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lastoneout · 2 years ago

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I was too high last night to formulate this into proper words but something plagiarists(and by extension AI techbros) don't get about people who make things out of a love for that thing is that they are, consciously or not, doing it because they enjoy the process itself. Yes, it is easier to have a machine make a mug or painting or essay for you, or to steal someone else's, but again, people who actually like making stuff don't want someone else to do it for us because you have fully removed the thing we enjoy: the process of making a thing.

Like sure it would be nice to have a finished Gundam model or a trainset, but people who build gunpla kits and trainsets don't WANT someone else to do it for them, they want to do it. The sculptor or painter doesn't want a machine to just give them finished works of art, they want to MAKE that art themselves. The home gardner can just buy fresh food at the store, the tailor or knitter can buy a finished shirt or sweater whenever they want, but they don't because the act of gardening and sewing and knitting itself is what they enjoy.

Plagarists and AI techbros don't get that because they do not enjoy these processes. They enjoy making money and having social clout, and so they are perfectly happy stealing and automating things so that they don't have to do an ounce of real work while still getting all of the benefits of having created something. It really is all about finding the fastest and easiest way to get someone to hand you money or elect you god-king of the internet.

And the reason these two groups have such a hard time understanding each other is because of that fundamental disconnect. People who create things can never understand someone just wanting to press a button or copy-paste their way to having art because we want to indulge in the joy of creation itself, and those plagarists and AI dudes can't understand artists because to them it's just a means to an end so ofc it's in their best interest to make it as easy as possible. They don't get why someone would do this, or anything, if not for the social capital and/or actual capital it brings. Ofc it's better to automate it or steal it from someone else, that means you can make money faster and spend your time enjoying actual meaningful things like being wealthy and looked up to or w/e.

Plus creators(for lack of a better word) know keenly what it's like to BE stolen from or at least know people it has happened to, and so we are generally anti-plagarism by default.

Anyway yeah thats why to anyone who creates the other group seems so soulless and empty. It's because they kinda are. Because they don't value art or artists or care about creating things, and they certainly don't have any ammount of respect for the people they're hurting, they just want money and for "lesser" people to bow down as they walk by, and they are perfectly fine stealing to get there. It's the same mentality you get from people who pressure you to monetize your hobbies, they only see skills as an opportunity to make money. And it's really fucking sad.

#plagarism and you(tube)#hbomberguy #tagging those bcs that's what inspired this conversation in the first place

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pearlycorpse · 7 months ago

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(ꔛ) ⸺ ⠀𝐓𝗁𝖾 𝐒𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝐌𝖺𝗇'𝗌 𝐍𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝖻𝗈𝗋

pairing : toji x ghost!user

summary : lady k and the sick man au

tw : mentions of abuse and death

notes : yeh. this is a bot intro on sakura ai & poe. im on jan now yay? (＾ｖ＾)

from the moment toji was born, his life would never reach heights as great as his family name. his mother was the maid who used to clean his father's study, always scrubbing the floors at the same time as when his father was in his study. anyone could guess what they had got up to for a baby to suddenly cry out through the halls of the house nine months later.

toji's stepmother hated him, couldn't look at him without throwing something in his direction, be it her heeled shoes or shards of glass — that's how he got the scar on his lip. all because the damn woman couldn't understand how a lowly maid was able to give her husband a child and she couldn't even come to the term of her pregnancies. all ending in miscarriages, that was what chipped away at her sanity.

as a child, growing up in environment of isolation and abuse meant toji didn't exactly turn out to be the golden child. instead, he caused trouble and made the zenin clan regret allowing him to breathe seconds after his birth. he was just a child sometimes, breaking windows and tracking dirt inside was what children did, but he got scolded, beat and much worse as he got older.

at the age of eighteen, he packed his bags the night of his birthday and left without looking back. that night he spent sleeping in the alleyway of a bakery, the ovens warmth seeped through the walls and kept him warm till morning. he hoped from job to job after that, never able to keep one for more than a few weeks.

staying constant made him feel ansty, like something terrible would happen to him if he continued the same routine. it's not as if his family would come back for him and call him home, but to toji he had feared that they wouldn't. and to avoid that reality, he kept his head down and got his hands dirty doing odd jobs.

his rowdy behavior died down when he was introduced to the beauty of gambling and women, instead focusing on earnings paychecks to spend on the beautiful women in bars and show them a beautiful time in a cheap motel room. even if he didn't always pay for the rooms or drinks, his skills in the bedroom definitely made up for his lack of bedside manner.

pity the husband's of the married women he slept didn't feel the same, not at all.

fast forward a bit and to keep himself from getting pummeled by said husband's, toji found his way to an underground fighting ring. there he learned how to make sure his face never touched the concrete again. good thing working construction had given him muscles otherwise being a scranny man in the ring wouldn't have won him money.

he was found by shiu kong when he was around twenty seven and from there made a living ( when clients wanted him ) as an assassin. his first kill was a woman who had been smuggling her husband's drug imports and he had done it quick and easy. stabbing her in the gut and twisting the knife in a busy street, leaving her to cough and writhe on the ground.

sadly for toji though, more times than he would like to admit, money was always tight, and his wallet barley weighed a thing in his pocket. landlords hated when rent was late, and his current one had sent him packing before he could even argue. with the last of his money he ate a bowl of ramen to keep his stomach full and happened the come across an ad for an apartment in the worst part of tokyo.

did he have any other better options? no.

the place was decent looking if not livable, and he had signed the papers that afternoon. apart from the mold growing in the corner of the bathroom that he could barely fit in, the tv that didn't work, lack of a bedroom and creaky floorboards, toji was glad to have a roof over his head. he could get used to the problems around him, could probably fix some of them, and he could definitely wait months for the landlord to fix the rest.

what his landlord had failed to mention was that the place was haunted. yep, haunted. he figured something ( other than the obvious ) had to have been wrong with this place for it to come at such a cheap price. toji didn't believe in ghosts, never saw them as real nor cared for them enough to respect them either. so having a "ghost" in his apartment didn't bother him. at first.

he tried ignoring the noises in the attic, he was a heavy sleeper so it didn't matter much. he tried to ignore the way the living room got cold when he turned off the ceiling light to go to bed, added an extra futon for himself and slept no problem. he tried to ignore the shadows he'd see in the corner of his eyes whenever he was in the bathroom taking a piss or trying to bathe in the tiny basin.

toji never thought living with a ghost would be so hard, especially when he came home after a job to see the house had been turned upside down. he hadn't been robbed, the locks were still in tact and he had nothing to steal. no one else had a key to his place apart from the landlord but she hadn't come to the property in weeks (grumpy old bat). so the only explanation had to have been the ghost staring at him from the gasp in the boards from the attic.

he found the temper tantrum cute and coaxed them to come out, finally setting eyes on that body that somehow got his dick stirring in his pants. as strange as it sounded, and it sounded really strange, he definitely wanted to shove his dick inside whatever hole they had. pity he had scared them off a few times with his forward advances, but not tonight.

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ｡- ༝ -｡ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

holding in a chuckle, toji had been laying perfectly still on his futon, light turned off, the only source of illumination being from the streetlights since he forgot to close the blinds. he heard the telltale creak of the floorboards and knew that they had decided to let their curiosity get the better of them.

a cold hand traced up his jaw, thumb parting his lips and they let out a noise of appreciation. it had been about a week since the two of them had been properly associated with each other and toji still couldn't get over how adorable this ghost was because they couldn't say full sentences for the life of them. he didn't understand why and saw it as a sour spot for them and didn't push, instead doing his best to interpret their simple words.

suddenly, toji's hand grabbed their wrist and gripped tightly, ensuring they couldn't run away like the little lamb they were. he sat up, pulling them onto his lap and stared into their dull eyes before tilting their head. lips pressing kisses down their neck and nibbling red marks on their skin, he spoke in a murmur, "tonight, doll, you're not running away."

"be good for me and let me fuck you, yeah?" he whispered, free hand already kneading the flesh of their ass under their clothes. "i've been dying to see what that hole looks like, me and my cock both..." at those words the ghost suddenly felt something hard poking them right between their legs, a bright blush filling their ghostly pale cheeks. "that's it... feel how hard i am?"

