#Visitor Identification System

[thirdeye-ai]

Transforming Visitor Management: The Power of AI-Driven Identification Systems

In today’s dynamic world, managing visitors efficiently while ensuring the security of facilities is a top priority for organizations across various sectors. Traditional methods of visitor management often rely on manual processes, which can be time-consuming, prone to errors, and lack the robust security measures required to protect sensitive environments. However, with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, a new era of visitor management has dawned, offering unprecedented levels of efficiency, accuracy, and security.

Leading this transformative shift is the implementation of AI-driven identification systems. These systems harness advanced algorithms and computer vision to redefine the visitor experience while fortifying the security posture of facilities.

Touch-Free Identification for Enhanced Convenience

AI-driven identification systems leverage AI-powered computer vision to detect and recognize faces without physical contact. This not only enhances convenience for visitors but also promotes hygiene by minimizing the need for shared touchpoints.

Swift and Precise Race Recognition

In today’s fast-paced environments, every second counts. AI-driven identification systems excel in this aspect, achieving face recognition in under a second with an exceptional accuracy rate of 99.9%. This swift and precise recognition ensures that authorized visitors can access facilities without delay, while unauthorized individuals are promptly identified and addressed.

Real Person Recognition to Prevent Impersonation

Impersonation poses a significant security threat to organizations, particularly in high-security environments. AI-driven identification systems mitigate this risk by incorporating patented algorithms that distinguish between real individuals and photographs. This capability minimizes the likelihood of unauthorized access and helps uphold security protocols.

Comprehensive Security Measures

Security is paramount in visitor management, and AI-driven identification systems offer robust measures to safeguard sensitive information. These systems provide secure cloud storage with encryption standards such as AES-128 and HTTPS protocol. This ensures that visitor data is protected from unauthorized access or tampering while enabling secure access for authorized personnel.

In conclusion, the adoption of AI-driven identification systems represents a significant advancement in visitor management practices. By harnessing the capabilities of artificial intelligence, organizations can streamline visitor experiences, enhance security protocols, and improve overall operational efficiency. As technological advancements continue to evolve, AI-driven identification systems will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of visitor management across industries.

[ew-selfish-art]

Dp x dc AU: the watchtower gives out very strictly limited passes for visitors. They don’t need the world knowing that their HQ is in space after all, but sometimes family needed to visit.

Batman was the one to install the day pass system back when Dick was Robin- he needed the excuse to send Dick home to Alfred after a certain amount of time has passed and it just stuck. Unless you were a full time member, day passes were the best you got. Engineers and other supportive staff that weren’t members weren’t afforded day passes however- but Jazz is determined to be the one exception.

Jazz Fenton has been a psychologist for the JL for a year now (she just had a very productive performance review, thank you very much) and it’s been killing her to not tell Danny her office is in space. They do weekly dinners that he portals in for, and he knows that she takes a Zeta tube to work, but he’s technically not allowed to know that her office is a satellite. So, she sets a meeting with the man who started the system in the first place.

Batman is hard to read for most but she’s been his therapist for a while now, and she can tell he’s at least considering her request. Dinah couldn’t speak more kindly on Jazz and she’s been an asset to the JL in many ways since she was hired. Jazz’ arguments aren’t preposterous either- she’s submitted all of his identification papers, his background check, his job description and all of his friends names. She assured him that Danny will be able to keep a secret but when pressed she doesn’t reveal if he has any of his own.

Turns out, months of back and forth and negotiations were going be basically worthless- the second Danny got his little wrist band day pass, made it up via the zeta tube and got presented the view of Earth from the observation deck: he immediately transformed. Like zero caution, just went ghost and hyper fixated on the stars.

“You could have mentioned your Brother being Phantom. He’s been an ally to us for a while.” Batman grumbles in the way that only his family and she can tell through his deadpan.

“Yeah, I just thought that would’ve been a second visit conversation.”

