shown, we aren’t equipped for that — then we definitely aren’t in a position to be able to identify and stop the hostile takeover of our government, or at least the systems that our government relies upon to function, by an advanced artificial intelligence system. That’s a problem.

[...] We know that the DOGE team has accessed a number of sensitive government databases and copied or transferred data from at least some of the systems they have gained access to. Although they appear to have read-only access to most systems, they have also sought access that would allow them in some cases to edit sensitive data such as payment records, bank accounts, social security numbers, and more. When they’ve gotten that type of access, they’ve used it to do things like lock career employees at the Office of Personnel Management out of key databases. At other times, they’ve used their access to post classified information online, like when they publicly shared the budget and staffing levels at the National Reconnaissance Office. In other instances, certain government websites, like the website for USAID, have been taken offline entirely, and have not yet been restored. DOGE also recently deleted information from its own website when it was revealed that its “Wall of Receipts” — which was meant to tout how much money the (non)agency is saving — was actually riddled with errors and miscalculations. Only time will tell how much Musk and his acolytes actually altered the systems they gained access to, but that’s sort of the point. By making it difficult or impossible to track exactly what they’re doing in real time, Musk and his team have essentially bought enough time to make sure they’ll be gone by the time all of their handiwork is uncovered. There is one other important way that Musk and his crew’s actions mirror those of a rogue AI system, and this one is the most concerning. As Musk has swept through government agencies looking for waste and excess spending, he doesn't appear to be applying any sort of human-centered value system to his decision-making. To him, $1,000,000 spread out to pay 10 salaries is equal in value to $1,000,000 spent on software licenses. It either doesn't matter or doesn't compute to him that taking away $1,000,000 on software licenses will not leave anyone unable to put food on the table or support their family, while mass firings to trim down spending will result in people who lose their homes and experience other unnecessary hardships, many of which will also extend to their families. He also doesn’t appear to understand or care about the potentially dire consequences of cutting back on forest service employees amid intensifying wildfires, or the catastrophic outcomes that could result from firing our country’s nuclear safety workforce. Sure, maybe this time he was able to rehire them before the worst case scenario became our new reality, but how many times is he going to put human lives on the line just to see what happens?

If you think DOGE is bad, wait til you see rogue AI.

[azspot]

Neoliberalism has done a number on the Working Class. Globalism allowed the wealthy to uproot manufacturing jobs and exploit workers around the world. Predatory monopolies like Walmart hollowed out Middle America by offering cheap goods that then redirected traffic from local stores and merchants, and destroyed rural economic ecosystems. Institutions that held meaning for the Working Class - think a sports team leaving a city and moving to another - have been destabilized and ruined, creating a feeling that the world is out of control. What remains of the Working Class, whether its people working in manufacturing or the barrage of service and gig labor positions, is run by algorithms and private equity and practices like contract labor that make it feel like that lack of control is only growing with every passing day.

A Thoroughly Confused Country: An Introduction to Class Politics and a Way Forward

[0perfectimperfections0]

What if Lou accidentally came to Uglyville before the uglydolls came to the Institute of Perfection?

Not sure exactly when you sent me this, but @subwhizz has a comic/graphic novel that they are working on called "Lou in Wonderland AU" and it is exactly what you're asking.

HOWEVER, I'm never gonna pass an opportunity to write out some ideas that sprung into my head. I do suggest reading the "Lou in Wonderland" story though. Sub is an amazing artist and an even better storyteller!

-------

The machines weren't perfect themselves by any means. Come to think of it, it would be pointless for Lou to even exist if the machines didn't intentionally create flawed dolls to a certain extent. But when Nolan popped into the Institute, Lou realized maybe the humans had let the factory go. There hadn't been that bad of a mess up since...

Lou shook the memories away, focusing on the never-ending tunnel in front of him as he walked. The flashlight flickered and the bulb made a static noise as it tried to warn Lou that the batteries were dying. He ignored it. Besides, the pipes only led to Perfection, so realistically he could just turn around and get back home easily.

It flickered again and Lou slammed the heel of his hand against it. "Stupid light..." He looked up, coming to a halt. "What in the world...?" The hole that normally led to the incinerator was blocked up with splintered wood and poorly driven in nails. No wonder he had mistakes like Nolan ending up in Perfection...

But that didn't entirely make sense either. The machines would realistically pop out a faulty doll out of every 100 or so made. He'd checked the math himself. That's what made Ox such a spectacle was that it was the first doll in years since the company started that hadn't been sorted correctly. But Nolan would still be recognized as a Pretty Doll. Despite his...differences, Nolan didn't have enough faults to him for the machine to deem him as a mistake.

So, if Lou hadn't seen any other faulty dolls...and the incinerator was blocked up...then where were mistakes going?

Lou blinked as the flashlight flickered one last time before dying unceremoniously. He sighed. This was a mystery for another day. Or whenever he could manage to steal the batteries from one of the robots again.

"Good thing the pipes all lead to--OHMYDOLL!" Lou screamed and felt his heart practically leap into his throat as he freefell into...well, it had looked like darkness before but now this was just liquid darkness he was slipping through. He desperately tried to reach his arms out in hope to grab onto something, but it felt like more pipe. But why was it going down!?

He screamed the whole way down, opting in closing his eyes despite not being able to see anything regardless, and praying that death would meet him quickly.

Light soon blinded him and he hardly had time to adjust his eyes before his whole body ached from crashing onto something hard. Luckily he landed on his back.

He groaned, eyes squinting in pain and still blinded by how much light there suddenly was. Some of it was blocked out suddenly by a weird, red figure. A wing-like appendage moved across his vision a few times and then he realized there was a voice connected to it.

Lou grimaced from the pain all through his back and head. "Please tell me I'm dead..."

The head of the figure tilted curiously. "I...w-well no...um...w-would you like to be?"

Lou put a heavy hand to his forehead. "Kind of. Are you gonna kill me?"

"No, but I do offer therapy sessions."

Who or whatever this voice belonged to had a lot more personality than the mindless dolls he trained on the daily. It didn't sound like such manufactured dialogue.

Something poked his side and Lou coughed as pain and a tickling sensation bubbled through him. "We have tons of food here too. You're awfully scrawny."

Lou waved the...it felt like an actual wing. What the heck. He opened his eyes blearily and finally got them to focus on...

A...bat? A red bat.

Lou scrambled back quickly. "What in the world are you?"

The bat looked surprised and a little put off by the reaction, but he spoke calmly. "My name is LuckyBat and I'm an UglyDoll, just like you!" He smiled with sharp fangs poking out of his lips.

"Excuse me?" Lou narrowed his eyes at the creature.

"Welcome to Uglyville! We never got an announcement of a new arrival. Did you get here through the flower?" LuckyBat paced a few circles around Lou, inspecting every inch of him.

Lou would lean a little ways opposite of wherever Lucky was as he revolved. "Flower?" The bat simply gestured upward. Lou followed up to the weird sunflower-looking thing jutting out of the cliff. "Yeah, I came out of that I think." Lou shook his head. "Where did you say this was?"

"Uglyville," Lucky straightened with a smile.

"Right..." Lou winced and forced himself to stand up. He rubbed the back of his head.

"I think this belongs to you. It fell out of the flower too." Lou squinted down. Lucky held up a dented flashlight to him.

Lou took it, already knowing it really wouldn't work anymore despite getting new batteries. "Thanks...What's your name again?"

"Luckybat." Boy, this newcomer sure had a bad memory.

"Why are you called that?"

"I'm usually very lucky. Lucky to have great friends, a great home, to be alive--"

Lou snorted. If this creature was here only because the incinerator was blocked, then yeah, he was lucky to be alive.

"What's so funny?" Lucky looked genuinely interested.

Lou shook his head quickly, going back to tinkering with the flashlight. "Nothing. I have another question."

"You're full of those, huh?" Lucky smiled.

The blond rolled his eyes. "Yeah. How do I get back up into the pi--flower?"