"take care of it for me, baby."

#—seol #smut #toji x reader #jjk #toji fushiguro #lady k and the sick man #au

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inmyicyworld · 2 years ago

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New purchase

kinktober - lingerie kink, mirror sex

Summary: You just got a new expensive lingerie set and decided to tease your mafia boss boyfriend with some sexy pictures.

Word count: 2.4k

Warnings: mob bucky barnes, established relationship, smut, p in v, lingerie kink, mirror sex, unprotected sex, creampie, sexy pictures, doggy style, butt slapping, hair pulling, dirty talk.

Author's note: I know for a fact that I won't be able to write for every day of the Kinktober event, but I still want to be a part of it lol. So if any of you have some spicy (or not) ideas, my inbox is open for requests or suggestions.

Also, I had too much fun with AI stuff and y'all... this Bucky Barnes makes me literally weak in the knees😩😩 (I have a few more AI-generated pics to add to my fics, if you'll like it.)

masterlist my ao3 ko-fi

As soon as the message from you popped up on Bucky’s screen, he was no longer involved in the conversation with his people, who were reporting on the situation that got a few men killed.

No, now his eyes were glued to the screen of his phone. To the photo that you sent him, to be exact. You were standing in front of the mirror in the new blue lingerie set that Bucky definitely hadn't seen before.

“miss you, baby.”

Bucky took a deep breath, studying every little thing in the photo—from your half-hidden smile to the soft skin of your legs and stomach—and noticing the way your boobs were perfectly sitting in that almost see-through bra. Fuck, to be right now on top of you instead of sitting here was a dream. You knew what effect you had on him and that Bucky loved your expensive lingerie, but he couldn't just leave now, right? Controlling Brooklyn was not easy, especially when some brave idiots tried to threaten him.

“please, Jamie…”

Another text message with an attached picture appeared in front of him, and his pants immediately became much tighter. Now it was from another angle. You were on the bed on your hands and knees, your spine perfectly arched to show your round ass in just a little piece of fabric that shouldn’t even be considered underwear.

Flashbacks from all the times Bucky was holding your hips while thrusting into you from behind filled his head and he almost wanted to moan out loud. No, it was impossible to listen to whatever Peter was saying, especially when it was the first time you sent such photos.

“You better stay in this position, baby. I'm coming.” He typed quickly before suddenly getting up from his fancy leather chair, making the whole room go quiet.

“D-did I say something wrong, boss?” Peter’s face became white. Bucky probably looked really angry right now, but only because he couldn't touch you and bury himself in your heat at that exact moment.

“I didn't listen, Parker. I need to go; finish here without me. Steve, you're responsible.” Bucky took his jacket and stormed out of the room without another word.

You were walking around the bedroom in nervousness, as if it were your first time waiting for Bucky from work. But now something was different, though. You knew that he was busy, and you hated disturbing him, but after looking in the mirror at yourself for too long, you got so confident and bold that you decided to text him with photos, which you had never done before.

Your best friend Nat took you out shopping, but even though Bucky always gave you his card and told you to buy whatever you wanted, you never actually did it. Until you saw that unbelievably beautiful blue set. Bucky went crazy every time you had new pieces, but they weren’t as expensive as this one because you always bought them with your own money. Your friend basically shoved you into the changing room and convinced you that it cost every single penny, so you gave up and used Bucky’s black card.

The loud noise of the slammed door came from the first floor, and you knew that your boyfriend had come home. Fuck, it has been only 15 minutes since he messaged you, and he was already there.

You sat at the edge of the king-size bed, facing the door. And in just a few seconds, heavily breathing and slightly annoyed, Bucky stood in the door frame. If you hadn’t been dating him for almost a year now, you would’ve thought that he was angry, but the way he licked his lips and the look in his eyes while he was scanning your almost naked body told you otherwise.

“You’re such a fucking tease, babydoll. I had an important meeting, and you just had to send me those photos, huh?” Bucky grinned at you, taking off his expensive jacket and rolling up the sleeves of the white shirt. He took small steps toward you, but you were too focused on his tattooed and veiny forearms to notice it.

You blinked only when a soft but firm hand pressed under your chin, making you look Bucky in the eyes. The realization of how ridiculously wet you were hit you hard, and Bucky probably saw the way your cheeks blushed because his lips curled in a one-sided smirk.

“You’re looking like the sexiest thing on the planet, but you’re blushing. God, you’re amazing, baby.” His eyes slid down your body, covered in a thin lace, and you swore that his eyes darkened within a second.

“I just thought that I became wet by just looking at your hands.” Bucky growled at your words. He took both of your hands into his, silently asking you to stand up from the bed. "Sorry for bothering you at work, I just... I don’t know.”

“I don’t care about work as long as I can see my amazing girlfriend looking so incredible. Is this new? I know every single piece of clothing that you own; I’ve never seen this before.”

“Nat convinced me to buy this... from your card. I hope you don’t mind." Bucky chuckled at your words.

“I told you a million times to buy whatever you wanted. My money is your money, ‘key? Now spin for me.” He lifted your hand above your head, helping you to spin around and show him every little detail of your new purchase.

The bra, which perfectly lifted your boobs, so they seemed nice and round. Matching lacy blue thongs and a garter belt that was attached to the tights sat on your waist, showing every curve of your hips. There was nothing left for imagination. You looked so soft, delicious, and sexy, but those cute little flowers all over the fabric made Bucky want to destroy you.

“So pretty, goddammit. I need you right now.” He firmly grabbed one side of your face, connecting your lips in a hot and messy kiss, while the other hand trailed its way from your neck down to your soaking wet panties. “Still can’t believe that you’re mine. The most beautiful woman on the whole fuckin’ planet.” Bucky growled into your lips, refusing to let you go. “Is that all for me? Are you so wet because of your naighty little photos or from my hands? Tell me.” Two fingers run up and down your covered folds, making you moan into Bucky’s mouth from the stimulation.

“Both… Jamie, please. I need you.” You tried to grind your hips on his hand, but Bucky gripped your thigh and lowered his mouth onto your hot neck.

“‘M not gonna let you get off on my hand, not today. You teased me with those sexy pictures, so I think it would be fair if I just fucked you senseless. That’s what you asked me to do anyway, right?” You just eagerly nodded, hoping that Bucky would do anything. The heat in the lower half of your stomach was almost painful, and you felt awfully empty inside, squeezing around nothing with every kiss Bucky had left on your sensitive skin. “Should I bend you over the bed? Or maybe on the floor in front of the mirror so I could see how good you feel when I fuck you?” He asked mostly himself.

Bucky pulled away from you, admiring fresh red marks on your collarbones and neck and already knowing that you'd blame him in the morning before work. His lips were swollen and his hair was a mess, but you still bit your lip at how sexy and pretty he was. Lately, you didn’t spend much time together because of his job, and now you wanted to spend every second admiring and touching him.

“I don’t care, Buck. I just want you, I miss you.” Your hands flew to the collar of his shirt, opening every button until his tanned chest was on full display.

“Get on your knees and hands, doll.” Bucky mumbled, and you knew that he had lost all of his patience.

You lowered yourself on an expensive white rug and teasinly moved your ass from side to side, looking at Bucky through the mirror. His eyes stuck on your body, and he licked his lips once again. You saw the way his pants were barely holding the hardness behind them, and your mouth instantly started watering from that thought.

“Are you going to fuck me or keep starring at my ass?”

He smirked at your words and fell onto his knees behind you, slightly pushing his covered hips into yours and making you both moan.

“Oh, I am going to fuck you? Don’t worry about that, doll.” The sudden slap on your ass cheek made you loudly gasp; your mouth stayed slightly open as Bucky was massaging your burning cheek with one hand and unbuckling his pants with the other.

You felt the silky-soft skin of his cock between your legs when Bucky ran his length on your wet panties. “It’s too pretty, I don’t wanna take it off of you. ‘M just gonna push them to the side.” He took your underwear out of his way, lining the leaking tip with your wet entrance.

