#AV Infrastructure

[audio-visual-technology01]

The Role of Audio Visual Solutions in Business Communication

Today’s fast-paced corporate environment demands effective communication for success. One of the most transformative tools driving this is Audio Visual Solutions. Companies like Avcom offer innovative solutions that improve clarity and streamline collaboration across teams. Businesses increasingly rely on Audio Visual Solutions to deliver seamless presentations, conduct virtual meetings, and enable real-time interaction.

As remote work becomes more prevalent, Audio Visual Solutions from Avcom provide an efficient way to maintain team engagement and ensure smooth communication. These solutions, such as video conferencing and interactive displays, make meetings more productive. With Audio Visual Solutions, companies can enhance the quality of both internal and external communication, offering high-definition visuals and crystal-clear sound.

Client interactions are also improved with professional setups from Avcom, allowing businesses to present their ideas more clearly and leave a strong impression. By incorporating Audio Visual Solutions into their communication strategies, companies can better engage clients and stakeholders, driving success in today’s competitive market. Incorporating Audio Visual Solutions from Avcom ensures businesses stay ahead, enhancing collaboration and communication quality across all platforms.

For more insights, you can follow Deco-Arte on Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram.

[vivencyglobal]

The Evolution of Infrastructure and Smart Technology Solutions in Dubai

Dubai, a city that was once a small trading port, has rapidly transformed into one of the world’s most technologically advanced urban centers. Over the last few decades, it has seen a dramatic evolution in terms of infrastructure, smart technologies, and digital solutions. This progress has not only enhanced the lifestyle of residents but also positioned Dubai as a global hub for business, tourism, and innovation.

At the heart of this transformation lies the city’s investment in modern infrastructure and cutting-edge technology solutions. From high-speed internet networks to AI-powered surveillance systems, Dubai's push towards smart city status is evident in every corner. Government initiatives such as the "Smart Dubai" strategy have paved the way for the integration of technology in all aspects of urban living—including education, corporate environments, transportation, and communication systems.

One key area of advancement has been in networking and infrastructure solutions. Robust and secure networking solutions are essential for supporting the massive digital transformation across industries. Businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies in Dubai are continuously upgrading their systems to ensure seamless connectivity, data protection, and operational efficiency.

Security solutions have also evolved with the times. As the demand for digital transformation increases, so does the need for reliable security frameworks. From surveillance cameras and access control systems to advanced cybersecurity protocols, organizations are investing heavily in safeguarding their physical and digital environments.

Another significant transformation has taken place in the audio-visual (AV) technology space. Companies are increasingly adopting projectors, video conferencing solutions, and indoor & outdoor LED screens to enhance communication, marketing, and collaboration. In a city like Dubai, where international meetings and global business interactions are common, having high-quality AV setups is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

The educational sector, too, has embraced this wave of modernization. Schools are now equipped with smart boards, interactive flat panels, and school bell solutions to create engaging and efficient learning environments. Web-based and PA system-based school bell solutions are helping schools automate their schedules and improve time management, allowing administrators and teachers to focus more on the students.

Moreover, video conference solutions have become essential in today’s hybrid work and education models. Whether it's for corporate board meetings or virtual classrooms, the ability to connect teams and learners from different parts of the world is now a critical component of modern infrastructure.

As Dubai continues its journey to becoming one of the smartest cities in the world, the demand for integrated technology solutions will only grow. This is where Vivency Global comes in—a trusted partner offering a wide range of advanced infrastructure and smart technology solutions.

Vivency Global specializes in providing:

Infrastructure & Networking Solutions

Security Solutions

Projectors & Video Conferencing Equipment

Indoor & Outdoor LED Screens

Complete AV Solutions

Smart Boards & Interactive Flat Panels

Web-Based & PA System-Based School Bell Solutions

By combining innovation, technical expertise, and a customer-centric approach, Vivency Global delivers reliable solutions that are tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses, schools, and institutions in Dubai.

What sets Vivency Global apart is not just the quality of its solutions, but its commitment to offering these services at affordable prices. In a market where excellence often comes with a hefty price tag, Vivency Global ensures that top-tier technology is accessible to all.

In conclusion, as Dubai continues to lead the way in smart city innovations, Vivency Global stands as a reliable partner offering world-class infrastructure and technology solutions—delivered efficiently, professionally, and at prices that make sense.

[vivencyglobal2]

Indoor & Outdoor LED Screens

Vivency Technology LLC is a company that specializes in designing, manufacturing, and installing customized LED screens for indoor and outdoor applications. They offer a wide range of LED screen solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of their clients, ranging from small-scale displays to large-scale video walls.

[gem-3-2-7-1-3-20-24]

Fire the Secret Service

FreedomF.LTD. will handle all duties of keeping the WORLD safe...

THE NEW REPUBLIC IS A MUCH BETTER PLACE TO LIVEYOUR DREAMS AND RAISE YOU'RE BLESSING TO GROW UP AND LEAVE YOU'RE LAGACY OR YOUR MARK. NO ONE EXCLUDED WE ALL WIN......

[abrasiveengineers]

We were founded with the particular goal of meeting the demands of the expanding market for CIVIL AND INTERIOR, Turnkey Electrical, IT, telecom, CAC Works and AMC activities.

