#Globalisation & technology

[trendingtechguruji]

The Function of Agriculture Insurance coverage Firms in India -Cultivating Prosperity

In a world characterised by rapid globalisation, technological advancements, and evolving economic landscapes, the pursuit of prosperity has become a fundamental aspiration for individuals, communities, and nations alike. The concept of prosperity transcends mere financial wealth; it encompasses holistic well-being, encompassing economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. At its core, cultivating prosperity involves fostering sustainable growth, promoting equitable opportunities, and nurturing collective resilience. Read More

[lewlyfe]

Navigating the News: Exploring the Complexities of Our Relationship with Information

In an era where information is abundant and readily accessible, our relationship with the news has evolved into a multifaceted tapestry of consumption, skepticism, and engagement. The proliferation of digital platforms and the democratisation of content creation have transformed how we interact with news media, challenging traditional norms and shaping new paradigms of understanding. However,…

[the-almighty-gob-john-langley]

The Internet: Humanity's Global Cancer?

Can't live with it, can't live without it. We're hooked, plugged into, and addicted to minute by minute, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. It's the world at our fingertips. The font of nearly all knowledge inside a brain that encompassed the planet, growing daily in size as we feed its hunger with increasing amounts of knowledge in nanoseconds.

So, what exactly is this monolith created by Tim Berners-Lee and sold for a little over $5 million that may quite possibly become the death of humanity, as we know it,and why?

Let's just take a couple of minutes, or so, to roll back the years to a time way before even I was conceived: or thought of, for that matter. It was the end of the Second World War when the country was in a state of rebuild, and people had very little except for the stoicism and determination to rebuild their lives, and their country. They knew what hardship was on a scale we couldn't even begin to imagine now, in 2024. This was a country that grew from Nizzen huts and Anderson shelters to prefabs: (prefabricated homes) that were a major part of the delivery plan to address the United Kingdom's post–World War II housing shortage, and then real homes again, that became a 'castle' in the language of back then, and the main householder a king, albeit metaphorically. A time when tears from war became tears of joy as brighter, and brighter futures appeared on the horizon for grandparents, parents, and children alike. Overall, in fact, unity in comm'unity, and still a country with increasing purpose, and ambition.

From rolling back to rolling forward, towards 1989, and my era. As kids then, we would learn from books, because this was all we had; and libraries would provide our source of knowledge outside of school hours. We went off and built dens out of whatever the surrounds provided, and parents could contribute to. We learned to build makeshift toys and play equipment, in pretty much the same way. Some would even kick a ball around the streets. Others would be out for hours at a time on their bikes exploring. We were nearly always covered in cuts and bruises of one type, or another, from falling over while playing as well. It may have hurt or stung for a while, and while parents weren't entirely unsympathetic we were soon patched up and back out again because we were taught, and learned damn quickly, that these were just practice runs for the many times ahead of us in years to follow we would fall down, pick ourselves back up and carry on. Basically, our lives would be full of hard knocks along the way, and this was all part and parcel of character building and, "get used to it because we won't always be around to pick you up when you fall." Mollycoddling, What the hell was that?

There were no five-minute faux friends who, sometimes thousands of miles away we 'liked' when the moment suited us, as the friends we had were real from school and the local neighbourhood. Facebook! Are you kidding me? Yet, we managed quite well without it - and if anyone was that keen to make new acquaintances in other countries, those they made were penpals. We also managed quite well without TikTok, Google, mobile phones, Fitbits, Zoom, Twitter (X), and all the other available sites our lives have now become so reliant on. Perhaps, surprisingly for some, we could make telephone calls around the world, and learn of so many other things via television programme makers.

Now, while I'm not in any way pining for the good old days, as one might say. Or, for that matter appear to demonise how much more technically advanced the world has become as a result of it, because for me, at least, there are wider and deeper questions I feel need satisfying. While I fully accept that to some people their lives and the world around them may feel like a tough place to live nowadays, I'm bound to ask, "Is it really"? You see, compared to way back before the internet began to take off in a big way, life now is a comparative bowl of cherries where so much is provided for people, and resources for just about everything are at their fingertips, and, are generally speaking, all the more comfortable in their everyday lives for it. Basically, for a lot of people, we live in a day and age where arguably, life's needs are provided on a plate - and for some, a platter.

The problem being, that the more life provides for people the less inclined they become to do things for themselves because others will satisfy their every need through the provision of one product/service, or another. So, where within is that post-war spirit and appreciation of having to work hard for everything in life, and where are those hard knocks that used to toughen people up?

Two days ago, I was reading about a twenties female who complained to one of the lottery companies because she didn't receive the prize she was expecting, and instead, became the recipient of some luxury candles, when suddenly, it seems, her life descended into meltdown and she claimed "emotional damage" from this experience. For one thing, with all the issues and problems going on in the world, winning candles isn't armageddon. Secondly, this is a classic example of someone who simply wasn't prepared for the world ahead of her, and the fact that big, or small, a win in life, no matter what the circumstances is still a win. You take the rough with the smooth and simply accept it's just another day in the life of.

T the risk of repeating myself from the previous blog, and sod it, I'm going to anyway, society as we know it now began to severely fall apart after the beginning of this millennium when the clock struck one-minute past midnight. Oh, and, I go into greater detail within my book 'The Sexual Philanthropist' on Amazon/Kindle. Yes, a further unashamed plug. Anyway, I don't know how it became possible, but somehow a millennium gene mutation suddenly appeared as if by miracle, and something called ADHD was conceived. Perhaps this was the bug that would end the world people were speaking of. It's just taken far longer than expected to kick in. Nonetheless, behaviours in people began to change to the point where we lean towards a more feral society where, it seems, everyone - well, almost, is out for themselves in a narrative that spells survival of the fittest.

