#Cell sorting and grouping techniques

[semcoinfratechworld]

Discover the meticulous process of lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing, where individual cells are sorted, grouped, and assembled into high-performance modules. Key stages include battery sorting and grouping, spot welding, module assembly, and rigorous testing for safety and reliability. Learn how advanced techniques ensure optimal performance, safety, and adherence to industry standards in applications like electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

At a Glance ~Researchers found that current COVID-19 vaccines fail to generate mature and durable antibody-producing cells in the bone marrow. ~The findings could help explain why protection tends to decline over time. ~Better understanding of long-term immune responses could lead to improved vaccines that provide enduring protection.

Some vaccines offer long-lasting protection. For instance, the tetanus vaccine provides protection for at least 10 years. With other vaccines, protection may begin to decline within a few months. To provide enduring immunity, a vaccine must elicit production of long-lived plasma cells, a type of immune cell that matures over time in the bone marrow and can rapidly trigger production of disease-fighting antibodies.

The mRNA vaccines developed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus have proven effective at preventing severe COVID-19 and reducing hospitalizations. These vaccines trigger production of antibodies that home in on the virus’s spike protein. But protective antibodies can begin to fade as soon as three months later and lead to breakthrough infections. Researchers have been puzzled by this waning protection, since SARS-CoV-2-specific immune cells can often be found in the bone marrow.

To better understand why protection against SARS-CoV-2 dwindles months after vaccination, a research team led by Dr. F. Eun-Hyung Lee of Emory University took a closer look at immune cells in the bone marrow of 19 healthy adults. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 65. All had previously received between two and five doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Samples of their bone marrow were evaluated within 33 months after receiving their initial COVID-19 vaccine shot.

The participants had also received an influenza vaccine within a year of giving their bone marrow samples. And all had previously received tetanus shots and boosters. Their responses to these previous vaccines were used for comparison.

The researchers used a cell-sorting technique called flow cytometry to separate each participant’s bone marrow immune cells into different groupings. These included short-lived antibody-secreting cells and long-lived plasma cells that confer lasting protection. Results appeared in Nature Medicine on September 27, 2024.

The scientists found that they could readily detect long-lived plasma cells that target tetanus and influenza. In contrast, while shorter-lived antibody-secreting cells specific to SARS-CoV-2 were abundant, long-lived ones were mostly absent. Even among five participants who had recent SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations, long-lived plasma cells against the virus were scarce in the bone marrow samples.

The findings hint that newly created antibody-secreting cells against SARS-CoV-2 are unable to become fully mature and long-lasting once they reach and settle into the bone marrow. In contrast, vaccines against tetanus and influenza prompt antibody-producing cells to mature within bone marrow and become long-lived plasma cells. Future studies will need to investigate how to generate long-lived plasma cells against SARS-CoV-2.

“The holy grail of vaccine researchers is the generation of long-lived plasma cells,” Lee says. “Our findings demonstrate that current SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines do not provide such long-lasting protection within bone marrow. Further research is needed to determine if updated vaccines, new delivery schedules, or other factors might provide such protection.”

—by Vicki Contie

[starryeyedwolves]

The Haunting of the Shrieking Shack

It started with a single, offhand comment from James.

It was a crisp evening in the Gryffindor common room, the fire crackling, the occasional pop of the flames punctuating the low hum of conversation. The first years had gathered near the hearth, whispering in nervous excitement about Hogsmeade weekends and the eerie presence of the infamous Shrieking Shack.

James, ever the performer, had leaned in with a smirk and said, "You know, the place is actually cursed."

Instantly, all eyes turned to him.

"Everyone thinks it’s just ghosts, yeah? Just a bunch of wailing spirits. But that’s bollocks. The truth is, years ago, there was this old Herbology professor who used to live there—Professor Oxblood. Proper nutter. Grew the most dangerous plants you can imagine. One night, something went wrong in his greenhouse—some kind of Venomous Tentacula mutation. It strangled him in his sleep. And now, every full moon, you can hear him rustling through the walls, looking for his lost plant. If you listen closely, you can still hear him muttering about improper pruning techniques."

A few of the younger students shuddered. Lily, sitting on the couch nearby with a book open on her lap, raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"A rogue houseplant, Potter? That’s your big scary story?"

"Excuse you, Evans, but rogue murder houseplant. That’s a very important distinction."

"Not quite scary enough," Sirius interjected from where he was sprawled across the rug, his head resting lazily against Remus’ knee. He sat up with a wicked grin, flipping his dark hair over his shoulder as he dramatically scanned the room.

"The real story," he announced, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "is far worse. Decades ago, a group of dark wizards used the Shack as a meeting place. They were trying to summon something—something ancient. No one knows what, exactly, because the spell went wrong. It backfired and trapped them in some sort of limbo, stuck between life and death. That’s why the howling changes each time. Sometimes it sounds human. Sometimes it doesn’t."

The first years leaned in, eyes wide.

"Sometimes," Sirius continued, voice barely above a breath, "you can hear them speaking. But it’s never a language anyone understands. They’re trying to finish their ritual. Trying to get out."

Peter audibly gulped. A second-year girl covered her ears.

James whistled low. "Alright, Pads, that was genuinely unsettling. Respect."

Sirius smirked and collapsed back against Remus’ leg, looking exceedingly pleased with himself. Remus, however, merely raised an eyebrow, his fingers absently twisting a loose thread in his jumper.

"Very creative," he murmured.

Sirius grinned up at him. "Why, thank you, Moony."

But Remus knew better than anyone that Sirius Black was always closest to the truth when he was weaving his wildest lies.

As the weeks passed, the stories grew more elaborate.

James claimed the Shack had once been home to vamire circus—a roaming band of cursed performers who had vanished overnight. Peter swore that Peeves avoided the area because something even worse lurked inside.

Sirius, however, remained the reigning champion of horror.

"Alright, listen up, you sorry lot," he declared one evening, standing atop the Gryffindor table with a butterbeer in hand, his grey eyes alight with mischief.

The common room hushed.

"I have it on good authority that the Shack isn’t haunted at all. No, no, ghosts would be lucky compared to what’s in there."

He let the silence stretch, enjoying the way the first years edged closer to one another.

"You see, the Ministry built it as a holding cell. Not for criminals—no, Azkaban is for them. This was for something… else. A creature so dangerous, so powerful, that they had to erase all records of its existence. And every full moon, the wards weaken. It wakes up. But here’s the worst part—" Sirius dropped his voice to a whisper, and the room collectively held its breath.

"It doesn’t want freedom. It likes being hidden. But it does need something to keep it asleep. Sacrifices."

There was a sharp inhale from somewhere in the room. A third-year knocked over a goblet of pumpkin juice.

"That’s right," Sirius continued, eyes gleaming. "Every month, someone disappears. Not a student, of course—too obvious. But think about the ghosts you used to see around Hogwarts but don’t anymore. Ever notice how Filch keeps hiring new caretakers, but no one ever really sees them after a few months?"

A second-year girl clapped her hands over her mouth. Even James, who knew Sirius was making it all up, shivered slightly.

Remus, however, just gave Sirius a look. One of those looks. The kind that said, I know what you’re doing, and you’re being ridiculous.

Later, when the common room had emptied, Remus found Sirius lounging in one of the chairs by the fire, legs hanging over the armrest.

"Sacrifices, Padfoot?"

Sirius stretched, utterly unrepentant. "Gotta keep things fresh."

"Fresh or dangerously close to the truth?" Remus asked softer now.

For a moment, Sirius didn’t answer. Then, finally, he muttered, "Maybe I just want people to fear the Shack for the right reasons. Even if they don’t know the reason."

Remus sighed.

He knew of course, that Sirius had always hated the way the school wispered about the howls in the night. He had been there every month, standing watch in the tunnel, waiting for Remus to come back. He had seen the aftermath— the exhaustion, the bruises, the blood.

And Sirius, reckless and stubborn as he was, had never let fear control him. But if he could control other people’s fear? Shape it into something less personal?

Well. That was just Sirius Black all over.

Remus reached over and ruffled sirius' already messy hair.

Sirius squawked indignantly, shoving him away.

Remus just chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up.

Outside, the wind howled against the castle walls.

The next few days arrived with a grey chill that seeped into the stones of the castle and made even the most enthusiastic students think twice about venturing out after curfew. The Marauders, however, were never particularly fond of rules—especially when Sirius was bored, and Remus was restless.

It was the night before the full moon.

They sat alone in the Astronomy Tower, cloaked in a stolen invisibility charm, the stars scattered above them like scattered glass. The wind was sharp, nipping at their cheeks, but Sirius didn’t complain—not when he had Remus curled up beside him, shoulder pressed to shoulder, his hand loosely tangled with Sirius’ beneath the folds of his cloak.

“I don’t like the way they talk about it,” Remus murmured after a long silence. His voice was quiet, distant.

Sirius didn’t ask what he meant. He didn’t have to.

“The Shack,” Remus continued. “Like it’s some myth. Like it’s all fun and games and ghost stories.” He shook his head. “It’s not. Not for me.”

Sirius squeezed his hand, just once. “I know.”

They were quiet again, but Sirius could feel the tension humming beneath Remus’ skin, the way his jaw was tight, his posture stiff despite the warmth between them.

“You started all this, you know,” Remus added, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “Your bloody horror show.”

“I was deflecting,” Sirius admitted. “Which I’m quite good at, by the way. Award-worthy.”

“You’re an idiot,” Remus said, though his voice was fond. “A dramatic, over-the-top, butterbeer-fuelled idiot.”

“Still like me, though,” Sirius grinned.

“Unfortunately.”

There was a pause.

“I just… I wish they weren’t afraid of it for the wrong reasons,” Remus said finally. “I wish they weren’t afraid of me.”

Sirius turned to him then, shifting until they were facing each other fully. He reached up, brushing a thumb along Remus’ cheek, just beneath the faint scar that curved down to his jaw.

“They don’t know you,” he said. “Not like I do. They just see the boy who reads poetry when he thinks no one’s looking, or who makes tea for every bloody Gryffindor who so much as sneezes. They don’t see the way you hold yourself together after nights that would break anyone else.”

He leaned in, pressing his forehead against Remus’.

“But I do.”

Remus let out a breath, eyes fluttering shut. For a moment, everything else—the fear, the stories, the weight of the coming night—faded.

Then Sirius added, “Besides, if they did know the truth, they’d all just fancy you more.”

Remus laughed, startled and soft. “What, the tortured werewolf aesthetic?”

“Please. It's very in vogue. Brooding scars, tragic eyes, sharp wit? You’re a teenage girl’s dream.”

“Good thing I’m taken,” Remus murmured, leaning in.

Sirius’ grin softened. “Yeah,” he said, “good thing.”

Their kiss was slow, familiar, something warm to hold onto in the growing cold. When they pulled apart, Sirius rested his head on Remus’ shoulder, content.

