#PRODUCT/ PROGRAM METHODOLOGY

[quatregats]

I haven't met with or talked to many people this trip, but I will say that it has helped a lot with the focusing on what I actually want to study and making me want to study it and also teaching me how I should move forward in the research process. Like idk in the US I get a lot of theory and such but no one knows anything about my topic so they all just kind of go "cool sounds like you know lots about it 👍" whereas people here can actually get into the nitty-gritty of it and can see where my knowledge is lacking (and also the professors have just given me better advice lmao). The only hope is that I can keep this good energy up when I get home.

[gallusrostromegalus]

As someone a bit too young to have seen Bleach the first time around, AEIWAM is still consuming a crucial portion of my brain cells. So imagine my surprise when I looked up Tousen, the reason you started this behemoth of an alternate universe, on TV tropes.

Among other shocking revelations...

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HE JOINED AIZEN OF HIS OWN FREE WILL IN CANON???? What do you MEAN, TITE KUBO, that the reason your Tousen wants to destroy the Shinigami is that his crush died of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE???

Who is this man and what has he done with my eternally suffering Tousen?

You understand why I had to take custody of this poor bastard.

I can respect what Kubo was going for- Aizen was right in the fact that Soul Society does suck, and the extended canon is that Tousen's crush was killed by her husband, everyone knew it, and nobody would prosecute the husband because he was a Noble. Canon Tousen is, more or less, suffering from the same kind of rage-based brainrot that is unfortunately so common these days- the idea that because a system is imperfect, or ever corrupt, that it's a good idea to tear the whole thing down/restart the universe (the real Path Of Least Harm is of course, the much more complicated and frustrating work of Dis-and-re-mantling the system piece-by-piece without leaving vulnerable people to fend for themselves, but that isn't as emotionally satisfying or fun to draw as senseless destruction, but I digress).

but his arc is only barely on the page at all, mostly after his death and contains one of the blandest and most obnoxious tropes- fridging- and the whole thing falls flat. It also fails to explore the FASCINATING angle of disability and tbh, racism in soul society- two VERY fucked up things that would very much justify his rage. But it's shonen and the series was deep in production hell at that point, and tousen was far from the only victim. I still don't know what the fuck Gin's deal was.

ANYWAY,

Notable changes between Canon!Tousen and AEIWAM!Tousen and some art under the cut:

Kakiyo is Kaname's adopted sister, and despite looking nothing alike, since they re-incarnated in soul society at the same time, they regard themselves as twins.

Kakiyo does kind of a lot in the plot before her demise- she's responsible for introducing Kaname and Komamura, teaches Zaraki and Yachiru how to read, and unintentionally helps Aizen by recommending him to be promoted to third seat in the 5th division, because she and Kiganjo were thinking about starting a family soon, and Aizen would make a good stand-in for her while she was on maternity leave.

She also gets to do a bunch of stuff after she dies too!

The characters in Tousen's name approximately mean "Necessary Scholar" and make an allusion to a legendary scholar from China who came to Japan to find the elixir of immortality for the emperor. He returns with an elixir that stops the emperor from aging, and the emperor kills him so he can't make anyone else immortal (the emperor doesn't age, but he's still vulnerable to stabbing, and gets stabbed). I thought that was an extremely fun literary allusion so I'm leaning into it- before he becomes a Shinigami, AEIWAM!Tousen took over the library run by his ans Kakiyo's adopted godparents, and ran a children's literacy program. he has a special interest in information sciences and educational methodology. even among nerds, he's a mega-nerd.

Kakiyo meets and marries Gosuke Kiganjo, who goes back to West 51 to meet his beloved's brother and the weird giant monk that runs the library with him. Kaname is immensely fond of Kiganjo, and has no qualms being the best man at their wedding. He and Gosuke are good friends for the first few years of the marriage, until Aizen gets his claws into Gosuke and slowly drives him insane.

In AEIWAM, Tousen is cursed into going along with the plan by Aizen. Aizen was just going to make Kiganjo kill him, but Gin is getting impatient with Aizen's hogyoku progress, and persuades Aizen into cursing Kaname into compliance instead with a Forbidden Bakudō: Kyuunodo — Ningyō Kugi Saiyaku (人形釘誓約, Puppet Nail Covenant)

I do keep the canon!Tousen's reputation for being pedantic, unecessarily critical and generally kind of boring. The reason for AEIWAM!Tousen's reputation is different: He is kind of a pain in the ass, because he is in Horrific Pain and Deeply Traumatized and that makes people irritable to say the least, and he deliberately cultivates a reputation for being Boring to keep people far, far away from him- and hopefully, far from Aizen as well.

An underrated bit of Canon!Tousen is that Suzumushi is not his zanpakuto. Suzumushi was Kakiyo's zanpakuto, and we see him take the sword from her coffin in the manga. Which is insane because it means HE ACHIEVED BANKAI WITH A ZANPAKUTO THAT WASN'T EVEN HIS. Dude is SEVERELY underrated as a swordsman. In AEIWAM, Suzumushi is still Kakiyo's zanpakuto, and only BARELY clings to life on the last reserves of the Spiritual power Kakiyo put into her before Kaname finds her. Suzumushi persuades him to take her up, enter the academy and bring Kakiyo's killer to justice (Suzumushi has fallen to Aizen's illusion and doesn't know who the killer is). She kind of glosses over how they bond, but she more or less crawls into his soul and supresses Kaname's native Yume-kon that would have been his own Zanpakuto spirit if it had been allowed to awaken. She did make an entirely new Shikai and Bankai for him- the chime that makes people lose conciousness is entirely new, the AOE of Just A Shitload Of Swords was Suzumushi's original Shikai. The Bankai of a space where anyone not touching the sword experiences no sensory input? Suzumushi made it first and foremost as a refuge for Kaname when the pain of the curse became to unbearable.

The biggest difference, of course, is that Kaname lives through the Aizen Arc and gets a Happy Ending: Once he wakes up after the battle, he is free, and chooses to marry the wolfman he's been in love with for centuries. Here's some art of them, finally home:

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Shifting $677m from the banks to the people, every year, forever

I'll be in TUCSON, AZ from November 8-10: I'm the GUEST OF HONOR at the TUSCON SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION.

"Switching costs" are one of the great underappreciated evils in our world: the more it costs you to change from one product or service to another, the worse the vendor, provider, or service you're using today can treat you without risking your business.

Businesses set out to keep switching costs as high as possible. Literally. Mark Zuckerberg's capos send him memos chortling about how Facebook's new photos feature will punish anyone who leaves for a rival service with the loss of all their family photos – meaning Zuck can torment those users for profit and they'll still stick around so long as the abuse is less bad than the loss of all their cherished memories:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

It's often hard to quantify switching costs. We can tell when they're high, say, if your landlord ties your internet service to your lease (splitting the profits with a shitty ISP that overcharges and underdelivers), the switching cost of getting a new internet provider is the cost of moving house. We can tell when they're low, too: you can switch from one podcatcher program to another just by exporting your list of subscriptions from the old one and importing it into the new one:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/16/keep-it-really-simple-stupid/#read-receipts-are-you-kidding-me-seriously-fuck-that-noise

But sometimes, economists can get a rough idea of the dollar value of high switching costs. For example, a group of economists working for the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau calculated that the hassle of changing banks is costing Americans at least $677m per year (see page 526):

https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_personal-financial-data-rights-final-rule_2024-10.pdf

The CFPB economists used a very conservative methodology, so the number is likely higher, but let's stick with that figure for now. The switching costs of changing banks – determining which bank has the best deal for you, then transfering over your account histories, cards, payees, and automated bill payments – are costing everyday Americans more than half a billion dollars, every year.

Now, the CFPB wasn't gathering this data just to make you mad. They wanted to do something about all this money – to find a way to lower switching costs, and, in so doing, transfer all that money from bank shareholders and executives to the American public.

