#AWS migration benefits

[softweb-solutions]

Cloud migration guide: Your strategic path to AWS migration

Today’s business world is reverberating with the drumbeat of digital transformation. Organizations across industries sprint to keep pace with evolving customer demands, competition, and ever-shifting technological landscapes.

Adopting Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become a critical catalyst for success in this high-stakes race. IT infrastructure and applications in the cloud require a well-defined AWS cloud migration strategy, one that charts the path to maximizing the transformative power of this technology.

This blog serves as your compass, guiding you through the intricacies of AWS cloud migration and empowering you to start a successful course toward digital dominance.

Source: IBM

Cloud migration strategies and their importance

The decision to migrate to AWS is just the first step on your digital expedition. Choosing the right path is crucial, for it affects the pace, cost, and ultimately, the success of your cloud takeover.

But why migrate at all? Why abandon the familiar confines of your on-premises castle for the uncharted territory of the cloud? Consider these treasures that beckon from the cloud:

Agility: Adapt and scale your applications quickly, just like a cloud expert avoiding digital challenges.

Scalability: If you need more servers to manage high traffic, the cloud has plenty available, just a click away.

Cost-efficiency: Ditch the expensive upkeep of on-premises infrastructure. The cloud offers a pay-as-you-go model, like renting a cloud-powered dragon instead of buying your own stable.

Innovation: Embrace the latest cloud technologies and unlock new possibilities, like using a cloud-powered telescope to scan for future business opportunities.

With these riches within reach, who wouldn’t want to join the cloud migration craze? However, navigating the landscape of the seven Rs without understanding their strengths and limitations can lead to detours and missed opportunities. In the next section, we’ll delve deeper into each R, unpacking their individual characteristics and equipping you to chart the optimal course towards your cloud kingdom.

The seven R’s of cloud migration

The seven R’s represent distinct migration strategies with varying degrees of complexity, speed, and long-term impact on your application portfolio. Let’s explore each R in detail, highlighting its purpose, suitability, and potential limitations:

Source: AWS

1. Rehost (Lift and Shift): This rapid and cost-effective option involves directly migrating applications to the AWS cloud infrastructure without significant architectural changes. Think of it as simply relocating your servers to a cloud data center, leveraging its scalability and resilience. However, this approach may limit long-term agility and cloud-native optimization potential.

2. Relocate: If you seek specific AWS features or multi-cloud flexibility, relocating applications to a different cloud platform might be ideal. This approach requires careful planning and compatibility testing but opens doors to specialized services or cost optimization opportunities.

3. Replatform: When existing architecture impedes cloud optimization, replatforming applications allows you to fully utilize cloud-native principles. This approach involves significant reworking to unlock advanced scalability, elasticity, and resilience. However, it demands substantial resources, expertise, and planning.

4. Refactor: For applications where future-proof agility is crucial, refactoring involves building them completely from scratch, embracing serverless technologies and microservices architecture. This most comprehensive approach unlocks future potential but requires intensive resources and planning.

5. Repurchase: Instead of extensive replatforming, you can repurchase outdated applications for cost-effective cloud-native equivalents offering similar functionality. This approach streamlines maintenance, provides modern features, and leverages the inherent advantages of cloud architecture.

6. Retire: This AWS cloud migration strategy targets outdated, underutilized, or incompatible applications. Retiring these applications liberates resources and simplifies your IT infrastructure, while reducing maintenance costs and potential security vulnerabilities.

7. Retain: For stable and compliant applications, retaining them on-premises ensures operational continuity and minimizes disruption. This approach avoids unnecessary migration efforts and allows you to focus cloud resources on strategic priorities.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of each R, you can confidently choose the most appropriate migration strategy for each application in your portfolio. Remember, a hybrid approach is often optimal, tailoring specific R’s to different applications for successful cloud adoption.

Insights

Explore the best strategies to migrate to the AWS cloud

AWS migration refers to the process of moving an organization's IT infrastructure, applications and data to the cloud-based services offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

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When to use each migration model

Migration strategy: Retire

Use Case: Outdated, underutilized, or incompatible applications

Benefits:

Simplifies infrastructure

Reduces maintenance costs

Mitigates security vulnerabilities

Implementation: Analyze workload dependencies and plan sunsetting process

Migration strategy: Retain

Use Case: Stable and compliant applications needing operational continuity

Benefits:

Minimizes disruption

Avoids unnecessary migration effort

Focuses resources on strategic priorities

Implementation: Assess compliance requirements and optimize on-premises environment

Migration strategy: Rehost (Lift & Shift)

Use Case: Rapid and cost-effective migration with minimal architectural changes

Benefits:

Leverages cloud scalability

Resilience

Reduces data center complexity

Implementation: Refine infrastructure sizing and optimize resource utilization

Migration strategy: Relocate

Use Case: Specific cloud feature requirements or multi-cloud flexibility

Benefits:

Accesses specialized services

Optimizes costs across platforms

Enhances future flexibility

Implementation: Evaluate target platform compatibility and plan data migration strategy

Migration strategy: Repurchase

Use Case: Cost-effective cloud-native alternatives for outdated applications

Benefits:

Streamlines maintenance provides modern features

Unlocks cloud-native advantages

Implementation: Identify suitable SaaS or PaaS offerings and plan application integration

Migration strategy: Replatform

Use Case: Significant performance and agility gains, but with greater reworking

Benefits:

Unlocks advanced scalability

Resilience

Future-proofs architecture

Implementation: Invest in development resources and plan application modernization roadmap

Migration strategy: Refactor

Use Case: Complete rebuild for future-proof agility and cloud-native optimization

Benefits:

Enables microservices architecture

Unlocks serverless technologies

Maximizes cloud potential

Implementation: Secure dedicated resources and prioritize development expertise

AWS migration benefits

Beyond simply transitioning your infrastructure, migrating to AWS delivers tangible benefits that empower your business to thrive in the digital landscape. These advantages stem from several key areas:

1. Unmatched agility: Adapt and respond to market shifts with lightning speed. AWS enables rapid scaling up and down of resources, effortless deployment of new applications, and real-time adjustments to meet shifting demands. This agility allows you to capitalize on fleeting opportunities and outmaneuver competitors.

2. Infinite scalability: Break free from the constraints of on-premises limitations. AWS offers boundless scalability, seamlessly accommodating spikes in activity, resource-intensive projects, and future growth. Need more servers? They’re available with a click. Require advanced analytics capabilities? Specialized services readily await. Your ambitions are no longer confined to infrastructure.

3. Optimized cost management: Ditch the burden of upfront investments and unpredictable expenses. AWS embraces a pay-as-you-go model, where you only pay for the resources you consume. This granular control enables precise cost optimization, eliminating wasted capacity and over-provisioning. Invest intelligently in cloud resources that directly drive business value.

4. Innovation as a constant: Embrace the cutting edge and propel your digital transformation. AWS constantly introduces groundbreaking services and features, opening doors to previously unimaginable possibilities. From artificial intelligence and machine learning to serverless computing and data analytics, the cloud fuels disruptive ideas and propels you ahead of the curve.

5. Global reach and resilience: Extend your digital borders and connect with customers like never before. AWS boasts a global network of data centers, ensuring exceptional performance and unparalleled redundancy regardless of your users’ location. This global reach strengthens your brand, unlocks new markets, and bolsters your disaster recovery capabilities.

6. Unwavering security and compliance: Prioritize data security and safeguard your reputation. AWS prioritizes multi-layered security controls and adheres to the highest compliance standards. Sensitive data is protected with rigorous measures, building trust with customers and minimizing risk.

Conquering cloud migration challenges

With the seven Rs as your compass, it’s time to chart your course through the inevitable challenges that arise on any AWS migration journey. By anticipating these roadblocks and proactively addressing them, you can ensure a smoother and more successful transition to the cloud. Here are some key obstacles to keep in mind:

1. Complexity and skill gap: Navigating the vast and ever-evolving AWS ecosystem can be daunting, especially for organizations with limited cloud experience. This complexity, coupled with a potential skill gap in your team, can lead to inefficient resource utilization, suboptimal architecture choices, and delayed timelines.

Strategize: Address this challenge by investing in training and certifications for your IT staff, partnering with experienced AWS consultants, and leveraging readily available online resources and documentation. Prioritize understanding core AWS services and best practices to make informed decisions throughout your migration.

2. Security considerations: Migrating sensitive data and applications to the cloud requires meticulous attention to security protocols and compliance regulations. Failure to secure your assets can lead to data breaches, reputational damage, and hefty fines.

Fortify: Implement robust access controls, data encryption, and threat detection mechanisms. Choose security-focused AWS services and adhere to industry best practices. Partnering with AWS security experts can significantly mitigate risks and ensure compliance.

3. Vendor lock-in: While leveraging the full range of AWS services can offer significant benefits, over-reliance on proprietary solutions can create an unhealthy dependence on a single vendor. This can limit your future flexibility and potentially increase costs.

Diversify: Maintain a balance between utilizing valuable AWS services and keeping some workloads on-premises or considering multi-cloud strategies. This approach enhances flexibility and bargaining power in the long run.

4. Cost management: While AWS offers flexible pricing models and optimization tools, managing cloud costs effectively requires ongoing monitoring and proactive adjustments. Uncontrolled spending can quickly eat into your budget and undermine the cost-effectiveness of your migration.

Optimize: Implement strategies like reserved instances, cost tagging, and resource auto-scaling to control expenses. Regularly review your cloud bills and identify areas for optimization. Remember, continuous cost management is the key to maximizing the financial benefits of the cloud.

Beyond migration: Embracing the digital horizon with Softweb Solutions

By embracing this roadmap, you’ll propel your business forward with agility, efficiency, and innovation. The cloud isn’t just a destination; it’s a powerful platform for growth and transformation. Don’t let questions cloud your judgment. Let Softweb Solutions be your guide to sail you through.

Originally published at https://www.softwebsolutions.com on February 14, 2024.

[qyriaha]

genuinely my cousins r starting to pmo. either theyre getting more comfortable or my dads bs monologuing abt shit he doesnt know abt is affecting them but their politics suck So bad

[shris890]

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to adapt, grow, and stay competitive. One of the most transformative technologies that have reshaped the business world is the adoption of public cloud offerings such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Azure (Microsoft’s cloud platform). At PDcloudEX, we are committed to guiding you through the fundamental concepts of public cloud technology, its benefits, and its implications for your business. Join us on this journey to understand the world of unparalleled cloud-based solutions.