While I fully accept that not every behaviour can be attributed to ADHD nowadays, I simply question why it wasn't so prevalent as it is nowadays compared to Gen X, Z, and before that, the sixties to nineties? Feral and disrespectful, destructive and violent behaviour now seems almost vicarious by association of proxy, and it causes me to wonder as to the extent internet addiction affects the post-millennials whose lives seem ruled by this subterfuge god of newer-age worship? Arguably, more powerful than heroin it keeps the Gen X's and Z's so addicted it has been party to, rather than the cause of, suicides in some instances.

The perniciousness of the internet is clever, in as much as it draws us in, like a closer than-closer friend who is always there for us, and provides almost every solution to every question and every challenge we face on a day-to-day basis, twenty-four-seven; because it never sleeps, and unlike people fuelled by emotion, this object of our virtual albeit worship, in itself isn't capable of judgment or criticism, to which I add, yet. As I believe, both the best and the worst are yet to come.

Whereas, once upon a time I used to greet everything internet-related with the excitement and enthusiasm of a child opening presents on Christmas Day, I now pause for breath on almost every day of accessing it, and constantly question my allegiance to it. You see, I'm somewhere between the devil and the deep blue nowadays. More cautious, and less trusting.

While having to accept its necessity for things such as banking, and of course writing, I don't in reality want anything to do with it now. I've had my time, and freely admit my enjoyment of all that it offered me over the years of usage. It's just the increasing level of intrusion in my life that I've arguably become more cynical of. The fact that everything I do online can be tracked and traced, and I couldn't even begin to imagine the level of data my millions, if not trillions of footprints have provided to who knows what, and for purposes I probably haven't even consented to with any degree of knowledge in doing so.

China was the first country to raise my suspicions with the introduction of social credits, and, as for here in the UK, the way we are all being surreptitiously driven in favour of a cashless society where every aspect of our income and expenditure will be recorded and used, simply increases what were arms-length suspicions even further. In expressing this I'm sure you can also begin to join the dots where the human reliance on the internet is concerned. It's not exactly what I call rocket science. Yet, as far removed from conspiracy theories as I am, and will hopefully ever be, you'd have to be sleepwalking through your life and blind too, so as not to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the situation in which humanity finds itself, where every aspect of our individual lives are being fine-tuned towards be accepting of, and submissive to a higher power over which we will have no control whatsoever.

Now, if you're entirely comfortable with this, then I can say no more, and with mutual respect for our positions, we will part company. I, for one, will stick to my guns, and continue with my beliefs, regardless.

I will expand on this in the following post.

[t-jfh]

Dual strikes by writers and actors brought Hollywood to a standstill this year.

(Photo: Mark Abramson for The New York Times)

Striking Actors and Hollywood Studios Agree to a Deal

The agreement all but ends one of the longest labor crises in the history of the entertainment industry. Union members still have to approve the deal.

By Brooks Barnes, John Koblin and Nicole Sperling

The New York Times - November 8, 2023

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/business/media/actors-strike-deal.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

•

[handweavers]

"‘Trans man’ remains the preferred identity for Malaysian individuals who were Assigned female at birth but live their adult lives as men. The jettison-ing of pondan, pak nyah, wanita keras, tomboy and pengkid in favour of ‘trans man’ likely serves as a ratification of personal-communal empowerment and a repudiation of derision. It is even more likely that ‘trans man’ reflects a deep-seated desire to imitate and participate in ‘collective identifcation’, notably that which is cultivated in North American (and European) contexts, ‘in order to demand rights, equal citizenship, and welfare’ among other goals in Malaysia. This is hardly surprising. Technological advances facilitate unprecedented accessibility to copious resources on transgender issues and imagine a global transgender community in borderless solidarity. Travis S. K. Kong points out however, that ‘globalization is an uneven process that reproduces spatially uneven development, and the flow of capital, commodities, people, images, and ideas is never equal among locations’.

The Malaysian trans man thus experiences unequal and unstable access to the bounty of globalisation due to local limitations in education, economic means, social and cultural capital, class, ethnicity, religious affliation, educational levels, infrastructure and health services. He continues to be experience ‘disjunctive modernities’ which exhibit ‘irreducible plurality and local specifcity’, thus dispelling the myth of trans(national) homogeneity in transgender identity. The trans men I interviewed interpret their life stories through the rubric of local contexts that dispel any suspicion of a mere mimicry of western-styled transgender identities. Malaysian re/mouldings of ‘trans man’ speak to ‘experiences of multiplicity in gender identifcation … embedded within specifc social, cultural, and interpersonal contexts [that] create altogether new, emergent forms of experience and identity'."

— J. N. Goh, Becoming a Malaysian Trans Man

[probablyasocialecologist]

By perceiving deserts as frontiers for experimentation, the developers of these real estate projects facilitate the disappearance of fragile ecologies – like that of the saguaro cactus – not only representationally, as in Telosa’s renders, but also materially, causing the very ruin early generations of settlers projected onto such arid landscapes. As our ecological crises solidify, such imaginations of devastated landscapes are becoming globalised, leading humans to perceive the planet itself as a test bed, open to experimentation for those advancing speculative design solutions, technological innovations and business models to mitigate the climate emergency, with little understanding or consideration of their future impacts. Desert cities such as Telosa, Neom and Masdar, and the capital that funds them, are complicit in both the demise of deserts themselves and the planet more broadly. While presenting themselves as inventive solutions to various ecological crises, these supposedly post‑carbon utopias in fact squander the opportunity humanity possesses today to effectively address the climate catastrophe. 

