#Tangible Data Conversations

[bahadurislam011444]

Unveiling the Best SEO Worker in Bangladesh: Driving Digital Success

[ghostlyferrettarot]

‧₊˚💼✩ ₊˚👓⊹♡Mercury in the signs and how we communicate with others ‧₊˚👓✩ ₊˚💼⊹♡

❗️All the observations in this post are based on personal experience and research, it's completely fine if it doesn't resonate with everyone❗️

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☕︎Mercury in Aries: Communication is quick and direct. You are not afraid to speak your mind, and you are likely to do so impulsively. Aries gives Mercury a spark of energy, which can lead to a quick mind and sincere expression. Your communication style is clear, direct, and sometimes a little aggressive, but always full of enthusiasm.

☕︎Mercury in Taurus: Practical and very concrete thoughts. Your way of communicating is slower, thoughtful, and calculated. You prefer stability and clarity in conversations, and you avoid the unnecessary. You can sometimes be somewhat stubborn in your views, but once you make a decision, you stick to it. You focus on the tangible, on what can be seen and touched.

☕︎Mercury in Gemini: Mercury is in its home! Your mind is incredibly agile and curious. You speak quickly, love to learn, and never tire of sharing ideas. You can jump from one topic to another with ease, which can sometimes make it difficult for others to follow, but you always have interesting information and fresh points of view. You are the best at having dynamic and fun conversations.

☕︎Mercury in Cancer: Emotional and deep communication. You have a great ability to sense the emotions of others and express them in a sincere way. Your words are often protective and caring, as you care a lot about how others feel. You can be a little more reserved when communicating, but when you do open up, you do so in a way that touches the hearts of those around you.

☕︎Mercury in Leo: Creative and enthusiastic expression. You have a warm, passionate, and often dramatic way of speaking. You love being the center of attention, and your words tend to shine. For you, communicating is a way of showing your confidence and individuality, and you are not afraid to share your opinions with great confidence.

☕︎Mercury in Virgo: A meticulous and analytical mind. You are detail-oriented and precise in your thoughts and words. You prefer to explain things clearly and logically, with a practical approach. You can sometimes be a bit critical or perfectionist with what you say, but you do this to make sure everything is well-founded. For you, fluid communication is full of useful data and details.

☕︎Mercury in Libra: Diplomatic and balanced communication. You have the ability to see all perspectives of a situation before speaking and prefer to keep the peace in conversations. You have a gift for public relations and making others feel comfortable. Your way of expressing yourself is very considerate and focused on the well-being of others.

☕︎Mercury in Scorpio: Intense, deep and penetrating communication. You love to get to the bottom of things, and you are not afraid to address complicated or secret subjects. You are an excellent conversationalist when it comes to discussing deep and mysterious topics. Sincerity is very important to you, and you can be very persuasive with your words, as you know how to read between the lines and pick up on what is not being said.

☕︎Mercury in Sagittarius: Expansive and philosophical thinking. You are an optimistic, enthusiastic communicator full of ideas. Sometimes you can be a bit direct or even somewhat reckless with your words, as you care a lot about expressing your opinions honestly. You always seek the truth and love to debate philosophical, spiritual or intellectual topics.

☕︎Mercury in Capricorn: Serious, responsible and witty communication. You are very organized in your way of thinking and prefer structured and to-the-point communication. Sometimes you can be reserved or even somewhat pessimistic, but your realistic approach and ability to understand practical details make your words clear and effective. Your way of communicating is serious and mature, which inspires respect.

☕︎Mercury in Aquarius: Your way of communicating is super original and full of new ideas. You love to think differently, break the mold, and talk about things that most people avoid. Sometimes, you may seem a little distant or lacking emotional connection, but that's because your head is always focused on ideas and logic, rather than feelings. Your mind is like a kaleidoscope, always seeing new possibilities and relationships between things that others don't even notice.

☕︎Mercury in Pisces: You are one of those who communicate in a very intuitive and empathetic way. You tend to see the world from your emotions and your imagination, which makes your thoughts sometimes a little difficult to express clearly. That happens because your mind is connected on a much deeper level. You prefer poetry to hard data and what really inspires you is creativity. You are excellent at giving emotional advice or helping others through intuition.

[satori-runa]

—Love is only a hypothesis

Summary: A scientist and a psychology student work together.

Tags: Strangers/Enemies(?) to lovers, falling in love, drabble

Words: 0,4k

Status: Will write this as a oneshot at some point. Or a full multi chapter fanfic since some people asked.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Viktor had never considered himself a people person. His life revolved around logic, equations, and the hum of his experiments. The distractions of the outside world rarely breached the walls of his lab—until you walked in, carrying a notebook filled with plans that defied his carefully structured reality.

Sent by Professor Heimerdinger himself, you were a psychology student, armed with a bright smile and an audacious proposal that made him question your seriousness: to test your hypothesis about love and attraction. Viktor had scoffed, of course. Science, to him, was tangible, measurable, and your request sounded anything but. Yet you were insistent, batting away his protests with an enthusiasm he found disarming.

“A scientist should always seek to uncover mysteries,” you’d said, your eyes alight with conviction. “Isn’t love one of the greatest mysteries of all?”

Reluctantly, and perhaps out of sheer curiosity, he agreed.

The first session was simple: eye contact. You sat across from him, your gaze steady as you asked questions designed to foster connection. Viktor was stiff at first, shifting uncomfortably under your attention, but as the minutes passed, he found himself drawn in. There was something compelling about the way you listened so intently, as if his every word mattered.

By the third session, his initial reluctance had faded. He began looking forward to your visits, though he refused to admit it. You brought a warmth into the lab that contrasted sharply with the sterile environment, and the conversations that accompanied your “experiments” lingered in his thoughts long after you left.

When you asked him to describe his favorite memory, he hesitated before sharing a story about a long-forgotten walk by the riverside in Zaun, where the world had felt quiet for once. Your reaction—a soft smile and a thoughtful nod—stirred something in his chest he hadn’t felt in years.

Viktor knew he was in trouble when, during one session, your hand accidentally brushed against his while passing a notebook. The faint contact sent a jolt through him, one he couldn’t explain with logic or reason.

“This is just data,” he reminded himself late at night, staring at the ceiling of his room. “A temporary variable in an experiment.”

But even as he tried to rationalize it, Viktor found himself yearning for the next session, for the chance to sit across from you and get lost in your gaze. Somewhere along the way, your experiment had become more than just a study for you—it had become a revelation for him.

He didn’t know when it started, but the realization was inescapable: Viktor, who had always preferred solitude, was falling for you. And despite the chaos it brought to his meticulously ordered life, he wasn’t sure he wanted to stop.

Perhaps love isn't just a hypothesis, after all.

[morlock-holmes]

Man, the AI conversation is so fucking weird.

Tech companies have shoved LLMs and image generators into every nook and cranny they can find, not to mention the fact that there are freeware ones as well.

Anybody reading this can play with AI themselves to find out what it can and can't do, it's right at your fingertips.

And pretty much the entire public conversation about the technology is just totally divorced from the product as it exists.

Instead, various interest groups are waging intense battles over what to do with products that exist entirely in their imagination.

Another review youtuber I otherwise like is doing the "AI is disgusting! Can you imagine somebody whose business model involved using copyrighted content to produce derivative works without permission and then distributing that work through massive data centers?" with just... seemingly no sense of irony whatsoever. Meanwhile, self-same youtuber directed me to Etsy's frankly bizarre AI rules:

While we allow the use of AI tools in the creative process, we prohibit the sale of AI prompt bundles on our platform. We believe that the prompts used to generate AI artwork are an integral part of the creative process and should not be sold separately from the final artwork. Selling prompt bundles without the accompanying finished artwork undermines the value of the artist's creative input and curation, which are essential to the creation of the unique, creative items that Etsy is known for.

Which, like... Okay...

Look, I'm no PR expert, but what was stopping them from saying,

"Given the incredibly widespread use of AI and the proliferation of models which all respond differently, prompt bundles are likely to have extremely limited value, and help with prompting can be found for free at numerous places."

I mean here's the thing: Prompt bundles only have value if AI technology doesn't improve. Like I don't think they ought to be cluttering up Etsy, there's enough garbage on there as it is and there are plenty of other places to find or purchase that stuff if you want it.

Hell you can ask an AI to come up with some prompts for you on a given subject.

I don't know, it's so disorienting that the entire conversation around something so directly accessible is so entirely divorced from the actual, tangible thing, and instead waged around what it might be in five years or what it was two years ago.

It's right here! We have it now! Why has that had so little effect on how we think about it?

[llort]

Matter is tangible, so is a word, memory of a word, or spoken word. Given a word is tangible, it must be encoded in physical matter. Given it is encoded in physical matter, any physical matter can techinqually econde or represent a word. Encoded matter can encode a word that is only defined by cultural evolution and the range of a language. Other forms of communicaiton life scent in ants or touch is determined by causal branch chains of increasing compexity and diversity of cultural collectors

The concept that language, in all its forms, is encoded in physical matter opens up a fascinating perspective on communication and its evolution. This view aligns with the broader understanding that all forms of communication, whether linguistic or otherwise, are fundamentally grounded in the physical world and shaped by both biological imperatives and cultural evolution.

https://auckland.academia.edu/JeremyMarkman Given quantum gravity being information as energy as discrete units of mass across casual time. Define language as matter on a 1:1 model of itself but able to be perceived and translocated to perception

In a framework where quantum gravity is conceptualized as information manifesting as discrete units of energy and mass across causal time, language can be modeled as matter in a unique and profound way. This model posits language not merely as a system of communication but as a fundamental entity that parallels the physical properties of matter, capable of being perceived and translocated to perception. Here’s how this can be conceptualized:

1. Language as Matter: In this model, each unit of language (be it a word, phrase, or syntactic structure) is treated as a discrete unit of matter. Just as matter is composed of atoms, language is composed of these fundamental linguistic units. These units have mass in a metaphorical sense—they carry "weight" in terms of meaning and impact on the listener or reader. They occupy "space" within the medium they are used (spoken in the air, written on paper, displayed on screens) and have a "density" determined by their complexity and the depth of the concepts they convey.