[eretzyisrael]

by Joshua Hoffman

Unit 8200, Israel’s elite cyber-intelligence unit, has produced many of the country’s top tech entrepreneurs. Alumni went on to found Waze, Check Point, Wiz, and Mobileye. Some say serving in Unit 8200 is better than an Ivy League degree.

Israel is believed to have carried out more assassinations than any other Western country since World War II. The message is simple: If you harm a Jew, we will hunt you down.

Israel once smuggled Iraqi Jewish children out of Baghdad ... hidden inside suitcases. This was part of Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, which airlifted over 100,000 Iraqi Jews in the early 1950s.

The IDF invented “roof knocking” — a tactic that warns civilians before striking terrorist targets embedded within civilian infrastructure. A small, non-lethal warning is fired at a building to give civilians time to evacuate before a precision strike.

In 1960, the Mossad kidnapped Adolf Eichmann — one of the architects of the Holocaust — in Argentina and brought him to trial in Jerusalem. They tracked him, disguised themselves as airline crew, and sedated him before flying him to Israel.

Israel is the only country in history to have airlifted Africans to safety because they were Jews — Ethiopian Jews in Operations Moses, Joshua, and Solomon.

The Mossad once used a fake diving resort in Sudan as a front to smuggle Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Yes, a real hotel staffed by Mossad agents.This was part of Operation Brothers, which inspired the Netflix film, “The Red Sea Diving Resort.”

In 1976, Israel pulled off the boldest hostage rescue in history — Operation Entebbe. Israeli commandos flew 2,500 miles to Uganda to rescue Jewish hostages held by Palestinian and German terrorists. Over 100 hostages rescued. The only Israeli soldier killed? Yonatan Netanyahu, the brother of Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Mossad has posed as tourists, journalists, diplomats — and in one case, a Canadian birdwatcher — to conduct spy ops. They have even launched fake companies as covers for global missions, such as the ingenious beeper attack against Hezbollah last year. Once, Israel’s intelligence services created a fake psychic hotline to track terrorists. They claimed to be fortune-tellers to trick suspects into revealing info on themselves or their relatives.

Beneath a kibbutz laundry and bakery in Rehovot, a secret underground factory known as the Ayalon Institute produced over 2 million bullets for the Jewish underground — right under the noses of the British. Operated by young Haganah1 members in their teens and twenties, the factory ran in total secrecy from 1945 to 1948, with noise and heat masked by the aboveground bakery machines. Workers sunbathed on the roof to avoid suspicion from looking too pale. Even British soldiers unknowingly dropped off laundry at the site, never realizing they were helping cover up Israel’s first covert munitions operation.

The IDF has a specific soldier role called the “snack sergeant.” During long missions or operations, some units assign a soldier to manage morale ... with Bamba, Bisli, and chocolate.

🗺 Jerusalem of Gold

Jerusalem is over 3,000 years old and has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times. And yet, it's still here. Alive. Holy. (And constantly under renovation.)

The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Romans in 70 CE — both on the same Hebrew date: the 9th of Av. Coincidence? Jews say: not likely.

Jerusalem is mentioned over 600 times in the Hebrew Bible — but not once in the Quran. And yet, it is considered the third holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina.

The Old City of Jerusalem is only 1 square kilometer (0.35 square miles), but contains the holiest sites for Judaism (Western Wall), Christianity (Church of the Holy Sepulchre), and Islam (Al-Aqsa Mosque). Basically, it’s the world’s most sacred traffic jam.

Over 1 million notes are placed into the Western Wall each year — and yes, they’re collected and buried respectfully. You can even send one via email or WhatsApp, and a rabbi will stick it in for you.

[exitrowiron]

Although Beth and I differ on whether NYC is a desirable place to live, I am always impressed by the mass transit system. Getting to and from JFK to Grand Central is fast, easy and inexpensive. Grand Central and the connection to the LIRR are beautiful and wondrous; an impressive example artful, yet efficient public infrastructure. I can't help but compare it to the St. Louis Union Station, a former depot for Midwest trains and travelers which has lost its former glory and purpose and now serves as a hotel and tourist attraction.

I've yet to find a midtown hotel that meets all my needs but doesn't cost $1,000\nt. Last week I stayed at the Lexington. Instead of its own gym the hotel offered free use of the Crunch Fitness next door.

The week was busy but I got the chance to do some shopping on 5th Ave and bought Beth a surprise Valentine's Day gift from Tiffany's. This isn't the Tiffany's building but it is very distinctive.

[crow-aeris]

So i’ve been thinking (shocking, really) about the world building for my reverse robins wingfic.

ike, sure, it’s a little fic and ppl prolly won’t notice, but i just cant help but speculate.

in this au, everyone is born with wings unless afflicted with a certain illness, disease, or genetic defect that leaves you with no avian traits (which is the excuse the kents use).

but how would having wings influence the infrastructure? well, i’m glad you asked! cities are more compact because there isn’t really as big a need for transportation unless you’re an aves that’s just not built for long-distance travels like various passeriformes birds.

planes still exist, but they’re utilized by the avians who aren’t able to fly long distances. avians who have wings like albatrosses or terns or other soaring birds would probably require licenses to do their annual migrations and travels- same applies to regualr migritory species like ducks and geese- where the instinct remains despite not needing to migrate.

of course, with the constant migration through countries, i think there would be more mixing of races and ethnicities especially within the migratory bird communities, so there would probably be less overall hostilities.