Lucky tilted his head. "You...want to leave?"

"Yes, very much so."

The bat seemed nervous now for some reason. "W-Well, I'm not so sure, but...I think I know someone who could help! She talks a lot about the flower and going through it. I'm sure she's got a million different ways to get up there!" Lucky bounded off ahead of Lou, not bothering to see if he was following.

Lou sighed, looking at the flashlight in his hand once before tossing it behind him and following the bat toward wherever.

The flashlight flickered back on behind them.

-----

I'll probably leave this right here for now and if you want a continuation I'll make the next parts longer.

Spoiler, I think I plan on continuing it anyway, but STILL.

It's also currently 1:40 in the morning where I am and I need to go to bed...

[mariacallous]

On the first day of a required class for freshman design majors at Carnegie Mellon, my professor stood in front of a lecture hall of earnest, nervous undergraduates and asked, “Who here thinks that design can change the world?” Several hands shot up, including mine. After a few seconds of silence, he advanced to the next slide of his presentation: a poster by the designer Frank Chimero that read, Design won’t save the world. Go volunteer at a soup kitchen, you pretentious fuck.

My professor wasn’t the first person to deliver such discouraging news. In 1971, the design educator Victor Papanek began his best-selling book, Design for the Real World, with a similar message. “There are professions more harmful than industrial design,” he wrote, but “very few.” By designing and popularizing products that “pollute the air we breathe”—including cars, which are responsible for “murder on a mass-production basis”—he argued, “designers have become a dangerous breed.” But design was capable of inflicting such harm, he wrote, only because it had so much potential, and therefore also the capacity for immense good. For Papanek, it was “the most powerful tool with which man shapes his tools and environment (and, by extension, society and himself).”

Many working designers today echo Papanek’s ambivalence about the profession. In her fascinating, rigorously researched new book, The Invention of Design, the designer and educator Maggie Gram shows how the field transcended its humble origins as the mere art of decoration and became a more ambitious, and more conflicted, discipline. Designers are responsible for more things than ever before: hardware, software, services, infrastructure. Many designers aren’t just trying to beautify the world; they want to make it a better place. In the process, they have tackled societal issues such as racial injustice and economic inequality, with mixed results. Design works best when it knows what it can achieve and what it can’t; the history of design is full of utopian projects that failed to make a difference. Gram’s book is critical of the hubris and techno-optimism that have led design thinking astray, but it is also hopeful, imagining how the discipline might eventually live up to its stated ideals.

In the 19th century, designers were typically commercial artists who worked to make everyday objects more attractive to consumers. But Gram’s book shows how, over the course of the 20th century, practitioners such as Eva Zeisel helped shape a new way of thinking about the profession. Born in 1906 to a highly educated Hungarian Jewish family, Zeisel became, at 18, the youngest woman to join the potters’ guild of Budapest. Her first job was to make prototypes of pots to be mass-produced at a factory—a skill that brought her to Berlin and then the Soviet Union. But her career there was cut short by Stalin’s Great Purge, and Zeisel moved to New York in 1938, where she taught at the Pratt Institute and designed dinnerware that was exhibited and sold at the Museum of Modern Art. Her work married Old World craftsmanship with industrial-manufacturing practices, and showed that popular modernist styles, which were often seen as rigid and circumscribed, could be executed with what Zeisel called “real elegance.”

Zeisel was one of many European émigrés who shaped American design culture. In 1919, the German architect Walter Gropius founded the Staatliches Bauhaus, an art school where first-year students were given a foundation in color, form, and fundamental aesthetic principles. The school was initially funded by the German state of Thuringia, but when the government began shifting to the right in the 1920s, the Bauhaus had to find a different business model. It began to partner with companies to sell its own products, which made the curriculum more explicitly pre-professional. As Gram writes, the Bauhaus began “using machines to mass-produce objects that worked,” including chairs, lamps, and other household items.

When the school eventually closed and Gropius fled Nazi Germany for America, he brought the Bauhaus’s ideas to Harvard’s design school as a professor. Gropius’s approach to industrial design—epitomized by the famous dictum “Form follows function”—was enormously influential; the Bauhaus’s synthesis of art, technology, and practicality shaped America’s understanding of design over the following decades. In a 2003 interview, Steve Jobs, then the CEO of Apple, remarked that “most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like.” But, as he argued, “it’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

Jobs’s reframing marked the culmination of a decades-long cultural shift. By the end of the 20th century, design students were typically categorized into one of two buckets: industrial designers who made physical, mass-produced products, and graphic designers who communicated information with visuals. But following the rapid rise of the technology sector during the early 21st century, many design students gravitated toward careers in that industry, where they worked on intangible products such as interfaces and software systems. As Gram writes, designers need more than just craftsmanship skills; they should “be students of human culture.” Here, the field benefited from another kind of émigré: social scientists who, faced with a declining academic-job market, entered the tech industry instead.

One contributor was Lucy Suchman, who graduated from UC Berkeley in 1984 with a Ph.D. in anthropology, then took a job at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center as a researcher. In an influential study, Suchman placed two successful computer scientists in a room to see whether they could, as Gram writes, use “a brand-new, feature-rich Xerox photocopier” without issues. They couldn’t. It turned out, as Gram observes dryly, that learning how to use an unfamiliar machine “is never as simple as technologists want it to be.” Other tech companies also hired social scientists, who became a new kind of design professional: user researchers. In theory, they were meant to instill a more “human-centered” approach to technology. In practice, however, they were pressured to solve problems quickly and prioritize profit over the ideal experience.

Eventually, some designers and design educators grew to feel that the “problems worth solving,” as Gram writes, were the “wicked problems” of society—a term coined by the design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber in 1973 to include issues such as crumbling public infrastructure, education inequality, and poverty. Teachers encouraged their students to apply design to things that really mattered—not just the creation of mass-produced consumer goods. And companies such as Ideo, a design consultancy founded in 1991 in Palo Alto, helped turn design from a specialist skill into a general-purpose one, selling the concept of “design thinking” to corporate America.

Design thinking, as Ideo’s CEO, Tim Brown, wrote in 2008, “uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible.” While Ideo employed design thinking to invent user-friendly insulin pens and an updated PalmPilot, the company also suggested that its approach to identifying issues and brainstorming solutions could be applied to all kinds of problems—including the “wicked” ones plaguing corporations, educational institutions, health care, and government. Corporate America fell in love with the idea, and Gram describes how design thinking became an almost “spiritual movement,” with Brown’s 2009 book, Change by Design, as its bible. Its influence extended around the world: In 2006, an advertising agency in Bogotá, Colombia, was asked by the government to research, prototype, and launch an ad campaign imploring a group of Marxist-Leninist guerrilla fighters to demobilize.

But design thinking often disappointed its disciples. Take Gram’s example of Gainesville, Florida, where in the 2010s, about a third of the city’s residents lived below the poverty line. In 2013, the city’s mayor asked Anthony Lyons, the director of a newly formed economic-development committee, to turn the city’s prospects around. Lyons looked to Silicon Valley for inspiration and hired Ideo for a two-month, $200,000 project to research how Gainesville could become a more “competitive” city. Lyons soon became city manager, and quickly implemented Ideo’s suggestions—including creating a new logo, establishing trainings for city employees in design thinking, and renaming the Department of Planning and Development the Department of Doing.

These sorts of changes, Gram writes, had a “tenuous relationship” to the real challenges facing Gainesville, one of the most racially unequal places in the country. Black residents had lower high-school-graduation rates and higher unemployment rates than white residents, and Ideo’s more surface-level solutions could do little to address that reality. Lyons’s eagerness to redesign Gainesville to be “the most user friendly city in the world,” as Ideo advocated, ignored the expertise of existing city employees. There was low morale and high turnover, and when Lyons himself resigned after a few years, a resident told a local university’s newspaper, “Gainesville is not a Silicon Valley startup.” The trouble, as The Gainesville Sun’s editorial board wrote, was that Lyons, despite being an “agent of change” in the city, failed to “build consensus.” He didn’t have a design problem to solve; he had a political problem.