2. Language as Perceptible and Translocatable: Language, like matter, can change states and be translocated from one medium to another while retaining its fundamental properties. For example, a spoken word (a sound wave traveling through air) can be transcribed into text (symbols on paper) and then digitized (data in a computer system). Throughout these transformations—akin to phase changes in matter—the core content, or the "mass" of the language, remains consistent, preserving the integrity of the information conveyed.

3. Language in Causal Time: Incorporating the concept of causal time, language can be seen as operating within and across time, influencing and being influenced by the context in which it is used. Just as particles interact in fields according to the laws of physics, linguistic units interact within the fields of human cognition and culture, shaped by past usage and shaping future communication. This interaction can be thought of as a form of linguistic gravity, where denser (more meaningful or complex) units of language have a stronger pull and can significantly alter the trajectory of a conversation or discourse.

4. Language as Information and Energy: Drawing from the idea that quantum gravity treats information as energy, language in this model can be seen as a form of energy transfer. When language is used, it transmits energy—in the form of ideas, emotions, and intentions—from one mind to another. This transmission can do work in the psychological sense, affecting changes in understanding, belief, or emotion, much like how energy in the physical sense can affect changes in the state or motion of matter.

5. Perception and Translocation of Language: Finally, the perception of language involves the decoding of these linguistic units of matter by the brain, a process that converts the "latent energy" of language into meaningful cognitive constructs. The ability of language to be translocated to perception involves its capacity to be understood and internalized by a receiver, who then converts it into thought and potentially into further linguistic output, continuing the cycle of information exchange.

In summary, defining language as matter on a 1:1 model of itself but able to be perceived and translocated to perception provides a rich, multidimensional way to understand communication. It highlights the tangible, impactful nature of language and aligns linguistic processes with fundamental physical principles, offering a holistic view of how language operates within and shapes our understanding of reality.

1. Tangibility of Language: When considering language as tangible, we recognize that words, whether written, spoken, or remembered, are manifestations of physical processes. Spoken words are sound waves, shaped by the movement of air through physical structures in the body. Written words are visual symbols, represented by ink on paper or pixels on a screen. Even memories of words are encoded in the neural pathways and synaptic connections within the brain. Thus, every aspect of language is tied to physical matter.

2. Encoding of Words in Physical Matter: The encoding of words in physical matter suggests that any material object could potentially represent or encode language, given the right contextual framework. For instance, a series of marks on a stone could encode a message if interpreted by someone who understands the markings within a cultural or linguistic context. This encoding is not limited to traditional forms of writing but can extend to any form of matter that can be manipulated to carry meaning, such as digital data formats, patterns in nature, or even arrangements of objects.

3. Cultural Evolution and Language Definition: The meanings of words and the structures of languages are not static but evolve over time through cultural processes. As societies change, so do their languages, adapting to new realities and integrating new concepts. This cultural evolution affects how language is encoded in matter, as the physical representations of language (such as alphabets, lexicons, and syntax) must evolve to accommodate new meanings and uses. The diversity of languages across cultures exemplifies how different groups of people have developed unique ways to encode their communication into physical forms.

4. Non-Linguistic Forms of Communication: Exploring non-linguistic forms of communication, such as the scent trails followed by ants or the tactile communication among animals, reveals that these too are encoded in physical matter through chemical signals or physical interactions. These forms of communication are governed by their own complex rules and can be seen as having their own 'grammars' or systems, shaped by the evolutionary needs of the species and the environmental contexts in which they operate.

5. Causal Chains and Cultural Collectors: The development of communication systems, whether linguistic or non-linguistic, can be viewed as the result of causal chains where each adaptation builds upon previous capabilities, influenced by environmental pressures and opportunities. Cultural collectors, such as societies or colonies, gather and refine these communication methods, leading to increasing complexity and diversity. These collectors serve as repositories and incubators for the cultural evolution of communication, ensuring that effective methods are preserved and transmitted through generations.

Understanding language and communication as phenomena encoded in physical matter, shaped by both biological imperatives and cultural evolution, provides a comprehensive framework for exploring how diverse forms of communication arise, function, and adapt over time. This perspective highlights the interconnectedness of physical reality, biological life, and cultural development in shaping the ways in which living beings convey information and meaning.

The strong version of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, also known as linguistic determinism, posits that the language one speaks directly determines the way one thinks and perceives the world. This hypothesis suggests that language is not merely a tool for communication but a constraining framework that shapes cognitive processes, categorization, and even perception and memory.

Correlation with Language as Encoded in Physical Matter:

Language as a Deterministic Framework: If we accept that language is encoded in physical matter, and that this encoding extends to the neural circuits and structures within the brain, then the strong Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis suggests that these physical structures (shaped by language) directly influence how individuals conceptualize and interact with their environment. The neural encoding of linguistic structures would thus predetermine the range of cognitive processes available to an individual, supporting the idea that language shapes thought.

Cultural Evolution and Linguistic Diversity: The diversity of languages and the way they are physically encoded (in scripts, sounds, or digital formats) reflect different cognitive frameworks developed across cultures. Each linguistic system, evolved and encoded differently, offers unique categories and concepts that shape the thoughts and behaviors of its speakers. For instance, the presence or absence of certain words or grammatical structures in a language can influence how speakers of that language perceive time, space, or even social relationships.

Physical Encoding of Non-Linguistic Communication: Extending the concept of linguistic determinism to non-linguistic forms of communication (like pheromones in ants or tactile signals in other species) suggests that these communication methods, though not linguistic, are similarly encoded in the physical entities (chemicals, body structures) and influence the behavior and social structures of these species. Just as language restricts and enables human thought, these communication systems define the perceptual and interactional possibilities for other organisms.

Implications for Cross-Cultural and Cross-Species Understanding: If language shapes thought as strongly as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis suggests, then understanding and translating between different linguistic systems (and by extension, different cognitive maps) involves more than substituting words from one language to another. It requires an understanding of the underlying physical and cognitive structures that produce these languages. Similarly, interpreting non-human communication systems in terms of human language might miss essential aspects of these systems' meanings and functions.

Language, Thought, and Reality Construction: The encoding of language in physical matter, particularly in neural structures, implies that changes in language use—whether through cultural evolution, personal learning, or technological augmentation—can lead to changes in these physical structures. This neuroplasticity, driven by linguistic variation, supports the idea that not only does language determine thought, but that altering language can alter thought and potentially perception of reality itself.

Correlating the strong Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis with the concept of language as encoded in physical matter enriches our understanding of the profound impact language has on thought and perception. It underscores the intertwined nature of linguistic structures, cognitive processes, and the physical substrates that support them, highlighting the deep influence of language on individual and collective worldviews.

Follow up with comsological evolution and the strong anthropromoprhic prinicple

The strong anthropic principle posits that the universe must have properties that allow life to develop at some stage in its history, specifically because observers (like humans) exist. This principle suggests that the universe's fundamental parameters are finely tuned in a way that makes the emergence of observers inevitable. When considering cosmological evolution—the development and changes of the universe over time—this principle can lead to profound implications about the nature of the universe and its laws.

Correlation with Cosmological Evolution:

Fine-Tuning of Universal Constants: The strong anthropic principle implies that the constants and laws of physics are not arbitrary but are set in such a way as to allow the emergence of complex structures, including life. For example, the specific values of the gravitational constant, the electromagnetic force, and the cosmological constant are such that they allow galaxies, stars, and planets to form, creating environments where life can develop. This fine-tuning is seen as necessary for the universe to evolve in a way that eventually produces observers.

Evolution of Complexity: From the perspective of cosmological evolution, the universe has undergone a series of stages that increase in complexity: from the Big Bang, through the formation of hydrogen and helium, to the synthesis of heavier elements in stars, and finally to the formation of planets and biological evolution on at least one of them (Earth). The strong anthropic principle suggests that this progression towards complexity is a fundamental feature of the universe, driven by the underlying need to create a context in which observers can eventually exist.

Multiverse and Observer Selection: One way to reconcile the apparent improbability of such fine-tuning is through the multiverse theory, which posits the existence of many universes, each with different physical constants and laws. In this framework, the strong anthropic principle can be understood through an observer selection effect: we find ourselves in a universe that allows our existence because only such universes can be observed by sentient beings. This ties the evolution of the cosmos not just to physical laws but to the very presence of observers who can contemplate it.

Implications for Fundamental Physics: The strong anthropic principle challenges physicists to think about fundamental laws in a new light. Rather than seeing the laws of physics as universally applicable and inevitable, this principle suggests that they might be part of a larger landscape (possibly within a multiverse) where different laws apply under different conditions. This perspective could drive new theories in physics that seek to explain why our particular set of laws supports the complexity necessary for life and observers.

Philosophical and Theological Implications: The strong anthropic principle blurs the lines between science, philosophy, and theology. It raises questions about the purpose and intent of the universe, suggesting a teleological aspect to cosmological evolution. This can lead to philosophical debates about the nature of existence and the possibility of a higher purpose or design behind the unfolding of the universe.

