#Extended Reality in Manufacturing

[websyn]

How Industrial Metaverse is Redefining Manufacturing Dynamics 

The emergence of the industrial metaverse is indeed reshaping manufacturing dynamics in profound ways. Let's delve deeper into some key aspects. Industrial metaverse in manufacturing is a revolutionary concept. As technology continues to redefine the boundaries of what's possible, the Industrial Metaverse emerges as a game-changer, transforming the traditional dynamics of manufacturing.  

Imagine a world where teams seamlessly collaborate and communicate in a virtual factory floor, breaking down the barriers of physical distance. This dynamic platform not only fosters real-time discussions but also empowers companies to revolutionize their design processes through virtual prototyping, minimizing errors and accelerating innovation like never before. Join us as we delve into how the Industrial Metaverse is reshaping the very essence of manufacturing, paving the way for a new era of efficiency, creativity, and limitless possibilities. 

The industrial metaverse is revolutionizing manufacturing by fostering collaboration, enabling virtual prototyping, and mitigating risks. As this technology continues to evolve, it will likely become an integral part of the modern manufacturing ecosystem, driving innovation and competitiveness in the industry. 

Industrial Metaverse Use Cases in Manufacturing  

1-Collaborative Platform:  

The industrial metaverse serves as a collaborative platform where teams can converge regardless of geographical barriers. This enables seamless communication and coordination among distributed teams, leading to enhanced efficiency and productivity in manufacturing processes. 

2-Virtual Factory Floors:  

By simulating factory environments in a virtual space, the metaverse facilitates real-time discussions and project work. Team members can explore and interact with virtual factory floors, enabling them to visualize workflows, identify potential bottlenecks, and devise solutions collaboratively. 

3-Virtual Prototyping:  

One of the significant advantages of the industrial metaverse is virtual prototyping. Companies can design and test products in a virtual environment before committing to physical production. This not only accelerates the product development cycle but also reduces costs associated with physical prototyping and iterations. 

4-Iterative Design:  

With virtual prototyping capabilities, manufacturers can iterate on product designs rapidly. This iterative approach allows for more thorough testing and refinement, leading to higher-quality products and better alignment with customer needs. 

5-Risk Mitigation:  

By leveraging virtual prototyping and simulations, companies can mitigate the risk of costly errors in the manufacturing process. Identifying and addressing potential issues early in the design phase helps minimize rework and production delays, ultimately saving time and resources. 

6-Training and Education:  

The industrial metaverse also serves as a valuable tool for training and education within the manufacturing industry. Virtual simulations can be used to train employees on new equipment, processes, and safety procedures in a realistic yet risk-free environment. 

Why Web Synergies? 

At Web Synergies, we recognize the immense potential of this paradigm shift and are committed to empowering businesses to thrive within this new era. Through innovative solutions, tailored strategies, and cutting-edge technologies, we provide the necessary tools for organizations to navigate the complexities of the Industrial Metaverse with confidence and agility.  

Choose Web Synergies as your trusted partner in embracing the future of manufacturing, and together, let's unlock limitless possibilities in this exciting journey of transformation.

[simulanissolutions]

Revolutionize Your Enterprise with Simulanis VR & AR

The future of business is immersive, interactive, and driven by technology. Enterprises that embrace Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are unlocking new levels of efficiency, engagement, and innovation. At Simulanis, we are revolutionizing industries with cutting-edge VR and AR solutions that transform workforce training, customer experiences, and operational workflows.

Why VR & AR Are Essential for Enterprise Growth?

🔹 Next-Generation Employee Training Traditional training methods are no longer enough. Simulanis VR training solutions create realistic, hands-on virtual simulations, allowing employees to practice in a risk-free environment. AR-assisted learning further enhances training by providing real-time digital overlays and interactive guidance.

🔹 Enhanced Customer Engagement & Product Visualization Enterprises can showcase products and services in 3D, offering customers an immersive and interactive buying experience. VR-powered virtual showrooms and AR product visualization tools help businesses boost sales and brand loyalty.

🔹 Operational Efficiency & Safety Improvements From industrial safety training to real-time AR-powered remote assistance, immersive technologies help enterprises reduce risks, improve accuracy, and enhance productivity. AR smart glasses and VR simulations empower teams to perform complex tasks with greater precision.

🔹 Immersive Collaboration & Remote Work Solutions With VR-powered virtual workspaces, businesses can conduct meetings, training sessions, and brainstorming workshops in a realistic, collaborative digital environment. This is the future of hybrid work models and global enterprise connectivity.

🔹 Seamless Integration with the Metaverse The Metaverse is redefining business interaction, allowing enterprises to build virtual spaces, host digital events, and create next-level customer experiences. Simulanis provides tailored Metaverse solutions that help businesses stand out in the digital landscape.

Industries Benefiting from Simulanis VR & AR Solutions

✅ Manufacturing & Industrial Training – VR-based process training, equipment simulations, and AR maintenance guides. ✅ Healthcare & Medical Training – Surgical simulations, medical procedures training, and AR-assisted diagnostics. ✅ Retail & E-Commerce – Virtual try-ons, 3D product showcases, and interactive shopping experiences. ✅ Education & Corporate Learning – Engaging VR classrooms, AR-based learning modules, and enterprise e-learning solutions. ✅ Real Estate & Architecture – Immersive virtual property tours, 3D architectural visualizations, and interactive design planning. ✅ Automotive & Engineering – VR for vehicle prototyping, driver training, and AR-powered repair assistance.

Why Choose Simulanis?

At Simulanis, we are pioneers in VR, AR, and Metaverse technology, helping businesses unlock the full potential of immersive solutions. Our expertise in Extended Reality (XR) solutions ensures that enterprises can streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and train employees more effectively.

🚀 The future of enterprise innovation starts now! 🚀

📩 Get in touch with Simulanis today and explore how VR & AR can transform your business!

Visit Website: simulanis.com

[iheartjulessforlife]

90s 𝓕AME ⋆ DESIRED REALITY

It’s 1990s, a name that echoed through every radio, graced every magazine cover, and ignited the flashbulbs of a thousand cameras, was RIHANNA. Born with a pedigree that shimmered with the legacy of music royalty, the daughter of the legendary and the effortlessly cool JIMI HENDRIX, she didn't just inherit fame; she redefined it. With a charisma that was both inherited and entirely her own, a magnetic pull that drew you in and refused to let go, she didn't just forge a successful career; she became a cultural earthquake, reshaping the landscape of music, fashion, and celebrity itself.

She wasn't just a singer and a model; she was *the* singer, *the* model, the undeniable "it girl" of a decade defined by its bold style and unapologetic attitude. She was a diva in the truest sense of the word – not just demanding, but captivating, a force of nature whose every move was dissected and celebrated. She was the hottest sensation, the one everyone talked about, the one everyone wanted to be near. The paparazzi, a ravenous pack of wolves, were utterly captivated by her, their lenses chasing after her every public appearance, desperate for a glimpse of her. They devoured her risqué photos, each one a carefully curated rebellion against convention, a defiant wink at the status quo. Her carefree personality, a refreshing antidote to the manufactured perfection of many stars, was a breath of fresh air, and it was this intoxicating blend of vulnerability and rebellion that earned her the legendary nickname, "BadGyalRiRi." It wasn't just a name; it was a brand, a declaration of her fearless, uninhibited spirit.