now, there will still be discriminatory and hateful ideals, and some are shown in my fics. For example, Gotham’s elites are mostly made up of raptors and birds of prey like eagles, kites, kestrels, hawks, falcons, ospreys, owls, etc- birds who actively hunt down mammalian or lizards for prey (in the real world i mean), that is because of displays of powers. Scavengers like condors, vultures, buzzards, are regarded lower on the social ladder but not as low as perching birds and song birds simply because of their ability to have sustained flight.

like i mentioned briefly, songbirds and perching birds (passerines) are regarded lowly in general due to their “weak demeanor” and overall flashiness, which gives them the reputation of being only suitable to work in brothels and such regardless of gender (but especially dudes where the aves species exhibits sexual dimorphism, eg. cardinals, peacocks, golden pheasants, etc.)

there are definitely some exceptions, being corvids. some cultures have corvids as villans, whereas others may portray corvids as intelligent and charming.

now, we arrive to genetics. im still not 100% sure how i want the phenotype of an avian to be passed down. so far, it’s mainly just sons are the same aves as their fathers (like thomas wayne, bruce, and damian are all harpy eagles, but martha wayne was a kingfisher and talia is an imperial eagle), but im not sure abt daughters. genetics is messy, but i think i’ve managed to sertle on a 50/50 chance of being born either the same aves as their mother, or their paternal grandmother. like if damian had been born with xx instead of xy chromosomes, then he’d either have been an imperial eagle like talia, or a kingfisher like martha wayne. intersex people exist too, and i think their wings would be a blend between both their mother and father’s.

now for the the supers and the other metas:

as mentioned previously, the kents claim that their adopted son had a genetic disorder that basically prevented him from growing wings (or just left him in a state similar to humans before they were all “cursed” by a diety to have wings, or whatever. in the dcu, that probably woulnd’t even be too far fetched), so clark lacked a major social component to his childhood. without wings and a tail, others would have a harder time reading his emotions, seeing as these appendages are crucial in nonverbal communication between avians, and that gives clark a leg up in reading other people, but having them not understanding what he’s thinking.

now with jon and kon, they have two VERY different situations. for jon, since his paternal side is wings-free, i just gave him lois’s ave- western kingbird- instead of making him no-winged. kon, on the other hand was a test-tube baby, so it was a toss-up on whether he’d get lex luthor’s purple martin wings, or clark’s no-wings since they’re both guys. I think kon would’ve enjoyed wings, so i gave him the purple martin wings. Plus, they’re pretty much invulnerable, and their wings are no different.

diana and the other ppl from themyscira wouldn’t have wings since they aren’t human, and same applies to the other jl members who aren’t humans.

on a wholly separate note: the lazarus pits. here, not only does it give you white streaks in your hair, it’ll bleach out your feathers. so liek if a peacock was thrown into the pit, not only would they die and come back manic, their feathers would make them look like piebald, or have different markings or white ticking.

anyways, that’s the end of my long post, and i hope yall enjoyed listening to me speculate and talk about birds and my silly little guys!!

[rennybu]

hi.... i'm just a poor boy . who does not know the loam lore. would you be willing to share.... a summary.... (so curious i am a loam enjoyer)

oh my gosh hi griff..! oh there is so much to tell... i will h ave no choice but to put this under a readmore. the shortest answer is that he is my character of 3+ years in @jawsandbones homebrew dnd campaign and he is like a son to me. but to start off with baby pictures:

LOAM was born 52 years ago in a city called TILDEN, which is blocked off overland by a CURSED* SWAMP that creeps closer every year.

*Misremembered and only Recently Re-Contextualized Major Historical event

His mom is a shy, worried, and loving woman named Bayla - she's a druid and sells medicinal mushrooms of all sorts. His dad is an unwaveringly positive (but incredibly serious) mason named Uttara who proudly works on all sorts of projects around the city, especially major infrastructure. Yay stoneworkers!

(Because fantasy lifespans are strange and somewhat silly to me I just imagine Firbolgs to be stuck in their mid-20s existential dread until they're like at least 150. The backstory part of this spans literally 51 of his 52 year s of life. he's so young)

He got equal enrichment from time spent in nature with his mom as from time spent in the city with his dad. His nickname in the Tilden Firbolg community To This Day is "Always With Questions" - a kind of affix to differentiate him from any other Loams. He may not know much but he really would like to find out, please!!!! He sees a lot of beauty in the natural world, but his idea of what's natural is skewed somewhat by the uh, Curse. He once fell through some algae into a deep body of water and had a very fun memento mori experience as a kiddo (beautiful golden sunbeam shining onto a silty skull)

He got the name Loam very young from his interest in both his parents' work, which lead to him learning about soil types and uses in gardening and construction aklfhglskg. Loam was important for both jobs so he (in guess-what-I-just-learned little kid fashion) told everyone who would listen about it. The association STUCK and he's Loam now :].

His birth name is actually Rahara! but that's secret knowledge only his bestest friends and Tzip and some scarycool important NPCs know.

He loves beasts and magic and plants so much. And on the flip side he also loves and is fascinated by architecture and engineering. He never got any like, higher academic schooling or whatever, but had many many different apprenticeship type training relationships from his parents, other tradespeople in the city, from the senior rangers etc etc.

Small break to plug @jawsandbones lore packets for the Quarter Cities (including Tilden), Scarabae, and the overall campaign setting!!!! I'm just gonna talk about stuff without adding too much context of my own because AAA WORD COUNT!!!