And that's just what they did. A newly finalized Personal Financial Data Rights rule will allow you to authorize third parties – other banks, comparison shopping sites, brokers, anyone who offers you a better deal, or help you find one – to request your account data from your bank. Your bank will be required to provide that data.

I loved this rule when they first proposed it:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/10/getting-things-done/#deliverism

And I like the final rule even better. They've really nailed this one, even down to the fine-grained details where interop wonks like me get very deep into the weeds. For example, a thorny problem with interop rules like this one is "who gets to decide how the interoperability works?" Where will the data-formats come from? How will we know they're fit for purpose?

This is a super-hard problem. If we put the monopolies whose power we're trying to undermine in charge of this, they can easily cheat by delivering data in uselessly obfuscated formats. For example, when I used California's privacy law to force Mailchimp to provide list of all the mailing lists I've been signed up for without my permission, they sent me thousands of folders containing more than 5,900 spreadsheets listing their internal serial numbers for the lists I'm on, with no way to find out what these lists are called or how to get off of them:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/22/degoogled/#kafka-as-a-service

So if we're not going to let the companies decide on data formats, who should be in charge of this? One possibility is to require the use of a standard, but again, which standard? We can ask a standards body to make a new standard, which they're often very good at, but not when the stakes are high like this. Standards bodies are very weak institutions that large companies are very good at capturing:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/30/weak-institutions/

Here's how the CFPB solved this: they listed out the characteristics of a good standards body, listed out the data types that the standard would have to encompass, and then told banks that so long as they used a standard from a good standards body that covered all the data-types, they'd be in the clear.

Once the rule is in effect, you'll be able to go to a comparison shopping site and authorize it to go to your bank for your transaction history, and then tell you which bank – out of all the banks in America – will pay you the most for your deposits and charge you the least for your debts. Then, after you open a new account, you can authorize the new bank to go back to your old bank and get all your data: payees, scheduled payments, payment history, all of it. Switching banks will be as easy as switching mobile phone carriers – just a few clicks and a few minutes' work to get your old number working on a phone with a new provider.

This will save Americans at least $677 million, every year. Which is to say, it will cost the banks at least $670 million every year.

Naturally, America's largest banks are suing to block the rule:

https://www.americanbanker.com/news/cfpbs-open-banking-rule-faces-suit-from-bank-policy-institute

Of course, the banks claim that they're only suing to protect you, and the $677m annual transfer from their investors to the public has nothing to do with it. The banks claim to be worried about bank-fraud, which is a real thing that we should be worried about. They say that an interoperability rule could make it easier for scammers to get at your data and even transfer your account to a sleazy fly-by-night operation without your consent. This is also true!

It is obviously true that a bad interop rule would be bad. But it doesn't follow that every interop rule is bad, or that it's impossible to make a good one. The CFPB has made a very good one.

For starters, you can't just authorize anyone to get your data. Eligible third parties have to meet stringent criteria and vetting. These third parties are only allowed to ask for the narrowest slice of your data needed to perform the task you've set for them. They aren't allowed to use that data for anything else, and as soon as they've finished, they must delete your data. You can also revoke their access to your data at any time, for any reason, with one click – none of this "call a customer service rep and wait on hold" nonsense.

What's more, if your bank has any doubts about a request for your data, they are empowered to (temporarily) refuse to provide it, until they confirm with you that everything is on the up-and-up.

I wrote about the lawsuit this week for @eff@mastodon.social's Deeplinks blog:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/10/no-matter-what-bank-says-its-your-money-your-data-and-your-choice

In that article, I point out the tedious, obvious ruses of securitywashing and privacywashing, where a company insists that its most abusive, exploitative, invasive conduct can't be challenged because that would expose their customers to security and privacy risks. This is such bullshit.

It's bullshit when printer companies say they can't let you use third party ink – for your own good:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/hp-ceo-blocking-third-party-ink-from-printers-fights-viruses/

It's bullshit when car companies say they can't let you use third party mechanics – for your own good:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/03/rip-david-graeber/#rolling-surveillance-platforms

It's bullshit when Apple says they can't let you use third party app stores – for your own good:

https://www.eff.org/document/letter-bruce-schneier-senate-judiciary-regarding-app-store-security

It's bullshit when Facebook says you can't independently monitor the paid disinformation in your feed – for your own good:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/05/comprehensive-sex-ed/#quis-custodiet-ipsos-zuck

And it's bullshit when the banks say you can't change to a bank that charges you less, and pays you more – for your own good.

CFPB boss Rohit Chopra is part of a cohort of Biden enforcers who've hit upon a devastatingly effective tactic for fighting corporate power: they read the law and found out what they're allowed to do, and then did it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/23/getting-stuff-done/#praxis

The CFPB was created in 2010 with the passage of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, which specifically empowers the CFPB to make this kind of data-sharing rule. Back when the CFPA was in Congress, the banks howled about this rule, whining that they were being forced to share their data with their competitors.

But your account data isn't your bank's data. It's your data. And the CFPB is gonna let you have it, and they're gonna save you and your fellow Americans at least $677m/year – forever.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/01/bankshot/#personal-financial-data-rights

[my-darling-boy]

It’s horrible how my design course has killed my enjoyment in creativity because all they want is finished pieces founded in nothing but a spontaneous mark just to hang at some concrete art gallery or to sell to some “join our revolution” comfy business-casual company with a prison cell wellness room. I’m not saying that it’s “not art” —cos that’s a different post altogether— it’s that the ethos behind this particular formula for art education is ruining the way we think about creation.

Design courses (and other art courses I’ve heard?) are no longer teaching artists or designers techniques, drawing skills, art fundamentals and allowing them to find their own voice so much as they are only instructing how to tic boxes alongside pushing corporate and classist motivated style/methodology bias aimed at producing workers, not creatives, not to mention providing Adobe with endless funds for their despicable scam programs. That’s it. My creativity is only a means to money for them, and if they can extract the process of creation from me without the complex creative intimacy involved in it, they know they can churn out products and services faster and it’s concerning some lecturers don’t seem to be aware this is what they’re teaching? Like they’re buying into industry propaganda?

And the whole time it’s sold to you like you can be some trailblazer when the irony is they’re usually either prepping you for cubicle work or for some misguided high horse creative team pumping out design solutions completely divorced from the reality. I’m tired of all the talks about sustainability in a vacuum with no conversation about nuanced designs that factor in broader social and economic perspectives which lack thereof is leading to sustainable products being sold at a price only able to be afforded by wealthier people who are causing said economic and social problems and contributing to the rapid obsoletion of trades and crafts. Lecturers and speakers don’t seem to think that’s any of our concern and should just worry about producing the design for the hypothetical Bluetooth powered organic hairbrush or using the twigs to make the pattern for the £85 fabric square.

Like? Can I please make something that actually resonates with people outside the circle jerk of egotistical creatives and corporations? Something charming and maybe idk something that doesn’t make me want to tear my miserable portfolio in half with my teeth? And they’re like Mm nope sorry it has to be an extreme close up of a mark making abstract leaf you made from a recycled trash bag inspired by a stalled urban space which we will force you to price at £100 during your exhibition 5 people will bother to attend and no you’re not allowed any other style cos this isn’t the Dark Ages :///

I think the worst thing my lecturer ever said was, while looking around the room of our class work reduced down to a series of cubes and splatters and abstract typography, “Wow, I love how you can’t tell what anyone’s [main artist discipline] is!” Like awww conformity at the expense of a person’s individuality to make pieces for airport hallways and rich people’s living rooms wow so cool heehee like girl that’s not good?? Why on Earth are you complimenting us for that? Like I get it, I thought this course would boost skillset as an illustrator (as we were told), turns out the degree is really not for me, fair enough to anyone thinking that, but forcing students to produce modern abstract art because you think it’s the ONLY Logical Pathway for the future of design, judging them intensely for doing a different style, and thinking producing financially inaccessible art + design is the solution to things like climate change and community severance is an objectively bad take.