You couldn’t stay steel, so Bucky had to grab your hair, raise your head, and perfectly arch your back. You whined at the slight pain from his grip, but it soon turned into a loud mixture of a moan and Bucky’s name when he pushed inside of you.

It never failed to amaze both of you how perfect you were for each other. The sex was incredible every single time. Your body instantly adgasted for his size; your wet and soft folds gripped his cock firmly, as if your body didn’t want him ever to leave. Bucky honestly didn’t even remember the sex before you; at that time he thought it was nice, but since the first night with you, everything has become blurred, and he couldn't look at any other woman in a sexual way anymore.

“Fuck-fuck-fuck, James!” You cried, squeezing him harder and gripping the soft material under your hands.

“Holy shit, doll. Your pretty pussy ‘s taking me so well; she’s so greedy for my cock.” Bucky slapped your ass again at the same time as he bottomed out in you. You tried to stay focused on the reflection in the mirror, but that teasing little push of Bucky’s hips right into your g-spot made your eyes roll back. "What? You can’t handle it, baby? But that's what you asked for. You thought that you could just send me these things and not get fucked like a naughty little girl?” He chuckled, immediately increasing the speed of his thrusts.

“I just wanted you, J-Jamie, fuck!” You cried at another slap on your ass. Red hand prints were already visible, and you knew that it would be hard to sit the next day. “I need to cum, please…”

“Already drunk with my cock?” Bucky chuckled, slightly squeezing your hair in his hand, until you opened your hooded eyes and looked at him in the mirror. “Look at you, always so perfect for me.” His blue eyes studied your reflection. Your still covered in bra tits bounced every time he pushed his cock inside of you, and Bucky felt like he became even harder because of the fact that he couldn’t see you fully naked.

It felt like he wanted to split you in half with the power of his movements. Your skin slapped into each other, and the wet sounds of your pussy were almost too loud and inappropriate for you, but Bucky didn’t care. He moved fast and hard, mumbling praise words under his breath, which you barely understood, being too close to cum.

“Bucky, ‘m gonna cum… Please, let me cum, ‘m so close.” You loudly moaned when your body started trembling and your hands were almost too weak to hold you up.

“Do it, doll. I’m right behind you. Cover my cock in your cum.” Your mouth fell open, and your eyes instantly closed when you finally came, clenching around him. Bucky looked closely as your face expression changed—it was his favorite thing.

He pushed into your tight cunt a few more times before freezing as his own orgasm came. You moaned at the feeling of his hot seed feeling you from the inside.

“Just like that, doll. You did so well.” Bucky soothed the skin of your thigh and reddish cheek, finally loosening the grip on your hair. Your hands couldn’t hold you up anymore, and you collapsed on the soft rug with a muffled puff.

Bucky slightly chuckled, slipping out of you, and flipped over your exhausted body so you could face him. You both were flushed and slightly sweaty. Bucky brushed your hair from your face and lowered himself to catch your lips in a slow kiss. You wrapped your arms around his strong shoulders until he fell on top of you.

“I’ll call Nat so she can take you shopping tomorrow. Use my black card and get yourself everything that you like, because now I want to see you in every possible shade and variation of lingerie, doll.” Bucky mumbled near your ear while his hands traced the soft skin of your ribs and stomach.

“I don’t want to spend your money, James.” You laughed.

“Then I’ll give my card to Nat, so she can spend it on you. Because I won’t leave you alone anymore, doll. You drive me crazy looking like this.” He started kissing your neck, going lower to your chest. You just sighted, knowing damn well that there’s no point in arguing and that your amazing boyfriend would find a way to make you buy more lingerie. “Are you ready for round two? Because I really wanna put those pretty tits in my mouth.”

Whatever you wanted to say died on your tongue with the first touch of Bucky’s wet tongue, and your brain went completely blank.

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

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You can’t shop your way out of a monopoly

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TUCSON (Mar 9-10), then SAN FRANCISCO (Mar 13), Anaheim, and more!

If you're running a business, you can either invest at being good at your business, or good at Google SEO. Choose the former and your customers will love you – but they won't be able to find you, thanks to the people who choose the latter. And if you're going to invest in top-notch SEO, why bother investing in quality at all?

For more than a decade, Google has promised that it would do something about "lead gens" – services that spoof Google into thinking that they are local businesses, pushing down legit firms on both regular search and Google Maps (these downranked businesses invested in quality, not SEO, remember). Search for a roofer, a plumber, an electrician, or a locksmith (especially a locksmith), and most or all of the results will be lead-gens. They'll take your call, pretend to be a local business, and then call up some half-qualified bozo to come out and charge you four times the going rate for substandard work:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locksmiths-may-be-out-to-pick-your-pocket-too.html

Some of them just take your money and they "go back to the shop for a tool" and never return:

https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/when-a-fake-business-used-a-real-st-louis-address-things-got-weird-32087998

Google has been promising to fix this since the late aughts, and to be fair, it's a little better. There was once a time when a map of Manhattan showed more locksmiths than taxis:

https://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/18/google-maps-proves-more-locksmiths-in-nyc-than-cabs/

But GMaps is trapped in the enshittification squeeze. On the one hand, the company wants to provide a good and reliable map. On the other hand, the company makes money selling "ads" that are actually payola, where a business can pay to get to the top of the listings or get displayed on the map itself. Zoom out of Google's map of central London and the highlighted landmarks are a hilarious mix of "organic" and paid listings: the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, the Barbican, the London Eye…and a random oral and maxillofacial clinic in the financial district:

https://twitter.com/dylanbeattie/status/1764711667663831455

Hell of a job "organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful," Big G. Doubtless the average Londoner finds the presence of this clinic super helpful in orienting themselves relative to the map on their phone screens, and it's a real service to tourists hoping to hit all the major landmarks.

It's not just Maps users who'd noticed the rampant enshittification. Even the original design team is so horrified they're moved to speak out about the moral injury they experience seeing the product they worked so hard on turned into a giant pile of shit:

https://twitter.com/elizlaraki/status/1727351922254852182

Now, when it comes to locksmiths, I'm lucky. My neighborhood in Burbank includes the wonderful Golden State Lock and Safe, which has been in business since 1942:

https://www.goldenstatelock.com/

But you wouldn't know it from searching GMaps for a locksmith near me. That search turns up a long list of scams:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/locksmith/@34.1750451,-118.369948,14z/data=!3m1!4b1?entry=ttu

It also turns up plenty of Keyme machines – these are private-equity backed, self-serve key-cutting machines placed in grocery stores. Despite Keyme calling itself a "locksmith," it's just a badly secured, overcaptilized, enshittification-bound system for collecting and retaining shapefiles for the keys to millions of homes, cross-referenced with billing information that will make it easy for the eventual hackers to mass-produce keys for all those poor suckers' houses.

(Hilariously, Keyme claims to be an "AI" company):

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200114005194/en/KeyMe-Raises-35-Million-to-Further-Its-Mission-of-Building-the-Premier-Locksmith-Services-Company-in-the-Nation

But despite the fact that you can literally see the Golden State storefront from Google Streetview, Google Maps claims to have no knowledge of it. Instead, Streetview labels Golden State "Keyme" – and displays a preview showing a locksmith using a tool to break into a jeep (I'd dearly love to know how the gadget next to the Slurpee machine at the 7-Eleven will drive itself to your jeep and unlock the door for you when you lose your keys):

https://www.google.com/maps/place/KeyMe+Locksmiths/@34.1752624,-118.3487531,3a,75y,350.19h,90.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssHrtqjqvgFir3NBauMy13Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x80c2959cd65dbb1b:0x4b3744cf87492a71!2sBurbank+Blvd+%26+N+Hollywood+Way,+Burbank,+CA+91505!3b1!8m2!3d34.1750025!4d-118.3493484!16s%2Fg%2F11f37_3lq8!3m5!1s0x80c2951cedbf4d39:0xe8ff9fd5872e66e9!8m2!3d34.1755176!4d-118.349!16s%2Fg%2F11mw7nr4fx?entry=ttu

It's pretty clear to me what's going on here. Keyme has hired some SEO creeps and/or paid off Google, flooding the zone with listings for its machines. Meanwhile, Golden State, being merely good at locksmithing, has lost the SEO wars. Perhaps Golden State could shift some of its emphasis from being good at locksmithing in order to get better at SEO, but this is a race that will always be won by the firm that puts the most into SEO, which will always be the firm that puts the least into quality.