The hole in Loam's ear was brought about by a shit ass Tilden local trying to tear his earring off him, since he'd bought it from a foreign merchant from a city Tilden/the Quarter has historically warred with. Loam's always been open minded and deeply curious about other cities, due to how isolated the bog is. Any visiting merchants are sources of wonder!!!! Even though he only bought the one hoop earring from the Quietus merchants (Mirjam and Mihail, mother and son!), after the ice was broken he stayed by their stall the rest of the day and talked about all kinds of things, and befriended Mihail!

Loam trained as a ranger as soon as he was old enough to do so!!!! He saw it as the next logical step past what his parents would be able to show him and was incredibly eager to get hands-on experience in the wilds. He met his first ever boyfriend among his peers there!!! Bragi... he has had many lovers and situationships in Tilden since, BUT only recently feels comfortable trying monogamy again after meeting Tzipporah.

Bragi unfortunately died badly to a creature in a traumatic backstory incident that left young Loam super fucking bereft and hyper aware of how easy it is to die. (Big monster attack + group of trainee rangers accompanied by a few more senior rangers + chaos and bloodshed. Loam carried Bragi to safety and tried resuscitating him but he was already gone. The experience made him uncomfortable with the idea of being in a defined, monogamous intimate relationship for the next like. 19 years. He felt like he got ripped in half!)

After the ranger's guild recovers from THE CREATURE ATTACK, Loam meets his close friend, Reece, a fellow ranger and Kenku (she looks like a masked shrike)!!!

He gets his septum pierced by the same visiting merchants from Quietus a few years after Bragi's death. It's a very important moment for him, where it feels like he can finally start to let himself change and grow beyond that event. He also spends more and more time in the city, away from the more rural/overgrown districts, and chases a love for the arts and partying and people, where he meets Kallirhoe (human, not a even a classed bard but like. an indie musician. an eboy if high fantasy had eboys. a tattooed twinkish fellow. you know the type)! They are very good friends who also have sex. Many days spent waxing poetic about THE BIG WIDE WORLD and how they'll never get to see it. (Spoiler: He sees it)

Loam gets into tarot as a hobby, and makes his own deck in a very scribbly freehand style with ink and charcoal!!!! he's slowly replacing them with more Worldly artwork - the deck he left home with was very. Tildencore

Many good years of being a party girl who has to go work a construction job tomorrow and then go be a ranger at 6. A rich and storied life. AND THEN THE GAME TIMELINE STARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A path Through the bog has recently finished being built by Dagda, the Southern representative to the other Quarter Cities, making more trade possible overland, and making local tensions go even crazier. Also there are strange Awful Huge Scary Monsters appearing WORLDWIDE, so the Directions and the Three Kings of Scarabae and the remote island of Geest (ADRA'S HOME!) and the mysterious magical Widow's Wood are all like "STOP WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RN". Trials are held in the Western city of Dina to appoint FOUR TEAMS OF FOUR to help defend against the new threat. Loam is like. Well I've gotta fucking do that. I've got to try. If I'm not chosen, at least I've set foot outside. He has a fight with his mom about this, because she is terrified she will lose him, like she lost her mother in a previous conflict when Scarabae was occupying the Quarter, before Loam was born. He stands firm and his dad has his back, and ultimately he leaves with both their blessings, but his dismissal of his mom's feelings weighs heavy on him the longer he's away from home. (He has a big cry and reconciliation about this when he is next able to come home.)

I'm clapping and cheering and skipping joyfully because now he HAS MET HIS BESTEST, DEAREST, CLOSEST FRIENDS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD: ADRA ILSA AND TALEE!!!!!!! I have to be so careful now because we have no joke hundreds of pages of notes. I cannot read that shit on google docs mobile app. We are approaching session one hundred and fifty of this game. They love each other so fucking much. THEY ARE THE INFORMATION GATHERERS!!! A PARTY OF SLEUTHS!!!

He also has his meet-cute with Tzipporah at the trials, which in hindsight is hilarious, because of the whole, "Tzipporah was sent to the trials as a spy (by the very people responsible for the giant awful monster crisis) and immediately pegged Loam for an easy mark to get information from" thing. And he was 100% correct. But a lot has to happen before that gets revealed. They took a nice night walk and write each other big long letters. And Loam tells him soooooo much <3

At one point while exploring a wizard tower he attunes to a lightly cursed ring and forgets what his parents look like, like their likenesses are Gone from past and recent memory. Which is a big thorn of homesickness that he writes to them about. He has a big cry and stares at them both for a LONG time when he next sees them.

Also they save an orphaned Kenku from some bandits and now Loam has a little shoulder-sniper named Bubby. We have a son. A perfect little crow son who is really good at killing, with arrows. He hides things in Loam's hood regularly

Other major things include ummm umm Loam's TWO deaths, one during a dungeon-rescue type scenario in a room that was Flooding and full of Phantoms and also a charmed Druid (Feyan, good friends now) wildshaped into a big scary water snake. He was hurt bad and (comedically) levitated so he wouldn't DROWN but then got Phantom Speared right through the torso. Second one was because Tzip's evil half brother Vences was like, mad at him for being a good influence on Tzipporah and interfering with the spy duties. Chill touch so no healing + dagger in the ribs! Ow. Also the reveal that Tzip was a spy was happening like, simultaneously here so we were yowling and screaming. (Well. Talee and Co had their long time hunches about this. Loam and I had turned a beautiful blind eye to all suspicious activity)

ANYWAY HIS DEATH SCARS LOOK LIKE A COMET ABOVE HIS BELLY!!!! The spear scar made a patch of his fur turn white (front and back), and the dagger scar is its crude tail!