As the 1990s dawned, her talent had already translated into an immense fortune, establishing her as the wealthiest female artist of the era, a financial powerhouse whose success was as staggering as her talent. But her passions extended far beyond the glitz and glamour. She possessed a deep, abiding love for music, not just creating it, but immersing herself in its power and poetry. She found solace and inspiration in the written word, a fervent reader of poetry and books, her intellectual curiosity as sharp as her stage presence. Fashion wasn't just a profession; it was an art form, a means of self-expression, and she was its most daring muse. Designers clamored to dress her, knowing that anything RIHANNA wore would instantly become a trend, a coveted piece of cultural history. She was known, whispered about in hushed tones among industry insiders, as every producer's dream – not just because of her talent, but because of her work ethic, her intuition, her ability to elevate every project she touched.

Her inner circle was as iconic as she was. She was rarely seen without her trusted confidantes, the equally trailblazing Aaliyah and the fiercely independent Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Together, they were a formidable trio, a symbol of female empowerment and unapologetic individuality, their presence at parties and events sparking a frenzy. Her allure was so potent, so undeniable, that it ignited a primal fire in those around her. Stories, whispered in hushed tones, circulated about men fighting, even resorting to violence in nightclubs, all vying for her attention, a dangerous testament to the intoxicating power she wielded. Even before the 90s fully hit, in 1989, legends like Michael Jackson and Prince were rumored to be captivated by her, their interest a testament to her early, undeniable magnetism.

She was a sartorial force of nature, a walking runway show. She was always, *always*, rocking the best high fashion clothes fresh off the runway, often before they were even available to the public. Designers would send her pieces straight from their collections, knowing that her endorsement was more valuable than any advertising campaign. She blurred the lines between music and fashion, each one influencing and amplifying the other.

And then there was *Anti*. Released in 1993, it wasn't just an album; it was a musical revolution. It defied genres, challenged expectations, and showcased a depth and vulnerability that had never been seen before. Critics and fans alike were mesmerized, and it was universally hailed as the best album released in the 1990s, a masterpiece that solidified her place as not just a pop star, but a true artist.

But for all her talent and success, RIHANNA was also, undeniably, a bad girl. The "BadGyalRiRi" moniker wasn't just for show. She was known for her fiery temper, her refusal to back down, and her willingness to engage in public spats that sent the tabloids into a frenzy. Her ongoing, legendary feud with the equally iconic Naomi Campbell was a constant source of fascination, a clash of two titans of their respective fields, each one a force of nature in her own right. Their public confrontations, captured by eager paparazzi, became part of her legend, proof that she was a woman who lived life on her own terms, consequences be damned.

And then there was her tumultuous, captivating relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Tupac Shakur. Their romance was a whirlwind of passion and drama, played out in the full glare of the public eye. They were the ultimate power couple, their every interaction a tabloid headline. Paparazzi lenses were constantly trained on them, capturing moments of intense argument followed by passionate reconciliations. They were seen arguing on street corners, in restaurants, at parties, their fiery personalities clashing with explosive intensity. Yet, just as quickly as the storm would brew, they would be seen hand-in-hand, their love as undeniable as their disagreements. Their relationship was a rollercoaster, a testament to the intense connection they shared, a love story as epic and dramatic as their individual careers. This volatile yet undeniably magnetic bond with Tupac added another layer to the complex and utterly captivating persona of RIHANNA, the undisputed queen of the 90s, a woman who lived as loudly and as fearlessly as she sang, her life a constant performance of talent, style, and unapologetic rebellion. She was more than just a star; she was an era, a feeling, a force of nature that defined a generation.

[trungles]

Cross-posting an essay I wrote for my Patreon since the post is free and open to the public.

Hello everyone! I hope you're relaxing as best you can this holiday season. I recently went to see Miyazaki's latest Ghibli movie, The Boy and the Heron, and I had some thoughts about it. If you're into art historical allusions and gently cranky opinions, please enjoy. I've attached a downloadable PDF in the Patreon post if you'd prefer to read it that way. Apologies for the formatting of the endnotes! Patreon's text posting does not allow for superscripts, which means all my notations are in awkward parentheses. Please note that this writing contains some mild spoilers for The Boy and the Heron.

Hayao Miyazaki’s 2023 feature animated film The Boy and the Heron reads as an extended meditation on grief and legacy. The Master of a grand tower seeks a descendant to carry on his maddening duty, balancing toy blocks of magical stone upon which the entire fabric of his little pocket of reality rests. The world’s foundations are frail and fleeting, and can pass away into the cold void of space should he neglect to maintain this task. The Master’s desire to pass the torch undergirds much of the film’s narrative.

(Isle of the Dead. Arnold Böcklin. 1880. Oil on Canvas. Kunstmuseum. Basel, Switzerland.)

Arnold Böcklin, a Swiss Symbolist(1) painter, was born on October 16 in 1827, the same year the Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church bought a plot of land in Florence from the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, that had long been used for the burials of Protestants around Florence. It is colloquially known as The English Cemetery, so called because it was the resting place of many Anglophones and Protestants around Tuscany, and Böcklin frequented this cemetery—his workshop was adjacent and his infant daughter Maria was buried there. In 1880, he drew inspiration from the cemetery, a lone plot of Protestant land among a sea of Catholic graveyards, and began to paint what would be the first of six images entitled Isle of the Dead. An oil on canvas piece, it depicts a moody little island mausoleum crowned with a gently swaying grove of cypresses, a type of tree common in European cemeteries and some of which are referred to as arborvitae. A figure on a boat, presumably Charon, ferries a soul toward the island and away from the viewer.

(Photo of The English Cemetery in Florence. Samuli Lintula. 2006.)

The Isle of the Dead paintings varied slightly from version to version, with figures and names added and removed to suit the needs of the time or the commissioner. The painting was glowingly referenced and remained fairly popular throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The painting used to be inescapable in much of European popular culture. Professor Okulicz-Kozaryn, a philologist (someone with a deep interest in the ways language and cultural canons evolve)(2) observed that the painting, like many other works in its time, was itself iterative and became widely reiterated and referenced among its contemporaries. It became something like Romantic kitsch in the eyes of modern art critics, overwrought and excessively Byronic. I imagine Miyazaki might also resent a work of that level of manufactured ubiquity, as Miyazaki famously held Disney animated films in contempt (3). Miyazaki’s films are popularly aspirational to young animators and cartoonists, but gestures at imitation typically fall well short, often reducing Miyazaki’s weighty films to kitschy images of saccharine vibes and a lazy indulgence in a sort of empty magical domestic coziness. Being trapped in a realm of rote sentiment by an uncritical, unthoughtful viewership is its own Isle of Death.

(Still from The Boy and the Heron, 2023. Studio Ghibli.)

The Boy and the Heron follows a familiar narrative arc to many of Miyazaki’s other films: a child must journey through a magical and quietly menacing world in order to rescue their loved ones. This arc is an echo of Satsuki’s journey to find Mei in My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Chihiro’s journey to rescue her parents Spirited Away (2001). To better understand Miyazaki’s fixation with this particular character journey, it can be instructive to watch Lev Atamanov’s 1957 animated film, The Snow Queen (4)(5), a beautifully realized take on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 children’s story (6)(7). Mahito’s journey continues in this tradition, as the boy travels into a painted world to rescue his new stepmother from a mysterious tower.