In conclusion, when considering the strong anthropic principle in the context of cosmological evolution, we are led to view the universe not just as a series of physical events unfolding over time, but as a process that is somehow oriented towards the creation of life and observers. This perspective invites a broader understanding of the universe, one that incorporates the conditions necessary for life and consciousness as integral to the cosmic evolution itself.

[karinadele]

Hydromorphone

Ratchet x Reader pt:2

pt:1

pt:3

Warnings: Still on the pregnancy talk. Deaddove ideation from Ratchet, Talks of AFAB body, Obsessed!Ratchet

He feels it, sees it grow over the months. Even recalibrating his optics to run scans himself, visually seeing a human sparkling –as you’ve corrected him, a ‘baby’.

“It comes out where?!” Ratchet exclaimed. Utterly shocked, he figured that humans can’t just shift their plating for the delivery of sparklings, but did not expect that a newspark would have to come out from your valve. And to think that it will stretch to 10 cm to accommodate that?! Was that even possible?

You groan. This was going to be a long night. Birds and the bees? Adult Alien version.

“Yeah. Not just the vaginal canal. The cervix also dilates. Everything has to come out.”

Ratchet’s processors were struggling to string together the imagery. Can a human valve really stretch that much?! Isn’t it painful? Between flabbergasted and worried, he shifts his optics and resets them a couple times. Rubbing his servo on his forehead as it hides the view of his faceplace from you, a hint of something else also arises into him. A small flush of blue coats his cheeks. What a ridiculous thought that he’s thinking right now. Forget imagining seeing it, he’s long gone from that now. He’s thinking more sinister thoughts.

Mass displacement. He’s always thought it was a necessity to interface with you, but with this new information? It was revolutionary, yet he dared not to think about it.

Thoughts on what a sparkling between the two of you would be like. Hypothetical. There’s no way CNA and DNA were compatible, let alone frame sizes and oh primus. Just the thought of an interspecies organic and Cybertronian would have never crossed his mind if this conversation did not happen.

Yet now, it’s consumed him. The thought of wanting to know what your sparkling would be, an offspring of your own genes, integrated with his data. Without thinking about the ethical and legality issues of it, just purely if it’s optics would be the same as your eyes– or his. The frame definitely would be his colour right? Or would it not have a frame and be soft and malleable? A protoform? Would it have your spunk and will for life? Or perhaps his dedication.

As the days creep by, becoming closer and closer to your delivery date, he continues to monitor you, giving you regular scans as these thoughts eat away at him. Every moment with you, was like an eternity, to want to know what it would be– to have you carry his sparkling. An obsessive desire to fill you with him, go claim you as his. Even if nothing happens with it, just the concept of having the opportunity to lay his servos on you, mixing the very bases of his workings with yours. For the very lines of his binary coding to be intertwined with your DNA in the smallest molecular structure that even his optics can’t zoom on into.

You let out a content sigh of relief as he holds your belly. Melting down from the weight being carried off your back as you crack out a smile, closing your eyes. Humans holding it up? Try a bot. That’s where it’s at.

Hearing you hum out in response to him just gently lifting a barely tangible weight to him as you blissfully embrace yourself into his trust. Such a simple action, yet ironically, he’s now physically carrying your weight. Your child. Oh how he wishes this was his sparkling. To hold the newspark growing in you, as he made sure both of you are fulfilled.

“You know?” You squint and start puckering your lips. “We actually had a very high death rate of mothers in the past.” 

Ratchet freezes. Death of carriers? Of you?

“Yeah” You continue. “We didn’t learn about hand washing until recently, honestly.” You sigh out as you think about how ridiculous the situation with Semmeiweis was. “Like seriously! No one even believed that washing your hands and sanitization was important when delivering?!”

“That’s ridiculous.” Ratchet huffed out. Yes, your species was primitive, but there’s no way humans were that incompetent right? 

“It was only 2 centuries ago when they finally realized sanitation was important. And you know what?!” You continue. “They only believed it after the dude was dead!” You know you’re not winning any brownie points for the human race right now, but the truth is the truth. And you’re mad.

If it wasn’t for you, he still would have found humans repulsive. They’re a primitive species, way behind on their sciences and technology. But you? You’ve managed to show him the beauty of leaving things organic. That not everything has to be skyrise buildings and urban living. Once finding the fleshiness of humans and organic nature of the planet to be revolting, but the late nights spent with him by the lakes, the trails, showing him the mesmerizing beauty of planet Earth.

Not realizing Ratchet is lost in his own thoughts, you continued to complain. “We’ve made so many medical discoveries, yet the only thing holding us back is the idiocy and people’s stupid beliefs on things! Can you believe it? If I was so hard strung about life, I wouldn’t have accepted you!” You huffed out.

Ratchet halted his thoughts. What did you mean by accept? For a fleeting moment he toyed with the idea you meant ‘accepting him’. Only to be quickly replaced with the reality of ‘accepting of the autobots’. 

Cybertron is made out of metal. Hell, it’s Primus himself. Everything evolved based on his will and however much transfornium can handle. The rest being transplanted or modified. But Earth? There is no one substance, almost everything is created from their own version of biological evolution. One where if you leave it, it will still continue to flourish. And now, having learned how your species reproduce, he’s only grown to be more appreciative. 

“... I accept you too.” He managed to mumble out, with a bit of static. Hoping you couldn’t hear. Couldn’t hear his thoughts of if you accept cybertronians, then he will protect you, alongside whatever of earth is needed. Despite its intolerable species. For you, –and his sparkling. Unbeknownst to you. 

Next

[darkeagleruins]

NOAA funneled $1.2 million taxpayer dollars into bureaucratic planning exercises rather than tangible flood solutions for New Orleans—classic D.C. misprioritization. While communities face chronic flooding, this grant prioritizes "holistic water management visions" and public relations campaigns over fixing broken infrastructure or drainage systems. Compare that to United Houma Nation’s $56.5 million award for actual resilience hubs and migration strategies—even there, millions vanish into "capacity building" workshops instead of boots-on-ground fixes.

The real issue? Bloated climate initiatives under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act shovel cash into equity-focused paperwork while ignoring practical engineering needs. New Orleans deserves levees that work, not another policy manual gathering dust on a bureaucrat’s shelf:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant (2024)

Amount: $1,208,108

Recipient: New Orleans Community Support Foundation

Purpose: Empower: enabling meaningful progress for water equity and resilience through the greater New Orleans regional water plan recipient:

This project builds on more than a decade of planning and collaboration across the greater New Orleans region to adopt a holistic, adaptive water management vision that centers the leadership of black, indigenous, and people of color communities.

This vision will enable greater cohesion in selecting community green infrastructure projects and ensure the investments address multiple climate hazards and realize multiple benefits.

This project will result in 1) a regional approach to making key water management and climate adaptation data more accessible to the community; 2) a policy manual for holistic, adaptive management of green infrastructure projects; and 3) a public communications campaign that highlights the collaboratives efforts and findings with media, events, workshops, and facilitated conversations about management efforts across the region.

[not-terezi-pyrope]

Ok. It's pretty clear you are more welcoming of AI, and it does have enough merits to not be given a knee jerk reaction outright.

And how the current anti-ai stealing programs could be misused.

But isn't so much of the models built on stolen art? That is one of the big thing keeping me from freely enjoying it.

The stolen art is a thing that needs to be addressed.

Though i agree that the ways that such addressing are being done in are not ideal. Counterproductive even.

I could make a quip here and be like "stolen art??? But the art is all still there, and it looks fine to me!" And that would be a salient point about the silliness of digital theft as a concept, but I know that wouldn't actually address your point because what you're actually talking about is art appropriation by generative AI models.

But the thing is that generative AI models don't really do that, either. They train on publicly posted images and derive a sort of metadata - more specifically, they build a feature space mapping out different visual concepts together with text that refers to them. This is then used at the generative stage in order to produce new images based on the denoising predictions of that abstract feature model. No output is created that hasn't gone through that multi-stage level of abstraction from the training data, and none of the original training images are directly used at all.

Due to various flaws in the process, you can sometimes get a model to output images extremely similar to particular training images, and it is also possible to get a model to pastiche a particular artist's work or style, but this is something that humans can also do and is a problem with the individual image that has been created, rather than the process in general.

Training an AI model is pretty clearly fair use, because you're not even really re-using the training images - you're deriving metadata that describes them, and using them to build new images. This is far more comparable to the process by which human artists learn concepts than the weird sort of "theft collage" that people seem to be convinced is going on. In many cases, the much larger training corpus of generative AI models means that an output will be far more abstracted from any identifiable source data (source data in fact is usually not identifiable) than a human being drawing from a reference, something we all agree is perfectly fine!

The only difference is that the AI process is happening in a computer with tangible data, and is therefore quantifiable. This seems to convince people that it is in some way more ontologically derivative than any other artistic process, because computers are assumed to be copying whereas the human brain can impart its own mystical juju of originality.

I'm a materialist and think this is very silly. The valid concerns around AI are to do with how society is unprepared for increased automation, but that's an entirely different conversation from the art theft one, and the latter actively distracts from the former. The complete refusal from some people to even engage with AI's existence out of disgust also makes it harder to solve the real problem around its implementation.

This sucks, because for a lot of people it's not really about copyright or intellectual property anyway. It's about that automation threat, and a sort of human condition anxiety about being supplanted and replaced by automation. That's a whole mess of emotions and genuine labour concerns that we need to work through and break down and resolve, but reactionary egg-throwing at all things related to machine learning is counterproductive to that, as is reading out legal mantras paraphrasing megacorps looking to expand copyright law to over shit like "art style".