I am skipping over so many plot revelations i. This is just the Loam Cut. and it's not even all of it.

His buzzcut was for emotional superstitious reasons!!! He cut it after Death 2 and Tzipporah getting taken against his will back into Evil Gang. Loam's mom has a lock of his hair at home now. ALL THIS TO SAY TZIP IS OKAY, NO LONGER SPYING, WE RESCUED HIM AND RIPPED A MASK OFF HIM AND SAVED HIM FROM GETTING HIS MIND EXCAVATED ! SO LOAM IS GROWING HIS HAIR OUT AGAIN!

The deaths of his close friends and their allies have also been. insane for him to process. To return someone to life in this setting u need to like. entreat a Titan. plead on the deceased's behalf and offer something up for the chance to revive them. (NO player spells like revivify. house rule) So interacting with these entities he sees as like Both forces of the natural world AND of huge religious/cultural importance regionally. And to have their requests be HEARD? He loves magic he loves Titans. And the plot is unfolding in such a way that scares me so bad. He loves his titan (The Curious Spear) SOOOO MUCH he has like the foundational belief that it can see through his eyes. Even if not true it motivates him to always seek understanding of strange new things.

Oh my god I didn't even talk about his multiclass into druid. He's a druid also. Circle of the Stars!! As a navigational point. He loves them. He loves space. He loves geography and regional interpretations of constellations. He used to just do freehand observations but truly became dedicated to charting the skies of every place the party travels to, after Tzipporah gifted him a grid-lined journal <3 <3 <3 STARRY FORM!!!!!!

His awe and inspiration and hunger for knowledge is the well he draws magical power from. My Boy is thematically bound up in the soggiest parts of this earth and also the unknowably distant stars above and I'm normal about it (lie) (There is a new and scary Third Thing rising which is the space between. I <3 Void). I know i draw him beige and green but his like, character colour theme is. Dusk to me. Gloaming. When the world is lit like a dream <3

In summary. In conclusion. He and Adra and Ilsa and Talee (and the rest of the Four of Four) are trying to prevent Global Disaster of an existential scale never before seen and are being very brave about it.

Loam wants to understand everything about Everything. Because understanding is love. Unfortunately there are hostile resentful and vengeful forces making this hard to do. Most recently by saving a city we Unmade a magically sustained centuries-old library. And we haven't had time to like fully let that sink in. Because of the horrors of war and being Four of Four means responding to emergencies and protecting cities as best we can against a foe that was forgotten by history until like, 10 months ago. Less, even. I hope this is anything. I hope u are his friend now too because he is yours

good lord how could i forget. His gender is male in such a way that he does not give a shit about it. He's one of the girls. He's genderless. Like a knight. His sense of identity is built on Living Laughing and Loving.

his personal goals are 1. to uncurse the bog in such a way that the wrongs committed by Tilden historically are brought to light and righted, 2. to get super married to Tzipporah and build a house together, and 3. to somehow, eventually, through great teamwork and effort, cure(?) the dreadful lingering soul plague on the island of demeter. HUMBLE! OH and to make a finished star chart covering the entire planet. humble.

thank u for reading here are his current stats

[familyabolisher]

hello ave ! i was wondering if you’ve watched the 2022 interview with the vampire series and if so what you thought of it

i really enjoyed iwtv! i haven’t read rice’s novel but as far as i understand it, the show was a pretty significant departure from the original text, at least where rice’s engagement with race is concerned—i think the show seems pretty determined to strike out on its own, and thus far seems to be doing a pretty good job of that. i think what i found most interesting was the show’s honing in on a relationship between the coercive enforcement of normative kinship structures and the social abjection of the slave relative to the white master (i’ve been reading vincent woodard’s the delectable negro which expounds on this idea of like, rape + abuse + consumption extant within models of kinship relations, ‘the ideological infrastructure of childhood in slavery’ as he puts it, which i think has a lot of explanatory power around lestat/louis/claudia…); there’s lestat’s ‘teaching’ vampirism to louis which of course then morphs into physical abuse & that the text makes clear can be read parallel to a relationship between a slavemaster and a slave, and there’s the way lestat functions as a patriarch relative to whom we can read louis as the ‘wife’ and claudia as the ‘child,’ and the networks of [physical, economic, emotional] dependency, violence holding them all together.

