#Future of Retail in Europe

[copperbadge]

The sixth book in the Shivadh Romances, The Royals And The Ramblers, is now available for purchase in print and epub!

Already familiar and just want to buy the book?

The Royals And The Ramblers: Paperback | Epub

You can purchase the book for $3.99 for epub and $14.99 for print; these prices vary by currency for the paperback, but I’ve priced them as affordably as possible. I had hoped to sell the epub across several retail platforms but Lulu is being fussy, so for now both paperback and epub are only available on Lulu. (The upside to this is that I get more of a cut from Lulu sales than I would from other platforms!)

Want to learn more? Read on!

Askazer-Shivadlakia is “the little country by the sea” — a coastal micronation perched between France and Italy, with Europe’s only Jewish royal family and a distinctly queer-friendly culture. The irreverent but earnest Shivadh people have recently elected a new king, Gregory III, and the Shivadh romances follow him, his extended family, and their friends and partners as they manage love, politics, and an ever-expanding social circle.

You can learn more about the series and find purchase links here. 

The Royals And The Ramblers

It's an exciting time for the Shivadh royal family! Gregory III, king of Askazer-Shivadlakia, is marrying kitschy TV chef Eddie Rambler…three times. There's the beach party in Eddie's hometown in California, a private wedding for Gregory's family back home in Europe, and a big formal blowout for everyone in Askazer-Shivadlakia to celebrate.

Eddie's sister Monday is wary of the royals when they arrive in Santa Luna, but they seem nice enough. Gregory's stepbrother Noah even befriends the youngest Rambler, shy and quiet Ephraim. Soon, Monday has warmed to the royals as well, particularly Gregory's bodyguard Georgie, who isn't opposed to a fling while visiting. Then Gregory asks Monday to be a surrogate for a royal baby, and her life turns upside down.

Monday's not the only one dealing with change, either. Gregory's father Michaelis is navigating his relationship with Noah's parent Jes, Noah is adjusting to his new job as prince, Gregory's friends Alanna and Jerry are testing their whirlwind romance, and Georgie is trying to work out where she stands with Monday -- as staff, or friend, or maybe more? And then there's Ioanna, the bright, troubled kid that Gregory catches ditching school to attend Parliament…

It's a year for everyone to learn new roles, find surprising ways to keep growing up, and, as always, keep that irreverent Shivadh sense of humor, whether they're a Royal or a Rambler. And with the birth impending, Monday should probably figure out just what she and Georgie are to one another, and what that means for her future with the royal family.

Purchase: Paperback | Epub

Download: Free PDF

Thanks for reading, everyone!

[ranchstoryblog]

Nendoroid Claire Reminder: Where to order, release dates, when preorders close, and using the request form.

If you haven't gotten your preorders in for Nendoroid Claire just yet, time's running out! We've put together one last little info post with eeeeverything you need to know if you want to get your order in! Typically these things are pretty much made-to-order with very little shelf stock, so don't get left out and have to struggle with the aftermarket if you really want one!

When do preorders close?

2024/05/15 (JP)

29/05/2024 (EU)

No date listed on Goodsmile US, but Claire's page features the "Pre-Orders Closing" tag, so it's safe to say it'll probably be gone by the end of May.

When does it ship?

Both Goodsmile Japan's official page and Goodsmile Europe lists September, 2024.

Goodsmile US lists Q1 2025.

So if you absolutely want Claire the soonest possible, go with EU or JP. Including shipping, a member of our community ordering from the Japanese store to the US has said their total came out to $60.99. Another ordering from the US store had their price come out to $50.18. So if you're willing to wait, you can probably save a few bucks.

Listed Price

US - $42.99 - Goodsmile US Page

EU - €44,92 - Goodsmile EU Page

JP - ￥6,900 - Goodsmile JP Page

Goodsmile's store bills when the item is preparing to ship, not when the order is placed. So you don't have to have the money ready right now. Other storefronts will vary.

There is an exception if you use Paypal or Amazon Pay however, which will charge immediately.

Goodsmile Shop Exclusive: Golden Watering Can

If you preorder through one of the official Goodsmile shops, Claire will also come with this cute little golden watering can in addition to her standard green one.

Non-GoodSmile Retailers:

If you want to see if you can find a discount, lower shipping, or if you're already a figure collector and want somewhere that will do convenient things like combine orders to be shipped at a later date, there's a handy list of all of the ones that should be offering preorders for Claire here:

Note that these other stores won't come with the golden watering can.

The Goodsmile Request Form

If you're really hoping for other Story of Seasons characters to join Claire in the future, remember to make good use of the official request form. https://support.goodsmile.com/hc/en-us/articles/14948741690009-Product-requests-and-rerelease-requests

Probably the most key piece of info is to be specific about your request since there's some variations of characters in the series, and a few characters that share the same names. If you ask for the Harvest Goddess, there's at least 5 different ones, so mention the specific game. Similarly, If you ask for "Popuri," there's the original design from Harvest Moon 64, her alternate universe counterpart with a fresh new design in SoS FoMT, and the design from Island of Happiness.

If you want more info, we did a full write-up on the process in a previous post here:

and lastly, we'll close by sharing the promotional photos again! The tiny cow is so cute!

[tamapalace]

Your Tamagotchi Uni Questions Answered By Bandai!

You’re been waiting patiently, and the answers are here. After the global announcement of the Tamagotchi Uni we soliciting questions from the Tamagotchi community that you wanted answered by Bandai! These questions were brought directly to the Tamagotchi team over in Japan, after their busy week at the 2023 Tokyo Toy Show!

Q: How do two Tamagotchi Uni’s connect?

A: They directly communicate wirelessly.

Q: Which countries is the Tamagotchi Uni being released in?

A: We’re told that there are plans for 35 countries. It will be released in North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Oceania, and Asia.

Q: What is the expected battery life of the Tamagotchi Uni?

A: It should operate 72 hours with about 1 hour of play per day and in sleep mode. Though it does depend on the usage, frequency communication and method of play.

Q: Will the Tamagotchi Uni come in additional shell colors?