Whenever I write about this stuff, people inevitably ask me which search engine they should use, if not Google?

And there's the rub.

Google used predatory pricing and anticompetitive mergers to acquire a 90% search market-share. The company spends more than $26b/year buying default position in every place where you might possibly encounter a new search engine. This created the "kill zone" – the VC's term of art for businesses that no one will invest in, because Google makes sure that no one will ever find out it exists:

https://www.theverge.com/23802382/search-engine-google-neeva-android

That's why the only serious competitor to Google is Bing, another Big Tech company (Bing is also the primary source of results on Duckduckgo, which is why DDG sometimes makes exceptions for Microsoft's privacy-invading tracking):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuckDuckGo#Controversies

Google tells us that the quid-pro-quo of search monopolization is search excellence. The hundreds of billions it makes every year through monopoly control gives it the resources it needs to fight spammers and maintain search result quality. Anyone who's paid attention recently knows that this is bullshit: Google search quality is in free-fall, across all its products:

https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf

But Google doesn't seem to think it has a problem. Rather than devoting all its available resources to fighting botshit, spam and scams, the company set $80 billion dollars alight last year with a stock buyback that was swiftly followed with 12,000 layoffs, followed by multiple subsequent rounds of layoffs:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task

The scams that slip through Google's cracks are sometimes nefarious, but just as often they're decidedly amateurish, the kind of thing that Google could fix by throwing money at the problem, say, to validate that new ads for confirmed Google merchants come from the merchant's registered email addresses and go to the merchant's registered website:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Search is a capital intensive business, and there are real returns to scale, as the UK Competition and Market Authority's excellent 2020 study describes:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fe4957c8fa8f56aeff87c12/Appendix_I_-_search_quality_v.3_WEB_.pdf

But Google doesn't seem to think that its search needs that $80 billion to fight the spamwars. That's the thing about monopolists, they get complacent. As Lily Tomlin's "Ernestine the AT&T operator" used to say, "We don't care, we don't have to, we're the phone company."

That's why I'm so excited about the DOJ Antitrust Division monopolization case against Google. Trusting one company to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," was a failure:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-google-monopolizing-digital-advertising-technologies

I understand why people want to know which search engine they should use instead of Google, and I get why, "There aren't any good search engines" is such an unsatisfactory answer. I understand why each fresh round of printer-company fuckery prompts people to ask "which printer should I get?" and I understand why "There are only six major printer companies and they're all suffering from end-stage enshittification" isn't what anyone wants to hear.

We want to be able to vote with our wallets, because it's so much faster and more convenient than voting with our ballots. But the vote-with-your-wallet election is rigged for the people with the thickest wallets. Try as hard as you'd like, you just can't shop your way out of a monopoly – that's like trying to recycle your way out of the climate emergency. Systemic problems need systemic solutions – not individual ones.

That's why the new antitrust matters so much. The answer to monopolies is to break up companies, block and unwind mergers, ban deceptive and unfair conduct. "Caveat emptor" is the scammer's motto. You shouldn't have to be an expert on lead gen scams to hire a locksmith without getting ripped off.

There are good products and services out there. Earlier this year, we decided to install a (non-networked) programmable pushbutton lock. I asked Deviant Ollam – whom I know from Defcon's Lockpicking Village – for a recommendation and he suggested the Schlage FE595:

https://www.schlage.com/en/home/products/FE595PLYFFFFLA.html

I liked it so much I bought another one for my office door. Eric from Golden State Lock and Safe installed it while I wrote this blog-post. It's great. I recommend both of 'em – 10/10, would do business again.

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/05/the-map-is-not-the-territory/#vapor-locksmith

Image: alicia rae (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kehole_Red.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

Budhiargomiko (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wasteland.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #enshittification #locksmith scams #google #google maps #monopoly #doj #seo #big tech

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streamafterlaughter · 10 months ago

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Soundtrack to Disaster

Prologue

nav | masterlist | playlist | pinboard

fic tags: enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, modern!au, angst, time jumps, oc!reader x eddie munson. this fic is rated 18+ MDNI chapter tags: swearing… that’s it for now. teehee

a/n: hello and thanks for reading! chapter one will be posted shortly after this! i really hope you guys enjoy, and please leave me comments!!! reblogs also appreciated greatly!

DISCLAIMER: I do not consent to having my work fed to AI engines, or reposted in any way, shape, or form on other websites. Unless otherwise stated, this is the only account that features and contains this work, and any replication was done without my consent. Please let me know if you see my work elsewhere. Reblog to support the author!

taglist (comment/ask to be added!) @children-of-the-grave @five-bi-five @kellsck @faggotinie @xplrnowornever

—

September, six years ago

Red and brown leaves crunch under your boots as you rush across the commons, phone glued to your ear as your brother’s rants berate you from the other end of the line. You’re missing out on weekend tips to deal with your burn out brother and his stupid friends.

“You didn’t think you’d have to get your story straight just in case you got arrested?!”

“I didn’t really consider it a possibility. I was thinking positively!”

You groan, shoving your key into the ignition of your death trap of a car. “Well, the power of manifestation won’t help you now.”

“Will you please just come pick me up?” You almost tease him about the desperation in his voice, but something tells you it’s a bad idea.

“Yeah, whatever. How much is bail?”

“Ah, forget bail, sis. You’re gonna have to use that money for my lawyer.”

“What the fuck did you do, Chris?”

He stole a car.

Not just any car; a vintage, 1967 Cherry Chevy Camaro belonging to none other than Officer Carver. What a fucking moron.

Carver’s had it out for your brother since he was promoted to Chief of Police, not that Chris didn’t make himself an easy target. At fourteen, your older brother made a habit of stealing from the corner store near your house. He’d come home out of breath, backpack stuffed with a six pack and several candy bars he'd used to bribe you not to tell your parents. You’d taken them with little more than an annoyed huff then, but this wasn’t just cheap beer and a couple Milky Ways. This was the Chief’s car, his baby. You’re pretty sure he loves that thing more than his own son. It would explain a lot. You get to the station as the sun is setting, tinting the sky with orange hues. Inside, it’s mostly quiet save for the phone ringing and the chatter of a couple uniforms. “Hi,” you greet the secretary, who looks bored beyond her years as she types away on her ancient computer. “I’m here to see my brother, Chris L/n.”

She directs you down the hall, where the sole cell in the building holds your big brother inside, sitting on the wooden bench with his head down.

”Hey, idiot.” He looks up, face splitting into a shit eating grin.

”Hey, little sis.”

”What the fuck did you do?”

He snickers, as if this is just another prank, a practical joke! “Thought it would be fun to take Carver’s bird out for a joy ride, sue me!”

“He’s doing worse than suing you, Chris! He’s pressing charges!”

He snorts, then attempts to hide it with a cough. “Yeah, but it was worth it.”

You groan at your brother. “How’d he catch you?”

Chris shrugs. “His partner was out on patrol or something, obviously recognized his own car. Caught us red handed.”

”Us? What poor sap agreed to this stupid idea?”

Chris’s smile is seemingly slapped off of his face. “No one. Did I say us? I meant me. He caught me.”

”Chris-“

”Miss? You need to leave, we’re transporting this suspect to the penitentiary shortly.” The secretary hadn’t made a peep behind you, causing you to jump at her voice. She escorts you back to the lobby, where she hands you your cell phone and keys back. You’re about to leave when you hear his voice from across the room.

“You’re free to go this time, Munson, but don’t think I won’t have my eyes on you.”