[hippiegoth97]

Roam Pt.1: Eddie Munson x Reader

Collage by me :)

Master List

Tag List: @keikoraven @ar-jupiter @alcielo1438 @cairro-xx @stolen-in-moonlight

@micheledawn1975 @janiejenn @rafescurtainbangz @melodymunson @spacedoutdaydreamer

@veemoon @sariahs-stuff @feral-pumpkin-energy @comeonatmebruh @munsoneightysixx

@morgthemagpie @josephquinnsfreckles @jenniquinn @usergeta @cometzombie

@spookybabey @daggerdaggerkitten @nina6708 @sanctumdemunson @yourdailymemedelivery

@person-005 @slowandsteddie @gri959 @elegantkoalapaper @letitgoandletlive

@loserboysandlithium @costellation-hunter @leelei1980 @h-ness1944 @pretendthisnameisclever

@ohmeg @stalactitekilla @hellfirenacht @birdysaturne @oneforthemunny

@prettyboyeddiemunson @eddievanmunson @msgexymunson @rattkween86 @violetpixiedust

@bimbobaggins69 @angel-munson @eldermayfield @munsonsbtch @babygorewhore

@mediocredreams @xxbimbobunnyxx @taintedcigs @ali-r3n

Description: The year is 1991, and your husband Eddie and his band Corroded Coffin is on an international tour for their first major album. You're traveling with the band in their private jet. On a flight between tour stops, Eddie's fear of flying leads to some interesting events...

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: smut, rockstar!eddie munson, female reader, drug use, fingering, oral sex, unprotected sex, mentions of fear/anxiety about flying

Word Count: 3.7k

divider by @strangergraphics

Roam Pt. 1

Good Evening, I'm Kurt Loder for MTV News, bringing you the latest in music entertainment. Tonight, breakout metal band Corroded Coffin are in the midst of a headlining world tour for their smash hit album, Hellfire Rising. So far, they've completed their North and South American legs of the tour and are head-banging their way through Europe. The band caught their big break in 1989, signing with Megaforce Records to produce their debut album. Given their meager beginnings in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, the band has remained humble as they reap the benefits of success. Here we have a clip of their notorious front-man Eddie Munson, describing how the band has taken to their newfound fame.

Interviewer: How are you and the band handling being one of the biggest metal bands right now?

Munson: Ya know, nothing really feels all that different than when we were a local band of nobodies. We just like makin' the music and being a voice for the freaks. And I've got my lovely wife Y/N to thank for helpin' me stay grounded, she knows how to bust my balls just enough to keep me in line. [Laughs]

Interviewer: Sounds like you're a very lucky man, Mr. Munson.

Munson: Oh, please. Call me Eddie, I'm a Rockstar, not a stock broker. [Laughs again] But yeah, I truly am. She's the greatest woman in the world, we wouldn't be here without her encouragement and support. Aw, look man, I gotta get goin'. Goodbye, England and next stop, Germany! [Sticks out tongue while making rocker devil horns]

Well, he certainly is a lively character. Be sure to look out for their upcoming sophomore album, Freaks Only, releasing next spring. I'm Kurt Loder, and this has been MTV News. Coming up next, a solid hour block of your favorite music videos of the summer. Good night.

You click off the TV, tossing the remote beside you on the sofa. "You look so sexy on TV, baby." You say to Eddie, sitting sideways on his lap as you and the band watched the special newscast together on their private jet.

"Oh, really? Better than the real thing, dollface?" Eddie asks teasingly, his hands resting on your hip and thigh.

"Mmm, never." You reply in a sultry tone, leaning in for a kiss. He happily meets you halfway, the hand on your hip migrating to your ass. He squeezes the flesh roughly, making you moan.

"God, you guys need to get a room." Gareth says, rolling his eyes in his chair. The other members mumble their agreement.

"Alright, we'll turn down the heat for your sake, hm?" You break away, leaving Eddie's lap to snort a line of coke from the coffee table in front of you. You inhale it, sniffing harshly. You lazily slump back against the couch, taking Eddie's hand in yours.

"You know, you could've at least mentioned us, Eddie. We are the actual band, after all. All you talked about was Y/N." Jeff pipes up, crossing his arms in frustration.

"Guys, you know how much I value you as equal members of the band. And it's MTV, dude. They catch you off guard and take a small soundbite, you know? Besides, we've all been equally featured in magazine interviews and sit-down talk shows. You guys are my friends, and my brothers. You mean the world to me, we've been playing together since we were kids." Eddie replies, trying to calm the brewing storm.

"You guys are just jealous that the media favors the front-man. It's not Eddie's fault. You think I pitch a fit every time some female fans get a little too bold with him? No, because I know I'm what's important to him, not some slutty groupies. Just like how you all matter more than a fuckin' MTV ambush." You don't mean to overstep, but you wish the guys would chill out a little.

"When we want your opinion, Yoko, we'll ask for it." Alex retorts. You just scoff.

"Oh, real original, man. I'm the wife, so I'm ruining the band. Jesus, guys. You realize you're like family to me, right? Like Eddie said, brothers. I'm just trying to explain why things seem one-sided. You're a band, a team. You think Metallica bickers the way you do? I don't think they'd be half as successful as they are if they did." It may be the coke talking, but you feel like a valid voice of reason for the group, always settling their little squabbles. Despite being grown adults, they still act like little boys at times.

"That's enough, out of all of you. Please, let's not ruin the buzz we have going from how kickass tonight's show was, hm? We're gonna take off soon, so get settled in. Come on, Y/N." Eddie stands, calling the bitchfest to a close and dragging you to the private bedroom at the back of the jet. "Night, guys." He says with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Night, dickhead." The boys call to him.

"Ha ha, very funny." He shouts back, opening the door to your room. You walk past him, sitting on the bed. Eddie closes the door, clicking the lock. The room is pretty eclectic, there's a bed with black silk sheets, a mini fridge, and a small bathroom. There's a large mirror on the ceiling, the walls are painted a deep red, and plush shag carpet covers the floor. Eddie had been very particular about how he wanted the bedroom on the Corroded Coffin jet to look. It's your safe place that you share together, away from the others. Before heading on tour, Eddie had struggled with a fear of flying. Going to LA to sign a record deal and work on the album took a toll on him. And for the first couple legs of the tour he needed to be sedated before each flight. But lately he's calmed down about it, though takeoff and landing still give him major anxiety.

"You alright, baby? How 'bout you come get buckled in with me?" You smirk at him, getting under the covers to fasten your seat belt that Eddie had built into the mattress.

"You could stand to butt out every once in a while, Y/N." He says in annoyance, climbing into bed next to you.

"I'm just trying-"

"Yeah, I know, you're just trying to help. I get that we've all known each other since we were in middle school and everything. But you're not in the band, okay? If we're having a problem, just let us handle it." You're about to protest, but he puts a hand up to stop you. "I appreciate your concern, babydoll. Really, you know I value your opinion over anyone else's, okay? But you don't need to be such a backseat driver." He takes your hand in his, kissing it gently. "I love you, angel. Can you just take a step back, for me?" He pleads with his big brown eyes, you can never say no when he uses them on you.

"Alright, Eddie. I'll let the band handle the band's problems. And I love you too, babe." You kiss his cheek, laying your head on his shoulder as the plane begins to take off. Eddie holds you close, tensing at every movement the jet makes as it ascends into the air. "It's okay, love. I'm right here, and we're buckled in safe." You look at him, trying your best to keep him relaxed.

"I know, I'm a lot better than I used to be. Just hate how shaky getting in and out of the damn air is." He always gets a little pissy when he's scared, but you've always found it endearing. "Maybe if I had a distraction, I might be able to ignore how awful this is?" You're unsure what he's referring to.

"And what did you have in mind, baby?" You ask coyly, hoping he means what you think he does.

"Well...we could, you know..." He gulps, unable to form full thoughts as his fears of falling from the sky take hold. You decide to take charge, placing your hand under the covers to ghost over his cock. He moans, eyes boring into yours.

"Is this what you were thinking of, sweetheart?" You play innocent, teasing him. He just nods, still stiffened up with stress. "Okay, baby. I'll take care of you. Can you lay down for me?" He does as you ask, occasionally trembling like a leaf. "It's okay, I'm gonna make it all better." You grip his length through his tight jeans, causing him to groan. You palm him through the material, winding him up. He gazes at you, panting in anticipation.

"More, please." He manages to say, almost whining. You heed his request, unbuckling his belt and unzipping the fly of his pants. He kicks off his sneakers, helping you pull his jeans down. Eddie pulls his muscle tee off as well, revealing his chest to you. He's only in his boxers now, and your hand grips him again through the thin fabric.

You take a moment to gaze over his form, comparing how he looks now to your high school days. He still has the long hair, and his clothes have stayed the same for the most part. But he's gotten a few more tattoos in recent years, one of which is your initials on his V-line. You have his tatted on your hip, so you always remember that you belong to each other. He also wears eyeliner now, which is very sexy, and has his ears and nose pierced. He convinced you to let him grow a goatee and mustache once, but it didn't really suit him so he thankfully shaved them off. It's crazy to look back on the years gone by, you never thought you'd see Eddie's wildest dreams come true. But you've been by his side from the beginning, and you intend to stay here until the very end. He and the guys worked so hard to get here, you couldn't be more proud. And now you've got him moaning in your grasp, in your bed, in your special room, on your private jet. The mere concept of that blows your goddamn mind every time. "I'm the luckiest woman in the world, you know that?" You say, looking deep into his eyes.

"Is that so? I suppose that makes me an even luckier man then." Eddie breathes heavily, begging with his eyes for you to remove his final layer and touch him fully. You appease him, leaving him naked inside his seat belt. His cock stands at attention, the head swollen and leaking precum. You lean over it, letting a drip of spit slowly fall from your lips onto it. Eddie stares at you, enraptured by every move you make. You spread the saliva around his head, rubbing it down his length. "Fuck, Y/N." He moans, his hand squeezing your thigh.

The pilot suddenly speaks through the intercom. "Evening, everyone. Just letting you know we've reached a comfortable cruising altitude, and the skies look nice and clear for our journey tonight. You're all set to move freely in the jet." The speaker clicks as he concludes his announcement.

"Perfect timing." Eddie says, quickly unbuckling your safety belts before pouncing on you. He smashes his lips on yours, hungrily sliding his tongue in your mouth. You moan into the kiss, gripping the sides of his face. He gropes your tits over your shirt, squeezing roughly as he lays over you. His mouth releases yours, migrating down your cheek, your jaw, your neck.

"Someone's needy." You quip, running your fingers through Eddie's hair. You drag your nails around his scalp, and he groans against your throat. He bites down on your flesh, sucking it into a deep purple hickey. You love it when he marks you, letting everyone know that you’re his. "Oh, Eddie." You moan, arousal spreading in your panties.

"I fuckin' love you so much." He says breathily, cupping your cheek as he gazes down at you.