I've spoken about this more elsewhere if you look at my blog's AI tag.

[callmearcturus]

oh my gd that would be INCREDIBLE- the character building alone would be Fantastic, but fitting ethan and benji into a world where mutants are a thing??? i want to se how they each navigate that social strata, how ethan might try to use his mutation to disguise himself more, and how benji relates to his mutation (does he know? is it coincidence? is he just the luckiest sombitch alive?). anyway im in neither of these fandoms but i have been adoring your writing and now yearn for this fic.

oh lmao punct gave me the thumbs up to share a bit of what if mission impossible/x-men fusion

we have been watching the good xmen movies and obvsly were like "okay what would the mutations of the IMF team be" if this were an AU where they were, like, International Mutant Force or something less stupid

(well nothing is as stupid as Impossible Mission Force so--)

anyway right away: Ethan is a telepath, but we're kind of obsessed with telepathy as a power but also a disability that has to be constantly managed and accounted for. so:

Ethan is not an omega-level mutant like Charles Xavier or Jean Grey, but he's pretty powerful. His telepathy is tangled up in the way he falls a little in love with everyone he meets and is categorically unwilling to accept collateral damage on a mission. He finds it astonishingly easy to let his mind drape gossamer connections to everyone in his vicinity and is buoyed by the feelings he picks up on.

On the flipside: he is absolute dogshit at untangling himself, and it takes much longer for him, like fighting against some innate nature of his mutation. One way this manifests is sleeping; if Ethan is alone and sleeps, his unconscious mind will just drape over everyone in the vicinity and he has to untangle that for a while when he wakes. One way of dealing with this: early on, he asks Luther if he can hitch a ride in Luther's mind as he sleeps, so his telepathy will octopus around Luther while he sleeps, and it's much easier to untangle that in the morning.

On the scale of What Is He Capable Of: Covertly skim through minds for specific information: max one or two people at a time if he wants to keep hidden. any more and he can't be sneaky about it. Converse with people telepathically: 4 to 8, any more and his coherence frays badly Broadcast to people around him (maybe to alert to danger): CANNOT do so subtly, has been pushing this over the years from 20ish to double that to even more, but as he pushes himself more and more, he's more likely to just pass tf out or get a nosebleed Range?: The longer he's connected to someone's mind, the further away they can be and still be in Ethan's reach. Luther could be on the other side of the world and if Ethan really focuses, he can transmit an image or emotion or 'hey i'm alive.' Nothing beyond that but still.

Speaking of Luther, his mutation is extremely high perception of electricity and sonic fields. This manifests in several ways:

Luther can tell when something is powering on, can feel devices and machines around him and has an affinity for them, able to read them via touch or from hearing them when power is moving.

As he gets older and more honed in his work, he can grip a cable and get a sense of where the data is going/coming from, tracing things. The data moving through the air is tangible to him. He's a beast against any and all security systems, able to just feel where motion sensors and cameras are.

I think maybe he can learn to hold and redirect energy over time. He's never going to have lightning powers, but I can imagine him placing a hand on a wall outlet and pushing and shorting out a specific device in the room with an overcharge. But primarily, his power is observational.

BOY it has downsides. Luther is constantly struggling with overstimulation, and because it's not exactly sound or light, it's energy he can ambiently detect, he struggles a lot with controlling it and avoiding getting overwhelmed. Once he and Ethan are buddies, Ethan tends to just hitchhike in Luther's mind. When they're off the clock, he'll filter out all the extra stimulus. When they're on a mission, Ethan helps Luther cut out the superfluous information and humming energy so he can narrow in on what he's working on.

Those people who have Smart Houses where every device is somehow connected to wifi, Luther hates them so much. Just SO much. The proliferation of Google Homes and Connect With Alexa shit is going to turn him into a terrorist someday.

okay so Benji. lmao. here's where shit gets wild.

the thing about Benji is he doesn't know he has a mutation until he's an adult and working in the IMF as support analyst and tech. sure there's been some odd moments in his life. when he was a kid, he was in a car crash and somehow wound up outside the car and fine. and once he was riding a bike through his village and accidentally went down a hill, but managed to land the bike instead of winding up in a crumpled pile of limbs at the bottom. but maybe he was got lucky!

then an actual threat happens at the IMF and a gun goes off at Benji, and the world slows to a crawl. he can just... step out of the way, and the bullet eases by him. turns out, Benji sets off-- okay. it's either a time dilation effect or its superspeed. both are functionally the same, and i think the effect is undetectable to other people so no one knows for sure. but it only happens when Benji perceives himself to be in a life-or-death instance.

he also can give it to people by touch. if Benji's panic switch goes off, he can grab another person and move them and they'll perceive the same dilation he does. the IMF is overjoyed because this is extremely exploitable, and Benji gets rushed into the field because if a mission goes tits up, just shoot at Agent Dunn and he can cheat time.

Eventually, Benji gets assigned to work with Ethan bc the handlers figure Ethan is a telepath, he can just reach into Benji's mind and give him a shock and make him think he's about to die. Isn't that so much nicer than just shooting at him? But Ethan is a fucking telepath and clearly sees the extreme stress all of this has put Benji through. He never sets off the panic switch and more often uses his telepathy to soothe Benji's nerves than anything. Like with Luther, Ethan rides-along in Benji's head a lot.

This throws a wrench into Rogue Nation obvsly because Ethan hears "the IMF has been absorbed by the CIA" and he does not wait 6 months to reach out to the guy who can fuck with time if you threaten his life. because of course the fucking CIA starts experimenting, seeing how they can reliably set the panic switch off. they come up with a device like an epi-pen that can be used to basically give Benji an almost-heart attack but then Ethan breaks Benji tf out of Langley's grasp and tows him across the globe bc no one else can be trusted not to traumatize the shit out of Benji.

As Benji gets older and more adept at his power, he discovers a side-effect of Ethan being tied to his mind more often than not; Benji starts 'going off' when Ethan is in peril. ETHAN IS NOT AMUSED BY THIS because he risks his life all the time and now Benji's going off because of that where it gets tres interesting is that Benji has spent so long talking telepathically, he knows how to direct a thought at Ethan to get his attention (as does everyone who works with Ethan more than a few times). and if he telepathically taps on Ethan, he can pull Ethan into the dilation, even if they aren't touching. it's kind of all Ethan's fault; he's the clingiest telepath ever, and having accumulated years of connection to Benji has just urged Benji's mutation to expand in that direction.

anyway that's that

WE ALSO HAVE BEEN DELIBERATING ILSA POWERS, mostly along the lines of mimicry

one of the ideas I super liked was Ilsa being a power-mimic but she doesn't luck into innate understanding of how a power works, so it's very dangerous for her to borrow someone's power. like, an example we were kicking around was Ilsa accidentally picking up on Ethan's power and, not understanding how his telepathy grabs ahold of people, she accidentally ties her mind and Ethan's together the moment she gets his power, and they're Stuck for a while because Ethan can't untangle her knot and she is figuring out how tf it even works. it's a nightmare.

another idea was the Rogue Powerset, touch-based connection with its own pitfalls. Ilsa able to subtly touch a human and glean some information from them, but she has very little control over what info she gets. and once she touches them, they black out a bit, losing about a minute of time, which is just long enough for her to get out of there. but if she bumps into a mutant, she gets their power for a while instead, and it's messy and awkward and well, she wears long sleeves and gloves a lot is what I'm saying.

and Punct liked how Ilsa might self-select into spycraft because she needs to learn all these skills to protect herself, so she follows the career path and just keeps her power very very quiet, only using it when it's too useful to avoid. or on accident. for instance: when she meets Ethan and Ethan hurls himself into the fight and she touches his skin, Ilsa gets the telepathy juice. while Ethan is dazed from the contact, Ilsa uses the telepathy to sneak him out the back tunnel, then makes the other Syndicate members trust her so her cover isn't blown.

we also came up with a VERY FUN ONE for Grace, which is matter teleportation. Grace cannot teleport herself, but she can move things around when she focuses on them. There's huge limits on this:

smaller items are easier than larger, lighter is easier than heavier.

she doesn't have to see the object to move it but she does need to know about it pretty thoroughly and have a strong idea of its shape and the space its taking up.

example: if you set a closed, empty box in front of grace and told her there's a snowglobe inside, she could try to retrieve it, but it won't work (obvsly, it's empty) and she won't know why and might keep trying to 'grab' the object.

this would make her and Ethan extremely potent, as he can get eyes on something and transmit the information Grace needs to her, and she can grab the object.

because of how her power works, Grace has fun skills about guessing the weight of things. toss her an object and she can probably tell you pretty accurately how heavy it is. this isn't a mutation; she is just hyperfocused on that sort of info because it assists her power.

ANYWAY I THINK THAT'S ALL

[rumpocky]

The cancer test scammer the one with the fake voice lol.

Also maybe this quote might help affirm your feelings.

KAT BLAQUE https://blaqueinthecity.com/2025/02/25/the-problem-with-madeline-pendleton/

"To me, Madeline represents a particular archetype I’ve engaged with quite a bit. An archetype that I now refer to as a “Pendelton”. In the vast majority of trans-specific spaces I’ve been in, there’s always a white, usually afab, usually non-transitioning person who is entirely resistant to centering anyone other than themselves and their experience with gender. Madeline is a Non-Binary person who uses all pronouns; and for the record, I think that’s incredibly valid. However, we have extremely different experiences and will factor into society quite differently.