The concept of design, as the French philosopher Bruno Latour observed in a 2008 lecture, has had an “extraordinary career.” No longer is design about making objects more beautiful and useful; instead, he suggested, “design is one of the terms that has replaced the word ‘revolution’!” That might be the problem. “Our contemporary idea of design,” Gram writes, is often used to convince ourselves “that positive social change could be achieved without politics and government action; that problem solving could be both generative and profitable.” But most ambitious changes on the societal level require political consensus, and what’s profitable for some may not be beneficial for all. Design may be a distraction from the real work.

The solution, though, isn’t to stop trying to change the world. What could a more beautiful, user-friendly, accessible, and egalitarian society look like? When it comes to making the world a better place, Gram writes, “design can contribute to that project, and it should.” In 2000, the designer Sylvia Harris helped revise the U.S. census to be more accessible and comprehensible, leading to a 2 percent higher participation rate compared with the 1990 census. This meant that more Americans, especially those from marginalized and undercounted communities, were represented. In her work, Harris exemplified a different path for the profession: one that seeks to understand the needs of the community being served and emphasizes participatory design. Designers’ instincts for aesthetics, utility, and usability can play a crucial role in addressing society’s “wicked problems.” But they can’t solve them alone.

[tinywonders8]

Tally Training in Chandigarh: Build a Successful Accounting Career

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, proficiency in accounting software like Tally is no longer optional — it’s a necessity. Whether you’re a student, a working professional, or someone planning a career shift into finance, Tally training in Chandigarh offers a golden opportunity to build a solid foundation in business accounting. With growing business activity in the region, mastering Tally can set you apart in the competitive job market.

Introduction to Tally and Its Relevance

Tally is one of the most widely used business accounting software in India. It simplifies complex financial operations such as invoicing, inventory management, taxation, payroll processing, and financial reporting. Tally ERP 9, the earlier version, was known for its robust features, while Tally Prime — the latest iteration — offers an intuitive interface and smarter navigation for enhanced productivity.

In a country where small and medium enterprises form the economic backbone, Tally plays a critical role in helping businesses maintain compliance and streamline operations. From automating GST filings to tracking stock levels in real time, Tally’s capabilities are deeply aligned with the needs of modern Indian enterprises.

Why Choose Tally Training in Chandigarh?

Chandigarh has steadily grown into a major educational and business center in North India. With its well-connected infrastructure and proximity to Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, it attracts students and professionals from across the region.

The city boasts several reputed training institutes that specialize in job-oriented programs, including Tally training in Chandigarh. These institutes not only provide structured learning but also offer real-world exposure through internships and industry interactions. The business-friendly environment of Tricity — comprising Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula — further enhances placement opportunities for Tally-trained individuals.

Key Features of a Good Tally Training Institute

Selecting the right institute can make a big difference in how effectively you master Tally. Look for the following features when choosing your Tally course:

Certified and experienced trainers ensure you’re learning from professionals who understand both the software and its industry applications. Practical exposure through case studies and real-time projects helps you gain confidence in using Tally in real-world scenarios.

Modern Tally courses now include essential modules like GST compliance, inventory control, payroll processing, MIS report generation, and taxation management. Institutes that regularly update their syllabus in sync with government norms and business trends are more valuable.

Personalized mentorship, flexible batch timings (weekend/evening), and career support services like resume building and mock interviews can significantly enhance your learning experience.

Career Scope After Tally Training

Completing a certified Tally course can unlock a variety of career paths. Common roles include:

Accountant

GST Consultant

Billing Executive

Finance Executive

Audit Assistant

Tally skills are especially in demand in sectors like retail, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and professional services. Small and mid-sized businesses across the Tricity area consistently hire Tally-certified professionals for daily bookkeeping, tax filing, and reporting.

The average starting salary for a fresher with Tally training ranges from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month, with rapid growth potential as you gain experience and industry exposure.

Tally ERP 9 vs Tally Prime: What You’ll Learn

A well-rounded Tally training program in Chandigarh covers both Tally ERP 9 and the newer Tally Prime. While ERP 9 remains in use across many companies, Tally Prime introduces improved usability with a simplified menu structure, enhanced multi-tasking, and better data tracking.

Key modules you’ll explore include:

Financial Accounting and Ledger Management

Inventory Management and Stock Control

Payroll Setup and Salary Processing

GST and TDS Return Filing

MIS Reports and Business Intelligence

Data Backup and Security Features

You’ll also learn how to use Tally as a business management tool that integrates seamlessly with compliance and audit requirements.

Best Tally Training Institutes in Chandigarh

When choosing an institute, reputation matters. The best Tally training institutes in Chandigarh offer practical curriculum, certified trainers, placement assistance, and flexible learning schedules.

Bright Career Solutions Mohali stands out as a highly rated institute offering in-depth Tally training with practical exposure. With expert faculty, dedicated career support, and strong student feedback, BCS Mohali has become a trusted name in Tally education in the region.

Students regularly highlight the institute’s hands-on training approach, one-on-one mentorship, and successful placement records across local businesses and startups.

FAQs About Tally Courses in Chandigarh

Q. Is Tally useful for non-commerce students? Ans. Yes. Tally is designed to be user-friendly and can be learned by students from non-commerce backgrounds. Institutes usually begin with accounting basics before diving into software-specific training.

Q. What is the typical duration and cost of Tally training? Ans. The duration can range from 1 to 3 months depending on the course level (basic to advanced). Fees generally range from ₹5,000 to ₹15,000. Institutes like BCS Mohali also offer installment plans.

Q. Is a Tally certification necessary to get a job? Ans. While not mandatory, a certification adds credibility to your resume and significantly boosts your chances during hiring. Certified professionals are often preferred for finance and accounts roles.

Conclusion

Tally training in Chandigarh is more than just a short-term course — it’s a launchpad for a rewarding career in finance and accounting. With businesses increasingly relying on Tally for daily operations and compliance, skilled professionals are in high demand.

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[scotianostra]

The Physician John Abercrombie was born in Aberdeen on any one of three days, 10th, 11th or 12th of October 1780, depending on what source you read.

In many ways Abercrombie was a genuine product of the Scottish Enlightenment in that he was a “Lad o’Pairts” equally at home discussing moral philosophy and medicine – he made a significant contribution to progress in the latter science and is known to many as the father of neuropathology, the study of diseases of the nervous system.

Indeed he has the ultimate medical accolade of having a disease named after him, namely Abercrombie’s Degeneration, which he was the first to describe.

The son of a clergyman in Aberdeen, the Rev George Abercrombie of East Church, John was educated at the local grammar school and then at Marischal College in the city’s university, before moving to Edinburgh University – which was then the foremost medical education institute in the world.

He was just 22 when he gained his doctorate in medicine in 1803, and after a brief spell completing his studies in London he began to practise his profession in the Scottish capital.

It is standard practice now but back then Abercrombie quickly gained a reputation for listening to his patients at length and taking his time with a diagnosis – he was nicknamed the man of silence because of this habit.

Abercrombie soon became recognised as possibly the finest doctor in the city, and his practice proved very popular with the wealthy and well-to-do, but don’t knock him for that, remember there was no NHS back then, John Abercrombie though, he spent a great deal of time working with the poor people of Edinburgh, becoming a senior medical officer at the Royal Public Dispensary, where he devised a system of having medical students assigned to different parts of the city so that they could gain first-hand knowledge of working with the sick while helping to treat them.

In 1808, Abercrombie married the wealthy daughter of a manufacturer and together they had seven daughters. His wives wealth gave him the chance to concentrate more on his practice rather than a part time teaching post. In 1815 the New Town Dispensary was opened in Thistle Street and Abercrombie was appointed senior surgeon.