"I love you too, my sexy Rockstar." You smirk, boldly gripping his cock in your hand again.

"Shit, Y/N." He groans at your touch, desperate to be inside you. "We gotta get you out of these clothes." He pulls at the hem of your shirt, and you sit up to lift it over your head. Eddie immediately reaches behind you to remove your bra, exposing your breasts to the cool air. You expect him to start massaging them in his hands, but he instead starts unbuttoning your leather pants. He pulls them down harshly, along with your lace panties. You lay down on the pillows, completely bare to him. He sits on his knees as his eyes scan over you, drinking in your beautiful form. "You're so gorgeous, love. And you're all mine."

"All yours, baby." You reply, giggling from his words making you blush. Even after all these years, you still feel so strongly for each other. He smirks at you, playfully grabbing your left foot. He kisses the bottom of it, and you try not to react to how it tickles. His lips move upwards, meeting every inch of skin he can. He crawls slowly towards you as he kisses your ankle, your knee, until he reaches your inner thigh. You sigh out at how soft his plush mouth is against your skin, your insides setting aflame. He's about to reach your dripping cunt, when he backs off to repeat his actions on your other leg.

Eddie's eyes never leave yours as he works, letting you know how much he worships you as his true love. He creeps up your other leg, reaching your thigh again. He glances at your glistening pussy, his smile growing wider. "You're so wet for me, angel. You want me to taste you?" His breath fans over you, whispering across your clit. He massages your thighs with his hands, tentatively waiting for your answer.

"Yes, please. Show me how much you love me, darling." He doesn't waste a single second before diving between your legs. His tongue licks a long, deliberate stripe from your entrance to your bundle of nerves. "Oh, God." Your hands ball up the sheets beneath you, pleasure already beginning to take hold. Eddie's a master at eating out, always knowing exactly how to please you. His tongue is possibly as well-trained a muscle as his musician fingers, he doesn't stick it out at all opportunities for nothing.

"Mmm, you taste so good, sweetheart." He says, quickly resuming his work on you. He licks you relentlessly, flicking his tongue against your clit and inserting himself into your soaked hole. You moan his name repeatedly, feeling your orgasm building like a knot in your belly. His fingers replace his tongue inside you, curling to hit your g-spot expertly. He pumps his digits in and out, sucking harshly on your clit. He wants to feel you cum around him, to scream his name as pleasure takes you over.

"Fuck, Eddie. Don't stop, right there! Just like that, make me cum." You cry out, tangling your fingers in his hair to hold his face against your core. He hums against you when you tug on him, the vibrations sending you further toward the edge. He maintains his pace, wet noises harmonizing with your moans. Waves of pleasure roll over you, signaling your oncoming release. You gaze up at the ceiling, watching your reflection in the mirror. Your skin is glistening with sweat, your mouth agape as curses and cries of passion tumble from your lips. It's intoxicating to watch yourself lose control, seeing Eddie's mop of curls situated between your legs. You look at the flexing muscles in his back and shoulders, and admire his perfect ass.

Eddie hums against you again, pumping his fingers faster into your pussy. You scream his name as your orgasm rips through you, your thighs clamping around his head. Fireworks explode inside your stomach, showering sparks throughout your body. He drinks up your juices, extending your high. Stars blur your vision, and your hips buck against Eddie's face. He's struggling to breathe, but he lets you ride out your orgasm. The bliss dissipates, your body going limp and releasing your husband from your grasp. "Jesus, Y/N. That was so fuckin' hot. Almost suffocated me, but I'd happily die buried between your thighs." He pants, marveling at your fucked out expression.

"I'll make a note to sit on your face on your deathbed then." You joke, making the both of you laugh lightly. Eddie lays over you again, kissing your lips repeatedly. His cock slides against your slick folds, making the two of you moan into each other's mouths as your lips smack together. He continues to rub himself against you, teasing and riling you up again. Your blood is boiling inside you, you can't wait any longer for Eddie to fuck you. "Baby, please don't tease." You whine between kisses, urging him to give you what you want. He rolls you both over so you're on top, breaking his lips away from yours.

"Go ahead and ride me, darling." He grips your hips roughly, his rings digging into your flesh. You sit upright, taking Eddie's dick in your hand. You pump him a few times, lifting yourself on your knees. He moans at your touch, boring his eyes into yours. "Now who's being a tease?" He asks breathily, and you smirk before sinking onto his length. He fills you up perfectly, brushing against your g spot. The air is knocked out of your lungs, and you take a moment to adjust to his size.

Once you're ready, you slowly lift yourself up and fall back down onto Eddie's cock. "Fuck." You mutter, relishing the sensation. You repeat this action a few times, drawing lewd moans from the both of you. You place your hands on his chest, beginning to bounce up and down against him. His hands guide you to hit your sweet spot every single time, your head falling backwards in ecstasy.

"God, you're so beautiful like this, angel. And so fuckin' wet and tight for me." He meets your bounces with the occasional thrust upwards, making your breath catch in your throat. Your velvet walls hug his dick perfectly, it's like you're made just for him. He'll never get enough of you, he always wants to be balls deep inside you and making you scream.

You roll your hips, setting a new angle for yourself that manages to feel even better. A second orgasm is simmering inside you, building and building as you keep up your rhythm. You can't stop moaning, calling Eddie's name like he's a deity you're praying to. He's just as vocal as you, which you've always found extremely hot. He's not afraid to express himself with you, in bed or otherwise. This moment is so perfect, you never want it to end. "You feel so good inside me, Eds. Only you can make me feel this way." Your dirty confessions spur him on, he hammers up into you even more as you continue to ride him.

You're chasing each other's highs at this point, desperate to send yourselves over the edge. Your skin is slicked in sweat, making your bodies slippery. Your lustful noises blend together with the slapping of skin. When you least expect it, the plane hits some minor turbulence. Your stomachs drop as the jet dips in the sky, and you catch a bit of air before landing on Eddie's cock deeper and harder than you ever have before. You both shout obscenities at the sensation, half-wishing it would happen again. "You getting close, baby?" Eddie asks, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he lowers a hand between your legs to rub your clit with his thumb. You moan at the added stimulation, moving your hips even faster. You want to cum so badly, your bliss is threatening to boil over any second.

"Yes, love. So fucking close, make me cum." Your eyes meet his, burning with intense passion. The look on his face tells you he's just as close to the edge as you are, sweat drips down his cheek, and his eyebrows are knitted together. He rubs your clit harder, watching your eyes screw shut as you're overtaken by your orgasm. "Oh, Eddie!" You scream, legs shaking uncontrollably. Eddie moves his hand away, grabbing your hips again to pound upwards into you to reach his own finish line.

You keep moaning consistently as his thrusts prolong your pleasure, your mouth hangs slack to release the noises. You see stars once more, they swirl around in your vision as your arousal drips down Eddie's cock. You throw your head backwards again, tears streaming down your cheeks from overstimulation. He looks at the scene before him in the reflection of the mirror above you, watching himself fuck you relentlessly is what makes him lose control. "Fuck, Y/N." He chokes out, his warm load spilling into your spent cunt. His strokes slow down to a gradual halt, and you collapse onto his chest. You're almost gasping for air, your pussy clenching his length as your high subsides.

Eddie wraps his arms around you as you both try to steady your breaths. You lay on his chest, listening to his racing heart as his dick softens inside you. It's so comfortable and warm to lay with him like this, to be so close to another person is an amazing thing. You carefully lift yourself off of him, your mixed release dripping onto Eddie's stomach. You moan at the sight, quickly running to your bathroom to grab a damp washcloth to clean him off. Once he's no longer sticky, you put the cloth back in the bathroom and shut off the light before climbing back into bed. Eddie tugs the covers over the two of you, pulling you close to lay your head on his chest. "I love you so much, babe. You're the best husband a woman could ask for." You nuzzle his neck, playing with the small tuft of hair on his chest.

"And you're the world's greatest wife, angel. I love you to the ends of the universe and back." You lift your face up to give him a deep, warm kiss. He happily returns it, your hearts swelling with sheer love and adoration for one another. You pull away, failing to fight back a yawn. You lay back down, your eyes fluttering closed as you drift into a deep sleep.

To be continued…

[darkdemeter]

Dom War x Sub Fem reader NSFW! Set in Eld AU, War’s heavily injured and lone survivor of a tough battle, but meets S/O, who’s a healer and treats his wounds. Time spent together, S/O heals his wounds and War protects her from danger. S/O is a traveling healer and has nowhere to go, so War offers to take her back to his Nephilim tribe as his mate and new healer of the tribe, which she agrees. S/O eases his pain, physically and emotionally, and if he’s frustrated, she can always “help” him.

A HEALER TO CHAOS

◤✘DARKSIDERS REQUESTS | CATALOGUE Pre-Horsemen!War x Eld'hyunen!Female Reader

NOTES ↳ It’s so fun and cool to be exploring and sharing the Eld universe with you guys through requests, I feel like it allows readers to become immersed in the lore I’m building for the AU! Thank you anon for this request! WARNINGS❕ ↳ Mature rating, 18+ — mention of mass murder — depiction of violence and killing — lore building — SMUT mdni — unprotected sex — pregnancy — neck biting/marking — mate claiming, virginity loss (hymen breakage) — I think that’s it?

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It’s the scent of blood and the ominous purr of silence that draws you out of hiding. From the crop of rocks sheltering you, you move to inspect your surroundings with a peeking gaze, searching over the battle terrain to see your hunters and your enemies lay motionless on the ground. All but one. 

His ashen hair cascades in fluttering waves in the light breeze, hands clenched tight around the hilt of a massive blade bloodily sheathed in the muscled belly of his foe. Those that he came alongside with don’t get back up. He is the lone survivor of this gory battle.

Seeing so many corpses litter the ground reminds you of the awful slaughter of your tribe that were migrating towards the hillside pastures for Spring. Then, without warning, these beings of soured and unnatural origin, began an invasion upon your realm and in turn, attacked the travelling caravans of your people. You had run at the command of your mother and father and paid the price in watching all who you held dear and loved die. And now this one saved your life. Saved you from the carnivorous beasts that have stalked you for many moons. 

He rises to his feet, standing at a height that far exceeds that of your own kind. Pulling the blade free with a wetted splatter of blood that drools in thick sloshes, he stumbles back with a low and pained grunt, his body marked with grieving wounds. 

Your ears perk up slightly and the shortened coil of your tail sweeps across the back of your heels. He needs your help. He won’t survive if his wounds go untreated. And you have been alone for many, many turnings of the sun and moon. Perhaps he…

Still crouched low to the forest floor, your feet slide across the shredded bark and softness of grass as you pull yourself more into view. Slowly, you stand only to flinch when he turns sharply to face you, the glow of blue eyes beam at you with narrowed suspicion. 