[scifigeneration]

An X-Files expert on the show’s enduring appeal – 30 years on

by Bethan Jones, Research Associate at the University of York

On September 10 1993 the pilot episode of The X-Files aired. Thirty years later to the day, I was at a convention centre in Minneapolis with 500 other fans and the show’s creator, Chris Carter, celebrating its legacy.

Ostensibly a show about aliens, The X-Files swiftly became part of the cultural lexicon and remains there to this day. In part its success was down to the chemistry of its two leads – David Duchovny, who played FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson, who played FBI Special Agent Dana Scully. After all, it was the X-Files fandom that invented the term “shipping” (rooting for characters to get together romantically).

But, as I argue in my new book, The Truth Is Still Out There: Thirty Years of The X-Files, what really made the series successful was its ability to tap into contemporary cultural moments and ask us to really think about the times we’re living in.

When the series began in 1993, the US was still grappling with the effects of Watergate and the Vietnam war, but concerns were also rising about the approaching millennium and the economic and cultural divisions within US society. It also coincided with Bill Clinton becoming president – marking the end of more than a decade of Republican leadership.

It’s little surprise that fears about immigration, globalisation, national identity and technology emerged and were adopted – and sometimes foreshadowed – by The X-Files’ writers. Several episodes throughout the first nine seasons dealt with artificial technology, for example, and Eve, an episode in season one about clones, came four years before the birth of Dolly the Sheep.

Critical theorist Douglas Kellner argued in 1994 that The X-Files “generated distrust toward established authority, representing institutions of government and the established order as highly flawed, even complicit in the worst crimes and evil imaginable”. Though I’d argue it was less that the show generated this distrust and more that it leveraged the growing number of reports about the government’s secretive activities to inspire its storylines.

As the public became more aware of the government’s role in – and surveillance of – public life, so too The X-Files considered the ways in which technology could be used as a means of control.

In the season three episode Wetwired, for example, a device attached to a telephone pole emits signals that tap into people’s paranoid delusions and lead them to kill. And in the season six episode, SR 819, a character’s circulatory system fails because he has been infected with nanotechnology controlled by a remote device belonging to a shadow government.

These themes reflected growing concerns about government agencies using technology to both spy on and influence the public.

The X-Files’ enduring appeal

During my X-Files research, carried out with viewers after a revival was announced in 2015, it became clear that the show has remained part of the cultural lexicon. As one fan explained: “The cultural context of conspiracy theories has changed since the beginning of X-Files. Nowadays, every pseudoscience documentary uses similar soundtrack and narrative.”

Of course, the X-Files didn’t invent conspiracy theories, but as one of the show’s writers and producers, Jim Wong, points out, it did “tap into something that was more or less hidden in the beginning when we were doing it”.

The focus on the rise of the alt-right, disinformation and fake news in seasons 10 and 11 seemed like a logical angle from which to approach the changing cultural context the revival came into. Carter and his co-writers dove straight in to what Guardian critic Mark Lawson calls “a new era of governmental paranoia and public scepticism”, fuelled by the 2008 financial crisis, the fall out of the war on terror and scores of political scandals.

Season 10 saw the introduction of a right-wing internet talk show host who argues that 9/11 was a “false flag operation” and that the mainstream liberal media lie to Americans about life, liberty and the right to bear arms. The parallels to conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and Glenn Beck were obvious.

Carter’s incorporation of topics like surveillance, governments’ misuse of power and methods of social control meant that seasons ten and 11 were very much situated in the contemporary moment. This is perhaps most obvious in the season 11 episode, The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat, which deals with the disinformation of the Trump era head on. The episode’s protagonist, Dr. They, tells Mulder that “no one can tell the difference anymore between what’s real and what’s fake”.

While The X-Files’ search for the truth in the 1990s may have ultimately been a philosophical endeavour, in the 21st century it is a commentary on how emotion and belief can be more influential than objective facts.

Watching the show again while researching my book, I was struck by how it was dated predominantly by its lack of technology, rather than the ideas it expresses. In the second season episode Ascension, Mulder pulls a phone book off a shelf in his search for Scully – now we’d use Google. But in other aspects the show remains as relevant today as it was in the 1990s, encouraging us to think about the big questions relating to faith, authority and truth.

[baiwu-jinji]

Hey have you read Cixin Liu's works? What is your opinion about them ?

Hi! :) Yes I've read 90% of his works, his non-fictional essay collection, as well as like 50% of academic criticisms on him out there, so if anyone has any other questions about Liu Cixin, I'd be very happy to answer! I first read the Three Body trilogy over ten years ago and was fascinated by the grandeur of his imagination that pulls you out of mundane life into the furthest corner of the unvierse at the end of time. There's something transcendental and awe-inspiring in his works that you rarely find in contemporary sci-fi. Having read most of his short stories preceding the Three Body trilogy, I also saw how Liu Cixin honed his writing skills and expanded his imagination over the years that allowed the Three Body trilogy to come to be. The Three Body trilogy is his magnum opus and I don't think he'll be able to produce anything as great again in the future. Liu Cixin has pretty much said everything he has to say in this trilogy.