Throughout the film, Miyazaki visually references Isle of the Dead. Transported to a surreal world, Mahito initially awakens on a little green island with a gated mausoleum crowned with cypress trees. He is accosted by hungry pelicans before being rescued by a fisherwoman named Kiriko. After a day of catching and gutting fish, Mahito wakes up under the fisherwoman’s dining table, surrounded by kokeshi—little wooden dolls—in the shapes of the old women who run Mahito’s family’s rural household. Mahito is told they must not be touched, as the kokeshi are wards set up for his protection. There is a popular urban legend associated with the kokeshi wherein they act as stand-ins for victims of infanticide, though there seems to be very little available writing to support this legend. Still, it’s a neat little trick that Miyazaki pulls, placing a stray reference to a local legend of unverifiable provenance that persists in the popular imagination, like the effect of fairy stories passed on through oral retellings, continually remolded each new iteration.

(Still from The Boy and the Heron, 2023. Studio Ghibli.)

Kiriko’s job in this strange landscape is to catch fish to nourish unborn spirits, the adorable floating warawara, before they can attempt to ascend on a journey into the world of the living. Their journey is thwarted by flocks of supernatural pelicans, who swarm the warawara and devour them. This seems to nod to the association of pelicans with death in mythologies around the world, especially in relationship to children (8). Miyazaki’s pelicans contemplate the passing of their generations as each successive generation seems to regress, their capacity to fulfill their roles steadily diminishing.

(Still from The Boy and the Heron, 2023. Studio Ghibli.)

As Mahito’s adventure continues, we find the landscapes changing away from Böcklin’s Isle of the Dead into more familiar Ghibli territories as we start to see spaces inspired by one of Studio Ghibli’s aesthetic mainstays, Naohisa Inoue and his explorations of the fantasy realms of Iblard. He might be most familiar to Ghibli enthusiasts as the background artists for the more fantastical elements of Whisper of the Heart (1995).

(Naohisa Inoue, for Iblard Jikan, 2007. Studio Ghibli.)

By the time we arrive at the climax of The Boy and the Heron, the fantasy island environment starts to resemble English takes on Italian gardens, the likes of which captivated illustrators and commercial artists of the early 20th century such as Maxfield Parrish. This appears to be a return to one of Böcklin’s later paintings, The Island of Life (1888), a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reaction to the overwhelming presence of Isle of the Dead in his life and career. The Island of Life depicts a little spot of land amid an ocean very like the one on which Isle of the Dead’s somber mausoleum is depicted, except this time the figures are lively and engaged with each other, the vegetation lush and colorful, replete with pink flowers and palm fronds.

(Island of Life. Arnold Böcklin. Oil on canvas. 1888. Kunstmuseum. Basel, Switzerland.)

In 2022, Russia’s State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg acquired the sixth and final Isle of the Dead painting. In the last year of his life, Arnold Böcklin would paint this image in collaboration with his son Carlo Böcklin, himself an artist and an architect. Arnold Böcklin spent three years painting the same image three times over at the site of his infant daughter’s grave, trapped on the Isle of the Dead. By the time of his death in 1901 at age 74, Böcklin would be survived by only five of his fourteen children. That the final Isle of the Dead painting would be a collaboration between father and son seemed a little ironic considering Hayao Miyazaki’s reticence in passing on his own legacy. Like the old Master in The Boy and the Heron, Miyazaki finds himself with no true successors.

The Master of the Tower's beautiful islands of painted glass fade into nothing as Mahito, his only worthy descendant, departs to live his own life, fulfilling the thesis of Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 book How Do You Live?, published three years after Carlo Böcklin’s death. In evoking Yoshino and Böcklin’s works, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron suggests that, like his character the Master, Miyazaki himself must make peace with the notion that he has no heirs to his legacy, and that those whom he wished to follow in his footsteps might be best served by finding their own paths.

(Isle of the Dead. Arnold and Carlo Böcklin. Oil on canvas. 1901. The State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg, Russia.)

INFORMAL ENDNOTES

1 - Symbolists are sort of tough to nail down. They were started as a literary movement to 1 distinguish themselves from the Decadents, but their manifesto was so vague that critics and academics fight about it to this day. The long and the short of it is that the Symbolists made generous use of a lot of metaphorical imagery in their work. They borrow a lot of icons from antiquity, echo the moody aesthetics from the Romantics, maintained an emphasis on figurative imagery more so than the Surrealists, and were only slightly more technically married to the trappings of traditionalist academic painters than Modernists and Impressionists. They're extremely vibes-forward.

2 - Okulicz-Kozaryn, Radosław. Predilection of Modernism for Variations. Ciulionis' Serenity among Different Developments of the Theme of Toteninsel. ACTA Academiae Artium Vilnensis 59. 2010. The article is incredibly cranky and very funny to read in parts. Contains a lot of observations I found to be helpful in placing Isle of the Dead within its context.

3 - "From my perspective, even if they are lightweight in nature, the more popular and common films still must be filled with a purity of emotion. There are few barriers to entry into these films-they will invite anyone in but the barriers to exit must be high and purifying. Films must also not be produced out of idle nervousness or boredom, or be used to recognise, emphasise, or amplify vulgarity. And in that context, I must say that I hate Disney's works. The barrier to both the entry and exit of Disney films is too low and too wide. To me, they show nothing but contempt for the audience." from Miyazaki's own writing in his collection of essays, Starting Point, published in 2014 from VIZ Media.

4 - You can watch the movie here in its original Russian with English closed captions here.

5 If you want to learn more about the making of Atamanoy's The Snow Queen, Animation Obsessive wrote a neat little article about it. It's a good overview, though I have to gently disagree with some of its conclusions about the irony of Miyazaki hating Disney and loving Snow Queen, which draws inspiration from Bambi. Feature film animation as we know it hadonly been around a few decades by 1957, and I find it specious, particularly as a comic artistand author, to see someone conflating an entire form with the character of its content, especially in the relative infancy of the form. But that's just one hot take. The rest of the essay is lovely.

6 - Miyazaki loves this movie. He blurbed it in a Japanese re-release of it in 2007.

7 - Julia Alekseyeva interprets Princess Mononoke as an iteration of Atamanov's The Snow Queen, arguing that San, the wolf princess, is Miyazaki's homage to Atamanoy's little robber girl character.

8 - Hart, George. The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods And Goddesses. Routledge Dictionaries. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. 2005.

[darkmaga-returns]

By Dr. Michael Yeadon November 10, 2024

This presentation by Prof Dr Stefan Homburg is devastating.

You may recall his analysis of files deliberately released by Germany’s Robert Koch Institute in summer 2024? These were official & heavily redacted. Still, they revealed extensive political control of what the public (& the courts) were told were independent experts.

Now, there’s been a substantial leak from inside RKI of internal correspondence which tears apart any semblance of reality surrounding the pretend pandemic.

It’s official. There was no pandemic. No public health emergency. The hospitals were emptier than usual.

The entire scandalous episode, lasting years, was manufactured by named politicians.

If you still think there’s been a new, fast spreading disease which shut down the world and necessitated rushed (fake, dangerous) injections, I don’t know what to say to you.

Please - share this widely. Numerous politicians in the German government are named as bad actors in this RKI-Leak and this extended to NATO members.

Our sole defence against tyranny is to shine the disinfectant of sunlight upon it.

