#Digital Administration Support

[amberandomly]

Comic 7 extravaganza with @sillyguywithsillydoodles!!!

Late to the comic 7 hype bc of this lmao, it was supposed to be like 2 pages TT Got a bit burnt out on the third one, but I had so much fun doing this with Cat just chatting up a storm about everything ^^ dk what can I say that hasn't been said already, thank you for Spydad, Sniper's fucking hot, happy new year peeps

[booplesnotts-art]

Different from my usual posts (sorta) but was recently reminded that this woman exists and I had the instant lesbian urge to draw her👍

Oh tf2 administrator, how I love you and your awfulness

[carlhofelina]

Build Your Dream Team Without Delays: A Smarter Approach to Scaling Your Business

Running a business requires the right team. But hiring full-time employees can be time-consuming and expensive. What if you could get expert support without the delays of traditional hiring?

Best Virtual Specialist provides businesses with on-demand professionals who are ready to step in and support operations immediately. Whether you need administrative support, digital marketing expertise, or lead generation services, our team is equipped to help you grow efficiently and affordably.

The Challenges of Traditional Hiring

Recruiting, onboarding, and training employees take time and resources. Here are some of the most common obstacles businesses face:

Time-consuming process: Hiring full-time employees can take weeks or even months.

High costs: Salaries, benefits, and office expenses add up quickly.

Limited flexibility: Full-time employees come with long-term commitments.

Skill gaps: Finding candidates with the right expertise can be difficult.

Businesses need an alternative that provides skilled professionals without the usual hiring headaches. That’s where virtual specialists come in.

Why Virtual Specialists Are the Ideal Solution

Virtual specialists allow businesses to scale faster and more efficiently. Here’s why they make a difference:

1. Immediate Availability

Unlike traditional hires, virtual specialists are ready to work right away. You don’t have to wait weeks for onboarding. They integrate seamlessly into your operations, so you see results quickly.

2. Cost-Effective Support

Virtual specialists eliminate the need for salaries, benefits, and office space. You only pay for the services you need, which makes scaling more affordable.

3. Specialized Expertise

Whether you need administrative support, digital marketing, or lead generation, virtual specialists bring the skills required to get the job done. They stay up to date with the latest industry trends, ensuring your business remains competitive.

4. Increased Flexibility

Virtual teams offer the flexibility to scale up or down as needed. If your workload changes, you can adjust your team size without the hassle of hiring or layoffs.

5. More Time for Core Business Activities

With a virtual team handling administrative tasks, marketing, and lead generation, you can focus on strategy, growth, and customer relationships.

Services That Help You Scale Quickly

Best Virtual Specialist offers a range of services designed to support your business growth without delays.

Administrative Support

Managing a business involves numerous administrative tasks that can consume valuable time. Our virtual specialists handle:

Scheduling and calendar management

Email and inbox management

Data entry and organization

Customer service support

With administrative tasks taken care of, you can focus on growing your business without distractions.

Digital Marketing

A strong online presence is essential for business success. Our digital marketing specialists provide:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve your website’s ranking

Content marketing to engage your audience

Email marketing campaigns to nurture leads

Social media management to build brand awareness

With our digital marketing expertise, you can increase visibility and attract more customers.

Demand and Lead Generation

Generating quality leads is crucial for growth. Our team specializes in:

Identifying and targeting potential customers

Creating engaging outreach campaigns

Nurturing leads through personalized communication

Implementing data-backed strategies to maximize ROI

We ensure your business consistently attracts and converts high-value leads.

How to Get Started

Building your ideal team doesn’t have to be a long and complicated process. Here’s how you can get started with Best Virtual Specialist:

Assess Your Needs: Identify the tasks you need support with.

Connect with Us: Visit our website to explore our services.

Select Your Services: Choose the solutions that fit your business goals.

Start Scaling: Our specialists get to work, helping you achieve results immediately.

Conclusion

You don’t have to spend months building the perfect team. With Best Virtual Specialist, you can get expert support without delays. Whether you need administrative assistance, digital marketing expertise, or lead generation strategies, we provide the solutions that help your business grow.

Start building your dream team today. Contact us today to learn more.

[pennysbusinessservices]

[gyb123]

Enhancing Behavioral Health with DrCloudEHR in Washington

Enhancing Behavioral Health with DrCloudEHR in Washington

In the rapidly evolving landscape of mental health care, having the right tools to manage patient information and clinical workflows is essential for delivering high-quality care. In Washington, mental health providers are increasingly turning to behavioral health EHR solutions in Washington to streamline operations, improve patient outcomes, and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. Among the leading providers of EHR platform in Washington, DrCloudEHR stands out for its commitment to excellence, affordability, and customer satisfaction.

The Importance of Behavioral Health EHR Solutions in Washington

Behavioral health EHR solutions in Washington are designed to meet the unique needs of mental health clinics, providing a comprehensive platform that supports the management of patient information, treatment plans, and clinical documentation. These systems are essential for improving the efficiency of mental health services, allowing providers to focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks.

