#Antidote Market Report

[impossiblesuitcase]

I know this type of fic will seem strange, but do you remember where Cinder in the first book says that everyone will be aware of what Kai does, and that he will forget her, if this happened as an alternate universe, do you really believe that Kai forgot? of it, or remember it as nostalgia for what could have been as couple

Thanks your for your answer

I intended for this to be a five sentence response. Ha.

(Remember?)

He doesn’t remember her.

Granted, he doesn’t even remember what it feels like to take a full, unstrained breath. Kai is a busy teenager, a grieving son, an ill-prepared emperor and then the happiest widower alive. He can’t pretend to not be overjoyed by his wife’s untimely passing after her brief but bloody one-year stint as empress. The Earthen population didn’t seem to mind much either when the evil Lunar queen was assassinated in her bed by a group of revolting malcontents.

Kai only remembers her when the storm takes mercy on them and calms. The girl at the marketplace. Who’d never worn the gloves he’d given her to the ball she hadn’t attended. The brown eyes he’d never seen again. As the New Beijing Market celebrates a new era of peace with streamers and lanterns and sticky buns, Kai is pulling on his grey hoodie and weaving through the crowds to an unmarked booth. Instead he finds the musty, dark store replaced by a coffeé vendor. The nearby sellers tell him the young mechanic skipped town.

(Kai does remember her joking prod in the elevator, offering up that she was planning to run away to Europe. Now, Kai doesn’t think it was all that much of a joke.)

He searches for her, briefly. Her name turns up no more net results than what had been there the first time he’d sought her services. In checking government records he learns that her guardian reported the disappearance, inciting a police investigation. He has his own staff put on the case, who probably interpret this as a conscientious initiative to apprehend a fugitive as any responsible emperor would. 

Reading the conclusions from the fruitless search by his agents, this is where Kai learns that Linh Cinder is a cyborg.

Something blankets him. Not...disgust or revulsion. Thick, encompassing understanding. He’s near laughter when it strikes him precisely between his third and fourth ribs because he knows that it doesn’t matter if he finds her.

The gloves. The obfuscation. A cyborg, an emperor. This is why she rejected him.

After this, the expressed need to find find find her feels vain. Find her and what? Tell her that—although he likes her—a cyborg would never be accepted by the public as his partner? Then he’d be tearing her away from whatever sanctuary she’s found herself in and subjecting her to capture by the authorities. Because she has cut out her ID chip—illegal. Fled the country without a permit—illegal. Disobeyed orders from her guardian—illegal for cyborgs. Whatever Imperial pardon he could try to extend would be nullified by the Cyborg Protection Act.

It doesn’t matter. She hasn’t been found. He’s no luck at searching for things anyway. That’s why he gave up on Selene. What’s one more thing to give up on?

So Kai doesn’t remember her. But he does revise the Cyborg Protection Act. He is appalled to discover that—despite having Levana’s antidote in his tenuous possession—the cyborg draft is still in operation. Luna is not a trustworthy government under regent Sybil Mira, they fearmonger. They might still need to develop an antidote of their own, they reason.

Both Earth and Luna are barely refraining from seeking blood as it is. After Levana was assassinated, Luna declared full-scale war on Earth, killing hundreds of thousands. Earth retaliated by detonating bombs on the craters of the moon, threatening that next time they wouldn’t spare the inhabited domes. The ceasefire went as follows: Luna and Earth would not intermingle. Luna would provide Earth with the Letumosis antidote in exchange for Earth sending Luna their desperately-needed supplies. No one deemed this agreement as trustworthy. No one had better ideas.

His decision to end the draft is met with mixed response. Kai just secretly hopes that Cinder is watching, holed up in her new musty, dark booth in her new European city with a flicker of pride.

Years past. Funnily enough, Kai learns that—at some point—pretending to forget and forgetting are not so dissimilar.

But sometimes he sees a malfunctioning android down a palace hall and remembers her steady gloved hands on Nainsi. Sees a woman with almost the right shade of brown in her hair and eyes and skin but never close enough. Yet each time, he collects himself, shakes his head and doesn’t give in, and when he marries a second time to a woman he actually wants to be with, his wife’s radiant smile expels any romantic thought of any other girl that has ever crossed his mind.

— — — 

Fourteen years. That’s how long it takes for his loose threads to finally fray. Kai is in his office being briefed by Torin for an upcoming public statement by his cabinet. It has taken fourteen years after Levana’s death to fully uncover all the scrupulously concealed records of the atrocities she committed. As former empress, her crimes have to be reported by the Eastern Commonwealth, though no reasonably-minded Earthen would attribute her crimes to anyone but her own wicked self.

This report intrigues him. It’s not the usual analytics of Levana’s sins against the Earthen public, rather a detailed list of all the Lunars she victimised.

“Why are we reporting this?” Kai asks Torin, keeping his daughter from bouncing off his lap with steady hands. “What Levana did to the Lunar citizenry is beyond our scope of responsibility.”

“Not those on Luna, Your Majesty,” Torin informs. “This report refers to the illegal Lunar refugees who were hiding on Earth.”

Kai vaguely recalls Levana screeching once about how she would kill all the Lunars he had insubordinately smuggled into the country. He hadn’t believed that there were any Lunars on Earth at that naïve eighteen, but a thirty-three-year-old Kai is not surprised. He scrolls past the initial pages of exposition and gets right to the list of victims. He wants a number. How many Lunars were there really on Earth? That day on the balcony, when Levana had claimed that there had been a Lunar among those protestors—had it been true?

It’s page eight that he sees her name.

Linh Cinder. Cyborg. Lunar. Licensed mechanic in New Beijing. Records found to be falsified. True age unknown. True name unknown. Date of immigration unknown.

Cyborg. Lunar.

Kai’s hands are shaking. He places his daughter on the ground. “Torin,” he wheezes, “take her to her mother.”

His daughter’s soft, “Daddy? Was wrong?” goes unanswered.

Once they’ve left the room, Kai is alone with the horror lying in his hands. He clicks on her profile and a full page with her name and portrait appears. It’s a mugshot, but without the official stamp of the Earthen Union law enforcement, he knows it was Levana’s own team of minions doing the arresting. Her hair is loose, glossy and slick. Her eyes defiant but sunken into dark sockets. Her cheeks are full. She was not starving, wasting away in poverty. Evidently she did manage to make a life for herself on the run.

The biography is short. Linh was reported missing by her guardian on 28 August 126 T.E. at 08:31. CCTV footage shows her driving a second-era automobile from New Beijing to France over the course of 8 days. Linh hid in Nice for 7 months using a false ID chip and started a small mechanic business. Records of an apartment lease were found under the false identity. She was discovered by Lunar authorities when a mandatory Letumosis blood test identified Lunar genealogy in her genome. She was swiftly sentenced and executed without a trial on an unknown date for crimes of illegal departure from Luna.

That’s it. The only information. It limns a tale of another victim of the tyrant with not a stroke of sympathy. Kai thrusts down the port, clawing his hands through his hair.

Cyborg. Lunar. Executed.

He calls his wife.

The line clicks immediately. “Honey, is everything okay?” asks his wife, concern cooling her timbre. “Torin said you were all out of sorts.”

His words are faint. “Hey, love, do you remember that girl I liked before you?”

He can hear her smile. “The mechanic?”

“Yeah.”

"What about her?" her voice heaves and Kai hears a small giggle; Torin has brought their daughter back to their quarters. His wife is picking up the heavy three-year-old.

He has no strength to censor himself, even with young ears present. “She’s dead. Levana killed her.”

A long silence. The thread being pulled, pulled, pulled as the fraying creeps up to the heart of it. The girl whispers to her mother, “who Mummy? Who’s Daddy talking ‘bout?”

Her mother doesn’t explain. “Oh, love, I’m so sorry,” she consoles plaintively in that genuine lilt he knows is sincere. His superlatively gracious wife has never judged him for his grief over the lost cyborg, for regretting he couldn’t help the troubled young girl from a bad home. Never has she assigned ulterior motives of him mourning ‘the one that got away’ in some jealous plea for validation. 

He says nothing. He had forgotten her brown eyes, her smile and her gloves. The sarcasm and the pessimism. Each detail had slipped away and now a single photo, an unuttered apology, is trying to resuscitate the dead.

“Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

Kai reclaims his port and returns to the cover page. It’s entitled: A Comprehensive Account of the Genocide of Lunar Refugees by Queen Levana Blackburn: Names and Implications.