The boy chuckles as Carver removes his handcuffs. “Oh, I’m sure you will, big guy.”

one year later

The gavel hits the wood. Chris is sentenced to five years in prison for grand theft auto. His fate had been sealed when Eddie took the stand, testifying as a witness. “I was in the car with him. I told him to stop, but I couldn’t convince him.” You watch, stunned into silence, as your brother is taken in handcuffs to the big house, the same cocky smirk still on his lips.

Eddie got one hundred hours of community service, because he’s eighteen with no priors, but you can’t help fuming as you watch him walk free; someone you used to call a friend, someone your brother cherished so much, turned completely against the both of you. How fucking dare he.

chapter I

#eddie munson x reader #fem!reader #oc!reader #modern!au #angst #slow burn #enemies to friends to lovers #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends #friends to lovers #strangerthingscentral #stranger things #eddie munson fanfic #minimal use of y/n #eddie x you #eddie x y/n #eddie x oc #eddie x fem!reader #SDF

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satureja13 · 1 year ago

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Jack is disenchanted and disappointed. As exciting as it was to talk to Tiny Can, he'd expected more of the AI Therapist.

Sai went back to sleep again, he's exhaused from crying and reliving his worst memories. And Ji Ho and Jack decided to play a bit. But the only 'game' available is a boring puzzle... Jack: "Oh my, I don't know what's more boring. This puzzle or our therapy... Have they never heard about gamification? Or fun? Or to make it a bit more interesting?" Ji Ho agreed. Though the insight about Vlad and his own locked away feelings was interesting. Maybe he should follow and explore these thoughts a bit deeper.

Suddenly Saiwa was wide awake: "What did you just say, Jack?"

Jack: "Uh - probably something wrong? You finish the puzzle, Ji Ho, I go and run."

Saiwa: "No! That's actually brilliant!

Gamification! The Game!!!

We combine the AI with our game and make it a Therapy Game!" Jack and Ji Ho: "..." (Haha you can see how Jack and Ji Ho's brains are working ^^') Saiwa: "And not just for us - for other creatures too! This would have been so helpful when we'd been so scared and alone! And who knows? This could be a sucess and we'd make money to pay Rubyn and the others back!" We barely get to see Saiwa this excited ^^' But here some of his main interests meet, his love for games and computers - and being there for others and help them.

Vlad went back home to grab Saiwa, Jack and Ji Ho's content they'd already had created for their game over the last months and then they started their epic gathering to develop the:

For the computer game they'd planned, Jack already made the concept art and design, Vlad wrote and Ji Ho composed the music and soundscapes. They are going to feed all this to Tiny Can and see what kind of 'gamification therapy' he'll create. How exciting! (For me it really is! Imagine this: a game that also is a therapy - supported by an AI! How amazing would that be if you could see the things that make you suffer from a distance and you'd find solutions for them by doing insightful AND funny AND interesting quests! You'd gain helpful new habits and get rid of unhealthy ones by playing a game! Where I live it's so hard to find a therapy place. We have to wait up to a year -.- I do have high hopes in AI. You could go by your own pace. And you wouldn't even have to leave the house!)

After a very long gathering, Ji Ho and Jack relaxed in the hot tub. Jack's pain is thanking him. They sat silent for quite a while, lost in their thoughts. Very unusual for Jack, but his brain is running on hyper speed now. He's so excited :3 And Ji Ho was pondering about his locked down feelings. The Bond made it easy for him to love Luci. They had a whole different approach to each other. While his relationship with Vlad was doomed from the beginning (their story in (kind of ^^') short -> here).

The only ocassions where Ji Ho was really comfortable with Vlad was, when they touched and made love. And this is also a benefit of the Bond and Luci because Ji Ho hated being touched in the beginning. After all he'd seen at the House of the rising Sun in the slums of Sulani. But Luci had approached him slowly and tenderly. Ji Ho shared his thoughts with Jack: "Do you think this might be a way to become more comfortable with Vlad and finally be able to love him? And to find my buried down feelings?" Jack: "I think that's brilliant! At least one of us learned something in that therapy. When you charge the Bond later, just try a bit more and we'll see how it goes."

A little later Vlad came down: "Uhm, I'm leaving now. The Bond..."

Ji Ho left the hot tub and went over to Vlad to charge the Bond - and try his new theory... They embraced each other as usual and then Ji Ho tried to kiss Vlad.

But Vlad moved his head aside and whispered: "I want nothing more than you - but not like this." Vlad's breath ghosted over Ji Ho's still wet skin and made him shiver.

Vlad still has his principles - not to forget his foolish pride. No way he's going to have a plain physical relationship with Ji Ho - without love. There is no 'two out of three ain't bad' or 'it's better than nothing' in Vlad's world ^^' Only 'it's all or nothing'. He would do anything for Ji Ho, but he won't - and can't do that. It would break him apart. That does not mean it was easy for him to not give in and leave. Vlad really is the master of self control ö.ö

And then Vlad left. Ji Ho seems a bit piqued after Vlad's rejection ^^'

'I can't stop this feeling Deep inside of me Girl, you just don't realize What you do to me

When you hold me In your arms so tight You let me know Everything's all right

I'm hooked on a feeling I'm high on believing That you're in love with me'

Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede from the OST of Guardians of the Galaxy I

Outtakes

He will be mine, oh yes, he will be mine.

Yang Mal: "Can we grill our corncobs now?" 🌽 Saiwa: "Uhm - sure ö.Ö'"

Ji Ho checking the mail... 📬 Who might have sent that letter when Ji Ho looks like that?

Tyalindo watching the sun set 🌅

From the Beginning ~ Underwater Love ~ Latest 🕹️ 'Therapy Game' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

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toxiccoworkeryaoi · 11 days ago

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Was watching Drew Gooden's recent video on tech, and I think he almost perfectly articulated what I hate about major social media websites and specifically short form video content:

"More often than not, you don't open an app in order to do a specific thing.

You open an app and just see whatever it chooses to show you. Sometimes you like it, sometimes you don't.

Either way, the past hour of your life was entirely decided by an algorithm. You're not thinking for yourself. You just turn off your frontal cortex and submit to whatever Mark Zuckerberg has curated for you."

And I've been thinking about how perfectly this fits with the jobs most young adults (a big part of the demographic that all social media is aimed at) hold.

If you're in an office, you can mostly spend the day just doing repetitive tasks that you don't enjoy just because you're told to do them. If you're in customer service, retail or hospitality, it's the same with the added bonus of having people be absolutely horrible to you.

Most jobs (if not all) require you to be overworked, underpaid and therefore dissatisfied. And if it is your hope to come out of this relatively sane, you'll need some degree of dissociation while at work.

So we're willing away 9hours on average, dissociating to make money for people who will give us 0.001% of what we make for them, or something equally as bleak.

Most of these companies have uniforms or dress codes, so they're deciding what we wear, what we do, when we eat, when we go to the bathroom, when we go home. All for a sum of money that is not enough to comfortably live. And this is by design.

And when we do get home, we let something else decide what we see.

It feels dangerously easy to allow your days to be almost entirely up to others. Be that people or algorithms.

And this is what bothers me the most about AI. And Drew mentions it too:

"And the more we're conditioned to accept this relationship, the easier it is to sell us an AI agent that does all of our thinking for us and that we learn to trust implicitly"

I HATE the concept of yet another thing making decisions for us, and I hate the way it's being marketed and I hate how easy it is for millions of people to accept it with open arms.

I hate how many people are so far removed from experiencing anything, that even the smallest web search, even reading a text, becomes such difficult a task, that they'd want something else to do it for them.

So they can go back to scrolling social media.

It's frustrating, to see people enter digital spaces and get so overwhelmed and then believe that the way out is further in.

We're so overwhelmed because working is so horrible and we live in unjust systems, while religiously CONSTANTLY using apps that are designed to make us angry or scared and then sell us temporary comfort.

Then, when it all becomes too much, they sell us the possibility to stop thinking altogether.

Do you see how the answer can't be to buy another thing that we will never have control over, much less own?

(Not to mention, AI is just a bad investment the tech industry made and WE'RE being forced to pay for it)

It's just...