DrCloudEHR is a leading provider of electronic health records platform in Washington, offering a robust and user-friendly platform that is tailored to the specific needs of behavioral health clinics. Our mental health solutions in Washington are designed to optimize clinical workflows, improve patient outcomes, and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Tailored EHR Solutions for Mental Health Clinics in Washington

Mental health clinics in Washington face a variety of challenges, including the need to manage complex patient cases, maintain accurate records, and comply with strict regulations. DrCloudEHR offers tailored digital health records in Washington, designed to address these challenges and support the delivery of high-quality care.

Our electronic health records in hospitals in Washington are built with the needs of behavioral health providers in mind, offering features such as clinical decision support system in Washington, electronic prescribing for controlled substances, and quality management systems. These tools help providers make informed decisions, streamline workflows, and ensure that patient care is always the top priority.

In addition to our comprehensive medical electronic record system in Washington, DrCloudEHR also offers telehealth solutions that enable providers to deliver care remotely. This is particularly important in Washington, where access to mental health services can be limited by geographic and other barriers. By providing mental health solutions in Washington that support both in-person and remote care, DrCloudEHR is helping to improve access to services for patients across the state.

Why Choose DrCloudEHR?

When it comes to choosing the best medical EMR systems in Washington, DrCloudEHR is the clear choice for mental health providers. Our platform is designed to be both comprehensive and user-friendly, making it easy for clinics to manage patient information, treatment plans, and clinical documentation. But what truly sets us apart is our commitment to customer satisfaction.

At DrCloudEHR, we understand that every mental health clinic is unique, and we are dedicated to providing personalized attention and support to meet your specific needs. From seamless integration with existing systems to ongoing training and technical assistance, we are here to ensure your success every step of the way.

Our driven electronic medical record vendor in Washington is also designed with compliance in mind. We know how important it is for mental health providers to maintain compliance with state and federal regulations, including HIPAA. That’s why our electronic health record in Washington is built with robust security features and undergoes regular audits to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of patient data.

The Best EHR Solution Providers in Washington

As one of the best clinical support system in Washington providers, DrCloudEHR is committed to helping mental health clinics succeed. Our EHR platform in Washington is designed to be flexible and customizable, allowing clinics to tailor the system to their specific needs. Whether you’re a small community clinic or a large healthcare organization, DrCloudEHR provides the tools you need to deliver high-quality care.

Our platform is also designed to be scalable, making it an ideal choice for clinics that are looking to grow and expand their services. With DrCloudEHR, you can be confident that your electronic health records platform in Washington will continue to meet your needs as your practice evolves.

Conclusion

In Washington, mental health providers face a variety of challenges in delivering high-quality care. With DrCloudEHR, you can overcome these challenges and focus on what matters most: your patients. Our comprehensive behavioral health EHR solutions in Washington are designed to meet the unique needs of behavioral health clinics, providing the tools you need to streamline operations, improve patient outcomes, and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

As one of the best electronic medical record vendors in Washington, DrCloudEHR is committed to helping you succeed. With our user-friendly platform, personalized support, and robust security features, you can trust that your practice will be in good hands. Whether you’re looking to improve your clinical workflows, enhance patient care, or expand your services, DrCloudEHR is here to help you achieve your goals.

[ellipsus-writes]

(Read on our blog)

Beginning in 1933, the Nazis burned books to erase the ideas they feared—works of literature, politics, philosophy, criticism; works by Jewish and leftist authors, and research from the Institute for Sexual Science, which documented and affirmed queer and trans identities.

(Nazis collect "anti-German" books to be destroyed at a Berlin book-burning on May 10, 1933 (Source)

Stories tell truths.

These weren’t just books; they were lifelines.

Writing by, for, and about marginalized people isn’t just about representation, but survival. Writing has always been an incredibly powerful tool—perhaps the most resilient form of resistance, as fascism seeks to disconnect people from knowledge, empathy, history, and finally each other. Empathy is one of the most valuable resources we have, and in the darkest times writers armed with nothing but words have exposed injustice, changed culture, and kept their communities connected.

(A Nazi student and a member of the SA raid the Institute for Sexual Science's library in Berlin, May 6, 1933. Source)

Less than two weeks after the US presidential inauguration, the nightmare of Project 2025 is starting to unfold. What these proposals will mean for creative freedom and freedom of expression is uncertain, but the intent is clear. A chilling effect on subjects that writers engage with every day—queer narratives, racial justice, and critiques of power—is already manifest. The places where these works are published and shared may soon face increased pressure, censorship, and legal jeopardy.

And with speed-run fascism comes a rising tide of misinformation and hostility. The tech giants that facilitate writing, sharing, publishing, and communication—Google, Microsoft, Amazon, the-hellscape-formerly-known-as-Twitter, Facebook, TikTok—have folded like paper in a light breeze. OpenAI, embroiled in lawsuits for training its models on stolen works, is now positioned as the AI of choice for the administration, bolstered by a $500 billion investment. And privacy-focused companies are showing a newfound willingness to align with a polarizing administration, chilling news for writers who rely on digital privacy to protect their work and sources; even their personal safety.