[transmutationisms]

hello! im just finishing up my read of structures of scientific revolutions, which has genuinely been very useful and shifted my understanding of science in a way being around people doing scientific research all day really didn't! i don't have a liberal arts education so i would love to get a sense of (a) what else of the philosophy / history of science canon is worth reading in the original (b) standard review papers or introductory textbooks and (c) critiques of the canon. i understand this is a big ask ofc, so feel free to point me to good depts / syllabi from good courses. thanks :)

yessss such a fun question >:) so, the thing that was so great about 'the structure of scientific revolutions', which i'm sure you've picked up on, is that kuhn pushed historians and philosophers of science to challenge the positivist model of science as a linearly progressive search to 'accumulate knowledge'. the idea of a 'paradigm shift' was itself a paradigm shift at the time; it was an early example of a language for talking about radical change in science without giving into the assumption that change necessarily = 'progress' (defined by national interests, mathematisation, and so forth). this is still an approach that's foundational to history and philosophy of science; it's now taken as so axiomatic that few academics even bother to gloss or defend it in monographs (which raises its own issue with public communication, lol).

where kuhn falls apart more (and this was typical for a philosopher of his era, training, and academic milieu) is in the fact that he never developed any kind of rigorous sociological analysis of science (despite alluding to such a thing being necessary) and you probably also noticed that he makes a few major leaps that indicate he's not fully committed to thinking through the relationship between science and politics. so for example, we might ask, can a paradigm shift ever occur for a reason other than a discovered 'anomaly' that the previous paradigm can't account for? for instance, how do political investments in science and scientific theories affect what's accepted as 'normal science' in a kuhnian sense? are there historical or present cases where a paradigm didn't change even though it persistently failed to explain certain empirical observations or data? what about the opposite, where a paradigm did change, but it wasn't necessarily or exclusively because the new paradigm was a 'better' explanation scientifically? how do we determine what makes an explanation 'better', anyway, especially given that kuhn himself was very much invested in moving beyond the naïve realist position? and on the more sociological side, we can raise issues like: say you're a scientist and you legitimately have discovered an 'anomaly'. how do you communicate that to other scientists? what mechanisms of knowledge production and publication enable you to circulate that information and to be taken seriously? what modes of communication must you use and what credentials or interpersonal connections must you have? what factors cause theories and discoveries to be taken more or less seriously, or adopted more or less quickly, besides just their 'scientific utility' (again, assuming we can even define such a thing)?

again, this is not to shit on kuhn, but to point out that both history and philosophy of science have had a lot of avenues to explore since his work. note that there are a few major disciplinary distinctions here, each with many sub-schools of thought. a 'science and technology studies' or STS program tends to be a mix of sociological and philosophical analysis of science, often with an emphasis on 'technoscience' and much less on historical analysis. a philosophy of science department will be anchored more firmly in the philosophical approach, so you'll find a lot of methodological critique, and a lot of scholarship that seeks to tackle current aporias in science using various philosophical frameworks. a history of science program is fundamentally just a sub-discipline of history, and scholarship in this area asks about the development of science over time, how various forms of thinking came into and out of favour, and so forth. often a department will do both history and philosophy of science (HPS). historians of medicine, technology, and mathematics will sometimes (for arcane scholastic reasons varying by field, training, and country) be anchored in departments of medicine / technology / mathematics, rather than with other faculty of histsci / HPS. but, increasingly in the anglosphere you'll see departments that cover history of science, technology, and mathematics (HSTM) together. obviously, all of these distinctions say more about professional qualifications and university bureaucracy than they do about the actual subject matter; in actuality, a good history of science should virtually always include attention to some philosophical and sociological dimensions, and vice versa.

anyway—reading recs:

there are two general reference texts i would recommend here if you just want to get some compilations of major / 'canonical' works in this field. both are edited volumes, so you can skip around in them as much as you want. both are also very limited in focus to, again, a very particular 'western canon' defined largely by trends in anglo academia over the past half-century or so.

philosophy of science: the central issues (1998 [2013], ed. martin curd & j. a. cover). this is an anthology of older readings in philsci. it's a good introduction to many of the methodological questions and problems that the field has grown around; most of these readings have little to no historical grounding and aren't pretending otherwise.

the cambridge history of science (8 vols., 2008–2020, gen. eds. david c. lindberg & ron numbers). no one reads this entire set because it's long as shit. however, each volume has its own temporal / topical focus, and the essays function as a crash-course in historical methodology in addition to whatever value you derive from the case studies in their own right. i like these vols much more than the curd & cover, but if you really want to dig into the philosophical issues and not the histories, curd & cover might be more fun.

besides those, here are some readings in histsci / philsci that i'd recommend if you're interested. for consistency i ordered these by publication date, but bolded a few i would recommend as actual starting points lol. again some of these focus on specific historical cases, but are also useful imo methodologically, regardless of how much you care about the specific topic being discussed.

Robert M. Young. 1969. "Malthus and the Evolutionists: The Common Context of Biological and Social Theory." Past & Present 43: 109–145.

David Bloor. 1976 [1991]. Knowledge and Social Imagery. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (here is a really useful extract that covers the main points of this text).

Ian Hacking. 1983. Representing and Intervening: Introductory Topics in the Philosophy of Natural Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Steven Shapin. 1988. “Understanding the Merton Thesis.” Isis 79 (4): 594–605.

Steven Shapin and Simon Schaffer. 1989. Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Mario Biagioli. 1993. Galileo, Courtier: The Practice of Science in the Culture of Absolutism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Bruno Latour. 1993. The Pasteurization of France. Translated by Alan Sheridan and John Law. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Margaret W. Rossiter. 1993. “The Matthew Matilda Effect in Science.” Social Studies of Science 23 (2): 325–41.

Andrew Pickering. 1995. The Mangle of Practice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Porter, Theodore M. Trust in Numbers: The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life. Princeton University Press, 1996.

Peter Galison. 1997. “Trading Zone: Coordinating Action and Belief.” In The Science Studies Reader, edited by Mario Biagioli, 137–60. New York: Routledge.

Crosbie Smith. 1998. The Science of Energy: A Cultural History of Energy Physics in Victorian Britain. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Chambers, David Wade, and Richard Gillespie. “Locality in the History of Science: Colonial Science, Technoscience, and Indigenous Knowledge.” Osiris 15 (2000): 221–40.

Kuriyama, Shigehisa. The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese Medicine. Zone Books, 2002.

Timothy Mitchell. 2002. Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity. Berkeley: University of California Press.

James A. Secord. 2003. Victorian Sensation: The Extraordinary Publication, Reception, and Secret Authorship of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.

Sheila Jasanoff. 2006. “Biotechnology and Empire: The Global Power of Seeds and Science.” Osiris 21 (1): 273–92.

Murphy, Michelle. Sick Building Syndrome and the Problem of Uncertainty: Environmental Politics, Technoscience, and Women Workers. Duke University Press, 2006.

Kapil Raj. 2007. Relocating Modern Science: Circulation and the Construction of Knowledge in South Asia and Europe, 1650–1900. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Schiebinger, Londa L. Plants and Empire: Colonial Bioprospecting in the Atlantic World. Harvard University Press, 2007.

Galison, Peter. “Ten Problems in History and Philosophy of Science.” Isis 99, no. 1 (2008): 111–24.

Daston, Lorraine, and Peter Galison. Objectivity. Zone Books, 2010.

Dipesh Chakrabarty. 2011. “The Muddle of Modernity.” American Historical Review 116 (3): 663–75.

Forman, Paul. “On the Historical Forms of Knowledge Production and Curation: Modernity Entailed Disciplinarity, Postmodernity Entails Antidisciplinarity.” Osiris 27, no. 1 (2012): 56–97.