Below them, the castle slept. The wind howled against the stone, and somewhere far off, the Shrieking Shack stood silent and waiting.

Let them whisper, Sirius thought. Let them build their stories.

They had their own truth. And that was more powerful than any ghost tale ever could be.

[every-shiraishi]

How do you feel about shiraishis backstory?

I was saving this for after his backstory posted so I could properly articulate it. Compared to the other backstories we have seen, Shiraishi's doesn't seem so much. But the more I thought about it the more I liked it.

Shiraishi dealt with multiple prisons, including youth reformatories. He was in the prison system from a young age, and that affects a person. He was sent to prison for theivery, something he likely had to do to survive if he had no family or support network. It has always been his needs first and the rest has to benefit him for him to want to help others. He has this sort of aloof feel to him in beginning of his backstory. Like the 'cool' kids who're like "First time huh?" He's got knowledge of the best times to escape, how to escape, what materials are best for it etc.. Hell, he would even threaten guards with escaping on their watch cause he knows the punishments they would get for it. He's this 'hardened' guy in the prison system.

And yet he's got this soft spot for a lady he's never met. And if you think about it, he's 20 when he becomes obsessed with her. I don't call it love because how can someone who has been in the system their whole life and likely has never met many women or experienced much romance know the difference between love and obsession?

He says himself that her picture got him through tough times. What sort of tough times? We see a bit of it. Hard labor, poor living conditions, creepy cell mates and random and very intrusive body searches. Demeaning and dehumanizing experiences. That's why Sister Miyazawa's picture becomes this treasure for him. He is infatuated with this lady because she was so beautiful that Choan Kumagishi raved about it. He was obsessed with the idea of what she must be like.

So he breaks out and goes looking for her. And when he gets arrested we wash, rinse, repeat, until Abashiri. What I find interesting about his story is how his sneaky little tricks get a spotlight. He's truly devious, he straight up leaves Choan Kumagishi behind because his plans to escape never really involved him beyond using him. He got SOMEONE ELSE to "snitch" just to get put in isolation and be able to escape on his own. He starves himself saying it's for his fellow prisoners to get better treatment? Nah he's gonna break outta there he just had to get the chains removed so he could stick his leggy out real far, and being skinny didn't hurt.

I also don't think he told the crew the full ending to his meeting with Sister Miyazawa. He's a lying liar to everyone in the group at least once. I think he did something really embarrassing and is just saying that he fell out of love with Sister Miyazawa the second he saw her because who is gonna prove him wrong? His two dead cell mates? He did something so cringe I think it still haunts him. I'd love to hear some theories on what that might be. My running theory is he went on and on about how he always thought and dreamed about her and tried to put the moves on her and she rejects him HARD. The man does not have game she is NOT gonna pull a Sound of Music and leave the sisterhood to be with a convict. She rejects him in the nicest way possible and it just CRUSHES him.

Anyway... Shiraishi's backstory may not be the most heart-rending or plot progressing story, but it helps us further understand Shiraishi as a character.

That said it did put Ienaga to sleep so... he just needs to work on his storytelling technique

[sketchfanda]

A Little Moxxie Love

2 Ninja girls and an Imp!!

Somedays Moxxie worried for the day when his dick or his stupid sexiness would come back to bite him, especially and particularly when it came to random women just up and calling him into the living world whenever and wherever. He'd just rather hoped it'd not as awkward as his current situation, locked up in some sort of confinement cell with 2 women in tight, latex and leather bodysuits who looked they had some questions. Apparently these were Asagi and Sakura Igawa, sisters in the Taimanin Corps, a secret order of ninja clans hidden throughout Japan, dedicated to hunting down and wiping out demons and they'd gotten wind of the infamous summoning ritual that'd been going around online and believed it had to do with something sinister and involved this...Order, Cult or Church of the Red Possum. So they opted to try it out and ensnare the demon it'd call up for interrogation so they could deduce whatever schemes or plans this group had in mind and whatever intentions the imp before them had in store, like possible connections to Edwin Black.....

Now Moxxie wasn't sure where they were getting such ludicrous ideas from but one thing was clear, he didn't want to know what these, admittedly, hot sexy ninja bitches had in store for him in terms of interrogation techniques. Which they, unlucky him, wasted no time in deploying as believing he was some sort of incubus, therefore it was logical they make him break first by seducing him with Asagi seizing initiative by pressing and locking their lips together, ambushing him with a sudden French kiss. The imp caught off guard by the sudden opening salvo of the kunoichi's sloppy tongue loaded assault as Sakura looked on in shock and awe, clearly she'd been briefed on this but it was still quite a bit much to witness it being put into action. Yet it didn't stop her one bit from later stepping up and joining her sister as she came forward took her own turn, kissing Moxxie as the elder Igawa undid his bowtie and the buttons of his shirt, kissing and licking her way down to the crotch of his pants which of course were starting to feel really tight about now...

Which didn't become a problem anymore once Asagi had removed the article of clothing, boxers and all, thereby allowing his cock to spring free stiff and erect as a flagpole to breathe in the open air as it stood to attention. Sakura gasping in shock awe as she paused her make-out assault while her big sister looked at the imp's cock with....well what could only be called a look which mixed lust with contempt, as she grasped and stroked the length and girth which stood before her and seemed to mock and taunt her with its presence. Speaking in a husky sensual tone as she asked Moxxie if he thought he was being clever, smuggling such a deadly weapon of mass fornication with what were no doubt wicked, lewd intentions which only made Moxxie wonder just what the unholy Whore of Babylon did these big titty ninja girls deal with on a regular basis before the next thing he knew, his whole train of thought derailed and crashed!! But really who could blame him when he now found himself on the receiving end of a tandem blowjob from the Igawa sisters as they licking, sucked and kissed on his length and girth from the immense tip to his smooth, heavy balls, seeking to deliver on their aim to break his willpower with pleasure.....

Well that was what they kept trying to tell each other as well as themselves as it became pretty clear they were becoming overwhelmed but they just chalked that up to the imp being a capable fiend. The interrogation room flooding with the sounds of skin slapping, primal type mating and the kunoichi sisters deep moans of lust as it was made plenty clear more than a few orgasms ago that Asagi and Sakura had lost the run of themselves. Pink glowing hearts in their eyes and raw ahegao expressions on their faces as they went through a constant shift of two on one to one, driven more by pride and stubbornness at this point to try and outlast Moxxie and break his will. But he was proving far more formidable than he’d anticipated, small wonder he was possibly enslaving so many women…

Now one could chalk it up to the fact that maybe Asagi and Sakura got in way over their heads, what with their bodies tending to still be feeling some lingering effects from the devious experiments of a certain treacherous bitch. But one can’t deny that the Igawa duo severely overestimated themselves and underestimated the imp to which they felt only proved he was working his sinister demon charms on them!! How and why else would Asagi be making out with her sister while she rode that cock and Sakura was sitting on his face to be eaten out by him?!! That’s just what this horny little devil was capable of but hey would prevail and learn his secrets yet, the sexual virtue of many young maidens hung in the balance!!

Well that was the excuse they kept trying to tell themselves but as the pink glowing hearts in their eyes and the utterly shameless ahegaos indicated, they were too lost in sexual bliss to even think right anymore!! Their outfits ripped to pieces to a point all they had left on was their arm gloves and their thighhigh boots, baring their pornographic bombshell figures as they glistened with sweat with very clear distinct palm prints and bruises on their voluptuous asscheeks, among a few other marks like love bites here and there. Their bodies becoming little more than the imp's personal playthings at this point as they urged him to use them to his full satisfaction, every second of every minute or every hour seeing them shift from two on one to one on one. Subconsciously aroused by the sheer shame they'd feel if many of their kouhai and senpai could see them now, the mighty and proud Igawa sisters defeated by an imp who had to be some demon sex god in disguise.......

By the time the ritual's master candle had finally gone out, Moxxie couldn't have felt more relieved to find himself going back to Hell sweet, sweet Hell, leaving the ninja girl duo in a heap of sweaty, sticky tangled limbs. Excess imp jizz gushing and oozing from their holes in thick, flowing messes as they knew then and there that they'd been defeated but while Moxxie had won this battle? The war would be far from over and yet Asagi couldn't help but notice all this baby batter and get herself an idea....one that wonderful, awful all in equally devious, wicked measure as she felt herself getting a little spiteful and vindictive. After all if this imp could be capable of leaving herself and Sakura in such a state, what could be done to certain enemies of theirs?

A few days later, NOMAD agents brought before their commanding officer, the traitorous bitch Oboro, a package they'd intercepted from a taimanin delivery team. Its contents marked as highly sensitive and for those on a need to know basis only, which certainly got the sadistic sow's attention and curiosity in equal measure as she tore it open and examined the contents. Intrigued to find a vial filled with what was clearly a man's baby batter, attached note indicating it was the dna of a virile and potent sexual fiend of a demon, which got the bitch grinning wickedly. Now she simply had to see about cloning whoever this was and seeing to it they'd be unleashed on Asagi and all those other bitches....little realizing that she was being set up big time to be fucked, literally and figuratively....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Titanic Imping!!

Raven seriously couldn't believe she was going through with this but here she was in her bedroom with a whole summoning circle set up, Starfire sitting across from her and looking at her with those big, stupid pretty green eyes of hers. Eagerness and curiosity twinkling within them with anticipation of what was about to occur, assuming this stupid thing could even actually work but the Tamaranean princess insisted it would. Of course how could Raven not trust her especially when her best reliable source had been some girls on the internet who had shared some supposed stories and videos about how this thing could summon you up the finest stud in all of Hell? Just to be safe in case there was a catch to this (Seriously who comes up with a demon summoning ritual with no drawbacks, including the cost of your very own soul?), she'd set up some binding enchantments around the circle should whoever or whatever they called up turned out to be as bad as her father......

But then she reminded herself that Star had been more than persuasive given their not quite official boyfriend but reliable friends with benefit walking zooshifter Beast Boy wasn't on hand to help them scratch their itches, given he was out on a long term mission. Which left them currently in the midst of a major dry spell that not even quality time together with another's mouths, hands, tongues and toys would be sufficient enough to tame the wild beasts of lust within them. So that was likely why Star had nothing but good intentions in mind when she ran this idea by Raven and really what was the harm when the empath was on hand to ensure nothing mystical could go awry? Plus it'd be a fun little activity for a slumber party, right up there with the game of light as a feather, stiff as a board or so she claimed but really, Raven knew better than to argue with those stupid puppy eyes....or kitty eyes given Tamaraneans apparently evolved from felines....

So one setup including some protective wards for good measure and they were good to go, Raven reading off the summoning chant as the usual hullabaloo light show ran its routine course. The titanic heroines quite puzzled as to if they'd done it right as Moxxie now stood before them, the little guy plenty confused in his own right given he'd been in the midst of cleaning his guns when lo and behold, it was this whole game again. Though he had to say of the women that called him up thus far, these 2 were certainly among the more unique and exotic and he had an expecting audience so why waste time? Any questions Star and Raven would've had about whether or not they went wrong somewhere in the ritual forgotten as the imp got their attention by stripping naked and soon as his boxers went and they saw what he was packing, well there was no doubt it worked just fine.......