Abercrombie went on to become the leading physician of his day in Edinburgh, establishing a name for himself and becoming the king’s physician in Scotland, he was medical advisor and close friend to Sir Walter Scott. The University of Oxford conferred on him the award of the honorary degree of MD.

In the last decade of his life the good doctor shifted his focus towards philosophical and religious topics rather than medical. Abercrombie wrote a number of essays which were compiled into a volume called Elements of Sacred Truth, which sold very well.

Abercrombie became known for the intellectual and moral nature of man. He gradually immersed himself into Bible study and in 1840 left the established church. Abercrombie donated widely to Edinburgh charities and societies. He was a regular member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and became vice-president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

He suffered from a stroke and died suddenly at his home on 14th November 1844. After his death his family presented his library of over 900 books to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, while his extensive papers were donated to the library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

[dailyanarchistposts]

I.4 How could an anarchist economy function?

This is an important question facing all opponents of a given system — what will you replace it with? We can say, of course, that it is pointless to make blueprints of how a future anarchist society will work as the future will be created by everyone, not just the few anarchists and libertarian socialists who write books and FAQs. This is very true, we cannot predict what a free society will actually be like or develop and we have no intention to do so here. However, this reply (whatever its other merits) ignores a key point, people need to have some idea of what anarchism aims for before they decide to spend their lives trying to create it.

So, how would an anarchist system function? That depends on the economic ideas people have. A mutualist economy will function differently than a communist one, for example, but they will have similar features. As Rudolf Rocker put it:

“Common to all Anarchists is the desire to free society of all political and social coercive institutions which stand in the way of development of a free humanity. In this sense Mutualism, Collectivism and Communism are not to be regarded as closed systems permitting no further development, but merely as economic assumptions as to the means of safeguarding a free community. There will even probably be in society of the future different forms of economic co-operation operating side by side, since any social progress must be associated with that free experiment and practical testing out for which in a society of free communities there will be afforded every opportunity.” [Anarcho-Syndicalism, p. 9]

So given the common ideals and aims of anarchists, it is unsurprising that the economic systems we suggest has common features such as workers’ self-management, federation, free agreement and so on (as discussed in last section). For all anarchists, ”[t]he task for a modern industrial society is to achieve what is now technically realisable, namely, a society which is really based on free voluntary participation of people who produce and create, live their lives freely within institutions they control, and with limited hierarchical structures, possibly none at all.” [Noam Chomsky, quoted by Albert and Hahnel, Looking Forward, p. 62]

This achieved by means of “voluntary association that will organise labour, and be the manufacturer and distributor of necessary commodities” and this ”is to make what is useful. The individual is to make what is beautiful.” [Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism, p. 1183] For example, the machine “will supersede hand-work in the manufacture of plain goods. But at the same time, hand-work very probably will extend its domain in the artistic finishing of many things which are made entirely in the factory.” [Peter Kropotkin, Fields, Factories and Workplaces Tomorrow, p. 152] Murray Bookchin, decades later, argued for the same idea: “the machine will remove the toil from the productive process, leaving its artistic completion to man.” [Post-Scarcity Anarchism, p. 134]

The aim would be to maximise the time available for individuals to express and development their individuality, including in production. As Stirner put it, the “organisation of labour touches only such labours as others can do for us… the rest remain egoistic, because no one can in your stead elaborate your musical compositions, carry out your projects of painting, etc.; nobody can replace Raphael’s labours. The latter are labours of a unique person, which only he is competent to achieve.” Criticising the authoritarian socialists of his time, Stirner went on to ask “for whom is time to be gained [by association]? For what does man require more time than is necessary to refresh his wearied powers of labour? Here Communism is silent.” He then answers his own question by arguing it is gained for the individual ”[t]o take comfort in himself as unique, after he has done his part as man!” [Max Stirner, The Ego and Its Own, p. 268 and p. 269] Which is exactly what libertarian communists argue:

”[We] recognise that man [sic!] has other needs besides food, and as the strength of Anarchy lies precisely in that it understands all human faculties and all passions, and ignores none, we shall … contrive to satisfy all his intellectual and artistic needs … the man [or woman] who will have done the four or five hours of … work that are necessary for his existence, will have before him five or six hours which his will seek to employ according to tastes … “He will discharge his task in the field, the factory, and so on, which he owes to society as his contribution to the general production. And he will employ the second half of his day, his week, or his year, to satisfy his artistic or scientific needs, or his hobbies.” [Kropotkin, Conquest of Bread, pp. 110–1]

Thus, while authoritarian Communism ignores the unique individual (and that was the only kind of Communism existing when Stirner wrote his classic book) libertarian communists agree with Stirner and are not silent. Like him, they consider the whole point of organising labour is to provide the means of providing the individual with the time and resources required to express their individuality. In other words, to pursue “labours of a unique person.” Thus all anarchists base their arguments for a free society on how it will benefit actual individuals, rather than abstracts or amorphous collectives (such as “society”). Hence chapter 9 of The Conquest of Bread, “The Need for Luxury” and, for that matter, chapter 10, “Agreeable Work.”

In other words, anarchists desire to organise voluntary workers associations which will try to ensure a minimisation of mindless labour in order to maximise the time available for creative activity both inside and outside “work.” This is to be achieved by free co-operation between equals, which is seen as being based on self-interest. After all, while capitalist ideology may proclaim that competition is an expression of self-interest it, in fact, results in the majority of people sacrificing themselves for the benefits of the few who own and control society. The time you sell to a boss in return for them ordering you about and keeping the product of your labour is time you never get back. Anarchists aim to end a system which crushes individuality and create one in which solidarity and co-operation allow us time to enjoy life and to gain the benefits of our labour ourselves. Mutual Aid, in other words, results in a better life than mutual struggle and so “the association for struggle will be a much more effective support for civilisation, progress, and evolution than is the struggle for existence with its savage daily competitions.” [Luigi Geallani, The End of Anarchism, p. 26]

In the place of the rat race of capitalism, economic activity in an anarchist society would be one of the means to humanise and individualise ourselves and society, to move from surviving to living. Productive activity should become a means of self-expression, of joy, of art, rather than something we have to do to survive. Ultimately, “work” should become more akin to play or a hobby than the current alienated activity. The priorities of life should be towards individual self-fulfilment and humanising society rather than “running society as an adjunct to the market,” to use Polanyi’s expression, and turning ourselves into commodities on the labour market. Thus anarchists agree with John Stuart Mill:

“I confess I am not charmed with an ideal of life held out by those who think that the normal state of human beings is that of struggling to get on; that the trampling, crushing, elbowing, and treading on each other’s heels, which form the existing type of social life, are the most desirable lot of human kind, or anything but the disagreeable symptoms of one of the phases of industrial progress.” [Collected Works, vol. III, p. 754]

The aim of anarchism is far more than the end of inequality. Hence Proudhon’s comment that socialism’s “underlying dogma” is that the “objective of socialism is the emancipation of the proletariat and the eradication of poverty.” This emancipation would be achieved by ending “wage slavery” via “democratically organised workers’ associations.” [No Gods, No Masters, vol. 1, p. 57 and p. 62] Or, to use Kropotkin’s expression, “well-being for all” — physical, mental, emotional and ethical! Indeed, by concentrating on just poverty and ignoring the emancipation of the proletariat, the real aims of socialism are obscured:

“The ‘right to well-being’ means the possibility of living like human beings, and of bringing up children to be members of a society better than ours, whilst the ‘right to work’ only means the right to be a wage-slave, a drudge, ruled over and exploited by the middle class of the future. The right to well-being is the Social Revolution, the right to work means nothing but the Treadmill of Commercialism. It is high time for the worker to assert his right to the common inheritance, and to enter into possession of it.” [Kropotkin, Op. Cit., p. 44]

So, while refusing to define exactly how an anarchist system will work, we will explore the implications of how the anarchist principles and ideals outlined above could be put into practice. Bear in mind that this is just a possible framework for a system which has few historical examples to draw upon. This means that we can only indicate the general outlines of what an anarchist society could be like. Those seeking blue-prints and exactness should look elsewhere. In all likelihood, the framework we present will be modified and changed (even ignored) in light of the real experiences and problems people will face when creating a new society.