[credus99-blog]

Aggression/ Danger to humans: High/Very High– High

Element/ Ailment: None

    The Firebacked Loprunner, or t’ylyxcj’ cj’ysj mlozjuv rhac’ (t’ylyxcj ‘it runs’ + cj’ysj ‘in a lopping manner’ + mlozjuv ‘of fire’ + rhac’ ‘back’) in Dhënuvgöm, is a species of terrestrial anglerfish that inhabits forests surrounding karst regions on the northeastern continent of Atterra.  Named after the loping strides of its back legs when walking, the Firebacked Loprunner is an ambush predator that hunts small vertebrates and anthropods (arthropods that have developed closed circulatory systems and internal chitinous skeletons).  On the surface, the Firebacked Loprunners are mammal specialists, taking advantage of the red color blindness many mammals possess to sneak up on their prey.

When attacking, Loprunners gallop toward their prey, snapping at the prey's neck. When biting, Loprunners extend their bottom jaws forward with a special hinge bone connecting to the back of the mandible bone and the animal’s temple. Once the bottom jaw is fully extended, the top jaw will move downward to meet the rising mandible before pulling backward to its resting position. This creates a biting mechanism like a shark’s, putting incredible pressure on whatever is caught between the Loprunner’s jaws. In addition to their strong bite, Loprunners also sport two rows of teeth on the top and bottom jaw that keep prey securely trapped in their jaw.  After killing their prey, Loprunners either swallow it whole or tear it into more manageable chunks, depending on its size.

            Firebacked Loprunners are solitary, extremely territorial, and aggressive. They are known to attack humans and Hakdor with little to no provocation. When faced with a threat or an intruder in its territory, Loprunners bare their teeth and growl loudly. Their growling is accompanied by heavy exhaling from the vents (exhaling nostrils) underneath the animal’s back legs. Should this warning not be heeded for some reason, the Fireback Loprunner will charge the opponent, attempting to bite and savage them with its powerful jaws. Aggression towards their own kind is also common. Fights between Firebacked Loprunners are brutal, as both bite and claw at their opponent to drive them out of the territory. It is not unheard of for such altercations to end in the death of one or even both animals in extreme cases. Loprunner skin is tough and leathery for this reason, and their ‘fur’ (evolved from skin appendages called spinules like Earth’s Hairy Frogfish) is bristly to the touch like boar’s hair.

    Unlike many other vertebrates, there is no sexual dimorphism between male or female Loprunners. Identification of the opposite sex is determined through smell. During mating season in early summer, Loprunners therefore sniff the boundaries of other territories to find one holding a potential mate. Once found, the seeking Loprunner requests to mate by entering the other’s territory, holding their head high so their horns are on full display. It is extremely important that visitor strides confidently and announces their presence with low-frequency bellows to indicate a desire to mate, otherwise, their intrusion will be taken as a challenge. Hearing their approach, the resident Loprunner will approach the visitor to inspect them and judge their overall health.

To judge their potential partner’s fitness, the resident Loprunner eyes the size and shape of the visitor’s horns, the redness of their skin, and the luster of their pelt. If the visitor fails the initial inspection, the resident Loprunner lets out a loud huff and turns away, giving the visitor their only chance to run out of their territory unscathed. Otherwise, both animals proceed to display threats at one another. Should either flinch from the threat displays or faux snapping, they will automatically be considered unacceptable partners. Unworthy visitors are chased off, or even killed in rare cases while unworthy residents are snubbed. If all goes well, the two will mate and part ways immediately after.

    Females either make a mound in their territory or, if residing in the Hollows, a small nook not immediately on a game trail to lay their eggs. Their clutch typically consists of 20 to 30 leathery eggs that incubate for 9-10 weeks before hatching. Once they’ve emerged, Loprunner hatchlings scatter or even devour their siblings if they are too weak to leave the nest. The hatchlings are brownish-yellow and fully covered in fur. Hatchlings hunt within the territories of adults, making sure to avoid them for 5-6 years before they reach maturity. From there, they either find their own territory or take over another Firebacked Loprunner’s territory.