If Raven still had any doubts, at this point they were pretty nonexistent with her and Star starting things off hot and heavy with the imp with a tandem blowjob. Slobbering that length and girth from the tip to the those heavy red balls, his groans music to their ears which sent quite a few pleasan tingles along the empath's spine with her and the Tamaranean often making out with the shaft between their lusty lips. The sight of course making the imp thrust and pump his hips in response, more so when they took to sandwiching his cock between the marshmallow softness of their boobs. Causing streams of pre to spray on occasion, the drops landing in their skin and in turn causing their arousal to skyrocket…..

So naturally things escalated once the contrasting duo got right into having that imp dick rearrange their insides, every balls deep inch of pleasure hitting not just their G spots, but the whole fuck damn alphabet!!! Orange and ash grey skin glistening with sweat and Raven’s room echoing with the clapping of those meaty asshcheeks being tapped and beaten like juicy bongo drums!! Orgasm after orgasm with every passing second and minute, is it any wonder Raven was finding herself keeping her usual disciplined grasp on her emotions?! Her lust taking a hold on the helm of her brain as her skin became crimson red, her hair Snow White and she grew four eyes which glossed not golden yellow but a bright electric pink indicating this was a rare and so very new side to her…..

Not that Starfire was complaining mind you as she was coming to enjoy this persona she'd never seen of her spiritual, gothic teammate before, so unbound and untamed by shame, inhibition or modesty. Admiring how sexy and beautiful she looked in the throes of passion as the imp would ravish her or the way this erotic Raven would leer at her when it was her turn to get rutted deep and hard. Every orgasm shared and experienced as this ritual did not just as much to give them a night to remember but in some perverse way, bring them closer than they'd ever been before. All the while their little possum of a love machine endured in his efforts to avoid getting drained dry and possibly dying of a crushed pelvis........seriously was meeting these superpowered types going to be a new trend for him?!!

Now Moxxie had handled some wild ones in bed plenty of times than he could keep count or track of but these 2 were clearly in a whole other league of their own. Especially when Raven showed she had quite the demonic side of her own to her yet lady luck seemed to smile down on him as he found himself able to endure the pair until the Ritual finally wore out. The master candle's wick snuffing out, signifying his return to his little corner of Hell and leaving the titanic duo in tangled pile of limbs and a sense of blissful satisfaction while hoping this wasn’t going to become a trend. But let’s face it, we know that’s wishful thinking on his part….

Little did he and the duo know was that they had someone spying on them from outside Raven’s window but you may be asking how coil someone be outside given how many floors up her room was up? Well not really an issue when you could float in the air like this peeper was and just so happened to be Star’s vindictive, petty and spiteful bitch of a sister Blackfire. She’d been intending to pay them a little unexpected, unwanted visit, ie barge in and break stuff for some shits and giggles only to get quite the unexpected sexy show. And ooh you can bet she liked what she saw and was having herself some ideas….maybe messing around with her sister and her dweeby teammates could wait another time…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mamas get Imp'd!!

One couldn’t deny that Kali Belladonna was fine specimen of a woman so it’s a wonder of a mystery how she was still single, certainly she was a widow but she’d had her time to grieve and mourn. Age was hardly an issue as she was a fine wine quality MILF and she was clearly someone who needed some companionship in bed, especially since her daughter had moved out to college and as a result, had left her house feeling rather empty and lonely. Yet she could never imagine she'd do something as bold as what she was doing right now....yet Willow Schnee had insisted she give it a try as the divorcee insisted it'd be something exciting and thrilling to try, after all, why should younger women get all the fun. The Belladonna widow had to say, her recently single friend had uncovered quite the developing wild side to herself ever sincs she finally gave that swine blowhard Jacques the boot, why her OnlyFans page alone had been but the first step in her path of freedom....so it was to be expected she'd want to do something truly spontaneous and wild.

And they certainly didn't get any wilder than trying this peculiar little challenge that'd been going around more memetic than that ice bucket challenge a while back but according to Willow, it was said to be something guaranteed to give lonely, single and in her case especially, thirsty women a night of passion. So there Kali and her stood in the living room of her home in Menagerie Isle, this whole elaborate and sinister seeming ritual set up, the pair clad in just modest, casual island beach wear with the sun setting as they lit the candles and began the summoning chant. One major infernal smoke filled light show later and cue their confusion and shock, the latter at seeing it actually worked and confusion because before them wasn't some devilish Fabio or a beastly wolf man but....this tiny little red horned possum, who'd clearly been in the midst of reading something. That was until he found himself in mid air and fell flat on freckled face, mumbling in annoyance before he regained his bearings and looked up to find the two MILFs towering over him, Willow seeming disappointed and Kali concerned for the little guy...

Now lately Moxxie wasn't sure why but women like this just really did something to his brain, what was it with him and mothers besides some MILF kink? Yet all the same, being in the presence of a pair of such fine specimens of motherhood like Kali and Willow just flipped his brain's switches as the next thing the widow and divorcee knew, they each in turn found themselves drawn down and pulled in for a sudden kiss from the imp. His quite gifted mouth and tongue proving to be quite the bit of magic to it that had them thinking maybe this wasn't a case of false advertising as they now had a sultry gaze in their eyes and took off their outfits. Curious to see how their little gentleman of the evening would respond to their state of nudity as they watched and waited for his reaction....

Before Kali and Willow even knew it, they soo found themselves naked and experiencing unimaginable levels of pleasure, the likes of which the former hadn’t felt since Ghira while the latter could say for sure she never had it this good!! The imp’s hands and mouth working such wonders on them but ooh to say nothing of that cock, how did he manage to even pack and contain it?!! Not that they were complaining mind you especially with how loudly they filled the living room with their howls and cries of passion and ecstasy amidst a barrage of orgasms coming so quick that they couldn’t keep count!!

Willow of course was absolutely loving every goddamn moment of this, the constant rush and onslaught of orgasms surging through her not only putting her limpdick cuck of an ex-husband to shame but being far better than any wine she wasted herself away on!! The Schnee matriarch currently bent against a window as she clutched onto the curtains for dear life while Moxxie was mounting her backside, clinging to her waist for dear life while he fucked her deep and hard!! Stomach bulging from the depth and reach of that bitch pleasing slab of demonic bliss while a primal part of her brain entertained the idea of perhaps wanting to give Winter, Weiss and even Whitely some adorable new brothers and sisters!!

Kali was certainly enjoying it as much as her fellow single mama was but in her case, it was more that she found herself becoming drawn and rather endeared to the adorable little imp giving her so much pleasure. Noticing the way he'd mumble and utter words like mama, making it clear what sort of kink he had as she showered lewd, sexy praise while he fucked her currently in prone bone position, her famous Bellabooty a jiggling cushion for that jackhammering pelvis. One hand grasping the armrest of the couch while the other reached out to caress her sweet little boytoy, calling him such a sweet boy and to keep giving it to mama just like that, deep moans coming from her as she felt him go harder and faster in response. Making the feisty cat mama discovered a whole new side of herself and an understanding to what it was about MILFs that just made boys so hormonal....especially this sweetboy right here.....

By the time the two single, sexy mamas were finally unable to feel like they could keep going, they were basking in the afterglow as they held the imp between them like a plush toy. Naturally, they were missing him already when they woke up to find him gone and just when Willow had been planning to take some pictures to send to her ex husband. But there was certainly always the next time around they could call the sweet little possum up soon as they could, in the meantime it was a good thing they’d set up that camera before hand. Least that way Kali knew her friend was sure to get her kicks sending a copy of that to that limpdick Jacques…seriously, how she had 3 kids with that man was beyond them…

Naturally, Kali’s Onlyfans saw quite the upturn in her subscriber numbers soon as that video was uploaded, with quite a few of them being surprisingly female. Seems they really took quite a shine to their little imp lover boy and yes, Jacques had quite the near heart attack when Willow sent him a copy. But something told the sexy single mamas they might be seeing their sweet possum sooner or later than they thought when they got a visit from a strange woman that seemed like Medusa, who handed them a business card. Seems their video had gotten the attention of her boss, who felt the Milf duo had a potentially bright future in the adult entertainment industry…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queen Bee and the Imp (and I don't mean Bee-lzebub)

Bonnie Rockweller was what one might call your atypical Queen Bee type of girl; snide, snarky, mean spirited, Bitch with a capital B with a highly expensive taste in fashion and admittedly, stupid sexy good looks. When she liked something in particular that she saw or heard of, chances are she’d want it and when Bonnie wanted it, she’d ensure she was going to get it. In this case, she’d been hearing rumours among the freaky goth girls on campus about about some amazing hunk who could give you a night of passion and all you had to do was call him up. Not that she’d ever care or give a damn what the weird spooky girls got up to behind closed doors but she had to say she’d be lying if she claimed she wasn’t intrigued at the idea of a demonic Casanova wooing her and making her feel like a goddess…

So of course with her mom and sisters out of the house for the weekend, rather than throw some cliche party (what teen movie hadn’t played that old trope?), she decided to bite the bullet and see if this rumour was legit. All it took was browsing the right places on the internet and well, doubt and hesitation aside about Something her local church would no doubt condemn, Bonnie had to say her handiwork wasn’t looking too shabby plus she had been looking for an overdue excuse to use those scented candles. Thus with the instructions provided, she got to work putting her summoning circle shrine to work, wicks lit and chant being read as she felt her thighs become slick with anticipation as to what of sort of infernal born hunk was going to blow her back out and clap her cheeks, but soon as the whole magic show finished up..she felt just about ready to choke a bitch!! All of that voodoo mumbo jumbo and she got what basically seemed like Ron Stoppable mixed with Roger Rabbit into some little horned red possum, talk about a fucking rip off!!

Yeah come on, if you guys been reading this story long enough then of course you know it's Moxxie but hey got to build up the suspense for these horny bitches you know?! Speaking of bitches, Bonnie was certainly feeling it and not the in heat variety, no sir, looking ready to verbally tear our little freckled gentleman a new one for being DOA (Disappointment on Arrival), regardless of the fact that the little dude was still trying collect his wits, clinging to the towel around his waist as the queen bee had called him up after he'd just had a bath. So he was trying, mercy on him, trying to keep himself decent as he kept the rag on best he could and tune out the spite pouring from Bonnie's quite luscious looking lips, admittedly she did still sexy even when all pissy and angry before she got tired of being ignored and grabbed his towel, pulling it off in one swoop!! Suffice to say, when she set her pretty green eyes on that more than well endowed slab of meat between his legs, she was quick to shut up while Moxxie gave her the most deadpan look imaginable, after all since she decided to fuck around, now it was time she found out.....