If you ask me now, I'd say I mostly find him interesting because he's such a complex and conflicted writer. He clearly understands how democratic institutions allow a society and its people to thrive, and as a young man he supported the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. On the other hand, with his childhood shaped by the collectivist authoritarianism of Mao's China, he's also prone to justifying the existence of authoritarian institutions, having this belief that authoritarianism ensures the survival of the collective at the expense of the individual and is necessary in harsh and desperate times. Liu Cixin has entrenched scientistic beliefs, arguing that science and technology could solve any problem that a cosmic civilisation might have. However, advanced godlike technology in his works rarely lead to bright futures and perfect utopias, but more often decaying and struggling civilisations losing vitality, freedom and creativity - in this sense, a scientific pessimism pervades his works contrary to his scientistic assertions. On the one hand, Liu Cixin loathes anthropocentrism and desires to turn his readers' gaze away from the anthropos and towards nature and the vast universe; on the other hand, he can't help but be drawn to the doctrines of humanism that treat human as the paragon of animals and a unique race of irreplacable value. Furthermore, he can't decide what's more important - to keep one's humanity at all costs or survive at the cost of one's humanity.

This is the conflicted writer that Liu Cixin is, shaped by his experience in Maoist China and later on, in the post-socialist, globalised China. The Three Body trilogy was already popular in China ten years ago, but now its popularity in China is blown out of all proportion. It's basically a sort of religion among its readers at this point, and you'll find people quoting it and appropriating ideas and concepts from it everywhere and in the most unexpected places. I'm sure Liu Cixin has very conflicted feelings about that.

[labourmarketanalysis]

Wage Inequality and Labour Market

By Sraddha R

In this blog post, we'll look at three compelling studies that shed light on wage disparities in Europe and India, as well as the critical role of labour market institutions. Take a seat, and let's get started!

INTRODUCTION

The labour market serves as a barometer for trends in employment, economic well-being, and the broader societal challenges posed by wage inequality. Our investigation begins with an acknowledgement of the modern global economy's profound impact on globalisation, technological advancements, and evolving work structures. These seismic shifts reshape industries, redefine skill requirements, and, as a result, affect wage structures. Wage inequality, which reflects the unequal distribution of earnings across gender, ethnicity, education, and occupation, is at the heart of this complex issue.

Study 1: The Structure of the Labour Market and Wage Inequality in European Countries

This study focuses on France, Germany, and Italy, meticulously analysing changes in wage inequality from 2005 to 2013. The findings show distinct patterns, such as a decrease in wage inequality in Germany, a decrease in France with explicit job polarisation structures, and a significant increase in Italy. Using a decomposition approach, the study considers variables such as gender, marital status, health, experience, education, contract type, economic status, and job categories.

The study emphasises the role of national labor-market protections, historical policy spending, and broader socioeconomic and political factors in shaping wage inequality trends. Tailored policy recommendations are emerging, urging France and Germany to implement policies that promote women's participation and improve job-related careers. In contrast, Italy faces challenges such as a lack of a legal minimum wage and political instability, necessitating specific policy responses.

Study 2: Recent Trends in India's Wealth Inequality

Using data from the Annual Income and Expenditure Surveys, this paper investigates wealth inequality in India using decomposition analyses. The study differentiates contributions from within and between group components, identifying sources of wealth concentration and drawing parallels between wealth and consumption inequality trends.

According to the study, increasing wealth concentration in India is linked to neoliberal growth, emphasising the failure to address employment and earnings disparities. While the study provides valuable insights, it is suggested that a more explicit discussion of policy implications and interventions be included. A complex policy framework is required to guide future research and inform effective policy decisions.

Wage Inequality and Low Pay: The Role of Labour Market Institutions, Study 3

The impact of labour market institutions on low-wage employment in OECD countries is investigated in this study. It seeks to comprehend the impact of trade unions, collective bargaining, and wage regulations on wage distribution, particularly in low-wage industries. The study distinguishes between different wage distribution segments, recognising variations in the analysis through the use of bivariate correlations and incorporating various control variables such as minimum wages and unemployment benefits.

According to the study's findings, labour market institutions account for more than 60% of cross-country differences in low pay. According to the study, strong unions protect against low pay, whereas centralised bargaining systems effectively limit wage disparities at the top. Minimum wages and welfare systems have varying effects across wage distribution segments. Governments, according to the study, can address rising earnings disparities and low-wage employment by supporting effective labor market institutions.

Comparative Evaluation

Our comparative analysis reveals the distinct perspectives provided by each study, shedding light on various dimensions and dynamics in different countries. The in-depth examination of economic inequality ranges from changes in wage inequality in European countries to wealth dynamics in India and the impact of labour market institutions on low-wage employment in OECD countries.

Conclusion

Taken together, the studies emphasise the interconnectedness of factors influencing income distribution and the importance of nuanced, context-specific policy decisions. The journey has shed light on labour market dynamics and economic outcomes, emphasising the complexities of addressing wage inequality in our pursuit of an equitable future where the benefits of economic growth are shared by all.

[acti-veg]

are you anti-globalist? your stance on eliminating flight entirely (the most common way by far for people to travel across continents) gives off those vibes

I don’t think I’ve ever advocated for eliminating flight entirely? I’ve mentioned that the two most significant ways for an individual to significantly reduce their personal GHG is to avoid animal products and to avoid flying, but that stance isn’t anything to do with globalisation.

I am not against the world being more interconnected, and with the continued advancement of technology I think that trying to struggle against that is very much swimming against an impossible current. More co-operation between interconnected states and the blurring of national borders is desirable, in my view, since states are ultimately just fictions.

I am against economic globalisation though, at least under capitalism. It allows multi-national corporations powers over and above any one state. Economic globalisation allows corporations to adopt a ‘boom, bust then leave’ strategy that strips areas of their natural resources, exploits workers to breaking point, but because they operate on a global stage, they can just leave and do the same thing somewhere else.