    All Loprunners molt once a year, shedding old skin and even losing shallow scars. The only parts of their body that do not shed skin during maturity are the parts covered in their coarse fur. The age of adolescent Loprunners can be easily guessed based on how much of their body is still covered by their fur. While maturing, young loprunners shed even their fur with their skin during each molt, with less and less fur growing back until they reach their adult covering that does not molt off. In the wild, Firebacked Loprunners live up to ten years and live between 15 to 20 years in captivity with some individuals even living up to 25 years of age.

[misfitwashere]

March 17, 2025 

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAR 18

From 1942 to 1945, the Code Talkers were key to every major operation of the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater. The Code Talkers were Indigenous Americans who used codes based in their native languages to transmit messages that the Axis Powers never cracked. The Army recognized the ability of tribal members to send coded language in World War I and realized the codes could not be easily interpreted in part because many Indigenous languages had never been written down.

The Army expanded the use of Code Talkers in World War II, using members of 34 different tribes in the program. Indigenous Americans always enlisted in the military in higher proportions than any other demographic group—in World War II, more than a third of able-bodied Indigenous men between 19 and 50 joined the service—and the participation of the Code Talkers was key to the invasion of Iwo Jima, for example, when they sent more than 800 messages without error.

“Were it not for the Navajos,” Major Howard Connor said, “the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.”

Today, Erin Alberty of Axios reported that at least ten articles about the Code Talkers have disappeared from U.S. military websites. Broken URLs are now labeled “DEI,” an abbreviation for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”

Axios found that web pages associated with the Department of Defense have also put DEI labels on now-missing pages that honored prominent Black veterans. Similarly missing is information about women who served in the military, including the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II. A profile of Army Major General Charles Rogers, who received the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam, was similarly changed, but the Defense Department replaced the missing page and removed “dei” from the URL today after a public outcry.

Two days ago, media outlets noted that the Arlington National Cemetery website had deleted content about Black, female, and Hispanic veterans.

The erasure of Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and female veterans from our military history is an attempt to elevate white men as the sole actors in our history. It is also an attempt to erase a vision of a nation in which Americans of all backgrounds come together to work—and fight—for the common good.

After World War II, Americans came together in a similar spirit to create a government that works for all of us. It is that government—and the worldview it advances—that the Trump administration is currently dismantling.

The most obvious attack on that government is the attempt to undermine Social Security, a system by which Congress in 1935 pulled Americans together to support the nation’s most vulnerable. President Donald Trump and his sidekick billionaire Elon Musk have been asserting, falsely, that Social Security is mired in fraud and corruption.

Today, Judd Legum of Popular Information reported that an internal memo from the Social Security Administration, written by acting deputy commissioner Doris Diaz, called for requiring beneficiaries to visit a field office to provide identification if they cannot access the internet to complete verification there. Diaz estimated that implementing this policy would require the administration to receive 75,000 to 85,000 in-person visitors a week.

But Social Security Administration offices no longer accept walk-ins and the current wait time for a visit already averages more a month, while this change would create a 14% increase in visits. The administration is currently closing Social Security offices. Diaz predicted “service disruption,” “operational strain,” and “budget shortfalls” that would create increased “challenges for vulnerable populations.” She also predicted “legal challenges and congressional scrutiny.”

In the news over the weekend has been the story of 82-year-old Ned Johnson of Seattle, Washington, who lost his Social Security benefits after he was mistakenly declared dead. Upon that declaration, the government clawed back $5,201 from Johnson’s bank account, canceled his Medicare coverage, and warned credit agencies that he was “deceased, do not issue credit.” While Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” said the error had “zero connection” to its work, it is at least an unfortunate coincidence that Musk has repeatedly insisted that dead people are collecting benefits.

Various recent reports show the cost of the destruction of the government that worked for everyone. Kate Knibbs of Wired reported today that cuts at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have decimated the teams that inspect plant and food imports, creating risks from invasive pests and leaving food to rot as it waits for inspection.