We should point out that there may be a tendency for some to compare this framework with the theory of capitalism (i.e. perfectly functioning “free” markets or quasi-perfect ones) as opposed to its reality. A perfectly working capitalist system only exists in text books and in the heads of ideologues who take the theory as reality. No system is perfect, particularly capitalism, and to compare “perfect” text-book capitalism with any real system is a pointless task. As we discussed in depth in section C, capitalist economics does not even describe the reality of capitalism so why think it would enlighten discussion of post-capitalist systems? What hope does it have of understanding post-capitalist systems which reject its proprietary despotism and inequalities? As anarchists aim for a qualitative change in our economic relationships, we can safely say that its economic dynamics will reflect the specific forms it will develop rather than those produced by a class-ridden hierarchical system like capitalism and the a-historic individualistic abstractions invented to defend it!

So any attempt to apply the notions developed from theorising about (or, more correctly, justifying and rationalising) capitalism to anarchism will fail to capture the dynamics of a non-capitalist system. John Crump stressed this point in his discussion of Japanese anarchism between the World Wars:

“When considering the feasibility of the social system advocated by the pure anarchists, we need to be clear about the criteria against which it should be measured. It would, for example, be unreasonable to demand that it be assessed against such yardsticks of a capitalist economy as annual rate of growth, balance of trade and so forth … evaluating anarchist communism by means of the criteria which have been devised to measure capitalism’s performance does not make sense … capitalism would be … baffled if it were demanded that it assess its operations against the performance indicators to which pure anarchists attached most importance, such as personal liberty, communal solidarity and the individual’s unconditional right to free consumption. Faced with such demands, capitalism would either admit that these were not yardsticks against which it could sensibly measure itself or it would have to resort to the type of grotesque ideological subterfuges which it often employs, such as identifying human liberty with the market and therefore with wage slavery … The pure anarchists’ confidence in the alternative society they advocated derived not from an expectation that it would quantitatively outperform capitalism in terms of GNP, productivity or similar capitalist criteria. On the contrary, their enthusiasm for anarchist communism flowed from their understanding that it would be qualitatively different from capitalism. Of course, this is not to say that the pure anarchists were indifferent to questions of production and distribution … they certainly believed that anarchist communism would provide economic well-being for all. But neither were they prepared to give priority to narrowly conceived economic expansion, to neglect individual liberty and communal solidarity, as capitalism regularly does.” [Hatta Shuzo and Pure Anarchism in Interwar Japan, pp. 191–3]

Finally, anarchists are well aware that transforming how an economy works does not happen overnight. As discussed in section I.2.2, we have long rejected the idea of instantaneous social transformation and argued that revolution will take time to develop and change the legacy of centuries of class and hierarchical society. This transformation and the resulting changes in people and surroundings can only be achieved by the full participation of all in overcoming the (many) problems a free society will face and the new ways of relating to each other liberation implies. A free people will find their own practical solutions to their problems, for “there will be all sorts of practical difficulties to overcome, but the [libertarian socialist] system is simplicity itself compared with the monster of centralised State control, which sets such an inhuman distance between the worker and the administrator that there is room for a thousand difficulties to intervene.” [Herbert Read, Anarchy and Order, p. 49] Thus, for anarchists, the “enthusiasm generated by the revolution, the energies liberated, and the inventiveness stimulated by it must be given full freedom and scope to find creative channels.” [Alexander Berkman, What is Anarchism?, p. 223] As such, the ideas within this section of our FAQ are merely suggestions, possibilities.

[sayit3x]

Mrs. Bea Juice’s Journal #22

I'm told New York had always been a dynamic city, but the Great War changed it almost overnight. 500,000 New Yorkers went to serve in the armed forces, the port became a hub for supplies and troops heading to Europe, and training camps on Long Island readied them for departure. Manufacturing skyrocketed with the near constant production of military supplies and munitions, and financial institutions on Wall Street helped fund the war effort. 

As much as the war stimulated New York’s economy, it also stirred up a lot of anti-immigrant feelings, and Germans took the brunt of local anger. Being immigrants ourselves, we were grateful that the festering anti-immigrant sentiments topside didn't resonate among the Neitherworld’s ghost population below. As always, death was the great equalizer, and the afterlife had no room for such stupid hatred.

Again, hauntings stalled with the distraction of war, and Betel found himself bored. But his boredom wouldn't last. The 1918 Spanish flu kept him and Juno extremely busy once the war ended, when tens of thousands of New Yorkers died during the pandemic. But those numbers were dwarfed by the mortality rate in other cities, like Philadelphia, that had less sophisticated public health departments and mitigation measures. As a plague survivor, Betel always felt compelled to help somehow when a mass outbreak was involved. Not that he'd ever admit it. He claimed Juno conscripted him to help unbury them from the backlog of cases, but Juno and I knew better than to call him out on it. He had a reputation to keep! Sadly, the rest of the world suffered far worse than the U.S., with up to 50 million dead by the time the pandemic burned out two years later. 

Luckily, the bliss of the “Roaring Twenties” followed and couldn't be contained, not even by 13 years of prohibition (another element wisely not adopted in the afterlife). Between the massive parties, dancing, jazz, and girls in flapper dresses in attendance, both in the land of the living and the dead, the decade was practically made for a hedonist like Betelgeuse. And he made sure to enjoy every minute of it as if he was going to die again tomorrow. There were definitely a few occasions where I had to pick him, or the body he was possessing, up off the floor after a particularly raucous night. It seemed like the good times would never end. But, as they say, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

On October 29, 1929, the stock market did more than just crash. It cratered, and millions were destitute almost overnight. The financial devastation of “Black Tuesday” reached beyond America, plunging the whole world into The Great Depression. No one was left unscathed. From people who’d been living beyond their means during the euphoria of the roaring twenties to those who’d been dutifully saving only to have their means stripped away when businesses failed and banks unceremoniously died. Millions lost their homes, and shantytown encampments, known as “Hoovervilles,” of tents and rickety cabins sprang up all over the country. New York was no exception, despite construction on skyscrapers like The Empire State Building and The Chrysler Building continuing towards the clouds, and thousands lived in “Hoovervilles” in Central Park and along the Hudson and East rivers. Suddenly, haunted homes across the country were emptied of the living and demand for a “bio-exorcist” crashed like the stock market. So Betel did what anybody would do when unemployment is high.

He went back to school.

This journal dovetails into a fanfiction epic that I'm posting chapter by chapter every week here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63522586/chapters/165222160

Chapter 20 "The arm in the inferno" and Chapter 21 "The torso in the tundra" are now up!

[tubetrading]

Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an IBR Fittings and Flanges Supplier in Gujarat

In the rapidly evolving industrial landscape of Gujarat, choosing the right supplier for IBR fittings and flanges is crucial for ensuring the safety, efficiency, and longevity of your operations. Whether you are a manufacturing company, a power plant, or part of the chemical industry, sourcing the best components plays a pivotal role in your project's success.

With several options available in the market, how do you select the most reliable IBR fitting and flanges supplier in Gujarat? What differentiates a good IBR fitting and flanges dealer in Vadodara from the rest? In this blog, we’ll explore the key factors you must consider when choosing the right partner for your industrial piping and pressure component needs.

1. Compliance with IBR Standards:

The foremost factor to consider is compliance with Indian Boiler Regulations (IBR). These regulations govern the design, material, fabrication, inspection, and certification of components used in boilers and piping systems.

An ideal IBR fitting and flanges distributor in Vadodara should provide products that are fully compliant with IBR norms. Look for suppliers who can offer you third-party inspection certificates and IBR approvals, ensuring you meet legal and safety standards.