Where does that leave writers?

Writing communities have always been a creative refuge, but they’re more than that now—they are a means of continuity. The information landscape is shifting rapidly, so staying informed on legal and political developments will be essential for protecting creative freedom and pushing back against censorship wherever possible. Direct your energy to the communities that need it, stay connected, check in on each other—and keep backup spaces in case platforms become unsafe.

We can’t stress this enough—support tools and platforms that prioritize creative freedom. The systems we rely on are being rewritten in real time, and the future of writing spaces depends on what we build now. We at Ellipsus will continue working to provide space for our community—one that protects and facilitates creative expression, not undermines it.

Above all—keep writing.

Keep imagining, keep documenting, keep sharing—keep connecting. Suppression thrives on silence, but words have survived every attempt at erasure.

- The Ellipsus team

[strictlyfavorites]

Ambassador Stevens was sent to Benghazi to secretly retrieve US made Stinger Missiles that the State Dept had supplied to Ansar al Sharia in Libya WITHOUT Congressional oversight or permission.

Sec State Hillary Clinton had brokered the Libya deal through Ambassador Stevens and a Private Arms Dealer named Marc Turi, but some of the shoulder fired Stinger Missiles ended up in Afghanistan where they were used against our own military. On July 25th, 2012, a US Chinook helicopter was downed by one of them. Not destroyed only because the idiot Taliban didn't arm the missile. The helicopter didn't explode, but it had to land and an ordnance team recovered the missile’s serial number which led back to a cache of Stinger Missiles kept in

Qatar by the CIA.

Obama and Hillary were in full panic mode, so Ambassador Stevens was sent to Benghazi to retrieve the rest of the Stinger Missiles. This was a "do-or-die" mission, which explains the Stand Down Orders given to multiple rescue teams during the siege of the US Embassy.

It was the State Dept, NOT the CIA, that supplied the Stinger Missiles to our sworn enemies because Gen. Petraeus at CIA would not approve supplying the deadly missiles due to their potential use against commercial aircraft. So then, Obama threw Gen. Petraeus under the bus when he refused to testify in support of Obama’s phony claim of a “spontaneous uprising caused by a YouTube video that insulted Muslims.”

Obama and Hillary committed TREASON!

THIS is what the investigation is all about, WHY she had a Private Server, (in order to delete the digital evidence), and WHY Obama, two weeks after the attack, told the UN that the attack was the result of the YouTube video, even though everyone KNEW it was not.

Furthermore, the Taliban knew that the administration had aided and abetted the enemy WITHOUT Congressional oversight or permission, so they began pressuring (blackmailing) the Obama Administration to release five Taliban generals being held at Guantanamo.

Bowe Bergdahl was just a useful pawn used to cover the release of the Taliban generals. Everyone knew Bergdahl was a traitor but Obama used Bergdahl’s exchange for the five Taliban generals to cover that Obama was being coerced by the Taliban about the unauthorized Stinger Missile deal.

So we have a traitor as POTUS that is not only corrupt, but compromised, as well and a Sec of State that is a serial liar, who perjured herself multiple times at the Congressional Hearings on Benghazi. Perhaps this is why no military aircraft were called upon for help in Benghazi: because the administration knew that our enemies had Stinger Missiles that, if used to down those planes, would likely be traced back to the CIA cache in Qatar and then to the State Dept’s illegitimate arms deal in Libya.

They sold out our own Ambassador and àll of our men they could have rescued. What makes you think they wouldn't do the same to you? Thanks Obama, Biden, Hillary and all that worked with you, against our own men.

[wilwheaton]

Trump had given Musk and his operatives carte blanche to tap any unclassified system they pleased. One of their first stops: a database previously breached more than a decade ago by alleged Chinese cyberspies that contained investigative files on tens of millions of US government employees. Other storehouses thrown open to DOGE may have included federal workers’ tax records, biometric data, and private medical histories, such as treatment for drug and alcohol abuse; the cryptographic keys for restricted areas at federal facilities across the country; the personal testimonies of low-income-housing recipients; and granular detail on the locations of particularly vulnerable children. What did DOGE want with this kind of information? None of it seemed relevant to Musk’s stated aim of identifying waste and fraud, multiple government finance, IT, and security specialists told WIRED. But in treating the US government itself as a giant dataset, the experts said, DOGE could help the Trump administration accomplish another goal: to gather much of what the government knows about a given individual, whether a civil servant or an undocumented immigrant, in one easily searchable place. WIRED spoke with more than 150 current and former federal employees, experts, and Musk supporters across more than 20 agencies to expose the inner workings of DOGE. Many of these sources requested anonymity to speak candidly about what DOGE has done—and what it might do next.

Inside Elon Musk’s ‘Digital Coup’ | WIRED

This is sickening. Take the time to read this whole article, and be informed. You need to know who these criminals are, and what they are doing to our personal, private, deeply NOT THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS information.

