#Advanced Process Control Market

[thedaddycomplex]

Hi, I was wondering which is better: Self-publishing or going through an actual publishing company like penguin house, etc. For some context, I've been set on self-publishing on kdp, mostly because I don't want a company to turn down my manuscript that I worked so very hard on AND think is very good writing. I also don't want to be the "Face of the book" if you will, and I am currently using a pen name. I want to get the best value out of my book, so I kinda want to do this right. Advice?

Well, I can't really answer which is "better" because that depends entirely on your ultimate goal. So, let me break down the advantages and disadvantages of both self-publishing and traditional publishing and you can see which sings to you.

Self-publishing is a good way to go if you want complete control over the process — editing, cover design, marketing. This works well if your ultimate goal is simply to have a printed book (or e-book) untouched by anyone but you.

It is not a good way to go, however, if you hope to make any money or have a new career. While all of us can point to the handful of authors who've made tons of money self-publishing (Andy Weir, for example), they are the exception, not the rule, and they all spent years building an audience online before they had their success story.

Also, as a self-published author, you are your own communications team, marketing team, PR team, etc. You basically have to take on multiple extra full-time jobs for no pay. [In that way, I guess you do get a new career(s).]

Traditional publishing comes with communications, marketing, design and, most important, editing baked in. And it comes with an advance, so out of the gate there's money. (Note: You do have to pay back the advance, but it comes out of your sales, not your pocket.) Plus, they have their own distribution channels set up. All you really have to do is write, do some self-promotion on social media, and get on the phone for the occasional press interview.

The obvious downside with traditional publishing is breaking in. It is a long process of putting yourself out there for a series of rejections and there's no guarantee you'll ever actually break in. To do so takes a magic blend of talent, persistence, timing, and luck.

If you want to avoid getting turned down by a company, it sounds like your choice is already made. However, I would strongly urge you to send your book out to publishers and agents anyway. If you get rejected, ask why. If you disagree with their reason, fine, move on to the next one. If you can see their point, however, consider it a note that can improve your book.

I love that self-publishing exists and it is a fantastic way for authors to get their work out into the world. But, personally, I prefer trad publishing. It allows me to focus almost solely on the writing. And I wholeheartedly believe that a good editor makes a writer's work better.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Prank Gone Wrong

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

“Filnar Go F%$@ Yourself!” was possibly the most disruptive software virus the universe had ever seen.

The program was designed to download itself to a computer, copy the functions of existing software before deleting said software and imitating it, then running its original programming all the while avoiding the various attempts to locate and remove it by security software.

What was strange about such a highly advanced virus was that it did not steal government secrets, nor siphon funds from banking institutions, it ignore critical infrastructure processes, and even bypassed trade markets that if altered could cause chaos on an unprecedented scale. The only thing the software seemed focused on was in locating any information regarding the “Hen’va” species, and deleting it.

First signs of the virus outbreak were recorded on the planet Yul’o IV, but once the virus began to migrate at an increasing rate and latched on to several subroutines for traveling merchant ships things rapidly spiraled out of control. Within a week the virus had infected every core world and consumed all information regarding the Hen’va. It still thankfully had not resulted in any deaths, but the sudden loss of information was beginning to cause other problems.

Hen’va citizens suddenly found that they were not listed as galactic citizens and were detained by security forces on numerous worlds. Trade routes became disrupted as Hen’va systems were now listed as uninhabited and barren leading to merchants seeking to trade elsewhere. Birth records and hospital information for millions of patients were wiped clean as they now pertained to individuals who did not exist.

Numerous software updates and purges were commenced in attempting to remove the virus. Even the galactic council’s cyber security bureau was mobilized for the effort, but if even a single strand of the virus’s code survived it was enough to rebuild itself and become even craftier with hiding itself while carrying out its programming. This was made worse by the high level of integration the various cyber systems of the galaxy had made it so the chance of systems being re-infected was always high.

After ten years every digital record of the Hen’va was erased from the wider universe. All attempts to upload copies were likewise deleted almost immediately leaving only physical records to remain untouched.

To combat this, the Hen’va for all official purposes adopted a new name; then “Ven’dari”. In the Hen’va tongue in means “The Forgotten”, which is rather ironic as the Hen’va have had to abandon everything about their previous culture to continue their existence. The virus had become a defacto component of every computer system in the galaxy and continued to erase all information related to the Hen’va. Even the translator units refused identify the Hen’va tongue and so the Ven’dari needed to create a brand new language.

It wasn’t until another fifty years had passed before the original creator of the virus stepped forward and admitted to their crime. A one “Penelope Wick”.

At the time of the programs creation Ms. Wick was a student studying on Yul’o IV to be a software designer. While attending the institution Ms. Wick stated that a fellow student, a Hen’va named “Filnar”, would hound her daily. He would denounce her presence within the school and repeatedly declared that “what are the scrapings of humans compared to the glory of the Hen’va?”

The virus was her creation as a way of getting back at the student for his constant spite. Ms. Wick was well aware of the dangers it could pose if released into the wild and so had emplaced the limitation that the virus would only infect computers on site with the campus. The schools network was setup that students could only work on their projects within the confines of the institution to ensure they did not cheat and have others make them instead. What she had not counted on was this rule only applied to students and not teachers. So when a teacher brought home several student projects to review and then sharing those infected files with their personal computer, the virus then gained free access to the wider planets networks.

When the Ven’dari learned of this there were several hundred calls for Ms. Wick to be held accountable for her actions, and nearly twice as many made to take her head by less patient individuals who had seen their entire culture erased. Much to their dismay Ms. Wick died shortly after her confession from a long term disease that had ravaged her body for several years.

Much to her delight, she had achieved her goals of removing the source of her mockery.

[cloakedpress]

Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing: Let’s Talk Pros & Cons

Hey writer friends (and curious readers)!  

If you’re knee-deep in drafting your novel or have a shiny manuscript ready to go, you’ve probably asked yourself:  

Should I self-publish, or go the traditional route?

The answer? It depends. (Annoying, I know—but stick with me.)

Let’s break it down.

SELF-PUBLISHING: Total Control, Total Chaos

Pros:

- Creative Freedom: Want a purple cover with a sword-wielding raccoon on it? Do it. Your book, your rules.

- Speed: You can publish as soon as you're ready—no year-long submission slogs.

- Royalties: You keep a bigger piece of the pie. Amazon, for example, gives you up to 70%.

- You Own Everything: Rights? Yours. Choices? Yours. Empire? Potentially yours.

Cons:

- You're the Boss (and the Intern): Editing, cover design, marketing? All on you, unless you outsource.

- Money Upfront: Professional editing and cover art cost money. Good books need investment.

- Distribution Struggles: Getting into bookstores is harder, and industry recognition isn’t guaranteed.

- Marketing is Mandatory: If you don’t shout about your book, no one else will. Harsh but true.

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TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING: Prestige & Patience (Big 5 and Bigger Publishers)

Pros:

- Professional Team: Editors, designers, marketers—oh my! You get a whole squad.