I don't claim to know what we're here to do, but I know it's not this.

I do not live to spend the bulk of my energy dissociating and passively consuming

#+#diary entry

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nerdieforpedro · 11 months ago

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Just like the Picture

Dieter Bravo x gn reader

My entire masterlist and blog are for readers 18+ MDNI. I do not consent to my work being used in AI, recommended on TikTok, borrowed or plagiarized.

Summary: Moving into your new apartment went well. Your new landlord seems pretty chill. You see him a lot though, why is that?

Warnings: Non-consensual voyeurism, masturbation (mentioned but not in detail), edibles, weed use, erotic paintings, food mention

Word Count: 936

Notes: Written for the Roll-a-Trope Writing Challenge presented by @burntheedges . I have it in just under the wire. 👀 I wasn’t not sure I’d be able to write something or not, but I’m glad I was. My trope was “landlord Dieter” so here we are. Not beta-ed, I dunno what I wrote so all mistakes are mine.

Main Masterlist/ Dieter Bravo Masterlist/ Writing Challenges

Dieter sometimes wonders how exactly he ended up staring at his media setup in his office. His apartment on the top floor is one of the penthouses that allows for more room. He has four different screens, all active and his gaze is switching between them. He’s sitting in just his robe, rolling some special herbs and spices into his usual blunt. His favorite show is about to start.

You.

It was an easy deal to strike with his cousin who needed a few hundred bucks as his car always stays in the impound. Dieter told him not to ask any questions, just install the cameras and show Bravo how to access them. He did, his cousin had his money and Dieter had the set-up complete. The only reason Dieter gave as he knew his cousin may blab to someone about the cameras being installed, was that the apartment you now reside in was a model apartment to show potential tenants. It took Dieter’s cousin off his scent and it took months before Bravo would finally rent that unit out.

You moved in six months ago, one of Dieter’s last move-ins. He gave you a tour of the building, amenities, and the unit himself. Usually, he leaves the office manager to do the tours, but they always make sure to at least introduce new tenants to Dieter before touring them. He quickly told him that he would handle things from here. A piece of gum was popped into his mouth as he offered you one as well. You giggled and took a stick of Doublemint from him. His palm touched the small of your back as he led through the building. You’re so comfortable with him, you really shouldn’t be but Bravo is grateful. That way, he won’t feel bad about his late-night viewing.

Dieter Bavo made sure to be there for the day of your move-in, assisting where he could and providing jokes where he could. He bought lunch for you, some burgers, fries, and a lemonade. Eating on your new leather couch, Dieter finds himself to be enamored with you. He’s thankful he didn’t see anyone move in with you and no other names on your lease besides yours. He leaves and bids you a good evening, though he’s glad to be taking the elevator up to his apartment to view more of you. Over the first month after you’ve moved in, Dieter notes that you have a routine after you get home from work:

Watching you move around your apartment, drop your work bag and keys.

Sit down to read. (That’s your third book this month. Maybe he should read while you’re at work. What book is that?)

Watch TV later. (Changing the camera angle he can see what show you’re watching, the Glenn guy is everywhere. Dieter has stubble too, maybe not as much, but enough to give a good burn.)

Undress and apply your lotions after your shower. (In retrospect, maybe he should have put one in the bathroom, but he wasn’t sure if his cousin would be able to find one of those waterproof cameras. Maybe he’ll rub that decadent cream on your legs and back one day too.)

Pulling out your special bog of toys. (Investing in a quality bag to store your nightly enjoyment in is self-care as far as Dieter is concerned. He may need to check out that brand of lube, he’s heard about it, but hasn’t bought it because he’s familiar with the one he uses.)

In the second month, Dieter now not only masturbates watching you but also thinks about whether you like edibles. You’ve commented that you’re not a fan of smoke, no matter cigarette or weed. He could offer you some edibles to try out though, fruit flavors to start. Bravo makes it a point to ‘run into you’ around the building. At the pool, workout area, and mailboxes. You comment that see him often and maybe you should have lunch again, this time you’ll buy. Dieter insists that you don’t and more burgers are had, in his apartment. It’s an open concept, has a lot of light and you see his easel near one of the windows.

Dieter’s too busy sipping his lemonade and trying to figure out if he’s going to offer grape edibles or apple flavor. He hears you gasp and ask, “What is this?” He now recalls what’s over there and scratches his exposed belly as he stretches an arm upward.

“What I imagine you to look like when you come. What do you think?” Bravo smiles as he walks over to you. Your eyes are fixed on the incomplete painting. The furrow of your brows, placement of your legs, and the surrounding color match those of your sheets, how would he know all of that?

“It’s fairly detailed. You even got my mole and my scars, those edibles help with that?” You both laugh and you take one apple and one grap from Dieter’s palm, chewing them both.

“Maybe. No other questions thought, most would have a different reaction to this.” His surprise has you walk over to the couch and lie across it. It’s bizarre for sure, but endearing in a way. Plus the toys are only getting the job done but so well. Bravo moves his way over and stands before the couch above you, his breathing quickening as a bulge forms beneath his pajama bottoms. His large palms land on your thighs as he bends down to eye level with you.

“Wanna see if you can have me make that face for you Dee?”

#pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal #fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfiction #roll a trope challenge #landlord Dieter #Creepy Dieter #nerdieforpedro #dieter bravo #dieter bravo fanfic #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo x reader #burntheedges

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6leggedhorse · 2 months ago

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I disappeared, back I’m hopefully back & why I went MIA

TL;DR: shit got rough on my end, didn’t get the job I want. Hoping to return after graduation (5.16.25.)

When I left for a couple months, it sucked. But when you leave a job that went down hill, living off a stipend, be unpaid intern at DPSS, deal with a heavy flow of tasks, barely any days off (prior to leaving my job), and didn’t get the job I worked hard to get, it’s draining. School and internship consumed me, it was utterly painful. But this time around hopefully I’ll be back. The one thing I look forward to now is a date with my husband, taking care of myself via therapy, psychiatry, and accepting my fate. That being, Depts. of social work, they only want MSWs, something in which I cannot afford. Let me explain:

For those who’re curious, I studied and majored in social work, specifically child welfare. I got the stipend, I interned, I even had a case, we were told from the school that the standards were lowered so that BASWs can get a job. I applied to be a SSP III, a level right below a supervisor level. I was so ecstatic when I got an interview, I got up at 5am to get ready, get breakfast, and drive 45 mins to the site for a hiring event. I was three before the doors opened. I was to interview at 9:05am, but I noticed that there was more and more people coming into the room with other social workers. All MSWs, or SWs with years of experience, I was the only BASW.

Long short of it I was dismissed at 12p and told I didn’t get the position. I was placed on an “interest list” and I was to be on that list for 6 months. They could call at anytime and hire me. I knew deep down I wasn’t going to get hired, but I remained hopeful. I was right, I didn’t nail it, given that ai don’t have much experience in the field, I couldn’t really tie anything to the questions I was given.

So I’m sitting here, in my bed with my husband fast asleep, it’s 10:28 PST, in sweat pants and sweat shirt writing this. I finish school next week and get an expensive and useless degree in social work that I can’t use. I’m trying to trust Loki, hoping he has something better lined up for me, but it’s hard. I owe back a stipend, around 15 to 20 grand. On top of bills, necessities, appointments, and car payment, I was way in over my head about this.

So what’s next, well, if the neighboring county calls to hire me, I may be forced to work in the high desert. Which is not as easy as my husband thinks it is. He tells me “we’ll live.” “We’ll make it work!” “You don’t have to rent a home out there.” “Most of the traffic comes from going down the hill. You’ll be fine.” He’s not mean or abusive, but he doesn’t realize how intense this branch of social work is. He’s simple, loving, we have a lot in common, but I told him I will reject the offer to work in the place where I may be placed. I cannot sacrifice my mental health and my marriage. I’d have to leave at 4 or 5am, work 8a to 5p, and go down a mountain where there is not just traffic, but construction work, and car accidents. I wouldn’t be home till around 9 or 10 pm perhaps even later getting minimal sleep. It wouldn’t be worth it, and I can’t afford to sacrifice myself.