[astrologydray]

Ruler of the 2nd through the houses

when you track the ruler of the 2nd house through the houses, you’re looking at how you make money, where your values lie, what you prioritize, and what brings you a sense of security and self-worth.

1st House 🏡:

I am the resource.

Your body, presence, or identity is a source of value. You might attract wealth through personal branding, entrepreneurship, or just being YOU. Confidence = currency. You naturally radiate value, but must learn to own it.

2nd House 🏡:

Born to build.

This is a powerful placement for money, stability, and long-term growth. You naturally know how to build wealth and manage your resources. You’re probably very grounded and value quality over quantity. Shadow side hoarding, fear of change, or stubbornness.

3rd House 🏡:

Money through the mind.

Your voice, ideas, or communication skills are your goldmine. You might make money through writing, teaching, media, or even tech. You value curiosity, mental stimulation, and versatility. Prone to having scattered energy or difficulty monetizing ideas. Your Strength = quick thinking, adaptability, networking = resource magnet.

4th House 🏡:

Home is the foundation of wealth.

You could inherit money, make money through property, or work from home. Emotional security and family support directly affect your money flow. Your values are deeply rooted in your upbringing.

5th House 🏡:

Creative currency.

You attract money through self-expression, creativity, pleasure, or even romance. Think artists, performers, designers — or people who monetize their passions. You value joy, fun, and being seen. Shadow side here = risky money behavior; tying worth to external validation.

6th House 🏡:

Work = worth.

You build wealth slowly and steadily through dedicated effort, skill development, and service. You might work in healing, wellness, administration, or service industries. You value discipline and reliability. Overworking or tying self-worth to productivity may be a problem for you. Relax and give urself grace.

7th House 🏡:

Money through others.

Your values and income may come through partnerships, collaborations, or clients. Business and romantic relationships affect your money deeply. You value harmony, balance, and reciprocity. Be careful of falling into financial dependency or people-pleasing around money.

8th House 🏡:

The wealth alchemist.

You’re drawn to shared resources, investments, and transformative wealth. You might make money through occult work, finance, psychology, or sex-related fields. Power, trust, and depth play a big role in your money story.

9th House 🏡:

Expand to receive.

You attract abundance through travel, teaching, spirituality, law, or publishing. You value freedom, knowledge, and growth. Belief systems around wealth are HUGE here — mindset is everything.

10th House 🏡:

Public success = personal wealth.

You may gain money and security through career, status, or reputation. You value ambition, recognition, and doing something that matters. This placement often pushes you toward visible leadership or high positions.

11th House 🏡:

Money through the collective.

You earn through networks, innovation, tech, or social causes. Think online businesses, group work, or digital platforms. You value progress, originality, and future-oriented thinking. Be careful of being overreliance on external validation or digital platforms. Your unique ideas, group alignment, big-picture wealth building is where it’s at.

12th House 🏡:

Mystical money flow.

This is the most non-linear placement. You may make money through spiritual work, healing, art, or behind-the-scenes roles. Money may come and go mysteriously, and your values are more ethereal than material.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An end to the climate emergency is in our grasp

On June 20, I'm keynoting the LOCUS AWARDS in OAKLAND.

The problem with good news in the real world is that it's messy. Neat happy endings are for novels, not the real world, and that goes double for the climate emergency. But even though good climate news is complicated and nuanced, that doesn't mean it shouldn't buoy our spirits and fill our hearts with hope.

The big climate news this past week is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's clarion call about surging CO2 levels – the highest ever – amid a year that is on track to have the largest and most extreme series of weather events in human history:

https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/during-year-of-extremes-carbon-dioxide-levels-surge-faster-than-ever

This is genuinely alarming and you – like me – have probably experienced it as a kind of increase in your background radiation of climate anxiety. Perhaps you – like me – even experienced some acute, sit-bolt-upright-in-bed-at-2AM anxiety as a result. That's totally justifiable. This is very real, very bad news.

And yet…

The news isn't all bad, and even this terrible dispatch from the NOAA is best understood in context, which Bill McKibben provides in his latest newsletter post, "What You Want is an S Curve":

https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/what-you-want-is-an-s-curve

Financier and their critics should all be familiar with Stein's Law: "anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop." This is true outside of finance as well. One of the reasons that we're seeing such autophagic panic from the tech companies is that their period of explosive growth is at an end.

For years, they told themselves that they were experiencing double-digit annual growth because they were "creating value" and "innovating" but the majority of their growth was just a side-effect of the growth of the internet itself. When hundreds of millions of people get online every year, the dominant online services will, on average, gain hundreds of millions of new users.

But when you run out of people who don't have internet access, your growth is going to slow. How can it not? Indeed, at that point, the only ways to grow are to either poach users from your rivals (through the very expensive tactics of massive advertising and sales-support investments, on top of discounts and freebies as switching enticements), or to squeeze your own users for more.

That's why the number of laptops sold in America slowed down. It's why the number of cellphones sold in America slowed down. It's why the number of "smart home" gizmos slowed down.