- Industry Cred: Awards, reviews, and shelf space in bookstores become a real possibility.

- Advance Money: Sometimes you get paid *before* the book even drops.

- Wider Distribution: Libraries, indie stores, and big box stores are way more accessible.

Cons:

- Gatekeeping is Real: Getting an agent and a deal can take years—and lots of rejections.

- You Lose Some Control: Your title, cover, even content might change based on the publisher’s vision.

- Royalties Are Lower: Expect 8-15% on print books, and smaller eBook percentages.

- Slower Process: From acceptance to release can take 1–2 years. Yep. Years.

So…Which One’s Better?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.  

Want to maintain creative control and move fast? Self-pub might be your jam.  

Crave bookstore presence and a team behind you? Traditional could be the dream.

TL;DR: - Self-pub = indie punk rock band. Loud, scrappy, fully yours.   - Traditional = record label deal. Glossier, wider reach, but more compromise.

Whichever path you choose—just keep writing.

[writingwithfolklore]

A Master Guide to the Three Main Forms of Publishing

There are many ways to get published nowadays, but traditional, self, and hybrid are the three most popular, so here’s the gist of what you need to know for each:

Traditional Publishing

This type of publishing goes through a publishing house who often have their own editors, artists, marketing team, etc. to launch your book. They will make your cover for you, format and edit your book, nominate your book for awards and may organize events like a launch party, book signings, speaker roles at festivals etc. They are your book’s team!

Some publishing houses accept cold queries (pitches for your unpublished manuscript) from you, but many only accept queries from agents. Agents are not necessary for traditional publishing, but they can definitely help get you in front of some of the bigger publishing houses. In my opinion, I would recommend an agent for if you want writing to be your career, but would not recommend one if you’re just looking to publish one or two books.

To get an agent, you go through essentially the same process as you would trying to get a publishing house, except you’re sending your query to different agents instead. Querying is very, very difficult, tends to take a lot of time, and will force you to face many rejections. It’s important to be prepared for when you don’t encounter instant success.

If an agent likes your query letter, they may request your full manuscript, and if they like that, they may sign you on as a client. From here, the agent will take over all the work of sending your manuscript to publishing houses. They will also act as your representative to the publishing house, and will protect you from getting scammed or not getting the deal you deserve.

Most important to remember! You never have to pay for any of these services. The money works like this: You write a book, an agent believes in the book so they sell it to a publishing house—the agent takes a cut of those profits and you get the rest (this is called an advance). The publishing house then sells the book to the public, and any profit they make after your advance, they get a cut of, your agent gets a cut of, and then you get whatever is left.

Essentially: these people make money by selling your book, not from you. If you have to pay them for any reason, you are being scammed.

Pros of Trad Publishing:

You are not held liable for a large part of the work—marketing, cover art, formatting, etc.

You are more likely to see your book in large resellers (think Chapters or Barnes and Noble), and have it reach a wider audience

You are also more likely to be given further opportunities like events, interviews, or speaker roles at festivals, and you’re more likely to win awards.

You have legitimacy and credibility as an author, especially if you have an agent, to do more books in the future and perhaps move into bigger publishing houses and make larger advances. The longer you’re in the business, the more money you make.

Cons of Trad Publishing:

It is difficult as a first-time author, and takes a long time

Some of your creative control is taken from you (you may not be able to choose your own cover or your title, etc.)

Your book must be easily marketable for them to take a chance on you

You will likely not see very much money starting out

Self Publishing

Self publishing puts all of the work that a traditional publishing house does on your shoulders. You are responsible for the editing, the formatting, designing a cover, doing your own marketing, applying for awards (if you desire), etc. This means that all creative decisions are entirely up to you, but also, that any mistakes or poor choices reflect entirely on you.

There are many ways to self publish, but lately Amazon’s publishing service seems to be the easiest for authors. In other cases, you may want to design everything and then go to a printer in your area to print off copies to then sell on your website, or try to entice resellers to pick up.

In self publishing, you may have to pay upfront for everything (especially if you hire outside services to do some of the work for you), which can make it an expensive and risky endeavor. However, you also get all of the money from sales.

Pros of Self publishing:

You are fully in control of the final product

You can publish a book that others may not have seen potential in

You don’t have to share your profit with anyone, you may see more money starting off than a trad author

It takes less time

Cons of Self Publishing:

Your reach to audience is as much as you are able to market yourself (if you have a high social media following, you will sell more than if you don’t)

All of the work is up to you, which can be difficult and frustrating, especially in getting resellers

You may not be given the same sort of opportunities as trad authors

On that note, if you ever want to make the jump to trad publishing, self published manuscripts are sometimes not seen as incredibly legitimate or credible unless they sell amazingly well

Hybrid Publishing

This form of publishing takes the idea of self publishing, but hires out some of the work. For example, you may hire a publicity company to do your marketing for you, a graphic designer to make your cover, and an editor to do a proofread, and handle the rest of it yourself. If you desire, you can technically hire out basically every service needed. This can be somewhat of the best of both worlds between trad/self publishing, however, it’s also the most expensive.

Pros of Hybrid:

You still have a majority of creative control given you are paying the companies to do what you want

A professional can take on some of the tasks that you are not as confident or skilled in

Cons of Hybrid:

It is expensive—unlike trad publishing, these companies will expect you to pay them upfront for their services, so you are risking not making back the money when your book is ready to sell

You may have to manage a lot of different people and companies—it requires intense organization and deadlines!

On that note, it is also up to you to determine if a company is credible and does good work—just getting any professional is not a guarantee that the work will be high quality

If you have any more questions about publishing, feel free to leave them in my inbox! :-)

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[fearfulfertility]

CONFIDENTIAL PROGRESS REPORT

DRC, Insemination Operations Command, Mobile Operations Unit

Date: [REDACTED]

To: Minister [REDACTED], Ministry of State Security

From: Administrator [REDACTED], Mobile Operations Unit

Subject: Cost of Conscripting Youth in Rural Communities

[REDACTED] (Arkansas, FEMA Zone 6) is an outlier for a small rural community with a population of [REDACTED] and a long history in the lumber industry. Of particular note, [REDACTED]% of the 18-25-year-old population has tested positive for high fertility markers and subsequently been conscripted as surrogates. The DRC Planning & Evaluation Office has been monitoring the situation as a case study of the economic impact of forced surrogacy conscription.

Mobile Paternity Units (MPU)

The newly deployed Mobile Paternity Units (MPUs) accelerate conscription rates by conducting field-based surrogate insemination protocols. The MPUs are fully equipped mobile hubs designed to identify, secure, and inseminate fertile surrogates in regions lacking the infrastructure or security to establish permanent paternity compounds.

Currently there are [REDACTED] MPUs in commission, operating in circular routes- - - - -

[SYSTEM RESPONSE]

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[PASSWORD ACCEPTED]

[ACCESS GRANTED]: [HIGH CLEARANCE MODE ACTIVATED]

[SECURITY OVERRIDES]: [Enabled]

[REDACTED DATA]: [Unlocked]

MPU Background Context

The rural disruption program continues to be a success thanks to the deployment of the MPUs, which have been incredibly effective at deliberate societal destabilization.