Economic globalisation also ensures that when one market falls, the ripples affect the poorest in every country. That’s how we have corporations that are so large they are literally not allowed to fail, and they know this, which results in them adopting riskier financial behaviours. That’s why the 2008 stock market crash happened, and multi-national banks were bailed out with our tax money. Corporations have far too much power to wield in global politics for their own benefit.

I don’t think that globalisation is going to slow, or that anything we could do to try and stop it would prove beneficial for the working class or for the planet. Instead, we need to focus on putting frameworks in place that ensure that we can hold individuals and corporations to account in one state, despite them having a global reach. I won’t pretend to know precisely how we do that though, without just telling you that it is capitalism that needs to be abolished.

[sophiamcdougall]

So I just posted about how funny and unexpected it is that instead of being terrorised by Hellhound!Dracula the people of Whitby just want to cuddle him and call him a good boy, and I noted that even though it's hilarious (how fucking embarrassed would you be if you were Dracula? They called the fucking RSPCA. Absolutely WWDITS scenes.) it also supports the motif of people always caring more than Dracula expects, something that will ultimately undo him. And you know another thing I had never noticed until Re:Dracula?

Despite Alasdair Stuart's superb performance ... the Captain of the Demeter isn't English. (Or Protestant.) His log has been translated by "a clerk of the Russian consul" so the Correspondent can publish it for an English audience. When he mentions that the crew, unlike the Mate, are Russian, he's possibly identifying them as compatriots, at least people with whom he shares a language. Of course, why would the captain of a "Russian schooner from Varna" be English? But this feels like something that should be incorporated more into critical readings of Dracula. Nothing can take away the the racism/xenophobia in the treatment of the Rom and some of the other locals. But the Captain's nationality ought to add least add nuance to the interpretation of Dracula as a tale of good, valiant WASPs standing up to sinister, ~Eastern~ ~forces. After Jonathan, and before Lucy, the next character to tell their own story of victimisation is a Russian-speaker who presumably hails from further east than Dracula does. This complicates the "Anglos are rational (but wrong about vampires)/ Eastern Europeans are emotional and superstitious (but correct about vampires)" dichotomy. Throughout his short narrative, the Captain behaves very much like Jonathan in similar circumstances. Interestingly, both are forced or tricked into "complicity" with Dracula's arrival in England, but in both cases the narrative makes it obvious that it is not their fault. Like Jonathan with the locals on the way to Castle Dracula, the Captain is warned early on by one of the men that something supernatural is going on, and dismisses it as 'superstitious fear'. In fact, he takes much longer to internalise that he's being preyed on by something unearthly than Jonathan does (not his fault -- he doesn't get the up-close-and-personal 'no reflection' encounter with Dracula that Jonathan gets on Day 2). Nevertheless, he investigates as best he can, and then, when he fully realises he's at Dracula's mercy he refuses to surrender. He does the only thing he can to at least deny Dracula his final prize and die "as a man". Those aren't, then, being treated by the text as British reactions. They're human reactions -- and I think, specifically modern human reactions. Jonathan, comes from a world of advancing technology, the Captain from a globalised world of international trade. Their modernity does not prepare them for the ancient evil that Dracula represents. But modernity (train schedules, shorthand, phonographs records) will eventually, after heavy losses, allow the Crew of Light to fight back.

And, foreshadowing what will happen with Lucy, even though the Captain couldn't defeat Dracula, even though he dies, the narrative treats his struggle as noble and important. It matters that the suitors and Van Helsing fought so hard to save Lucy. It matters that the Captain died at his post, still human and defiant. And -- the people of Whitby, (who Stoker really must have decided were predominately total sweethearts) take a break from searching for the spectral hellhound so they can pet it and give it treats to declare him a hero. Is anyone putting him in the frame for Dracula's crimes? (Another way his abuse parallels Jonathan's). Fuck you! The people of Whitby have his back. The first non-American foreigner to be encountered on English shores by English characters isn't Dracula. And even in death, he is welcomed and cared for and defended, and this is right.

[reblog-house]

Today is the 3rd of June. 55 days to Good Omens season 2! This is my entry for @gomenseveryday

Title: Over the River Thames, to New Times Ahead Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Good Omens (tv) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens) Additional Tags: New Year's Eve, Crowley is Bad at Being a Demon (Good Omens), Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Canon, Holding Hands, Hopeful Ending, Prompt Fic, Britpicked, Crowley is a Little Shit (Good Omens), Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens) Summary:

The year was 1999 and a new millennium was soon to come (at least, in the current way of counting years). It wouldn't be the first, nor second, nor third millennium they'd been on Earth —far from it, in fact— but somehow, it felt different. Crowley annoyed Aziraphale into spending New Year's Eve together, but perhaps he had been right into doing so. They were just two more people in the masses, lost to everyone else but themselves. --- They didn’t arrange a time to meet. All they had said was “before midnight”. Still, Aziraphale had hoped the demon would have shown up by then, even with his tendencies of being ‘fashionably late’ to things —though not when it was with Aziraphale; never when it was with Aziraphale—. It was already 11:30 and he was starting to fret. The crowd was already much bigger than he had anticipated and still no sight of the other. He wasn’t sure how Crowley would even get to him, if he even found him among the humans.

Fic below:

In all the years Aziraphale had been on Earth so far —6003 to be precise— the one thing he had learned to expect from humanity was changes. There were slower centuries than others, some decades that seemed to drag, and some years that seemed to pack so many things in them that he couldn’t keep track of by himself. 