i’m also quite interested in this idea of a ‘disciplined’ vampirism, or indeed vampirism as ‘disciplining’ (which is of course to say class-enforcing), because of course the dominant cultural narrative of the vampire (& the one with which i have the most familiarity) is that of a kind of nondifferentiated alterity which can be moulded into any number of metaphors. lestat to louis, of course, but also eg. lestat killing the opera singer who performed badly, the opulence of the mardi gras ball at the end (and something about consumption as disciplining—again tapping the vincent woodard sign but the mardi gras attendees coveting a kind of consumption of louis as a Black man only to then themselves be consumed), louis in 2021 comparing vampires who eat humans rather than animals to slaves (‘slaves to their appetites’ or similar, i forget the exact wording used, but it’s the language of body fascism plus the obvious pertinence with which slavery in the show as a whole is imbued—which ofc then invokes ideas around [un]disciplined bodies and racialisation) … it’s interesting how the show kind of plays both positions at once. the alterity metaphor is there, but so is the hegemony of sorts—vampirism disrupts louis’ position within a traditional family structure where vampirism stands for queerness, obviously, but also the intrusion of lestat (which is to say both queerness and slavery!) as a force that destabilises a Black family. it’s an interesting little balancing act and i’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

anyway i also just think it’s a well-written show lol! visually gorgeous, erotic, indulgent, well-paced. i had a good time. no idea what happens next (again, haven’t read the book) but my ears pricked up at the idea of travelling from louisiana to europe … a transatlantic crossing, a reverse colonisation of sorts … there’s a lot you can do with that!

[notaplaceofhonour]

hi my name is lilithasherahodinson & u could describe my ideology as anti-capitalist, anti-gov, anti-civ, anti-psych, anti-ship, anti-zionist-not-anti-semitic (in fact i’m super anti-antisemitic), anti-organized religion (especially the abrahamic ones), anti-tradition, anti-voting, anti-tech, anti-pastafarian, anti-the-bodega-on-3rd-ave-and-4th-street-specifically, anti-infrastructure, anti-intellectual, anti-fascism (with some syndicalist, cooperativist, neo-hyper-pagan leanings) & joy is a revolutionary act because how the fuck else am i supposed to experience it when i’ve built my entire identity around listing the things i hate

[veyren-city]

Streets and Districts of Veyren City.

As the title implies here is a list of streets: residential streets, main roads, connector roads and districts! (Animated purple and white divider made by @/cafekitsune)

Ashwick Avenue - A historic ave with old buildings, dimmed streetlights, and a lingering mist.

Cinder Row - A narrow street with a mix of small businesses' and fading neon signs knowns for it's quiet timeless feel.

Vale Street - A long winding road that always seems slick with rain, lined with cafe's record shops and a teahouse that refuses to die out.

Halloway Road - A street that curves through the heart of the city, known for its mix of modern and decayed architecture

Lockewood Drive - A semi-industrial road where tech startups and small shops co-exist.

Whitmoor Street - An area known for its old-world charm, bookstores and flower shops still hold against time.

Novastra Boulevard -

Main Artery of the pulse district. Holographic billboards and glass skyscrapers tower the streets

Notable places:

Veyren Grand Station - The Cities central train hub, packed at all times.

Astrocorp HQ - A cooperate tower belonging to a mega-conglomerate that controls most of Veyren's digital infrastructure

Synthwave Café - a 24 hour coffee shop with neon lit walls and robotic baristas

Project Dome - A massive curved screen, displaying ads, weather, news, and the latest fashion trends in real time.

Orion Street -

A shopping and entertainment hub where the latest tech and fashion is sold.

Notable places:

Oblivion Club - One of the biggest night clubs in Veyren with floors that light up as people dance. The drinks are never ending as well as the friendly company.

Neon Arcade - A retro futuristic arcade where old school gaming collides with VR and newer stylistic games.

Hyper Mart 24 - A fully automated department store with robotic assistance. You think it? They got it!

Starlight Records - A hidden vinyl record shop that still exists despite the digital age

Helix Road -

A tech and business center, home to high end offices, and digital marketing firms.

Notable Places:

Zephyr Towers - A sleek black skyscraper that's a hub for cyber security firm.

Neurolink Labs - A company experimenting with brain-interface technology.

Flux Lounge - High end, invite only social club where executives discuss business over cocktails.

Astra Bar - A bar with digital bartenders and waiters and drinks that glow under blacklight

Stratos Avenue -

Known for media, fashion, and high energy night life.

Notable places:

Veyren Broadcast Center - the city's largest media headquarters, airing new and digital influencers.

Runway 99 - An avant-garde fashion district where models walk beside holograms of the fashions creators.

Pulse plaza - A futuristic square where massive events take place and ads are projected into the skies.

The Grid - A rooftop lounge balcony with a stunning view of the cities skyline.

Synapse Alley -

A gritty underground area filled with hidden bars, black market tech, and cybernetic enhancement shops.

Notable Places:

Echo Bar - A secret jazz bar that Tristan visits from time to time. The only semi-safe place in the alley.

Bytes & Bites - A hacker café where people don't just sell coffee, they sell digital secrets.

The Raven Room - A speakeasy accessible only through a glitched billboard. Where people drank and talked shop over the latest illegal tech.

PawnXchange - A pawn shop for illegal tech, and stolen data drives.

Rainmere Street - A quiet hidden street, nothing to spectacular there home to three story walk ups.

Halloway Lane - A lesser known street where only locals wander, known for its "old world feel"

Wrenford Alley - old abandoned shops with swinging wooden signs and cobblestone road. A relic from the older days.

Bellrose Street - Home to Tristan and his bookshop~!

Dunhaven Street - Home to a small park with a pond and a playground, really only the "natural green" around these days without leaving the city.

Draycott Lane - A small street lined with homes and a few antique and second hand shops.

Easton Bridge - Pedestrian/vehicle bridge leading from the Pulse District to the residential district.

Lennox Street - A bustling road lined with chain food restaurants.

Verity Square - A plaza full of street vendors leads to Synapse alley.