Your breath becomes light in your chest until a hollow shape dwells there. His hand that holds his blade idle between sheath and arming clenches hard and you swallow the thickened bile of fear in your throat. You hold your hands up to bear your offering of peace. When he sees you mean to approach him, he remains largely skeptical, but otherwise lets you wander closer with cautious steps. 

“You are hurt.” Your voice is small, almost a mousy whisper. Head bowing and tilting this way and that, you observe the damage that’s been done to him, your nose inhales the sharpened incense of blood in the air, already you begin to recollect what balms and natural ointments that will benefit him. Against him, your hands are smaller and feel so soft moving across his skin that lay exposed. 

“They will heal,” he interjects with a low and booming voice. It astounds you, almost sends you rushing back to hide if only to be left in your fluster. 

You shake your head adamantly. “They will fester with sickness. I must tend to them.”

He pulls his arm from your gentle grasp, your lips parted with a gasp as your eyes find his. “Please? You saved my life. Allow me to do the same.”

The hardened front of his browline deeply creases, a twisted sneer smeared across his lips. Body shifting, he is once again pained by the carved gashes that line his torso and shoulder “How?” 

With a tilted bob of your head, you indicate for him to follow you. Your hands weave themselves to embrace the larger of his, fingers entwined to grasp the callousness of his palms and fingers. “Come.”

By nightfall you reach the forest hot springs that reside higher up on the rockier perches. The warrior whose name you come to know to be War, follows you. You situate yourself before the water’s edge where a heated mist of condensation rises. 

You can see the question in the quirk of his brow and the daggered contact of his gaze that forces your head to turn away, a flustered warmth covers your cheeks. “These waters are used by healers to cleanse wounds of infection.”

War only moves after a moment’s hesitation defeated by the insistent nod of your head, your voice humming. He strips from his armour, the giant sword on his back leans on the cave wall at its pommel. Bulky chunks of metal, slings of leather and folds of fabric reveal the defined shape of his body. 

Your breath escapes you as a quiet gasp, eyes wide and face plagued by a hot rush. Though you mean to tear your eyes away they keep moving back to stare at him. You dare not meet his eyes as he then steps down into the heated waters. You can hear the way it sears and stirs against the eruptive barrier of his skin while he wads through it.

The pouring streamline of the upper basin flows steadily, a constantly stirred motion bouncing and rippling the surface that fades outwards. You admit, he looks so tranquil standing beneath the shower of the hot springs, blood seeping into washed out, lesser rivers. His hands douse handfuls of the curing springs over his head and you hear him sigh heavily, the burly muscle of his shoulders falling lax. With the blood cleared, you can see just how deep the beasts had dug their claws and sank their fangs. 

Eyes marvelling in silent awe of each scar that marks him, you then cower beneath the glow of his stare when you discover you have been caught, hunching in on yourself as you sit at the rocky ledge. Your tail, nervous, slides with idle and slow absent thought. You must shake yourself of these thoughts, sensual and primal in nature. You mustn’t let yourself be so engulfed by the consuming ache that dwells between your thighs. 

But the idea… why, the pointed tips of your ears flick back quickly with an excited tick. His stance indicates a stern and rigid expectancy.

Ahold of your senses and awakened from that stupor, you disrobe the woven strap of your belt that holds your small satchels and your cowled shawl. Setting them aside, you comb your hand through clusters of moss that thrive in the dampened poolsides, the spongy tissue of the natural balm familiar. 

You pad your way down into the water, one leg followed by the other. The water level just touches at your breasts that are barely concealed by the thin linens and corded leathers of your chest wrap. 

You make your way over, cautious once again under the scrutiny of his studying eyes that follow your every move like the fearsome and revered Obsidian Hawks. You don’t dare forget how tall he towers over you, fighting to keep your eyes from wandering down the deepened lines of his waist that disappear under the water. 

Before you stands one of the many who ravage the land you call home. His brothers and sisters cleave and sever blood from blood, soul from soul in claim of their undying bloodlust. 

It would have been wise to let him die. You should have, after all that you have seen, been subjected to, living out your days alone and wandering without the security or familiarity of your tribe. 

But you begin to smear the spongy texture of the healing moss to his wounds, applying with gentle care to the ones you could reach easily. Your attention focuses into the tap of the inner leylines, the spiritual veins of your soul that extend unto him. A hover of ethereal matter emits from your palms and touches along your fingers with a warm, softened glow. 

War’s lips tug into a wince, eyes scrunching at the beginnings of his wounds healing, the moss you applied to his marred skin tinged with a pulsing turquoise hue, acting as a medium for the magic that blooms from your hands. Your eyes flutter closed to influence your concentration further, though there lies a troubled bevel between your brows. Your hands follow the link of the leylines within him that guide your healing touch, but the infernal heat of his soul has a bite that feels as if it burns your skin with the warning intensity of fire. 

As uncomfortable as it is, you continue to push your skills beyond what exceeds your limit. Your shoulders rise and fall heavily with each laboured breath that passes you. War’s eyes track between the movement of your hands and your face, gaze intently set on you that then delves lower to the plushness of your breasts pushed together by your chest wrap, the linen fabric wetted to reveal a translucent viewing. Feelings arise, stirring, sensations he has never felt to entertain before until now. Through the thin and clinging fabric he sees the perky stiffness of your nipples, poised and glistening. Below the water he feels himself become erect, an ache reaching from his tip and down the long girth of his length. 

He’s suddenly pulled from his silent observation, his besotted hunger, when he sees you struggle. Whatever inner force that grants you your ability wanes as you strain yourself to reach the higher peak of his injured chest and shoulder. 

Without warning, his arms curl around you and he lifts you up, ignoring the protesting gasp you make or the way your glossy eyes widen in your own infatuated terror. 

The last of the moss dissipates with a flaring sizzle under your magic, though the wounds still require attentive care of stitchwork. You mean to turn away despite still being held in his arms and he suddenly stops you. He pins you to the pool’s rocky rim, your arms moving to support yourself, palms scratching against the roughened, wet stone with each yearning thrust that has your core arching out of the water from his hips. You let out a squeal of a whimper that pleads for him. 

Ever since you laid eyes on him you were mystified. The enchanting waves of his white hair that accented the angelic hue of his eyes, his larger and handsome physique leaping into the fray without fear. He hadn’t anticipated saving you, undoubtedly caught in the cycle of predator hunting predator, tearing down the original hierarchy to make room for himself amongst its chain. 

Those of your tribe always respected the strength and prowess of the ones who hunted and defended your wandering caravan. And such a display won your heart despite your better judgment that he was an invader of your realm. 

He moves to roll his hips attentively, slowly that causes an aching crawl to travel up your spine, sending your nerves into an aroused frenzy. His weight pushes against you as if to test you, to see if you’re more submissive than your Eld’hyunen counterparts. When he sees you pose no issue in challenging him and instead your body leans into that want, his head bows down and you feel the scrape of his teeth. The sharp incisors pleasantly run along the flesh of your shoulder, lingering close to the curve of your neck. 

Your size is impossible to compare fairly when held flush to the confines of his body. His hands are overly large enough to swallow you under his reach. The burning heat emits from his skin like a fiery blanket that consumes you. He bends the lower curve of your spine, your thighs burn with that strain that pulls your muscles from being spread wider to the gate of his hips that continue to rut into your clothed sex. 

Your hands smooth over his watered body, palms caressing the flex of muscle and taut flesh while your lips move across his skin with a ghostly sigh. As he aims to tear away the material of your lower garments, you unravel the translucent fabric of your chest wrap, peeling it off to reveal your breasts spilling free. Naked before him, he pulls you into his arms and you gasp sharply, tail swatting across the water’s glistening surface when you’re seated on the crown of his swollen — and very large — cock. 

It’s… enormous. Far beyond what you’re possibly capable of taking. His eyes study the blatant visage of your furrowed brow, the way your ears twitch nervously and the way you adjust yourself hesitantly almost as if to squirm away from him. 

“Be still,” he rumbles lowly, handling you and pushing you down on his tip. You hiss, the intrusion more shocking to your system than painful, merely knotting his leaking head between your slickened folds. 

You comply with his demand and allow him to do as he pleased. You were not denying him on this front, that wondering curiosity of what it would have been like had you completed your courting taking over. That need to finally have what you prematurely lost. There had been a few males you were potentially interested in, some had given you small yet thoughtful offerings as gifts in seeking your approval. 

But with War before you now, dare you even admit that none of those males could compare? 

You sink, further and further down and your walls stretch until you’re completely full but it doesn’t stop. He punctures through your hymen and you yelp, body trembling against him and he holds you tighter. It continues on as you take in another inch, followed by another. You whine and mewl with small, weakened pants that beat against his chest and your fingers curl to bite deeply into his skin as your walls struggle to take him. 

The last inch is unable to fit when he meets the final resistance. He groans deeply at the way your walls hold around him like a vice. Immediately he begins to rut his hips, a hard but slow pace set that physically bounces you up and down, you’re weightless in his grasp. Withdrawing from your cunt has a pained hiss escaping you, baring your teeth before it finally subsides with the pleasure. 

His lips take to devouring your skin, suckling and kneading the tender spot of your neck between his teeth. You moan louder and he grunts in response, uttering words in a tongue not of your own, though its canter is beautifully intoxicating that you want to hear more. He arches you back to watch how your breasts bounce with every move you make before he takes one of your stiffened peaks into his mouth, groaning lowly as his tongue envelops it.

A painful strain forms in the length of your hips but you care little for it now that that dull, needy ache is being satiated between your thighs. Your body practically curls into him, readily possessed by his strength and desire, anything and everything he would want for, you would give; and you would live out your remaining existence happily if he chose you. 

Of course, you don’t expect him to know or even acknowledge the more intimate factors of your culture or your ways of courting, but perhaps he could learn from you as you can from him. Even now you learn with each other, finding what the other craves, what pleases each other the most. He moves onto the other neglected mound of your breast, lapping at it with aggressive care as he picks up the speed of his thrusts. 

“Please… pl—please…” you beg softly, voice barely above a whisper to be heard over the watery slosh and rapid clapping of skin. 

he pants the utterance of your name you feel your entire body grow hot, fast approaching your release. It overtakes you as a flash, white and pulsating that has you arching to have his entire length sheathed inside you, never wanting to be apart. You moan into the recess of the hot springs, the cave walls capturing the sound as an echoing choir. 

His teeth bite down hard upon your neck and you cry out, nails drawing red lines that stake your claim over him as much as he does to you now. Blood sweeps up your neck, gathering as a pool that seeps through the broken skin. 