A name. An implication. That’s all she’d be, immortalised in a forgettable list. After the cover page, a number is bolded.

3,582.

The number of Lunar victims. Miniscule compared to Earth’s population. Cinder was almost certainly the only Lunar Cyborg on the list. An oddity. A friendly statistical anomaly.

Never meant to exist. Always meant to be out of reach.

“Kai?”

“It’ll be fine,” he promises, convincing himself of it. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine?” she repeats.

That picture is burnt in his retinas; Cinder, forever sixteen. He, now so much older. He doesn’t mourn a lost love. He didn’t love her; he didn’t know her. He mourns an abandoned child who never even knew that someone was looking for her.

Kai exhales slowly and rests his port on the desk next to his wedding photo and his father's signet ring. 

“I’ll be fine,” he affirms, “You know, I don’t really remember her.”

— — — 

@cindersassasin @hayleblackburn @spherical-empirical @salt-warrior @just2bubbly @gingerale2017 @icarusignite @kaider-is-my-otp @slmkaider @luna-maximoff-22 @cosmicnovaflare @kaixiety @snozkat @mirrorballsss @skinwitch18 @vincentvangothic @bakergirl13 @wassupnye @linh-cindy @therealkaidertrash21

[roo-bastmoon]

The Radical Act of Choosing Happiness

Hey, besties.

Got a secret for you...

Our mutual happiness is the best antidote to miserable antis.

Next time some troll starts up on their bullshit?

Make them choke on your bliss.

Solo dickheads victimizing or gatekeeping one of the members?

Don't fall into the trap. Instead, hashtag support for that member and move on.

Subgroup hell-bent on spreading lies and mistranslations again?

Don't engage at all. Just share the truth. Exalt in the truth. Celebrate the truth so loud, it drowns out the noise.

A bunch of antis dogpiling slurs and hate on your fave?

No need to stoop to their level or return their energy--energy is precisely what they want. Report, block, move on.

Instead, you lean on in to the absolute euphoria of BTS's relationships, official content, and fan works.

Are disingenuous anons clogging up your inbox?

Feel free to delete. We don't have time to waste playing tit-for-tat with assholes, and we aren't obligated to share our platforms to host their opinions. We've got songs to stream and folios to purchase and videos to like and share.

Not to mention voting. ARE Y'ALL STILL VOTING??

Look, my dear-hearts. I get that it's aggravating--these little shits coming into our spaces, trying to ruin things. But BTS has learned to rise above all that and work hard for ARMY. They still are out here working hard for us. They are the ones that deserve our focus. STAY FOCUSED, BROTHERS.

And every time we focus on BTS, it makes us happy, doesn't it?

I'm just out here on my soapbox today to encourage all my moots to choose to be unabashedly, uncontrollably, incandescently joyful.

The best revenge is to live well. Be radically happy.

And on that note, I'm gonna go get ready to see the Yet To Come Busan Concert in theaters. Today I am dragging my work bestie to see it with me. She says she's eager to become a newborn ARMY and might be Yoongi biased! HUZZAH!!

Go get out there and shift your focus to what brings joy. BTS would want you to.

Love and undaunted happiness to all of you,

Roo

[xtruss]

A New Fascist Trump on the Block: Argentina’s New Leader is a Snake-Oil Salesman with Extreme Wiews on Abortion, Gay Rights and More. I Fear For My Country

After his Landslide Victory in the Presidential Election, Javier Milei is Threatening to undo 40 Years of Democracy in Argentina

— Uki Goñi | Tuesday 21 November, 2023

Javier Milei speaks to his supporters after winning the Argentinian presidential election. Photograph: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images

Anti-woke libertarian Javier Milei’s landslide win in Argentina’s presidential election poses not only a worrying question for my country’s fragile 40-year-old democracy, but could also embolden other extreme libertarians in the US and Europe in their own anti-woke wars.

Milei is often described as an outsider – but his revolutionary persona has been carefully crafted by one of the country’s richest men. Argentinian billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian plugged the wild-haired economist relentlessly on his A24 media network as an antidote to those he views as the dominant “political caste”. Milei has accused the Peronist establishment of being “socialist” because they had legalised gay marriage and abortion, put on trial and sentenced the perpetrators of Argentina’s genocidal 1976-83 dictatorship and threatened to impose new taxes on wealth.

Milei has pledged to review all these achievements, and has even proposed a referendum on the legality of abortion. His party is already working on slashing taxes as soon as it takes office next month, and he has signalled he may exonerate Argentina’s imprisoned dictatorship officers. During a presidential debate, he said that the military were guilty only of “excesses”.

Milei’s proposed dollarisation of the economy, a long-cherished business establishment dream, unexpectedly gained traction with the public during the campaign. Milei won nearly 56% of the vote in a country where 40% of the population live in poverty, even though his policies reflect the typical obsessions of billionaires everywhere. Tax is “theft”, social justice is an “aberration”, and public health, public education and social welfare need to be abolished. The climate crisis is “a socialist lie”.

But one of Milei’s beliefs is shared only with Argentina’s business leaders. The 1976 dictatorship – which Milei is keen to reappraise – imposed policies similar in many ways to his, including a semi-dollarisation that pegged the peso to the dollar. The 1,200 convicted dictatorship officers are seen by many businesspeople not as the Nazi-style killers and other criminals they were, but as stalwart defenders of the free market system. But we know how that experiment went. The dollar peg broke loose, the economy crashed and the dictatorship returned to the barracks with its tail between its legs.

When democracy returned in 1983 the full horror of what the military had done exploded into view, creating a consensus embraced even by conservatives that the armed forces would never be allowed to return to government, not even as defenders of the capitalist faith. Both Milei and especially the vice-president elect, Victoria Villarruel, argue against this consensus. Villarruel has made it her life’s calling to advocate for former officers incarcerated for rape, murder and torture, a number of whom she has visited in prison. She refuses to use the word “dictatorship”, unless she is referring to democratically elected Peronist administrations, and employs “de facto government” for the real dictatorship instead.

I was a young journalist during the dictatorship, working at the Buenos Aires Herald, a small English-language community newspaper that reported on crimes against human rights. Part of my job was translating the speeches of the generals, full of references to “cultural Marxism” – a genocidal conspiracy theory that Milei chillingly resurrected for his campaign.

The generals had studied the works of Italian Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci, who argued that the revolutionary left would need to obtain cultural hegemony to achieve its ends. From this seed, the generals developed a conspiracy theory, not unlike the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, that Marxists had infiltrated universities, Hollywood and the Catholic church, to undermine “our western and Christian way of life”. The “cultural Marxism” conspiracy theory can be heard in the US and the UK today.

During an interview with Tucker Carlson in September, Milei channelled the 1970s killer generals almost verbatim. Communists “have no problem with getting inside the state and employing Gramsci’s techniques”, Milei told Carlson.

The consensus that Argentina’s dictatorship committed genocide is the foundation of our democracy. Citizens of our polarised country, divided neatly in half between Peronists and anti-Peronists since the mid 1940s, agree on little else. Ending this consensus risks plunging Argentina back into violent, totalitarian chaos. Rethinking the dictatorship was unimaginable only a few months ago.

Milei is a snake-oil salesman who is promising to stare down inflation with drastic libertarian measures. Members of his party have already said they expect their drastic policies will result in massive protests. They have also said they will call in the armed forces if necessary to restore “order” – always that word. I’m confident that our democratic interlude will extend past 1983-2023, but it’s likely to take one hell of a beating during Milei’s presidency.

— Uki Goñi is a Writer based in Argentina and the Author of The Real Odessa: How Nazi War Criminals Escaped Europe

[mariacallous]

Anti-woke libertarian Javier Milei’s landslide win in Argentina’s presidential election poses not only a worrying question for my country’s fragile 40-year-old democracy, but could also embolden other extreme libertarians in the US and Europe in their own anti-woke wars.

Milei is often described as an outsider – but his revolutionary persona has been carefully crafted by one of the country’s richest men. Argentinian billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian plugged the wild-haired economist relentlessly on his A24 media network as an antidote to those he views as the dominant “political caste”. Milei has accused the Peronist establishment of being “socialist” because they had legalised gay marriage and abortion, put on trial and sentenced the perpetrators of Argentina’s genocidal 1976-83 dictatorship and threatened to impose new taxes on wealth.