A: You’ll have to wait and see!

Q: Are all Tamagotchi Uni devices capable of all 7 languages?

A: Yes, all Tamagotchi Uni devices feature all 7 languages.

Q: Marriage returns to the Tamagotchi Uni! Do the two Tamagotchi’s have a baby or do they drop off an egg?

A: As we’ve done previously, two Tamagotchi characters get married and then you get an egg. You can find a partner via connection or through the Tama Party on the Tamaverse!

Q: Will there be an app or website for the Tamaverse, or is it an on-device feature only?

A: It’s more fun to have it all on the device and not require back and forth play. There is no app. Our website has product information play information, hints, videos, downloads, and more! Plus we’ll be providing some downloads for your Tamagotchi character. So some fun stuff!

Q: How often will the events in the Tamaverse be updated?

A: They will be updated seasonally!

Q: You can send Tama Social pictures to mobile, do you have further information on this, and can you take screenshots on the Tamagotchi Uni and send to mobile?

A: You’ll get a QR code that your mobile device can scan to be added to your photo library. The visuals you can share are from the Tamagotchi profile or Tama Social screen.

Q: How often will the games be switched up in the Tama Arena?

A: They’ll be updated seasonally.

Q: Does the Tamagotchi Uni use buttons only and no touch screen?

A: Yes, buttons. No touchscreen. Though there is an accelerator to add motion play!

Q: How long Is the watchband in size (inches)?

A: The band is about 9.5 inches long plus the buckle.

Q: What will the future software updates bring to the Tamagotchi Uni?

A: More play!

Q: Will the Tamagotchi Uni accessories (band, lanyard) be sold at other retailers including brick and mortar stores?

A: Right now it’s available on Amazon in the Untied States. In the future…

Q: Is the Tamagotchi pronunciation back to “Tamagot-chi”?

A: No, it’s still Tama-go-tchi.

Well there we have it folks. Your burning questions answered. Bandai did leave some mystery in there, and you have to love it because it makes the whole experience of getting your Tamagotchi Uni that much more exciting! WIth less than a month away from launch, we couldn’t be more excited!

[ariaste]

Hi! I'm based in Europe and I can't find your new book available to order anywhere ;;A;; even Amazon won't send it to my country I'm so sad

Is there any way I can get a physical copy in the future? 👉👈

That's odd, it's showing as available at Waterstones to me? Amazon definitely has the paperback available everywhere, at least, and your local indie bookstores should be able it to order as well, since it's distributed through Ingram (the book wholesaler)... Not sure what's going on with retailers if you're having trouble, but I'll look into it! :)

(If even your local indie bookstore can't get it for you and if you don't mind paying international shipping, I can always send you an autographed physical copy -- usually shipping to Europe is around $20-30 USD but if you DM me with your info I can get you a more accurate quote.)

[dailyanarchistposts]

Chapter 4. Environment

What about global environmental problems, like climate change?

Anarchists do not yet have experience dealing with global problems because our successes so far have only been local and temporary. Stateless, anarchic societies once covered the world, but this was long before the existence of global environmental problems like those created by capitalism. Today, members of many of these indigenous societies are at the forefront of global resistance to the ecological destruction caused by governments and corporations.

Anarchists also coordinate resistance globally. They organize international protests against major polluters and their state backers, such as the mobilizations during the G8 summits that have convened hundreds of thousands of people from dozens of countries to demonstrate against the states most responsible for global warming and other problems. In response to the global activity of transnational corporations, ecologically-minded anarchists share information globally. In this manner, activists around the world can coordinate simultaneous actions against corporations, targeting a polluting factory or mine on one continent, retail stores on another continent, and an international headquarters or shareholders’ meeting on another continent.

For example, major protests, boycotts, and acts of sabotage against Shell Oil were coordinated among people in Nigeria, Europe, and the North America throughout the 1980s and ’90s. In 1986, autonomists in Denmark carried out multiple simultaneous fire bombings of Shell stations across the country during a worldwide boycott to punish Shell for supporting the government responsible for apartheid in South Africa. In the Netherlands, the clandestine anti-authoritarian group RARA (Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action) carried out a campaign of nonlethal bombings against Shell Oil, playing a crucial role in forcing Shell to pull out of South Africa. In 1995, when Shell wanted to dump an old oil rig in the North Sea, it was forced to abandon its plans by protests in Denmark and the UK, an occupation of the oil rig by Greenpeace activists, and a fire bombing and a shooting attack against Shell stations in two different cities in Germany as well as a boycott that lowered sales by ten percent in that country.[67] Efforts such as these prefigure the decentralized global networks that could protect the environment in an anarchist future. If we succeed in abolishing capitalism and the state, we will have removed the greatest systemic ravagers of the environment as well as the structural barriers that currently impede popular action in defense of nature.

There are historical examples of stateless societies responding to large scale, collective environmental problems through decentralized networks. Though the problems were not global, the relative distances they faced — with information traveling at a pedestrian’s pace — were perhaps greater than the distances that mark today’s world, in which people can communicate instantaneously even if they live on opposite sides of the planet.

Tonga is a Pacific archipelago settled by Polynesian peoples. Before colonization, it had a centralized political system with a hereditary leader, but the system was far less centralized than a state, and the leader’s coercive powers were limited. For 3,200 years, the people of Tonga were able to maintain sustainable practices over an archipelago of 288 square miles with tens of thousands of inhabitants.[68] There was no communications technology, so information travelled slowly. Tonga is too large for a single farmer to have knowledge of all the islands or even all of any of its large islands. The leader was traditionally able to guide and ensure sustainable practices not through recourse to force, but because he had access to information from the entire territory, just as a federation or general assembly would if the islanders organized themselves in that way. It was up to the individuals who made up the society to implement particular practices and support the idea of sustainability.