Your chest heaves until the swell of your ribcage is sore from the need to survive by breathing. Your head dizzied and eyes foggy, lidded with a heaviness, you pull yourself back to him, chest to chest. 

“War,” you moan, low and sweet and the sound of his name on your lips sends him over the edge. A few harder pumps that reach that one spot has you mewling for more and he releases his seed into the precious silk of your womb. You hear the way your combined juices mix together and feel the slow crawl of it drooling down the steep angle of your walls. 

Through the haze of your bliss you see the punctuated hue of his blue eyes staring at you, marvelling at you. Your fingers, so delicate and soft that he cannot help but try and gently kiss them, smoothly trace the lines and structure of his jaw, taking the time to study every single part of him that’s scarred and not. 

He brings you back over to the edge of the pool, the faded mist and water parting before his destined strut. He sets you down and you begin to weave and stitch what remained unhealed while his hands and mouth continued to discover you until he reached the lower folds of your cunt, tongue dancing over the still sensitive bud of your clit and you sharply gasp, an elicited sound he finds great pleasure in wanting to hear. 

Under the dawn’s abode, you begin to stir when streams of sunlight bathe you with a glowing, tempered greeting. Not too far from the hot springs had you and War made camp where the two of you continued to explore newer pleasures. From behind you, War cages you with a security you have not felt in so long, held against his sturdy chest, your back warmed by him long since the fire went out. 

His nose presses against the indented mark on your neck and you purr, enjoying the way his breath caresses you, his lips kiss and his teeth nip at you. He’d discovered you enjoyed the form of his fingers or tongue curling deep inside you, mesmerised by how your legs would shudder and your toes clench into tightened curls. He adored the way you admired and praised his body, submitting to his far larger size and able to cover you beneath him as he took you over and over again. 

By the time the both of you were properly dressed, he encouraged you to follow. Not that you had much of any thought against it, relieved that he intended for you to stay with him. 

“You are without a tribe now,” he had said.

“I am.”

“Then join my tribe, as a healer and my mate.”

With a smile, you had agreed. The days that follow were spent travelling together. He kept the creatures that stalked you at bay, often pulling you behind him to protect you and after such battles, you would nurture and tend to his wounds, intimately caring for his soul that has seen much bloodshed and been tainted by many horrors that plague his sleep. 

He would watch you comb your fingers through your hair, gathering a thickened lock of it on your left side and begin to plait it into an elaborate braid. War could see the way you smiled the entire time, cheeks seemingly warmed and not by the fire but from the significance your new braid bore. 

You would decorate it, using scarlet dyed threads and small, painted beads to intertwine with the braid, their stunning hues beautifully complimenting the colour of your hair. 

Oh, how you wanted to ask him if you could do the same, to signify that he was lovingly spoken for, but… from the way his brethren of the tribe interacted with one another, a brutish culture, you’d thought better against it. At least for the meantime. 

Though it has taken quite some time to grow accustomed to the way the Nephilim go about their bidding within the tribe, their violent nature often demonstrated right before your eyes just as much in the field of battle, it’s better knowing that you were no longer alone. Of course, you could have fled to any number of the fellow Eld’hyunen tribes, they would have taken you in without discrimination, but what then? They too would have met their bloody end for sure, and perhaps your soul claimed amongst them. 

And you would not have met your beloved War. A formidable fighter and very capable of defending your honour whenever one of his Nephilim brothers attempted to claim you for themselves. 

But there were times where you would have to remain in the camp and wait for the war party’s return. A tiny shred of fear always accompanied these long tides of waiting, gnawing in the back of your mind that War would be counted among the numbers that didn’t get back up. That they would carry his near-dying body to you and you would be left alone again. 

But he always came back. However much you scolded and fussed over his wounds, you were thankful he was alive. 

Nights were spent together in the privacy of your personal tent, skin pressed to skin, body to body and enveloped by the flood of your sated arousal that audibly guaranteed that War had claimed a mate for himself, that you were all his. Other times you simply would lay together atop the gathered furs, listening to the hungry smolder of the fire and the lingering mingle of your breath matching.

Many days and nights after his return from battle would see him approach you, agitated by something but you knew just what would help to ease the pent up rage, your body used for his explicit aggression. 

Eventually, you were given permission to braid the left portion of his ashen hair. Of course, you made it less obvious than your own but being able to gently comb and filter the locks of white between your nimble fingers, fashioning a beautiful courting braid and securing it with a red lacing that matched yours gladdened you. 

Your lips hover over the naked scar of a recent wound on his shoulder, humming a soft lullaby for his ears to hear. The fire in the small tent crackles, its smoke filtering out through the opened gap in its top. 

War buries his nose deep into the crook of your neck, right over the healed scar of his mark and you smile, turning in his lap to sit in the comfort of your silence. His large hands rest over the top of yours, the two of your carefully nursing the small, beginning bump of your unborn young. 

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

by Sam Williams

My name is Sam. I am 52. I am doubly disabled. I am Autistic and I have been disabled with long Covid since 15 March 2020.

There are two parts to my disability experience. The first part is the disability itself. That’s really bad. The second part is how society treats me and people like me. That’s much worse. The UK is in deep denial about long Covid and about all disabilities. Society both ignores and shames me.

My feeling of social abandonment is total.

One in four people in the UK are disabled and our numbers are growing. Around 4% of the UK have long Covid. A recent survey showed that one third of all health care workers have long Covid symptoms. 1% of all kids have long Covid.

Long Covid continues to grow because of the deep denial.

Labour is proving to be much worse than we thought Being disabled under a Tory government was awful. I had no idea that it would be so much worse under the Labour Party. You know that saying sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It’s not true.

Something has happened to the Labour Party. They have become obsessed with economic growth. To Labour growth is the only metric of prosperity and success. As a consequence, paid work is now the only unit of worth. As soon as the general election was over, Keir Starmer was talking about the need to get the long-term sick into work and most Labour ministers on the media round started talking about ‘economic inactivity’.

Economic inactivity is a rather derisory and inaccurate name for people on benefits. It’s inaccurate because I receive DWP PIP, and every single penny of my benefit money re-enters the economy. Not only has Labour become obsessed with economic growth, they keep talking about wealth creation, like something out of the 1987 film Wall Street. For Labour, wealth creation may only be achieved through paid work. I started feeling that for Labour worklessness is worthlessness.

Writing in the Telegraph Keir Starmer said “hand outs from the state do not nurture the same sense of self-reliant dignity as a fair wage”. In one stroke, Starmer denigrated stay-at home-parents, carers and people on benefits. It’s a deeply conservative position, and devalues half of all contributions to society.

Chronically ill and disabled people are not scroungers On 17 July, I posted this on Twitter:

The New Labour Government has created 2 tiers of people, people who do paid work are of value, people who create wealth and economic growth are to be celebrated. Everyone else is completely worthless. That’s the story they are telling. I have never felt less valued.

To my mind, a kind and virtuous society cares about people out of work for their own sake, a kind and virtuous society acknowledges that those who do unpaid work are valuable contributors to society, a kind and virtuous society acknowledges and makes space for disabled people and where possible tries to make them better and give them the best care. Labour isn’t behaving like a kind of virtuous society.

Here’s the thing, people with long Covid want to work. They want their health back. We can’t do that without treatments and medication. At present, the Labour government is doing nothing to help.

Recently, respiratory physician David Joffrey wrote:

It is crucial that issues around plans for rehabilitation and return to work strategies appreciate that the vast majority of long Covid patients will never achieve anything close to their prior function.

As the year has gone on, Labour politicians have been drip feeding more and more scare stories to the media.

Gaslighting and re-traumatising people with long Covid Talk of migrating of all benefits into Universal Credit, reducing PIP to vouchers, cutting the benefit bill down. It emerged recently that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) launched a consultation on disability benefit cuts. It did so despite failing to work out how many of us would get a job as a result of having our benefits removed.

I was getting more and more upset. If it wasn’t Wes Streeting pushing weight-loss drugs on the overweight unemployed, it was Liz Kendall sending work coaches to see the mentally ill in hospital.

My friend Dr Jenny Ceolta-Smith has long Covid. On 21 October, Jenny made a video on the stigmatising language of economic inactivity and long Covid for the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People. The video was to be my inspiration.

Jenny asks:

Will there be a pathway within our Social Security system for us to live well, if we cannot work? Economic inactivity rhetoric causes us harm. It is distressing, fear inducing and has led some of us to have suicidal ideation.

Jenny reminds us that many people became disabled with long Covid in the workplace due to inadequate safeguards. And it’s not just the workplace I don’t feel safe in. I am being cut off from feeling safe when I go to the shops, to the doctors, to visit family.

My friend Anne has long Covid and she is losing her job because she is no longer being allowed to work from home. On 22 October, I woke up in profound distress. I was in tears, which is incredibly rare for me as an Autistic person.

I made a video in an attempt to explain what I have been experiencing.

Worthless and invisible There’s a book called The Body Keeps The Score: it’s about how our bodies absorb and retain trauma. That’s what my video is about. I suddenly realised that a combination of the social abandonment and the toxicity of the Labour Party rhetoric has been making me feel worthless and invisible:

So much so, that I have been neglecting to look after myself in the most basic ways.

I have been able to carry on being of service to my family but not to myself. For example, I have been forgetting to keep myself clean, let alone perform any personal grooming.

I have absorbed the Labour Party message that I lack the “same sense of self-reliant dignity”.

I’m crying as I write this.

I made a vow to try to look after myself a bit better. Let me tell you the results: I have been in a Long Covid crash ever since. I don’t have the energy to look after myself and cook the dinner and walk the dogs. I have had to spend a lot more time in bed during the day. I’m more disabled than I thought.

I have continued to feel upset. The video seems to have meant a lot to everyone who’s seen it. I wish the Labour cabinet was brave enough to watch it. The best feedback is from clinical psychologist, Dr Jay Watts:

What Sam captures so powerfully, though, are the quieter, equally devastating effects on our everyday lives—the struggle to feel worthy of basic self-care, like moisturizing our skin or nourishing our bodies. How can we care for ourselves if no one cares for us? Our interdependence, whether working or not, is not just about survival; it’s essential to our humanity, to our drive to live. Sam reminds us of the real cost when we let policies assign value to human lives.

Long Covid: are out lives cheaper than everyone else? As I finish writing this, life seems cheaper than ever.

The minister for public health, Andrew Gwynne, has confirmed that Labour hasn’t bought any of the much-needed alternative Covid vaccine Novavax. If you’re clinically vulnerable, or susceptible to vaccine injury, your only option is to pay for it and travel to wherever it’s available.