Bonnie couldn’t say for certain what Heaven was like but if it had a sweetheart like Moxxie in it, she was looking forward to the afterlife because this had to be what it’d be like!! Pink glowing hearts flooding her vision as Moxxie fucked her deep and hard, gladly and lewdly calling him Daddy as she held her legs in a perfect splits. Inch after glorious inch of his big red imp cock sinking balls deep into her snatch to ensure she need never think of other men ever again!! And how she loved it, declaring she belonged to him and was Daddy’s good little horny slut who’d never think of betraying him for any of those limpdicks who didn’t compare to him in the slightest!! She wasn’t sure how much time a passed and frankly, she didn’t care when her imp daddy was only just getting started!!

Now if Moxxie found there was one thing that could go 5050, it was dealing with bratty queen bee bimbo types but something about Bonnie made her quite charming and sexy in her own way. Just how utterly submissive and devoted she became, lust and adoration in her green eyes as he made the most of that cheerleader trainer flexible and limber body of hers and pushed it to its absolute limits that it's a wonder he didn't make her into a human pretzel. His pelvis and the bedsheets becoming soaked from the constant geyser eruptions of her pussy as she was cumming so hard from his fucking her that she was squirting like he'd gone and struck an oil well!! And it just made him want to keep being such an obliging Daddy and keep fucking her harder, after all it's what the slutty little princess wanted!!

And ooh did Bonnie want it, lust having taken a hold of her and made her cast aside her shame and dignity in equal measure, gleefully and eagerly submitting to her imp daddy!! Her mouth, her ass, her womb, fuck it all of hers was all his to do with as he so pleased, wishing she could have more than this one candle's worth of a night to show her how much a good little pet she could be!! Who needed all those meathead jocks, campy pretty boys or the like when it was clear Hell had a real man, did this seriously not cost her soul? Because eternal damnation in sexual slavery to this imp was looking more than tempting right now, ooh how she could see it in her dreams......

At some point Bonnie didn’t know when she lost consciousness, all she knew was she’d gotten fucked so well and good that it’s a wonder she blacked out, pouting adorably as she woke up to find Moxxie was gone. But the little gentleman had tucked her in and left her a note twisting her well and hoping he hadn’t been too rough on her, which only made the queen bee shudder as she recalled just how delicious that experience had been. And oh how thoughtful of her imo daddy to leave her a number if she ever wanted to keep in touch, because she was missing him already..and getting some ideas. Very naughty, sexy, wicked ideas because hey she wasn’t a rainless bimbo airhead after all…..

A few of which she wasted little to no time in implementing, starting with sending Moxxie some spicy nude pictures with captions stating how much she was already missing him. And looking forward to the next time around, whenever he named a time and place and she only upped the ante with some pictures of her teammates on the cheer squad. Asking her imp daddy if he approved and would consider tapping those fine asses, yes even sending him shots of Kim for good measure. Never underestimate Bonnie when she was motivated because you could damn well bet she had only just begun her lust for Moxxie….thank you weird cool goth girls for what you’ve unleashed…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Imp-spirational!!

They often say at times that there is truth in myth so one has to wonder if at anytime that became of the pagan pantheons of old after organised religion came into effect. In the case of Caliope and her sisters, Olympus may’ve come and gone but muses never went out of style or fashion so these days they tended to live amongst mortals, occasionally bring a flash of inspiration here and there whenever it was needed. For example, they were responsible for 9 of the 10 top box office grossing films of all time….those wondering, the last one was Home Alone, some schmuck sold his soul to Satan for that screenplay. It wasn’t much compared to their days as goddesses of the arts and proclaimer of heroes but it still gave them a sense of purpose….

but of course even they needed a little quality time for themselves every now and then which was why the 5 eye catching, head turning, jaw dropping bombshells were currently a little spa trip.....where of course our resident infernal killers for hire happened to come on by. Their target for their latest hit was attending this place and it was the best means to take them out while their guard was down so of course the only way things could get all clusterfuck was if Murphy's law decided to be the fickle bitch with bad timing as ever. Which indeed she did given the target was an infamous drug cartel boss which meant soon as the deed was done, they had a lot of pissed off gangsters to avoid and or kill so the whole parlor became akin to a goddamn John Woo movie, all that was missing was the doves!!! Which at one point saw our misfit trio split up which is where we come to find Moxxie scrambling through the vents to try and find the others then get Blitzo to open up a portal back home, only for a grate to give out under him and cause him to fall below....

And splash right down in the middle of an open air hot spring, much to the shock and surprise of the currently nude, bathing muses who were naturally puzzled as to how and why an Imp was here on the living world. The little guys and gals hardly ever left Hell, let alone often had access to the means to do so, as Moxxie came up to the surface, coughing and spitting up water and spot the 5 naked, dusky mocha skinned beauts. Looking and feeling like a deer caught in the headlights an incoming cargo truck as he worried he was about to get the classic anime accidental pervert's typical punishment for mistakenly gatecrashing in on sexy women in a state of near to total nudity. Only instead of finding himself on the receiving end of slaps, kicks and punches, he cracked his eyes open to find them giving some very sultry looks...the sort of which he was more than used to getting from women, especially when they were in the mood....

Before Moxxie knew what was happening, he found himself naked in a hotsprings with his cock being assaulted by 5 sets of tits, asses, lips and tongues. Each muse working their sensual magic on his length and girth as well as his balls with one or two of them also taking time to kiss and make out with him. Thalia of course was easily making him feel like he was in Heaven with those oh so fine, perky tits of hers, sandwiching and massaging his cock in milk chocolate marshmallow heaven. Before the next thing the imp knew, Caliope was parking her voluptuous booty on his face, causing his tongue to instinctively lash out and start to eat her out......

It was natural then that Moxxie's libido would take hold because the 5 way onslaught of pleasure from such divine seeming exotic pieces of milk chocolate like these girls was just too much to resist. Yet in spite of the numbers disadvantage, he was holding up quite well though not that the goddesses of the arts were complaining mind you. Not when they were getting it balls deep with inches of pussy filling, womb hammering, cheek clapping, ass tapping demonic length and girth blowing their backs out in ways that'd make Aphrodite herself blush!! The bathing area flooded with sounds of water splashing due to the constant tangle of limbs amidst a sea of bodies and skin slapping on skin....

From Melpomene giving him quite the show with her twerking asscheeks as she rode him in reverse cowgirl to Clio having her ankles on either side of her head while taking it in a mating press. To Terpsichore dancing in his lap as she bounced on his shaft in a seated lotus to finding himself double teamed by Thalia and Caliope on and off again one at a time or both, it's a wonder Moxxie managed to somehow get out of that spring. Leaving the 5 dusky skinned muses laying about in heaps of fully satisfied bliss and dreaming sweet sexy dreams while he left on his merry way, getting dressed and rushing back to meet up with Blitz and Millie. He seriously hoped he didn't have to explain himself because quite frankly, even he was having a hard time believing what just happened, well...happened!!

Luckily he didn't have to look or search far as he managed to locate them as he met up with them in the lobby with Blitzo all tarred and feathered for some reason. Millie meanwhile had those finely tuned intuition and senses of hers telling her that her man had gotten some action of the sexy kind and oooh you just know she was going to grill for the juicy details later. For now, it was time to haul ass back to Hell before the rest of their dead target's pissed off goon squad came their way looking for their pound of flesh or in Blitz's case, ounce. Seriously with what a prick the guy it'd been, it's a wonder those deadbeats were willing to go so far to die for him....but hey, can't cure stupidity....

And yes indeed, once Millie got the details, she rode her husband like a rodeo warhorse and then some to a point that their bed broke. The shortstack farm girl sleeping nice and warm as she basked in the afterglow with her man and dreamt sweet, sexy spicy dreams… before finding herself visited on this occasion by the muses themselves and oooh did they have some ideas to share with her. And ooh believe you me, if you think Millie has been one kinky little bitch, you’ve seen nothing yet. Just how bad you think she can get when she’s got enablers?

[alix-in-july]

Sorting Gohan from DBZ

I actually do want to talk about Gohan's sorting. For most of Dragonball Z, it really does seem like he's a double Lion because we mainly see him in moments of world-ending crisis. He gets thrown into a battle situation and he usually flounders or is mediocre compared to the other Saiyans until he gets triggered and just explodes at the bad guy. It all looks very Lion secondary on the surface. BUT then at the beginning of the Buu saga, we finally see Gohan during peacetime. And what is he doing? He's becoming a masked vigilante (Actor Bird) and planning out choreography and catchphrases. He's flying to see Bulma to consult with her about things (I know a Guy). When he's caught by surprise, he stammers and has no idea what to do. Contrast that with Chibi Trunks, who is able to just roll with it when he's almost caught pretending to be Mighty Mask. Also, when it's time to fight Cell, Goku purposefully goes first because he knows Gohan needs to study Cell's fighting technique in order to succeed.

He is a Lion primary like his dad, but he's more of a Paragon Lion whereas Goku is somewhat of a Paragon but sometimes just wants to fight for fighting's sake even when it's not the best idea. Like when Bulma suggests killing the Androids and Goku and Vegeta hate that idea because "we need to test our strength!" Gohan does not enjoy fighting for its own sake and sees it as a means to save people. He's not a Snake because he will put himself in danger to save strangers. He doesn't identify with the group (is anyone a Badger primary in this show??). And his morality doesn't function the way a Bird primary's would.

[adamwatchesmovies]

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

It’s impossible to imagine anyone calling We Need to Talk About Kevin their favorite movie. Even saying that you ‘enjoyed it’ would raise some eyebrows but that’s because it’s so well made. Watching it alone would be nearly traumatic but if you catch it with a group of friends and set aside some time to talk about it (the movie’s title says you should, after all), it will be an illuminating experience you won’t forget anytime soon.

Once a successful travel writer, Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) has lost everything and now lives alone. Hated by her neighbors for a crime her son Kevin (played by Ezra Miller) committed, she thinks back to his upbringing, trying to figure out where things went wrong.

If We Need to Talk About Kevin has any flaws, it’s that 1) the story is unpleasant and 2) you can sort of piece together some aspects of it before the big reveal. I'll argue these flaws should not be held against the film because they're necessary.

There was no way to make We Need to Talk About Kevin a good ol’ time at the movies. Kevin is a horrible collection of cells. He is a manipulative psychopath whose life has brought nothing but misery to everyone who ever met him. When he dies, the world will be a better place. No insult you throw his way is too harsh and no punishment he endures could ever be agonizing enough.