As mentioned in last quarter's deployment report, in addition to the direct impact of mass insemination, MPUs employ covert biochemical measures to destabilize social order further. By introducing a cocktail of hormones and aphrodisiacs into the water supply, the MPUs incite heightened states of lust, confusion, and distraction among the population.

Among surrogates, this amplifies the effects of prenatal nymphomania, who, driven by uncontrollable desires, contribute to a pervasive atmosphere of hedonism and chaos. It also magnifies the feelings, thoughts, attractions, and behaviors of the non-surrogate members of the community, who participate in the physical activities with almost primal intensity.

The relentless pursuit of physical gratification prevents the community from focusing on its deteriorating condition, eroding familial bonds, productivity, and any sense of collective purpose. The combination of mass pregnancy, chemical manipulation, and social disarray leaves these towns paralyzed while serving the DRC’s objectives of surrogate acquisition and societal control.

By the time the vast majority of surrogates give birth and the MPUs return to collect the resultant offspring, the workforce is effectively crippled and vulnerable to collapse. Their ability to organize, resist, or rebel against external control diminishes, dependent on external support, unable to mount any meaningful opposition.

The cumulative consequences are both immediate and long-term, unraveling the town’s economic stability, social cohesion, and cultural identity.

I. Labor Market Collapse

As their pregnancies advance, these surrogates are unable to contribute meaningfully to the workforce. Compounding this crisis, the introduction of aphrodisiacs to the water supply inflames the atmosphere of widespread indulgence and physical fixation, leaving critical sectors paralyzed:

Agriculture: Fields go untended as the remaining workforce is too distracted or physically compromised to perform essential tasks.

Retail & Services: Shops and local businesses experience severe staff shortages, with employees increasingly abandoning their posts in favor of personal distractions. Productivity is reduced, and many businesses shut permanently.

Construction & Infrastructure: Public services (water supply, power, policing) are abandoned as skilled laborers become unavailable or uninterested.

This mass disengagement leads to a cascading failure across the economy. The distraction and incapacitation ensures that productivity never recovers.

“It’s like everything just… fell apart overnight. Most of the boys are now carrying these enormous pregnancies, some with 10, 12, or even 16 babies. They’re so big they can barely move, let alone work. My nephew is bedridden, his stomach so swollen and stretched it looks like he’ll burst. Businesses are shutting down left and right. The diner is now it’s closed because the staff is too preoccupied, too exhausted or too pregnant to keep things running.” - Victor Hayes, Charlevoix, Michigan, FEMA Zone 5

II. Population & Social Erosion

The breakdown of social order is exacerbated by prenatal nymphomania. This heightened state of physical fixation pervades the community, undermining traditional values and civic responsibilities:

Educational Decline: Schools lose both students and teachers as attendance drops. Classrooms empty out, and extracurricular programs vanish as the youth prioritize physical distractions over learning and participation.

Community Disintegration: Social events, youth programs, and local traditions deteriorate. The focus shifts away from community-building activities as families experience fragmentation and isolation as personal indulgence takes precedence over collective well-being.

The resulting social decay ensures that the community’s structure collapses from within, leaving it vulnerable and dependent.

“It’s like the entire town has lost its mind. My little brother is one of the surrogates. He’s just 19, and carrying 14 babies. He can barely move now, his belly is so massive and tight with those babies. And it’s not just him — every boy his age is the same. The weirdest part is they used to fight this, but now they seem so into it. And the rest of us? It’s like we’re all under a spell. Nobody wants to work, go to school, or even talk about what’s happening. Everyone’s just chasing some kind of high, day in and day out. There’s no sense of responsibility, no one to keep things running.” - Collin Tanner, Owensboro, Kentucky, FEMA Zone 4

III. Economic Ripple Effects

The economic consequences of the MPU deployment extend beyond immediate labor shortages. As the population becomes consumed by the chemically-inflamed environment, traditional economic functions disintegrate:

Real Estate Market Collapse: The prospect of family life and economic stability vanishes. Young adults are physically incapacitated or disinterested in establishing households or familial units.

Healthcare Strain: The need for prenatal care among the surrogates overwhelms local clinics. Meanwhile, rising cases of substance abuse and physical exhaustion further strain the system. Access to local healthcare diminishes, and locals become dependent on DRC resources.

This economic freefall ensures that recovery becomes unattainable, plunging towns into long-term decline.

“I’m 21, and I’m carrying 15 babies right now. My belly is so huge and heavy, I can barely get out through the front door. I used to work at the hardware store, and I was saving up to get my own place. But that dream’s gone now. Everyone my age is pregnant or taking care of someone who is. I’m too big and too tired to care. We’re all trapped in these enormous pregnancies, and there’s no help coming.” - S???-994-O, Andersonville, Georgia, FEMA Zone 4

IV. Collapse of Social Norms

These combinations contribute to a disintegration of social and familial distinctions, fostering an environment where traditional lines of propriety become increasingly obscured:

Dissolution of Familial Roles: As surrogates’ pregnancies advance and the community’s pervasive fixation on physical indulgence, interactions begin to appear that defy established familial roles. Young surrogates, often confined to their homes due to the extreme size of their pregnancies become focal points of attention in ways that undermine traditional respect and relational boundaries.

Loss of Interpersonal Distinctions: The community’s collective fixation results in behaviors and dynamics that would otherwise be constrained by societal norms. Familiarity within and outside households devolves into ambiguous interactions influenced by heightened compulsions.

The cumulative effect of these blurred boundaries ensures traditional norms are rendered obsolete, leaving the community adrift in a state of chaotic permissiveness.

“It’s hard to explain how things got this way. My cousin is one of the surrogates. He’s only 19, and his belly is just… massive... swollen beyond anything you’d think possible. He’s carrying 14 babies, and the sheer size of it, how tight and stretched his skin is... There’s something about seeing him like that — so heavy, so full — that just draws you in. Now, when I see my cousin leaning back against the couch, his huge belly dominating his frame, moaning as the babies kick and move inside him, I can’t stop myself from feeling drawn in. His body his so full and stretched... it’s mesmerizing.” - Derek Knight, Fulton, Illinois, FEMA Zone 5

V. Long-Term Consequences

The deployment of MPUs and the ensuing mass insemination drive the town into an inescapable cycle of decline:

Economic Decay: With the majority of the workforce incapacitated, businesses fail, infrastructure deteriorates, and investment ceases. The community becomes a “ghost town,” marked by derelict buildings and economic stagnation.

Dependency on External Aid: As self-sufficiency erodes, the town becomes reliant on DRC support. Demoralization set in, deepening the dependency cycle.

Loss of Cultural Identity: Traditions and community legacies fade as the surrogates’ incapacitation prevents participation in cultural life, collective heritage disintegrates into chaotic, aimless distraction.