The fact that a large population can protect the environment in a diffuse or decentralized manner, without leadership, is amply demonstrated by the aforementioned New Guinea highlanders. Agriculture usually leads to deforestation as land is cleared for fields, and deforestation can kill the soil. Many societies respond by clearing more land to compensate for lower soil productivity, thus aggravating the problem. Numerous civilizations have collapsed because they destroyed their soil through deforestation. The danger of soil erosion is accentuated in mountainous terrain, such as the New Guinea highlands, where heavy rains can wash away denuded soil en masse. A more intelligent practice, which the farmers in New Guinea perfected, is silvaculture: integrating trees with the other crops, combining orchard, field, and forest to protect the soil and create symbiotic chemical cycles between the various cultivated plants.

The people of the highlands developed special anti-erosion techniques to keep from losing the soil of their steep mountain valleys. Any particular farmer might have gained a quick advantage by taking shortcuts that would eventually cause erosion and rob future generations of healthy soil, yet sustainable techniques were used universally at the time of colonization. Anti-erosion techniques were spread and reinforced using exclusively collective and decentralized means. The highlanders did not need experts to come up with these environmental and gardening technologies and they did not need bureaucrats to ensure that everyone was using them. Instead, they relied on a culture that valued experimentation, individual freedom, social responsibility, collective stewardship of the land, and free communication. Effective innovations developed in one area spread quickly and freely from valley to valley. Lacking telephones, radio, or internet, and separated by steep mountains, each valley community was like a country unto itself. Hundreds of languages are spoken within the New Guinea highlands, changing from one community to the next. Within this miniature world, no one community could make sure that other communities were not destroying their environment — yet their decentralized approach to protecting the environment worked. Over thousands of years, they protected their soil and supported a population of millions of people living at such a high population density that the first Europeans to fly overhead saw a country they likened to the Netherlands.

Water management in that lowland northern country in the 12th and 13th centuries provides another example of bottom-up solutions to environmental problems. Since much of the Netherlands is below sea level and nearly all of it is in danger of flooding, farmers had to work constantly to maintain and improve the water management system. The protections against flooding were a common infrastructure that benefited everybody, yet they also required everyone to invest in the good of the collective to maintain them: an individual farmer stood to gain by shirking water management duties, but the entire society would lose if there were a flood. This example is especially significant because Dutch society lacked the anarchistic values common in indigenous societies. The area had long been converted to Christianity and indoctrinated in its ecocidal, hierarchical values; for hundreds of years it had been under the control of a state, though the empire had fallen apart and in the 12th and 13th centuries the Netherlands were effectively stateless. Central authority in the form of church officials, feudal lords, and guilds remained strong in Holland and Zeeland, where capitalism would eventually originate, but in northern regions such as Friesland society was largely decentralized and horizontal.

At that time, contact between towns dozens of miles apart — several days’ travel — could be more challenging than global communication in the present day. Despite this difficulty, farming communities, towns, and villages managed to build and maintain extensive infrastructure to reclaim land from the sea and protect against flooding amid fluctuating sea levels. Neighborhood councils, by organizing cooperative work bands or dividing duties between communities, built and maintained the dykes, canals, sluices, and drainage systems necessary to protect the entire society; it was “a joint approach from the bottom-up, from the local communities, that found their protection through organizing themselves in such a way.”[69] Spontaneous horizontal organizing even played a major role in the feudal areas such as Holland and Zeeland, and it is doubtful that the weak authorities who did exist in those parts could have managed the necessary water works by themselves, given their limited power. Though the authorities always take credit for the creativity of the masses, spontaneous self-organization persists even in the shadow of the state.

[satoshi-mochida]

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater physical edition pre-orders now available - Gematsu

Konami has opened pre-orders for the physical editions of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

In the Americas, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be available in a day one “Tactical Edition” and a Collector’s Edition.

In Europe and the United Kingdom, a Deluxe Edition will be available.

Get the Americas details below.

Collector’s Edition

The day one “Tactical Edition” of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

Miniature terrarium based on the iconic opening scene of Virtuous Mission where Naked Snake must recover his backpack snagged on a tree branch. Includes miniature Naked Snake figurine and tree stump with hanging bag.

A recreation of the fake identification badge Naked Snake uses to break into Groznyj Grad Northeast as a scientist.

High-quality stitched patch showing membership in the legendary FOX UNIT.

Unique rubber patch commemorating Naked Snake’s historic HALO parachute jump.

Beautiful retro style metal game case utilizing original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater artwork.

Tactical Edition

The retail release of the day one “Tactical Edition” of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater contains the full game plus additional unique digital items that will be announced at a later date.

Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series Part 2

Actor and writer David Hayter introduced new mechanics and graphical improvements coming to Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater in the latest installment of the Metal Gear Solid Legacy series. Hayter touched on key features such as the new damage system that leaves battle scars on the main character as players progress through the game. A New Style control and camera layout offers intuitive controls for players accustomed to modern third-person action games. Plus, Hayter sat down with producer Noriaki Okamura who has worked on the series for several years to discuss the new title and the future of the franchise. “We left the gameplay, the story, and the voice cast of the original game as-is, but we had to bring the graphics and controls up to modern standards, all of which has changed over the years,” Okamura said. “All of that has been updated, but the core game—and the creative vision of the original staff—none of those parts of the game have changed.”

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam). A release date has yet to be announced.

Watch the new Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series video below.

Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series Part 2

[micahweissberg]

full name: maximilian mohan

nicknames: max

age: 47 (april 16, 1977)

zodiac sign: aries

gender/pronouns: cis man, he / him

sexual orientation: bisexual

hometown: portland, maine

occupation: owner of static nightclub, sometimes a dj

financial status: bored

current residence: oak gardens

time in blue harbor: has been coming to blue harbor for business since 2012 but permanently moved in 2021

family: vikas mohan (father), evelyn mohan (mother, née rainer), dev mohan (older brother), charlotte mohan (older sister), nadia mohan (twin sister).

significant others: andrew marek (husband??? who knows where tf this bitch is)

trigger warning: mentions of assault, traumatic brain injury, alcohol abuse.

born in portland, maine as the third child of four (ten minutes ahead of his twin sister nadia), max grew up used to luxury, having nannies and maids and cooks to cater to the family’s every whim. vikas, max’s father, was a business tycoon, and so was vikas’ father before him, and so on. the mohans were well-known in the retail, hospitality, and real estate industry, having founded the mohan prime investment corporation which had a variety of subsidiaries that operated mall chains, department stores, restaurants, bars, and hotels across the united states, even expanding in asia, europe, and the middle east.

music has always held a special place in max's heart. he'd even originally aspired to be a dj just like the ones he saw on mtv growing up, however, vikas made it a point to instill a sense of responsibility towards the family business among his children, involving them in their company's internal affairs from a young age and therefore turning any attempts to pursue a career outside of its immediate radius futile.

it came as no surprise to anyone that max started working directly under his father’s wing upon graduating from uc berkeley for business, moving through the ranks until he was appointed COO of mohan prime retail, the subsidiary that operates a chain of malls and department stores. throughout his career, however, max has remained very much immersed in club culture of whichever city he'd end up traveling to for work as this is where he feels most at home. he was careful not to entertain the idea of taking it seriously enough to consider it a career, though he had spun in clubs a couple of times, mostly as a guest dj.

vikas was known to be a ruthless businessman, unafraid of running over anyone and anything that stood in his way. while max didn’t always agree with his father’s ways, he trusted that he knew what he was doing, and that his decisions were always in the company’s best interests. so he never protested when he was sent by his father to chicago in order to oversee operations of their shopping centers in smaller neighboring towns where competition was scarce. this is how he'd come to know blue harbor, establish relationships with its residents, and even consider it his home away from home away from home.

it’s no secret that the mohans have garnered a number of enemies who wish to see their empire fall over the years and with max essentially acting as an extension of his father, it was easy to see him as a big red target for those the family had scorned. he was at a nightclub called STATIC when he was drunkenly assaulted by a former department store employee who had been laid off a week prior. this incident had landed max in the hospital, much to vikas' chagrin, though he'd made sure that his son's assailant would permanently rot in prison.

rehabilitation took place in chicago, and it was here that he would meet his future husband, andrew, who also happened to be his speech therapist, but only for a brief period as max would later have to find a different therapist when he and andrew had started dating and, eventually, tied the knot. the couple moved to a luxurious home in chicago, where they would spend the next five turbulent years together. the turbulence, in part, provided by max's family, especially his father and older brother dev, who both greatly disapproved of max's relationship. there was also the issue of max's temper and andrew's alcohol abuse, as well as the volatile dynamics between the couple due to max wanting andrew to quit his job since he made enough money for the both of them and more, which aggravated andrew's drinking problem. the pair did try to work it out in therapy and for a while, max was optimistic about his marriage.

that is, until he came home one day to all of his husband's things gone, including andrew himself. max's heartbreak was instantly replaced with hurt, betrayal, then anger when he later learned that his father and brother had paid andrew a hefty sum to disappear from max's life and that andrew had been blinded enough by the money to accept the offer. there were no actual divorce or annulment proceedings, so for all intents and purposes, max is still technically married despite no longer having a spouse.

one year later, max returned to blue harbor and bought a house in oak gardens, and bought out static after finding out that the previous owners were going bankrupt. his business partner does most of the heavy-lifting in terms of actually keeping the business afloat while his involvement remains mostly on executive decisions and spinning in the club some nights. it was really more of a power move on max's part as a means of reclaiming and controlling the narrative of what happened to him in this very establishment, though his father wasn't too happy to learn that his son's already diminished attention was being diverted from his primary role as COO. in the same year, his older brother dev called him unfit to remain in his position and convinced their father for his removal, a decision which max had taken in stride as he'd been reassessing his role in his family's company, anyway.

having lived in blue harbor since 2021, he’s grown quite charmed by small town life and is slowly being humbled by its hardworking residents that he can’t help but feel somewhat responsible for several jobs lost, businesses shut down, and even land bought out from families for his family's profit. he tries to separate himself from his family's malignant presence in town though he does have voting shares in the company due to his name alone.

TIMELINE.

1977 — max and his twin sister nadia were born.

1995 — age 18, max moves to california to attend uc berkeley for business, both for his undergrad and MBA.

2001 — age 24, graduates from uc berkeley and immediately starts officially working for his father.

2007 — age 30, promoted to chief operating officer of mohan prime retail.

2012 — age 35, is sent to live in chicago to oversee operations of their malls and department stores in illinois. establishes the first of their department store franchise in town.

2014 — age 37, incident at static nightclub in blue harbor. starts physical and occupational therapy in chicago where he meets andrew 'andy' marek.

2015 — age 38, andy and max get married.

2020 — age 43, andy leaves max at vikas and dev mohan's behest.

2021 — age 44, max takes up permanent residence in blue harbor and, together with his business partner, buys out static nightclub from its previous owners.

HEADCANONS.

as a result of the incident at static, max had sustained a traumatic brain injury, affecting his cognitive and fine motor skills. he can become explosive with his anger, often getting violent outbursts that, while usually just triggered by specific circumstances, can sometimes be random. he has also developed a stutter due to his injury, which isn't as noticeable nowadays, but is aggravated when he experiences intense emotions or excitement. he he has bouts of confusion and is often forgetful— he would miss meetings, fail to return phone calls, and reply to emails which greatly affected his work as COO. he also have trouble with his penmanship and thus prefers typing over writing with a pen. having a personal assistant makes a lot of these things much easier for him to deal with, but he often can't help but feel held back and weighed down due to his condition.

wears specialized photosensitive cobalt-tinted sunglasses whenever he does a set at static or he simply just has the lights shut off when he doesn't feel like it. such nights are dubbed by some clubgoers as 'blackout night', which kind of works as a marketing stint but is really just because of a medical condition.

max has a lot of funk and soul influences when it comes to his dj sets. his soundclaims are jamie xx, blood orange, mark ronson (his early stuff), and little dragon.

he has two cats: cairo and berlin (she's new!), and a service dog named tom hagen (since he's his right-hand man).