He’d seen so many years come and go, many celebrations to bring good luck upon the next year —although the dates seemed to vary widely at first, before a global system to count the passage of time was established. It had always fascinated Aziraphale, the ways in which humanity always looked for reasons to celebrate with each other. 

By all rights, this New Year’s Eve shouldn’t be at all different to the one before it, or the one before that, or even one decades ago, centuries. Sure, the specific celebrations varied, but in essence they were all the same.

And in the most technical terms, it wasn’t any different than any of them; at least, none of the past few decades. There were still large gatherings of people, still fireworks to be set off at midnight, still little superstitious traditions that individuals decided to partake in to ‘guarantee’ something would come true in the next 12 months.

But this time was different.

The one thing that tethered the whole of humanity was changes. Small changes, like a new road being built, rain when they weren’t expecting it, new routines or events that came and went. And big changes, like the fall of the Roman Empire, like the Fire in London, like the multiple revolutions that came one after the other, some involving monarchies, others involving inventions. 

The 20th century —particularly the latter half of it— seemed like an influx of never-conceived-of-before big changes. Two world wars, a rise in technology that God would have certainly deemed worthy of destruction if it had happened back in Abrahamic times, humanity finally setting foot on the moon like they could never have imagined a mere couple centuries back, globalisation starting to properly take root with said rise of technology.

He didn’t need to understand technology or like it in particular to appreciate the immensity of how humanity had changed in the span of one century because of it.

And he didn’t need to understand it to know that, as soon as they crossed to the 21st century, life would never go back to how it once was. Bigger changes were coming, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

It was just one more year changing on everyone’s calendars, but it was also much more.

It was the start of a new millennium, something no human could ever see twice, and most not even once, in their lifetimes.

And also, it was the first time he and Crowley would ever spend the switch to a new millennium with each other. It was only fair. It would be the last millennium they too would see, afterall.

Crowley had started hinting at the subject in the first quarter of the year. It started with a simple phrase as they were drinking in the bookshop.

“Angel, can you believe it? A new millennium soon. Bet there’s going to be a big celebration now.”

Then it popped up again.

“Do you remember the year 1000? ‘Fraid I missed it. Was asleep.”

And again.

“I made people believe that all their computers will break as soon as the year changes! It’s genius. They’re panicking. Oh, I can’t wait to see the chaos later.”

Until, eventually, the end of the year started approaching, and Crowley’s comments became more pointed.

“Oh, come on! Loosen up a little! When was the last time you’ve been in a club? It’ll be fun! Bet they’re going to do something special for New Year’s.”

Aziraphale had decided not to answer. The last time he had been inside a club had been a few years prior for the Arrangement, but that had barely lasted a few minutes at most and he didn’t enjoy it one bit. He wasn’t going to mention the fact that he had been in a club during the 1880s. Not like the experience was in any way similar, for that matter.

Aziraphale ignored it, but now the topic was on the table, nagging at him.

What to do for the New Year’s celebration.

What to do for the New Year’s celebration with Crowley. Something they both would enjoy. Something that would fit Aziraphale’s tastes while being acceptable to Crowley as a form of celebration.

In the end, they reached a compromise. No clubbing, but no staying at the bookshop doing nothing —meaning drinking— either.

They would convene at the River Thames to watch the fireworks light up the sky. It would be easier to hide there, within the masses, if someone from either side were to show up. Easy to get lost in a crowd in such a short period of time. And if they were to be found near the other, well, the masses provided some form of plausible deniability. Could turn around and say “oh, I didn’t know a member of the opposition was near me” or “yes, I was aware of their presence but I opted not to bring attention to it, for we’re in public”.

Crowley had insisted they go together, but Aziraphale had to refuse. If they were planning on being inconspicuous, showing up in the same car would do the opposite trick. Again, they reached a compromise: they would each arrive at different times, by different means, but once the show was over and the crowds were starting to dissipate, Crowley would offer him a ride home.

They didn’t arrange a time to meet. All they had said was “before midnight”. Still, Aziraphale had hoped the demon would have shown up by then, even with his tendencies of being ‘fashionably late’ to things —though not when it was with Aziraphale; never when it was with Aziraphale—. It was already 11:30 and he was starting to fret. The crowd was already much bigger than he had anticipated and still no sight of the other. He wasn’t sure how Crowley would even get to  him, if he even found him among the humans.

Twenty more minutes passed, and Aziraphale had been fiddling with his ring as he watched frantically around for a sight of red hair and sunglasses in the near middle of the night for ten of those.

His scent suddenly made itself present. The demonic scent he had taught himself to identify during the arrangement. He was near.

A body bumped into Aziraphale, and he SLASHED?? around to find Crowley there, his human scent kind of different —a new cologne, perhaps.

The angel didn’t pretend to hold back his smile, the relief he was sure was shining on his face. “Crowley!”

He wasn’t wearing anything out of the ordinary, just the same clothes and hairstyle he was used to wearing through the latter half of this decade. Aziraphale wasn’t wearing anything out of the ordinary either. There was nothing remarkable about them.

Except Crowley had changed cologne. Something subtle, something no one but Aziraphale would notice.

The thought made his stomach flip, but he resolutely ignored it. Instead, he looked away at the reflection of the city on the river.

“So I didn’t miss anything, I take it?”

“No, they still haven’t ignited any fireworks.”

Crowley hummed and slipped his hands into the pockets of his tight trousers. “Too bad you can’t see the stars from out here. Figures they’d make their own stars to celebrate.”

“Hm.”

The count-down soon started.

Humans all around them shouting all around them.

10

9

A familiar voice rang in the noise.

He turned.