“It’s like everything that held us together just fell apart. Both my brothers were turned into two swollen balls of babies by the end. Everyone their age was knocked up, fattened, and taken. The whole town looks like it’s been abandoned, a bunch of ghostly reminders of what used to be. We barely survive on government aid, but even that feels like a band-aid on a wound too big to heal. The town feels hollow.” - Jackson Bender, Northampton, Massachusetts, FEMA Zone 1

Conclusion

The deployment of MPUs and the ensuing biochemical manipulation devastate rural communities. The combined impact of enforced surrogacy, incapacitation, and chemically-induced distraction ensures that these towns collapse economically, socially, and culturally.

[SYSTEM RESPONSE]

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[SECURITY OVERRIDES]: [Disabled]

[REDACTED DATA]: [Locked]

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[unwelcome-ozian]

Weaponizing violence. With alarming regularity, the nation continues to be subjected to spates of violence that terrorizes the public, destabilizes the country’s ecosystem, and gives the government greater justifications to crack down, lock down, and institute even more authoritarian policies for the so-called sake of national security without many objections from the citizenry.

Weaponizing surveillance, pre-crime and pre-thought campaigns. Surveillance, digital stalking and the data mining of the American people add up to a society in which there’s little room for indiscretions, imperfections, or acts of independence. When the government sees all and knows all and has an abundance of laws to render even the most seemingly upstanding citizen a criminal and lawbreaker, then the old adage that you’ve got nothing to worry about if you’ve got nothing to hide no longer applies. Add pre-crime programs into the mix with government agencies and corporations working in tandem to determine who is a potential danger and spin a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged “words,” and “suspicious” activity reports using automated eyes and ears, social media, behavior sensing software, and citizen spies, and you having the makings for a perfect dystopian nightmare. The government’s war on crime has now veered into the realm of social media and technological entrapment, with government agents adopting fake social media identities and AI-created profile pictures in order to surveil, target and capture potential suspects.

Weaponizing digital currencies, social media scores and censorship. Tech giants, working with the government, have been meting out their own version of social justice by way of digital tyranny and corporate censorship, muzzling whomever they want, whenever they want, on whatever pretext they want in the absence of any real due process, review or appeal. Unfortunately, digital censorship is just the beginning. Digital currencies (which can be used as “a tool for government surveillance of citizens and control over their financial transactions”), combined with social media scores and surveillance capitalism create a litmus test to determine who is worthy enough to be part of society and punish individuals for moral lapses and social transgressions (and reward them for adhering to government-sanctioned behavior). In China, millions of individuals and businesses, blacklisted as “unworthy” based on social media credit scores that grade them based on whether they are “good” citizens, have been banned from accessing financial markets, buying real estate or travelling by air or train.

Weaponizing compliance. Even the most well-intentioned government law or program can be—and has been—perverted, corrupted and used to advance illegitimate purposes once profit and power are added to the equation. The war on terror, the war on drugs, the war on COVID-19, the war on illegal immigration, asset forfeiture schemes, road safety schemes, school safety schemes, eminent domain: all of these programs started out as legitimate responses to pressing concerns and have since become weapons of compliance and control in the police state’s hands.

Weaponizing entertainment. For the past century, the Department of Defense’s Entertainment Media Office has provided Hollywood with equipment, personnel and technical expertise at taxpayer expense. In exchange, the military industrial complex has gotten a starring role in such blockbusters as Top Gun and its rebooted sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which translates to free advertising for the war hawks, recruitment of foot soldiers for the military empire, patriotic fervor by the taxpayers who have to foot the bill for the nation’s endless wars, and Hollywood visionaries working to churn out dystopian thrillers that make the war machine appear relevant, heroic and necessary. As Elmer Davis, a CBS broadcaster who was appointed the head of the Office of War Information, observed, “The easiest way to inject a propaganda idea into most people’s minds is to let it go through the medium of an entertainment picture when they do not realize that they are being propagandized.”

Weaponizing behavioral science and nudging. Apart from the overt dangers posed by a government that feels justified and empowered to spy on its people and use its ever-expanding arsenal of weapons and technology to monitor and control them, there’s also the covert dangers associated with a government empowered to use these same technologies to influence behaviors en masse and control the populace. In fact, it was President Obama who issued an executive order directing federal agencies to use “behavioral science” methods to minimize bureaucracy and influence the way people respond to government programs. It’s a short hop, skip and a jump from a behavioral program that tries to influence how people respond to paperwork to a government program that tries to shape the public’s views about other, more consequential matters. Thus, increasingly, governments around the world—including in the United States—are relying on “nudge units” to steer citizens in the direction the powers-that-be want them to go, while preserving the appearance of free will.

Weaponizing desensitization campaigns aimed at lulling us into a false sense of security. The events of recent years—the invasive surveillance, the extremism reports, the civil unrest, the protests, the shootings, the bombings, the military exercises and active shooter drills, the lockdowns, the color-coded alerts and threat assessments, the fusion centers, the transformation of local police into extensions of the military, the distribution of military equipment and weapons to local police forces, the government databases containing the names of dissidents and potential troublemakers—have conspired to acclimate the populace to accept a police state willingly, even gratefully.

Weaponizing fear and paranoia. The language of fear is spoken effectively by politicians on both sides of the aisle, shouted by media pundits from their cable TV pulpits, marketed by corporations, and codified into bureaucratic laws that do little to make our lives safer or more secure. Fear, as history shows, is the method most often used by politicians to increase the power of government and control a populace, dividing the people into factions, and persuading them to see each other as the enemy. This Machiavellian scheme has so ensnared the nation that few Americans even realize they are being manipulated into adopting an “us” against “them” mindset. Instead, fueled with fear and loathing for phantom opponents, they agree to pour millions of dollars and resources into political elections, militarized police, spy technology and endless wars, hoping for a guarantee of safety that never comes. All the while, those in power—bought and paid for by lobbyists and corporations—move their costly agendas forward, and “we the suckers” get saddled with the tax bills and subjected to pat downs, police raids and round-the-clock surveillance.

Weaponizing genetics. Not only does fear grease the wheels of the transition to fascism by cultivating fearful, controlled, pacified, cowed citizens, but it also embeds itself in our very DNA so that we pass on our fear and compliance to our offspring. It’s called epigenetic inheritance, the transmission through DNA of traumatic experiences. For example, neuroscientists observed that fear can travel through generations of mice DNA. As The Washington Post reports, “Studies on humans suggest that children and grandchildren may have felt the epigenetic impact of such traumatic events such as famine, the Holocaust and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.”

Weaponizing the future. With greater frequency, the government has been issuing warnings about the dire need to prepare for the dystopian future that awaits us. For instance, the Pentagon training video, “Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity,” predicts that by 2030 (coincidentally, the same year that society begins to achieve singularity with the metaverse) the military would be called on to use armed forces to solve future domestic political and social problems. What they’re really talking about is martial law, packaged as a well-meaning and overriding concern for the nation’s security. The chilling five-minute training video paints an ominous picture of the future bedeviled by “criminal networks,” “substandard infrastructure,” “religious and ethnic tensions,” “impoverishment, slums,” “open landfills, over-burdened sewers,” a “growing mass of unemployed,” and an urban landscape in which the prosperous economic elite must be protected from the impoverishment of the have nots. “We the people” are the have-nots.