Best wishes,

Mike

[sleepingdeath-light]

verosika mayday!s/o hcs ; lucifer morningstar

requested by ; anonymous (28/02/24)

fandom(s) ; hazbin hotel

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; lucifer morningstar

outline ; “Hii ! I hope you’re having a good day! If it isn’t too much trouble, I’d like to ask for charlie, Lucifer, and angeldust with a verosika mayday reader? Romantic for luci and Charlie, platonic for angel dust (omg angel and verosika would be SUCH a power couple..)”

warning(s) ; suggestive content here and there, but mostly fluff!

lucifer is quite possibly the best partner you could hope you have as a succubus in your profession

first of all, the devil is an extremely confident man that couldn’t give less of a shit about what you wear or the attention you receive from your fans — like you could walk out the door completely naked and he’d still parade you around on his arm and treat you like a queen, and when your fans try and flirt with you it only boosts his ego and makes him all the more likely to start bragging/gushing about you and making it abundently clear that you’re already spoken for. obviously if they start bothering you then he’s going to take issue with it and tell them to fuck off, but otherwise it’ll take a lot more than a mediocre mortal or an imp with too-high ambitions to shake the king of hell’s confidence in your relationship and his security as your lover.

secondly, as the king of hell he has the freedom and ability to travel wherever the fuck he wants at a moment’s notice which means that he almost never misses a gig of yours. the only time he’s ever actually missed out on one of your concerts was because he was spending the day with his daughter (which he’d warned you about in advance) and other than that he’s always managed to at least make it for the last song or two no matter how busy he was beforehand. so whether you’re performing in house at ozzie’s, singing your heart out in wrath, or having a concert up in the mortal realm, you can always count on spotting that familiar mop of blond hair in the crowd.

thirdly, as a monarch and celebrity in his own right he’s used to being stalked by the media so your rabid fan base and paparazzi aren’t gonna scare him off — in fact he knows even more ways to avoid them than you do. sure he went off the grid for a while after his divorce, but lucifer is still good at controlling the media narrative around himself and he’s not above extending that power to you in order to keep the public’s opinion of you as positive as possible.

fourthly, the man has a stupid amount of money that he’s more than happy to throw at you to keep your career exciting and alive. he’ll finance all of your tours, fund manufacturers to make your merch, have his assistants do outreach to help you get interviewed and scouted for other opportunities, and he’s always making sure that your gear (recording equipment, touring outfits, etc.) is as high quality as possible because his future queen only deserves the best

and, last but not least, the man can sing — he has the literal voice of an angel and if you ask him nicely enough he can be convinced to lend you his vocals for a song or two. he may not necessarily be suited to the raunchier sorts of tracks (which always leave him a bit red in the face when he hears you sing them live even after the two of you have been together for years), but there’s nothing wrong with variety and he’s happy to sit there and brainstorm with you for however long it takes to make your vision a reality — you two can make a date of it, even!

also, as an aside, he’d also absolutely be the type to brag about you on all of his socials whenever he finds the time to actually bother going online — including shamelessly wearing your merch and encouraging his followers to support your latest endeavour

[weaselandfriends]

Were SAO and Ender's Game just a coincidence, or are you deliberately seeking out stories about "gamers"? If it's the latter, would you consider Iain Bank's "The Player Of Games" to fit the brief?

It was a coincidence, actually. I reread Ender's Game recently to prepare to read Speaker for the Dead, its sequel, which I had never read before. Meanwhile, most of the anime I'm watching is part of a groupwatch group of webfic authors. One of the members of the group, Gazemaize, has never seen much anime before, and wanted to watch anime that were particularly influential. We started out by watching all of Evangelion, and then decided that Sword Art Online would also, in a tragic way, qualify as massively influential...

I haven't read The Player of the Games, so I can't comment on that.

I did cut an extended section from my SAO essay on the history of video games in media. This section is fragmentary, but here it is if you're interested:

When Nintendo revived the video game industry in America in 1985, it did so fighting an entrenched social stigma against the term "video game." Two years prior, Atari crashed the market by flooding it with barely-functional shovelware; on top of lingering consumer mistrust, many considered video games to be a fad past its expiration date.

Nintendo tackled this stigma primarily through deception. The Nintendo Entertainment System was marketed not as a "video game," but as a multipurpose electronic toy. As part of the trick, the company drew on its nearly century-long history as a (non-video) game and toy manufacturer, bundling the console with toy-like peripherals like R.O.B. and the Super Scope.

It worked. The NES was a massive hit. But its success came at a price, at least regarding the cultural conception of video games. During the arcade era, video games had primarily been a teen activity, with arcades not just a location to play but a place to hang out. Now, though, the overwhelming image of video games was as a toy for children.

This image was reflected in media about video games. The pre-crash Tron (1982), despite being a Disney movie, was rated PG (before PG-13 existed) and starred an adult Jeff Bridges in a plot revolving around corporate espionage. Not a single child character appeared in the film. But the post-Nintendo The Wizard (1989) starred a 12-year-old Fred Savage and a 9-year-old Luke Edwards. Nintendo would also license multiple Saturday morning children's cartoons, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show (1989) and Captain N: The Game Master (1989). Nintendo's kid-friendly mascot characters became the cultural face of video games, recognized by billions worldwide.

Slowly, though, the demographic reality of gaming and Gamers changed. By the mid-90s, hardware had advanced enough for sprawling, narrative-dense RPGs like Final Fantasy VII (1997) to replace the cute, mascot-driven platformers of the preceding generations. By the early 2000s, graphics were capable of depicting gritty, realistic warzones, and first-person shooters became explosively popular thanks to titles like Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2007). Teens once more became the core demographic, and adults who grew up with games were sticking around too.

But video games were still not taken seriously by the public at large. Either the kid-friendly image persisted, as through Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), or video games got sent to the horror movie ghetto via a startlingly long series of cheap, critically-panned films: Resident Evil (2002), House of the Dead (2003), Doom (2005), Alone in the Dark (2005), BloodRayne (2005), Silent Hill (2006), Stay Alive (2006), and the equally-startling number of sequels those films collectively spawned. Most of these adaptations were only marginally faithful to the source material, as if even slasher horror was too good a genre to consider video games a worthy mode of storytelling.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

France’s national railway operator has unveiled its next-generation high-speed trains, equipped with stylish interiors that are already causing a stir online.

Branded INOUI (a play on the French word “inouï,” meaning unprecedented or incredible), these will be the fifth generation of the country’s TGV intercity service that has been at the forefront of high-speed rail travel since their launch nearly 45 years ago.

After undergoing more than a million kilometers (over 620,000 miles) of test journeys, the new trains — manufactured entirely in France — were unveiled earlier this month by SNCF Voyageurs, the French national passenger rail operator and manufacturer Alstom.

“45 years after the first TGV, we’re going to revolutionize high-speed travel once again,” Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, said in a press statement.

“70s space age vibes”

The trains, which will travel at speeds of up to 320 kilometers an hour (nearly 200 mph) caused a stir online, with social media users praising the new designs as “incredible.”

“There’s just something about these 70s space age vibes that make it feel modern and retro at the same time,” Jan Buis, who posts about technology and design, wrote on X.

The first- and second-class carriages feature light interiors, complemented by statement yellow lamps.

Table lamps have long been a staple on TGVs and the new generation are meant to look “as round as the seats” while adding a touch of “bright colour” and humor, according to SNCF’s statement.

The overall look of the project is the result of a collaboration between French engineering consultancy AREP and Japanese design agency NENDO.

Comfort is the central theme, AREP said in a press release.

“The idea was to take a fresh look, to introduce a lasting break in the railway world and to re-enchant a technical and industrial environment,” it said, adding that the interiors are intended to provide a “more personal bubble of comfort in a shared space.”

France’s famed cuisine and quality local ingredients will be showcased on the train’s “centrepiece” — a dining car spanning two floors.

Passengers will be able to buy self-service items in the downstairs area, while the upstairs will be home to a “convivial bistro” featuring seasonal French dishes and wines.