8

Crowley was counting down as well, completely immersed in the thrill of the moment. Of hundreds and hundreds of people coming together to welcome the new millennium.

7

Aziraphale reached out.

6

He let his hand hang in the air.

5

He took Crowley’s.

4

Crowley stopped counting

3

Aziraphale smiled and looked up at the sky.

2

He shouted along.

He didn’t need to look at Crowley to know he was staring at him. It was an all too familiar sensation by now.

1

They tightened the grip on their hands in anticipation of what was to come, although he’d be hard-pressed to say who started.

Soon a flurry of light broke out in the sky, an explosion of sounds following soon after. Everyone was yelling, celebrating. The sea of people were hugging, some even pulled together for a kiss.

And two immortal beings were holding hands tighter than ever before, lost in their own moment rather than the collectiveness they’d been in prior —or tried to be in; they were never good at being a part of the collective, let alone when they were together.

But wasn’t that the reason they had decided to convene there? To mix in with everyone else? 

Aziraphale found he, for once, didn’t care about that. Heaven and Hell didn’t exist for a moment, and neither did the humans around them. Everything beside him and Crowley was just background noise.

At some point, people had started to dwindle, and so had the fireworks. Neither had let go of the other’s hand, and soon no one was around except for the two of them.

Looking up at the night sky, covered in gunpowder. In silence now. 

Crowley broke the silence first, almost breathless. “What would you say to some champagne? To celebrate. We could, um,” he swallowed “I could bring you some pastries you like.”

Oh, seeing him acting like that made something in Aziraphale’s stomach bubble. 

Before Crowley could continue talking, he interrupted with a squeeze of his hand and smiled, “Yes,” he couldn’t hide the way he exhaled the word, “yes, I think I’d quite like that. Very much.”

Crowley responded in kind. “Happy new year, angel.”

He shook his head fondly, looking away from Crowley and to their hands. He didn’t try to suppress the shiver that went down his spine. “Happy new millennium.”

[rupertsblogonfood]

(Post #1 - Prompt 1) - A Holiday Tradition

My family celebrates christmas, and it is tradition for us to have eggs benedict for breakfast before opening presents. We are not religious, so the holiday forms a different meaning for our family. On christmas I would say that the holiday celebrates togetherness. It is a time where our entire family can gather and share gifts and do our favorite things. We watch movies, drink hot chocolate and make breakfast together.

My father will wake all of us up at 8 in the morning, and we prepare the meal together. My father makes the poached eggs and ham, my mom makes homemade hollandaise, my brother cuts up the fruit we have and I am on english muffin duty.

After it is all made, we call my grandmother down from her room and eat together at the ding table. My parents would have coffee but I prefer orange juice.

This tradition reveals the difference between the traditional and modern food systems. The hustle of our everyday lives prevents us from making every meal from scratch such as this one. Most days, dinner is a quick decision with not as healthy foods. However the difference between the two is not entirely the food choices made, but also with whom you share a meal and where you eat it. This is one of the few meals our family shares at the dining room table. Most days people eat in front of the television.

In an article from the National Library of Medicine, research suggests the, "globalisation of food, urbanisation, information technology, social and lifestyle changes all contribute to moulding the environment in which we live" and that, "these changes have played a significant role in shaping the population’s eating behaviours" (Mingay et al., 2021). The traditional my family shares reflects the change in society as well as my family unit. It reflects that my family isn't religious, and has become a more "modern family". The lack of cultural traditions and more of a "just became tradition over time" reflects our white ethnic background, or a family that is long removed from a culture and has adapted the "american" culture.

This tradition simple in nature, is one of my favorite things about my family. I enjoy leaving the "modern grind" and enjoying the simple things. I also REALLY like eggs benedict so that's a plus too I guess.

References

Mingay E, Hart M, Yoong S, Hure A. Why We Eat the Way We Do: A Call to Consider Food Culture in Public Health Initiatives. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 15;18(22):11967. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182211967. PMID: 34831723; PMCID: PMC8623951.

Ram, C. (2024, April 4). Eggs benedict. Food & Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/eggs-benedict-7107614

[torturingpeople]

the thing is with the pathologist being in the salad spinner au he is just not content with calm. it's a trauma response of course but he's so used to sycophantically defending dr. hanna, enduring trauma after trauma alongside his disabilities (i.e. seizures + fatigue + ptsd + childhood trauma) and just powering on through regardless that when he is finally put into a space of calm and quiet and peace he doesn't know what to do with himself. it doesn't help that being 60 years into the future with the technological advancements of globalisation and the threat of cold war doesn't even show hints of itself in 1899 but he also just feels. out of place with all of his issues. he's placed into the home of two well-adjusted, rich, happy people and he just straight up doesn't know how to act because he just has never experienced comfort like this before.

then that's where his risk-taking behaviour comes in, when he starts going back to hilbert's grand hotel to rescue the staff because he just craves some kind of thrill. he needs it to survive. he can't just sit in the house all day wallowing in guilt and shame when he can actually do something but he doesn't realise he needs to become comfortable with being alone with himself (<- and also heal from his trauma but that will take a long time) so he instead throws himself back into the deep end. because to him being wet and outside of the pool is cold and uncomfortable and makes him shiver and though drowning might hurt he is used to doing it through his life, it's what he knows, the latter pain is better than the former discomfort. so he starts taking risks and being careless and becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol and laudanum and whatever else he can get his hands on just to feel like he has agency in this suffering again. just to feel like he isn't a victim of other people, but he can't grasp the idea of being a survivor over a victim, so he then becomes a victim of himself

[properantagonist]

I'm so tired of the generational discourse. There are all kinds of people in all generational groups, you're not all of a sudden different because you were born a year earlier.