Milei has pledged to review all these achievements, and has even proposed a referendum on the legality of abortion. His party is already working on slashing taxes as soon as it takes office next month, and he has signalled he may exonerate Argentina’s imprisoned dictatorship officers. During a presidential debate, he said that the military were guilty only of “excesses”.

Milei’s proposed dollarisation of the economy, a long-cherished business establishment dream, unexpectedly gained traction with the public during the campaign. Milei won nearly 56% of the vote in a country where 40% of the population live in poverty, even though his policies reflect the typical obsessions of billionaires everywhere. Tax is “theft”, social justice is an “aberration”, and public health, public education and social welfare need to be abolished. The climate crisis is “a socialist lie”.

But one of Milei’s beliefs is shared only with Argentina’s business leaders. The 1976 dictatorship – which Milei is keen to reappraise – imposed policies similar in many ways to his, including a semi-dollarisation that pegged the peso to the dollar. The 1,200 convicted dictatorship officers are seen by many businesspeople not as the Nazi-style killers and other criminals they were, but as stalwart defenders of the free market system. But we know how that experiment went. The dollar peg broke loose, the economy crashed and the dictatorship returned tothe barracks with its tail between its legs.

When democracy returned in 1983 the full horror of what the military had done exploded into view, creating a consensus embraced even by conservatives that the armed forces would never be allowed to return to government, not even as defenders of the capitalist faith. Both Milei and especially the vice-president elect, Victoria Villarruel, argue against this consensus. Villarruel has made it her life’s calling to advocate for former officers incarcerated for rape, murder and torture, a number of whom she has visited in prison. She refuses to use the word “dictatorship”, unless she is referring to democratically elected Peronist administrations, and employs “de facto government” for the real dictatorship instead.

I was a young journalist during the dictatorship, working at the Buenos Aires Herald, a small English-language community newspaper that reported on crimes against human rights. Part of my job was translating the speeches of the generals, full of references to “cultural Marxism” – a genocidal conspiracy theory that Milei chillingly resurrected for his campaign.

The generals had studied the works of Italian Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci, who argued that the revolutionary left would need to obtain cultural hegemony to achieve its ends. From this seed, the generals developed a conspiracy theory, not unlike the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, that Marxists had infiltrated universities, Hollywood and the Catholic church, to undermine “our western and Christian way of life”. The “cultural Marxism” conspiracy theory can be heard in the US and the UK today.

During an interview with Tucker Carlson in September, Milei channelled the 1970s killer generals almost verbatim. Communists “have no problem with getting inside the state and employing Gramsci’s techniques”, Milei told Carlson.

The consensus that Argentina’s dictatorship committed genocide is the foundation of our democracy. Citizens of our polarised country, divided neatly in half between Peronists and anti-Peronists since the mid 1940s, agree on little else. Ending this consensus risks plunging Argentina back into violent, totalitarian chaos. Rethinking the dictatorship was unimaginable only a few months ago.

Milei is a snake-oil salesman who is promising to stare down inflation with drastic libertarian measures. Members of his party have already said they expect their drastic policies will result in massive protests. They have also said they will call in the armed forces if necessary to restore “order” – always that word. I’m confident that our democratic interlude will extend past 1983-2023, but it’s likely to take one hell of a beating during Milei’s presidency.

[naturalrights-retard]

The debt based monetary system is dying before our eyes. The collapse in bond prices, currency volatility and the coming collapse in financial assets are merely symptoms of the underlying problem.

With money anchored in nothing of value the financialisaton of the economy has resulted in every asset being levered up multiple times. This works whilst assets are increasing in price but those price increases depend on an increasing money supply. At some point the expanding money supply results in savage inflation. The central banks are then faced with two equally unpalatable options. They can allow credit to contract and implode all assets resulting in insolvency and bankruptcy of most banks. Alternatively they can continue to expand the money supply, perhaps using it to bail out the insolvent banks, and risk an almost certain hyper inflationary collapse. The house of cards has been built to a height at which it is hopelessly instable.

I believe central banks will pick the hyper inflationary route. The £65 billion bond purchase scheme announced last month and the unlimited and unfunded energy market subsidies strongly suggest that the UK is already heading down this route.

The global banking cartels have clearly signalled their desire to move towards Central Bank Digital Currencies ( CBDCs) as the new monetary order. As a system CBDC’s will still be under the control of those who have destroyed existing currencies. For that reason are likely to fail the fundamental confidence test that all money must pass in order to be accepted as a medium of exchange.

CBDC’s provide the infrastructure for a potentially tyrannical digital control matrix. CBDC money is programmable and decayable. The issuer can control how and where it is spent and can issue it with an expiry date. At an even more sinister level bank balances can easily be frozen or even cancelled for those who oppose a particular part of the prevailing state narrative. Trudeau’s freezing of bank accounts of any Canadians who donated to the Truckers campaign shows the willingness of some existing leaders in the supposedly free world to travel down that dystopian road.

Cash is the antidote to CBDC tyranny. Continuing to use cash represents a simple but highly effective step we can all take to guarantee our future liberty and freedom. The signs are good. In the UK many small businesses are reporting an upswing in cash payments. The Bank of England Weekly Report shows cash in circulation increasing from £73 billion in February 2020 to £87 billion last month.

But cash is much more than just the guarantor of our freedom. Cash provides the opportunity to build a robust, resilient, and inclusive economy. An economy in which high streets prosper and in which towns aren’t some identikit version of each other. An economy in which food and goods are mostly produced locally. And most critically an economy which doesn’t collapse every time there is a minor contraction in money supply.

The use and reuse of cash is the key to realising this economic dream.

Cash spending has a number of key attributes that are fundamentally different to digital spending

It tends to be spent locally.

It’s frequently used in transactions that contain a high labour component.

It is more frequently spent in small independent businesses than large multi national chains- many of whom are now banning cash transactions.

It provides some protection against the over leverage and financialisation of the economy. If you spend on a credit card the debt you create can be resold many times over before you settle the outstanding liability. Not so with cash.

By promoting the use of cash we promote transactions that support employment in diverse local businesses. We also get an economy that is more robust and able to withstand inevitable cyclical downturns.

Cash still needs help. Digital convenience combined with the tax avoidance employed by many multi nationals make this an uneven playing field. Government has a legitimate role in leveling this playing field. At Freedom Alliance we understand how that could be done. We propose that :

Cash retail transactions should be exempted from all taxes.

Employers should be able to pay up to 10% of wages in cash and in so doing avoid all payroll taxes.

Benefit claimants can elect to have one two year period each during which any cash earnings do not impair their benefit entitlement.

We need to ensure that cash remains circulating in the economy. If the employees receiving 10% of their wages in cash simply walk down the road to the bank and pay it in to a digital account there is no benefit. Consequently there should be a transaction tax on cash deposits to the banking system. This will partially offset the taxes foregone by the other measures. Any remaining shortfall would be recovered by additional taxation on purely financial transactions.

The additional cash in the economy will increase cash handling and security costs. But again local employment makes up much of that cost . This is fundamentally different to digital transaction charges that frequently end up being transferred abroad.

[caffedrine]

Rio Ortiz Chapter 13 Summary

This is mostly a summary for me - I make no promises on the accuracy of what’s happening. I’m not nearly fluent enough to get half the jokes/innuendo much less accurate plot points.    

*Flashback Time*

Three years ago, Emma had come down with a severe fever and was on bed rest. The doctor had prescribed her some medicine and assured her that if she took it and rested, she would recover quickly.

Rio, who’s fake smile had slowly begun to show hints of genuine fondness, took care of her. At this point in time, he had already moved out of Emma’s house and had his own residence, but he sat next to her bed as if he had no intention of going home. Emma reminded him that he has his first day of work the following day and couldn’t afford to baby her. Besides, she would be fine with a little rest and medicine.

Rio admits that he cant do anything for Emma, even when he’s right here with her. In fact, he might be a detriment to her recovery, since she can’t rest with him by her side. But still, he doesn’t want to leave her alone. This might be his way of repaying her for protecting him while he was weak. And now that she’s the weak one, he doesn’t want her to have to do anything. It strange, he doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he can stay by her side.

*Flashback End*

Nokto reassures Emma that they’ve successfully administered the antidote to, and Rio won’t die. She notices Licht lingering at the entrance to Rio’s house.

(Hey, we get to see Rio’s home!)

After Rio collapsed, Emma had the carriage driver take her and Rio to the town doctor, and sent the carriage driver with a message to Sariel briefly explaining the situation. Nokto and Licht somehow heard the report and immediately came to them. Nokto, part of the foreign policy faction, wanted to hear the report directly. Licht, who was an accomplished swordsman, came to play the part of the bodyguard to Emma and Rio.