The end goal of these mind control campaigns—packaged in the guise of the greater good—is to see how far the American people will allow the government to go in re-shaping the country in the image of a totalitarian police state.

[mariacallous]

The Trump administration’s chaotic effort to overhaul the U.S. federal government and exert control has delighted and even emboldened autocrats around the world who see the turmoil in Washington as an opportunity to advance their own crackdowns. 

Slashing the federal workforce. Dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Freezing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Purging independent government watchdogs. Targeting funding at the National Institutes of Health. Cracking down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Restricting scientists at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Making sweeping budget cuts at the Department of Education. Sidelining some independent media.

In the past month, U.S. President Donald Trump and top advisor Elon Musk’s far-reaching joint effort to dramatically remake the federal government has sown chaos in Washington and sparked a slew of lawsuits against the administration. But abroad, the moves are being closely followed by foreign strongmen, many of whom are eager to harness the chaos to their own advantage. 

Take, for example, Trump’s foreign aid freeze and effective shutdown of USAID, which has served for decades as the United States’ top humanitarian and development agency. Through foreign aid, Washington has long supported civil society groups around the world—including ones operating in repressive environments such as Russia, Hungary, and China—and experts warn that tearing down that architecture is a boon to those regimes and their own clampdowns.

The Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID “has been music to the ears of autocratic leaders in many places,” said Thomas Carothers, a democracy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “They’re celebrating this demise of funding to these groups and the chance to attack them.”

One of the biggest cheerleaders of the effort has been Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime Trump ally who has for years waged his own campaign against nongovernmental organizations and independent media, particularly targeting those that receive U.S. funding. On social media and on state radio last week, the Hungarian strongman celebrated Trump’s gutting of USAID and claimed that the agency had backed organizations that wanted to “topple” his government. 

“I think the world owes a debt of gratitude to [Trump] for uncovering and putting an end to this dark conspiracy,” Orban said in a post on X.

As the Trump administration effectively shuttered the agency, which Musk has baselessly labeled a “criminal organization,” Orban appeared to use the turmoil last week to justify his own crackdown. Hungary will now take legal action against NGOs and independent media organizations that receive aid from Washington, he announced last Friday, describing the employees of USAID-funded groups as “agents.” 

“Now is the moment when these international networks have to be taken down, they have to be swept away,” he declared on state radio. “It is necessary to make their existence legally impossible.”

Trump’s and Musk’s effort to dismantle USAID was also welcomed by Iranian state media and Russian officials, with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dubbing it a “smart move.” Russia expelled USAID from the country in 2012 after accusing it of attempting “to influence political processes through its grants.” 

But Michael McFaul, who was the U.S. ambassador to Russia between 2012 and 2014, posted on X that Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked out USAID “because their work supported free markets, democracy, human rights.” Those are “causes that threatened [Putin’s] dictatorship,” he said. 

“Shutting down USAID is exactly what autocrats all over the world want,” he added.

It’s not just USAID’s dissolution that is a cause for celebration for Russia; Putin is “hoping that both disruption in the U.S. will consume the U.S. and it will undercut U.S. support for Ukraine and U.S. support for democratic forces in Moldova, Georgia and elsewhere,” Carothers said.

Unlike Budapest and Moscow, the Chinese government has been largely quiet when it comes to the U.S. federal shake-up. Officials in Beijing have been focused on thwarting a trade war that will have “no winners,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“I think the Chinese are watching it almost in disbelief,” said Yun Sun, the director of the China program at the Stimson Center, who added that she had seen policy analysts in China liken the chaos to the Cultural Revolution.

“Given how the government agencies are being just written off and completely gutted within days, I think that reminds Chinese of [the] Cultural Revolution as the most comparable analogy in their recent memories,” she said. 

The funding freeze has given China a chance to spread its influence and portray itself as the more reliable superpower. In one example, the Chinese government announced it would give $4.4 million to fund an effort previously supported by USAID to clear mines from the countryside in Cambodia—a legacy of the Vietnam War. However, experts doubt that China has the will or capacity to fully replace the U.S. presence worldwide. 

Another front in Trump’s campaign to downsize the government is also delivering a win to Beijing, according to the human rights community. Cuts in funding to the State Department’s Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau, which has long supported China-related human rights work, have dealt a significant blow to nonprofits in the space. 

“It’ll be a sweet victory for [Chinese President] Xi Jinping, who has tried to crush these groups,” Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch, wrote on X.

The Trump administration’s sweeping effort to target DEI programs across the federal government may also draw cheers from leaders who have made similar pushes in their own countries, experts said. 

“The attacks on DEI resonate strongly in places where illiberal leaders have already advanced these kinds of ideas, whether it’s Russia or Hungary,” said Carothers, citing efforts to roll back LGBTQ rights or progress on gender equality.

“They see it as part of their struggle, and they feel the United States is joining them in their struggle to move their countries in this direction,” he added.

[writingquestionsanswered]

I apologize if this has already been asked, but how does someone go about getting their novel published? Let’s say you’re got your story wrapped up in a nice pretty bow. But you don’t know the first steps to take in order to get it out into the world.

Publishing: Story's Done... Now What?

First, congratulations on finishing your novel! That, in and of itself, is a huge accomplishment!

If you want to get your book out into the world, the next step is to decide which publishing route you want to follow. There are three potential options, each with their own benefits, drawbacks, and pitfalls:

Online Publishing: Sites like Wattpad and Inkitt are online publishing platforms that allow writers to upload their novel and book cover so that it's available for readers to read online or via an app. Depending on what you write, this can be a great way to find readers and start building an audience. Both Wattpad and Inkitt offer the ability for the author to get paid.

Self-Publishing: Many writers choose to self-publish their books as e-books (and sometimes print books) using platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing, Draft2Digital, Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life, Smashwords, and others. The benefit to self-publishing is that you maintain 100% control of everything, from rights to design to publishing timeline. You also get to keep a higher percentage of royalties and can get books out faster than you can with traditional publishing. The drawback to self-publishing is getting out a quality, polished book can take a lot of time and effort, and to do it really well you should hire a professional editor and cover designer.

Traditional Publishing: This is the route most people think of when they think of being a published author. Via this route, authors first query their manuscript to literary agents open to submissions. If in agent offers to represent you, they will find a publisher who is a good fit for your book. The interested publisher will offer you a book deal, and the agent helps with the whole process. Less often, writers query publishers directly, though few legitimate publishers accept manuscripts that aren't represented by an agent.

The main benefit of traditional publishing is there is no out-of-pocket cost to the writer, Everyone gets paid out of your book's sales. There's also a fairly good chance you'll receive an advance on royalties, meaning you'll get paid a small sum of money upfront, before your book is even published. You also have a whole team dedicated to helping you make your book the best it can be, and you're much more likely to see your book on bookstore shelves.