For the first time in TGV’s history, the entire train crew was involved in the design process, according to the press statement.

Conductors, drivers and maintenance workers advised on designing layouts better suited to their daily tasks.

The drivers used virtual reality technology to experience and choose between three different cab environments.

Thoughtful design extends beyond the needs of those working on the train.

Microwaves, extra changing tables and relaxation areas have been added to help families travelling with children.

A new car has also been designed for wheelchair users, making it possible for them to board the train independently and order food to their seats.

Journeys will start on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille line in 2026, taking travelers from the capital to the south coast in three hours.

[simulanissolutions]

Future-Proof Your Business with Simulanis Immersive Tech

The business landscape is evolving rapidly, and staying ahead requires cutting-edge technology. Companies that adopt immersive solutions like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and the Metaverse are leading the way in innovation, efficiency, and engagement. At Simulanis, we specialize in providing immersive tech solutions that transform industries, enhance workforce training, and revolutionize customer interactions.

Why Immersive Technology is the Future of Business?

Traditional methods of training, collaboration, and marketing are becoming obsolete. Immersive technology offers realistic, interactive, and data-driven experiences that drive business growth and operational excellence. Here’s how:

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Customers today demand interactive and engaging experiences. AR and VR allow businesses to showcase products in 3D environments, enabling virtual try-ons, 360-degree product views, and immersive storytelling—driving higher conversions and customer satisfaction.

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Industries like manufacturing, logistics, and construction rely on precision and safety. VR-based training and AR-powered assistance help workers understand machinery, follow safety protocols, and reduce operational risks—leading to higher productivity and fewer errors.

✅ Immersive Collaboration & Remote Work Solutions

The future of work is digital. Metaverse-powered virtual workspaces allow businesses to host meetings, train employees, and collaborate seamlessly—bridging the gap between remote teams and in-office environments.

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The Metaverse is redefining business engagement, creating virtual worlds where brands can interact with customers, conduct training, and host immersive events. Simulanis helps businesses navigate the Metaverse, creating tailored solutions that enhance digital presence.

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Visit Website: simulanis.com

[justforbooks]

We’ve lost a true legend

Eddie Jordan, former F1 team owner, dies aged 76

Tributes have been paid from across Formula One after the death of the former team owner Eddie Jordan, aged 76. The Irishman was a well-liked and well-respected figure who had defied the odds to bring his independent Jordan team into the sport and went on to achieve notable successes such as four grand prix wins, including one for Damon Hill, and giving Michael Schumacher his first seat in F1.

Jordan, popularly known as “EJ”, had been diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer in December of last year that had spread to his spine and pelvis. His family released a statement on Thursday morning announcing he had passed away peacefully at his home in Cape Town.

“EJ brought an abundance of charisma, energy and Irish charm everywhere he went,” they said. “We all have a huge hole missing without his presence. He will be missed by so many people, but he leaves us with tons of great memories to keep us smiling through our sorrow.”

Hill, who took the team’s debut F1 victory at Spa in 1998, described ­Jordan as a true legend.

“Eddie was chaotic and a genius all at the same time. He had the energy of 100 men. He created so much joy and had a massive heart. There will only ever be one EJ,” he said. “He left his mark on the sport. He came from nothing, he worked his way up by using his cunning and guile. And, by his own admission, it wasn’t because of his good looks but because he was undeniable.

“He had a way of getting himself into your life. He was extraordinary and brilliant. He had a lovely family and he enriched life all around him. My heart goes out to them. The sport has lost a true legend and we have lost a true friend.”

Jordan was a dynamic, enthusiastic force of nature within F1, renowned for pulling off deals, his warmth, humour and his direct speaking that he retained throughout his life. Insistent on doing things his own way, he was unbowed by the scale and power of the competition he faced while running his team, which he forged from nothing and which would go on at their peak to be in the running for a championship during the period they raced between 1991 and 2005.

A former driver, he won the Irish kart championship at his first attempt in 1971 but suffered an accident in Formula Three in 1976 and in 1979 moved into team ownership. As Eddie Jordan Racing he enjoyed success in Formula 3000 and F3, including with Johnny Herbert winning the British F3 title in 1987.

His eye for talent was keen and over this period he gave a start to a host of drivers who would go on to success, including Hill and Herbert, Jean Alesi, Eddie Irvine and Martin Brundle.

That eye for talent extended to his personnel and he brought in the engineer Gary Anderson to design their first car, the 191, a distinctive, remarkably good-looking F1 car to this day, which would set the standard for the team punching above their weight.

Equally notable was Jordan putting Schumacher, who would go on to take seven world championships, into it that season when he needed a replacement for the Belgian GP, after his driver Bertrand Gachot had been jailed. The German shone in qualifying and, despite an early race exit with a mechanical failure, Jordan wanted to keep him on only for Benetton to sign him for the next race. A baptism of fire – “Welcome to the Piranha Club” was the McLaren head Ron Dennis’s response – to the brutal realities of F1.

Undeterred, he battled relentlessly, achieving results well beyond the means of his small outfit struggling for backing and resources. Ever with an eye for a deal, Jordan secured the sponsorship of the cigarette manufacturer Benson & Hedges in 1996 and with the funding made great strides. In 1998 he had Hill, who had won the world championship with Williams in 1996, on board, a new deal with Honda engines and the designer Mike Gascoyne. They took their first victory – a one-two for Hill and his teammate Ralf Schumacher – at a wet Belgian GP.

A year later they enjoyed their best season, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who won two races, alongside Hill, and the team made it to third in the championship, heights they would not reach again. The financial backing subsequently dwindled and with it the results. They scored one further win, at the chaotic Brazilian GP in 2003. The victory was initially awarded to Kimi Räikkönen when a major crash halted proceedings, until Jordan pointed out that his man, Giancarlo Fisichella, had been leading when it was stopped and the win was duly given to Jordan.

Unable to compete with the major players financially and match their investment in performance, Jordan reluctantly sold the team to the Midland group in 2006 for $60m, an immense return. They would then go through the iterations of Spyker, Force India and Racing Point before becoming Aston Martin in 2021. Aston still used the original Jordan Silverstone base right up until they took up residence in a state of the art factory at the ­circuit last year.

The chief executive of F1, Stefano Domenicali, paid tribute to Jordan on behalf of the sport. “We are deeply saddened to hear about the sudden loss of Eddie Jordan,” he said. “With his inexhaustible energy he always knew how to make people smile, remaining genuine and brilliant at all times. Eddie has been a protagonist of an era of F1 and he will be deeply missed. In this moment of sorrow, my thoughts and those of the entire Formula One family are with his family and loved ones.”

The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, to whom Jordan had offered his team for sale, also acknowledged his importance to the sport. “Very sorry to hear Eddie Jordan has sadly passed. Eddie was a hugely colourful character who I first met in 1991 as a young driver at his then new factory after his first year in Formula One. His advice, ‘get a good sponsor … ‘Welcome to the Piranha Club’,” he said. “Formula One has lost a legend and we will miss his wit and his Irish charm.”

F1’s governing body, the FIA, paid a similar tribute. “Eddie Jordan was a legend of Formula One. He made an invaluable contribution to global motor sport throughout his life,” it said. “All of us at the FIA would like to send our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this very difficult time. Eddie will always be remembered as a great sportsman and passionate ambassador for Formula One on and off the track.”