As for that second “flaw”, the film’s predictable “reveal” during the final act, I’m going to argue that Kevin's crime is a forgone conclusion. The point of the movie is that we are revisiting the past through Eva’s eyes. She's exploring her memories, wondering how she could've missed all the hints that we see. It allows you to understand and maybe even sympathize with her, which is a difficult thing because you don’t like Eva. You might not want her to end up in the darkest, most painful circle of Hell Kevin is sent to, but even before her son completely destroyed her life, she wasn’t a particularly nice person, a good mother or a good wife (Eva's husband is played by John C. Reilly) either. Ever wonder how the parents of someone who overdoses on drugs, becomes a serial killer or abuses their spouse must feel when they learn that what they knew would happen actually happens? That's what We Need to Talk About Kevin is about.

We Need to Talk About Kevin is difficult to watch but in the end, it all builds to something so unexpected you have to pause and think about it. Look at the way director Lynne Ramsay uses the colour red, for example. It's an obvious choice for a story about violence like this one, but the true meaning of the colour is not obvious. It triggers memories or ties flashbacks to scenes in the present. Noises are used similarly. There’s the sound of sprinkler systems that come back over and over. You don’t know why at first. When we find out, that information recontextualizes everything. You're so busy thinking about the way the story flows and its themes that you nearly overlook the other technical aspects. The performances are the kind that are so convincing you'll overlook them. You forget you're watching actors; you just see the characters they're playing. Although the emotions the film raises are negative, the techniques used to generate them is nothing short of masterful.

Throughout We Need to Talk About Kevin, you’re unsure about how the mother and son feel about each other. Every fiber of your being tells you that Eva hates Kevin and that he hates her. You hate Kevin too, so how could she not? Everything he’s ever done has built up to a deliberate choice that has ruined her life. It's like everything else was just collateral damage. It was always solely about her. They are always on each others’ minds and the last scene makes you wonder. To me, it seems as though Kevin has kept ties with his mother just so he can continue to torment her, just so he can see his hard work pay off. If he can get her to say “I hate you”, he’s won. Sensing this - after all, Eva knows him better than anyone - she puts up with him. The big question is whether, in that final scene, something has changed. The last time we see Kevin there’s something different about him. Certainly on the outside. On the inside? It’s hard to say. Maybe he’s realized something’s about to change and he now realizes just where his actions are about to bring him. Maybe it’s just a new tactic. Maybe hatred has turned to love. Maybe there was love there all along. Figuring out what's actually happening in that final moment is what this movie is ultimately about, which makes it a powerful experience. I said powerful, not necessarily enjoyable.

As time passes, I find myself thinking about We Need to Talk About Kevin a lot. Are the thoughts loving? I'm not sure. Perhaps they're similar to the thoughts parents of terrible children have about their kids; yeah you hate them, but you know, they’re your kid so one way or another, you love them too. (February 25, 2022)

[christian-dubuis-santini]

Psy-op co-vide : le rapport de Stanford University

Un rapport explosif a récemment été publié par la Chambre des représentants des États-Unis concernant la campagne de santé publique sur le COVID-19 orchestrée par le Département de la Santé et des Services sociaux (HHS) des États-Unis. Ce document, résumé par le Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, épidémiologiste et professeur à l’École de médecine de Stanford, révèle une opération de propagande à grande échelle visant à manipuler l’opinion publique au sujet des vaccins COVID et des mesures sanitaires. Selon cette analyse, cette campagne a contribué à détruire le lien de confiance entre les citoyens et les autorités de santé publique.

Une Manipulation à Grande Échelle Financée par des Milliards de Dollars

Selon le rapport, l’administration Biden a dépensé près d’un milliard de dollars pour diffuser des informations trompeuses et créer un climat de peur autour du COVID-19. Ce financement massif a été alloué à une firme de relations publiques, la Fors Marsh Group (FMG), avec pour mission d’augmenter l’acceptation des vaccins COVID auprès du public. Les tactiques employées ? Exagération des risques de mortalité, minimisation de l’absence de preuves sur l’efficacité des vaccins pour arrêter la transmission, et promotion intense des masques et de la distanciation sociale.

En d’autres termes, le gouvernement a exploité des techniques de manipulation psychologique pour imposer des mesures sans fondement scientifique solide. Si une entreprise pharmaceutique privée avait agi de la sorte, elle aurait probablement été condamnée à une amende colossale, suffisant à la mettre en faillite.

Une Campagne de Peur et de Contrôle

Le rapport décrit en détail comment le HHS a orchestré une campagne médiatique massive, avec un mélange de publicités payantes et de messages subtils dans les médias. Ces messages étaient amplifiés par des influenceurs, des célébrités et même des sportifs, qui servaient à légitimer et répéter des informations non fondées auprès de la population.

Les messages de la campagne ne s’arrêtaient pas aux vaccins. Elle promouvait aussi la fermeture des écoles, la distanciation sociale, et l’utilisation des masques, souvent avec des messages exagérés et alarmistes, bien loin de la réalité des faits. En conséquence, le rapport affirme que cette propagande a contribué à l’érosion du capital confiance entre les citoyens et les services de santé publique.

Des Données “Scientifiques” Falsifiées

La campagne de la FMG s’appuyait largement sur les recommandations des Centres pour le Contrôle et la Prévention des Maladies (CDC), qui se sont révélées largement inexactes. Par exemple, la campagne affirmait faussement que les vaccins COVID empêchaient la transmission du virus, une affirmation contredite par de nombreuses études internationales. Pire encore, la CDC a exagéré les risques de COVID pour les enfants, malgré des preuves scientifiques montrant que le virus présentait un faible risque pour cette tranche d’âge.

Un Endoctrinement dès le Plus Jeune Âge

Une partie de la campagne s’adressait spécifiquement aux parents, les incitant à vacciner leurs enfants en déformant la réalité des risques. Les publicités allaient jusqu’à affirmer que le vaccin protégerait contre le “COVID long”, sans aucune preuve scientifique solide pour étayer cette affirmation. En raison de ce climat de peur généralisé, de nombreux parents se sont sentis contraints de vacciner leurs enfants, souvent sans une véritable évaluation des risques.

La Conséquence : Un Effondrement de la Confiance dans les Autorités Sanitaires

Avec des messages souvent contradictoires et basés sur des preuves erronées, la campagne a érodé la crédibilité de la CDC et d’autres institutions de santé. En conséquence, de plus en plus d’Américains remettent en question les conseils de santé publique, y compris pour des vaccinations essentielles comme celles contre la rougeole ou la polio. Cette méfiance envers les institutions pourrait avoir des conséquences désastreuses pour la santé publique à long terme.

Des Leçons Cruciales et des Recommandations Urgentes

Le rapport conclut avec plusieurs recommandations pour éviter qu’un tel fiasco ne se reproduise à l’avenir :

1. Redéfinir la mission de la CDC : Clarifier et recentrer la mission de l’institution sur la prévention des maladies.

2. Limiter les messages de santé publique : Le HHS ne devrait diffuser que des informations validées par la FDA, sans exagérations ni détournements.

3. Favoriser la transparence : Instaurer une culture de la transparence pour restaurer la confiance du public.

4. Encourager le débat scientifique : Ne plus étouffer les opinions divergentes, mais au contraire les accueillir pour renforcer la rigueur scientifique.

L’une des recommandations les plus cruciales est d’interdire au HHS de créer un faux consensus scientifique en supprimant les avis scientifiques divergents, ce qui a contribué à une pensée unique et aveugle au sein de la CDC.

Le rapport appelle le HHS à prendre ces recommandations au sérieux s’il veut regagner la confiance du public. Dans le cas contraire, le spectre d’une future crise de santé publique risque d’être accompagné d’une défiance massive, avec des conséquences encore plus graves pour la santé publique et la cohésion sociale.

#COVID19 #SantéPublique #Vaccination #ManipulationMédiatique #ConfiancePerdue #CDC #Propagande #RapportDévastateur #MesuresSanitaires #EnfantsEtVaccins #Désinformation #Pandémie #ConsciencePublique

Source : https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/e-and-c-republicans-release-report-detailing-hhs-failed-covid-19-public-relations-campaign

[d-awn-of-hope]

Dawn of Hope

Montagnes rocheuses, Colorado, USA. L’Université de Delmont vient d’annoncer l’ouverture à la rentrée prochaine d’une formation internationale pour les ExtraOrdinaires (EO, ou Exordes) de faible potentiel, provoquant une véritable onde de choc dans la population.

En effet, beaucoup craignent l’affluence d’autant d’EO dans un endroit et la menace que pourrait représenter un groupe ainsi constitué. Si la révélation au monde de personnes avec des pouvoirs date des années 60, seules les plus dangereuses étaient vraiment encadrées par l’Etat. Accompagner les Exordes de seconde zone dans la maîtrise de leur pouvoir revient pour de nombreux civils à amorcer une menace plus importante pour les prochaines années.

La direction de l’Université se veut rassurante, en rappelant que la formation n’est jamais un tort et que les ExtraOrdinaires ont besoin d’encadrement et d’outils pour s’intégrer au mieux dans la société et être moteurs pour les enjeux de demain.

Note d’intention

Forum avatars réels se déroulant à Delmont (fictif), Colorado, USA.

A contrepied des super-héros accomplis et badass, propose d’explorer l’évolution des pouvoirs et les pouvoirs de seconde zone moins conventionnels. Manipuler le feu ou la glace sans pouvoir former des tourbillons incendiaires ou geler une ville entière, c'est cool. Faire de la fumée, changer sa peau en papier ou parler aux animaux, c’est cool aussi.

Se détache des univers établis de super-héros.

Possibilité de jouer des ExtraOrdinaires en formation, des enseignants, des étudiants civils, des civils, des membres du FBI détachés pour assurer la sécurité ou toute autre personne qui a un motif pour vivre dans un bled comme Delmont.

Forum évolutif. Le système exact est encore à définir, mais présence de missions et d’enquêtes (avec possibilités d’être gravement blessé ou tué signalé avant inscription à ces dernières), PNJ du Staff capable d’intervenir dans certains RP, évolution du forum en fonction des RPs en plus des intrigues, etc.

Système facultatif de secrets. Le Staff s’engage à vous aider à les exploiter.

Volonté de limiter les annexes et les systèmes de jeu complexes.

De nombreux mystères à lever au fil des intrigues. Les apparences sont parfois trompeuses, et beaucoup se joue en dessous de la surface.

Inspiration Hero Corp (série française, pour l’aspect pouvoirs de seconde zone, dégénérescence et progression des pouvoirs), Community College Hero (nouvelle interactive en anglais, pour le cadre universitaire et les pouvoirs de seconde zone), Masks (jeu de rôle, pour l’importance des pouvoirs dans la construction / redécouverte de soi)

Informations diverses

Deux cursus sont ouverts pour les ExtraOrdinaires en cette première année : un cursus « Défense », visant à former les pouvoirs les plus pertinents ou les plus hauts potentiels de la promotion au combat et au renseignement, et un cursus « Société », visant à permettre aux Exordes de s’intégrer au mieux au monde civil. Ces cursus seront présentés dans une annexe.