Today, Sharon LaFraniere, Minho Kim, and Julie Tate of the New York Timesreported that cuts to the top secret National Nuclear Security Administration have meant the loss of critical employees—from scientists and engineers through accountants and lawyers—at the agency that manages the nation’s 3,748 nuclear bombs and warheads. The agency was already shorthanded as it worked to modernize the arsenal and was hiring to handle the additional workload. Now it appears to have lost many of its leaders, who were most likely to be able to land top jobs in the private sector.

Republicans convinced Americans to vote to undermine a government that enables all of us to look out for each other by pushing a narrative that says such a government is dangerous because it gives power to undesirables and lets crime run rampant in the U.S. On Friday, Musk reposted an outrageous tweet saying that dictators “Stalin, Mao, and Hitler didn’t murder millions of people. Their public sector employees did.”

The idea that a government that works for everyone is dangerous is at the heart of the administration’s rhetoric about the men it has deported to El Salvador without the due process of law. Although we have no idea who those men are, the administration insists they are violent criminals and that anyone trying to protect the rule of law is somehow siding with rapists and murderers. On Saturday, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement saying that the judge insisting on the rule of law was supporting “terrorists over the safety of Americans.”

In place of a world in which the government works for all Americans, President Donald Trump and his supporters are imposing authoritarianism. This morning, Trump declared the presidential pardons issued by his predecessor, President Joe Biden, “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT,” and went on to say that members of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol “should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.” The Constitution does not have any provision to undo a presidential pardon, and Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times noted that “[i]mplicit in his post was Mr. Trump’s belief that the nation’s laws should be whatever he decrees them to be.”

After White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walked back Trump’s insistence that Biden’s pardons were invalid by saying that Trump was just suggesting that Biden was mentally incompetent when he signed the pardons, Trump pulled the Secret Service protection from Biden’s children Hunter and Ashley, apparently to demonstrate that he could.

The rejection of a government that works for all Americans in order to concentrate power in the executive branch appears to serve individuals like Musk, rather than the American people. Isaac Stanley-Becker reported in The Atlantic on March 9 that although the government awarded Verizon a $2.4 billion contract to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration’s communications network, Musk has instructed his SpaceX company to install its equipment in that network. Those installations seem designed to make the U.S. air traffic control system dependent on SpaceX, whose equipment, Stanley-Becker notes, “has not gone through strict U.S.-government security and risk-management review.”

When Evan Feinman, who directed the $42.5 billion rural broadband program, left his position on Friday, he wrote an email to his former colleagues warning that there would be pressure to turn to SpaceX’s Starlink for internet connection in rural areas. “Stranding all or part of rural America with worse internet so that we can make the world’s richest man even richer is yet another in a long line of betrayals by Washington,” he wrote.

Cuts to the traditional U.S. government also appear to serve Russia. Over the weekend, the administration killed the Voice of America media system that has spread independent democratic journalism across the world for 83 years. About 360 million people listened to its broadcasts. The system was a thorn in the side first of the Soviet Union and now of Russia and China. Now it is silent, signaling the end of U.S. soft power that spread democratic values. “The world’s autocrats are doing somersaults,” the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote.

And maybe those two things go hand in hand. Maggie Haberman, Kate Conger, Eileen Sullivan, and Ryan Mac of the New York Times reported today that Starlink has been installed across the White House campus. Officials say that Musk has “donated” the service, although because of security concerns, individuals typically cannot simply give technology to the government.

Waldo Jaquith, who worked for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Barack Obama and who specializes in best practices for government procurement of custom software, posted on social media: “I'm the guy who used to oversee the federal government's agency IT telecommunications contracts. This is extremely bad. There is absolutely no need for this. Not only is it a huge security exposure, but the simplest explanation for this is that it is meant to be a security exposure.”