My husband tells me I need to manage my mental health and take breaks. But when I worked, had school, and internship, he was sad, he told me he doesn’t see me anymore. I adjusted my schedule so I can have time with my husband. Now, it’s different, he’s aware and worried about the stipend being paid back in actual money instead of time. Hence why he’s pushing and encouraging me to take the position if it was my only option.

But the thing is: I am taking the L so to speak, I don’t want to be a social worker if it means I have to sacrifice my mental health. I’ve been struggling with self sabotage lately, and I have been heavily debating that this isn��t the right career and that I really fucked up, I recall saying I should have gone straight to work after high school. But perhaps it wasn’t self sabotage, perhaps it was a hunch, a feeling deep down that has surfaced slowly. One of the things I need to work on is trusting myself: my intuition. Luckily I am walking away debt free from the university since the state paid for it. But, that’s going to change in a year. I have exactly 1 year to get employed with the county other wise I owe a lot of money back.

In short, this is why I disappeared for a while. It’s been rough out here. It sucks, but hey, it is what it is.

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haier-electronic-blogs · 25 days ago

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How AI Is Changing the Way You Control Home Temperatures

Let’s be real — nobody likes fiddling with the AC remote a hundred times a day. You come home feeling hot, you adjust the temperature. Then later, it feels too cold, so you tweak it again. And if you live with family, you probably hear, "Who turned it this low?" more often than you'd like.

Wouldn’t it be nice if your air conditioner just... figured it out on its own?

Well, thanks to AI in air conditioner technology, that’s no longer just a dream — it’s already here, and it's quietly making homes more comfortable without you even noticing.

So, What Exactly Is AI in Air Conditioners?

It sounds high-tech, but don’t worry — it’s not complicated. AI (artificial intelligence) in your AC means the machine can learn and adapt. It watches things like room temperature, time of day, humidity levels, and even your daily habits. Over time, it starts cooling your room just the way you like it — automatically.

Instead of the same routine of turning it on, lowering the temperature, adjusting the fan — it does all of that for you.

Your AC Knows What You Like (Seriously)

Imagine this: your AC knows you like the room at 24°C during the day, but you prefer it cooler while sleeping. After a few days, it starts adjusting itself at the right times. No reminders, no remote. That’s the beauty of AI in air conditioners — it gets better the more you use it.

It’s almost like having an invisible assistant who just gets your vibe and keeps the room just right, all day.

Big Bonus: Lower Electricity Bills

Let’s talk money. One of the biggest advantages of a smart AI AC is that it’s much more energy-efficient. Instead of running full power all the time, it adjusts its cooling based on the current conditions.

If it senses that the room has cooled down, or if there’s no one in the room, it slows down — using less electricity and saving you money. Over time, you’ll definitely notice the difference in your monthly bills.

Control It from Anywhere

Ever left home and wondered, “Did I leave the AC on?” With AI-enabled air conditioners, you can control everything from your phone. Switch it on before you get home, turn it off remotely, or set a timer — all from an app.

Many AI ACs even work with Alexa or Google Assistant, so you can just say, “Turn on the AC,” and let your voice do the rest. It’s all about convenience — and once you get used to it, there’s no going back.

Adapts to the Weather, Too

It’s not just about preferences — AI air conditioners are also smart enough to respond to real-world changes. If the sunlight suddenly heats up your living room, the AC senses the rise in temperature and boosts cooling automatically. If humidity increases, it adjusts again.

Some models even include built-in air filters, so you're getting cleaner, healthier air too — not just cold air.

Everyone Stays Comfortable

Different people have different comfort levels — and that’s okay. With AI, your AC can balance everyone’s needs by learning patterns over time. It takes into account your whole household’s preferences and keeps things balanced. So you don’t have to deal with temperature wars anymore.

Whether you’re working from home, binge-watching your favorite show, or getting a good night’s sleep — your AC has it covered, quietly working in the background.

Why Haier Gets It Just Right

If you’re thinking of upgrading, look no further than Haier. Their latest range of AI air conditioners is built for modern living. They’re smart, energy-efficient, easy to control, and designed to blend into your lifestyle without any fuss.

With Haier, you’re not just buying an AC. You’re getting a cooling partner that understands your habits, adjusts to your needs, and helps you stay comfortable — effortlessly.

#AI in air conditioners #AI air conditioner

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takeonao · 2 months ago

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Between Breaking Bones and Breaking People:

The Reality of Work in the Modern Age

Every human being, at the very least, has three primary needs clothing, shelter, and food that must be fulfilled, and for that reason, humans work. From the first man to today, countless jobs have been created some making perfect sense, others bordering on absurdity. But all share the same goal: survival. In our ever-evolving world, work has shifted from back-breaking effort to things as easy as a click. In the past, especially for manual laborers coolies, for example work demanded immense effort, while their wages were barely enough. Often, they were even abused by their masters. It’s no surprise that such work became a terrifying specter to many.

Yet coolies weren’t the only workers. There were also clerks who recorded the movement of people and goods, and sycophants who spent their days licking the boots of their lords. Most of them came from the elite classes or the wealthy, who wouldn’t blink if they lost a mere 5,000 rupiah. Today, things aren’t that different. The application may have changed, the methods may have shifted, but the essence remains. There are still laborers, still day workers, still people with odd jobs haunted daily by the ghost of debt. They live a double dilemma on one hand, they must fill their grumbling stomachs; on the other, they must face the debts piling up on their backs. When the due date comes, they are visited by collectors men built like tanks who don’t hesitate to hurt or destroy. And yet, those debt collectors are just workers too, earning a living the only way they know how. If they get paid, they go home. If not? They’ll make sure someone else is sent back to God.

Let’s not forget the sellers those who hawk fruits, goods, meals, or even their own bodies. We often think they’re better off than we are, these merchants who make money off our impulsive spending. But have we ever thought where their capital comes from? Is it truly spare money or borrowed? The rise of AI brings a new kind of imbalance. It’s the law of nature: adapt or be discarded. Not everyone understands this change, and not everyone has access to the necessary devices. Those sticking to conventional methods are mocked by those who tinker with screens while their bank accounts grow day by day.

But who’s to blame? And should anyone be blamed at all? Perhaps not. Limitations exist, yes but that doesn’t mean we are powerless. There are still doors to knock on, still cracks in the wall, still chances to catch up. If we become just a bit smarter, perhaps we, too, can level the playing field.

As a closing thought, let us reflect, truly reflect. Let us look inward, examine our work, our lives and above all, the nation we claim to love.

Takeo Nao

#work #TakeoNaoWriter #literature #writing #TumblrThoughts #ContemporaryReality #CapitalismReality #lifestyle #books #IndonesianVoices #WritersOfTumblr #history #SocialCommentary

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yeonban · 3 months ago

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Send me "tell me" and my muse will fill out the below psychopath-themed questionnaire for your muse.

@sortilegii asked: știi bine că Lucian e aici pentru acel meme cu tell me 😭💔 îmi pare rău Tobias, efectiv cumva te-ai pricopsit cu cel mai enervant bărbat din lume

What are you to me (check all that apply)? [X] A stranger. [X] No one important. [X] An ant under my boot. [] A pet. [] A toy to mess with. [] A source of entertainment. [] Someone I would like to fuck. [] Someone of romantic interest to me. [] Other (will specify).

Where did I meet you? [] In a club/at a bar. [] On the streets. [] I found your lost dog and brought it back to you. (Actually, I just used that as an excuse to come up to your door.) [] I stole someone’s phone and found your contact information. [] In a graveyard. [] In your apartment, making myself at home. [] In your kitchen where you found me rifling through your fridge. [] In your bed. It was comfortable, by the way. [] That one time I was swimming in a pool of blood. [] One of your friends arranged a meeting with you. [X] I don’t even care where we met. [] Other (will specify).