Ashworth, William J. 2014. "The British Industrial Revolution and the the Ideological Revolution: Science, Neoliberalism, and History." History of Science 52 (2): 178–199.

Mavhunga, Clapperton. 2014. Transient Workspaces: Technologies of Everyday Innovation in Zimbabwe. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Lynn Nyhart. 2016. “Historiography of the History of Science.” In A Companion to the History of Science, edited by Bernard Lightman, 7–22. Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

Rana Hogarth. 2017. Medicalizing Blackness: Making Racial Difference in the Atlantic World, 1780–1840. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Suman Seth. 2018. Difference and Disease: Medicine, Race, and the Eighteenth-Century British Empire. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Aro Velmet. 2020. Pasteur's Empire: Bacteriology and Politics in France, its Colonies, and the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

i would also say, as a general rule, these books are generally all so well-known that there are very good book reviews and review essays on them, which you can find through jstor / your library's database. these can be invaluable both because your reading list would otherwise just mushroom out forever, and because a good review can help you decide whether you even need / want to sit down with the book itself in the first place. literally zero shame in reading an academic text secondhand via reviews.

[xenosagaepisodeone]

supersize me is incredible in how potently hateful it is. it's as if the pop culture wasteland of the 2000s suffocated spurlock's brain to the point where whatever synapses that hadn't shriveled up were only left capable of firing off the same demand to keep punching down at all costs that every halfwit with access to cable news and a desire to 'tell it how it is' seemed to have been afflicted with. everyone knows the methodology in this doc is bunk, but what's missing from the conversation is how this film is another artifact of antagonizing incurious dipshit libertarian smarming about how the sheepish masses cannot just simply get with the program and be better. "americans are fat fat fat fat so fucking fat and they love it so much that they'll let their kids eat the same slop that they serve in prison" "wait, back up. the same apparatus that provides elementary school lunches also supplies prison food? and you're saying the cost of healthier food isn't all that much more? is there anything here worth looking into further?" "no. but have this clip of this random guy talking about how we should heckle fat people like how we heckle smokers". what made this film notable for its time was how it was less focused on how being fat makes you look (which isn't to say that isn't still a huge component of it. because it is. and spurlock has endless shots of strangers with their faces blurred out to emphasize this), but the alleged deterioration of lifestyle, values and vitality that comes with the depletion of one's physical health. that is to say, the film is arguing that failing to live a regimented lifestyle causes one to fall into a state of moral decay. this is the buried lede, because ultimately this film is actually-actually about an alcoholic externalizing the complex he has towards his own lack of self control onto fat people.

it is no wonder why elementary school health teachers in the aughts were quick to deploy it in classrooms at the same rate they did photos of STIs in place of actual sex ed. the imagery of this greasy motherfucker throwing up in his car is meant to serve the same purpose in telling kids that this is what happens when they can't control themselves. when a corporation is blamed for something, it's only inasmuch as it enables people to be dumb and fat. spurlock points out how mcdonald's predatory advertising normalizes it's products in places it should not be (hospitals in particular), which you think would warrant further discussion- but in line with pushing responsibility onto the role of the individual, this is framed as merely mcdonalds tricking customers instead of actively encroaching on their way of life via invading media and legislature. no, the real villains are cafeteria lunch ladies, who are not instilling discipline in your children unlike National Weight Loss Hero Jared Fogle, who educates children around the world. one can only imagine that spurlock's libertarian values compel him to feel a sense of kinship.

the funniest part of this film was the one doctor who seemed to know that he was bullshitting about not having any drinking habits but doesn't want to be up front about confronting him. at first he comments on how how spurlock's liver resembles one belonging to someone engaged in long term alcohol abuse, and then later in the film he gives some generic lip service in response to spurlock's report like 'well, i wouldn't think that fast food and liver health are connected, but your report seems to indicate otherwise' before cutting straight to "whatever you're doing, stop pickling your liver". also at another point spurlock goes "lunch time" and there's a hard cut to some fat mcdonalds employees and he's trying so hard to evoke disgust with all of these shots but my response to these baddies is just "zamn looks like they got dinner and dessert too 🥵🥵💦💦💦💦💦💦💦"

but anyway

[kaiserin-erzsebet]

I have an academic pathway question. How did you end up in your PhD program? Did you get your master's and work before applying or go straight in from undergrad? Are American or European schools easier, or does it depend on your research topic? I'm only in undergrad now but I really want to get a PhD in history someday and I'm interested in the Atlantic World and how America and Western Europe connect/are dependent on each other.

I'm sorry that it took so long for me to get to this. I have been remarkably burnt out lately.

But anyway, I can tell you what my path looked like, but I think I should caveat it with the fact that I had to work around the COVID pandemic, which caused admissions pauses and/or smaller than usual cohorts. So, the experience for me probably wasn't typical and won't reflect what applying now will be like.

I did apply to PhD programs out of undergrad, but upon reflection I really did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to work on. It is not a surprise to me, knowing what I know now about graduate school admissions, that I didn't get in.

When I decided to apply to a masters program in the Netherlands, I was doing it because I wanted to work with a specific professor who had been a visiting professor at an undergraduate university. I felt like he really understood the kind of questions I wanted to ask.

Now, here's one difference you should consider: at least in continental Europe (the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria is where I can speak for), you cannot apply to a Doctoral program without a Masters. If you are an undergraduate right now, you'll have to do a Masters and then a Doctorate as separate degrees in Europe.

Basically, both the US and European system call what they offer a Doctoral Degree. However, the US version is really much more of a package deal because it includes something called a "non-terminal Masters" which you get after completing coursework and your qualifying examinations (and sometimes other things depending on your program.) European programs are just the part after qualifying examinations where you research and write, so they expect you to have already done the work of an MA.

So, that's why I applied to an MA (technically a RMA, since that is a different distinction in the Netherlands that I won't get into) program in Europe and not a PhD.

This is where the story gets a little complicated, because I finished that degree in the summer of 2020. Which, as everyone remembers, was not a great time to be in a transitional part of your life. I actually got mailed my diploma because I could not get back to Europe with the travel restrictions.

I ended up applying to programs in the US, because trying to get back to Europe in the middle of the pandemic chaos seemed like a bad idea. I was offered a place in a interdisciplinary Masters program, which I took because: 1. I had a scholarship (I would not have paid for another degree) 2. It was interdisciplinary so it would be good for broadening my methodology. 3. It would let me work with Habsburg scholars, which I hadn't had yet. And I was also in the middle of my Germanist -> Habsburgist pivot. 4. It was one year and it was productive to do while we waited for the world to open up again.

After that I worked for a year teaching at the same university I did my Masters degree at, which gave me time to work on my application and make sure it was very clear and focused, since I was not going to do it again if I didn't get it that time. Since this was when applications opened up again "after" COVID, so there were double the usual number of applications.

My main reason for being at a US university was that there were more resources at my particular university for transatlantic travel and that there were more opportunities to teach during the program.

There isn't really an "easy" version as much as there are two different versions, especially in the humanities: in Germany at least, you're often applying to be part of a broad thematic project that has its own particular funding allocated to it and has its own supervisor. You can get funding for just your own project, but it is a process. Whereas in the US, you're applying mostly based on your advisor and committee and you need to pitch how your research fits that person and maybe the broader department.

There is also a substantial culture difference that I've found. Universities in Europe tend to treat you more like a researcher than a student. They really cut you loose to do your work, but also expect you to do all your own administrative work and planning. Whereas the US tends to build in more milestones and scaffolding to structure the process and check in on you. If you're not self motivated and good at asking for help when you need it, the approach in German/Dutch/Austrian academia can feel a bit like being thrown in the deep end with no swim lessons - I can't tell you if that's the same in "Western Europe" depending on where you are thinking. On the flipside, if you would rather do your own thing, the required parts of the US system can feel like nagging or micromanaging.