2. Product Range and Inventory Availability:

A dependable IBR fitting and flanges supplier in Gujarat should have a comprehensive product range. Whether you require elbows, tees, reducers, sockets, weld neck flanges, blind flanges, or slip-on flanges, the supplier should be able to fulfill diverse needs under one roof.

Additionally, consistent stock availability ensures that your project timelines are not disrupted. A well-stocked IBR fitting and flanges dealer in Vadodara can offer quicker deliveries and reduce downtime, which is critical for industries with tight schedules.

3. Quality Assurance and Certifications:

Quality is non-negotiable when it comes to high-pressure piping systems. Choose a supplier who follows strict quality assurance protocols and is certified by reputed institutions such as ISO, BIS, or PED.

The best IBR fitting and flanges distributors in Vadodara will have a dedicated quality inspection team and in-house testing facilities for hydro testing, ultrasonic testing, chemical analysis, and dimensional inspection. Such practices ensure that you receive durable and high-performance products.

4. Technical Expertise and Customization:

Every industry has unique requirements. Hence, your supplier should have the technical knowledge to provide custom solutions based on pressure ratings, material grades, or design specifications.

A trusted IBR fitting and flanges supplier in Gujarat will have experienced engineers who can advise you on the right specifications and even develop tailored components if needed. This technical support can save you from costly errors and mismatches during installation

5. Competitive Pricing and Transparent Quotations:

Cost plays a crucial role in the supplier selection process. While it is tempting to go for the lowest quote, it is important to ensure that quality is not compromised. A professional IBR fitting and flanges dealer in Vadodara will offer competitive rates with complete transparency in pricing.

Look for suppliers who provide detailed quotations outlining material grades, sizes, delivery timelines, and payment terms clearly. This helps in avoiding hidden costs and budget overruns.

6. Timely Delivery and Logistics Support:

Delayed deliveries can impact the entire project timeline. Choose a supplier known for prompt and reliable delivery services. A reputed IBR fitting and flanges distributor in Vadodara often has a strong supply chain network and logistics support to ensure on-time delivery, even to remote project locations in Gujarat.

Suppliers with in-house warehousing and transportation arrangements add an extra layer of convenience, especially for large volume or urgent orders.

7. After-Sales Service and Support:

A professional supplier’s responsibility doesn't end after the sale. Post-delivery support, installation guidance, and handling of warranty claims are part of a comprehensive customer service experience.

Choose an IBR fitting and flanges supplier in Gujarat who offers dedicated after-sales support and is available for quick assistance in case of technical or delivery issues. This ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience throughout your project lifecycle.

8. Customer Reviews and Market Reputation:

Before finalizing your supplier, it’s wise to research their market reputation. Online reviews, testimonials, and references from industry peers can give you an idea about the supplier’s reliability and service standards.

A well-established IBR fitting and flanges dealer in Vadodara with a proven track record is more likely to meet your expectations than a relatively unknown vendor. You can also ask the supplier for client references and project portfolios to gauge their experience.

9. Location Advantage and Local Presence:

Proximity matters when it comes to industrial supplies. Working with a local IBR fitting and flanges distributor in Vadodara has its benefits—lower transportation costs, quicker delivery, and easy coordination.

Moreover, a local supplier who understands regional business dynamics can offer better support and responsiveness compared to distant vendors.

10. Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing:

In today's environmentally conscious world, it is important to work with suppliers who follow sustainable manufacturing and responsible sourcing practices. Ask your IBR fitting and flanges supplier in Gujarat about their efforts towards energy efficiency, waste management, and eco-friendly packaging.

Industries are increasingly adopting green practices, and associating with responsible suppliers enhances your company’s sustainability goals and reputation.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right IBR fitting and flanges dealer in Vadodara is a critical decision that can impact the safety, cost, and efficiency of your entire operation. By considering the factors mentioned above—quality, compliance, technical expertise, service, and reputation—you can build long-term partnerships that support your business growth.

If you are looking for a reliable and experienced IBR fitting and flanges supplier in Gujarat, trust TubeTrading to meet your needs with quality, commitment, and customer satisfaction. As a leading IBR fitting and flanges distributor in Vadodara, we are dedicated to providing industry-grade solutions that meet IBR standards and exceed client expectations.

[sunmontuewrites]

Anyone with a Masters degree in materials engineering (or potentially related field) background looking for a PhD scholarship in New Zealand? I'm about to post this on my work LinkedIn...

PhD scholarship – Large format 3D printing with biocomposites

Background: We have a fully-funded PhD scholarship as part of the MBIE Endeavour project “Āmiomio Aotearoa: A Circular Economy for the Wellbeing of New Zealand”. The project is a collaboration between universities, research institutes, industry, community groups and government ministries hosted by the School of Engineering at Waikato University. It aims to pave the way through materials science, engineering, energy, economics, kaupapa Māori, business, law and regulation, social science and public policy for a more sustainable New Zealand.

As a PhD student at the University of Waikato, you would be focused on advancing sustainable manufacturing practices through the development and application of biocomposites.

The successful candidate will explore the use of biopolymers, recycled thermoplastics, and natural fibres to formulate high-performance biocomposites suitable for large format 3D printing (furniture, small structures, interior design). The research will delve into multiple aspects of these materials, including their performance, printability, design optimisation, and life cycle assessment.

This interdisciplinary project provides a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of materials science, environmental sustainability, and advanced manufacturing technologies. We invite passionate and driven individuals to join our team and contribute to this transformative research endeavour.

Your ideal background:

MSc/ME in a related Science/Engineering discipline

experience with natural materials

familiar with CAD design and 3D printing is a plus

experience in life cycle assessment is a plus

a willingness to learn, up-skill and work in multidisciplinary group

a professional attitude, good writing and time management skills

resilience to take on the challenge of the research experience

Value: a stipend of NZ$30,000 per year, domestic tuition fees and insurance, and support for research materials.

Application documents required

CV including contact details for 2-3 referees (including at least one academic reference)

Academic transcript from previous study undertaken (and thesis if available/applicable)

A personal statement (max 1 page) describing your motivation, interests and background related to the research project

English language Certificate where English is not the first language (IELTS/TOEFL)

LINKEDIN for contact details of the guy and you can see he's got the scholarship listed as well.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Gideon Taaffe and Noah Dowe at MMFA:

Right-wing media are predicting a “golden age” as President Donald Trump's so-called “Liberation Day” hits some of the United States’ closest trading partners with sweeping tariffs.  Economists are warning about recession, inflation, and job loss as a result of Trump’s tariffs, but right-wing media are largely ignoring these predictions as they endorse the White House’s economic agenda, downplaying the negative stock market and telling their audiences to anticipate a return of American manufacturing.  While some right-wing personalities have voiced concern over the tariffs’ potential harms, much of the commentary has held that the U.S. must embrace “short-term” pain in order to get long-term benefits, that tariffs will bolster the U.S. economy and raise revenue, or that the tariffs are just a “negotiation weapon.” 

Economists: Trump’s tariffs will disrupt the economy, raise consumer prices

Trump enacted a wide array of tariffs, dubbing April 2 “Liberation Day,” and the stock market plunged. The tariffs included a blanket 10% tariff on all imports and higher targeted tariffs on countries the president says are using unfair trade practices. The stock market plunged on April 3 and 4, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all sustaining big losses. [The Hill, 4/3/25; CNBC, 4/4/25]

Economists say the Trump tariffs are equivalent to a massive tax hike for Americans. Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jessica Riedl called the tariffs “the largest peacetime tax increase in [American] history outside of World War II.” According to CNN, JP Morgan analysts have said that “this year’s cumulative tariff hike should be viewed as a US tax increase of roughly $660 billion.” [Media Matters, 4/1/25; CNN, 4/4/25]

Experts say the tariffs could lead to higher inflation, job losses, and ultimately recession. CNN reported that due to higher importing costs, prices will rise on a host of consumer goods, likely including clothing and electronics, resulting in $2,100 more per year for the average American household. Goldman Sachs has predicted a higher unemployment rate of 4.5% by the end of the year and increased its predicted likelihood of a recession hitting within the next 12 months to 35%. [CNN, 4/3/25, 3/31/25]

Conservative media to Americans: embrace the economic ruin.