Even the steepest hockey-stick-shaped exponential growth curve eventually levels off and becomes an S-curve, because anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop.

One way or another, the world's carbon emissions will eventually level off. Even if we drive ourselves to (or over) the brink of extinction and set up the conditions for wildfires that release all the carbon stored in all the Earth's plants, the amount of carbon we pump into the atmosphere has to level off.

Rendering the Earth incapable of sustaining human civilization (or life) is the ultimate carbon reduction method – but it's not my first choice.

That's where McKibben's latest newsletter comes in. He cites a new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute, which shows a major reversal in our energy sources, a shift that will see our energy primarily provided by renewables, with minimal dependence on fossil fuels:

https://rmi.org/insight/the-cleantech-revolution/

The RMI team says that in this year or next, we'll have hit peak demand for fossil fuels (a fact that is consistent with NOAA's finding that we're emitting more CO2 than ever). The reason for this is that so much renewable energy is about to come online, and it is so goddamned cheap, that we are about to undergo a huge shift in our energy consumption patterns.

This past decade saw a 12-fold increase in solar capacity, a 180-fold increase in battery storage, and a 100-fold increase in EV sales. China is leading the world in a cleantech transition, with the EU in close second. Cleantech is surging in places where energy demand is also still growing, like India and Vietnam. Fossil fuel use has already peaked in Thailand, South Africa and every country in Latin America.

We're on the verge of solar constituting an absolute majority of all the world's energy generation. This year, batteries will overtake pumped hydro for energy storage. Every cleantech metric is growing the way that fossil fuels did in previous centuries: investment, patents, energy density, wind turbine rotor size. The price of solar is on track to halve (again) in the next decade.

In short, cleantech growth looks like the growth of other technologies that were once rarities and then became ubiquitous overnight: TV, cellphones, etc. That growth isn't merely being driven by the urgency of the climate emergency: it's primarily a factor of how fucking great cleantech is:

https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/the_incredible_inefficiency_of_fossils.pdf

Fossil fuels suck. It's not just that they wreck the planet, or that their extraction is both politically and environmentally disastrous. They just aren't a good way to make energy. About a third of fossil fuel energy is wasted in production and transportation. A third! Another third is wasted turning fossil fuels into energy. Two thirds! The net energy efficiency of fossil fuels is about 37%.

Compare that with cleantech. EVs convert electricity to movement with 80-90% efficiency. Heat pumps are 300% efficient (the main fuel for your heat pump is the heat in the atmosphere, not the electricity it draws).

Cleantech is just getting started – it's still in the hockey-stick phase. That means those efficiency numbers are only going up. Rivian just figured out how to remove 1.6 miles of copper wire from each vehicle. That's just one rev – there's doubtless lots of room for more redesigns that will further dematerialize EVs:

https://insideevs.com/news/722265/rivian-r1s-r1t-wiring/

As McKibben points out, there's been a lot of justifiable concern that electrification will eventually use up all our available copper, but copper demand has remained flat even as electrification has soared – and this is why. We keep figuring out new ways to electrify with fewer materials:

https://www.chemanalyst.com/NewsAndDeals/NewsDetails/copper-wire-price-remains-stable-amidst-surplus-supply-and-expanding-mining-25416#:~:text=Global%20Copper%20wire%20Price%20Remains%20Stable%20Amidst%20Surplus%20Supply%20and%20Expanding%20Mining%20Activities

This is exactly what happened with previous iterations of tech. The material, energy and labor budgets of cars, buildings, furniture, etc all fell precipitously every time there was a new technique for manufacturing them. Renewables are at the start of that process. There's going to be a lot of this dematerialization in cleantech. Calculating the bill of materials for a planetary energy transition isn't a matter of multiplying the materials in current tech by the amount of new systems we'll need – as we create those new systems, we will constantly whittle down their materials.

What's more, global instability drives cleantech uptake. The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a surge in European renewables. The story that energy prices are rising due to renewables (or carbon taxes) is a total lie. Fossil fuels are getting much more expensive, thanks to both war and rampant, illegal price-fixing:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/an-oil-price-fixing-conspiracy-caused

If not for renewables, the incredible energy shocks of the recent years would be far more severe.

The renewables story is very good and it should bring you some comfort. But as McKibben points out, it's still not enough – yet. The examples of rapid tech uptake had big business on their side. America's living rooms filled with TV because America's largest businesses pulled out all the stops to convince everyone to buy a TV. By contrast, today's largest businesses – banks, oil companies and car companies – are working around the clock to stop cleantech adoption.

We're on track to double our use of renewables before the decade is over. But to hold to the (already recklessly high) targets from the Paris Accord, we need to triple our renewables usage. As McKibben says, the difference between doubling and tripling our renewables by 2030 is the difference between "survivable trouble" and something much scarier.

The US is experiencing a welcome surge in utility scale solar, but residential solar is stalling out as governments withdraw subsidies or even begin policies that actively restrict rooftop solar:

https://twitter.com/curious_founder/status/1798049929082097842?s=51

McKibben says the difference between where we are now and bringing back the push for home solar generation is the difference between "fast" and "faster" – that is the difference between tripling renewables by 2030 (survivable) and doubling (eek).