Une annexe est en cours de finalisation pour présenter les pouvoirs. Notre but n'est pas de proposer une liste exhaustive de pouvoirs ou de mettre en place un système JdR avec des compétences, des “sorts” ou “techniques” établis, etc. Nous misons au contraire sur la fluidité RP, la créativité et le fairplay.

Certains points sont encore à définir dans la conception du forum : mise en place ou non d'un système de jeu pour soutenir les objectifs d'interactivité, mise en place des fiches, etc. Les deux annexes qui demandent le plus de travail sont en cours (dont celle traitant des pouvoirs presque finalisée).

Le graphisme du forum est encore à réaliser, et le code à finaliser.

Tous les retours sont les bienvenus et toutes les questions sont bonnes (on a même carrément besoin de ça pour faire un forum cohérent et qui vous plaise autant qu'à nous). N’hésitez pas à vous manifester si ce projet attire votre attention !

[anonymous-harpy]

Another random inquiry, because I just can’t help myself.

So obviously stated some of your favorite DB characters are Cooler, your OC Geliaden, and Yoji (Baby Vegeta).

But regarding Yoji, I’m curious - how come you like his Baby Vegeta form the best?

(Also how did you come up with the crack idea of Cooler/Yoji?)

Long post ahead!

Honestly I'm not entirely sure why I love him especially his Super Baby 2 form

Something about it is just satisfying. Though honestly it's how his character presents himself. I went into GT fairly blind, only having a sort of idea of what happened and when Baby was introduced he just kind stuck out.

I know some fans want to complain about him, how he undercuts his underling's presence like Doctor Mu and Captain Rildo, making very fair comparisons to Doctor Gero and Cell.

However I like what he represents. He's the sins of Vegeta's father come crashing down on the prince's head as one last "Fuvk you" sorta punishment for everything Vegeta did. I like Vegeta A LOT in GT. In super I do enjoy him quite a bit (All of the first 2 season I've only watched) but he feels a little too goofy at times.

Uhhh getting back to Baby, he's a tuffle parasite and is good foil, so to speak, to Vegeta. Theu botg want revenge for the destruction of their people and it's accomplished through two different methods (technically) Baby's being through the superior technological advancements. They call him a machine mutant- he's a biomechanics. I go with Cell being exclusively biological, 17 & 18 have are more in-between- and This little parasite is literally the perfect combination of biological and mechanical.

Also his methods of dealing with people onces he's properly involved are VERY interesting. I love that he actually helpless until he gains enough strength and requires a body to be safe.

His "re-introduction" is also kind spooky. The little bastard straight up destroyed a ship Alien 1 style and hitched a ride with a kid to try and get everyone's guard down. Which works until he attempts to take over Pan.

Alsoalso I fuckin' love that he employs the best technique to ever exist in all of dragon ball- Solar flare. And that it's used in slight panic makes it even funnier that he caught everyone off guard again.

After that, it's just plain fun to see the group forget about him again and he just rocks up on earth and clean sweaps the fuckin planet. He depends a lot on people lowering their guards and getting over confident and it's perfect. Absolutely perfect because the second that doesn't happen he gets pinched very easily. (He takes after his name sake- he's childish and loves catching people off guard)

He also happily scares the shit out of Trunks and it's both hilarious to me and I feel bad for my boy Trunks. Only good thing about that is it's not future Trunks dealing with more bullshit.

NOW THEN- His baby-vegeta appearance. The base form looks awesome with the crosshair eyes, Super baby is goofy looking and him glad it lasted all of five minutes and Super bby 2 IT'S JUST SO COOL LOOKING

I'm a sucker for the Aesthetic of it. Also I full blown LOVED this form because his Revenge Death Ball is literally just an Evil Spirit Bomb. It's so metal. His speech before it is 1-to-1 an evil spirit bomb. I FUVKIN LOVE IT XD

After that he just casually keeps Bulma at his side and respects her- until his ass is in danger. The beautiful coward.

There's also his Great Ape form. Golden monkey with a Mohawk and jacket. He is perfect.

He's just a loveable dork if he wasn't so hell bent on revenge.

I could gush for hours about Babe, he's literally my favorite since I have so much information to work with.

NOW THE CRACK SHIP- I can't say for sure why I started shipping it, however I know for a fact that because Andrew Chandler (Cooler's VA) happened to voice Captain Rildo, and then he had a coat of silver paint added and afterwards Rildo literally because Meta Cooler, I think I made a subconscious connection and I ran with it.

[digilibtech]

Mastering Excel Basics: 10 Essential Tips for Spreadsheet Success

I. Introduction

In this section, you will introduce the blog post by emphasizing the importance of Excel in various aspects of life and work. You will highlight the significance of mastering the basics of Excel for efficient usage of spreadsheets. This will set the tone for the rest of the blog post. II. Tip 1: Navigating the Excel Interface

This section will guide readers on navigating the Excel interface effectively. It will explain the key elements of the Excel interface, such as the ribbon, menus, and toolbars. You will provide tips on customizing the interface based on individual preferences, improving productivity while working with Excel. III. Tip 2: Creating and Formatting Cells

In this section, you will explain the process of creating and formatting cells in Excel. You will cover essential aspects such as adjusting column width, merging cells, and applying borders. This will help readers make their spreadsheets visually appealing and organized. IV. Tip 3: Working with Formulas and Functions

This section will introduce readers to the concept of formulas and functions in Excel. You will explain basic mathematical operations, referencing cells, and using common functions like SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT. Practical examples and shortcuts will be shared to simplify the creation of formulas. V. Tip 4: Sorting and Filtering Data

Here, you will demonstrate how to sort data in ascending or descending order in Excel. Additionally, you will explain the benefits of filtering data to focus on specific information. Tips on applying multiple criteria and using advanced filtering options will be provided. VI. Tip 5: Data Validation and Error Handling

This section will discuss the importance of data validation in Excel to ensure accurate data entry. You will share techniques for setting validation rules and creating custom error messages. Furthermore, insights on handling errors, such as using error checking and the IFERROR function, will be provided. VII. Tip 6: Working with Worksheets and Workbooks

In this section, you will guide readers on managing multiple worksheets within an Excel workbook. Techniques for rearranging, renaming, and grouping worksheets will be explained. Additionally, tips on linking data between worksheets and workbooks for efficient data management will be shared. VIII. Tip 7: Using Charts and Graphs

This section will highlight the power of visualizing data with charts and graphs in Excel. Readers will be walked through the process of creating various chart types, such as bar graphs, line charts, and pie charts. Suggestions for customizing and formatting charts to effectively convey information will be offered. IX. Tip 8: Applying Basic Analysis Tools

Here, you will introduce readers to basic analysis tools in Excel, including sorting, filtering, and conditional formatting. The benefits of using these tools to gain insights from data will be discussed. Practical examples of analyzing data using these features will be provided. X. Tip 9: Enhancing Productivity with Shortcuts

In this section, you will share a selection of useful keyboard shortcuts in Excel to streamline common tasks. Time-saving shortcuts for navigation, formatting, and formula entry will be highlighted. Readers will be encouraged to practice and incorporate these shortcuts into their workflow. XI. Tip 10: Troubleshooting Common Issues

This section will address common issues that users may encounter while working in Excel. Troubleshooting tips for issues like formula errors, data inconsistencies, and printing problems will be provided. Resources and recommendations for further assistance will also be given.

Microsoft Excel Basics Microsoft Excel is a powerful and versatile tool that provides numerous benefits for individuals and organizations across various industries. This conclusion highlights the fundamental aspects of Microsoft Excel and its importance in everyday tasks. Firstly, Excel serves as a comprehensive spreadsheet program that allows users to organize and analyze data efficiently. Its wide range of functions, formulas, and formatting options enable users to perform complex calculations, create visually appealing charts and graphs, and manipulate data with ease.

Excel’s intuitive interface and user-friendly features make it accessible to users of all skill levels. Secondly, Excel enhances productivity and saves time by automating repetitive tasks through the use of macros and advanced formulas. It enables users to create templates and apply them to new data sets, thereby streamlining workflows and reducing errors. Additionally, Excel facilitates collaboration and data sharing by providing options for data import/export, real-time co-authoring, and integration with other Microsoft Office applications. Moreover, Excel is a valuable tool for financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting. It enables individuals and businesses to track expenses, manage budgets, and generate accurate financial reports. Excel’s built-in financial functions and tools make it an indispensable asset for finance professionals, enabling them to make informed decisions based on reliable data. Furthermore, Excel is widely used in various industries such as finance, accounting, marketing, and project management. Its versatility allows it to adapt to different business needs, making it a universal tool for data manipulation and analysis. Proficiency in Excel is often a prerequisite for many job positions, and acquiring Excel skills can significantly enhance one’s employability

In this article, we’ll cover the fundamental capabilities in the Lace, which is what the primary menu bar in Succeed is called. Things in the lace contain gatherings of symbols that carry out comparable roles. These incorporate :

File Home Insert Page Layout Formulas Data Review View

File

The Record menu is the furthest left thing in the Succeed strip. The Record strip things empower you to perform document the executives capabilities, including open, save, close, and print. You likewise utilize the Document menu to import from outside sources into Succeed, alongside choices that permit you to change Succeed itself.

Expert Tip: The Document menu doesn’t show up as a lace in Succeed for Macintosh. All things being equal, the Document menu shows up in the Application Menu Bar.

Home

The Home menu is the second menu in the Succeed menu bar. The Home lace things incorporate choices for arranging textual style, variety, restrictive designing, channel, number sort, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. This multitude of capabilities help one in performing different viable computations.

Expert Tip: Attempt the Configuration Painter. It permits you to duplicate the designing starting with one cell then onto the next, which can be an incredible efficient device.

Insert

As the name recommends, the Supplement menu assists you with embedding different choices and things into a Succeed calculation sheet. You can embed different things going from turn table to picture, cut craftsmanship, shapes, screen shots, diagrams and charts, text box, header and footer, images, condition, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Expert Tip: You can likewise embed hyperlinks and even guides utilizing the Supplement menu.

Page Layout

Once more, the name recommends the assortment of capabilities on the Page Format menu. You’ll see numerous choices for arranging pages for survey and printing — including page size, edges, tones and text styles, etc. You can likewise tweak cell level and width on the Page Design menu.

Expert Tip: You can add a foundation to an assortment of cells — or even your whole bookkeeping sheet. Simply click Foundation and select the picture you need to utilize.

Formulas

The Recipes menu is where you track down all the calculating choices. Succeed accompanies heaps of equations including monetary, intelligent, text, date and time, query and reference, and math and geometry.

Expert Tip: You can name cells or scopes of cells – this can make it more straightforward to modify your recipes.

Data

The Information menu likewise contains numerous significant capabilities in Succeed, incorporating imports and associations with data sets. You likewise access the sort, channel, eliminate copies, information approval, solidification, bunch, ungroup, and subtotal capabilities on the Information menu.

Expert Tip: Utilize the Information Approval capability to guarantee consistency in cells.