If Madeline was in Arizona, she can walk into the women’s restroom and not have the fear of being caught and put into a gas chamber if she’s caught being a trans person in the restroom. I’ve never had a problem using public restrooms because I “pass”. In a way, this is a privilege, but passing privilege is a sort of temporary privilege. When I was stealth, I had to ride a very very fine line. I had to perform a certain way and that was my survival. Sure, I can get away with it, but if I get caught, depending on the state, that may have severe consequences. A Pendelton type likes to ignore these tangible differences and tends to quite defensively respond to fairly neutral discussions of these differences. I had many white non-binary people express anger at my video, which simply stated that while we may both be under the trans umbrella, our chance of surviving a Trump administration is very different.

Pendletons tend to dominate conversations and focus on “validity” while excusing or dismissing the value of trans people who medically transitioned and want to speak about their differences. It’s an odd reaction that stands out to me and it’s something I’ve interacted with many times over. Their reactions have the impact of essentially discouraging transitioning people from discussing their experiences. It’s clear that they tend to perceive a description of these experiences as a trump card of sorts. It’s a bizarre reaction to a request for empathy and understanding. From my observation, the vast majority of trans spaces prioritize the far more common Pendleton types over those of us who medically transition and deal with the complexities of transitioning gender. They will say “listen to black trans women” as a way of promoting themselves as authorities with good politics, but will see the discussion of intersectionality and how black trans women experience oppression as a waste of time that takes from them. We exist as deities and icons in those spaces, but our voices are rarely heard or centered. I estimate that if Madeline Pendleton were in community with trans people, she’d be familiar with my content (as we are close in age) and more intimately familiar with the tangible position trans women who existed before legal protections actually went through and would perhaps express herself differently."

"After about a week of being dogpiled by her audience, she sent me this message.

{“data”:{“product”:”tiktok”}}

A message worded in a way that would seem to suggest that she wouldn’t attempt to dehumanize me. I received this message on the morning of the same day she would compare me to the “one-legged solo poly hijabi” meme that was quite popular among right-wingers. This reinforces the point I’ve made many times over about white leftists like Madeline Pendelton. To me, they are functionally the same as a conservative. It’s very clear to me that many of these particular, terminally online leftists have no real desire to build community. They want an exclusive book club that meets at the café. Like the dude I dated scribbling in front of a traumatized mother, it’s all about rebellion and edge. It’s not much more than that. I spend most of my time offline doing community organizing, which requires meeting people where they’re at. My group has grown quite a bit; people’s positions and ideas shift especially when they feel welcome; and I am incredibly thankful that I’ve been able to create the community I desperately needed."

Just some excerpts hope this is affirming

Garden anon

FIRST- yes I know, it's just she voice switched at one point, like search her name and voice comparison or fake voice, she did a pitch throw thing for a while to compensate.

But

THANK YOU FOR EDUCATING ME ON THE NAME FOR THE ARCHETYPE

THERES A FUCKING NAME FOR THIS BLESS YOU

PENDELTONS. EVERYTHING AFTER THAT. THEY REFUSE TO UNDERSTAND THEY REFUSE!!!!!!!

THEY REFUSE TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE DIFFERENCES!!!! I HAVE A BONER YOU HAVE A HAIRCUT GENDER PRESENTATION ITS NOT THE SAME CONVERSATION WHY WHY DO YOU MAKE THIS DIFFICULT MADELINE

[starforger]

“... I've already completed my final mission. Whether Penacony can awaken from this dream is all down to you.”

Seren couldn’t believe him, couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Gallagher was leaving everything to them, after all.

Himeko spoke up before she could express her anger. “Should we ever cross paths again, I'd love for you to visit the Express.”

“Alright. I'll have to add to that data bank of yours…”

The words were all but a blur to Seren’s ears.

“What do you mean?” She said suddenly, amidst the din of conversation.

All their eyes were on her, now. She could feel the gravity of her question fall hard on each of them, but she ignored it. Seren stepped forward.

“What do you mean, your ‘final mission’? It isn’t over yet, is it?”

“Seren…” she heard March’s plea, but it would not move her. From the other side came Himeko’s gentle sigh, laden with regret.

Gallagher leveled a hard stare on her. “I can’t go with you.” His voice was resolute, and once again, it made her even angrier.

“And why not?”

"Alright," he sighed, “come on.”

He turned to walk away, leaving Seren to follow after him. She took a hesitant step forward, then stopped and looked back at her companions. Himeko nodded. Go.

She followed. He led her through the gloomy Reef, to the very edge of Penacony. A great black hole loomed over them, and he stopped to stare up at the leaking memoria. His reason, his whole purpose for fighting, long as he had been. As he had done. And after all that, she still didn’t understand him.

“I’m fading, Seren.”

Her features creased deeply in a frown, her hands clenching at her sides.

“You keep saying these cryptic things, and I’m sick of it. Speak plainly! Why… why won’t you come with us?”

Gallagher turned around. He looked more tired than usual.

“I told you. I don’t have the time.”

“So make time!”

“That’s impossible.”

Her breathing quickened. It was true, time was running out for him. She had known it all along, ever since he first explained his situation to her and the rest of the Express crew. He wasn’t real, despite all of her memories with him. Not like she wanted him to be. It didn’t matter that she could reach out and touch him now. He’d be gone soon, and it would be as if he had never existed. He had no substance, he wasn’t tangible. She couldn't take him with her.

There was nothing any of them could do about it, and in the face of such hopelessness, Seren felt immeasurable rage and a burning desire to fight his destiny, to save him no matter what.

“Come with us…,” she began to bargain, “to the Express, please. You don’t have to fight anymore, just… travel with me.”

Gallagher sighed, his brow creased, a gentle, rueful smile on his lips. Behind him, memoria swirled in the darkened ‘sky’.

“It would have been easier just to let you hate me, wouldn’t it?”

Seren blinked. Numbness set in, and she almost didn’t feel his hand on her shoulder.

“But I had to be cruel.”

“That’s not true, I… I wanted to know you.” A thousand words welled up in her, and she could just barely arrange them in a way that made sense. “Hell, we’ve only just started getting to know each other, and now you’re going away?”

A heavy silence fell between them. Seren felt her psyche so saturated with emotion that she could burst. Tears welled in the corner of her eyes, and she hung her head.

“I know.” He said gently, his voice barely above a whisper. His finger curled under her chin, and lifted her head. Her tears threatened to fall.

“Allow me this last cruelty.”

Before she could ask for yet another explanation, he pulled her against himself. Seren gasped, feeling him enclose her in his arms, squeezing her as though he could hold her together all on his own. Nerves ran wild through her, manifesting as pins and needles in her skin. She shook violently, the shaking extending from her core to her fingertips. She could hold it in no longer. 

A choked sob escaped her, and then the tears began to flow. She felt his hand on her head, stroking her hair as she let her impotent, built-up rage escape her lips in quiet gasps. It encouraged her further. She hated this feeling of powerlessness, the inability to stem the charge of time. She had wasted her time with him, she knew it in her heart. Her overly-opinionated nature had made him into her enemy well before she could have made him a friend. She was too late to know him. Too late to save him.

And he did nothing to stop her. He ran his thumb across her scalp, soothing her with quiet words of encouragement, allowing her to express her frustrations in tears, allowing her to let herself out of her walled-up thoughts. He did not stop her, not until she fell completely silent and still.

At last, Gallagher pulled back, holding her gently by the arms as he examined her. Her face was red, puffy, and wet. She sniffled. Finally, she wiped her eyes.

He stepped back, reaching into his pocket and producing a handkerchief. He offered it to her, and after a moment’s hesitation, she took it and dabbed her face.

“Take all the time you need. When you’re ready, we’ll begin.”

She nodded dully, and with a final look into her eyes, he took his leave of her. Seren clenched the handkerchief in her fists, holding it against her face, tightening her arms close to her body. She would hold fast to the memory of his embrace with everything that she had.

Seren sucked in a breath, gazing up at the leaking memoria hole. Now was the time to do what she did best. Fight. For Penacony. For him.

Pocketing the handkerchief, Seren turned to rejoin her allies.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 312. brb x oc

a/n: bada bing bada boomccc(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/267/268/269/270/271/272/273/274/275/276/277/278/279/280/281/282/283/284/285/286/287/288/289/290/291/292/293/294/295/296/297/298/299/300/301

/302/303/304/305/306/307/308/309/310/311

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-

How was he going to do this? Should he talk to Cyclone? No he needed proof or else the vice-admiral would toss this away.He sat alone in his bunk, towel on his shoulders since he just left the shower, allowing the solitude to reach his thoughts.

He needed a plan—something concrete to address the growing tension within the squadron. The encounter with Mark had left Rooster with a gnawing sense of unease, and the need for proof became more apparent. Without tangible evidence, any accusation against Mark might be dismissed, and Rooster couldn't afford to let the internal discord persist.

He opened a drawer beside his bunk, retrieving a small notebook and a pen. As he flipped through the pages, he paused at an empty one. Rooster began jotting down his observations, creating a timeline of the incidents involving Mark.

His mind traced back to the encounters in the locker room, the condescending remarks, and the private conversations. Rooster scrutinized each detail, searching for a way to connect him to the breach.

Fuck he was nervous.

He never dealt with stuff like this before. Annoying pilots? Sure. Possible threat that could ruin a lot of lives? Never.

Rooster continued to document his observations, creating a meticulous record of each incident. His thoughts drifted to the cryptic conversation Mark had with McAllister. It was a potential lead, a thread to pull, but Rooster needed to approach it cautiously. He considered talking to McAllister directly, seeking more information without revealing the gravity of the situation.

But he also wanted to make sure McAllister wouldn’t be harmed if he did talk…he rubs his chin, still thinking about what he should do. How do you prove that a pilot, a Lieutenant just like he was, was involved in such a thing?