Capitalism stans who argue that we can survive the climate emergency with market tools will point to the good news on renewable and say that the market is the only way to transition to renewables. It's true that market forces are partly responsible for this fast transition. But the market is also the barrier to a faster (and thus survivable) transition. The oil companies, the banks who are so invested in fossil fuels, the petrostates who distort the world's politics – they're why we're not much farther along.

The climate emergency was never going to be neatly solved. We weren't going to get a neat novelistic climax that saw our problems sorted out in a single fell swoop. We're going to be fighting all the way to net zero, and after that, we'll still have decades of climate debt to pay down: fires, floods, habitat loss, zoonotic plagues, refugee crises.

But we should take our wins. Even if we're far from where we need to be on renewables, we're much farther along on renewables than we had any business hoping for, just a few years ago. The momentum is on our side. It's up to us to use that momentum and grow it. We're riding the hockey-stick, they're on that long, flat, static top of the S-curve. Their curve is leveling off and will start falling, ours will grow like crazy for the rest of our lives.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/12/s-curve/#anything-that-cant-go-on-forever-eventually-stops

[mariacallous]

As Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has ravaged its way though the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting its workforce from 10,000 to just 300, hundreds of organizations providing vital safety services have been upended. Multiple children’s safety groups—including those fighting online child sexual abuse and exploitation—say their efforts have been severely hamstrung.

Groups identifying victims and providing care for those who have been subject to online exploitation or human trafficking are struggling to support the vulnerable children, multiple organizations tell WIRED. Such child safety projects often take place in poorer countries, which can have fewer resources to support victims or investigate crimes. Sources say that funding for safe houses has been paused, potentially exposing victims to more harm, and efforts that identify criminals behind child exploitation have been put on hold.

“It will be very hard for us to identify the victims,” says Chantal Yelu Mulop, from the Coordination for Youth and the Fight Against Sexual Violence and Trafficking in Persons (CJVFFT), in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While the war-torn country faces new fighting and humanitarian crises, children have long been trafficked to work in cobalt mines linked to the production of smartphone and EV batteries.

As USAID funding was withdrawn over the past week, Mulop says her organization had just started helping around 25 newly identified victims of human trafficking—all of them aged under 17. The group was taken to a support shelter run by another organization. “When we bring them there, USAID was ready to help. A few hours later they cancel,” Mulop says. “There’s no food, no nothing that we can provide to them,” she adds.

While the USAID cuts have been immediate, global child protection projects have also faced a funding pause from the State Department. This foreign aid “pause,” issued by the Trump administration, is set to last for at least 90 days. USAID did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. The State Department had not provided a comment by time of publication.

Both government bodies have provided funding to help countries and people around the world. This includes USAID’s vast swath of health care and education programs—their withdrawal is putting millions of lives at risk and limits tackling the climate crisis. In Southeast Asia, several patients at a migrant camp reportedly died after medical support was removed.

Counter-human-trafficking funding often includes money for projects that help to crack down on online child exploitation and sexual abuse. Funding can be provided to international organizations that coordinate efforts and work with partners, like Mulop’s CJVFFT, on the ground. The funding can directly support victims, as well as providing expertise to officials in countries, and stop more children becoming targets.

“Many of these victims engage with their traffickers through electronic means,” says Jessica Ryckman, the executive director of the nonprofit Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB), which works on trafficking and child exploitation programs and has been impacted by the funding changes. “It is exploitation that is advanced through digital technology.”

Over the years, the programs have been effective. For instance, a four-year partnership between the US and the Philippines, which started under the first Trump administration and ended in 2021, helped protect hundreds of children: More than 350 kids were rescued and supported and almost 100 potential criminals arrested. The new cuts also come as record levels of online child sexual abuse imagery are being discovered.

“Victims and perpetrators alike originate from diverse regions and countries, underscoring the necessity for continued international engagement and coordinated efforts to address these crimes comprehensively,” says an employee of a South American child protection group that works to combat trafficking and online sexual abuse. The organization, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to speak given the sensitive nature of the work and uncertainty about future funding. “The interruption of these funds inevitably limits the scope and reach of these critical services,” it says.

One person, who works for an organization running multiple child protection projects, says operations in one southeastern European country have been widely disrupted. Within the country, the organization’s projects have 147 victims of trafficking in its care, the person says. “The ongoing pause and potentially the cessation of funding would have significant and negative impact on our capacity and ability to provide essential services to these victims who are in fragile stages of their recovery; some of whom are in ongoing programs for psycho-social counseling related to their trauma,” the person says.

Multiple members of LWOB say children are being put further at risk in the projects it runs in East Africa. “These children may not be identified, the practices to reduce their trauma aren't being supported right now,” says Ryckman. “Even if they are identified, they may be put in a pipeline where they are going to have to face ongoing interviews about their trauma or face their traffickers again.”