The test of whether Americans will accept the destruction of a government that works for the common good and its replacement with one that works for the president and his cronies might well come from the need to address disasters like the storm system that hit the Deep South and the Plains over the weekend. At least forty people died, including four in Oklahoma, three in Arkansas, six in Mississippi, three in Alabama, eight in Kansas, four in Texas, and at least twelve in Missouri. High winds, tornadoes, and fires did extraordinary damage across the region.

The destruction caused by a hurricane that flattened Galveston, Texas, in 1900 was a key factor in developing the modern idea of a nonpartisan government that could efficiently provide relief after a disaster and help in the process of rebuilding. As Alex Fitzpatrick of Axios reported last week, Trump has suggested “fundamentally overhauling or reforming” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or even getting rid of it entirely, turning emergency relief over to the states. A new analysis by the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database shows that Republican-dominated states receive a lot of that assistance.

Sarah Labowitz, who led the study, told Fitzpatrick: “Up to now, when there is a disaster, the government responds. They clean up the debris, they rebuild the schools, they run shelters, they clean the drinking water. All of that is supported by a federal disaster relief ecosystem that spreads the risk around the country, spreads the costs around the country. And if we stop spreading the costs around the country, then it's going to fall on states, and it's going to fall on states really unevenly.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 17, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Mar 18, 2025

From 1942 to 1945, the Code Talkers were key to every major operation of the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater. The Code Talkers were Indigenous Americans who used codes based in their native languages to transmit messages that the Axis Powers never cracked. The Army recognized the ability of tribal members to send coded language in World War I and realized the codes could not be easily interpreted in part because many Indigenous languages had never been written down.

The Army expanded the use of Code Talkers in World War II, using members of 34 different tribes in the program. Indigenous Americans always enlisted in the military in higher proportions than any other demographic group—in World War II, more than a third of able-bodied Indigenous men between 19 and 50 joined the service—and the participation of the Code Talkers was key to the invasion of Iwo Jima, for example, when they sent more than 800 messages without error.

“Were it not for the Navajos,” Major Howard Connor said, “the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.”

Today, Erin Alberty of Axios reported that at least ten articles about the Code Talkers have disappeared from U.S. military websites. Broken URLs are now labeled “DEI,” an abbreviation for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”

Axios found that web pages associated with the Department of Defense have also put DEI labels on now-missing pages that honored prominent Black veterans. Similarly missing is information about women who served in the military, including the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II. A profile of Army Major General Charles Rogers, who received the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam, was similarly changed, but the Defense Department replaced the missing page and removed “dei” from the URL today after a public outcry.

Two days ago, media outlets noted that the Arlington National Cemetery website had deleted content about Black, female, and Hispanic veterans.

The erasure of Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and female veterans from our military history is an attempt to elevate white men as the sole actors in our history. It is also an attempt to erase a vision of a nation in which Americans of all backgrounds come together to work—and fight—for the common good.

After World War II, Americans came together in a similar spirit to create a government that works for all of us. It is that government—and the worldview it advances—that the Trump administration is currently dismantling.

The most obvious attack on that government is the attempt to undermine Social Security, a system by which Congress in 1935 pulled Americans together to support the nation’s most vulnerable. President Donald Trump and his sidekick billionaire Elon Musk have been asserting, falsely, that Social Security is mired in fraud and corruption.

Today, Judd Legum of Popular Information reported that an internal memo from the Social Security Administration, written by acting deputy commissioner Doris Diaz, called for requiring beneficiaries to visit a field office to provide identification if they cannot access the internet to complete verification there. Diaz estimated that implementing this policy would require the administration to receive 75,000 to 85,000 in-person visitors a week.

But Social Security Administration offices no longer accept walk-ins and the current wait time for a visit already averages more a month, while this change would create a 14% increase in visits. The administration is currently closing Social Security offices. Diaz predicted “service disruption,” “operational strain,” and “budget shortfalls” that would create increased “challenges for vulnerable populations.” She also predicted “legal challenges and congressional scrutiny.”