[whencyclopedia]

Capital of Mind: The Idea of a Modern American University

Adam R. Nelson’s "Capital of Mind" traces the beginnings of the first universities emerging in the 19th-century United States. While providing a history of American education and how it grew from a few scattered colleges, "Capital of Mind" is an intellectual history of how Americans thought about higher education, its role, and how it should be funded in the industrializing society.

Nelson, the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Educational Policy Studies and History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, takes the title of his work from a quote by German economist Friedrich List.

List, an advocate of German tariff reform before fleeing to France in 1822, advocated for fewer trade restrictions between German states and more unity in supporting a single policy to restrict the flow of British goods to those states. While in Paris, List turned his attention towards the United States before docking in New York on June 10, 1825. Nelson quotes List saying, “The greater part of productive power consists in the intellectual and social condition of the individual, which I call Capital of Mind.” List found himself in a stirring debate between liberal economic policies - or free trade without restrictions - and protectionism. For List, a country’s productive power was tied to its intellectual power. Manufacturers at home needed protection from outside producers like Great Britain via tariffs. Education needed an answer inside the United States to foreign universities which Americans may be enticed to study at if their state lacked one.

Debates over free trade and protectionism raged in the early 19th century due largely to the Scottish economist Adam Smith’s popularization of the former but also due to the United States seeing a series of tariffs passed in 1816, 1824, and 1828 against imports largely targeting British manufactures.

Nelson notes in his Introduction that a modern university was an idea in its infancy in the 19th century. Some said it was several undergraduate colleges under one name, like Oxford or Cambridge; others said the learning should be practical and technical rather than classical. While Nelson says there was not a widely accepted definition, “its courses were to be not only classical but also practical. Its students were to be not only local but also national, even international. Its standards were to be meritocratic, but also, somehow, democratic. In the end, they agreed, a university should be more open, more liberal, and its very liberalism would make it modern."

Nelson makes the creation of the University of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson and the expansion of Harvard beyond a small college central to the development of this definition. Debates over Jefferson’s plan raged as he struggled to find a means for funding and stirred controversy when his first faculty were European professors. Harvard’s push for change came from one of its professors, George Ticknor. Before joining Harvard, Ticknor had traveled to Europe where he observed notably German universities which behaved like an economy where students had significant power as consumers. While not looking to replicate the German example entirely, Ticknor and Jefferson both inspired to see a more liberal institution arise as something grander and more open to students’ choices in their studies.

Capital of Mind, while focusing on the early 19th century, feels broad in scope. Nelson focuses greatly on Jefferson’s plan for a university and Harvard’s expansion but also devotes a significant portion of his work to names like Daniel Raymond, credited for bringing the study of political economy to intellectual circles in the U.S.

Scholars and students of intellectual history, history of education, or debates over government’s role in economics and education will find Capital of Mind a satisfactory addition to their studies. Aside from endnotes, Nelson includes a bibliographic essay where he directs further study for readers on several topics the book covers. Primary sources employed in the book include correspondence between Jefferson, Ticknor, and other figures like Edward Everett. Chapters dedicated to names like List and Raymond analyze works such as Fredrich Engels's "Outlines of a Critique of Political Economy" (1843).

The book is Nelson's second volume in an economic history of higher education. Volume 1, Exchange of Ideas: The Economy of Higher Education in Early America was released in 2023.

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What Is a White Label Product and How Does It Work?

It's possible that products offered by some of the most well-known corporations in the world are not as uncommon as you might think. The company that actually produces their branded products is an outsider that markets the same things under different labels. White labelling is a well-known commercial strategy that is applied to numerous consumer product categories.

What does white label mean?

The practice of producing goods and marketing them under several brand names is known as "white labelling." Although white label products may differ in terms of branding, packaging, logos, and even prices, but their fundamental architecture remains the same. Limited product customization options, such as adding a brand logo or design on a product's exterior, may be available from white label manufacturers. In exchange for large orders, they might also give retailers discounts. After a purchase, products from other white label services, such print-on-demand businesses, are shipped straight to customers.

What are white label products?

White label products are produced by a different company than the one that markets or even sells them. The benefit is that multiple businesses can handle different aspects of the product development and sales process. Depending on their area of competence and inclination, three firms can concentrate on different aspects of the product: producing, marketing, and selling. The main advantages of white label branding for businesses are the time, energy, and financial savings on production and marketing expenses.

Another significant benefit of private label brands is that if a supermarket has an exclusive agreement with a manufacturer, the company may have cheaper average transportation costs and distributional economies of scale. The shop was able to offer the product for less and still make a larger profit margin due to decreased delivery expenses.

The rise in popularity of private label products indicates that customers are becoming less devoted to their preferred established brands and more price-conscious. The rise of private label brands in several nations is negatively impacting the market share of national brands or manufacturers.

White Label Branding Examples-

Electronics Industry:

Electronics manufacturers frequently white label their goods under different brand names. For example, a manufacturer may make tablets or smartphones for businesses that rebrand and sell the products under their own name.

Beauty and Personal Care:

The beauty and personal care industries are big on white labeling. A large number of private label cosmetic firms’ contract with other manufacturers to make their goods; these manufacturers create white label products and package them under the private label brands' names.

Grocery and Retail:

Frequently found in supermarkets and big-box stores, white label products are produced by outside vendors and marketed under the supermarket's own name. These consumer goods include everything from food products like snacks and canned foods to cleaning supplies and household goods.

Payment Processing:

White label payment processing solutions are frequently provided by payment gateway providers. This makes it possible for companies to seamlessly integrate the payment gateway into their operations and provide their clients payment processing services under their own identity.

Software: 

Numerous web hosting providers provide best white label solutions that can be altered and rebranded by other enterprises. Email marketing platforms offer white-label software alternatives that enable agencies to sell email marketing services under their own brand.

Financial Services:

Financial institutions sell financial services and goods to other businesses under a white label. White labeling branded credit cards, prepaid cards, and even banking solutions are examples of this, in which the partner company's branding and client experience are tailored.

Web Hosting:

White label hosting is a service that many web hosting providers provide. Because of this, resellers are able to offer web hosting packages under their own brands, with the main web hosting provider handling the setup and maintenance for the web hosting.

A huge number of people have discovered their calling in the web hosting industry, which has grown to be quite large. With over 126 million web hosting companies based there, its valuation is predicted to reach over $83 billion by 2021. White label hosting is a component of that sector. Reseller hosting is directly related to it.

It becomes an affordable option for small businesses to enter the web hosting industry and launch their own web hosting company when paired with white label reseller hosting. In order to help you resale hosting and launch your business, we will go over the steps and information you need to know in this post.

White Label Reseller Hosting: What Is It?

Finding a parent provider to purchase resources from and selling their servers, bandwidth, RAM, and other components are examples of this. You should not handle the technical specifications, server management, or maintenance on your own. It essentially lets you run your own web hosting company without having to deal with all the difficult technical aspects. Many providers also have their own reseller programs because it has become a popular choice among users.

Working of white label reseller hosting?

You need to first find a parent provider and buy a reseller plan in order to receive web hosting services if you want to engage in the white label web hosting industry and operate a reseller hosting website. Once you've selected a parent company, you can launch your hosting company.

With white label web hosting, you want to charge your clients more than you did when you bought the reseller plan and acquired the required resources from your parent provider. By doing this, you avoid having to spend any time or money on your own server setup or other resource purchases.

What does White label Reseller Hosting include?

User-Friendly Control Panel

An essential tool for managing websites is a user-friendly control panel. You can make backend changes and, if required, provide the client access via control panel access.