It is actually a pretty big deal to for a Rhodolite noblewoman to be served poisoned tea at the Benitoite Embassy. This could cause a giant diplomatic rift in the friendship between Rhodolite and Benitoite, so they need to move forward cautiously.

At least, that’s the part of the conversation that Emma remembers. She’s been focused on Rio’s recovery, which is very slow in her opinion. The doctor seemed to be certain that Rio would make a full recovery, but she wonders if it is true.

Licht offers to stay behind if Emma wants to return to the castle and personally guard Rio. Emma thanks him but insists on staying. Nokto teases her, but Licht accepts Emma’s decision.

Nokto has some new news for Emma. Sariel was able to lodge an inquiry against the Benitoite Embassy for attempted poisoning, and unexpectedly, the Benitoite Embassy took responsibility for it. Emidio was concerned about Rio after he left, and had the tea tested for poison. He even found the staff member who had served them and turned him over to Rhodolite. The person admitted to poisoning them under Silvio’s orders.

Emma asks if they’re sure, and Nokto asks her why it sounds like she’s doubting Silvio’s involvement. Emma recalls the last time she spent meaningful time with Silvio, back at the market. She had the feeling Silvio was facing her head on and would not use another person to get what he wanted. Back then, he had personally tried to sus out her real identity, when he could have used one of his servants to do so instead. Besides, she has no idea what his motive for trying to kill her could be.

Nokto thinks that Emma has some interesting assumptions of Silvio given that she’s known him only for a short while. Emma thinks that the way Nokto is questioning her means that he also doesn’t think Silvio is the true culprit.

Nokto recalls that Emma and Rio were attacked at the auction house as well. The attackers were thieves after the necklace, but Silvio had to know that sending two near defenseless people to the auction house was putting them in danger. While they don’t know why Silvio did this, he couldn’t have had innocent intentions. Nokto and Emma can discuss the maybes of what Silvio is doing for ages, but until they speak to Silvio himself, they won’t make any real discoveries.

Emma wonders if they can interview Silvio, since they know he’s at the embassy. Licht quickly jumps in to say that wherever Silvio is, he is not at the embassy. Emma recalls speaking to the staff member and wondering if that was a lie. Nokto explains that when they spoke to Emidio, he had told them that Silvio has been missing for the past three days. The embassy was rebuffing their inquiries all this time because they were also looking for him. But, as soon as the situation becomes clearer, there is no doubt that Benitoite will make Rhodolite pay for their missing prince.

The instructions the Embassy has been receiving from Silvio were through letters. However, there is no guarantee that Silvio is really the one communicating. Nokto admits that this situation is very bizarre, Silvio isn’t the type of person who would just kill someone without a clear benefit. Honestly, from his point of view, Emma is more useful alive then dead.

Licht points out that Rio may have been the real target. He was well known for getting in arguments and pissing Silvio off. Nokto admits that this makes the most sense, and both he and Licht agree that this is all about Rio.

Nokto and Licht go through the reasons why they know that Rio was the true target. He is known to be Emma’s loyal dog, so if he was worried about her being poisoned, he would personally test it. It would be expected of both a butler and a bodyguard, so putting Emma in danger to get to Rio makes sense.

Emma recalls Nokto mentioning a while ago that Silvio must like Rio, that he has a habit of choosing a favorite to stay by his side when visiting places, which in this case had been Rio. Nokto muses that Silvio may have been keeping Rio near to find an opportunity to kill him. They can make guesses as to what Silvio’s motive is, but until they understand this past relationship between Silvio and Rio, its just guesses.

Emma thinks about how Rio has been rejecting his past all this time, meaning that there is something that he doesn’t want to remember. And he has a very strong aversion to Silvio and only Silvio. She hadn’t really thought about it, but Rio may have been unconsciously antagonistic towards him. If so, their relationship may have been a very bad one.

Licht brings up what Clavis had said about Silvio erasing all traces of Rio’s past existence. This may be something that you do to people you hate, to completely isolate them.

Emma and Licht spend the night at Rio’s house, having decided that its better for him to be stable in a familiar place as opposed to moving him to the castle. Rio’s condition has improved, and Emma wonders if she should think about heading back to the castle. If anyone who knew her as noblewoman were to recognize her, she would have to come up with a convoluted explanation as to why she is hanging about in town. So far Sariel has let her stay, though she thinks it’s partially due to Nokto’s influence.

Licht joins Emma by the fountain in front of Rio’s house and asks if she understands what Nokto didn’t say the last night. Emma says she did, that if Rio is being targeted, she is also in danger. The previous day, Rio had been quick-witted enough to save her from being poisoned, which given that she has no immunity to it, would have killed her.

Licht points out that even if Emma stays with Rio right now, there is going to be a time where they will have to part ways. It’s up to them on whether it happens now or later, but that ending will happen no matter what Emma does.

Emma agrees that she knows this, but she doesn’t want to part from Rio until after all these problems are solved. She made a promise long ago to protect Rio, and she will see that promise through, even if she can’t smile at their ending. Licht looks down and says that people part all the time, not just her and Rio. He hopes that Emma won’t have any regrets at her and Rio’s ending.

Suddenly they spot Rio, who has just left his house and is smiling while calling out to them. Emma thinks that while she is relieved that Rio has recovered, she won’t be able to smile at their end anymore.  

[mariacallous]

There is no real public enthusiasm for Tory economics. Sure, the heart of a thinktanker dwelling in London’s Tufton Street may flutter a little faster when they hear the words “shrink the state”. But ask the average Brit in Wolverhampton, the Rhondda valley or Dunfermline whether they support reducing the tax bill of the rich, or slashing public services, or flogging off utilities to provide a steady stream of dividends to shareholders, and they’re unlikely to start gleefully punching the air.

Instead, an economic agenda that has produced weak growth and stagnant living standards for a generation, while shovelling apparently endless amounts of wealth into a few bank accounts, has depended on something else: public acquiescence or resignation. “I believe people accept there’s no alternative,” said Margaret Thatcher of her profoundly unpopular economic policies in 1980. If citizens believe that a harmful economic programme is bitter tasting but necessary medicine, they will reluctantly accept it.

As Rishi Sunak prepares for yet another round of ideologically charged spending cuts, he will be counting on public consent to once more be manufactured. And much of Britain’s media stands ready to offer assistance. On the day Sunak became prime minister, a BBC correspondent declared: “The economic backdrop has changed: Mr Sunak is going to have to agree to spending cuts, and to tax rises.” No honest person could possibly conclude this was anything other than a violation of the corporation’s neutrality.

The correspondent was framing austerity measures as the unavoidable consequence of Britain’s economic situation, rather than a political choice. With some encouragement from yours truly, more than 2,000 people complained to Auntie Beeb. The BBC’s astonishing response was instructive: “At no point did our reporters imply what the government should or shouldn’t be doing.” You can judge for yourself.

This is a perennial failing by our media when it comes to framing economic policy. Research by Cardiff University found that during coverage of the 2008 financial crisis, 35% of interviews on the BBC’s flagship Today programme were with voices from the City – more than any other category. During the subsequent bank bailouts, “opinion was almost completely dominated by stockbrokers, investment bankers, hedge fund managers and other City voices”, while dissenting voices critiquing the size of the finance sector were very rarely featured.

Rather than being interrogated as instigators of the crisis, financial types were presented as impartial witnesses. The Tories were then able to transform a crisis of market economics into a crisis of public spending, even though George Osborne had backed every penny of Labour’s investment.

Research focusing on BBC News at Ten coverage in 2009 found that it “reproduced a very limited range of opinions on the implications and potential strategies for deficit reduction. The view that Britain was in danger of being abandoned by its international creditors with serious economic consequences was unchallenged and repeatedly endorsed by journalists.”

This framing clearly advanced the partisan interests of the Tories, placing Labour on the defensive back foot on its own record and presenting government cuts as the necessary antidote to a deficit crisis. That the cost of borrowing was low, allowing for extensive public spending, was simply airbrushed out of existence: instead, the supposedly apocalyptic scenario of Britain’s credit rating being slashed was constantly dangled. Yet when that actually happened and didn’t cause any spike in the cost of public borrowing – it continued to fall – the narrative didn’t change.