There really is no easier version; doctoral programs are hard work and quite a lot of commitment. It comes down to what academic culture you prefer and which advisors, supervisors, or departments are going to be the best for what you want to work on and how you work. The best advice I can give you is that you need to know how you do your best work; self-knowledge is one of the best things you can have in graduate school.

[ayeforscotland]

I'm not a super dedicated gamer these days, but I loved Kerbal Space Program (a game that was more a labour of love than a commercial project) and was super hyped for the much delayed KSP2. When I saw it was releasing as early access (years late) I worried for its hopes of ever seeing completion and held off buying, now after all the other shananigans the entire team have been let go in yet another mass lay-off in the gaming industry. I feel like, a few notable exceptions aside, the big-budget gaming sector has been failing to deliver real quality games for a long time now, with lower-budget indie games more often coming up with gold from much simpler foundations. It seems almost as though developers are being pushed to shoot for unachievably epic games and releasing buggy messes, or vast but hollow worlds when the publishers get impatient or the money runs out. Is there any grain of truth in my feeling that bankrollers' expectations for games is leading to more games failing to live up to the hype as projects spiral out of control and over budget? Would big studios benefit from learning from indie devs and aiming to really nail down a simpler scope but on a scale beyond what the indies can achieve?

Industry-wise there’s a couple of things at play. And apologies for the length of this.

During the pandemic, there was a shitload of investment into the gaming industry as everyone was at home and many started playing games for the first time, so venture capital firms piled money in.

They were looking for a return on their investment, not really aiming to cultivate long-term studio success.

This puts pressure on the studio to get the game out the door quickly. That month or two of QA before launch just becomes overhead while you have a product that could be selling right now.

Chance to earn even more money for shareholders and execs? Welcome to microtransaction hell.

So that’s one side of it, investors/shareholders/execs forcing decisions that make games worse.

Next bit is partly influenced by the shareholder side of things but also a huge cultural side too. Lots of studios complete a project and then layoff staff because the next game isn’t ready to start being developed yet OR layoff staff because they don’t want to pay them OR staff leave to go and do something else (often due to lack of pay, lack of promotion etc)

And what this leads to is a *massive* corporate knowledge gap. People take their skills and knowledge and create voids. Voids that need to be filled by senior staff, which is why big AAA studios are always hiring seniors, and rarely hiring juniors. So all the seniors job-hop from studio to studio and there’s no new skill set being cultivated by new industry talent.

In my experience, these huge studios are also incredibly siloed. It’s something that impacts most industries, siloed teams lead to sluggish development and decision-making.

I think the games industry walks an incredibly fine line between being a creative endeavour and being a tech business. Process management methodologies honestly seem quite alien to the games industry, most of the time to its detriment.

It honestly wouldn’t be that hard to implement but Production as a discipline within games seems to be relegated to ‘staring at JIRA’ particularly in larger studios.

Could write forever about this to be honest.

Worth saying that indie studios also have their own issues. Almost everything is a scramble, and the search for publisher funding is a nightmare.

[eretzyisrael]

By Adam Lebor

What little we do know about the film’s methodology comes from an article on the BBC website—since removed—by Jamie Roberts, the independent British filmmaker who collaborated on the project with Yousef Hammash, a Gaza-born Palestinian, of London-based Hoyo Films. Roberts wrote that he and Hammash co-directed the film from London, using two local cameramen, who they directed via phone and WhatsApp. Roberts mentioned Israel’s restrictions on international journalists entering Gaza but not Abdullah’s connections to Hamas or Hamas’s censorship. Instead he presented the narratives as freely gathered. (Attempts to contact Hoyo Films were unsuccessful.)

As for the BBC, when controversy erupted it tried to blame Hoyo Films. On February 19, two days after the program premiered, the BBC added contextual detail to the film’s opening: “The narrator of this film is 13-year-old Abdullah. His father has worked as a deputy agriculture minister for the Hamas-run government in Gaza. The production team had full editorial control of filming with Abdullah.” An additional statement on the BBC website noted, “We followed all of our usual compliance procedures in the making of this film, but we had not been informed of this information by the producers when we complied and then broadcast the film.”

This “dog ate my homework” excuse, of course, raised more questions. If the BBC had followed all of its “compliance procedures,” how did senior executives—and films about such sensitive subjects as the war in Gaza get vetted by multiple editors—not know that the key narrator was the son of a Hamas minister?

This “dog ate my homework” excuse, of course, raised more questions. If the BBC had followed all of its “compliance procedures,” how did senior executives—and films about such sensitive subjects as the war in Gaza get vetted by multiple editors—not know that the key narrator was the son of a Hamas minister?

Two days after adding this threadbare “correction,” the network finally decided it could no longer stand behind the documentary and withdrew it from broadcast.

This still-developing scandal might just be the biggest ever for the BBC involving its coverage of the Middle East, and one that could threaten the flow of funds upon which it depends. Badenoch has declared war on the BBC’s license fee, the mandatory annual payment of $214 that everyone in Britain who watches live TV pays. “I cannot see how my party could support the continuation of the current license fee–based system without serious action by the BBC management to prove the organization is committed to true impartiality,” she wrote to the BBC’s Davie.

The network and its apologists have deflected criticism in the past, claiming good-faith errors on the part of its journalists and executives—and bad faith on the part of its critics, inevitably branded, dismissively, as “Zionists” or “the Israel Lobby.” But public opinion in Britain might be changing. The grotesque scenes in Gaza attending the release of infant Israeli hostages’ remains have caused widespread revulsion even among those who do not usually pay attention to Middle East wars.

[timhanauthor]

Tim Han Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course Review

Are you ready to tap into your potential and seize control of your life? Look no further than the LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course! If you're lacking direction, always feeling stuck or not living up to your capabilities, this course will be perfect for you.

Created by the entrepreneur and mindset coach Tim Han, it offers an experience that will empower you to succeed in all areas of your life.

Learn about LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course Review By Tim Han. We will also discuss the intricacies of the LMA Method, examine its advantages and disadvantages, compare it to development courses available and ultimately share our final thoughts and recommendations.

What is the LMA Method?

The Life Mastery Achievers Method is designed to help individuals unlock their potential. This comprehensive course incorporates strategies, powerful techniques and mindset shifts that can transform aspects of your life. It covers a range of areas, such as creating wealth-building relationships, enhancing leadership skills, increasing productivity and fostering personal growth.

The LMA Method is truly remarkable because it focuses on application. Tim believes that knowing alone is insufficient; it needs to be implemented to see results. This course combines lessons, interactive exercises, and actionable steps to empower you with the tools to create lasting change in your life.

Tim openly shares his challenges and successes throughout his journey towards achieving greatness, making it easier for students to connect with him on a level. His passion for assisting others shines through each lesson delivered in a manner.

Advantages of the LMA Course

Tim Han has created this program to cover aspects of mastering life, including mindset, goal setting, productivity and success habits. This comprehensive approach ensures that participants receive a rounded education in growth.

The course provides tools and techniques that can be easily incorporated into life. Students are equipped with steps to achieve their objectives, from visualization exercises to communication strategies.

Another advantage is the sense of community that accompanies enrollment in this course. Do participants gain access to a network to connect with like-minded individuals on their journey towards self-improvement

How is the LMA course different from other courses available in the market?

There are options in the market, each claiming to offer unique strategies and transformative approaches to success and fulfilment. However, assessing your goals and requirements is crucial before investing in any program.

The LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course stands out for reasons. Firstly, it is built upon the proven methods developed by Tim Han himself. With his experience as an entrepreneur and mindset coach, Tim understands what it truly takes to achieve mastery in life.