Rooster's fingers drummed on the notebook as he mulled over his options. The weight of responsibility bore down on him, and he couldn't afford to make a misstep. 

He decided to start with McAllister, someone he trusted and who had inadvertently given him a glimpse into the mysterious conversations. Rooster closed the notebook with a snap, tucking it away, and made his way to find McAllister.

The squadron's common area was relatively empty as most pilots were still wrapping up post-mission tasks. Rooster spotted McAllister reviewing some mission data on one of the computer terminals. Approaching quietly, Rooster cleared his throat to get McAllister's attention.

"McAllister, can I have a word?" Rooster asked, keeping his tone low-key to avoid unnecessary attention.

McAllister turned toward him, after jumping in surprise a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Sure, sir. What's up?"

“Not here, follow me.”Rooster motioned toward a quieter corner of the room, away from prying ears. Once they were a bit secluded, Rooster leaned in, his expression serious. "You mentioned Mark and the breach,what did you get?"

McAllister's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of nervousness crossing his features. He hesitated before responding, "Well, sir, recruit Haltzman and I were talking after the mission, and he seemed... agitated. He mentioned something about the breach, but he didn't go into specifics. I asked him why and…he said that Mark was bothering him about it."

Rooster's brows furrowed as he absorbed the information. "Did Haltzman mention anything else?" Rooster asked, his voice low and focused.

McAllister shifted uncomfortably, glancing around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "He said Mark was pressuring him to share information about the breach. Haltzman seemed spooked, sir, like he didn't want to get involved. At all."

Rooster processed the revelation, his mind racing with the need to connect the dots. "Did he say how Mark approached him? Any specifics about their conversations?"

McAllister nodded, recalling the details. "Haltzman mentioned that Mark cornered him in the locker room after the mission. He wanted to know if Haltzman had overheard anything about the breach, and when Haltzman didn't give him any answers, Mark got... intense."

“Did he hurt him?"

McAllister shook his head. "No, sir. He just scared him. But he didn't want to say too much. I didn't push him, didn't want to make things worse for him."

"You did the right thing, McAllister. It's crucial to handle this delicately. We need to gather more information before taking any action."

Fuck.

McAllister glanced around, ensuring their conversation remained private. "Sir, I don't want to sound paranoid, but do you think Mark might be involved in the breach somehow?"

FUCK

Rooster sighed, rubbing his eyelids. "I don't know, McAllister. But we can't ignore anything. We need to find out more, discreetly, without tipping our hand."

"I'll keep my ears open, sir. If I hear anything else, I'll let you know," McAllister assured.

"Good. Stay vigilant, McAllister. We can't afford to underestimate the gravity of this situation," Rooster emphasized. "And for now, let's keep this between us. We don't want to create unnecessary panic until we have more concrete information."

McAllister nodded in agreement. "Understood, sir. I'll be careful."

As Rooster walked away from the conversation, his mind raced with thoughts and strategies. The need for evidence became even more crucial, and Rooster realized he had to tread carefully to avoid any potential backlash.

He noticed the Daggers sitting together and he beelined over to his friends, leaning down to the table and muttering a ‘a word?’.  Payback and Jake shared a look before standing up, then Phoenix tried to be as subtle as she could, busying herself with her watch while Bob followed behind them, adjusting his glasses.

Rooster led the Daggers to a quieter corner of the hangar, away from the prying eyes and ears of the squadron. He leaned in, his voice low but firm. "Alright, listen up. I need your observations, discreetly. Something's off with Mark, and it might be connected to the breach."

The Daggers exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from casual to alert. Payback, the intuitive one, spoke first. "What happened, Rooster?"

“Too much.”

Rooster quickly briefed them on McAllister's encounter with Haltzman, emphasizing Mark's suspicious behavior and the potential connection to the breach. If they were surprised…they didn’t show it.

Phoenix crossed her arms, snorting. "I knew it."

“You did?”

“Well…I had a feeling.”

Rooster raised an eyebrow at Phoenix. "You had a feeling? Care to share?"

Phoenix leaned against a nearby crate, her expression thoughtful. "Mark's been acting strange for a while now. I thought it was just the stress of the missions, but if there's something more..." she says, “Besides we wouldn’t do that shit.”

Jake chimed in, his voice low and serious. "...what should we do then?”

Bob adjusted his glasses, a glint of determination in his eyes. "I'll discreetly check the network logs, see if there's any unusual activity that might be linked to Mark. If he's involved in the breach, there could be a digital trail."

Payback crossed his arms, his expression grim. "I'll talk to the recruits, see if anyone else has had strange encounters with Mark. We need to gather as much information as possible."

Rooster nodded, appreciating the initiative of his team. "Be discreet, and don't escalate the situation. We need to find out what's going on without causing a panic. Jake and Nix, what will the two of you do?"

Jake glanced at Phoenix before turning his attention back to Rooster. "I'll keep an eye on Mark during the next mission. See if there's anything unusual in his behavior or actions. If he's involved in something shady, I might be able to pick up on it."

Rooster nodded in approval. "Good plan, Jake. Just stay subtle and don't provoke anything. We need evidence, not confrontation."

Phoenix, her arms still crossed, chimed in. "I'll help Bob." and that was it, “What about you,Rooster?”

Rooster sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'll talk to Vice-Admiral Simpson. Inform him about the situation without revealing our suspicions. We need his backing if we're going to investigate this properly."

The Daggers dispersed, each embarking on their assigned tasks  and Rooster? Rooster made his way to Vice-Admiral Simpson's office, and he had to elaborate on a few things.

-

Beatrice could feel the earth sticking to her gloves as she dug into her garden, digging enough to create a little hole in her front yard so she can plant the newest addition to her plant family: begonias!

It was one of Shells’ gifts…as in the plant she got thinking she’d care for but didn’t, so she gave it to Bea. Shells was still in her house, being a great babysitter for the babies and the dogs by napping on the couch with the twins on her chest and Nicole on her stomach all the while being surrounded by Jack and Eleanor.

Meanwhile, Jolene was lying next to Beatrice’s feet outside, keeping her company.

The sun bathed the garden in a warm afternoon glow as Beatrice continued planting the begonias. She carefully placed each seedling into the soil, patting it gently to secure their place. The occasional chirping of birds, and the distant sound of laughter from down her street made this a perfect day.

Truly.

Rooster was safe while deployed, the kids were safe, she was safe…

Nothing could ruin her day.

“Hello Beatrice.”

Miranda.

Beatrice’s back straightened up like a rod as she kept her eyes forward, clenching the hand trowel tight and not turning around to greet the woman but muttering a “Hello,Miranda.”

Miranda's voice held a peculiar mix of sweetness and a subtle undercurrent that hinted at something unsettling. Beatrice's pulse quickened, but she maintained her composure, focusing on the begonias before her.

"What a lovely garden you have," Miranda commented, her footsteps approaching.

"Thank you," Beatrice replied, her tone polite but distant. She continued to work on the begonias, avoiding direct eye contact.

Miranda, undeterred by Beatrice's reserved demeanor, circled around to face her. Dressed in a flowing, elegant dress that seemed almost out of place for a casual neighborhood encounter, Miranda observed Beatrice with a piercing gaze.

"Begonias,hm?" 

"Yes, begonias," Beatrice replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She could sense Miranda's eyes on her, probing and searching for who knew what. "They're lovely plants."

Miranda smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Lovely indeed. Such delicate flowers, yet resilient. A fitting choice."

Beatrice continued her work, planting the last begonia with a deliberate focus. She saw Jolene move forward and place herself between the two women, with her back against Beatrice’s, keeping her eyes on Miranda.

"How’s Rooster doing in his mission?" Miranda said, her voice carrying a note of feigned concern. "Good?"

“Yep. How’s Mark? Good?”

“Oh, I don’t have to worry about Mark.” Miranda tilted her head, her gaze unwavering. "He’s an amazing pilot,after all."

Beatrice suppressed a sigh, her patience wearing thin. "That's good to hear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some gardening to finish."

Miranda stepped closer, seemingly unfazed by Beatrice's attempt to create distance. "You know, Beatrice, I've always found gardening to be such a therapeutic activity. A way to nurture and tend to something, watching it grow and flourish."

Beatrice shot her a sidelong glance, her tone cautious. "It is. It helps clear the mind."

Miranda's eyes narrowed, the facade of friendliness slipping for a moment. "Clearing the mind can be a double-edged sword, Beatrice. Sometimes, it's better to confront the things we'd rather avoid."

Beatrice tightened her grip on the hand trowel, her patience fraying. "I'm not avoiding anything, Miranda. Now, please, I'd like to be alone."

Miranda's smile returned, as if she hadn't just veered into unsettling territory. "Of course, dear. I won't keep you. Just remember, should you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. We're neighbors, after all."

Beatrice licked her lips, then tilted her head “...you know Miranda.” she looks up at the woman, Jolene’s head turning to look at Beatrice, “...Rooster is a great pilot too.”

Miranda's expression remained calm, but there was a subtle tension in her posture. "Of course, Beatrice. Rooster is indeed skilled. But sometimes, skill alone isn't enough to navigate the challenges life throws at us."

Beatrice shot her a quizzical look, her suspicions growing. "What challenges are you talking about, Miranda? "

“Well I–’

“Do you know our challenges Miranda?” Bea stood up, placing a hand on Jolene’s head when the pittie tried to move forward “Do you know what me and Rooster went through before?”

Miranda's facade faltered, a flicker of discomfort crossing her features. Beatrice's direct question seemed to catch her off guard, and for a moment, the poised demeanor cracked.