Review

Prior in this article, we referenced Succeed’s capacity to team up on calculation sheets. The Survey menu is where a significant number of those errands happen. You can offer remarks in cells for your associates, check spelling, track changes, and even limit authorization involving things in the Audit menu.

Expert Tip: Utilize the Offer Exercise manual connect to impart to your associates!

View

On the View menu, you tweak the manner in which accounting sheets show up on your screen. Choices incorporate showing matrix lines between cells, flipping the recipe bar and headings, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. This menu additionally gives you choices to view and record macros, also — macros let you record normal advances you perform so you don’t need to rehash exactly the same things again and again!

Expert Tip: Utilize the Freeze Top Line or Freeze First Segment, and they will wait while you look at endlessly pages of numbers.

Conclusion In the concluding section, you will recap the 10 essential tips for mastering Excel basics. Readers will be encouraged to apply these tips to improve their spreadsheet skills and achieve success. The importance of continuous learning and exploration of advanced Excel features will be emphasized. By explaining each outline in detail, the blog post will provide valuable insights and practical guidance to readers looking to master Excel basics and succeed with their spreadsheets.

Microsoft Excel is an essential tool for data management, analysis, and productivity improvement. Its diverse range of features, ease of use, and widespread applicability make it an indispensable asset for individuals and organizations alike. By mastering the basics of Excel, users can unlock its full potential and gain a competitive edge in the digital age.

[semcoinfratechworld]

How Lithium-ion Battery Packs Are Assembled: Techniques, Testing & Key Challenges?

The manufacturing of lithium-ion battery packs is a crucial step in delivering high-performance, reliable power solutions. It involves combining individual lithium-ion cells into functional battery modules, integrated with safety and monitoring systems.

These battery packs power a range of modern applications, including electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage systems, and portable electronics.

Key Stages in Lithium-ion Battery Pack Manufacturing

1. Battery Cell Sorting and Grouping

Selection: Match cells with similar internal resistance, voltage, and capacity.

Grouping: Uniform cell groups promote balanced performance and longevity.

Testing: Evaluate cell capacity, voltage drop, and charge/discharge cycles.

2. Cell Assembly and Spot Welding

Fixture Placement: Accurately arrange cells using designated tools.

Spot Welding: Use automatic battery welding machines for strong, clean joints.

Quality Inspection: Check weld integrity to avoid electrical faults.

3. Battery Module Assembly

Module Connection: Configure cells in series or parallel for target voltage/capacity.

BMS Integration: Install a Battery Management System (BMS) to monitor temperature, voltage, and current flow.

4. Battery Pack Testing and Quality Control

Functional Testing: Validate module safety, performance, and reliability.

Leakage Testing: Ensure airtight, leak-free construction.

Visual Inspection: Spot physical defects or structural inconsistencies.

Challenges and Considerations in Battery Pack Manufacturing

Cell Consistency: Inconsistent cells can destabilize battery module performance.

Welding Quality: Poor welds may lead to short circuits and thermal hazards.

BMS Configuration: A well-calibrated BMS ensures safe energy management.

Compliance: Must meet global safety standards like UN 38.3, UL 2580, ISO 26262.

Conclusion

From cell sorting to final testing, every stage in lithium-ion battery pack assembly ensures the product is safe, efficient, and ready for deployment. When done correctly, this process delivers durable energy solutions for EVs, solar systems, and industrial battery applications.

[thebookworm-lebouquineur]

58 / Amougies Festival 1969: Captain Beefheart et ses acolytes

58 / Amougies Festival 1969 : Captain Beefheart et ses acolytes

Comme on était de fait à la campagne, il gelait dès la nuit tombée et l’humidité de l’air transperçait tous les vêtements qu’on avait enfilé les uns sur les autres.  Calés dans les duvets, on regardait et écoutait les groupes.

Les spectacles se déroulaient dans une immense tente blanche, enfumée par les clopes roulées ou pas. Et les volutes dégagées par celle-ci ainsi que les chauffages & la chaleur humaine créait un fog avec l’humidité,… idéal pour le light show.

Débarque Captain Beefheart et son Magic Band et les looks qui vont avec – Chapeau haut-de-forme pour le Captain affublé de sa redingote marron et de ses grands bottes de cuir, tenant une liasse de feuillets comprenant les paroles des chansons – foulard en bandeau retenant des cheveux hyper longs pour le guitariste ainsi qu’un maquillage et des lunettes de soleil zarbi comme pour tous les autres musikos – le sax arbore une sorte de masque à gaz qui se révèle être une charlotte de douche bariolée et des grosses lunettes de soleil rondes à larges montures en plastique blanc plus une barbe de hipster pour couronner le tout.

La dégaine à la manière des Mothers of Invention de Zappa, va avec la musique de clodo à première vue mais l’impression est vite démentie dès les premières mesures car la déconstruction faussement free du rock, du blues, du jazz, du blue-grass,   de   la   country…,   etc,    s’avère  hyper  composée & compliquée. (Le concert dura un peu moins d’une quarantaine de minutes – 38 min formellement)

“She’s too much for my mirror“: “Elle est trop pour mon miroir / Elle a failli me faire perdre la tête / La façon dont elle en abuse fait que je ne veux plus jamais l'utiliser“, est l'histoire d'un malentendu amoureux. – jeux de guitares hachés au début qui font un duel intégrant des cassures, une progression harmonique à la limite voire carrément dissonnante mais qui n’empêche pas Beefheart de tenir une mélodie rude certes et de flirter avec des changements de tempos. Ça fait beaucoup de techniques instrumentales. Néanmoins, la mesure retombe sur un 4/4 brinquebalant ou nonchalant.

Humour caustique il en va de soi mais exécution au doigt et à l’œil surtout à l’œil car il se retourne constamment sur les musiciens et les dirige d’un regard de fer.

— Pas si cool qu’il n’y parait, le Capitaine ! dixit la pensée.

"My Human Gets Me Blues." “Dans cette vie, être humain me donne le blues“. Une propulsion rythmique de machines-outils accompagnée de roulements de tambour, est renforcée par une bataille de guitares aux accords tranchants. Quant au texte il parle de la dissolution de dieu en garçon. Tout un programme typiquement américain d’ailleurs.

“The Mascara Snake“ qui est le surnom du sax, souffle dans  la corne d’une façon tordue – un genre d’intro dont la suite ne vient pas… puis Beefheart annonce « Wild Life » (vivre dans la montagne avec les ours avant qu’il (la société) lui prenne sa vie sauvage.) – Toujours le concasseur à la batterie sur un air de blues à l’harmonica, une vie sauvage un peu poussive sur la fin malgré la voie d’outre–tombe ou de corne de brume de Van Vliet et un solo de clarinette. Applaudissements respectables.

"Hobo Chang Ba" – Intro solo guitare digne des grands blues-rock puis le “casse-assiette“ vient remettre de l’ordre haché “Beefheartien“.

Les guitaristes déchirent des solos tout le long de la chanson et claquent des accords en hoquetant, hachant le rythme, qui parle spécifiquement des immigrants asiatiques qui sont venus en Amérique chercher du travail, mais qui ont fini par devenir des clochards, voyageant en train dans l'incertitude du lendemain.

"Chang Ba" est son nom, et vit maintenant en nomade. On le (re)trouve se réveillant dans le froid matinal dans un wagon de chemin de fer, "Mornin' time t' thaw" ou bien “C’est l'heure de la décongélation“, comme il dit.

Il y a un défi et une dignité dans sa situation. Il parcourt des kilomètres sans fin à la recherche d'un nouvel avenir et si celui-ci ne se trouve pas à l'horizon, il y a toujours des lignes de fuite du rail au-delà. Cette mobilité devient une fin en soi. Chaque nouveau lever de soleil est porteur d'un avenir possible. Il est devenu si déraciné que sa mère est maintenant l'océan et que "le train de marchandises est mon père".

"When Big Joan Sets Up" ou  "Quand la grosse Joan sort, ses bras sont trop petits/ et sa tête est comme une boule". Mais lui aussi est trop gros pour sortir à la lumière du jour, et il tourne toute la nuit dans une Mercury Montclair.

Les guitares jouent un riff push-pull répétitif. Mis à part une longue pause remplie par un solo de saxophone gribouillé et déchiré, le groove est maintenu jusqu’au bout. Et le pouls et le rythme sont fantastiques.

“Who will be next“ (Howling Wolf) : le blues au final avec Frank Z. à la guitare et Van Vliet à l’harmonica était un changement de rythme bienvenu par rapport aux sons « Space & Thrash » précédents. Quelques bravos et applaudissements pour conclure.

— Waouh ! Même si on a entendu quelques titres sur disques comme j’en ai eu l’occasion… ça secoue vraiment ! avoue Fred.

— Moi, j’en avais entendu parler et un copain m’avait passer le 33T “Safe as Milk“ et je m’étais promis d’écouter davantage Beefheart ce que je ferais quand j’aurais des sous. Parce que là, tout ce qu’ils ont joué ne sont pas sur cet album. Je sais qu’il en a sorti un autre mais je ne pense pas que cela se trouve sur le second enregistrement, indique Marc.

— D’après R&F, Zappa aurait produit son nouvel album et  là… il ferait la promo !

—  Je comprends mieux !  Car là,  il est complètement dans la déconstruction alors que dans le 33 T que j’ai écouté c’est du blues-rock avec Ry Cooder  à la guitare  en  super  innovateur  et Beefheart en créateur. C’était groovy !

Dans les 5 heures du matin, Chris McGregor et son combo plus des invités, jouaient avec application un jazz un peu free mais avec une base africaine cool.

— A côté du Magic band, c’est relaxant ! savoure Fred.

—  L’interaction  entre  les  cris  de  blues  (ou  de  veaux égorgés diront les mauvaises langues) de Beefheart et les guitares en guerre trempées dans l'acide, créent une harmonique empilée qui est tellement rafraîchissante après 400 ans de musique basée sur la tierce – la guerre instrumentale entre les guitares est vraiment ce qui me plaît ici… Qui essaient de s'éloigner de l'harmonie traditionnelle et qui utilisent encore des mélodies basées sur le blues à part Coltrane ou Ornette Coleman? C'est fascinant sur le plan harmonique et mélodique, assène Marc.

— Certes ça décoiffe, ce qui n’est pas pour me déplaire mais ça manque de scène. S’ils jouaient plus souvent [ensemble] dans des clubs ; le son serait plus rond et plus en place. Là on est encore trop dans l’expérimentation ou dans la recherche, réponds Fred… Ceci dit, les guitares déchiquetées, au son impressionnant, dissonantes mais mélodiques dans un sens, jouant toutes les deux des gammes de blues, mais l'une d'elles sera une quinte ou une quarte au-dessus de l'autre, s’avère une sacrée critique des sons machiniques des usines et de la  production en générale de la société industrielle, ajoute-t-il.