What sets the LMA Method apart from development courses is its focus on more than surface-level techniques or quick fixes. It delves into the core beliefs and patterns that shape our lives, emphasizing the power of mindset reprogramming. Moreover, it provides tools to shift limiting beliefs and foster lasting transformation.

In conclusion

Tim Han stands out as an entrepreneur and mindset coach, surpassing the ordinary. He has empowered numerous individuals globally to overcome their limitations and turn their wildest aspirations into reality through his involvement in the development sector. What sets him apart is his methodology towards mastering life. Read here to learn more about Tim Han's unveiling of the Mindset Maven.

The LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course offers numerous benefits, such as its comprehensive curriculum and practical tools for personal growth. However, potential participants must consider costs and self-discipline before deciding.

[m2iconsulting]

Impact Assessment in Microfinance: Driving Sustainable Growth

Introduction

Microfinance plays a pivotal role in empowering low-income individuals and small businesses by providing them with access to financial services. However, to ensure that microfinance initiatives are truly effective, it is crucial to conduct thorough impact assessments. At M2i Consulting, we specialize in evaluating the effectiveness of microfinance programs and their contribution to sustainable development. This blog explores the importance, methods, and outcomes of impact assessment in microfinance.

Why Impact Assessment Matters

Impact assessment in microfinance helps stakeholders understand whether financial inclusion efforts are achieving their intended goals. It provides insights into:

The socio-economic upliftment of borrowers

The effectiveness of credit accessibility

The sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs)

The improvement in income generation and livelihood

By systematically measuring these aspects, MFIs can refine their strategies, enhance their services, and ensure long-term benefits for borrowers.

Key Methods of Impact Assessment

M2i Consulting employs various methodologies to conduct impact assessments, ensuring comprehensive and reliable results. Some of the most widely used approaches include:

Baseline and Endline Surveys

These surveys track changes in income, savings, and business growth before and after availing microfinance services.

Randomized Control Trials (RCTs)

RCTs compare groups that have received microfinance interventions with those that have not, ensuring an unbiased assessment of impact.

Qualitative Research Methods

Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews help gauge borrowers' perspectives and experiences.

Social Performance Metrics

These indicators measure financial literacy, women empowerment, and social mobility resulting from microfinance initiatives.

Outcomes of Effective Impact Assessment

When microfinance institutions implement robust impact assessment practices, they can achieve:

Enhanced Decision-Making: Data-driven insights help optimize loan structures and financial products.

Increased Transparency: Stakeholders, including investors and regulators, gain confidence in the institution’s operations.

Greater Financial Inclusion: Identifying gaps and addressing them leads to more inclusive financial services.

Improved Borrower Success Rates: Borrowers benefit from better-tailored financial solutions, leading to improved repayment rates and financial stability.

M2i Consulting: Your Partner in Microfinance Impact Assessment

At M2i Consulting, we leverage data analytics, field research, and industry expertise to conduct impactful microfinance assessments. Our mission is to ensure that microfinance interventions create lasting positive changes in the lives of the underserved.

By implementing structured impact assessments, microfinance institutions can drive sustainable growth and empower communities effectively. Contact M2i Consulting today to learn how our tailored assessment solutions can elevate your microfinance initiatives.

Conclusion

Impact assessment is a crucial element in the microfinance sector, ensuring that financial services truly benefit those in need. Through systematic evaluation methods, institutions can refine their approaches and maximize positive social and economic impacts. M2i Consulting remains committed to providing industry-leading impact assessment services to drive meaningful change in the microfinance landscape.

[nebulaad]

more and more posts are like flipping out about smart lights so lemme just make something totally clear. I don't think it's insane to want tech conveniences. It's not inherently evil for a person to want to control their lights without any dexterity or ambulation (whether or not that's an issue for the individual), it's not even surprising that people want to skillfully edit their own photos to post on facebook, of course people want robot vacuums to do it for them with minimal input from them, and I maintain from the moment the Home-style robot assistants existed, I think if they weren't being used for a broader tech evil I think they were truly the last bastion of anyone on a tech team even trying by accident to create something useful to reshape the landscape of tech use.

the problem isn't that people are lazy and stupid inherently, it's the way businesses 1) immediately design a pump and dump with these devices and technologies, 2) as quickly, create a scarcity of the prior methodology to force people to engage with their pump and dump scam, 3) deploy these technologies to instantly begin scraping data from us, 4) make use of such technologies that would be convenient for the individual to cut corners on their business expenses which always translates to laying off workers, and 5) don't even create that efficient of a product in the first place.

I don't think there's a huge problem if like your mom wants to use AI to cut strangers out of the background of her photos. I personally find such doctoring of photos to be inauthentic and against the actual spirit of taking photos in the first place, but that's completely irrelevent. The real problem is that a scammy website is going to make your mom pay a subscription in order to use a program that barely works to do a slash job on her pictures and add a bunch of weird features like forcing everyone to smile because some wannabe tech mogul who was never in touch with reality to begin with thought that sounded like a good idea, the service is going to be gone in four months (and probably charge the subscription for another five months after that), they're going to make their money off of selling your family photos to train datasets that identify the demographical information of your family to better sell you ads at best and train military equipment to better identify people to kill at worst, and then Windows will shut down whatever program she was using to regular edit her photos because everyone started using Blorpy so they'll come out with Microsoft Schlorpy. And then you get laid off because your boss decided Microsoft Schlorpy can basically do your job.

[pranjj]

Udaan by InAmigos Foundation:  Elevating Women, Empowering Futures

In the rapidly evolving socio-economic landscape of India, millions of women remain underserved by mainstream development efforts—not due to a lack of talent, but a lack of access. In response, Project Udaan, a flagship initiative by the InAmigos Foundation, emerges not merely as a program, but as a model of scalable women's empowerment.

Udaan—meaning “flight” in Hindi—represents the aspirations of rural and semi-urban women striving to break free from intergenerational limitations. By engineering opportunity and integrating sustainable socio-technical models, Udaan transforms potential into productivity and promise into progress.

Mission: Creating the Blueprint for Women’s Self-Reliance

At its core, Project Udaan seeks to:

Empower women with industry-aligned, income-generating skills

Foster micro-entrepreneurship rooted in local demand and resources

Facilitate financial and digital inclusion

Strengthen leadership, health, and rights-based awareness

Embed resilience through holistic community engagement

Each intervention is data-informed, impact-monitored, and custom-built for long-term sustainability—a hallmark of InAmigos Foundation’s field-tested grassroots methodology.

A Multi-Layered Model for Empowerment

Project Udaan is built upon a structured architecture that integrates training, enterprise, and technology to ensure sustainable outcomes. This model moves beyond skill development into livelihood generation and measurable socio-economic change.

1. Skill Development Infrastructure

The first layer of Udaan is a robust skill development framework that delivers localized, employment-focused education. Training modules are modular, scalable, and aligned with the socio-economic profiles of the target communities.

Core domains include:

Digital Literacy: Basic computing, mobile internet use, app navigation, and digital payment systems

Tailoring and Textile Production: Pattern making, machine stitching, finishing techniques, and indigenous craft techniques

Food Processing and Packaging: Pickle-making, spice grinding, home-based snack units, sustainable packaging

Salon and Beauty Skills: Basic grooming, hygiene standards, customer interaction, and hygiene protocols

Financial Literacy and Budgeting: Saving schemes, credit access, banking interfaces, micro-investments

Communication and Self-Presentation: Workplace confidence, customer handling, local language fluency

2. Microenterprise Enablement and Livelihood Incubation

To ensure that learning transitions into economic self-reliance, Udaan incorporates a post-training enterprise enablement process. It identifies local market demand and builds backward linkages to equip women to launch sustainable businesses.