In the news over the weekend has been the story of 82-year-old Ned Johnson of Seattle, Washington, who lost his Social Security benefits after he was mistakenly declared dead. Upon that declaration, the government clawed back $5,201 from Johnson’s bank account, canceled his Medicare coverage, and warned credit agencies that he was “deceased, do not issue credit.” While Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” said the error had “zero connection” to its work, it is at least an unfortunate coincidence that Musk has repeatedly insisted that dead people are collecting benefits.

Various recent reports show the cost of the destruction of the government that worked for everyone. Kate Knibbs of Wired reported today that cuts at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have decimated the teams that inspect plant and food imports, creating risks from invasive pests and leaving food to rot as it waits for inspection.

Today, Sharon LaFraniere, Minho Kim, and Julie Tate of the New York Times reported that cuts to the top secret National Nuclear Security Administration have meant the loss of critical employees—from scientists and engineers through accountants and lawyers—at the agency that manages the nation’s 3,748 nuclear bombs and warheads. The agency was already shorthanded as it worked to modernize the arsenal and was hiring to handle the additional workload. Now it appears to have lost many of its leaders, who were most likely to be able to land top jobs in the private sector.

Republicans convinced Americans to vote to undermine a government that enables all of us to look out for each other by pushing a narrative that says such a government is dangerous because it gives power to undesirables and lets crime run rampant in the U.S. On Friday, Musk reposted an outrageous tweet saying that dictators “Stalin, Mao, and Hitler didn’t murder millions of people. Their public sector employees did.”

The idea that a government that works for everyone is dangerous is at the heart of the administration’s rhetoric about the men it has deported to El Salvador without the due process of law. Although we have no idea who those men are, the administration insists they are violent criminals and that anyone trying to protect the rule of law is somehow siding with rapists and murderers. On Saturday, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement saying that the judge insisting on the rule of law was supporting “terrorists over the safety of Americans.”

In place of a world in which the government works for all Americans, President Donald Trump and his supporters are imposing authoritarianism. This morning, Trump declared the presidential pardons issued by his predecessor, President Joe Biden, “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT,” and went on to say that members of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol “should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.” The Constitution does not have any provision to undo a presidential pardon, and Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times noted that “[i]mplicit in his post was Mr. Trump’s belief that the nation’s laws should be whatever he decrees them to be.”

After White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walked back Trump’s insistence that Biden’s pardons were invalid by saying that Trump was just suggesting that Biden was mentally incompetent when he signed the pardons, Trump pulled the Secret Service protection from Biden’s children Hunter and Ashley, apparently to demonstrate that he could.

The rejection of a government that works for all Americans in order to concentrate power in the executive branch appears to serve individuals like Musk, rather than the American people. Isaac Stanley-Becker reported in The Atlantic on March 9 that although the government awarded Verizon a $2.4 billion contract to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration’s communications network, Musk has instructed his SpaceX company to install its equipment in that network. Those installations seem designed to make the U.S. air traffic control system dependent on SpaceX, whose equipment, Stanley-Becker notes, “has not gone through strict U.S.-government security and risk-management review.”

When Evan Feinman, who directed the $42.5 billion rural broadband program, left his position on Friday, he wrote an email to his former colleagues warning that there would be pressure to turn to SpaceX’s Starlink for internet connection in rural areas. “Stranding all or part of rural America with worse internet so that we can make the world’s richest man even richer is yet another in a long line of betrayals by Washington,” he wrote.

Cuts to the traditional U.S. government also appear to serve Russia. Over the weekend, the administration killed the Voice of America media system that has spread independent democratic journalism across the world for 83 years. About 360 million people listened to its broadcasts. The system was a thorn in the side first of the Soviet Union and now of Russia and China. Now it is silent, signaling the end of U.S. soft power that spread democratic values. “The world’s autocrats are doing somersaults,” the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote.

And maybe those two things go hand in hand. Maggie Haberman, Kate Conger, Eileen Sullivan, and Ryan Mac of the New York Times reported today that Starlink has been installed across the White House campus. Officials say that Musk has “donated” the service, although because of security concerns, individuals typically cannot simply give technology to the government.