Scalable

If your clientele is growing or you're in charge of a website that needs more server power, reseller hosting should allow you to increase server resources.

Integrated Billing

WHM billing software, which enables you to bill your clients and oversee their payment schedules, is included in the majority of reseller accounts. Thanks to this, making sure your clients pay you on time is no longer a burden.

Integration of Domain and Email

With reseller accounts, you can sell domain names and email account upgrades. These can elevate your services when included in your hosting packages.

Private Name Servers

Thanks to private name servers, your brand and the hosting provider whose servers you're using will become more distinct.

Website hosting always remains in demand. White label hosting allows you to give your clients the choice of operating their server without requiring you to handle any of the expensive or challenging aspects of it.

Make sure to conduct thorough research before deciding on the ideal reseller plan for your company. Locate a reputable host that can provide the ideal server environment for you and your clients.

How White Label Solution Is Better?

There are a number of reasons why white label products might be the best option for your company as a business.

No risk

There is always some risk involved in starting your own business, but part of that danger can be reduced by white labelling your products. Because you're not spending as much money on creating a new product, risk is reduced.

Therefore, you won't lose as much money if the product doesn't work out in the market as you would if you had started from begin with its development. Select a white label product from a reliable supplier to further reduce your risk.

Improved quality assurance

Lastly, you may be confident that white label products will have superior quality control than those that you would make yourself. This is because, compared to you, the white label manufacturer is probably going to have a stronger quality control procedure.

Furthermore, since the white label manufacturer probably produces labels for other businesses, it usually has a group of quality control specialists on staff who can guarantee that the product fulfills your requirements.

Quicker to launch

White label products are also preferred since it can be considerably quicker to bring a product to market with them than it is to design one from the ground up. Once more, this is because you're just rebranding an already-existing product—the production process isn't being started from scratch. Hence, white labelling can be a fantastic choice if you want to launch a product rapidly.

The time to market is the largest advantage of white labelling. It can take months, or even years, to develop a product from scratch, find a manufacturer, and bring it to market. White labelling allows you to expedite that procedure and get your goods onto the market much faster.

More adaptability

Additionally, white label products provide more freedom than creating your own product. For instance, you still have control over the product's logo, packaging, and marketing if you white label it.

This implies that you can design a special product for your brand and customize it to your target market. Furthermore, even if you have less control over the production process, you still have a great deal of influence on how your customers are shown the goods.

Affordable

White label products are popular because they are an affordable means of launching a business. Best White labelling can be a big benefit, especially for small businesses, as it eliminates the upfront expenditures associated with product development, production, and marketing.

The largest financial benefit of white labelling, is that there are no expenses associated with product development or marketing. Rather, you're simply capitalizing on the success of another company's product, allowing you to launch your firm with less overhead and more swiftly."

Lower requirements for minimum orders

 also typically have lower minimum order quantities than if you were to produce the product yourself. This is so that the white label manufacturer won't have to start a new production line just to fill your little request because they already have the product in stock.

Therefore, white label products can be a terrific choice if you're just getting started and don't need many products. 

Conclusion-

White label products are produced by a same business, then packaged and marketed by other businesses under different brand names. It has been profitable for big-box stores to provide white label products with their own branding.

Since the late 1990s, private label branding has become a global phenomenon that has grown gradually. White label branding offers businesses a number of advantages, including reduced production and marketing expenses, time, and energy expenditures.

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Coating Additives Market – Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2033

In the ever-evolving industrial and consumer goods landscape, coatings play a key role in improving durability, aesthetics and functionality. Due to the increasing demand for high-quality coatings in various sectors, the global coating additives market is growing significantly. This growth is fueled by a number of factors, from technological advances to a consumer shift towards durable and sustainable solutions.

The various benefits of coating additives, including anti-foam, wetting agents and dispersive properties, continue. to grow strong. forecast period. The growing demand of the surface coating materials market has a significant impact on the need for coating additives.

𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2427

The increasing demand for high-quality coatings is due to several main reasons.

Industry Advances: Technological innovations have led to the development of advanced coatings that can meet stringent performance requirements. These formulations often rely on special additives to achieve the desired properties, increasing the demand for coating additives.

Growing construction activity: The construction industry, especially in developing economies, continues to grow rapidly, increasing the demand for architectural coatings. Pressure-saving construction practices favor coatings that offer excellent protection against harsh environmental conditions and encourage the use of high-performance coatings.

Automotive developments: automotive manufacturers are increasingly adopting advanced coatings to improve aesthetic appearance and durability. of vehicles. Coating additives play a vital role in achieving the desired finish quality, corrosion and weather resistance, supporting the growth of the coating additives market.

Focus on sustainability: environmental regulations and consumer awareness of eco-friendly products have encouraged the use of sustainable. products coating solutions. Additives that enable low-VOC (volatile organic compound) coatings to be produced with minimal environmental impact have shown increased demand, reflecting the industry's commitment to sustainability.

Market Outlook and Future Prospects

According to an analysis by FactMR, the global market for coating additives is estimated to be USD 9.3 billion in 2023. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.0% annually to reach a total of USD 15.1 billion. From 2033 onwards. The upward outlook can be attributed to several factors:

Rapid Urbanization: Urbanization trends, especially in emerging economies, are increasing demand for construction-related coatings, creating lucrative opportunities for market players.

Investments in Research and Development: Manufacturers. increases its investments in research and development. , to innovate and introduce new additives to meet the changing needs of the industry and thus gain a competitive advantage in the market.

Strategic partnerships and collaborations: Collaboration between industry stakeholders, including manufacturers, suppliers of raw materials and research institutions, promotes innovation and accelerates product development, which accelerates market growth.

Emerging Trends in Coatings: The emergence of smart coatings, nanotechnology additives and bio-based alternatives are reshaping the coating additives. landscape, which offers new expansion possibilities.

Leading Players' Strategic Initiatives

Prominent manufacturers in Coating Additives industry include Eastman Chemical Company, Arkema SA, ANGUS Chemical Company, BASF SE, Ashland Inc., Evonik Industries AG, Lonza Group Ltd., Momentive Performance Materials Inc., The Valspar Corporation, Daikin Industries Ltd., Rhodia. SA , Lubrizol Corporation, ICL Advanced Additives, Kamin LLC, Kenrich Petrochemicals, Inc., King Industries, Inc., Michelman, Inc., Cabot Corporation.

These companies have invested heavily in research and development to improve their operations. product portfolio to serve a wide range of applications. In addition, they focus on introducing new products tailored for specific applications to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

Manufacturers are increasingly adopting sustainable manufacturing practices to meet stringent regulations. In addition, the development of standard products that meet the requirements of end users will promote the growth of coating additives. Cooperation with raw material suppliers enables manufacturers to offer professional, high-quality and uniform products to global customers. The main goal of these companies is to bring innovation to their entire product lines.

In addition, manufacturers are planning long-term growth through strategic acquisitions and divestitures. This approach allows them to strengthen their market position and expand their reach in the industry.

Segmentation of Coating Additives Industry Research

By Product :

Acrylic-based

Urethane

Metallic

Fluoropolymer

By Function :

Rheology Modifiers

Dispersants

Foam Control

Slip/Rub

Wetting Agents

Others

Anti-Foaming

Defoaming

By Formulation :

Waterborne

Solvent-based

Powder

High Solids

UV Cure

Others

Radiation Curable

Solvent-borne

Solvent Less

By Application :

Architectural

Automotive

Wood & Furniture

Industrial

By Region :

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia & Oceania

Middle East & Africa

The global coating additives market is undergoing a paradigm shift as the demand for high-quality coatings in various applications is increasing. As the industry strives to meet evolving performance standards while meeting sustainability goals, the role of coating additives is becoming increasingly important. With continued investment in research, innovation and strategic partnerships, the market is poised to hit a sustainable growth path that meets the evolving needs of the industry worldwide.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭: US Sales Office 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583, +353-1-4434-232 Email: sales@factmr.com