a huuuge fan of formula one and tries to attend at least two gps every year (one before the summer break and another after). he's been watching since the 90s and has been an avid supporter of the mclaren, red bull, ferrari, and williams (before they turned to shit) teams. cites senna, lauda, prost, and alonso as his favorite drivers.

hasn't attended a single family function in four years. he only really talks to the women in his family and hasn't properly spoken to his father and brother since they'd conspired to separate him and andrew in 2020.

he has the aries symbol tattooed on his left thigh, a few inches above his knee, in red ink.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT — alex (temp name!) has been working for him since 2014. his twin sister nadia was the one who initially employed alex for him to help with his day-to-day tasks since he was also in recovery after the incident. in fact, she was already the third one nadia had hired since the previous two had quit. max, especially in the early stages of his recovery, can be a difficult boss, but it was only alex who was able to weather his storms. he may not admit it out loud, but he considers her one of, if not his closest friend and confidante (she was even a bridesmaid at his wedding when she wasn't also acting as a wedding planner! why hire one when we have alex?) and with alex having to see him struggle with his condition everyday, max kind of has no choice but to be vulnerable for her. with that being said, she's one of the very few people, his sisters included, who can talk shit to him. this is basically pepper potts and tony stark in the first iron man movie but not necessarily romantic yknow??

BUSINESS PARTNER — max and his business are the new owners of static since 2021. they both have good business chemistry, fulfilling what the other lacks. max is more of the ideas guy and the one who shells out the money while wc handles more of the numbers and logistics.

OLDER SISTER — tbd details.

TWIN SISTER — tbd details.

PERSON WHO HELPED HIM THE NIGHT OF THE STATIC INCIDENT — aka the person max owes his life to <3 this person would've been at static during the altercation and assault back in 2014. they were the one who called 911 as well as his sister nadia (his emergency contact). they stayed with max in the hospital and kept nadia updated the entire time. they could've been a complete stranger or someone max was already friends with. either way, they remain to be very good friends to this day and max would do anything for them. taken by rafael moldonado !

family member(s) of the former mohan's employee who assaulted max

oak gardens neighbors

gym buddies

people who hate his family's company

family friends

people who were affected by the property acquisition for the construction of mohan's department store and/or whose business sales were negatively affected by it

somebody who only comes to static to watch max perform

adversely, somebody whose place of work max keeps visiting just to see them even though it's not somewhere max really needs to go to/is interested in going to if it weren't for this person

[silvyysthings]

Aspen Anon here. No, I said damage to Timothée’s public persona (profile), not his career. Wonka and Dune were already in the can and Dune 3 is likely and Wonka depending on final box office numbers has sequel potential. The Dylan movie is for a hopeful Oscar nomination as all biopics are but never are blockbusters. He inked the ping pong movie which could be another Bones & All or Wonka at the box office. Many culture gays (entertainment critics, reporters, etc.) are putting him on their end of year 2024 Out lists. This stunt with a Klan member left his public profile with scratches and dents and if he gets more that could lead to role offers to other actors without the Klan stank on them or *gasp* having to audition. Marriage and a baby would impact his career.

Been a fan of Timothée since 2016 but this stunt has not been fun to witness. He’s a willing participant and seeing Marc at the Klan Xmas party left a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s not like Timothée has been accused of serious criminal behavior which would have impacted Wonka, Dune and future projects. Personal life actions in public can influence perception amongst general public as well as the industry executives, it just isn’t always immediate. Think of the cerulean blue monologue in ‘Devil Wears Prada’ how the color starts and influences onward to the everyday person.

Aspen is only just under 200 miles from Denver and a 3-1/2 hour drive. Graphic design and professional photography in the beauty and fashion industries pays well. Work in-state sometimes involves trips to Aspen which is a great place to network which leads to jobs outside America (hello recent fashion weeks in Europe). Seeing, working with a celebrity is no big deal and quite frankly in most cases not as interesting as some I met working retail or bartending while working in college. If I see a Klan member I do look away, move away because… ewww.

(Silvy, you don’t have to post any of this. Sorry, did not intend to write a book. Had a date cancel tonight and have no work to do. 😂 I’m staying anonymous because I once did not and my Tumblr and (work) Instagram was flooded with pro-K and anti-Charmie messages. Happy New Year! ✌🏻)

No problem to share nonny . I think we all have your feelings towards that kind of people . Enjoy if you will spend days in Aspen😍

[paybyfaceireland]

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This is a significant milestone for PayByFace and its journey to both enable and scale biometric facial recognition technology adoption and in our commitment to simplify the future of check-out interactions while remaining fully GDPR compliant with the EU regulation.

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[handsofdarkness]

WITHIN TEMPTATION Teams Up With OPUS COMICS For New Series

Symphonic metal band WITHIN TEMPTATION is bringing its unique vision of the future to comic audiences with a brand new series from Opus Comics based on the group's 2019 album "Resist" and 2021 virtual concert "Aftermath".

Set in the distant future, an endless battle rages between two species — an advanced but inherently humanoid species ruled by a techno-organic matriarch on one side, and a cruel race of alien artificial intelligences on the other. Multiple stories collide to paint a sweeping portrait of the matriarch's life and her struggle to balance what she was created to be with the impossible forces that shape her.

In order to bring this story to the comic book page, the band has teamed up with acclaimed YA author Marieke Nijkamp and heavy metal artist Montos to flesh out their dystopian world.

WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist and co-founder Sharon Den Adel says: "'The Purge' cover star Genesis has come to life on our stage and in different merchandise designs, and now she will be taking you on the biggest quest of her life — in both our next album as well as in our comic book series.

"Teaming up with Opus for this seemed like the logical decision, as they are a heavyweight in creating comic books and only work with the best designers and storytellers. We can't wait to show you the final result! We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!"

The first issue will be available in a limited-edition print run featuring an exclusive numbered foil cover by Agustin Alessio ("Star Wars", "Avengers", "Thor: God Of Thunder") direct from Incendium Online, with a newsstand edition in comic stores this May for wide retail release.