It seems clear that many of those responsible for setting the tone of the BBC’s coverage are wedded to establishment economics. The former business editor, Kamal Ahmed, was recruited from the Sunday Telegraph, where he denounced the “mostly negative coverage of the business world” and regretted how the crash had left the west besmirching the “hunt for profit”.

That’s not to say all the BBC coverage defers to Tory economic ideology: Newsnight’s Ben Chu did a good explainer showing that the supposed £50bn “fiscal black hole” wasn’t an objective measure, but dependent on the fiscal rules and debt targets that are set. But while we expect the rightwing-dominated newspaper industry to parrot the underlying rationales of Tory government, for the BBC to do so helps to manufacture a consensus.

During the financial crisis, the Tories – as the party that most fetishises market economics – understood they were potentially exposed. Aided and abetted by the media, they ingeniously deflected responsibility on to Labour. This time, their own culpability is even more obvious – in the toxic combination of Brexit and the turmoil unleashed by Liz Truss’s mini-budget – but the Tories will once again present themselves as taking necessary tough decisions, and challenging Labour to do the same. It is not the BBC’s job to aid them in this partisan endeavour. This time, the media must ensure that the Tories’ slash-and-burn cuts are presented as what they are: political choices.

[how2fit]

Pilates has been around for more than a century, but the exercise method has never been more popular than it is today. In 2023, nearly 12 million Americans reported practicing Pilates, an increase of 15 percent from the year before. Google searches for “Pilates” have tripled over the past five years, with the market expected to double in size by 2030, according to the Pilates Education Institute. Heck, Pilates even got its moment in the pop culture spotlight with a recent skit on SNL. Why are so many of us embracing Pilates? Perhaps because the workout method pioneered by Joseph Pilates in 1926–combining controlled movements and proper breathing techniques with a holistic mind, body, and spirit approach–can be a perfect antidote to our busy, stressed-out modern lives. Not only does Pilates have an array of benefits, it’s low impact and can be done by people of all ages and fitness levels, says Portia Page, CPT, NCPT, a nationally certified Pilates teacher and Balanced Body education curriculum coordinator. “Pilates is something you can do a little of every day with amazing results,” Page says. “It's an exercise designed to elongate and strengthen the body by emphasizing balance, alignment, proper breathing, and core stability and strength. After just a few sessions of Pilates, you'll understand how helpful correct and flowing movement can be to your mind and body.” Pilates can help us in physical ways, such as improving daily posture (hello, those of us hunched over screens all day), strength, and mobility, but also mentally and emotionally by teaching us to use our breath correctly and bolstering self-confidence when we master challenges, Page explains. But to get the most out of your Pilates session, there are certain things you need to be mindful of—whether you’re a beginner or long-time devotee, or prefer mat or reformer classes. Here are six Pilates tips experts follow get the most out of their Pilates workouts—here's how you can, too. TIP If you’re new to Pilates—or if you don’t have the time or energy—it’s not necessary to push yourself through a long session. Even doing 10 to 15 minutes of Pilates per day is fine, especially for beginners, according to Page. “This will allow you time to practice, build up slowly, and ensure that you get good movement every day,” she says. “Practice truly does make perfect–or as close to perfect as you can get for that day.” 1. Focus on your breath Joseph Pilates is quoted as saying, "Above all, learn how to breathe correctly,” and this mantra is a foundation of Pilates. Each exercise in Pilates is performed in sync with inhales and exhales, and breathing properly is essential to staying centered and enhancing each movement, according to Page. “The breath can help to bring you to the session, allowing your mind and body to arrive in the present,” she says. “I always start by finding and following the breath as this allows the body time to figure out ‘where’ you are now. Bringing awareness to breath at the very start can help remind participants to stay with the breath throughout.” Want to make sure you’re in tune with your breath? Jamie Maitland, certified health coach, Pilates and fitness instructor, and founder of boutique fitness studio The Office 954 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, recommends the following: Start by putting your hands around your ribcage to feel it expand as you inhale, then contract as you exhale. Begin with a single count for each inhale and single count for each exhale. Once you feel comfortable, work your way up to three to five counts per inhale and exhale. 2. Ease into your session slowly One common Pilates mistake, according to Page, is rushing into complex exercises instead of working up to them by taking steps to build the skills necessary for more challenging movements. To use a swimming analogy, Pilates is not about diving in headfirst, but dipping your toes in and entering the water slowly. Warming up sufficiently with “small, micro movements help

set the foundation for a strong ‘stance’ in whatever position you're in and with getting your body to move into the more challenging exercises and movements,” Page says. “By doing this, it helps us get to the end result slowly and with ease–building the necessary skills one step at a time versus muscling and forcing your way into a position or exercise.” If you’re unsure how to warm up or if you’re warming up enough, try taking a class at a Pilates studio or on a virtual platform where an instructor can guide you through everything. 3. Practice perfecting your alignment In Pilates, alignment refers to proper positioning of body parts such as your head, spine, feet, and ankles as they relate to each other while you perform an exercise. Alignment is a fundamental element of Pilates that helps ensure balance and proper form, so you get the most out of each exercise, Maitland explains. One of the best ways to maintain proper alignment is to take a class where you can rely on an instructor for verbal cues or to gently reposition you if needed, Maitland says. If in-person classes aren’t available to you, try taking an online class, pausing when needed to position yourself like the instructor or to check your form in a mirror. Maitland also likes placing a towel or band on the floor to make sure the knees, feet, and hands are lined up where they should be during a move. If you find your feet sliding and throwing off your form, you can also try wearing a pair of grippy socks designed for Pilates. To work on your alignment, Page recommends performing this exercise daily in different positions including standing, seated, supine (on your back), on all fours, and lying on your side: Get into position, close your eyes, and breathe. Think about finding balance and keeping your head in line with your ribs, in line with your pelvis, and in line with your feet (if standing). This alignment will feel very different in each of these positions. Use breath and small adjustments until you find what feels right to you (which is the most important thing). “Quality over quantity—stay focused on the precision and integrity of your moves, not your speed, and less is more.” —Jamie Maitland, certified Pilates instructor 4. Keep it slow and controlled If there’s one thing Pilates is not, it’s a race. Each movement is meant to be done with proper form and control, according to Maitland. “Quality over quantity—stay focused on the precision and integrity of your moves, not your speed, and less is more,” she says. How do you know if you’re going too fast? “You won’t feel the exercise as effectively,” Maitland says. “For example, if you’re doing leg lifts—lying on your side or in side plank—and are mindlessly swinging your leg without intention, you just feel bounciness. If you lock in your core, keep the rest of your body quiet, and lift your leg using your glute, you’ll feel it a lot more.” You’ll know you’re going at the right pace if you start to feel the muscle(s) you’re supposed to be working burn within five to 10 seconds. 5. Stay focused Pilates is meant to nurture and strengthen not just your body, but also your mind and spirit—meaning you want to be present, not chatting with your neighbor, glancing at your phone, or thinking about your to-do list. “One of the most common mistakes I see is not being focused,” Maitland says. “When I instruct a class, oftentimes I’ll be able to recognize the clients who are zoned out as opposed to those who are zoned in—a person's form will reflect where their mind is at. Pilates is a very cerebral workout and you need to be there.” Maitland’s favorite hack if you find yourself losing focus: Rub your thumb and pointer finger together like a little violin for a few seconds to bring you back to the room and present moment. 6. Use equipment to take your workout up a notch Anyone who’s done Pilates will tell you that you don’t need to use any equipment to get a great workout. But, if you’re looking for new challenges, adding

Pilates equipment like resistance bands, light weighted balls, or dumbbells can help kick things up a notch. Maitland also is a fan of Pilates rings to add variety and intensity to workouts. One of Maitland’s favorite Pilates ring exercises: Lie on your back with bent knees and your feet flat on the floor. Place a Pilates ring between your inner thighs. Lift your legs so they’re in tabletop position, knees bent at a 90-degree angle. (You can also leave your feet on the floor to make it easier.) Squeeze the ring in with your inner thighs in a slow, controlled manner and return to starting position. Repeat for 15 reps, then 15 pulses (smaller movements, only squeezing in about a quarter of the way). Squeeze your thighs in and hold for a count of 15. Repeat the entire sequence three to four times. More Pilates equipment to try Gaiam Restore Mini Loop Bands 5-Pack ($15, Gaiam.com) Gaiam Grippy Yoga Barre Socks ($10, Amazon.com) Balanced Body Ultra-Fit Circle Pilates Ring ($40, Amazon.com) Balanced Body 3-Pound Weighted Ball ($17, Amazon.com)  

[deshpandeisha]

Exploring Global AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider Market Growth and Size with Our Research Company

The global AI-based clinical trials solution provider market size reached USD 1.30 Billion in 2021 and is expected to register a revenue CAGR of 22% during the forecast period, according to latest analysis by Emergen Research. Increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled digital technology is a key factor driving global AI-based clinical trials solution provider market revenue growth. Increasing use of AI-enabled digital health technologies coupled with patient support platforms is expected to improve patient engagement and retention throughout study duration as well as after study termination, which is expected to propel revenue growth of the global AI-based clinical trial solution provider market. 