The support ecosystem includes:

Access to seed capital via self-help group (SHG) networks, microfinance partners, and NGO grants

Distribution of startup kits such as sewing machines, kitchen equipment, or salon tools

Digital onboarding support for online marketplaces such as Amazon Saheli, Flipkart Samarth, and Meesho

Offline retail support through tie-ups with local haats, trade exhibitions, and cooperative stores

Licensing and certification where applicable for food safety or textile quality standards

3. Tech-Driven Monitoring and Impact Tracking

Transparency and precision are fundamental to Udaan’s growth. InAmigos Foundation employs its in-house Tech4Change platform to manage operations, monitor performance, and scale the intervention scientifically.

The platform allows:

Real-time monitoring of attendance, skill mastery, and certification via QR codes and mobile tracking

Impact evaluation using household income change, asset ownership, and healthcare uptake metrics

GIS-based mapping of intervention zones and visualization of under-reached areas

Predictive modeling through AI to identify at-risk participants and suggest personalized intervention strategies

 

Human-Centered, Community-Rooted

Empowerment is not merely a process of economic inclusion—it is a cultural and psychological shift. Project Udaan incorporates gender-sensitive design and community-first outreach to create lasting change.

Key interventions include:

Strengthening of SHG structures and women-led federations to serve as peer mentors

Family sensitization programs targeting male allies—fathers, husbands, brothers—to reduce resistance and build trust

Legal and rights-based awareness campaigns focused on menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, domestic violence laws, and maternal care

Measured Impact and Proven Scalability

Project Udaan has consistently delivered quantifiable outcomes at the grassroots level. As of the latest cycle:

Over 900 women have completed intensive training programs across 60 villages and 4 districts

Nearly 70 percent of participating women reported an average income increase of 30 to 60 percent within 9 months of program completion

420+ micro-enterprises have been launched, 180 of which are now self-sustaining and generating employment for others

More than 5,000 indirect beneficiaries—including children, elderly dependents, and second-generation SHG members—have experienced improved access to nutrition, education, and mobility

Over 20 institutional partnerships and corporate CSR collaborations have supported infrastructure, curriculum design, and digital enablement.

Partnership Opportunities: Driving Collective Impact

The InAmigos Foundation invites corporations, philanthropic institutions, and ecosystem enablers to co-create impact through structured partnerships.

Opportunities include:

Funding the establishment of skill hubs in high-need regions

Supporting enterprise starter kits and training batches through CSR allocations

Mentoring women entrepreneurs via employee volunteering and capacity-building workshops

Co-hosting exhibitions, market linkages, and rural entrepreneurship fairs

Enabling long-term research and impact analytics for policy influence

These partnerships offer direct ESG alignment, brand elevation, and access to inclusive value chains while contributing to a model that demonstrably works.

What Makes Project Udaan Unique?

Unlike one-size-fits-all skilling programs, Project Udaan is rooted in real-world constraints and community aspirations. It succeeds because it combines:

Skill training aligned with current and emerging market demand

Income-first design that integrates microenterprise creation and financial access

Localized community ownership that ensures sustainability and adoption

Tech-enabled operations that ensure transparency and iterative learning

Holistic empowerment encompassing economic, social, and psychological dimensions

By balancing professional training with emotional transformation and economic opportunity, Udaan represents a new blueprint for inclusive growth.

 From Promise to Power

Project Udaan, driven by the InAmigos Foundation, proves that when equipped with tools, trust, and training, rural and semi-urban women are capable of becoming not just contributors, but catalysts for socio-economic renewal.

They don’t merely escape poverty—they design their own systems of progress. They don’t just participate—they lead.

Each sewing machine, digital training module, or microloan is not a transaction—it is a declaration of possibility.

This is not charity. This is infrastructure. This is equity, by design.

Udaan is not just a program. It is a platform for a new India.

For partnership inquiries, CSR collaborations, and donation pathways, contact: www.inamigosfoundation.org/Udaan Email: partnerships@inamigosfoundation.org

[dekhocampus11]

National Institute of Fashion Technology - [NIFT], Patna

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Patna – An In-Depth Overview (800 Words)

Established in 2008, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Patna is one of the key centers of excellence under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Since its inception, NIFT Patna has been committed to nurturing creativity, innovation, and professionalism in the field of fashion and design. Strategically located in Bihar’s capital, this institute blends traditional cultural richness with cutting-edge design education.

Academic Programs

NIFT Patna offers various undergraduate and postgraduate programs designed to equip students with both creative and technical skills essential for the fashion and lifestyle industry.

Undergraduate Programs:

Bachelor of Design (B.Des) in:

Fashion Design

Fashion Communication

Textile Design

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.FTech):

Specialization in Apparel Production

Postgraduate Programs:

Master of Design (M.Des) – Focused on advanced design methodology and design thinking.

Master of Fashion Management (MFM) – Concentrated on business strategies, retail, and fashion marketing.

The curriculum is structured to provide theoretical knowledge, hands-on training, and industry exposure. A blend of classroom learning, workshops, internships, and live projects ensures that students develop a deep understanding of design concepts and business dynamics.

Campus Infrastructure and Facilities

NIFT Patna’s campus offers a modern environment conducive to learning, innovation, and collaboration:

Design Studios and Labs are equipped with high-end machinery and tools that allow students to practice weaving, dyeing, garment construction, printing, pattern making, and digital design.

Computer Labs: Advanced software for CAD, 3D modeling, graphic design, and garment manufacturing systems are accessible to students for academic and project work.

Library: A vast collection of books, journals, and digital resources covering subjects like fashion, textiles, marketing, and management.

Workshops and Resource Centers: For practical training in accessory design, leather craft, and traditional Indian textiles.

Exhibition Spaces: Areas for displaying student projects and hosting fashion events and displays.

Hostel Facilities: Comfortable and safe accommodation options for both male and female students with necessary amenities like Wi-Fi, common rooms, mess, and laundry services.

Cafeteria and Recreation: Clean dining facilities with a variety of food options, along with indoor and outdoor sports infrastructure.

Placement and Industry Interface

NIFT Patna maintains strong ties with leading fashion houses, retail giants, and manufacturing units, facilitating career opportunities and internships for students.

Placement Cell Activities:

Organizes annual campus placements

Conducts workshops on resume writing and interview preparation

Hosts mock interviews and career counseling sessions

Arranges industry visits and interaction programs

Top Recruiters Include:

Adidas

Arvind Mills

H&M

Levi’s

FabIndia

Pantaloons

Raymond

Van Heusen

Future Group

Tommy Hilfiger

Placement Statistics:

Average Salary: ₹5 to ₹8 LPA

Highest Package: Up to ₹12 LPA

Sectors Covered: Fashion design, apparel manufacturing, brand management, fashion merchandising, retail strategy, and textile development

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

NIFT Patna offers financial aid through scholarships to ensure that deserving and meritorious students are not denied education due to economic constraints.

Sarthak Scheme: Provides fee waivers ranging from 50% to 100% based on the student’s family income and academic performance.

UDAAN Program: Supports students pursuing higher studies abroad under exchange or twinning programs.

These initiatives promote inclusivity and accessibility in fashion education, encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to pursue their passion.

Student Life and Activities

Student life at NIFT Patna is vibrant, collaborative, and filled with opportunities to express creativity beyond the classroom.

Cultural and Technical Fests: Events like Spectrum and Converge provide platforms for students to showcase their talent in fashion, performing arts, and innovation.

Clubs and Societies: Various student-led clubs cater to interests like photography, styling, film-making, design thinking, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

Guest Lectures and Workshops: Regular sessions by industry professionals and alumni offer practical insights into the global fashion ecosystem.

Internships: All students undergo compulsory internships with fashion brands, designers, or production houses to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings. Many of these internships convert into pre-placement offers.

Conclusion

NIFT Patna is a center of excellence that offers a holistic fashion education combining design, technology, and management. With its modern infrastructure, committed faculty, industry-oriented curriculum, and strong placement support, it creates well-rounded professionals ready to meet the demands of the global fashion and lifestyle market. The campus environment encourages experimentation, innovation, and cultural exchange—making it an ideal place for aspiring fashion designers, technologists, and managers to grow and thrive.