Jordan remained working in F1 as an outspoken TV pundit for the BBC and ­Channel 4 and then as the manager for ­the enormously successful designer Adrian Newey, for whom he negotiated a deal to leave Red Bull and join Aston Martin, the team that had evolved from Jordan’s fledgling outfit and with whom Newey began work earlier this year.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[badwolf-gallagher88]

Day 10 - Joyful

It is strange, how the memories one finds most painful are also the ones that bring the most joy.

Amongst the golden branches of Lindon, Lady Galadriel lay motionless upon a stone bench. Her eyes were closed, and for all the world she looked to be asleep. 

Yet, she was not asleep.

She was remembering.

She remembered the way in which the icy water had clawed at her lungs, driving the breath from them. For the first time in her life, she did not feel weightless, but distinctly heavy, sinking below the waves. The darkest reaches of the ocean were grasping for her, their talons extending and seeking to reach the light. The light - her very body - sank lower, and lower.

Yet, she had fought the darkness, and been rewarded with a glimpse of the light. 

When she surfaced, wracked with coughs and salt water running down her face, that was the first time she had seen him. And in that moment, she had known pure joy.

The man upon the raft was dressed in roughspun, plainly and without austerity. He too, was bathed in sea-water, running from his hair and into his face. His hair was a beautiful chestnut brown, cropping his shoulders. About his neck hung a pendant, marked with a sigil initially unknown to her. This, she all noticed in a moment, before the wave crashed upon her again. The only fact she truely registered, however, was that she had been saved. 

She sat up slowly, banishing the joyful smile that had snuck across her lips. Every time she thought of that day, or their time in Númenor, or riding into battle by his side, she was struck by an unwelcome burst of positivity. She realised the foolishness of these feelings, the futility, the reality, of course, yet they persisted.

He appeared in her dreams sometimes. Those were not as joyful as the memories, but they were more real. It was after that reality she struggled the most to seperate Halbrand from what he had become.

No, what he always was. 

Sometimes, she suspected he was manufacturing the joy. Possessing her mind to drive away all logical thought, replacing it with emotion and feeling.

Sometimes, she knew that just wasn’t true. She knew she had been happy, truely happy, by his side. 

That of course, could have been an allusion.

Or not…

She turned, glancing into the shadows. No, it was only her mind. Her mind playing tricks again. She must remember the reality, forget the joyful memories. 

She would not hear the tone of his voice again.

And if she did it would not remind her of the way her heart had beat in jubilation when she first saw him.

No, joy was a dangerous beast.

And dangerous beasts, she had learned, had best be avoided.

[girlactionfigure]

*ISRAEL REALTIME* - "Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime"

▪️Kerem Shalom - A huge traffic jam of aid trucks that will not enter Gaza today thanks to the blockade.. ‘the blockade’ is hostage families and fighter families (the Order 9 movement) who are protesting against aid entry with no return of hostages and ongoing attacks against the fighters.  "No aid passes until the last of the hostages returns.”

▪️Hezbollah announces that at 11:20 it launched two suicide drones towards the Iron Dome batteries near Kfar Blum.  IDF confirms falls in open areas.

▪️Israel is considering not extending the current water flow agreement with Jordan in the background of the harsh statements of senior officials against it following the war in Gaza, led by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safdi.

▪️China's Ministry of Defense: "We have never supplied arms and weapons to the conflict in Gaza. We always adopt a responsible approach to arms exports.”

▪️The Gazans report that they received an instruction (from the IDF) to evacuate the area of ​​UNWRA's Sana'a center in western Khan Younis by tomorrow at 5:00 AM. There are about ten thousand displaced persons there.

▪️In light of the spread of rumors about the establishment of a Palestinian state and the end of the war with a surrender agreement that removes the IDF from the Strip, the members of the ‘military camp’ movement (reservists) decided to intensify the struggle and embark on a number of projects across the length and breadth of the country in front of the government systems in order to convey their demand 'This war cannot be ended without exacting a heavy territorial price from the enemy and a 180 degree change of the reality that was here before October 7.’

The members of the movement decided at this stage to turn the encampment in Jerusalem into a march of reserve fighters leaving the northern Gaza Strip towards the government offices in Jerusalem. 

On Sunday, February 4, the reservists who were released from reserve service in Gaza will begin a march from the entrance to the northern Gaza Strip to Jerusalem, a five-day journey that will end with a rally in front of the Prime Minister's Office. The reservists call on the public to join them in the journey or segments of it and at the end of the victory rally that will be held on February 8 in Jerusalem.

🔶 JUDEA-SAMARIA Front 

▪️Terrorist who attacked IDF forces in Jenin and was killed this morning, was imprisoned in Israel for 16 years… released 2 months ago as part of the hostage releases.

▪️Bethlehem: confrontation between IDF forces and Palestinian police by police station that included the throwing of a stun grenade by IDF soldiers. The Palestinian policemen went back into their police station.

▪️IDF forces are currently doing counter-terror operations in the town of Kablan near Shechem.

▪️Shechem: Shin Bet arrests two wanted persons and a 3D printer used to manufacture weapons was confiscated.

[leftistfeminista]

Forcing women to choose: Sexual neoliberalism in Junta political prisons

Jocelyn Maldonado Garay’s Political Sexual Violence and State Terrorism in the Civil-Military Dictatorship in Chile: The Dark Genealogy of Neoliberalism offers a harrowing and profound exploration of the intersection between sexual violence and the economic policies of the Chicago Boys during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. Through a Marxist-Feminist lens, Garay delves into the way sexual abuse was not merely a byproduct of state terror, but an ideological instrument deeply tied to the neoliberal project forced upon Chile. The systematic subjugation of Communist, feminist, and MIRista women was intertwined with the neoliberal vision propagated by the Chicago Boys—a vision that perversely twisted the notion of freedom and choice.

At the core of Garay’s analysis is the idea that the sexual abuse of Marxist women was deliberately orchestrated to align with the principles of neoliberalism, particularly the illusion of choice. Under the guise of freedom, women were subjected to acts of degradation and humiliation that symbolized their forced submission to the new political and economic order. The military junta, inspired by Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose, sought to impose this ideology not only through economic reforms but through the bodies and minds of women who had previously resisted their rule.

The ultimate triumph for the junta guards was not merely the physical domination of these women, but their psychological defeat. The regime’s obsession with breaking the will of strong, defiant women was a reflection of the broader neoliberal project: the transformation of individuals into subjects who internalize their oppression as a form of autonomy. The junta’s aim was to strip away the revolutionary spirit of these women, to make them complicit in their own subjugation, and to present this submission as a choice.

One of the most grotesque examples of this illusion of choice is found in the practice of forcing women to wear skimpy lingerie as a signal of their willingness to be transferred from brutal interrogation chambers to the junta officers' harems. Lingerie—bras and thongs—were deliberately hung from the bars of prison cells, turning torture chambers into perverse theaters of neoliberal choice. Women who had once been fierce resistors of the regime were now manipulated into seeing the act of putting on lingerie as a decision, a form of agency, even though it was anything but. European lingerie manufacturers signed contracts with the Chilean police, supplying them with undergarments they knew would be used for abuse. This was a troubling example of global capitalists being complicit in degrading the revolutionary women who threatened their wealth.

The act of donning these garments represented a psychological surrender. For the junta guards, this was the ultimate victory: to see once-defiant women voluntarily participate in their own degradation, to watch them adopt the symbols of submission. In a grotesque parody of freedom, these women were made to believe that by choosing to wear the lingerie, they were opting for a different fate—not as political prisoners, but as sexual objects who could avoid further torture by offering themselves to the regime’s officers. This twisted logic was emblematic of the neoliberal ethos imposed on Chile, where the illusion of choice masked the reality of coercion. The women were forced to make the deliberate choice of discarding their previous identities and embracing their new roles as sexual objects. In the twisted logic of neoliberalism, they were not being directly forced; rather, they were "choosing" to avoid further torture by submitting to the sexual desires of their captors. This illusion of choice was a key tenet of the Chicago Boys' neoliberal doctrine, now grotesquely applied to the bodies of political prisoners.