AI-enabled technologies are enabling data integration and interpretation along with evolutionary modelling and pattern recognition for gathering, normalizing, analyzing, and harnessing the growing volumes of data that fuel modern therapy development. Thus, AI and advanced analytics are considered as the digital technology that can potentially improve clinical R&D productivity and clinical outcomes, and this is expected to augment growth of global AI-based clinical trials solution provider market to a significant extent.

The segmentation of the industry by type, application, classification, and geography works as an impetus towards increasing the sale figures and boosting business prospects alongside the hindrances that often restrict the industry's growth. In addition, bifurcation of the market on the basis of consumption volume, customer preference, end-user, and production capacity is explained through important resources including but not limited to charts, graphic images, and tables.

Claim Your FREE Sample Copy with Table of content@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-sample/774

The leading market contenders listed in the report are: AiCure, LLC, Unlearn.AI, Inc., BioAge Labs Inc., Antidote Technologies, Inc., Saama Technologies Inc., International Machine Business Corporation (IBM), Concentro Health AI, Deep 6 AI Inc., PathAI Inc., and Owkin Inc

The research study examines historic data from 2018 and 2020 to draw forecasts until 2030. The timeline makes the report an invaluable resource for readers, investors, and stakeholders looking for key insights in readily accessible documents with the information presented in the form of tables, charts, and graphs. To Visit Full Report & Table of Contents AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider Market: https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/ai-based-clinical-trials-solution-provider-market

Emergen Research has segmented the global AI-based clinical trials solution provider market on the basis of clinical trial phase, therapeutic application, end-use, and region:

Clinical Trial Phase Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019–2030)

Phase-I

Phase-II

Phase-III

Therapeutic Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019–2030)

Cancer

Cardiovascular Disease

Neurological Disease

Metabolic Disease

Infectious Disease

Others

End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2019–2030)

Pharmaceuticals

Academia

Contract Research Organizations (CROs)

The research report offers a comprehensive regional analysis of the market with regards to production and consumption patterns, import/export, market size and share in terms of volume and value, supply and demand dynamics, and presence of prominent players in each market. Get An Impressive Discount On This Report@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-discount/774

Regional Analysis Covers: North America (U.S., Canada) Europe (U.K., Italy, Germany, France, Rest of EU) Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Rest of APAC) Latin America (Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., South Africa, Rest of MEA)

Key reasons to buy the Global AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider Market report:

The latest report comprehensively studies the global AI-based Clinical Trials Solution Provider market size and provides useful inference on numerous aspects of the market, such as the current business trends, market share, product offerings, and product share.

The report offers an insightful analysis of the regional outlook of the market.

It offers a detailed account of the end-use applications of the products & services offered by this industry.

The report holistically covers the latest developments taking place in this industry. Therefore, it lists the most effective business strategies implemented by the market rivals for ideal business expansion.

Request Customization as per your specific requirement@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-for-customization/774

[industryforecastnews]

Sodium Nitrite Market Size To Reach $580.8Mn By 2030

Sodium Nitrite Market Growth & Trends

The global sodium nitrite market size is expected to reach USD 580.8 million by 2030, as per a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. registering a CAGR of 4.2% from 2023 to 2030. The demand is attributed to the increasing demand for preservatives in the food & beverage industry. Preservatives help increase food items' shelf-life by delaying the spread of pathogens and microorganisms. Thus, sodium nitrite is highly used to enhance the flavor of meat and maintain its original color (making it look more appealing and presentable to consumers), while preventing bacterial growth.

In the pharmaceutical sector, sodium nitrite is a well-known chemical molecule. Its most common application is as an antidote for cyanide poisoning, as it is quite effective even in severe cases. It is used in the production of saccharin and caffeine and is commonly utilized as a raw material and preservative in pharmaceutical formulations like eye drops. Since sodium nitrite contains nitrogen, the product can be utilized as a control agent in a variety of medicines. It is also utilized as a butadiene antifoaming agent and a raw material for aminopyrine and sulpyrine antipyretic analgesics. Thus, multiple applications of the product in the pharmaceutical industry indicate that the growth of this industry is expected to drive the demand for pharmaceutical-grade sodium nitrite in the coming years.

The growing consumer acceptance of processed food in countries like China, India, Japan, and others is likely to bolster the demand for the product in the Asia Pacific. China is the world's largest consumer of food and beverages. The processed meat market of China majorly includes beef, pork, poultry, mutton, and others, which require the use of sodium nitrite as a preservative, thus driving the demand for the product market.

Request a free sample copy: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sodium-nitrite-market-report  

Sodium Nitrite Market Report Highlights

Food & beverages application accounted for the largest market revenue share of over 66% in 2022. The growth is attributed to the increasing demand for the product as a preservative in processed meat and other food items

The pharmaceuticals segment was the second-largest application and is predicted to attain a CAGR of 4.7% over the forecast period, owing to its ability to act as a raw material or control agent for the development of several medicines used for treating muscular dystrophy, neurotransmission imbalances, epilepsy, and others

Asia Pacific dominated the regional segment with a revenue share of over 71% in 2022 due to the growth of the meat processing and food & beverage industries in the region

The increase in population and rising per capita disposable income drive the food and beverage market. According to a China Chamber of Commerce article published in 2020, the beverage market which includes drinks, vegetable juices, and fruits generated revenue of USD 39,330 million, thus driving the demand for the product in the country

Europe accounted for the second largest market share of over 16% in 2022 due to the changing consumer preference toward processed food over cooked food in the region. In the European Union (EU), sodium nitrite is approved as a food additive and is used to prevent microbial growth in meat, cheese, and fish products as it helps to improve the flavor while protecting it against botulism

Sodium Nitrite Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global sodium nitrite market based on application and region:

Sodium Nitrite Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

Food & Beverages

Pharmaceuticals

Others

Sodium Nitrite Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

North America

U.S.

Canada

Mexico

Europe

Germany

U.K.

France

Asia Pacific

China

India

Japan

Central & South America

Brazil

Argentina

Middle East & Africa

South Africa

Saudi Arabia

List of Key Players in the Sodium Nitrite Market

Deepak Nitrite Ltd.

Airedale Chemical Company Ltd.

BASF SE

Shijizhuang Fengshan Chemical Co., Ltd.

Ural Chem JSC

Linyi Liguang Chemical Co., Ltd.

Radiant Indus Chem Pvt. Ltd.

Yingfengyuan Industrial Group Limited

SABIC

Chemtrade Logistics

Browse Full Report: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sodium-nitrite-market-report  

[addictivesunayna]

Addictive Media: Where Creativity Meets Digital Acumen in Noida

Nestled in the heart of Noida, amidst the bustling streets and ambitious dreams, lies Addictive Media, a digital marketing agency that's anything but ordinary. Forget the sterile, corporate image of your typical agency. Addictive Media is a vibrant hive of passionate individuals, each buzzing with unique ideas and a shared goal: to propel their clients' brands to new heights in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Imagine a team where brainstorming sessions are fueled by laughter and chai, where deadlines are met not with frantic scrambling, but with a collective spirit of "we got this!" That's the Addictive Media difference. They don't just crunch numbers and churn out reports; they pour their hearts and souls into understanding their clients' businesses, their target audiences, and their aspirations.

Meet the masterminds behind the magic:

The Visionary Leader: At the helm stands a digital marketing guru with a knack for sniffing out trends and a heart for innovation. They're the one who inspires the team to think outside the box and challenge the status quo.

The Creative Storyteller: Words are their weapon, and their weapon is sharp. The copywriters at Addictive Media weave narratives that resonate, weaving emotional connections between brands and their audiences.

The Data Decoder: Numbers whisper secrets to them. The analysts at Addictive Media translate complex data into actionable insights, ensuring that every campaign is optimized for maximum impact.