"Beatrice, we all have our struggles," Miranda replied, her voice attempting to regain its previous composure. "I meant no offense. I only offered an ear should you ever need to share your burdens."

Beatrice crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she studied Miranda."I appreciate the offer, Miranda, yet again" Beatrice said, her tone measured. "But I don’t understand what you want here, you think I’m not aware? Do you think I’m dumb?"

Miranda's composed facade wavered further, and a subtle bead of sweat formed on her forehead. Beatrice's direct confrontation seemed to have rattled her, and she took a step back, her eyes momentarily avoiding Beatrice's probing gaze.

"Beatrice, you misunderstand me," Miranda said, her voice a touch strained. "I never implied—"

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, unyielding. "Then what did you imply, Miranda? You come into my garden, talking about challenges, offering an ear. What's your game?"

Miranda took a steadying breath, attempting to regain control of the conversation. "There's no game, Beatrice. I'm merely expressing neighborly concern. We're part of the same community, after all."

‘Are we?”

It was like a vocal slap against Miranda who just stared flabbergasted. “It’s the…fourth time you say stuff like that, and honestly, I don’t buy it. I don’t like how you think I should flaunt Rooster’s abilities against Mark, I know that’s your plan.”

"Beatrice, I assure you, there's no ulterior motive. I'm here as a concerned neighbor," Miranda stammered, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route.

"Concerned neighbor, my foot. I–” she pauses, “...I love Rooster. I love him. And he’s not a trophy I toss around…he’s my husband, he’s the one man I’d break bones for…his happiness and wellbeing are what matter to me…so if you are here trying to…I dunno, be weird, you should go.”

Miranda's attempts at maintaining composure fell apart like a house of cards in a gust of wind. Beatrice's raw honesty, fueled by her love for Rooster, had dismantled any facade Miranda had tried to construct. The air between them crackled with tension, and Miranda, for the second time, seemed genuinely unnerved.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Beatrice. I'm not here to—"

"Don’t lie to me," Beatrice cut in, her eyes unyielding. "I can see through the act. Whatever game you're playing, it won’t work. Rooster and I have been through enough. We don't need someone stirring up trouble."

Miranda's eyes darted around again, searching for a way to salvage the situation. The serene facade she usually wore had crumbled, revealing a woman who was uncomfortably out of her depth.

Beatrice took a step closer, her gaze unwavering. "I love my husband, Miranda. He means the world to me. I won't let anyone jeopardize our peace."

Miranda swallowed hard, a nervous tic playing on her features. "Beatrice, you're misunderstanding. I have no intention of causing any trouble. I—"

"Save it," Beatrice interrupted, her tone firm. "I don't know what your game is, but I won't entertain it." Beatrice turned away, focusing her attention back on the begonias. Jolene, sensing the tension, remained vigilant by Beatrice's side, her eyes never leaving Miranda.

Miranda, flustered and off-kilter, struggled to regain control of the narrative. "Beatrice, I assure you, there's no ill will. I'm only here to—"

"You've said enough," Beatrice replied, her voice unwavering. "I think it's best if you leave now."

Miranda hesitated, her eyes flickering with a mix of frustration and anxiety. "I—"

"Now," Beatrice reiterated, her gaze piercing.

Miranda, realizing the futility of the situation, nodded reluctantly. She turned on her heel and made a hasty exit from Beatrice's yard, leaving behind a trail of unresolved tension. Beatrice watched her go, shoulders finally relaxing as she just allowed herself to drop on the soft dirt…and groan out.

She’ll have to talk to Rooster.

[elementramarketing]

Clicks That Count: Unlocking Growth with Performance Marketing & Lead Generation

Drive real results, not just reach—with data-driven marketing that converts.

The New Era of Marketing: Measurable, Scalable, and ROI-Focused

Gone are the days of billboard ads and radio jingles with no way to track who saw or cared. In today's fast-moving digital world, businesses crave measurable marketing—and that’s exactly what performance marketing delivers.

Whether you're selling a product, offering a service, or building a brand, performance marketing ensures every rupee spent brings back trackable results. From impressions to clicks and form submissions to actual sales—everything is monitored, optimized, and scaled.

What Is Performance Marketing?

Performance marketing is a digital strategy where advertisers only pay when a specific action is completed. This could be a click, a lead, a download, a sign-up, or a purchase. Think of it as result-oriented marketing where success is defined by tangible outcomes.

Some of the key performance marketing channels include:

Search Engine Marketing (Google Ads)

Social Media Ads (Meta, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube)

Affiliate & Influencer Marketing

Programmatic Display Ads

Native Advertising

With real-time tracking and powerful analytics, campaigns can be optimized continuously to get the most out of every budget.

Lead Generation: Fueling Sales with Precision

Getting traffic is great. But what happens next? That’s where lead generation comes in.

Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers who have shown interest in your brand. These leads are the people most likely to become paying customers. The better the lead, the higher the chance of conversion.

Common lead generation tools include:

Landing Pages with CTA Forms

Email Marketing Funnels

Chatbots and WhatsApp Automations

Lead Magnets (Free eBooks, Webinars, Trials)

Retargeting Ads for Visitors Who Didn't Convert

From collecting contact details to qualifying leads based on interest or budget, smart lead generation can drastically reduce your sales team’s burden—and increase closing rates.

Why Every Business Needs a Performance-First Approach

Whether you're a local service provider or a global eCommerce brand, performance marketing offers several key benefits:

Cost Efficiency – Pay only when you get results

Laser Targeting – Reach audiences based on demographics, behavior, and intent

Data-Driven Decisions – Use real-time insights to tweak campaigns

Scalable Growth – Increase budgets where campaigns are performing well

Instant Feedback Loops – Know what’s working and what’s not, instantly

This approach minimizes guesswork and maximizes ROI—something traditional marketing can rarely promise.

Performance + Leads = Growth Engine

When done right, combining performance marketing with strong lead generation systems becomes a growth engine. Imagine launching a campaign today and receiving a list of high-quality leads by tomorrow morning—all thanks to automated, optimized campaigns.

Because in today’s market, visibility alone isn’t enough. You need visibility that converts.

Click Here.

[ender--slime]

i have some 3 am thoughts on AI gen art if youll indulge me for a moment.

i think when a lot of people argue against it with the reasoning that it cant make anything meaningful, the other half of that statement is that all art has inherent meaning because it was made by a person. but thats not always true. i have friends who went to art school and quit because it sucked the joy out of their art. i have friends who rely on commissions to pay bills and do nothing but commissions all day every day. there are SO many young artists who get Big Numbers because they force themselves to draw the newest trend really really fast every week. how about anyone who relies on con tables for income. anyone who takes any industry job they can just to get sacked before the project is done or paid pennies for it. i dont think any of that art has much meaning at all. and i think thats the point of it.

i think if we want to criticize gen ai we should be doing so with real tangible criticisms- nothing about Soul or Meaning, but a question of LABOR. jobs being given to AI doesnt suck because the Meaning was taken away, it sucks because that artist was going to be paid below minimum and now the corporation is opting to not pay anybody at all. but THATS not even true, because theyre then outsourcing the labor to the people in south asia who run the data centers and train the models!!! and not paying them!

being an Artist as a Job is all about your relationship to the labor. and thats what should be the main focus of ai gen critique conversations, i think. most other criticisms are lowkey religious Or overblowing the environmental impact as if we all do not live in Omelas hell world already. but not a lot of people talk about the labor concerns!! being an artist as a job can really suck and be incredibly stressful, yknow? and i think to make all artists lives and jobs better we should be focusing on different points. idk. i dont have a proper conclusion im just kinda thinkin out loud here. does anyone have any similar thoughts or like. a better more concise way to put this into words? AHSKSJSK AAAAA

[fatemamitu]

The AI Revolution: Understanding, Harnessing, and Navigating the Future

What is AI

In a world increasingly shaped by technology, one term stands out above the rest, capturing both our imagination and, at times, our apprehension: Artificial Intelligence. From science fiction dreams to tangible realities, AI is no longer a distant concept but an omnipresent force, subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) reshaping industries, transforming daily life, and fundamentally altering our perception of what's possible.

But what exactly is AI? Is it a benevolent helper, a job-stealing machine, or something else entirely? The truth, as always, is far more nuanced. At its core, Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning (the acquisition of information and rules for using the information), reasoning (using rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions), and self-correction. What makes modern AI so captivating is its ability to learn from data, identify patterns, and make predictions or decisions with increasing autonomy.

The journey of AI has been a fascinating one, marked by cycles of hype and disillusionment. Early pioneers in the mid-20th century envisioned intelligent machines that could converse and reason. While those early ambitions proved difficult to achieve with the technology of the time, the seeds of AI were sown. The 21st century, however, has witnessed an explosion of progress, fueled by advancements in computing power, the availability of massive datasets, and breakthroughs in machine learning algorithms, particularly deep learning. This has led to the "AI Spring" we are currently experiencing.

The Landscape of AI: More Than Just Robots

When many people think of AI, images of humanoid robots often come to mind. While robotics is certainly a fascinating branch of AI, the field is far broader and more diverse than just mechanical beings. Here are some key areas where AI is making significant strides:

Machine Learning (ML): This is the engine driving much of the current AI revolution. ML algorithms learn from data without being explicitly programmed. Think of recommendation systems on streaming platforms, fraud detection in banking, or personalized advertisements – these are all powered by ML.