Sadistic DWP Secretary Liz Kendall still won’t reveal if PIP payments will be replaced with vouchers.

I am more disabled than I thought.

I am so glad I have written this article, and it has taken a terrible toll. It has dramatically worsened by Long Covid neurological symptoms, and made me feel really ill. If it causes a few people to rediscover their humanity and make space for me in the world, it will have been worth it.

[hologramcowboy]

I just hope Jensen stops messing with his face. He may see it as a plus but the benefits are short lived and the long term effects are never good.

Same, anon. 🧡 Besides, as age advances all those touch ups start coming apart in a horrible way.(Fillers migrate, etc)

I am really heartbroken Jensen couldn't appreciate his God given beauty, his natural beauty. I guess Elta provided an awful example and, in time, he followed it. Like you, I hope he stops before the damage is permanent.

[marchubbardus]

Top 5 Reasons Companies Partner with Joaquin Fagundo for IT Strategy

In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses are constantly evolving to keep up with the changing technological landscape. From cloud migrations to IT optimization, many organizations are turning to expert technology executives to guide them through complex transformations. One such executive who has gained significant recognition is Joaquin Fagundo, a technology leader with over two decades of experience in driving digital transformation. Having worked at prominent firms like Google, Capgemini, and Tyco, Fagundo has built a reputation for delivering large-scale, innovative solutions to complex IT challenges. But what makes Joaquin Fagundo such a sought-after leader in IT strategy? Here are the Top 5 Reasons Companies Partner with Joaquin Fagundo for IT Strategy.

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Companies partnering with Joaquin Fagundo can expect a tailored cloud strategy that ensures scalability and cost-efficiency. His deep knowledge of cloud services like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure enables him to develop bespoke solutions that meet specific business needs while minimizing downtime and disruption. His approach not only focuses on the technical aspects of cloud migration but also on aligning cloud solutions with overarching business goals, ensuring that companies can reap the full benefits of cloud technology.

3. Strong Track Record of Driving Operational Efficiency

Operational efficiency is a top priority for most businesses today. Companies partner with Joaquin Fagundo because of his exceptional ability to optimize IT operations and implement automation technologies that enhance productivity while reducing costs. Whether it’s through automating routine tasks or improving infrastructure management, Fagundo’s strategies enable organizations to streamline their operations and focus on growth.

Fagundo’s leadership in infrastructure optimization has allowed businesses to reduce waste, lower operational expenses, and improve the performance of their IT systems. His expertise in automation tools and AI-driven insights empowers businesses to become more agile and responsive to market demands. By partnering with Fagundo, companies are able to make smarter decisions, optimize resource utilization, and achieve long-term sustainability.

4. Business-Technology Alignment

One of the most significant challenges that organizations face is aligning their IT strategies with broader business goals. While technology can drive innovation and efficiency, it’s only effective when it is tightly integrated with the company’s vision and objectives. Joaquin Fagundo understands this concept deeply and emphasizes the importance of business-technology alignment in every project he undertakes.

Fagundo’s approach to IT strategy is not just about implementing the latest technology, but also ensuring that it supports the company’s strategic direction. He works closely with leadership teams to identify key business objectives and tailors technology solutions that drive measurable business outcomes. This focus on alignment helps companies ensure that every IT investment contributes to long-term growth, profitability, and competitive advantage.

5. Trusted Leadership and Change Management Expertise

Digital transformation and IT strategy changes often require a significant cultural shift within an organization. Change management is a critical component of any IT transformation, and this is an area where Joaquin Fagundo excels. Over the years, Fagundo has successfully led large teams through organizational changes, helping them navigate complex transformations with minimal resistance.

Fagundo’s leadership skills are a key reason why companies partner with him. He is known for his ability to inspire teams, foster collaboration, and lead through uncertainty. His people-centric approach to technology implementation ensures that employees at all levels are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed. Whether it’s through training sessions, workshops, or mentorship, Fagundo prioritizes the human aspect of IT transformation, making the process smoother and more sustainable for everyone involved.

Conclusion

Partnering with a technology executive like Joaquin Fagundo can provide businesses with a competitive edge in an increasingly digital world. With his deep technical expertise, strategic insight, and ability to align technology with business goals, Fagundo has helped countless organizations successfully navigate their IT challenges. Whether it's through cloud strategy, digital transformation, or operational optimization, Joaquin Fagundo is the go-to leader for companies looking to stay ahead of the curve.

If your company is ready to accelerate its digital transformation journey and leverage cutting-edge technology for long-term success, partnering with Joaquin Fagundo could be the first step toward achieving your business goals. With his proven track record, expertise, and leadership, Fagundo is the ideal partner to guide your organization into the future of IT strategy.

[autonomystic]

difficult for me to not settle into a totally cynical place about the immediate future of global politics at this juncture. we are in a place where the main two options presented to us in the face of Climate Leviathan (the ongoing transformation of the capitalist state and its approach to "security," emerging from the convergence of climate change, repro-futurist/anti-feminist/racist anxiety about demography and migration, polarized wealth and power, shifts in imperial legitimacy, hegemonic crises like the Palestinian genocide and the pandemic) are:

the typical liberal psychological profile: a kind of Keynesian anxiety about civilizational precarity but a reluctance to try and do anything radical about it - the sort of wishful thinking embodied in the belief that a fundamentally dysfunctional democracy can have its ship righted and put to global benefit through piecemeal, non-radical reforms, and

the reactionary cocktail of reshaping the world into something even crueler through sheer will and out of spite, a death instinct that wants to drag everyone into a deeper and deeper hell for the sake of reigning over it. "the enemy has not ceased to be victorious."

unless something is done about it, beyond yoking ourselves to reformism for its own sake and civil disobedience, the future looks like more social surveillance, more economic dispossession, more alienation, more barbed-wire walls, more drownings and butchery and desperation. it's not immediately obvious to me what that "something" is; figuring that out seems like something that can't be done theoretically but only in communal practice, in a historical moment: "to blast open the continuum of history."

but it doesn't have to be that way - it is possible to make something different even if we don't know how long it might take and what it might take. even if we don't get it together, I doubt the awful circumstances we're observing and that I've described will last forever - but the suffering that is coming doesn't *have to*, it's not an inevitability, it's the product of choices being made every day.

we all need to be political realists now but demand the impossible. we need fortitude now. we need to build unity and solidarity and alternative institutions and where there is no foundation for those things (and there are so many areas where there isn't), we need to make one. start honing your body and your community into war by other means, against the rulers that would see you driven before them.

[digicode1]

Cloud Agnostic: Achieving Flexibility and Independence in Cloud Management

As businesses increasingly migrate to the cloud, they face a critical decision: which cloud provider to choose? While AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer powerful platforms, the concept of "cloud agnostic" is gaining traction. Cloud agnosticism refers to a strategy where businesses avoid vendor lock-in by designing applications and infrastructure that work across multiple cloud providers. This approach provides flexibility, independence, and resilience, allowing organizations to adapt to changing needs and avoid reliance on a single provider.

What Does It Mean to Be Cloud Agnostic?

Being cloud agnostic means creating and managing systems, applications, and services that can run on any cloud platform. Instead of committing to a single cloud provider, businesses design their architecture to function seamlessly across multiple platforms. This flexibility is achieved by using open standards, containerization technologies like Docker, and orchestration tools such as Kubernetes.

Key features of a cloud agnostic approach include:

Interoperability: Applications must be able to operate across different cloud environments.

Portability: The ability to migrate workloads between different providers without significant reconfiguration.

Standardization: Using common frameworks, APIs, and languages that work universally across platforms.

Benefits of Cloud Agnostic Strategies

Avoiding Vendor Lock-InThe primary benefit of being cloud agnostic is avoiding vendor lock-in. Once a business builds its entire infrastructure around a single cloud provider, it can be challenging to switch or expand to other platforms. This could lead to increased costs and limited innovation. With a cloud agnostic strategy, businesses can choose the best services from multiple providers, optimizing both performance and costs.

Cost OptimizationCloud agnosticism allows companies to choose the most cost-effective solutions across providers. As cloud pricing models are complex and vary by region and usage, a cloud agnostic system enables businesses to leverage competitive pricing and minimize expenses by shifting workloads to different providers when necessary.

Greater Resilience and UptimeBy operating across multiple cloud platforms, organizations reduce the risk of downtime. If one provider experiences an outage, the business can shift workloads to another platform, ensuring continuous service availability. This redundancy builds resilience, ensuring high availability in critical systems.

Flexibility and ScalabilityA cloud agnostic approach gives companies the freedom to adjust resources based on current business needs. This means scaling applications horizontally or vertically across different providers without being restricted by the limits or offerings of a single cloud vendor.

Global ReachDifferent cloud providers have varying levels of presence across geographic regions. With a cloud agnostic approach, businesses can leverage the strengths of various providers in different areas, ensuring better latency, performance, and compliance with local regulations.

Challenges of Cloud Agnosticism

Despite the advantages, adopting a cloud agnostic approach comes with its own set of challenges:

Increased ComplexityManaging and orchestrating services across multiple cloud providers is more complex than relying on a single vendor. Businesses need robust management tools, monitoring systems, and teams with expertise in multiple cloud environments to ensure smooth operations.

Higher Initial CostsThe upfront costs of designing a cloud agnostic architecture can be higher than those of a single-provider system. Developing portable applications and investing in technologies like Kubernetes or Terraform requires significant time and resources.

Limited Use of Provider-Specific ServicesCloud providers often offer unique, advanced services—such as machine learning tools, proprietary databases, and analytics platforms—that may not be easily portable to other clouds. Being cloud agnostic could mean missing out on some of these specialized services, which may limit innovation in certain areas.

Tools and Technologies for Cloud Agnostic Strategies

Several tools and technologies make cloud agnosticism more accessible for businesses:

Containerization: Docker and similar containerization tools allow businesses to encapsulate applications in lightweight, portable containers that run consistently across various environments.

Orchestration: Kubernetes is a leading tool for orchestrating containers across multiple cloud platforms. It ensures scalability, load balancing, and failover capabilities, regardless of the underlying cloud infrastructure.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Tools like Terraform and Ansible enable businesses to define cloud infrastructure using code. This makes it easier to manage, replicate, and migrate infrastructure across different providers.

APIs and Abstraction Layers: Using APIs and abstraction layers helps standardize interactions between applications and different cloud platforms, enabling smooth interoperability.

When Should You Consider a Cloud Agnostic Approach?

A cloud agnostic approach is not always necessary for every business. Here are a few scenarios where adopting cloud agnosticism makes sense:

Businesses operating in regulated industries that need to maintain compliance across multiple regions.

Companies require high availability and fault tolerance across different cloud platforms for mission-critical applications.