The Design Alchemists: They don't just design; they craft visual masterpieces that captivate and convert. The designers at Addictive Media are the artists who bring brands to life on the digital canvas.

The Social Media Mavens: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram – they speak the language of these platforms fluently. The social media experts at Addictive Media engage audiences, build communities, and turn followers into brand advocates.

This dynamic team isn't just about technical expertise; they're a family, a support system where individual brilliance is amplified by collaboration. They believe in celebrating wins, big and small, and in learning from each other's experiences.

But what truly sets Addictive Media apart is their passion. They're not just in it for the clicks and conversions; they're driven by a genuine desire to help their clients succeed. They see themselves as partners, not vendors, and they invest themselves fully in every project.

So, if you're looking for a digital marketing agency in Noida that's more than just a cog in the machine, look no further than Addictive Media. They're the antidote to the bland, the ordinary, and the uninspired. They're the ones who will take your brand on an adventure, a journey fueled by creativity, data, and a whole lot of heart.

[sultanaislammow]

Douyin’s local life attack and defense: Are low prices and traffic the antidote?

Life services face consumers and have always been a huge market for many businesses. Recently, Douyin has started a battle for local life, but before Douyin, there were already giants, which shows that Douyin’s battle will not be easy.

The local lifestyle market already has HE Tuber big challenges ahead, but Douyin, as the current Internet traffic upstart, is still unwilling to stop exploring. However, at present, the progress is not smooth.

Recently, Douyin has made new adjustments to the layout of local life.

According to reports: Douyin Waimai has given up its goal of reaching 100 billion GMV this year, and no longer regards GMV as the most important indicator in the second half of 2023. The current strategic focus has shifted to using more ways to streamline the business process.

The reason behind this may be that Douyin Waimai failed to "support" itself.

Some media estimate that based on the average unit price of 110-130 yuan, the GMV achieved by Douyin Takeaway in the first half of the year was around 1.5 billion, which is far behind the target of 100 billion. In other words, Douyin only completed 1.5% of its full-year GMV target in the first half of the year.

This also tells everyone in disguise that Douyin’s local life services are in trouble.

Of course, the main advantage of Douyin’s local life service is not in food delivery.

Backed by a huge public domain traffic volume and rich content ecology, a steady stream of group buying push is Douyin’s main weapon. Group buying is currently the most effective branch of Douyin’s local life section, and it is also the fiercest competition between Douyin and other local life platforms.

But if you want to live a good local life, you still need to cultivate the habit of consumers actively using it.

Douyin has always been positioned as a leisure and entertainment platform. The decentralized push method allows Douyin group buying to remain in the "store to find people". In other words, Douyin’s local life mentality of “users looking for stores” has not been developed.

As a trillion-level cake, local life is attracting more and more giants to enter the market, and old players are also beginning to actively fight back. Douyin, caught in the middle, is facing a fierce competition.

How to fight a good offensive and defensive battle has also become the next test.

1. Raise the sword of traffic and invade the hinterland of local life

In order to allow more users to use local life services, Douyin is also working hard.

Zinc Finance’s test found that when you open Douyin’s recommendation page and watch more than 10 videos, one or two push notifications about in-store group purchases will appear.

If you have the habit of frequent group buying on Douyin, group buying information may appear every 3 to 4 videos, including catering, hotels, movie tickets, etc.

Screenshot of Douyin This is related to Douyin’s own strategy. In the past year, Douyin has continued to increase its focus on local life, and the corresponding traffic distribution mechanism has also changed. Douyin will reduce the exposure of e-commerce short videos starting in 2022, and accordingly increase the traffic tilt towards the local life section.

At the end of last year, the Douyin Life Service Department made some adjustments to its organizational structure and integrated it into three business lines: wine and travel, hotel services, food delivery, and takeout. It is self-evident that it wants to expand local life.

Now when you open the local section of Douyin, you can find that it includes sections such as takeout, nearby food, leisure and entertainment, beauty/hairdressing, etc., and already has the preliminary appearance of a local life platform.

If Douyin wants to gain a foothold, its main advantage lies in the platform's huge traffic, which can be further broken down into a large and active user group of over 600 million, as well as its unique algorithm and recommendation mechanism.

Imagine this scenario: A user is scrolling through Douyin late at night, and suddenly sees a short video or live broadcast of a food and catering expert visiting a store, near home, and selling super discounted group buying coupons. Even if they know it is an advertisement, many users will Couldn't help but place an order.

And based on the algorithm, as long as the user places an order once, Douyin will know its "taste", and will then push more similar stores to accurately capture the user's psychology.

TikTok screenshot

In essence, Douyin's local life business still adopts the logic of planting grass based on interest. As long as users enter Douyin's carefully designed "cocoon room", the platform is already half successful.

As for why you insist on clinging to local life? Fundamentally, it is still a rich mine that needs to be tapped.

Data from iResearch predicts that the online penetration rate of local life services will increase from 24.3% in 2020 to 30.8% in 2025. At the same time, the market size will also grow from 19.5 trillion yuan to 35.3 trillion yuan.

At this year’s Douyin Life Service Ecological Partner Conference, Zhu Shiyu, head of Douyin’s local life business, said: “Life services are a vast market worth more than 10 trillion yuan, and the proportion that is actually completed online is actually very small, and there is still a long way to go. It’s not to the point of stock competition.”

[johnjankovic1]

The Erie Canal

Good roads, canals, and navigable rivers, by diminishing the expense of carriage, put the remote parts of the country more nearly upon a level with those in the neighbourhood of the town. They are upon that account the greatest of all improvements. Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, 1776

The zeitgeist of nationalism fostering the ascendancy of the Merchant Marine between the Tonnage and Lighthouse Acts from the selfsame vintage in 1789 crescendoed into the famous ‘Report on Manufactures’ two years later. This polemic propounded by Alexander Hamilton who was an early exponent for a mixed economy with some influence of statism upon free markets sought to remake America from an agrarian into an industrial society. As an iconoclast he espoused the belief that statecraft could incubate a Cambrian explosion if government elected to play a bigger custodian in the country’s development. With robust industries ascribed to tariffs and subsidies America might begin to disentangle itself from colonialism’s legacy in a bid to assume autonomy. Such policies of market interference were anathema to the orthodoxy of the day when economist Adam Smith had authored his iconic apologia for the invisible hand of laissez-faire capitalism in the ‘Wealth of Nations’ only fifteen years prior. At the same time the literati looked askance at all centralized power upon having just defeated the British monarchy under the banner of individual liberty. Nevertheless the Hamiltonian doctrine admonished that if not for an interventionist state infant industries would be deprived of growth in perpetuity.

Limited government simply emboldens more established incumbents to purloin what little marketshare might be used to nourish younger companies. Fatalism characterizes all possible outcomes thereafter since any manufacturing base would be stillborn if vulnerable firms were left to their own devices. A dirigiste variant of governance with a predilection for protective tariffs and federal subsidies by contrast could be a standalone buffer against the asymmetrical advantage held by foreign firms. Reprieve from such intense competition would be enough of fertile ground for fledgling industries to become self-sufficient. Hamilton’s thesis really did emblematize a clarion call for the country to transcend its primordial ways of husbandry by finding deliverance in a diversified economy. Therein the manacles of colonial subservience could be broken if firms were insulated long enough so they may scale up through the accumulation of capital and technology. This judicious use of policy was the ideal antidote against the capture of indigenous industries from the exploitation of foreign firms operating with impunity. Although the logic of this statecraft was a radical departure from the traditional precepts of free markets a whole conceptual edifice was eventually built around it with the advent of the Industrial Revolution.

The manifesto of the Report on Manufactures was manifestly the progenitor of the country’s early development. What coincided with this new regime eponymously dubbed the ‘American System’ that came into mainstream acceptance due to the maverick Henry Clay was a gamut of industrial policies whose stimulus saw factories abound. The monoculture of agriculture production incrementally took less precedence with manufacturing growing at a faster cadence ex post independence. A consensus soon emerged of how a strong central government might very well be the gateway to an America becoming a juggernaut of industrial strength. Likeminded thought leaders thus began to form a critical mass of opinion in favour of a more proactive posture in markets. On the eve of the Report on Manufactures the Patent Law of 1790 was equally amongst that same array of policies in the camp of statism protecting know-how from pirates who would otherwise sabotage growth. In this case the latitude of having a temporary monopoly over new self-made technologies for fourteen years was a boon to companies seeking profitability (Frederico 1936). Henceforth inventors boasted the right to profit from their creations as they were immune to imitations whilst America ratcheted up its industrialization in earnest.