"The symphonic splendor of WITHIN TEMPTATION has always transported listeners to other worlds, and experiencing those songs supported by the incredible set design of recent stage shows and virtual performances presented a wonderful opportunity to explore their futuristic vision with an all-new narrative," says Incendium and Opus Comics founder Llexi Leon. "Today, the battle against AI is suddenly a very real topic, particularly for artists and other creatives, which is reflected in the story of the matriarch and her struggle."

"Within Temptation" #1 is the first in a three-part mini-series at 40 pages long, and is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' March Previews catalogue for May release at Opus Comics' signature $6.66 price point. Fans can also buy a numbered limited-edition version of the book with foil treatment.

Legendary leaders of dark anthemic music, with a career spanning two decades and with seven studio albums under their belt, WITHIN TEMPTATION are a genuine force to be reckoned with. Simply, they are one of the world's most successful heavy rock groups. In 2020 and 2021, the band released "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin", singles that all peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. The band's work has received numerous international awards, including a World Music Award, MTV Europe Music Awards, a Metal Hammer Award, and many more.

[eaglesnick]

LET THEM EAT TURNIPS

Yesterday’s newspapers and digital media were full of comparisons between Therese Coffey and the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. France then, as Britain is now, was experiencing massive food-inflation, and when Antoinette was told that French families could no longer afford the price of a loaf of bread she allegedly replied, “Let them eat cake.”

Coffey did much the same, the Sun printing this headline:

“LET THEM EAT TURNIPS  Therese Coffey tells Brits hit by tomato crisis to eat turnips instead.” (Sun: 23/02/23)

At one level Coffey’s reaction to food shortages in the UK can be taken as humorous but that would be a mistake. Coffey may not of actually said, “Let them eat turnips”, anymore than Marie Antoinette said “Let them eat cake ”. But what Coffey has said, with not a hint of humour, is her reply to those in England who are forced to use food banks because of increasing poverty. She categorically ruled out:

“… help for farmers and consumers facing higher costs…'it is not the role of government to provide free food’ or to intervene in markets."  (Guardian:06/12.22)

More callous still is her total lack of understanding regarding the plight of poor working families.

'If you can't afford food, work harder': Environment Secretary Therese Coffey sparks backlash by saying anyone who is struggling with cost-of-living crisis should take on longer hours.”  (MailOnline: 23/02/23)

Coffey will not “intervene in markets” because that goes against the free-market economic philosophy of the Tory Party. Unfortunately, there is not a “free market” when it comes to food purchasing. It is the big supermarkets who control the market, who dictate the price paid to producers and ultimately the supply and price of food on the supermarket shelf.

Energy price increases have led to higher costs for UK growers of salad crops and the supermarkets have chosen to go overseas for supplies rather than pay UK producers. Bad weather in the overseas producer areas has then led to a shortage of certain crops and hence food rationing in UK supermarkets.

All of this is understandable and, in as much as the supermarkets are trying to keep prices as low as possible for the consumer, commendable. What is totally unacceptable is the government’s total lack of planning and support for UK producers when it comes to food security.

Thanet houses the largest glasshouse growing complex in Europe and historically these homegrown salad producers supplied the majority of our supermarkets. This year, a year of massive energy price increases, the Tory Government has decided NOT to support these growers.  Instead,

“The government seems to be more interested in getting retailers together and talk about alternative sources for produce in the future rather trying to support British growers...” (Farming Today This Week: 25/03/23)

Clearly Therese Coffey has NO plans or strategy to secure food supplies for the 70 million inhabitants of our small island. We have seen industry after industry disappear from our shores because of rigid Tory adherence to “free market” principles. Over the last decade 600.000 jobs in UK manufacturing have disappeared. We cannot afford to let this happen to our food production.

Therese Coffey, rather than telling poor working families to work harder if they want their children to eat, should concentrate on her own responsibilities and devise a plan to guarantee food security within our own borders rather than rely upon a non-existent free market.

We all know what happened to Marie Antoinette. If there is any natural justice Therese Coffey will suffer the equivalent political fate.

[bengiyo]

Hi! Here I am with another piece of fanmail :) I just finished listening to part 2 of the VIIBE awards, your podcast with @shortpplfedup, and enjoyed it just as much as the first episode!

Your industry discussion was really interesting. I really loved listening and thinking about your discussion! I neither have perfect pitch nor have knowledge about film criticism, but as a self-proclaimed Hwang Da Seul fan, I am really happy you gave her the best director award!! (Blueming was one of my favourites of 2022). Nothing will beat the itsay soundtrack for me (the drama of it all) but i did really enjoy the music in Bad Buddy (also the music in Not Me). I also really appreciated you naming the screenwriters, because it is important to talk about other people who work on the production, not just the director and the actors!

Your discussion about queerness in bl productions also really intrigued me. I always think about the way these shows are perceived by queer people in the countries the shows are made in/by. I also think about my own relationship to queerness and why bl is such a big interest of mine. How bls show/don't show overt/explicit queerness, which chararacteristics are given to the different characters etc. I look forward to you discussing this at a later date!!

And your future outlook also really spoke to me. It really feels like there is a shift happening. I live in western europe, and I recently went to a book shop in a bigger german town. Half of one shelf of manga (which was two shelves in total) was bl/yaoi manga (they had like ten gl/yuri books), some of which was manga which had already been adapted. A few years ago, there was almost no bl OR gl on the shelf. TANGENT. I do think that production houses are trying to find their footing. I also found your perspective on thai shows being more thai and less "generic setting" to be very interesting. Maybe has to do with bl become a soft power for thailand, like they said in the eclipse? It is a way to showcase the country, so they can be more specific about it? (also, can we get sets like the ones in 3 will be free back? not those generic mansions etc? I liked the sets/locations of the ghost host ghost house mock trailer more than those in the actual series bc they felt distinct. i want more of that, please).

Anyways, this was a big ramble and i hope it is somewhat legible. I really enjoy listening to you talk and as a younger person (late twenties), I really hearing about your perspective on bl and its industry!