Organizations with global operations that need to optimize performance and cost across multiple cloud regions.

Businesses aim to avoid long-term vendor lock-in and maintain flexibility for future growth and scaling needs.

Conclusion

Adopting a cloud agnostic strategy offers businesses unparalleled flexibility, independence, and resilience in cloud management. While the approach comes with challenges such as increased complexity and higher upfront costs, the long-term benefits of avoiding vendor lock-in, optimizing costs, and enhancing scalability are significant. By leveraging the right tools and technologies, businesses can achieve a truly cloud-agnostic architecture that supports innovation and growth in a competitive landscape.

Embrace the cloud agnostic approach to future-proof your business operations and stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital world.

[pearwaldorf]

Hey so this is happening and it's bad. Palestine is not recognized as a state by much of the world, so this risks making these children stateless.

Belgium saying it has nothing to do with the current round of conflict doesn't mean a damn thing. It's not like Israel hasn't been bombing the shit out of Gaza before August. What sets off alarm bells for me is this:

[The spokesperson] said that the Belgian authorities remain concerned about potential "abuses" of the country's asylum system. "The Foreigners' Office regularly notes that Palestinians in the European Union go to Belgium to have children there in order to acquire Belgian citizenship and, consequently, to benefit from family reunification," he said. "[We will] fight against practices where people who do not have the right to do so try to possess Belgian nationality," he added.

I trust this anti-immigrant rhetoric is familiar to Americans and others. Oh no, they get to have kids outside of a war zone, get citizenship in the EU, and keep their families together. What an awful thing to help enable.

By definition, people who apply for asylum are in a bad spot. Certainly it is one way people will try to game the system, but people will attempt to exploit any advantage they think they have, especially if it gets them out of very real danger.

I don't know anything about how asylum in the EU/Belgium works or if the Foreigners' Office can even do this, but it is deeply concerning they think they might have the authority to do something that drastic. Denaturalization of groups (usually ethnic minorities) is closely associated with ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Please be aware of this sort of rhetoric around citizenship and nationality, and how it is used to punish already vulnerable people. Push back against it, because it is absolutely wrong and extremely frightening as a barometer of what people think is acceptable.

[softweb-solutions]

On-premises to AWS cloud migration: Step-by-step guide

Businesses are rapidly migrating corporate data to the cloud. Based on a report by Thales’ finding, it has doubled in cloud storage usage from 30% in 2015 to 60% in 2022. The figure is steadily increasing as businesses recognize the myriad benefits it has to offer. Moving your data to clouds can help you with:

Increased agility and scalability

Improved performance and reliability

Easy implementation of technologies

Reduced costs

Despite knowing the numerous benefits of cloud migration, concerns about security and hidden maintenance cost prevent businesses from fully embracing it. The optimal solution for addressing these concerns is consolidating all your cloud requirements under one roof, leveraging platforms such as AWS.

Businesses looking forward to migrating existing infrastructure software/ business applications from on-premises to AWS cloud require involvement from stakeholders across all levels of an organization. Therefore, this process requires careful planning and a step-by-step process for successful implementation.

Each migration is unique as business goals of every organization are different. Hence, before aiming for a successful migration to cloud, take time to consider the goals intended to achieve through it. Identify key business drivers and align them with your migration strategy to achieve set goals.

Step1: Migration preparation

The primary objective of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework is to bring stakeholders together and formulate an action plan that facilitates the transition of the team from cloud goals to actual cloud implementation. In the preparation phase, the following things will be determined, to formulate the right migration strategy from on premises to cloud.

(i) To ensure project success, identify the key stakeholders involved. It includes the teams participating and a designated project manager to lead.

(ii) Connect with each department and have an open discussion about their app usage, pain points, and desired functionalities.

(iii) To ensure compliance and mitigate risk, clearly state the detailed regulatory requirements and security considerations associated with workload, along with any other relevant requirements.

(iv) Perform dependency mapping to gain better visibility into interdependencies of business services and apps.

Step 2: Planning and strategizing

Pinpointing the first domino in a complex migration is the true test. When data is scattered across silos, choosing the right starting point can be difficult. Having the right data and the right expertise by your side can help you get through this.

Once you have all the prerequisites with you, the 1st step is to determine which applications to include in the 1st phase of AWS cloud migration strategy. The best approach is to start with applications with lowest number of dependencies. Another approach could be to start with the workloads that have the most overprovisioned, or idle resources.

Industry research suggests that as many as 30% of on-premises servers, both physical and virtual, are Zombies- showing no sign of useful compute activity for 6 months or . If a business rightsizes their cloud deployment on AWS, these workloads will see a great difference in price or performance, once migrated.

The next step is to decide on the migration strategy, which can be anyone of the following options:

a. Lift and shift: Quickly move your application to AWS with minimal changes, utilizing migration tools for assistance.

b. Partial refactor: Retain certain aspects of your application while rebuilding other parts for proper functioning on AWS. Alternatively, build additional supporting services alongside the existing application.

c. Full refactor: Completely rebuild your application for optimal use of AWS Cloud benefits, considering opportunities like transitioning to microservices or adopting a container-based architecture.

d. SaaS or PaaS transition: Integrate SaaS or PaaS solutions for commodity applications or components, such as email or CRM, to accelerate migration and reduce management overhead.

Deciding on the right team to architect, build, migrate, and manage your cloud can be overwhelming. Hence, many companies opt for AWS migration services to go through the first phases of migration alongside their team.

Step 3: Design

This phase of migration is strategic as it determines the architecture of the AWS cloud infrastructure. While designing the infrastructure, business needs are analyzed, and the best-suited instance type is recommended to maximize cloud investment.

The objective is to deliver a targeted plan approved by all stakeholders as outlined in the initial step. The process usually involves below steps:

a. Examine the performance data across CPU, memory, network, and disk for servers, and across throughput, capacity, and IO for storage.

b. Decide the desired “headroom” (usually 25%) for each asset and assess actual minimum, maximum, and average usage across metrics. Identify the most suitable AWS instance type based on the analysis.

A virtual machine is considered undersized if its CPU demand exceeds 70% for more than 1% of any given hour and oversized if it stays below 30% for more than 1% of a 7-day period.

c. Develop an AWS design, including an architecture diagram and a service list (Amazon EC2 instances, EBS volumes, VPCs, etc.), along with associated costs.

d. Early engagement with security and compliance teams is crucial. Proactive collaboration helps prevent delays and ensures project deadlines are met.

Step 4: Migration and validation

It’s execution stage. Meticulously follow the approved AWS architecture plan and carefully migrate your application and data to the chosen configuration.

Let cloud engineers build approved architecture using AWS CloudFormation.

Further configure each application using Amazon Machine Image (AMI).

Store AWS CloudFormation template and Puppet/Chef scripts in a versioned code repository (Git).

Migrate servers, databases, and data to AWS through internet transfer or AWS migration services for faster transitions.

Conduct initial testing with cloud engineers by repeatedly tearing down/rebuilding infrastructure with AWS CloudFormation.

Other teams test and validate application performance, security, compliance, etc.

Important: When moving data and applications to AWS Cloud, both your old system and the new AWS one will be running at the same time. This can lead to higher cost for that period. Hence, make sure, this additional cost is taken into consideration while formulating AWS Cloud migration strategy. Learn more about the impact of automation on cloud migration.

Step 5: Operate and optimize

The secret to long term success with AWS platform is to keep optimizing. Once migration is completed, there is ample time to address any issues that may not have surfaced during the testing phase. This allows for ongoing improvements to the infrastructure, making it progressively better.

24*7 Support

Before going live, clearly lay down the roles and responsibilities, and list the procedures for common tasks such as instance rebooting, access management, etc. Relying on external AWS migration service providers like Softweb Solutions can help with reducing this additional burden of management.

Cost tracking and analysis

Leverage AWS for real-time billing updates and spending alerts. Optimize cost management by using a comprehensive analysis and governance platform. Your dashboard should offer a unified view of both on-premises and cloud environments, easily accessible by your cloud engineering team for budget oversight. Schedule regular reviews with your team or Managed Services Provider to stay updated on environment costs, especially with AWS introducing new products and services that may impact expenses.

Partnering with an AWS service provider brings expert guidance, streamlined processes, and ongoing support. They’ll navigate the complexities, choose the optimal path, and ensure a smooth, fast, and cost-effective journey to the cloud.

Approach cloud migration strategically

Based on the “Guidebook Understanding the Value of Migrating from On-premises to AWS for Application Security and Performance, Nucleus Research, June 2020” migrating to AWS delivers:

Working with a cloud provider like AWS allows you to access and benefit from powerful hardware, software and services. AWS, or Amazon Web Services, stands as the most extensive and widely embraced cloud platform worldwide, presenting a range of over 200 fully featured services across global data centers. This ensures high availability as well as fast and efficient storage.

Partner with Softweb Solutions for expert implementation of top-tier migration best practices. Transform your workloads and applications on AWS seamlessly, unlocking rapid cloud benefits and modernizing your operations efficiently.

Originally published at softwebsolutions.com on February 21, 2024. 

[seidormena]

Optimizing SAP Workloads on AWS Cloud

Migrating SAP workloads to the cloud has become a key strategy for companies looking to increase agility, reduce costs, and improve scalability. AWS Cloud offers an ideal environment for running critical enterprise applications like SAP, providing secure, flexible, and high-performance infrastructure.

By migrating SAP workloads to AWS, companies can experience a range of benefits, including:

Scalability and Elasticity: AWS enables quick and easy resource scaling to adapt to changing business demands, ensuring optimal performance at all times.

Advanced Security: AWS infrastructure is designed to meet the most stringent security standards, helping to protect sensitive data and mitigate security risks.

Cost Reduction: By leveraging flexible pricing models and resource optimization, companies can significantly reduce operational costs associated with running SAP workloads in the cloud.

High Availability and Business Continuity: AWS offers a wide range of services to ensure high availability and business continuity, including data replication, disaster recovery, and automatic failover capability.

In summary, running SAP workloads on the AWS cloud can provide companies with the agility, security, and operational efficiency needed to drive business success in a digitally transformed world.

[monisha1199]

From Novice to Pro: Master the Cloud with AWS Training!

In today's rapidly evolving technology landscape, cloud computing has emerged as a game-changer, providing businesses with unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Among the various cloud platforms available, Amazon Web Services (AWS) stands out as a leader, offering a comprehensive suite of services and solutions. Whether you are a fresh graduate eager to kickstart your career or a seasoned professional looking to upskill, AWS training can be the gateway to success in the cloud. This article explores the key components of AWS training, the reasons why it is a compelling choice, the promising placement opportunities it brings, and the numerous benefits it offers.