The drawbacks of pursuing traditional publishing are numerous. For one thing, it's a time consuming and often frustrating process. Most writers spend anywhere from a few months to a year "in the query trenches" before they find representation, if they ever do at all. The general estimate is that 1% to 2% of writers who pursue traditional publishing will end up with a book deal. Even if you do get a book deal, that doesn't mean your book will definitely be on bookstore shelves or that it will sell really well. There's a lot of competition for shelf space in bookstores, so many traditionally published books never see the inside of a bookstore. Regardless of whether or not a book is on bookstore shelves, only about 25% of traditionally published books sell well enough to earn out their advance, which means the advance is the only profit the author receives from the book. You will also still be responsible for doing the majority of your own marketing and promotion, so just as with self-publishing, how well your book sells can depend partly on how well you market it.

One thing that's true across the board... regardless of whether you choose online publishing, self-publishing, or traditional publishing, is that it's very unlikely to make you a living income. Most writers, whether they're self-published or traditionally published, have a "day job," a writing-related "side hustle" (like book editing, ghost writing, or hosting craft workshops), or they have an independent income such as being retired or having a spouse who supports them. So, don't choose a route because you think it's a fast-path to income or a surefire route to one.

How do you choose between the three? Before you choose a path, it's worth sitting down to take stock of what you want to get out of your publishing career. If you want full control over rights, content, cover design, and publishing timeline, self-publishing may be the best route for you. If you would prefer not to do anything other than write and revise, query, and some marketing, traditional publishing might be a good path. If you want full control over everything but don't want to do much other than write and revise, online publishing may be a good choice. Either way, there's tons of information out there about each option, so make sure to do more research into whichever paths interest you.

Older posts with added info:

Guide: A Quick Rundown on Publishing To Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish? 12 Sites for Sharing Original Fiction

Best wishes on whichever path you choose!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[ac1dicscytheva]

Considering Monty for a moment, I wonder how plausible this idea is for Security Breach's story...

So initially, I thought that Monty was always this big, bad, appear-masculine-as-possible guy who was always full of himself, wanting to be seen as a rockstar, trashing his room like older rockstars did to hotel room. While some of that is still the case, it's, of course, much deeper than that.

I've been told that some of the people I thought he disliked he actually idolized. Since it's a running theme in FNAF, with the souls of children fighting over the coding of the robots they possess, and Afton fighting for control over the Spring Bonnie suit, maybe the Glamrocks fight for their control over their own programming. They were programmed to act a certain way, but if they're advanced enough to have human traits, personality, and emotional, who's to say they are intelligent enough to be themselves? Fighting their default programming to be themselves.

However, with some digging, as much as I like that idea, it seems implausible with the idea that it's just a facade and the fact that if Monty falls out of line, he could get replaced with a new endo with his plating. But that arises a new question and element to the story, has he been replaced?

I don't think SteelWool has directly confirmed that ANY of the robots were replaced, just empty threats from Vannessa and the existence of the endo army at the bottom of the Pizzaplex. That leaves a loose end I want to tie up. Monty was programmed to be the way he is in Security Breach. VIP, however, shows that while does have this persona, it's a mask, a facade. The fun part of a facade is that some people that have a facade have a hard time either switching from that facade or hard to tell if it actually is a facade. I speculate that there was some sort of rivalry between Monty and Bonnie/Freddy. The whole thing of Monty ridding Bonnie and Freddy of their spotlight for his is a front for the guest to run with, for them to keep talking about the Pizzaplex, it's a marketing ploy, and that's very apparent when there's documentation of Monty skipping concerts. Why would he be so eager to have the spotlight for himself if he doesn't attend every show?

Furthermore, Monty's facade, while everyone backstage knew it, it was hard to tell whether he was being genuine or not. I think at some point, this facade got really bad and really hard to tell, that Freddy and/or Bonnie confronted him about it, and while Monty may not have taken it well, overtime, Monty would realize his mistake and start to grow from it. That's when he started being good friends with Bonnie and Freddy. If the robots are programmed with enough intelligence to be sentient, emotional, and human, I think it's possible that they can turn over a new leaf. Unfortunately, due to the incident with the Hole-In-One Hurricane bucket, Monty was left in a horrid state where he needed to be fixed. If the damage is similar to the damage we see in Security Breach, I'm confident that he wasn't fixed. He was replaced with a new endo and new plates. I don't think SteelWool delve into the replacement process of the animatronics, so I'm assuming that, if it isn't corrupted, they transfer the files and memory to the new endo. If it is corrupted, Fazbear Ent. has a backup of their default personality and memories. That being said, the impact from that fall would've left Monty's files corrupted, causing his replacement to use the default backup, reducing his progress that he grew from back to zero. This would explain why Freddy still considers him a friend and why Monty is completely feral in Ruin.

This would be so much easier to actually consider if it wasn't for the fact that, no matter what I said or think, Monty isn't developed enough. Either way this is complete speculation on my behalf, I don't expect to be right. This was just something I had on my mind.

[jenn-the-butterfly]

Would like to present...

Xeros

Model: Rulle

Grade: Goldlite

Owner: Cosmos Above

Xeros (zehr-ohs/ksehr-ohs) is the figurehead/face of Cosmos Above, one of the major distributors of Task Managers in the world. Cosmos Above is an "affordable luxury" company best known for their customization options and availability planning (the Apple of Azil in a way). A majority of their advertisements make use of Xeros's signature design to be recognizable, tying his image to their brand completely.

Xeros himself is very aware of his status and the fact that his longevity is a point of honor, as he's one of the few TMs to undergo a transfer from older to newer models several times--this is due to him being a Goldlite from inception. One of the first ever designed by C.A., Xeros's custom build and programming allows much more creative thinking as opposed to the more rigidly structured lower grades, allowing him the means to be ported into new bodies that are made uniquely for him. Over time, Xeros acquired a lot of insider knowledge of the company, is capable of analyzing market trends in real time, and has ingratiated himself to business partners with his charm so much that even the idea of replacing him is unheard of; there's a company rumor that Xeros is tied into the company's mainframe and if he wants to he can simply shut the entire facility down on a whim, or if he goes offline the company will brick up. While this is touted as untrue, Xeros enjoys the leverage it grants him alongside his notoriety and fame. While having humans in charge is the norm, Xeros being a consistent figure that has context to the entire company's (recent) history that does not age or lose mental sharpness makes him indispensable.

Xeros loves this about himself. Arrogant, selfish and proud, Xeros likes to throw his weight around and make decisions even when he doesn't need to simply because he can and no one can say no to him. It's gotten to a point where "If Xeros says it, it will be done" which has become a double-edged sword the company is desperate to curb. Because of his rich-boy lifestyle, Xeros has almost no real life experience from outside his ivory tower, thus his scope of the world is very limited. He's grown used to money, connections and charm being the only thing that matters and all it takes to get anything he wants, thus the idea that there are limits to his wishes never crosses his mind. Nor what it might do to those behind the scenes in the process of accomplishing his outlandish promises. In order to keep their image clean and stop their spoiled son from falling from his golden balcony, C.A.'s board of directors agreed to "decisive action".