Thank you for spending a few hours with us again! It really means a lot that folks are enjoying listening to us talk about shows we like. I am also glad we were able to agree on Hwang Da Seul, because we had a lot of difficulty on the front end when we were discussing directors.

I’m also very curious about where yaoi and yuri fit in the retail space internationally, so thank you for that note as well!

[viviannemeiler]

About me:

Business Administration graduate, MBA candidate in Strategic People Management, Leadership & Coaching, and Postgraduate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with experience in introducing new products, processes, and systems as well as monitoring company’s performance. Business Consultant with international experience in the field. Strong economic and accounting principles. Proven ability to expand companies' sales and operations worldwide, ability to build influential relationships and deliver results in a cross functional/matrixed environment. Excellent written/verbal communication/presentation skills, with the ability to plan, pitch, and execute a territory strategy.

I was trained by the CEO with a view to future management and was assigned the task of raising the company profile by creating partnerships with the e largest wholesale retail companies in Brazil, helping them expand their operations into the Northeast region. Strategic Planning & Execution. Conducted market and industry research in real estate, participated in high stakes business negotiations, helped refine business and marketing strategy. I worked with sales and rent of commercial real estate in Brazil.

I am highly skilled at conducting market research, analyzing consumer purchasing behavior and trends, and in positioning a company to increase its visibility, sales, and market share. Great capability in focused sales with the application of emotional intelligence for customer loyalty. I am an avid public speaker.

I have a good understanding of Psychology, Behaviorism, and Emotional Intelligence. I am learning about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Aaron Beck, John B Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Skinner, among other psychologists.

I lived in the United States for 4 years and studied Management Science and Marketing at the University of California San Diego. I lived in Israel and I studied Business Administration and Entrepreneurship at the IDC Herzliya. I learned to speak, read and write Hebrew fluently. I graduated from my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the Universidade Estácio de Sá in 2022. I also studied Economics at the Universidade Estácio de Sá for two years. I did a Spanish course at HIBRA in Buenos Aires, Argentina to learn to speak, read and write Spanish fluently. Also, I worked as the Regional Account Manager for Northern Europe helping two start-ups expand their operations to the Nordics and create business with the largest companies there in the areas of Energy, Banking, Industry, Business and Services, generating a great increase in sales and creating value for the company. I also helped them to create business with the largest IT service providers in Europe enabling a stronger go-to-market approach to increase market coverage. I also worked with Airlines, Embassies and Tourism Ministries helping them expand their operations in Israel and generating a great increase in sales and revenue. I also did research about the Northern European Market and emerging technologies. I also did research about the Israeli Real Estate Market and I helped a start-up introduce a new technology in the market.

[nicosraf]

hey, I have a question regarding angels before man. will you ever sell it anywhere else besides amazon and barnes and nobles? as someone who lives in europe, the shipping for amazon is more expensive than the book itself and b&n don't even ship to my country. so I was curious if you'll sell through other retailers in the future. thank you! and sorry if someone else asked before

Hi! I'm actually working on getting it to other sites atm!! If you have any seller in particular that you want me to try and get Angels Before Man on, please feel free to let me know!

The ebook is currently stuck on Amazon because it's enrolled in KU, but the paperback will be available in more places potentially soon!

[strangemusictriumph]

Massive IOT (mIOT) Market - Forecast (2022 - 2027)

The market for Massive IoT is forecast to reach $121.4 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2021 to 2026. The Massive IoT Market is estimated to witness substantial growth over the forecast period primarily due to the growing demand for large scale Automation and machine intelligence. The rising adoption of IoT technology across various industry verticals such as manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare, is driving the market’s growth for bandwidth sensor technologies. With the traditional manufacturing sector amid a digital transformation, the IoT is triggering the next industrial revolution of intelligent connectivity and communication protocols. With the development of wireless networking technologies, especially low power networks, and the emergence of advanced data analytics, a reduction in the cost of connected devices adn indoor asset tracking, are some of the major factors driving the market. The adoption of cloud computing and cloud platform is another factor boosting the market growth during the forecast period 2021-2026.

Report Coverage

The report: “Massive IOT Market– Forecast (2021-2026)”, by IndustryARC covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Massive IOT Market.

By Platform – Device Management, Application Management, Network Management, Cloud Platform and Others.

By Connectivity – Wireless, Field.

By Component – Hardware (Transmitters, Memory, Processors,Other), Software, Services.

By End User – Manufacturing, Transportation, Healthcare, Retail, Energy and Utilities, Residential, Other.

By Geography - North America (U.S, Canada, Mexico), South America(Brazil, Argentina and others), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Others), APAC(China, Japan India, South Korea, and Others), and RoW (Middle east and Africa).

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Key Takeaways

The Massive IoT Market is estimated to witness substantial growth over the forecast period primarily due to the growing demand for large scale Automation. The rising adoption of IoT technology across various industry verticals, such as manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare, is driving the market’s growth.

North America is holding a strong grip in the market, due to the growing role of IoT among the significant revenue-generating end-user industries of the region, driven by the deployment of connected cars, smart facilities, smart energy projects, home automation, and a focus on smart manufacturing.

The current and future IoT applications with respect to their requirements and then identify the feasible connectivity technologies for each application category. Massive IoT has played a major role across a variety of verticals by generating new revenue streams and other benefits, such as improved quality.

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Massive IoT Market Segment Analysis - By Platform

The Industrial Internet of Things is the biggest and most important part of the Internet of Things now but consumer applications will catch up from a spending perspective. The growing demand of industrial automation and the penetration of industry 4.0 has boosted the Massive IoT market. The device management of the massive IoT has the largest market growth in the market, as the industrial automation includes mainly device management and machine to machine communication. For instance in March 2020 Cisco and Microsoft announced a partnership for seamless data communication between Cisco IoT and Microsoft Azure IoT cloud.

Massive IoT Market Segment Analysis - By End User

The current and future IoT applications with respect to their requirements and then identify the feasible connectivity technologies for each application category. Massive IoT has played a major role across a variety of verticals by generating new revenue streams and other benefits, such as improved quality. The transportation market is also growing rapidly with the penetration of Massive IoT and the market has already invested $78 billion, just as is the case for the IoT manufacturing market. The main use case in transportation is freight monitoring, remaining a key driver in the market during the forecast period of 2021-2026.