Halloway Underpass - A tunnel beneath the train station where rain water pools beneath flickering lights. Leads to Holloway Road.

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[pbandjesse]

I have just the littlest headache right now. I tried to do to much today because I was feeling good for so much of the day. I had a pretty good day overall.

The only thing that really made me feel insane was that the construction across the street was breaking up their sidewalk for some reason and were literally doing it for hours. From 830 this morning until at least 2. It was horrible. I had the window cracked while I was sleeping and I wasn't sure what the sound was but I couldn't sleep through it. I was not happy at all about it.

I got up and got dressed and tried to not focus on the sound even if it was upsetting me. I had cereal. And double checked my list of things I needed to get at the store. I was determined to get a lot of stuff done and that I would do projects when I got home.

I would leave here and drove over to target. I was honestly just a little uncomfortable though. I was enjoying my podcast but my coat was just a little to warm. And the cart was just a little to heavy. But I stuck to the list. And I think I did a good job.

I was looking for a larger plastic box for Crabcake and the biggest one they had didn't really fit in the cart. But I did my best to not knock it over. I got us lots of refills. Like soap and tissues and paper towels. Just a good stock. I was slightly annoyed when the security guard stopped me after I paid. But whatever.

I had a small craving for Little Caesars. The closest one was over in Dundalk. So I had a nice little drive out there. Which isn't terribly far. And the girl at the counter was really nice when I was not entirely sure what I wanted because the last time I ordered wrong.

I had to wait about 12 minutes so I would go out to the car. The man who came in after me had the strongest Dundalk accent and it was so surprising but it was also so sweet. I don't know why it hit me so hard. Made me smile.

I waited in the car and answered an email from Sarah at camp who needed some pictures of kids art we've made at camp. I made a folder of those and sent that off. And then my food was ready.

I decided I would go over to the 2nd Ave and eat in the parking lot and then wander around the store. And that was nice. Though the ranch from Little Caesars is terrible! Ah well. The pizza was good.

I had a pretty good time walking around the store though. I got a couple little toddler outfits. Some plastic hangers because I'm going to put some stuff outside to get rid up and want to put it on a garment rack. I also got a small down comforter that has like flowers all over it and it's so cute. It was a good $20 spent.

I went home after that. I was very unhappy when they were still breaking up the sidewalk and it was still so loud.

But I brought everything inside and started putting things away. I would spend the majority of the rest of the day working on my Crabcake enclosure expansion.

Eventually I want to build a bench seat that is a tank. But that will take a lot of infrastructure changes to the studio. So in the mean time I wanted to just make a large box with levels. And a window area. This felt important especially because I couldn't get a larger clear box and could only find a grey one.

This would take a ton of effort. From cutting the screen lid, and then fitting and cutting the plastic box. To mixing the compressed coconut fiber and soil. Figuring out where the levels will go and how to fill everything in and give him lots of space but still make it climbable.

And even hours later I can see some issues that I will have to figure out but I think he's enjoying it. I would also give him a soak and put him in the playpen while I worked on the new box.

Around 430 I finally sat down. And my back forgot like it was on fire it hurt so much. When James got home not long after they were surprised at how much I was hurting. Like I could hardly think straight.

I needed James's help with some of the moving around of things. Like finding a new place for my calico critter doll house and changing some shelves. And I was literally having trouble giving instructions because I was hurting so bad.

Then Dad asked me to call and I was like okay James has this one task (replacing one shelf and putting up a different one) handled and I can call dad. But I was wrong! I was barely on the phone with Dad 3 minutes when James stumbled and dropped the drill and knocked a bunch of stuff over and the shelf they were hanging got bent and they were hollering because they needed help. So I had to tell Dad I was sorry and get off the phone.

I was still hurting to. So while I was trying to help James I was having a very rough time.

It would get better though. James got the two shelves fixed. And we found a new place for the large doll house. And I would have a new space for one of the smaller ones and I used that time to move a few of my critter families over there. It was hard to decide who would move over. I only have a few adults so I didn't want to move all of them!! And I have so many babies so I would leave the big house as the preschool. And I am very pleased with how everything looks.

I would hang out in the studio while James went to go make some dinner for themselves. I wasn't hungry but would have cereal later on.

While I was laying in my chair the post man rang the door bell. It was not our normal guy! This man was French? Or at least spoke French. And was very nice. He complimented the mural on our ceiling and said it was very beautiful from the street and that made me so happy. He gave me the package I ordered with my Valentine's day present for James. And I wished him a safe evening.

I came upstairs after unpacking that package. And now James and Sweetp are here with me. And I am trying to find a good way to lay that doesn't hurt my back. An ongoing battle.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day I think. We have our birth class at the hospital. And I am figuring it's mostly going to be about vaginal birth? But I want to know everything I can regardless and it's an all day thing. 930 to 440! With an hour lunch break. And I am also just hoping to meet other pregnant people and I think it will be fun. Plus hopefully seeing the delivery floor. I want to have a general idea of what it's like before the day of. Take some stress off my mind.

I am slightly stressed about the baby shower on Sunday though because they are calling for snow. But hopefully it doesn't stick or if it does it gets pushed to later in the day? I just hope everyone doesn't cancel.

But that is a concern for later. For now I am going to go shower and get ready for bed. Hopefully sleep is easier tonight. And I hope you all sleep good too. Wish us luck in our class!! Goodnight everyone!