Deep Learning (DL): A subset of machine learning inspired by the structure and function of the human brain's neural networks. Deep learning has been instrumental in breakthroughs in image recognition, natural language processing, and speech recognition. The facial recognition on your smartphone or the impressive capabilities of large language models like the one you're currently interacting with are prime examples.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): This field focuses on enabling computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language. From language translation apps to chatbots that provide customer service, NLP is bridging the communication gap between humans and machines.

Computer Vision: This area allows computers to "see" and interpret visual information from the world around them. Autonomous vehicles rely heavily on computer vision to understand their surroundings, while medical imaging analysis uses it to detect diseases.

Robotics: While not all robots are AI-powered, many sophisticated robots leverage AI for navigation, manipulation, and interaction with their environment. From industrial robots in manufacturing to surgical robots assisting doctors, AI is making robots more intelligent and versatile.

AI's Impact: Transforming Industries and Daily Life

The transformative power of AI is evident across virtually every sector. In healthcare, AI is assisting in drug discovery, personalized treatment plans, and early disease detection. In finance, it's used for algorithmic trading, risk assessment, and fraud prevention. The manufacturing industry benefits from AI-powered automation, predictive maintenance, and quality control.

Beyond these traditional industries, AI is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant help us organize our schedules and answer our questions. Spam filters keep our inboxes clean. Navigation apps find the fastest routes. Even the algorithms that curate our social media feeds are a testament to AI's pervasive influence. These applications, while often unseen, are making our lives more convenient, efficient, and connected.

Harnessing the Power: Opportunities and Ethical Considerations

The opportunities presented by AI are immense. It promises to boost productivity, solve complex global challenges like climate change and disease, and unlock new frontiers of creativity and innovation. Businesses that embrace AI can gain a competitive edge, optimize operations, and deliver enhanced customer experiences. Individuals can leverage AI tools to automate repetitive tasks, learn new skills, and augment their own capabilities.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. The rapid advancement of AI also brings forth a host of ethical considerations and potential challenges that demand careful attention.

Job Displacement: One of the most frequently discussed concerns is the potential for AI to automate jobs currently performed by humans. While AI is likely to create new jobs, there will undoubtedly be a shift in the nature of work, requiring reskilling and adaptation.

Bias and Fairness: AI systems learn from the data they are fed. If that data contains historical biases (e.g., related to gender, race, or socioeconomic status), the AI can perpetuate and even amplify those biases in its decisions, leading to unfair outcomes. Ensuring fairness and accountability in AI algorithms is paramount.

Privacy and Security: AI relies heavily on data. The collection and use of vast amounts of personal data raise significant privacy concerns. Moreover, as AI systems become more integrated into critical infrastructure, their security becomes a vital issue.

Transparency and Explainability: Many advanced AI models, particularly deep learning networks, are often referred to as "black boxes" because their decision-making processes are difficult to understand. For critical applications, it's crucial to have transparency and explainability to ensure trust and accountability.

Autonomous Decision-Making: As AI systems become more autonomous, questions arise about who is responsible when an AI makes a mistake or causes harm. The development of ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks for autonomous AI is an ongoing global discussion.

Navigating the Future: A Human-Centric Approach

Navigating the AI revolution requires a proactive and thoughtful approach. It's not about fearing AI, but rather understanding its capabilities, limitations, and implications. Here are some key principles for moving forward:

Education and Upskilling: Investing in education and training programs that equip individuals with AI literacy and skills in areas like data science, AI ethics, and human-AI collaboration will be crucial for the workforce of the future.

Ethical AI Development: Developers and organizations building AI systems must prioritize ethical considerations from the outset. This includes designing for fairness, transparency, and accountability, and actively mitigating biases.

Robust Governance and Regulation: Governments and international bodies have a vital role to play in developing appropriate regulations and policies that foster innovation while addressing ethical concerns and ensuring the responsible deployment of AI.

Human-AI Collaboration: The future of work is likely to be characterized by collaboration between humans and AI. AI can augment human capabilities, automate mundane tasks, and provide insights, allowing humans to focus on higher-level problem-solving, creativity, and empathy.

Continuous Dialogue: As AI continues to evolve, an ongoing, open dialogue among technologists, ethicists, policymakers, and the public is essential to shape its development in a way that benefits humanity.

The AI revolution is not just a technological shift; it's a societal transformation. By understanding its complexities, embracing its potential, and addressing its challenges with foresight and collaboration, we can harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to build a more prosperous, equitable, and intelligent future for all. The journey has just begun, and the choices we make today will define the world of tomorrow.

[republicsecurity]

Starter Kit

As the hum of the truck's engine reverberates through the metal frame, the seasoned tactical paramedic turns to the recruit, a glint of experience in his eyes. The visor, that ever-present companion, becomes the topic of their conversation in the confined space of the vehicle hurtling through the controlled expanse of the dystopian city.

"You see, kid," the seasoned paramedic begins, his voice carrying the weight of years spent navigating the intricacies of the paramedic force. "The visor is more than just a tool. It's a leash, a leash that keeps you tethered to the directives of the Corps. But don't mistake it for mere restraint; it's your shield against the unwanted distractions of the world."

He gestures toward the window, where the cityscape unfolds.

"Look outside, and you'll see the chaos—the billboards screaming for attention, the faces of the populace, each one a potential source of distraction. Now, activate your visor."

The recruit complies, and as the visor descends, the world outside undergoes a transformation. The billboards, once glaring symbols of consumerism, dim into obscurity. Passersby are marked with health information, subtle markers of their well-being. A guide to their destination materializes in front of them, an augmented reality overlaying the tangible world.

"There you go," the seasoned paramedic continues, his tone filled with a blend of pride and caution. "The visor doesn't just keep out the noise; it shapes your perception of reality. It filters out the unnecessary, leaving only what's crucial for your mission."

In this controlled reality, the visor doesn't just obscure; it reveals. It transforms the mundane into the essential, sculpting a world where the paramedic's expertise is heightened, and distractions are filtered out like irrelevant static.

Activating the visor's analysis mode, the recruit directs their attention toward the paramedic. Digital overlays materialize, offering insights that transcend the exterior facade. Vital signs pulse subtly above the paramedic's head, a rhythmic dance of biometric data. Medical history unfolds in a cascade of digital glyphs, outlining past injuries, vaccinations, and augmentations.

The seasoned paramedic's dossier takes form, revealing a tapestry of experiences etched into the fabric of their existence. Training records, mission logs, and commendations flicker before the recruit's eyes, a testament to a journey marked by discipline and dedication.

In response to the recruit's exploration, the seasoned paramedic, without uttering a word, activates their own visor's analysis mode. Digital overlays unfold, mirroring the recruit's vital signs, training records, and mission logs. The visor becomes a conduit for the seasoned paramedic to glean insights into the recruit's journey within the paramedic force.

Yet, as the seasoned paramedic delves into the recruit's data, a seasoned wisdom guides their perception.

"Kid," the seasoned paramedic begins, their voice carrying the weight of experience, "what you just did, it goes both ways. In this Corps, we have access to each other's data—part of maintaining a cohesive and efficient force. It's a tool for understanding, for collaboration, and for ensuring everyone's on the same page."

Leaning in, the seasoned paramedic's tone takes on a more serious note. "The Corps controls this flow of information. It's a two-way street, and the AI, the same entity that shapes our training, also oversees this network. It's a balance, you see. We access each other, but we're also under the watchful eye of the system."

The seasoned paramedic gazes out at the cityscape beyond the truck's window, the controlled expanse that echoes the structure of their own existence. "The AI, it shapes us, guides us. It ensures conformity, adherence to the Corps' principles."

The seasoned paramedic's words echo in the augmented reality space—the interconnectedness, the balance of power, and the role of the AI as both guardian and manipulator within the paramedic corps.

"Getting inked with an alphanumeric serial on the chest," the seasoned paramedic's voice echoes, carrying a tinge of wry amusement, "is a conscript's equivalent of a birthday party. Except the cake is a chastity cage, and the presents come in the form of VR-based neuro conditioning."

The recruits, each adorned with their own unique alphanumeric markers on their chests, listen to the seasoned paramedic's commentary, their expressions hidden behind the opaque visors of their helmets. The dark humor permeates the atmosphere, a coping mechanism in a world where the unconventional has become the norm.

The reference to a birthday party, typically a celebration of life and individuality, takes a dystopian twist as it intertwines with the conscripts' initiation into the paramedic corps. The symbolism of the chastity cage, a stark reminder of control and conformity, adds a layer of irony to the metaphorical "cake" of conscript life.

"And here you are, conscripts," the seasoned paramedic continues, their tone a blend of camaraderie and somber reality. "Marked, conditioned, and ready to serve. The alphanumeric ink on your chest, a badge of initiation into a world where the boundaries between celebration and indoctrination blur."

The seasoned paramedic's voice carries through the encrypted audio link, unveiling the origins of the alphanumeric serial that now adorns the chests of conscripts.

"You know how the alphanumeric serial came about?" the seasoned paramedic begins, the tone reflective. "It used to be that paramedics used their names. Simple, right? But then the Trade Union and the Conscripts Rights Organization had their say. 'Security purposes,' they argued. 'We need designators, not names.'"

The narrative unfolds, revealing the bureaucratic dance that led to the transformation of personal identity into a string of letters and numbers. The recruits, perhaps contemplating their own alphanumeric markings, absorb the historical shift from individual names to standardized designators.

"The Corps," the seasoned paramedic continues, a hint of irony in their voice, "turned 'allowed' into 'have to.' Security, they said. Uniformity, control. Your name, your individuality, stripped away for the sake of the collective. Now, each of you bears a code—a designation, not a name."

The demand for security, the erosion of personal identity, and the relentless pursuit of uniformity become threads woven into the fabric of conscript life.