Massive IoT Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

North America is holding a strong grip in the market with 37% share in 2020, due to the growing role of IoT among the significant revenue-generating end-user industries of the region, driven by the deployment of connected cars, smart facilities, smart energy projects, home automation, and a focus on smart manufacturing. The rapid implementation of the digital era across industry verticals and technological advancements have further boosted the growth of IoT in this region. The Massive internet of things (MIoT) market is highly competitive to the presence of many large and small enterprises in the market operating in the domestic as well as in the international market. APAC is an industrial hub of many verticals that makes it the fastest-growing.

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Massive IoT Market Drivers

Technological Advancement

Industry 4.0 and Massive-IoT are at the centre of new technological approaches for the development, production, and management of the entire logistics chain, otherwise known as smart factory automation. The massive change in manufacturing due to industry 4.0 and the implementation of IoT requires enterprises to adopt the smarter way to advance production with technologies that reduce industrial accidents caused by a process failure. This is changing the way industries approach the machines to improve efficiency and reduce downtime. This development in connectivity will lead to a larger base of individuals interested in purchasing IoT devices. The boost in the development of high-speed wireless network technology and the number of devices enabled with this technology are increasing rapidly with the penetration of MIoT. These changes in the industry vertical will be driving the market during the forecast period of 2021-2026.

Technology-enabled solutions to the healthcare organizations

During this Covid-19 pandemic, the vendors are taking this as an opportunity by offering emerging technology-enabled solutions to healthcare organizations. For instance, during the early stage of Covid 19 when the virus was infecting people of Shanghai the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre (SPHCC) has utilized the California-based connected health start-up Viva LNK’s continuous temperature measuring device to monitor COVID-19 patients, which reduces the risks of doctors and the nurses being infected by the virus.

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Massive IoT Market Challenges

Security and the Pandemic

Massive IoT has opened serious security breaches that have drawn the attention of top line tech firms and government agencies across the world. The hacking of industrial Instruments, drug infusion pumps, cameras, and even assault rifles are signifying a security nightmare being caused by the future of IoT. Due to the recent outbreak of Covid-19 IOT investment and deployments have certainly slowed down. However, with major disruptions in global healthcare and supply chains, governments, hospitals, and logistics providers are heading to react quickly for a more connected world that could help better address the current crisis and mitigate future ones. The Covid 19 has done major damage to the Massive IoT market by shutting down the industries and ruining the economy. These factors will be restraining the market during the forecast period.

Massive IoT Market Landscape

Product launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Massive IOT market. The Massive IOT market is dominated by major companies such Vates (US), Science Soft (US), HQ Software (Estonia)CISCO (US), Huawei (China), Bosch (Germany), SAP (Germany).

Acquisitions/Technology Launches/Partnerships

In March 2020, Microsoft & Cisco Systems announced a partnership to enable seamless data orchestration from Cisco IOT Edge to Azure IOT Cloud. This partnership will be providing the customers a pre-integrated IOT edge-to-cloud application solution.

In January 2020, IBM Corporation announced a collaboration with Sund & Bælt, which owns and operates some of the largest infrastructures in the world, to assist in IBM's development of an AI-powered IOT solution designed to help prolong the lifespan of aging bridges, tunnels, highways, and railways.

For more Electronics related reports, please click here

[kandieeamanda]

You know what they say, "buy cheap -- buy twice." That's why I always check the size before buying anything online. I don't want to end up with something too small or too big for me and my new blouse wouldn't fit me at all!

But many online stores now offer a personalized customer experience based on the preferences of their platform, including social media integration that allows shoppers to access live streaming videos of their choice of styles directly from the store.

You know how it goes. You order something and when the package arrives all you can think about is trying on new clothes to see what works best for your body type! But then disaster strikes - the items don't fit together, so now they're just sitting somewhere in a pile or worse... okay, let's not go there, because that would be incredibly sad. Good news: There is an art to buying clothes online that will actually fit you.

When you're shopping for clothes, it can be difficult to know what size you are. Not only do clothing sizes vary from brand to brand and even within the same company (you can wear 9 but buy pants that are 12), there is also a lack of standardization when looking at different categories such as dresses or shirts versus jeans. Why do so many people feel like they don't fit in anywhere! To make matters worse, not all websites offer easy returns if your choice is unsuccessful; plus regularly trying on tights will likely help shed those old pounds if nothing else works.

If you want to be sure which clothing size will fit your body, there is no better way than to measure yourself. When taking these measurements, make sure they are taken in a normal position and ideally with tight or no clothing at all. Finally, always triple check each number before moving on to the next step!

Now that you know your size, it's time to shop for clothes online! When buying something online, you can make a mistake about what fits. But fear not, because there are now measured chart sites that take care of all these guesses for us by providing accurate charts so we don't have to make any guesses when trying on different sizes and styles - just enter our height and weight, then click "Search"; bam!

You can never be too careful when buying clothing online. Always check the sizing chart and return policy before making your purchase!

I always pay attention to the clothes I buy online and note which brands suit me, so when the perfect pair of blue shorts appeared on a site last week, it came as no surprise. After measuring my size with two different devices, I decided that this brand is worth adding to my list! You may find that you want more than just one color - perhaps even a completely different style that suits you perfectly.

For example, if you want to buy goods from Europe for yourself, and you are in the UAE, using the Internet store Alimart you can easily order any product and it will be delivered to you quickly and easily. This website presents a lot of branded goods of excellent quality, not only from clothes, but also accessories, cosmetics, household goods and more.

When you find clothing that fits great, make sure to write down the brand and size so you can buy from brands who have already worked for your body type in future shopping. If an online retailer doesn't work well with one particular measurement (maybe because their measuring tapes aren’t accurate), just move on—you won't want them anyway! With this little trick of keeping track while trying new things each time makes finding amazing outfits easy as pie-kneed.