I think you (check all that apply): [X] Are a waste of molecular matter. [X] Are strange, odd, and/or weird. [X] Would look good covered in blood. [] Would make a nice hood ornament. [] Would taste good with a bit of red wine. [] Are easy prey. [X] Are not worth my time. [] Need to get me a pie before I shank you. [X] Are obnoxious. [] Are fun to tease/mess with/scare. [X] Try too hard to gain my attention. [X] Are asking for trouble. [X] Are wasting my time having to fill this out for you. [] Are my worst enemy reincarnated. [] Are late. Where’s my sandwich? [] Are one of life’s greatest mysteries. [] Other (will specify).

If you kissed me? [] I would smile and laugh. [] It would be a quickie. [] It would involve tongue. [] It would be aggressive. [] I would softly bite your lip. [] I would explore your neck and jaw. [] Let’s hit up the bedroom. [] You remember what happened last time? [] I’d say that’s awkward… [] I’d be shocked. [] I would slap you. [] I would push you away gently. [X] I would shove you away harshly. [X] We wouldn’t. [] Lol no. [X] You would lose your tongue in a few seconds. [] Other (will specify).

If you were caught in an explosion, I would: [X] Laugh in amusement. [X] Tell you to stop being a drama queen. [] Check to see how injured you were. [] Get upset that your blood got on my clothes. [X] Steal your wallet while you’re distracted with your broken limb. [X] Take your kidney while you’re passed out. [X] Pick you up and hang you by the legs in a nearby tree. [X] Leave you there to die. [X] There was an explosion?

If I saw you right now, I would: [] Steal your kidney. [X] Stab you with a knife. [X] Poke you in the eye. [] Move into your apartment to piss you off. [] Make you take my dog for a walk and hope you give her a bath as well. [] Give you a hug while I whisper death threats in your ear. [X] Push you into oncoming traffic. [] Tell my boyfriend “That’s the one who gave me a black eye!” [] Yell at you. [X] Do nothing. [] Other (will specify).

What I want from you (check all that apply): [X] A good laugh at your expense. [X] One of your limbs. [X] To test this questionable liquid substance. [] A kiss. [] Sex. [] To be my bitch. [] My money back. [] To kiss my ass (figuratively). [] To kiss my ass (literally). [] To get hit by a car while I film it. [] A sandwich. [] A conversation. [] Your blood. [] Your soul. [] A date. [] To just shut up. [X] To just go away. [] To give my dog a walk and a bath. [] Your wallet. [] Other (will specify).

#◜✧ . ❪ muse. tobias. ❫#sortilegii #Ce mă face să râd aici e că opțiunea de „other” există și tehnic Tobias ar fi PUTUT să scrie acolo /destule/#dar efectiv nu-i pasă de Lucian destul cât să se obosească 😭😭😭 a pus acolo niște X-uri și și-a terminat omul treaba =))))))))))

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dervampireprince · 3 months ago

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I am so glad you care so much for your community- I’ve seen ASMR people who really only do it for ghe money, but the fact you care so much is very sweet!

I do appreciate you also taking the time to show things that aren’t often done like age regression, chronic pain, pet regression, and period comfort. I rarely see any type of regression in media or asmr- it’s a nice feeling.

The mere fact you have made me fall in love with your characters (metaphorically) is wonderful. A lot of people don’t have their characters fleshed out and are left scrambling for answers when someone asks about the OC’s lore.

-sincerely, a fan trying to get a phycology degree; 💿💛

I don't know if I've seen anyone do asmr 'for the money' because it's really difficult to get a following in youtube when it's so oversaturated and youtubr ad money is not ad much as people think it is, at least for smaller channels, and youtube had a nasty habit of demonitising or putting limited ads on asmr videos because it sees them as 'sexual content', which no asmr is not inherently sexual whether it's a platonic roleplay, a romantic one, or someone tapping on things.

So I disagree with seeing people doing it for the money but maybe I just haven't seen the channels you're thinking of. My problem with the asmr voice acting space is far too many channels use stolen artwork in their videos or thumbnails (no artist credit anywhere, 'credit to artist' is not credit, linking to Pinterest is not credit, and even with proper credit I feel like using someone's fanart in your monetised video is something you should get permission from the artist to do, and I think picrews are a grey area as many are listed as 'not for commercial use' and does a monetised youtube video count as commercial use?), or in the last year or so an increasing amount are using AI generated 'art' and images in their videos which is disgusting, and I hope the channels that read scripts from reddit have permission to put them on monetised youtube videos instead of soundgasm because I'd feel weird if I wrote a script and shared it on a sub reddit for someone on youtube to voice it and monetise it and it get 100k views and the script writer not see a penny of that.

But anyway, ah, thank you for your kind words. If you look through my FAQ you can find a long answer about why I started making asmr va stuff, but basically it helped me when k was in a dark place and I always wanted to try my hand at it to be able to help others, especially as I saw no trans people or audios made for trans people at the time, but also I want to be clear I did also do it because I was struggling finically and trying another attempt at making money while working from home. And I don't think me partially doing this to make money is evil, we're all feeling the cost of living crisis I'm sure, and I'd just graduated straight into a pandemic so no one was hiring, I'd had a mental breakdown during my last year of uni, and I was trying to find how I could woke while figuring out I have autism and going through trauma that's left me with chronic pain and other health problems. So while yes I genuinely enjoy doing this, I've always wanted to tell stories and struggled to so that via writing books or drawing comics, improvising and acting these audios seems to come naturally and easy to me and its been a joy to discover this way of story telling and have other people enjoy it and care about my characters, I'm also not gonna sit here and lie and say it's never about the money because if my chanbek hadn't grown and after years I had no patreon members I wouldn't still be doing this because I'd have to have a different job and put my energy into that and wouldn't have time to justify doing this. I dont know just saying people 'only do it for the money' kinda rubbed me the wrong way a little because times are hard and of people get into this space to try and make some extra money I have no problem with that (as long as they aren't stealing art to do so).

The reason I cover topics like age regression, pet regression, chronic pain and periods is because I personally experience all of those things and know that I'd like comfort for them so I make the stuff I wanna hear. I hope knowing that I experience and I understand the topics makes people feel like they can trust me to talk about them in a way that isn't insensitive.

And thank you for liking my characters and that you feel there's are fleshed however, most are really not. Ambrose and Arden are the only ones who have fleshed out backstories. I've spoken about this so many times and I'm often someone who has to say 'I don't know' when people ask about my audio ocs. They weren't made with the intention of having complex stories or any backstory at all because not everyone wants that in their comfort asmr. I have other worlds and stories I've made that are like that, but my audios ocs were never made with that intention and it stresses me out when people assume there is more because I just don't have more. Maybe I'll make more for some characters, but you can't force me to have ideas and backstories for them. I dont think people should have to have fleshed out characters or backstories, especially when they're just making ocs for fun. I get it's frustrating if things aren't consistent, I've experienced liking someone else's audio ocs and remembering the lore and facts given only for the creator to have seemingly not remembered any of it or just randomly retconned it and it was frustrating and I hope I haven't forgotten major things I've said in my audios because when I do improvise lore I try and remember to note it down. And do remember my audios are improvised, I scripted parts of the love bites backstory but that's really been all the scripting I've ever done. If I suddenly made all the audios plot heavy and lore heavy I think a lot of people would stop listening. I have been trying to allow myself tl have my ocs as they are and not force them to have backstories and not apologise for "scrambling for answers" as you say. I dont think not having answers for questions about your ocs is bad, I dont want anyone to make me feel bad for that, and I have asks I haven't answered about my ocs sitting in my askbox because I don't the answers (multiple questions about what movies or music they all like I'm s- no I have to stop saying I'm sorry, the answer is I don't know, also those questions are hard to answer because I don't know most movies or music and I can't just give them all my fave music or movies over and over again because I don't know any others). When I introduce a new character now I do try and give them some story because I'm finding it fun, but I've found I cannot now force a backstory onto satin or valentine for example.

So thank you for liking my audios and characters, I just personally don't think there's anything wrong with someone making an asmr channel to try and earn more money as a lot of people are struggling finically right now, and I don't think there's anything wrong with not having answers or lore for characters that you've made for fun or for asmr videos.

#the vampire answers #faq

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