LWOB has, along with partner organizations, identified around 200 victims of human trafficking in Tanzania, with the majority referred to safe houses, says Lulu Makwale, a victim service coordinator at Lawyers Without Borders. “Most of the funding for the safe houses has been paused, meaning the services and the needs of the victim are also being paused too,” Makwale says. She says the organization has been linking up shelters to investigators up until now. “Victims may not be connected well now to the law enforcement,” Makwale says.

As well as supporting victims directly, many of the efforts also provide training or technical assistance to police forces, allowing them to better investigate crimes. One program listed on the State Department’s list of counter-trafficking funding says it is providing training to combat online child sexual exploitation for 10,000 police officers, prosecutors, and judges in 100 countries.

The person with links to work in a European country says their organization has 74 investigations into traffickers ongoing, plus 66 prosecutions that are underway. They say that the funding changes will have a “significant and negative impact on these criminal trials” and the safety of people who may give evidence in the cases.

Ryckman, from Lawyers Without Borders, says the organization recently completed work on an online database for identifying victims and tracking online child exploitation in Kenya. While the database is functional, Ryckman says, future work to train people has been paused, and there will be a slower uptake of the system. “I do believe it will be used, and it will be extremely useful,” Ryckman says. “But these victims are there now. They shouldn’t have to wait.”

[guwix]

Is Jax in a Digital Circus because of the "father"?

The art was made according to my Theory, or to put it more simply, thoughts. This theory is not confirmed, but I just want to point out a couple of points below about the origin of this thoughts.

1) Jax didn't react well to the Digital Circus when he appeared in it. Therefore, I have 3 thoughts. First, he was forced to enter the digital world, second, or he turned out to have someone from his neighbors. The third is simple, an accident, like the others.

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/733036960374013952/i-wonder-how-jax-reacted-when-he-appeared-for-the?source=share

2) According to Gooseworx, Jax described the song (Michael Wyckoff, Kalya Ramu & Nathan Ford - Don't Fence Me In "Bonelab OST"). The lyrics of the song:

________

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences

And gaze at the moon 'til I lose my senses

And I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences

Don't fence me in

No

Poppa, don't you fence me in

________

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/724963060172881920/if-you-were-to-describe-jax-as-a-song-what-song

3) In fact, Caine is as crazy as Jax. Which makes them very similar.

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/748356006599393280/why-does-caine-keep-teleporting-everyone-in-random?source=share

4) Gooseworx's response: Jax and Caine are modelled after my own character flaws.

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/732138901035253760/what-character-from-tadc-do-you-relate-to-the?source=share

5) Caine doesn't like it when someone uses "swear words". And it is known that the only ones who do not produce them are Jax and Gangle.

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/745615556801167360/please-tell-me-every-character-will-curse-multiple?source=share

6) Even though Jax is an "impulsive jerk," he won't hit Caine.

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/748357128936472576/if-someone-had-the-chance-to-just-straight-up?source=share

7) There have been theories that Caine is "maybe" human, so feeling "lonely" for AI is a bit strange.

https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/738007673867534336/can-caine-feel-loneliness?source=share

8) In episode 2, "Caine was called God." I assume that the person did not appoint the main AI, or if Caine rebelled against people having the authority of an "administrator", then it would be problematic...

9) As we know, Jax has interesting passions for us: He takes objects out of nowhere, steals keys, breaks 4 walls for the audience, in the Pilot he, like Pomni, interacted more often with Caine, detachment, in the Glitch store pin Jax, they do not want to tell his room to the end.

None of the points particularly supports my theory, at the moment it's just one of my thoughts.

[booksinmythorax]

On Tyranny & Tumblr #1: Do not obey in advance

Like a lot of people, I've been reading Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny in the wake of the 2024 US election results. It's a good book, and a short book, and a book that's probably available in your library. I encourage you to read it for yourself.

There's a lot of panic happening and a lot of desire for action. I think if you're looking for ways to fight real-life tyranny, there's actually a little bit you can do online too.

Snyder's first lesson derived from the stories of 20th century authoritarian governments is "Do not obey in advance":

Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

Some ways we can apply this in our online lives:

-If you create content - fan content or original, written works, visual art, cosplay, photos - and you're worried it might be targeted by the US government in the future, don't take it down yet. Don't orphan them on AO3 yet. Keep it up and keep creating.

-If you financially support sex workers, keep doing that. If you don't, consider starting now. They are going to be some of the most vulnerable people in the upcoming US administration.

-I'm a queer person. Because my immediate physical safety is not being threatened, I am choosing to stay out both in real life and online. I will not make myself invisible or palatable out of fear of possible future retribution.

-(this isn't necessarily just an online thing, but I'm going to suggest it anyway) Keep - or start - checking out books by and about queer people and people of color at your local library. Borrow erotica, too, and books on polyamory and kink, and books on liberation ideologies. Borrow the digital versions and the paper versions and return them on time and in good condition. If you're a librarian with any kind of control over this, keep purchasing and displaying these books in accordance with your professional training.

Feel free to list other options in comments or tags or on reblogs.