What the ‘American System’ inherited as the progeny of the Hamiltonian doctrine in the wake of the War of 1812 was a trinity of nationalist policies: (1) trade protectionism; (2) a national bank to stabilize the dollar in times of distress; and (3) industrial policies providing the wherewithal for public infrastructure. The third funded America’s first marvel of engineering linking the Hudson River with the Great Lakes so trade may seamlessly pass through the region. In lieu of the federal government it was the New York State Legislature which bore the onus of allocating money destined for this gambit. By the end vast tracts of land totalling 363 miles was excavated after nine years of laborious effort at a substantial cost of $7m or $166m after inflation that saw America’s rapid industrialization (Utter 2020). Such a mammoth piece of infrastructure cemented New York City’s station as America’s premier place of business by reconciling the hinterland with the Empire State. Raw commodities from the breadbasket of the Midwest came to be ensconced in the teeming markets across the Atlantic seaboard. Iron deposits sourced from this Elysium of minerals equally supplied the panoply of foundries and steel mills in the East. The economics of waterways would eclipse overland routes by orders of magnitude (Bowlus 2014).

The completion of inland navigation via the Erie Canal between 1817 and 1825 from Buffalo to Albany with a total of 83 locks pared down shipping costs by a precipitous 90 percent. This vertiginous decline from $100 per ton of freight to a pittance of that at only $10 was a revolution for America’s supply chains as boats with a capacity of sixty tons superseded wagons drawn by quadrupeds whose pathetic limit was a single ton (North 1900: 123). Since waterways relegated overland shipping to an anachronism the cost difference between the two was so considerable that higher tolls could be added without being exploitive. In the first year alone did the Erie Canal amortize half a million dollars of its cost from the provenance of revenue generated from operations. Even with the stepwise growth of railroad expansion the throughput of tonnage by water appealed to merchants much more than that of locomotives despite the latter’s speed (Filante 1974). Far from being a flight of fiscal folly this investment in infrastructure ignited a mania for economic activity from the American interior to the bay of New York City. Where once eye-watering freight rates prohibited industrialization now the calculus had shifted to encourage the scale economies of production. Cheap transportation was in vogue.

[danielzeitlow]

Experienced General Manager, Daniel Zeitlow, Shares Insights on Managing Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Rush

Daniel Zeitlow

Daniel Zeitlow, a highly experienced General Manager renowned for his exceptional skills in optimizing operational efficiency, has an impressive track record in budgeting, fostering strong relationships, and providing visionary team leadership. With over a decade of industry experience, he has successfully managed diverse teams and spearheaded numerous projects, delivering exceptional results.

Now, Daniel generously imparts invaluable insights and strategies on effectively managing the exhilarating last-minute holiday shopping rush. His meticulous planning and attention to detail ensure a seamless and delightful experience for both customers and businesses alike. With a focus on customer satisfaction, he orchestrates the coordination of resources, implements innovative solutions, and guides teams to exceed expectations during this bustling season. He understands the importance of staying agile in a dynamic retail environment, and his practical approach empowers businesses to meet the demands of the holiday rush while maintaining operational excellence. Through his guidance, businesses can navigate the challenges of high-volume sales, inventory management, and customer service with ease.

Daniel Zeitlow’s journey to becoming an efficient General Manager began at KTM Supermarkets, where he served as a Perishable Manager from March 2014 to August 2020. His ability to manage perishable items effectively reduced wastage and optimized operations, thereby establishing his reputation in the industry. Transitioning to Sprouts Farmers Market in August 2020, he took his experience and skills to new heights. Here, he made significant strides in overseeing the purchase-to-sales process and reduced department overspending by focusing on the top 50 items and maintaining good back stock. His relentless focus on operations efficiency and strategic budgeting has enabled him to excel in managing the hectic holiday shopping periods. These experiences have shaped him into the seasoned professional he is today, providing him with a unique perspective on managing the last-minute holiday shopping rush.

Having recently served as the Perishable Manager at Sprouts Farmers Market since August 2020, he has acquired unique strategies to handle the annual shopping frenzy. With a keen focus on customer preferences and market trends, he meticulously analyzed data to identify the top 50 items that consistently drove sales during the holiday season. By implementing inventory management techniques and maintaining a well-managed back stock, he successfully reduced department overspending while ensuring that popular items were always available to customers. This approach, he believes, could be the antidote to the chaotic last-minute Christmas shopping scenario that often unfolds at supermarkets, providing a seamless and stress-free experience for both shoppers and staff alike.

According to a report on Fox29 News, Northeast Philadelphia witnessed a flurry of shoppers scrambling for last-minute Christmas shopping and essential items, such as decorations and gifts for loved ones. The bustling streets were filled with a sense of urgency as people sought to check off their shopping lists before the impending icy weather arrived. During this chaotic scenario, managing the influx of customers and ensuring a smooth shopping experience requires a refined strategy and the expertise of someone like Zeitlow. He possesses years of experience in handling the dual pressure of the festive rush and the unpredictable challenges posed by the incoming harsh weather conditions. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for anticipating customers' needs, he is well-equipped to navigate the demands of this bustling holiday season with finesse and efficiency.

Drawing from his extensive experience as the Perishable Manager at KTM Supermarkets from March 2014 to August 2020, he emphasizes the crucial role of proactive preparation. With a keen understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior, he recognizes the importance of staying ahead of the curve. "We have to anticipate the surge in shoppers, analyze the latest trends, and ensure that our stock levels are sufficient to meet the increased demand," says Zeitlow. Moreover, he also emphasizes the need to prioritize the safety of both staff and shoppers, especially when bad weather is on the horizon. By implementing comprehensive safety protocols and effective contingency plans, KTM Supermarkets strives to provide a seamless shopping experience regardless of external challenges.

Effective communication with the team and customers during high-pressure times is crucial for success, as emphasized by Zeitlow. To achieve this, Daniel Zeitlow ensures that their staff is well-equipped to handle customer queries and complaints. They also prioritize maintaining open lines of communication with their customers, providing regular updates on stock availability, store timings, and safety measures. By going the extra mile to keep their customers informed and satisfied, he strives to build trust and loyalty in their brand.

While last-minute shopping is a cherished tradition for many, it is of utmost importance for retail management to ensure that this long-standing practice does not descend into chaos. With experienced retail professionals like Daniel Zeitlow leading the way, the shopping experience can be seamlessly efficient, remarkably safe, and incredibly enjoyable, even amidst the bustling excitement of the last-minute Christmas rush and the challenging backdrop of icy weather conditions. By meticulously coordinating staff, optimizing store layouts, implementing effective crowd control measures, and providing exceptional customer service. Retail management can transform the shopping experience into a delightful journey, where customers can find everything, they need with ease, peace of mind, and a touch of holiday magic.

Daniel Zeitlow’s meticulous approach to managing the holiday shopping rush is a true testament to his exceptional leadership skills, unwavering commitment to operational efficiency, and profound understanding of consumer behavior. By strategically focusing on key items, maintaining a well-managed back stock, and establishing effective communication lines, he has successfully handled similar high-pressure situations, setting a remarkable example for other retail managers to follow. His attention to detail, forward-thinking mindset, and ability to adapt to dynamic market demands are instrumental in ensuring a smooth shopping experience for customers while maximizing sales potential. With his comprehensive strategies and innovative tactics, he has not only transformed the holiday shopping experience but also solidified his reputation as a visionary leader in the retail industry.

[lovelypol]

Buy Now Pay Later Market : USD 16.8 Billion At A 9.5 % CAGR By 2032 - Report By Global Insight Services

In the dynamic world of retail therapy, a seismic shift is underway, transforming the way we shop, pay, and experience consumerism. Buckle up for a thrilling ride through the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Market, where convenience meets financial flexibility, and traditional payment methods take a backseat.

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As we navigate a landscape of changing consumer behaviors and financial habits, the Buy Now Pay Later Market emerges as a beacon of modern shopping—a fusion of financial flexibility, convenience, and responsible spending.

So, fellow trendsetters and savvy shoppers, fasten your seatbelts! The BNPL revolution invites us on a whirlwind shopping spree, redefining how we approach purchases, payments, and the overall joy of retail therapy. 💳🛍️✨ #BNPLRevolution #ShoppingMadeEasy #FinancialFlexibility 🌐💸