Sure, there are certain things in common that people share due to the reality of living around the same time frame, but these are a small percentage of their entire personhood. Generations also vary with their technological and media experiences depending on the area of the world they were brought up in (some countries are obviously slower to adapt to globalised progress).

I'm tired of people blaming an entire generation for things done by all generations to some extent, or blaming it for something only a chunk of them do/did.

I saw a tweet claiming that "gen z bullied an artist to the point of near suicide for drawing a character wrong". Yeah, the whole generation is responsible. The entire generation is doomed because Something Bad ™ happened. I guess GIs were entirely responsible for WW2, right?

[nividawebsolutions]

Top 7 Challenges Faced By IT Industry In 2023

Within the rapidly growing universe of technology, the IT companies in India assume a crucial role, persistently adjusting themselves to cater to the needs of a perpetually shifting environment. Nevertheless, the advancement of society brings forth a set of obstacles that necessitate a deliberate approach to resolution. As the year 2023 commences, the IT industry faces a multitude of challenges that necessitate careful consideration and effective measures. This blog aims to explore the primary issues encountered by the IT industry in the current year, providing insights into their consequences and possible remedies.

1.  Cybersecurity Threats:

The escalation of cyber risks has been observed as a consequence of the widespread adoption of digital technology and interconnected systems. The level of sophistication exhibited by cybercriminals is on the rise, as they deploy advanced strategies to bypass security systems. All the IT companies in Gujarat, India, in the year 2023 are confronted with the formidable challenge of maintaining a competitive edge in the face of cyber attacks, while simultaneously prioritising data protection and securing essential infrastructure. The implementation of effective cybersecurity safeguards, regular conduct of security audits, and provision of cybersecurity education to staff are essential elements in addressing and minimising this risk.

2.  Data Privacy and Compliance:

The increasingly stringent legislative framework surrounding data privacy poses a substantial obstacle for the information technology sector. Stringent regulations pertaining to data privacy, such as the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), necessitate rigorous adherence. In the year 2023, the IT companies in Vadodara, Gujarat have the challenge of striking a delicate equilibrium between adhering to regulatory requirements and efficiently using data for commercial objectives. IT organisations are required to allocate resources towards the implementation of compliance frameworks, provide training to their employees, and guarantee that data-handling procedures are in accordance with the prescribed norms.

3.  Talent Acquisition and Retention:

The acquisition and retention of talent pose an ongoing problem for the IT industry, as it continues to seek and keep qualified workers. The scarcity of highly specialised skills frequently results in a disparity between demand and supply, hence engendering intense rivalry for those with such talents. Moreover, the current trends in remote work and the increasing globalisation of the talent market serve to exacerbate this challenge. In order to tackle this issue, a reliable IT company in India like Nivida Web Solutions prioritises the enhancement of the skills of their current workforce, provides enticing remuneration packages, cultivates a favourable work environment, and creates avenues for professional advancement and personal improvement.

4.  Technological Advancements and Adaptability:

The expeditious rate at which technological developments are occurring has both advantages and disadvantages for the IT business. Although these developments present promising prospects, they also present a difficulty in terms of adaptation. Keeping abreast of developing technology and enabling a smooth transition to new platforms and tools may be a demanding task. In order to effectively adapt to emerging technology, IT organisations must allocate resources towards the implementation of continual training and development programmes, which aim to equip their personnel with the requisite skills.

5.  Resource Optimization and Scalability:

The optimisation of resources and the effective scalability of operations have emerged as significant challenges in recent times. The management of resources and the scaling of operations in response to varying market needs and the imperative of cost-effectiveness can provide intricate challenges. Cloud computing and intelligent resource allocation are essential solutions that can be employed to effectively address this dilemma. The utilisation of cloud solutions by Nivida Web Solutions - a recognised IT company in Gujarat, India, allows for enhanced flexibility and cost-efficiency, hence assuring the appropriate allocation of resources.

6.  Integration and Interoperability:

The IT environment is distinguished by a diverse array of systems and applications that necessitate harmonious integration. The task of achieving integration and interoperability across diverse platforms, legacy systems, and emerging technologies poses a significant challenge. The establishment of interconnectedness is crucial in facilitating an effective and productive IT ecosystem. It is imperative for the industry to prioritise the development of standardised interfaces, utilise APIs effectively, and implement integration platforms in order to improve interoperability.

7.  Environmental Sustainability:

Environmental sustainability has emerged as a pressing issue in various sectors, encompassing the field of IT. The IT industry possesses a substantial carbon footprint as a result of its energy consumption, generation of electronic waste, and operations of data centres. In the year 2023, the sector is faced with the task of identifying environmentally sustainable solutions and adopting practices that effectively mitigate their ecological footprint. The use of green technology, the optimisation of data centre efficiency, and the incorporation of circular economy concepts are positive measures in the pursuit of sustainability objectives.

Final Thoughts:

The IT sector encounters a diverse range of issues in the year 2023, necessitating the implementation of proactive and strategic methodologies. Addressing a range of difficulties, including cybersecurity risks, talent acquisition, technological adaptation, and sustainability, is necessary in order to establish and maintain a flourishing and sustainable information technology ecosystem. By adopting a proactive approach towards innovation, allocating resources towards skill enhancement, and placing emphasis on adherence to regulations and sustainability, Nivida Web Solutions - the most distinguished IT company in Vadodara, may effectively navigate the obstacles it faces and emerge with increased resilience. This will facilitate the ongoing growth and progression of the industry in the era of digitalization.