Other lessons from On Tyranny:

#2: Defend institutions

#3: Beware the one-party state

#4: Take responsibility for the face of the world

#5-7: Remember professional ethics, Be wary of paramilitaries, and Be reflective if you must be armed

#8: Stand out

#9: Be kind to our language

#10: Believe in truth

[pennysbusinessservices]

[delphinium-03]

So I’ve been seeing theories saying that Kai ran into Jay in the Realm of Monsters (Thank you @thestoryteller-thedreamer ) and a thought just popped into my head

Maybe I overanalysed a little bit and this is def not gonna happen but hear me out:

What if Kai and Jay ended up in the same place after the merge, aka the realm of monsters.

Both of then had to endure unimaginable horrors and probability got a lot of trauma.

But trauma is something that usually ties to a persons childhood, and when you think about it, Kai’s childhood was less than normal. He had to raise a sister who was only two years younger than him before he even hit double digits (I’m guessing). Meanwhile Jay, who’s had loving parents who supported him through every single one of his desicions.

Kai would probably survive the Realm of Monsters alone. Jay wouldn’t. But if they were together? Yeah, maybe. This isn’t to discredit that both went through extreme emotional turmoil. But what if Jay couldn’t take it? Couldn’t stand being reminded of what they had to endure every day for weeks? What if he turned himself to the administration because he knew that they could wipe his memory? What if Kai and him had a falling out?

What if Jay is the reason he isn’t even Jay anymore?

[globalnewscollective]

AI and Donald Trump Are Watching You—And It Could Cost You Everything

Imagine this: You post your thoughts online. Or you express support for human rights. Or you attend a peaceful protest. Months later, you find yourself denied a visa, placed on a watchlist, or even under investigation—all because an algorithm flagged you as a ‘threat.’ This isn’t a dystopian novel. It’s happening right now in the U.S.

How AI Is Being Weaponized Against Protesters and Online Speech The Trump administration has rolled out AI-driven surveillance to monitor and target individuals based on their political beliefs and activities. According to reports, these systems analyze massive amounts of online data, including social media posts, protest attendance, and affiliations.

The goal? To identify and suppress dissent before it even happens.

Here’s what this means:

Attending a Protest Could Put You on a Government Watchlist – AI systems are being trained to scan for ‘suspicious behavior’ based on location data and social media activity.

Your Social Media History Can Be Used Against You – The government is using algorithms to flag people who express opinions that don’t align with Trump’s agenda.

Expressing Your Opinion Online Can Have Consequences – It’s not just about attending protests anymore. Simply posting criticism of the government, sharing articles, or even liking the ‘wrong’ post could get you flagged.

Dissenters Could Face Harsh Consequences – In some cases, simply supporting the wrong cause online could lead to visa denials, surveillance, or worse.

AI and Student Visa Bans: A Dangerous Precedent Recently, AI was used to screen visa applicants for supposed ‘Hamas support,’ leading to students being denied entry to the U.S. without due process. This is alarming for several reasons:

False Positives Will Ruin Lives – AI systems are not perfect. Innocent people will be flagged, denied entry, or even deported based on misinterpretations of their online activity.

This Can Be Expanded to Anyone – Today, it’s foreign students. Tomorrow, it could be U.S. citizens denied jobs, housing, or government services for expressing their political views.

It Sets a Dangerous Global Example – If the U.S. normalizes AI-driven political suppression, other governments will follow.

Marco Rubio’s ‘Catch and Revoke’ Plan: A New Threat Senator Marco Rubio has proposed the ‘Catch and Revoke’ plan, which would allow the U.S. government to scan immigrants’ social media with AI and strip them of their visas if deemed a ‘threat.’ This raises serious concerns about surveillance overreach and algorithm-driven repression, where immigrants could be punished for harmless or misinterpreted online activity. This policy could lead to:

Mass Deportations Based on AI Errors – Algorithms are prone to bias and mistakes, and immigrants may have no recourse to challenge these decisions.

Fear-Driven Self-Censorship – Many may feel forced to silence themselves online to avoid government scrutiny.

A Precedent for Broader Use – What starts with immigrants could easily be expanded to citizens, targeting dissenters and activists.

What’s at Stake?

The ability to speak freely, protest, and express opinions without fear of government retaliation is a fundamental right. If AI surveillance continues unchecked, America will become a place where thought crimes are punished, and digital footprints determine who is free and who is not.

The Bigger Picture

Technology that was meant to make life easier is now being turned against us. Today, it’s AI scanning protest footage. Tomorrow, it could be predictive policing, social credit systems, or AI-driven arrest warrants.

What Can You Do?

Be Mindful of Digital Footprints – Understand that what you post and where you go could be tracked.

Support Digital Rights Organizations – Groups like the ACLU and EFF are fighting against mass surveillance.

Demand Transparency – Governments must be held accountable for how they use AI and surveillance.

Freedom dies when people stop fighting for it. We must push back before AI turns democracy into an illusion.

Source:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91295390/how-the-trump-administration-plans-to-use-algorithms-to-target-protesters