Beyond the physical act of putting on lingerie, the regime’s efforts extended to manipulating these women emotionally and psychologically. The junta guards were not content with merely forcing these women into submission; they sought to make them feel pleasure, to fall in love with their captors. This obsession with turning victims into willing participants in their own subjugation reflects the core of neoliberal ideology: the idea that even under conditions of extreme oppression, individuals are "free" to choose their responses, their desires, and their fates.

This psychological manipulation took on various forms. The guards employed rough seduction, using calculated cruelty and affection to blur the lines between coercion and consent. Some Communist women, who had once been staunch enemies of the regime, found themselves developing feelings for their captors—an outcome that the junta regarded as a symbol of their ideological victory. These women, who had once fought against the dictatorship with all their might, were now seen as exemplars of the regime’s success when they appeared to "choose" to love the very men who had brutalized them. In this way, the sexual violence perpetrated against them became a microcosm of the broader neoliberal project: the transformation of society into a place where even the most oppressed are made to believe they have chosen their lot in life.

Maldonado Garay’s work is particularly powerful in its depiction of the junta’s fixation on humiliating acts of submission as the ultimate triumph. It was not enough for the regime to physically overpower these women; they sought to break them entirely, to make them embrace their own degradation as a form of agency. The junta’s strategy of sexual violence was not just about punishing political dissidents; it was about reshaping their identities to fit within the neoliberal framework that the Chicago Boys were imposing on the country.

The humiliation extended beyond the prison cells and interrogation rooms. The junta’s manipulation of these women was emblematic of a broader societal shift, where the values of neoliberalism—individualism, competition, and the illusion of choice—were forced upon the entire population. The lingerie hanging from the bars of the torture chambers symbolized the broader neoliberal project, where the act of choosing one’s own subjugation was held up as the ultimate form of freedom. The junta’s goal was to create a society where even the most oppressed would internalize their exploitation, where women who had once been symbols of resistance would now become symbols of the regime’s triumph.

Garay’s work underscores the deep connections between neoliberalism and sexual violence, revealing how economic ideologies can be weaponized to justify the most egregious forms of oppression. The regime’s use of sexual violence was not an aberration; it was a calculated part of the neoliberal experiment that sought to reorder society along lines that prioritized individual choice—no matter how illusory that choice was—over collective resistance.

The example of Communist women being forced to wear lingerie, to submit to the junta’s officers, and even to fall in love with their captors is a chilling illustration of the broader neoliberal project imposed on Chile. These women, who had once stood as symbols of defiance, were transformed into symbols of the regime’s triumph when they appeared to "choose" their own submission. The sexual violence perpetrated against them becomes a metaphor for the entire neoliberal experiment: a project that sought not only to reshape the economy but to reshape the very identities of those who resisted it.

This attempt to break women’s spirits by forcing them to experience pleasure during abuse was a deeply calculated strategy. The junta guards were not content with merely violating their victims; they sought to invade the most intimate parts of their identities, to force these women to question their own beliefs and desires. By making these women’s bodies respond in ways that appeared to contradict their political convictions, the guards aimed to undermine their sense of self and identity. The involuntary reactions of these women—arousal, pleasure, and physical responses that they could not control—became the regime’s evidence that no woman, no matter how strong or politically committed, could resist the fundamental order of male dominance.

This aspect of the regime's sexual violence was a clear reflection of the broader machismo culture that permeated Pinochet’s Chile. In this culture, men were expected to be hypermasculine, assertive, and dominant, while women were expected to be submissive, even if they initially resisted. The junta guards, steeped in this toxic masculinity, believed that feminists were merely challenging male authority out of a need for attention or as a façade to cover their deeper desires for male domination. By forcing Marxist women to experience pleasure during acts of rape and abuse, the guards believed they were stripping away this façade and revealing these women’s "true" nature.

This narrative of feminists secretly desiring machismo men was not unique to the junta guards but was embedded in the broader patriarchal society that Pinochet’s regime sought to uphold. The dictatorship’s policies and cultural norms were heavily influenced by traditional gender roles that positioned women as naturally submissive and men as naturally dominant. In this context, feminist resistance was not seen as a legitimate political stance but as a deviant behavior that needed to be corrected. The guards' efforts to "prove" that Marxist women desired their abuse were part of a broader campaign to reassert traditional gender roles and punish those who dared to challenge them.

The physical manifestation of this ideology on the bodies of Marxist women was brutal and dehumanizing. Women who had fought for political and social liberation were reduced to objects of male power, their bodies used as battlegrounds for proving the supremacy of machismo. The junta guards took pleasure in forcing these women to perform acts of submission, not just to degrade them, but to make them doubt their own beliefs. By eliciting involuntary reactions, the guards sought to turn these women into living contradictions, embodiments of the regime’s twisted logic that even the most ardent feminists were, at their core, submissive to male authority.

The fixation on involuntary pleasure and submission was a crucial part of this project. By forcing Marxist women to respond physically to their abuse, the junta guards sought to prove that even these women, who had devoted their lives to fighting oppression, were ultimately subject to the same patriarchal and neoliberal logic as everyone else. In this way, the sexual violence perpetrated against them becomes a powerful metaphor for the broader societal transformation that Pinochet’s regime sought to achieve—a transformation that aimed to turn all Chileans into subjects who embraced their exploitation as a form of freedom, even when that freedom was nothing more than an illusion.

Political Sexual Violence and State Terrorism in the Civil-Military Dictatorship in Chile: The Dark Genealogy of Neoliberalism is a vital contribution to our understanding of the intersections between neoliberalism, state violence, and gender. Jocelyn Maldonado Garay’s work challenges us to confront the ways in which economic ideologies can be weaponized to justify the most brutal forms of oppression. The illusion of choice, so central to neoliberal ideology, was perverted in the most grotesque ways during Pinochet’s dictatorship. Marxist women who had once resisted the regime were transformed into symbols of the regime’s triumph when they appeared to "choose" their own subjugation. In this way, the sexual violence perpetrated against them serves as a chilling reminder of the dark legacy of neoliberalism in Chile and the importance of resisting the seductive illusions of freedom that it so often offers.

Jocelyn Maldonado Garay (Santiago, 1987) is a professor of History, Geography and Civic Education at the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences , and a master's degree in Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Chile. She is currently a doctoral candidate in critical theory and current society at the Andrés Bello University.

[stingslikeabee]

@metalmadegod sent: Megatron extended his servo, palm up. His sharp - tipped digits were spread, allowing more than enough room for Melissa to climb between them. ❝YOU WILL COME HERE,❞ he intoned. Red optics followed Melissa closely. She was nothing in his servo — so small and light that he would not have known she was there if he did not observe her crawling on. Reflexively, his digits half - closed, shielding her momentarily.

[ she became nervous when he lifted her, he knew. why he cared for the fears of an insect still eluded him. ]

The leader of the Decepticons' thunderous steps shook the stone walls around them. Megatron walked out of the abyssal cave system that his crew had come to call home and outside. Sunlight laid across the valley below, filled with trees and dark rocky protrusions. A faint, misting rain spread through the air.