— Bien entendu ! Je me rappelle une des célèbres blagues d’un musicien: "Vous savez, n'importe qui peut... utiliser des accords farfelus et faire sonner les choses de façon erronée. Mais ce n'est pas facile de les faire sonner juste".

—  Il y a une chose que j’ai fait sur tout les free-jazz et  les musiques dites complexes jazz ou assimilées ; c’est l’écoute des basses, puis je me concentre là-dessus. J'ai trouvé que même les passages musicaux les plus inaccessibles semblent se mettre en place autour d’elles quand je fais cela.

— Je pense effectivement que c'est un puzzle qui se résout progressivement, morceau par morceau.

— Oui, il y a de ça. Beefheart transgresse toutes les règles, dans un flux de rage, d’agonie, d’extase… boogie mutant, blues biscornu, compositions sonores déchiquetées : dans ce capharnaüm méthodiquement organisé, chaque instrument semble engagé dans un déchaînement discordant, dont le but est de faire table rase de tout ce qui a pu exister auparavant

— Pour autant, les structures musicales anguleuses aux arêtes saillantes propres au Magic Band ne sont en rien rabotées car il plaque dessus une mélodie voire revient au 4/4 après une intro expérimentale de style free-jazz.

— Absolument, c’est l’archétype de la musique de Beefheart. Entre Free Jazz et Blues, on y retrouve outre les vociférations du Captain sur des textes plus ou moins improvisés dans la lignée des dadaïstes, des nappes d’un saxophone dissonant qui queutent enrobé de clarinette et de combat de guitares décalées harmoniquement jonglant sur des rythmiques syncopées.

Pendant cette exégèse un peu fouillée, un vibraphoniste vient divertir la foule pour son plaisir puis Fat Mattress s’imposa avec Noël Redding bassiste du Jimi Hendrix Experience, évidemment attendu, pour un long set.

Dernier groupe pop à jouer un rock-blues-folk-psyché confortable. Noël Redding fait l’intro pour asseoir un riff mais derrière ça suit pas. Déjà que lui a dû mal entre les accords à placer des licks…, occupé par le chanteur qui fait des vocalises un peu flamenca psyché…, mais rien de transcendantal.

— Noel Redding n’a tout simplement pas d’aura ; il n’a pas de charisme… Merci Jimi Hendrix, peut-il dire !

[xtruss]

Three New Classes of Obesity-Related Adipocyte Progenitor Cells Identified

— By Bob Yirka | Medical XPress | April 26, 2025

DPP4+ multipotent progenitor cells give rise to ICAM1+ and CD142+ committed preadipocytes, which are poised to differentiate into mature adipocytes (top). Committed preadipocytes (green) are intercalated between mature adipocytes, whereas DPP4+ progenitors (red) reside in the reticular interstitium, an anatomically distinct fluid-filled network of collagen and elastin fibers that encases many organs, including adipose depots. Credit: Science (2019). DOI: 10.1126/science.aav2501

A team of researchers with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has identified three new classes of obesity-related adipocyte progenitor cells in humans. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of new adipocyte formation from progenitor cells within fat tissue and what they found. You-Ying Chau and William Cawthorn with the University of Edinburgh have published a Perspective piece on the work done by the team at UoP in the same journal issue.

Chau and Cawthorn note that fat storage by the body is more than just a means of keeping an extra energy store around in case of lean times, it is also the means by which organs in the body are protected from ectopic lipid accumulation, which can lead to damage. They also note that one of the ways that scientists are looking to combat obesity is by better understanding the ways fat accumulates in the body. Prior research has shown that fat expansion happens in two ways: by fat cells increasing in size and by fat cells increasing in number. The first leads to obesity, the second helps to prevent it. Scientists also know that fat expansion is dependent on the creation of new adipocytes that come about from progenitor cells that live inside of fat tissue. Prior research has also shown that there are different kinds of adipocyte progenitor cells (APCs) in fat tissue, but until now the role they play in fat expansion has not been clear. In this new effort, the researchers have identified three new classes of APCs that play a role in the development of obesity.

In order to find the newly discovered APCs, the researchers had to use a new technique called fluorescence-activated cell sorting—it allowed for separating fat cells based on specific proteins in them. Once that was done, the team carried out single-cell RNA sequencing which allowed them to separate cells into groups based on similarities between them. The team reports that most of the cells they were studying fell into one of three previously unknown groups: interstitial progenitor cells, preadipocytes and group 3. Cells from each group were removed and isolated and allowed to grow cell cultures which showed them forming adipocytes. The researchers suggest more study of members of the newly defined classes of APCs could lead to new ways to battle obesity by promoting fat cell number increases instead of size increases.

[goodnighthumanpride]

Réflexion sur les enjeux de l'environnement numérique (FRN-1010)

Alors que les ordinateurs étaient encore d’énormes machines de la taille d’une pièce entière, connectées à un mur entier d’ampoules et réalisant des opérations arithmétiques de base laborieusement, on imaginait déjà un futur dystopique dans lequel les machines auraient remplacé les hommes, ou même les contrôleraient. Ce futur est encore plus facile à s’imaginer aujourd’hui, quand nous voyons une ribambelle de programmes d’intelligence artificielle générative créer des textes et des images qui peuvent parfois berner même les yeux les plus attentifs aux signes d’un devoir complété par un site Internet. Les applications de l’intelligence artificielle commencent à se diversifier et à toucher à de plus en plus de domaines, et il pourrait sembler que nous pourrions tous vivre en pilote automatique d’ici une dizaine d’années, à en croire un nombre toujours plus infatigable de start-ups et de grandes compagnies issues de la Silicon Valley. Face à cet engouement, les pessimistes et les optimistes se livrent une lutte acharnée portant sur de nombreuses questions quant à l’IA. Ce premier groupe ne manque pas de faire écho aux œuvres évoquant les failles potentielles de l’automatisation de la pensée, que l’on retrouve notamment dans Les Robots d’Asimov dès les années 50. Pourrons-nous toujours faire confiance à l’IA? Verrons-nous un jour ce scénario, depuis lors souvent repris, d’un robot qui, dans l’optique de réduire la souffrance humaine, anéantit l’humanité, car elle ne pourra plus souffrir si elle n’est plus?

Je crois que ce problème hypothétique, ainsi que bien d’autres qui sont similaires, sont du domaine de l’alignement de l’intelligence artificielle. Bien des articles scientifiques ont été publiés à ce sujet, dans des termes toujours plus techniques, mais l’alignement est simplement le but qu’ont tous les chercheurs et concepteurs de faire en sorte que les buts d’une IA soient « alignés » à ceux de l’homme qui les conçoit. Un exemple notoire des problèmes qui peuvent être liés à cette thématique est celui de l’intelligence artificielle qui devait être entraînée à saisir un objet dans un environnement virtuel et qui a appris à positionner sa main devant celui-ci pour berner les évaluateurs humains qui devaient évaluer sa performance. Le problème en question a été réglé en ajoutant certains indicateurs visuels pour les aider à déterminer si l’IA réalisait sa tâche correctement, mais comment pourrons-nous trouver une solution similaire lorsque ladite tâche sera beaucoup plus complexe? Lorsque la tâche d’une IA sera de gérer l’économie d’un pays entier, comment pourrons-nous vérifier que ce qu’il se passe dans cette boîte noire que sont les réseaux neuronaux conforme réellement à ce que nous nous attendons venant d’eux? Certains croient qu’une solution simple existe : celle de créer une intelligence artificielle dont le seul but serait de s’assurer que d’autres IA soient bien alignées. Comme nous pouvons nous y en attendre, d’autres croient en revanche que cela ne servirait qu’à repousser le problème, mais nous ne sommes malheureusement pas assez avancés dans ce domaine pour arriver à une réponse satisfaisante, et il faudra attendre d’autres avancées dans la recherche. Ce qui semblait pour certains être une faille dans l’essence même de l’intelligence artificielle ne pourrait s’avérer qu’être un simple problème technique dans le chemin de l’évolution de l’IA.

Une question se pose encore : même si nous arrivons à trouver un moyen sûr d’aligner l’IA avec nos besoins, qu’arrivera-t-il lorsque celle-ci sera développée à un point tel que nous atteindrons le fameux stade de l’intelligence artificielle générale? Si la question de comment nous alignerons les IA se règle un jour, nous devrons ultimement décider de ce que nous cherchons venant d’elles. Accepterons-nous alors de nous laisser baigner dans une nuée de divertissement générée par une machine pendant que cette même IA s’occupe de régler tous nos problèmes? Je tiendrais maintenant à souligner un nouveau terme que j’ai vu apparaître récemment sur les réseaux sociaux, celui de « AI slop ». Le mot anglais « slop » faisant ici référence à de la pâture servie aux animaux de ferme, une situation que j’imagine beaucoup trop analogue à celle que j’ai décrite juste avant. Si nous venons un jour à nous nourrir exclusivement de ce qui nous est fourni par la machine, et que celle-ci s’occupe de tous les problèmes pour que nous vivions confortablement jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit satisfaite, tel que nous lui aurions instruit, ne serons-nous pas alors les animaux de la ferme, et elle, le fermier? Un sort tout à fait ironique : l’homme, ayant inventé l’horloge pour tenter de contrôler le temps, a fini à son tour par être l’esclave de l’horloge ; à se lever et à se mettre à travailler lorsqu’elle donnait ses coups à chaque heure. Ainsi, l’homme crée l’IA générale pour tout contrôler, et finit par en perdre son humanité-même. Cette perspective semble probablement tout à fait pessimiste, mais j’ai de la difficulté à imaginer un futur lointain dans lequel ce scénario ne se réalise pas d’une quelconque manière. Les films et livres générés par IA ont déjà commencé à apparaître, avec une forte résistance, bien sûr, mais certains s’y sont déjà abandonnés, et je crois que cette aversion générale ne tiendra pas sous le passage du temps.

Voyez-y des divagations dérangées entendues sur un coin de rue, un présage inquiétant, ou une simple note en bas de page dans l’évolution de l’IA, mais pensez à la possibilité que la définition-même de l’humanité risque d’être touchée dans les siècles à venir, et que les premiers signes sont déjà autour de vous.

A computer circuit board with a brain on it @ https://unsplash.com/photos/a-computer-circuit-board-with-a-brain-on-it-_0iV9LmPDn0

Bibliographie:

Gomstyn, A., IBM, & Jonker, A. (2024, 18 octobre). What is AI alignment ? IBM Think. Consulté le 14 avril 2025, à l’adresse https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-alignment

Christiano, P. F., Leike, J., Brown, T. B., Martic, M., Legg, S., & Amodei, D. (2017). Deep Reinforcement Learning from Human Preferences. Neural Information Processing Systems, 30, 4299‑4307. http://papers.nips.cc/paper/7017-deep-reinforcement-learning-from-human-preferences.pdf

Réalisé dans le cadre du cours d'Environnement numérique du langagier (FRN-1010)