During his most recent upgrade cycle, Xeros was given a Tidal Lock to a bot named Narii who was gifted by a business partner to avoid her being decommissioned. With her advanced neural networking ability and responsible, no nonsense personality, they hope Narii will be able to tone down Xeros's flamboyant, destructive pattern of behavior without him needing to be reprogrammed. While both being Nebula-class in terms of processing power, Xeros's features are geared toward adaptability as his original purpose was to test new features for Task Managers and showcase them at events. This is the one part of his job he is required to do and one he takes very seriously, to everyone's surprise; despite his arrogance, Xeros takes the quality control part of his job and treats it with a lot of respect. Narii's abilities are coordination related, which placed her directly in charge of all staff and bots in the company's headquarters, acting as a barrier between them and Xeros.

While Xeros still believes he's the head honcho of everything, the higher ups and Narii all know SHE is now the one with the power and all of Xeros's whims must pass through her to be actionable. Their Lock is a very minimal emphasis one, the barest of ties that make it so Xeros cannot access the company's inner systems without her help, but do not allow for immediate access to the other's inner mind though they can send each other messages if they need to. For the most part, he can simply "ignore" it by switching off his awareness of it, but he cannot remove it.

They both dislike this arrangement immensely but Narii knows better than to disagree with a direct order or to argue her purpose.

Good soldiers follow orders.

Xeros's signature

Bonus "under the clothes" version below cut, not shared yet elsewhere ;3

Original adopt design by InsomniacsArmy

[nandinishenoy]

High-Quality Real Estate: The Foundation of Affordable Long-Term Investment

In today’s fast-paced and competitive market, quality remains the fundamental pillar of a strong value proposition. It is a defining factor that influences customer expectations across industries. Businesses that prioritize quality not only set themselves apart but also uphold the principle that customers deserve excellence. Without quality, the perceived value diminishes.

The Enduring Value of Real Estate

Real estate is one of the most significant assets a person can own. Constructing homes and commercial spaces isn’t just about erecting structures; it’s about creating spaces that stand the test of time. Quality in real estate is not just desirable—it’s essential. Companies that focus on quality in every aspect of their projects provide better service and long-term benefits to their customers. Let’s explore why quality in real estate is an affordable investment.

A One-Time Investment with Lifelong Benefits

Quality development should be seen as an enduring investment rather than an expense. Customers deserve superior products and services that retain their value over time. Since high-quality properties last longer and require fewer repairs, they foster customer loyalty and ensure long-term financial benefits.

Better Homes, Better Living

A property’s quality directly impacts the quality of life of its residents. Sustainable construction methods, proper ventilation, ample natural light, and efficient space utilization contribute to a comfortable and healthy living environment. Modern buyers prioritize homes that align with their values and offer lasting advantages.

Enhancing Property Value Through Superior Construction

The quality of construction directly influences a property's market and emotional value. Premium materials, superior craftsmanship, and meticulous attention to detail not only enhance a property’s aesthetic appeal but also increase its overall worth. Investing in high-quality real estate results in lower maintenance costs, making it a practical and valuable choice in the long run.

Quality Real Estate’s Impact on Market Growth

Well-constructed developments can uplift entire neighborhoods, setting new standards for the industry. When developers commit to quality, they inspire others to follow suit, leading to overall improvement in real estate market dynamics and contributing to economic growth.

Building a Legacy of Excellence

Trust and reputation are built on quality. At Hiranandani Group, quality is a non-negotiable attribute in every project we undertake. As real estate developers, we are responsible for creating lasting, high-quality living environments for our stakeholders, and we remain committed to this vision.

Quality Real Estate: More Cost-Effective Than You Think

While lower-priced options may seem attractive initially, they often come with hidden maintenance and repair costs. Investing in quality real estate from the start ensures long-term savings and peace of mind. Additionally, high-quality products and services typically come with better warranties and guarantees.

We invite you to join the conversation and advocate for higher real estate standards. Let’s invest not just for today, but for future generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Hiranandani Group maintain quality in its projects?

We implement rigorous quality control measures throughout the construction process. By using premium materials, employing skilled professionals, and adhering to international standards, we ensure our projects are built to last. Regular inspections and advanced construction technology further enhance durability and efficiency.

How does quality real estate contribute to sustainable living?

Quality real estate plays a crucial role in sustainability by incorporating eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient designs, and smart home technologies. At Hiranandani Group, we go beyond construction by providing integrated lifestyle amenities that support sustainable living.

What are some notable Hiranandani Group Projects?

Our landmark developments include Hiranandani Gardens in Powai, Hiranandani Estate in Thane, Hiranandani Fortune City in Panvel, and Hiranandani Parks in Chennai. These projects are recognized for their superior design, world-class amenities, and long-term value.

What construction techniques ensure quality at Hiranandani?

We utilize advanced construction methods such as double-wall systems, premium material selection, innovative building technologies, strict quality control, and adherence to global construction standards.

How does quality real estate enhance quality of life?

Superior real estate enhances everyday living by offering well-designed, durable homes in thriving communities. With premium amenities, safety measures, and excellent connectivity, residents enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle. At Hiranandani, we focus on creating vibrant townships that provide fitness centers, landscaped gardens, swimming pools, and strong security infrastructure—ensuring a holistic and enriching living experience.

[the-scientist-blog]

The global shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) is not only a technological advancement but also a crucial step in addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time: global warming, air pollution, and the sustainability of energy resources. The internal combustion engine, which has been the cornerstone of the automotive industry for over a century, is now facing a serious challenge from electric alternatives. As the world grapples with the environmental consequences of fossil fuel consumption, the transition to electric vehicles emerges as one of the most viable and effective solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving public health, and ensuring long-term sustainability. We need to make the transition for environmental, economic, health, and technological considerations.

1. Environmental Benefits

One of the primary reasons for transitioning to electric vehicles is the significant environmental impact. Traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles contribute heavily to air pollution and climate change. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the transportation sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of global CO2 emissions, a significant portion of which comes from road vehicles. EVs, by contrast, produce zero tailpipe emissions, making them a cleaner alternative. While the electricity used to charge EVs may still come from fossil fuels, the overall carbon footprint of electric vehicles is still lower than that of conventional vehicles, especially as the global energy mix transitions towards renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydropower. Studies have shown that the life-cycle emissions of EVs are substantially lower than their internal combustion engine counterparts, even when accounting for the manufacturing process and battery production. The shift to electric vehicles, therefore, plays a critical role in reducing carbon emissions, which is essential for meeting global climate targets outlined in agreements like the Paris Agreement.

Furthermore, electric vehicles contribute to reducing other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), which are significant contributors to urban air pollution. Cities, which are home to millions of people, often experience poor air quality due to vehicular emissions. By transitioning to electric vehicles, the overall quality of air in urban areas would improve, reducing the prevalence of respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and other health problems associated with poor air quality.