❝YOUR KIND NEEDS YOUR STAR,❞ Megatron said, optics glancing up at the great gaseous ball above them. ❝I CANNOT AFFORD FOR YOU TO WEAKEN.❞

[ unscripted asks . always accepting ]

There was probably something to be said of mankind's ability to evolve and adapt; from those living in the most remote corners of the globe and enduring freezing temperatures to the people navigating deserts on the daily, there was very little that humans could not do. And if years ago someone had also mentioned coexisting with an alien species (or surviving them), Melissa would probably have laughed at their face.

Aliens were not real - and Earth was too much of a scorched planet to deserve any real attention given everything it had suffered over centuries. But life had a very unique way of turning tables and dealing impossible hands to individuals, regardless of whether they owed some cosmic debt. Melissa was not quite sure where she fit in the grander scheme of things - but a neutral bystander would probably have wondered why (or how) she remained so calm while under imprisonment by the one being that newspapers had collectively branded as the greatest evil to have ever haunted the planet.

The truth was far less complicated - in simple words, Melissa just didn't see why she should be concerned to be a pawn in a game when she had been precisely that for three decades and a half. Raised as a princess and spoiled by all that money could offer, the woman was the daughter to Edgar Franklin Drysdell, a senator for Georgia and who had served as a member to the Aviation, Space and Innovation sub-division of the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee for as long as she could remember.

Her father was more excited about a new Boeing model than any of her birthdays; there was just no family milestone that had been as celebrated as those by the aircraft manufacturer and his childhood obsession with planes had shaped his political career and drive to work for the sector, going as far as marrying his oldest daughter to an up-and-coming colleague with an affinity for the military side of the same topic.

(technically, he had betrothed Melissa only - but the lack of enthusiasm from her part suggested no real drive to ever turn her father's dream into reality; she felt like an overpriced commodity changing hands, from the civil segment into the military one.)

All things considered, it wasn't the fact that she had been kidnapped by Megatron that made the brunette nervous (particularly where he seemed very keen on ensuring her health by providing food, water and even a modicum of comfort to that improvised cell), but the fact that Melissa was taken every now and then around his lair on his... Hand. That means of transportation made her incredibly anxious - the irony of someone like her being afraid of heights was not lost on the woman.

(Maybe that was her own karma to be dealt with.)

And not for the first (or last) time, the brunette was required to climb on the giant alien's hand, inhaling sharply and doing her best to stop legs from shaking. Melissa immediately sat down after boarding, if only because she thought that having more contact with the metal (and less of a view) helped the heart slow down. She had not yet recovered by the time Megatron walked outside, the natural sunshine not enough to make her flinch or hide given the angle they occupied, protected from direct light - the alien's shadow alone was enough to keep her frame entirely in the shade if necessary.

"Is there really no other way to bring me outside?" Melissa pleaded, turning to all fours and crawling as carefully as she could to one of the giant digits, latching to it as if it was a flagpole of sorts that would save her from immediate death if Megatron flipped his palm. It was really not logical considering the effort to keep her nourished, hydrated and even entertained (she had been given a few books and some paper with pen for journaling), but phobias were never rational.

Another sharp inhale followed, "Are your ground-dwellers followers that clumsy? I would do anything for something with wheels," the confession was normal at this point; almost part of some routine where it sounded like she was strangely bartering with the most intimidating creature to visit Earth during all of its existence.

Unfortunately, other than her bloodline and ties to people with relevant intelligence, Melissa didn't have anything to trade with the alien that had her in the palm of his hand (quite literally). "It's... Nice to breathe fresh air, though. Thank you."

[nutridom]

Optimize Your Prime: How NMN Helps Entrepreneurs and CEOs Stay Young and Focused

In high-performance environments, success is no longer defined solely by intelligence, opportunity, or capital. Today’s entrepreneurs and executives are competing in a game of longevity both physical and cognitive. The real competitive edge lies not just in better strategy, but in better biology.

As the pace of business accelerates, mental fatigue, declining focus, and energy fluctuations have become common complaints among professionals at the top. The challenge is not a lack of ambition, but rather the body’s decreasing ability to keep up with the demands of leadership. This is where cellular optimization enters the conversation specifically through a molecule called NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide).

Understanding the Core Issue: NAD⁺ Decline

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide is a precursor to NAD⁺ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), a critical coenzyme found in all living cells. NAD⁺ is involved in over 500 biological processes, including cellular energy production, DNA repair, and gene expression related to aging.

However, NAD⁺ levels decline significantly with age. Research suggests that by the time individuals reach their 40s or 50s, their NAD⁺ levels may be reduced by more than 50% compared to their younger years. This decline can manifest as decreased stamina, slower recovery, mental fatigue, and a diminished ability to manage stress, key liabilities for anyone in a leadership role.

The Executive Reality: Chronic Cognitive and Physical Demands

Entrepreneurs and CEOs face a unique blend of cognitive strain, decision density, and physical stress. Long meetings, international travel, poor sleep, and the constant requirement for rapid, high-stakes thinking all compound over time.

These demands result in:

Mental fog and reduced focus

Decreased physical energy throughout the day

Poor sleep quality and slower recovery

Increased susceptibility to stress and burnout

Early signs of biological aging

Traditional solutions like caffeine, nootropics, or adaptogens offer temporary relief but do not address the root cause: cellular energy depletion and systemic NAD⁺ decline.

NMN: A Science-Driven Solution for High Performers

NMN has gained widespread attention in scientific and professional communities for its ability to elevate NAD⁺ levels and restore cellular function. Unlike most generic supplements, NMN targets the foundational systems that impact energy, resilience, and cognitive sharpness.

Key benefits of NMN supplementation include:

1. Enhanced Cognitive Function

Increased NAD⁺ supports mitochondrial function within neurons, leading to improved mental clarity, memory retention, and executive function especially under sustained workload and pressure.

2. Sustained Physical Energy

By boosting NAD⁺, NMN helps optimize ATP (cellular energy) production, reducing mid-day fatigue and improving workout recovery and overall physical stamina.

3. Longevity and Cellular Repair

NMN activates sirtuins, a class of proteins that regulate aging, DNA repair, and inflammatory responses. This is critical for entrepreneurs who seek to extend not just lifespan, but healthspan, the years lived in optimal condition.

4. Metabolic Efficiency and Resilience

NMN has been shown to support healthy glucose metabolism, cardiovascular function, and sleep regulation, factors that indirectly enhance productivity and stress resilience.

Introducing Nutridom NMN 500mg: Professional-Grade Support for High Achievers

Nutridom NMN 500mg is a high-purity, research-grade NMN supplement manufactured in Canada to meet the needs of demanding professionals. It is designed for individuals who require consistent, measurable improvements in cognitive clarity, energy output, and long-term wellness.

Product highlights:

500mg of pure NMN per capsule

Third-party tested for potency and purity

Free from artificial additives, soy, gluten, and GMOs

Manufactured in GMP-certified Canadian facilities

Whether you are leading a company, managing multiple ventures, or navigating global markets, Nutridom NMN 500mg provides targeted, biologically relevant support to help you operate at peak capacity.

Conclusion: Staying Ahead Requires More Than Hustle

In an environment where burnout is the norm and performance is non-negotiable, taking care of your cellular foundation is not a luxury, it is a leadership imperative. NMN is not a quick fix. It is a scientifically supported, long-term investment in your mental edge, physical energy, and personal longevity.

To remain resilient in the face of complexity, uncertainty, and growth, high-performing professionals must now look inward toward biology, not just behavior.