[awelion]

Leadership Training

In today’s competitive business arena, exceptional leadership isn’t just advantageous — it’s the bedrock of sustainable success. Whether you’re steering a large corporation, managing a dynamic team, or aspiring to amplify your individual impact, strategic investment in leadership training is paramount. At Seicho Consulting, headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, we recognize the transformative power of strong leadership in cultivating high-performing teams and driving organizational excellence. Our meticulously crafted leadership training programs are designed to empower you with the essential skills, actionable strategies, and a growth-oriented mindset to thrive in any leadership capacity.

The Indispensable Value of Leadership Training:

Leadership training transcends theoretical frameworks; it’s about cultivating tangible skills and nurturing a leadership philosophy that aligns with your unique strengths and your organization’s specific culture. Embracing leadership development yields significant benefits:

Elevated Communication Prowess: Effective leaders are master communicators. Our training hones your active listening, articulate expression, and persuasive communication abilities, enabling you to inspire, align, and motivate your team effectively.

Sharpened Decision-Making Acumen: Navigating intricate challenges demands astute judgment and strategic analysis. Leadership training equips you with proven methodologies to dissect situations, evaluate diverse options, and make confident, impactful decisions.

Strengthened Team Cohesion and Collaboration: High-achieving teams are built on a foundation of mutual trust and seamless collaboration. Our programs emphasize fostering robust teamwork, constructively resolving conflicts, and cultivating synergistic and productive units.

Enhanced Employee Engagement and Retention: Employees flourish under visionary and supportive leadership. By developing your capacity to inspire, mentor, and empower your team members, you can significantly boost morale, foster loyalty, and minimize costly turnover.

Cultivating Strategic Vision and Foresight: Leadership extends beyond managing daily operations; it involves shaping the future trajectory. Our training cultivates a strategic mindset, enabling you to articulate a compelling vision and guide your organization toward ambitious goals.

Building Adaptability and Resilience: The contemporary business landscape is characterized by constant flux. Leadership training instills the agility and resilience necessary to navigate change effectively, overcome obstacles with grace, and lead decisively amidst uncertainty.

Seicho Consulting: Your Strategic Partner in Leadership Excellence (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

At Seicho Consulting, based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, we offer bespoke leadership training solutions tailored to the unique demands of your organization and the developmental needs of your individuals. Our seasoned consultants employ a dynamic blend of interactive workshops, practical simulations, real-world case studies relevant to the Indian business context, and personalized coaching to ensure tangible and lasting results.

Our Leadership Training Expertise Includes:

Identifying and Honing Your Authentic Leadership Style: Discover your inherent strengths and learn to leverage them authentically and effectively within the Indian cultural context.

Mastering Crucial Leadership Competencies: From effective delegation and constructive feedback to performance management and culturally sensitive conflict resolution.

Building and Empowering High-Performing Teams: Learn culturally intelligent strategies for team building, motivation, and fostering a positive and inclusive work environment in India.

Developing Strategic Thinking and Planning Capabilities: Acquire the skills to analyze market dynamics, set strategic objectives aligned with India’s growth trajectory, and drive sustainable organizational advancement.

Leading Through Transformation and Ambiguity: Equip yourself with the tools to navigate organizational shifts and inspire your team during periods of change within the Indian business environment.

Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Growth: Learn how to cultivate an environment where new ideas are encouraged, and individuals are empowered to reach their full potential within the Indian context.

Elevate Your Leadership Impact with Seicho Consulting:

Investing in leadership training is a strategic imperative for sustained success. At Seicho Consulting in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, we are deeply committed to empowering individuals and organizations across India to achieve their full leadership potential.

Embark on your journey to becoming a more influential and effective leader. Explore our leadership training programs at https://seichoconsulting.com/ and discover how our tailored solutions can drive transformative growth for you and your organization.

Connect with us today for a personalized consultation and unlock the power of exceptional leadership with Seicho Consulting.

Keywords: Leadership Training Ahmedabad, Leadership Development Gujarat, Management Training India, Executive Coaching Ahmedabad, Leadership Skills India, Team Building Ahmedabad, Employee Engagement India, Strategic Leadership Gujarat, Seicho Consulting Ahmedabad.

[cromediacompany]

Harnessing Passive Income with CRO Strategies: Insights by cro.media

Boost your landing page's effectiveness with CRO principles and maximize conversions.

Source: https://cro.media/insights/ux-ui/crafting-high-performing-landing-pages-cro-principles/

Passive income represents the epitome of working smarter, not harder, with its potential to supplement earnings and build long-term wealth. At cro.media, we believe that passive income ventures, much like Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), are about maximizing value from every effort. Here's how CRO principles can amplify passive income strategies.

Transforming Traffic Into Conversions

For many passive income ideas, from dropshipping to affiliate marketing, the key to success lies in effective CRO:

Optimized User Flows: Ensure a seamless journey from discovery to purchase with intuitive navigation and clear calls-to-action (CTAs).

A/B Testing: Experiment with landing pages, product descriptions, and CTAs to identify what drives the most conversions.

Data-Driven Insights: Leverage analytics to understand user behavior and refine strategies to align with audience preferences.

By fine-tuning the user experience, CRO transforms passive income ventures into scalable revenue streams.

Passive Income Meets Automation

Automation is central to both CRO and passive income:

Streamlining Workflows: Use tools to automate repetitive tasks, such as email marketing for digital product sales or ad retargeting for affiliate links. Learn more about Shopify app development.

Predictive Analytics: CRO tools can forecast which strategies will yield the best ROI, allowing you to focus on the most lucrative income streams.

Cross-Selling Opportunities: For dropshipping or print-on-demand stores, automated product recommendations can increase average order value.

Automation minimizes manual intervention, keeping passive income truly passive.

Enhancing Credibility and Trust

Trust is a critical CRO factor, especially for passive income models reliant on online sales or investments:

Social Proof: Showcase customer reviews or user-generated content to validate your offerings.

Secure Transactions: Highlight security features, such as encrypted payment systems, to reassure customers.

Professional Design: A visually appealing, functional website fosters credibility and encourages conversions.

"Strong CRO foundations ensure trust remains high, driving repeat engagement and income growth."

Strong CRO foundations ensure trust remains high, driving repeat engagement and income growth. See our Shopify agency services.

Diversification Through Strategic Insights

Just as CRO encourages testing and adaptation, passive income requires diversification:

Experimentation: Test multiple streams, such as affiliate marketing, digital product sales, or REIT investments, to identify the most profitable avenues.

Audience Segmentation: Use CRO principles to segment audiences and tailor offerings, ensuring relevance and resonance with target groups.

Sustainable Scaling: Focus on scalable models like print-on-demand or stock photography, which grow without proportional increases in effort.

Diversified strategies supported by CRO insights reduce risk and maximize passive income potential.

Maximizing Long-Term Gains

CRO's iterative nature aligns perfectly with building sustainable passive income:

Continuous Improvement: Regularly refine strategies based on performance data, from content adjustments to pricing experiments.

Retention Optimization: Implement loyalty programs or subscription models to maintain consistent revenue streams.

Scalability Focus: Invest in scalable tools and platforms that grow alongside your passive income ventures.

"By merging CRO methodologies with passive income strategies, businesses can achieve compounding results over time."

By merging CRO methodologies with passive income strategies, businesses can achieve compounding results over time. Check out our Shopify CRO audit services.

Partner with cro.media for Optimized Income Strategies

At cro.media, we specialize in leveraging CRO to optimize revenue streams, ensuring that every click and interaction contributes to your financial goals. Whether you're launching a dropshipping store or investing in digital assets, our expertise transforms potential into profit. Let’s elevate your passive income journey today.