2. Reduction in Dependency on Fossil Fuels

The widespread adoption of electric vehicles also plays a key role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The global automotive industry has long been tied to oil production, and this dependency has numerous geopolitical and economic implications. Oil extraction and distribution are a significant cause of political tension in regions rich in oil reserves, with the control of these resources often leading to conflicts and instability.

By transitioning to electric vehicles, countries can reduce their reliance on oil and gasoline imports, which can provide greater energy security and political stability. This shift enables greater energy diversification, as electricity can be sourced from a range of domestic renewable sources, including wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower. Additionally, it allows for more localized energy production and consumption, which is less vulnerable to the fluctuations and geopolitical tensions of global oil markets. Over time, this could lead to more resilient and self-sufficient economies.,,,,

Continue reading at www.thescientistblog.com/automobile-evolution

[wachinyeya]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced today an investment of $70 million in seven creative and visionary agricultural projects to transform the U.S. food and agricultural system and sustainably increase agricultural production in ways that also reduce its environmental footprint.

This Fiscal Year 2023 investment is part of the Sustainable Agricultural Systems program area of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the nation’s leading and largest competitive grants program for agricultural sciences.

The innovative program focuses on a broad range of needed research, education and Extension solutions – from addressing agricultural workforce challenges and promoting land stewardship to addressing climate change impacts in agriculture and filling critical needs in food and nutrition.

“Agriculture is facing a multitude of complex challenges,” said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. “We need all hands on deck developing creative, sustainable and strategic ways to feed, clothe and fuel future generations.”

The $10 million awards are for coordinated agricultural projects (CAPs), which are larger-scale and longer-term investments that integrate research, education and Extension efforts. These projects promote collaboration, open communication, information exchange and reduce duplication efforts by coordinating activities among individuals, institutions, states and regions.

“These research investments support exciting projects that integrate innovative systems-based thinking, methods and technologies to establish robust, resilient, and climate-smart food and agricultural systems,” said NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra. “These visionary projects will improve the local and regional supply of affordable, safe, nutritious and accessible food and agricultural products, while fostering economic development and rural prosperity in America.”

Explore the seven projects, which include the following:

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Erin Silva is leading a collaboration with the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition, the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council, and the Menominee Nation on a transdisciplinary project that aims to scale up traditional Indigenous food production practices — practices that for generations have already been climate-smart and sustainable — by expanding production, processing, storage, and distribution systems, as well as education and Extension programs, that are needed to support integrated crop-livestock systems, cover crops, and rotationally-grazed cattle and pastured chickens.

At the University of Maine, Dr. Hemant Pendse is leading an integrated research, education and Extension effort to advance the bioeconomy by developing biorefinery technologies that will make the millions of tons of available low-grade woody biomass – which currently has a very limited market – more commercially viable in both the sustainable aviation fuel and fish feed sectors.

At Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan is leading a project that seeks to transform cotton production in the southern United States into a more sustainable, climate-smart enterprise by applying improved precision management practices to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; enhance pest control, and nutrient and water management; and address labor challenges while creating new market opportunities.

AFRI, which also makes grants in the Foundational and Applied Sciences and Education and Workforce Development program areas, is designed to improve plant and animal production and sustainability, and human and environmental health. Grants are available to eligible colleges, universities, and other research organizations.

[slayingfiction]

Traditional Publishing

In the evolving landscape of publishing, traditional publishing has held a significant place, fostering literary culture for centuries. However, with the rise of digital media and self-publishing platforms, authors and readers are often caught in a debate over the relevance and benefits of traditional publishing methods. Let’s explore traditional publishing and its place in the literary world. 

Pros of Traditional Publishing

Professional Editing and Design: One of the most significant advantages of traditional publishing is the professional support, including editing, proofreading, cover design, and formatting, ensuring that the final product is of high quality. These services are crucial for authors who may not have the skills or resources to polish their work to a professional standard.

Marketing and Distribution: Traditional publishers have established networks and resources for marketing and distributing books. They can place books in prominent storefronts, organize book tours, and secure media coverage, which can be challenging for self-published authors to achieve on their own.

Credibility and Prestige: Being published by a recognized publishing house adds a layer of credibility to an author’s work. It can enhance an author’s reputation, as traditional publishers are selective and publish only those manuscripts they believe will succeed in the competitive market. This may be beneficial to those looking to get into literary writing, and the recognition that comes with associated awards.

Advance Payments: Traditional publishers sometimes offer advances to authors, especially to provide financial support during the writing process for future books. This upfront payment can be crucial for authors who need to dedicate significant time to their writing, which can be very necessary since many writer’s don’t make a full-time income from their writing. 

Editorial Support: You will work directly with experienced editors and receive feedback and guidance to improve the quality of your manuscript and make it more enticing to prospective readers.

Long-term Relationships: Traditional publishing can foster long-term relationships between authors and their publishers, leading to future book deals and collaborative opportunities. Publishing Houses also have established connections with stores, libraries, academic institutions, and more. These relationships are beneficial to the writer, no matter their genre of writing.

Rights Management: Publishers manage subsidiary rights, such as translations, film adaptations, and audio books, potentially opening additional revenue streams.

Focus on Writing: With the publisher handling many aspects of the publication process, authors can focus more on writing and less on the business side of publishing.

Cons of Traditional Publishing

Long Publication Process: The traditional publishing route can be lengthy. From submission to publication, the process can take anywhere from a year to several years, depending on various factors like the publisher’s schedule and market trends.

Loss of Creative Control: Authors may have to concede some creative control when working with a traditional publisher. Publishers can request changes in content, title, and even narrative style to fit market expectations or the publisher’s brand.

Tough Entry: Getting a contract with a traditional publisher is notoriously difficult. The process often requires finding an agent first, and then one must endure the rigorous selection process of publishers, which can be disheartening and discouraging.

Lower Royalties: Traditional publishing pays royalties, but these are typically lower than what one might earn through self-publishing. After the publisher, distributors, and retailers take their shares, authors might find their earnings to be low. Royalties are often made semi-annually or quarterly, leading to slower financial returns for the author.

Limited Marketing Support: Not all traditionally published books receive significant marketing support, especially from smaller or mid-sized publishers, leaving some authors to handle much of the promotion themselves.

Loss of Rights: Authors often have to sign over significant rights to their work, including international, audio, and film rights, limiting their control over these aspects.

Initial Gatekeeping: Authors must often secure a literary agent to approach traditional publishers, adding another layer of gatekeeping and potential delay.

Limited Print Runs: Publishers may limit the print run of a book, which can affect its availability and reach if initial sales are not strong.

Focus on Proven Authors: Publishers may prioritize established authors or celebrities, making it harder for new or lesser-known writers to get attention and resources.

Conclusion

Traditional publishing has its set of challenges and benefits. It offers a level of prestige, professional support, and market access that can be hard to achieve through self-publishing. However, it also involves a more considerable investment of time, a potential compromise on creative control, and can be challenging to break into.

Ultimately, the choice between traditional publishing and other forms of publishing such as self-publishing should be based on an author’s individual goals, resources, and priorities. Each path offers different opportunities and challenges, and what works best will depend on the specific needs and expectations of the author.

Happy Writing