Key Components of AWS Training

1. Foundational Knowledge: Building a Strong Base

AWS training starts by laying a solid foundation of cloud computing concepts and AWS-specific terminology. It covers essential topics such as virtualization, storage types, networking, and security fundamentals. This groundwork ensures that even individuals with little to no prior knowledge of cloud computing can grasp the intricacies of AWS technology easily.

2. Core Services: Exploring the AWS Portfolio

Once the fundamentals are in place, AWS training delves into the vast array of core services offered by the platform. Participants learn about compute services like Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), storage options such as Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), and database solutions like Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS). Additionally, they gain insights into services that enhance performance, scalability, and security, such as Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), and AWS CloudTrail.

3. Specialized Domains: Nurturing Expertise

As participants progress through the training, they have the opportunity to explore advanced and specialized areas within AWS. These can include topics like machine learning, big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), serverless computing, and DevOps practices. By delving into these niches, individuals can gain expertise in specific domains and position themselves as sought-after professionals in the industry.

Reasons to Choose AWS Training

1. Industry Dominance: Aligning with the Market Leader

One of the significant reasons to choose AWS training is the platform's unrivaled market dominance. With a staggering market share, AWS is trusted and adopted by businesses across industries worldwide. By acquiring AWS skills, individuals become part of the ecosystem that powers the digital transformation of numerous organizations, enhancing their career prospects significantly.

2. Comprehensive Learning Resources: Abundance of Educational Tools

AWS training offers a wealth of comprehensive learning resources, ranging from extensive documentation, tutorials, and whitepapers to hands-on labs and interactive courses. These resources cater to different learning preferences, enabling individuals to choose their preferred mode of learning and acquire a deep understanding of AWS services and concepts.

3. Recognized Certifications: Validating Expertise

AWS certifications are globally recognized credentials that validate an individual's competence in using AWS services and solutions effectively. By completing AWS training and obtaining certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect or AWS Certified Developer, individuals can boost their professional credibility, open doors to new job opportunities, and command higher salaries in the job market.

Placement Opportunities

Upon completing AWS training, individuals can explore a multitude of placement opportunities. The demand for professionals skilled in AWS is soaring, as organizations increasingly migrate their infrastructure to the cloud or adopt hybrid cloud strategies. From startups to multinational corporations, industries spanning finance, healthcare, retail, and more seek talented individuals who can architect, develop, and manage cloud-based solutions using AWS. This robust demand translates into a plethora of rewarding career options and a higher likelihood of finding positions that align with one's interests and aspirations.

In conclusion, mastering the cloud with AWS training at ACTE institute provides individuals with a solid foundation, comprehensive knowledge, and specialized expertise in one of the most dominant cloud platforms available. The reasons to choose AWS training are compelling, ranging from the industry's unparalleled market position to the top ranking state.

[rotting-in-your-arms]

Let's Plays Over the Years

Posted 23rd December 2023

I found myself thinking about how much the Let's Play format has changed over the years, and came to the conclusion that there are four main "eras" of the genre.

- The Forum Era - This era originated on Something Awful in circa 2006 credited to user "slowbeef", often using screenshots and text descriptions of the gameplay rather than recorded video or commentary. This format was very rudimentary and often, once a game was completed and discussions over, the thread would be archived and forgotten about, left to rot. The Let's Play Archive was founded in 2007 to archive these threads properly in an easily accessible manner, and later expanded to archiving the later YouTube Let's Plays.

- The Classic YouTube Era - slowbeef is also credited with spawning this circa 2007; traits common in this era include low quality video/audio, YouTube's 10 minute time limit, and little-to-no editing. Many of the games played in this era were classic Nintendo and PC games, things easily emulated and captured with free recording software.

Notable YouTubers include:

retsupurae [a duo consisting of Something Awful users slowbeef and Diabetus, with other users being featured occasionally]

Gaming Garbage [a duo consisting of the late Something Awful founder Lowtax and the disgraced Shmorky]

Chuggaaconroy, NintendoCapriSun, ProtonJon [the three forming TheRunawayGuys channel, but all having solo YT careers]

lucahjin

HCBailly

and many more.

- The Modern YouTube Era - Many would say Pewdiepie was the origin of this new era of Let's Plays on YouTube, introducing a webcam to see the player behind the gameplay (not always featured, but definitely the standard), as well as a deeper focus on PC games, especially titles from independent developers. Other YouTubers include Markiplier, jacksepticeye, CinnamonToastKen VenturianTale, ZackScottGames, Tobuscus' gameplay channel TobyGames, and several others.

An interesting difference with this era and those most popular in it is the focus on indie games, especially horror games. Like Pewdiepie playing Amnesia, or Markiplier playing SCP: Containment Breach, and of course most famously, Five Nights at Freddy's. Rarely do you see console titles, AAA games, or games from companies like Nintendo or Sega. This creates opportunities such as Markiplier's ongoing "3 Scary Games" series, with over 100 episodes and counting. In this series he features indie horror games to bring awareness to the titles and their developers, using his platform to support small creators. Other creators collaborate in this format, some of the most popular of which being Grand Theft Auto V and Gmod gameplay videos.

- The Livestreaming Era - This is a nebulous era, with the rise of Twitch (and YouTube introducing livestreaming features to compete with them), many have taken to playing games live on air. Rather than record with live commentary to be uploaded later, this era is exclusive to playing live with audience (chat) interaction and discussion. Many people who got their start in the modern YT era, and even some from the classic era, have migrated to streaming. One benefit of streaming over prerecording is the ability to generate more content; one can stream gameplay for a sum of hours, upload the VOD, and then edit it down into highlight videos (and in the current YouTube landscape, Shorts). Streaming also allows for multiple sources of income, being able to take Twitch subscriptions, donations, or even on-stream sponsorships, on top of YouTube's standard ad revenue (and sponsors there, too). Although, due to the nature of online content creation, this is always a gamble- making money is never guaranteed and many creators have a lot of luck (or networking) on their side when they finally make their break (of course, this applies to the prior two eras, but the prospect of making content creation a job is much more realistic today than it was back then).

I personally grew up with the "classic era", seeing a lot of the modern era too. I was kinda right in-between them, I watched a lot of NCS, RunawayGuys, ScykohPlays if anyone remembers him (though he was actually a few years later), and then Pewdiepie got big. I remember spending a lot of time watching Happy Wheels videos from Pewdiepie, TobyGames, a lot of Markiplier's SCP Containment Breach series and obviously his FNAF playthroughs (I actually rewatched his SCP series a few years back, it was fun). I really respect Mark for showing off indie devs' work on his channel, he's kind of been doing it since he started but he's put more focus on it. I also think it's really interesting that you rarely see him play anything triple-A, same with the other big channels of those years. It makes me wonder if he's ever played Resident Evil or Silent Hill or something, like old PSX or PS2 horror games.

Anyway, sorry for the sort of "stream of consciousness" blogpost. And the lack of site updates in the past couple months. Life hasn't been treating me very well lately. Maybe I'll write a blogpost about it someday. I just felt like writing about something that made me feel a little happy :D.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays too, almost forgot to say that.

[loominggaia]

Mí propio monstruo:

Nombre: isla tortuga

clase: monstruo

PPL category: 0-infensivo

Forger: desconocido

Overview

La isla tortuga es un monstruo similar a una de grandes proporciones encontrada en el mar del este, en especial alrededor del este de evik.

Pasan la mayor parte del tiempo durmiendo en la superficie, hasta el punto de que pueden crecer plantas, con la peculiaridad de ser inmunes al agua salada.

Biologia

La isla tortuga es similar a una tortuga marina común, pero con 6 aletas y con un tamaño mucho mayor. Además, no necesita comer y se nutre de la luz solar, y posee una conexión mágica con las plantas.

Al sumergirse, la isla tortuga unas magia para hacer una burbuja de aire encima de su caparazón. Esto no parece tener un beneficio o algo que afecte a la tortuga, pero esto hace que las plantas de su espalda puedan sobrevivir bajo el agua.

Además, se sabe que no tienen problema con que los pueblos estén encima suyo, al menos que la lastimen, y en ese caso solo se sumerge.

Divino

No se sabe muy bien el que divino pudo crear a este monstruo, pero se sabe que debió ser uno muy antiguo, ya que se tienen registros de este monstruo desde los mediados de la primera era.

Ciclo de vida

La esperanza de vida de una isla tortuga es de unos 600-700 años, y pasan la mitad de esos años como crías.

Se reproducen por auto-fecundacion, y después pondrán huevos que estarán desarrollándose por unos 10 años, y luego serán crías por unos siglos, para luego volverse adultos.

Origen

Según hallazgos arqueológicos, las islas tortuga fueron veneradas por los pueblos de evik, pero la sorpresa es que eran los pueblos del evik occidental: los quagene y los boanningward.

Esto a hecho pensar que pudo las islas tortuga migraron a evik oriental por la industria sucia del imperio Zareen, y que su creador pudo ser un boanningward o un quagene.

(Translated via Google Translate)

"My own monster:

Name: Turtle Island

class: monster

PPL category: 0-harmless

Forger: unknown

Overview

Turtle Island is a monster similar to one of large proportions found in the Eastern Sea, especially around eastern Evik. They spend most of their time sleeping on the surface, to the point that they can grow plants, with the peculiarity of being immune to salt water.

Biology

The island turtle is similar to a common sea turtle, but with 6 fins and much larger in size. In addition, it does not need to eat and is nourished by sunlight, and has a magical connection with plants. When submerged, the island turtle uses magic to make an air bubble on top of its shell. This doesn't seem to have a benefit or anything that affects the turtle, but this makes the plants on its back able to survive underwater.

Furthermore, it is known that they have no problem with people being on top of them, unless they hurt them, and in that case they just submerge.

Divine

It is not very well known who divinely could have created this monster, but it is known that it must have been a very ancient one, since there have been records of this monster since the middle of the first era.

Lifecycle

The life expectancy of an island turtle is about 600-700 years, and they spend half of those years as hatchlings. They reproduce by self-fertilization, and then they will lay eggs that will develop for about 10 years, and then they will be offspring for a few centuries, and then they will become adults.

Origin

According to archaeological findings, the Turtle Islands were venerated by the Evik peoples, but the surprise is that they were the Western Evik peoples: the Quagene and the Boanningward. This has led to the belief that the Turtle Islands may have migrated to eastern Evik through the dirty industry of the Zareen empire, and that their creator may have been a boanningward or a quagene."

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This is such a cool idea, I love it! I especially love the bit about the turtles migrating away from Zareenite pollution, it makes so much sense. I would love to chill on the backs of one of these things. They sound awesome and they fit right in with the world! Excellent concept!

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