[pghbabesonbikes]

Frigid Bitch 11 Results

Frigid Bitch 2024 - We turned it up to 11.

Coming off the coat tails of the wildly successful and highly celebratory 10-year-party of FBX, the race director could be heard sporadically during the remainder of the year promising in quietly ominous tones that FB11 would be diving off the deep end back into the land of brutal survival. She can’t control the weather (despite rumors), but she can control the course checkpoints - and the tricks to finding them.

THE CHECKPOINTS

Pearly Gates

With a 1 hour buffer between the digital location drop and the physical checkpoints opening, many racers snapped a quick route plan together and bounced out to whichever checkpoint they decided was top choice to hit first. One contender for that pick was the St Peter’s Cemetery in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar. Riders rolled up to the cemetery gates, chatted with the costume-clad volunteers, waited for the clock to strike go time, and then - were told the gates were a diversion: the real checkpoint was down the steep hill towards Washington Blvd. Scrambling to the stampers, racers bombed down the unplanned detour chased by the devil himself.

Photos by Ryan Maine and Olivia Beblo

Guy Town

On the South Side of Pgh, a similar scene unfolded in reverse - scores of riders piled together at the base of the Pius St staircase and at gun time started climbing the cut up Brosville. No rest for the wicked - at the top of the staircase, checkpoint volunteers directed them up another, toward Monastery Ave. Finally at the St Joseph alleyway, another set of cheering drink-toting volunteers pointed them helpfully down a staircase - to Brosville, and a demoralizing 10-second ride back to where they started.

Photos by Himanshu Dedge and Alex Van Langingham

Hang Man

The local run clubbers teamed up with buddies in the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to hype up racers down at the 30th St Bridge rope swing, usually a favourite summertime spot for young punks undeterred by how much the Allegheny River may or may not make you itch comin out.

Photos by Dan Lampman

Cyclocross

The hand-drawn Frigid Bitch map is always, always intent on fucking up your day one way or the other, and this checkpoint fit into that bill nicely. You can’t trust it. You can’t always trust the volunteers, either. While POGOH had a station of friendly, helpful, cheering staff members at the bottom of Buena Vista making waffles and encouraging riders to keep heading up the cobbles to the top of the checkpoint where Bike Pgh staff blasted music danced along by their horse head mascot creature and screaming wildly as pretty much everyone shoved their bikes up the gruesome near-off-roady hill - the mischievous mid-way volunteers tended only to direct climbing racers to the critical turn in the road IF they chose to beast up the cobbles. One sidewalker kept climbing up Buena Vista - climbing and climbing and climbing only to be seen again a half hour later when she finally turned around, looking for the checkpoint finish, and hollered out “REMEMBER ME?!?!”

Photos by Monica Garrison

Party Farm

The prestige checkpoint of FB11 was the furthest outside the city. Racers took Spring Garden or East St - either of two long steady climbs - and punched up the final hill to Colby St where the urban farm of a long time Pgh fat biker-turned-downhiller-turned-body builder was tucked away in the mud and snow. Passing geese and goats, slipping and sliding and falling and laughing, riders toured their way to the backwoods where wild volunteers had set up a snake farm snack fire and camouflaged themselves in with the barnyard animals.

Photos by Evan Burlew

Kings Run

The closest checkpoint to the finish line was the trickiest to find - tucked on the pedestrian path along the upper busway on an imposing stone bridge over Kelly Avenue, anyone who followed the map found themselves gazing up woefully to the checkpoint, scrambling to mentally reroute to find one of the farther entrances to the narrow trail. Volunteers hollered down from above to help out, and navigating King’s Run proved to be a critical moment in the battle for the top spot on the podium. A Pgh Babes on Bikes racer zipped through back streets to find the checkpoint, starting with an edge on sibling team Unison Racing’s Acadia K, but lost momentum to traffic on the way back and the win slipped out of her hands by seconds, seconds!! when she slammed her manifest into the hands of the race director just shy of the top spot.

Photos by Keith Clouse and Fred Zelt

The Finish

Racers sped gleefully down Hamilton Ave to the rainbow leopard print tent beaming outside the Wheel Mill, where volunteers jumped and shrieked and popped streamers in congratulations and pointed everyone to the race director taking manifests. Bikes were tossed on the metal racks outside en masse and finishers filtered their way through the park and up to the podium and after party.

Photos by Alex VanLaningham and Jason Furda

Photos by Jason Furda

THANK YOU to everyone who came out to race! To everyone who appreciates how much work and dedication it takes to put this madness together, donates their time to stick it out in the cold or lend a hand behind the scenes, accepts that the volunteers might fuck you with you but they’re allowed, and lends out some grace when things fall through the cracks. Thanks to Tommy K for the phenomenal artwork, to the Wheel Mill for hosting us this one last time, to Two Frays for partnering up to sling a Frigid Bitch specific NA sour (my dream), to all the sponsors who pack the prize table, to all the racers who show up heart-on-sleeve regardless of prizes, to the Pgh cycling scene that brings the community spirit en force, to all the out of towners who have to navigate this weird city, to Nava who hauled a mega heavy vintage bike up all those stairs, to the junior racer (second ever) who gleefully reappropriated the word ‘bitch’ every time she greeted her mom for the following couple months, to the Pgh Babes on Bikes team that is shoring up the pillars of this organization, and obviously to all the volunteers without whom this would just be a cold ass day on a bike! <3