Waldo Jaquith, who worked for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Barack Obama and who specializes in best practices for government procurement of custom software, posted on social media: “I'm the guy who used to oversee the federal government's agency IT telecommunications contracts. This is extremely bad. There is absolutely no need for this. Not only is it a huge security exposure, but the simplest explanation for this is that it is meant to be a security exposure.”

The test of whether Americans will accept the destruction of a government that works for the common good and its replacement with one that works for the president and his cronies might well come from the need to address disasters like the storm system that hit the Deep South and the Plains over the weekend. At least forty people died, including four in Oklahoma, three in Arkansas, six in Mississippi, three in Alabama, eight in Kansas, four in Texas, and at least twelve in Missouri. High winds, tornadoes, and fires did extraordinary damage across the region.

The destruction caused by a hurricane that flattened Galveston, Texas, in 1900 was a key factor in developing the modern idea of a nonpartisan government that could efficiently provide relief after a disaster and help in the process of rebuilding. As Alex Fitzpatrick of Axios reported last week, Trump has suggested “fundamentally overhauling or reforming” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or even getting rid of it entirely, turning emergency relief over to the states. A new analysis by the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database shows that Republican-dominated states receive a lot of that assistance.

Sarah Labowitz, who led the study, told Fitzpatrick: “Up to now, when there is a disaster, the government responds. They clean up the debris, they rebuild the schools, they run shelters, they clean the drinking water. All of that is supported by a federal disaster relief ecosystem that spreads the risk around the country, spreads the costs around the country. And if we stop spreading the costs around the country, then it's going to fall on states, and it's going to fall on states really unevenly.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[spiderscribe]

Happy day 10 of TF Rare Pairing Fest!! I hope you've all been enjoying Percy's rotating harem of boyfriends, because I was also asked to write Blurr/Perceptor and that’s what you’re getting today. For the prompt "Butterfly" <3

@tfrarepairing

“Hey, Percy?” asks Blurr, breaking the silence and consequently shattering Perceptor’s focus for the fifth time in as many kliks.

Resisting the strong urge to comm a security guard and request that Blurr be removed from the premises on the basis of being a metal shard in his side, Perceptor lowers his datapad and stares down Blurr. “What?”

Blurr wilts a little at Perceptor’s frosty tone, but he squares his shoulders and keeps talking anyway, his ever-present irritating grin on his face. “This place is really nice. How’d you end up working here?”

“I was recruited to assist in species inventory and identification.” Perceptor ticks off the last box on his checklist and swipes to the next page, walking towards the next room. Blurr scrambles after him, and a distant part of Perceptor’s processor notes that it’s rather funny to see the world’s fastest bot running to keep up with him. “The current categorization system is horribly inefficient.”

“Oh. That’s, uh. That sounds pretty bad,” says Blurr as he follows him. “Did they call you up because you’re an expert in this field?”

“Not particularly,” says Perceptor. “I assume I was contacted because of my extensive general knowledge of offworld organic fauna.”

The two of them emerge into an enormous, brightly-lit enclosure that smells strongly of organic soil. Sunlight streams in through the glass roof, glittering against the lush green crystal trees and imported Earth plants growing in abundance. A steel bridge embedded with decorative stone pieces winds through the artificial forest, inviting visitors to continue strolling inside. In the distance, Perceptor can hear the merry bubbling of the water fountain spilling over fields of grass.

And throughout the entire room, thousands of cyber-butterflies and organic butterflies flap freely, filling the room with their distinct buzzing and unique patterns in a canopy of vibrant colours.

(read the rest on ao3!)

[thehomophobe]

When encountering a child 🧒: Part 1

Freddy 🐻: It was a few minutes before closing time and Freddy decided took take one last look through Fazerblast before heading back to his greenroom. All the S.T.A.F.F. bots were all taken to maintenance after a huge birthday party blew out the laser tag arena. Let's just say...the kids got a little rowdy...

The only source of life (in this case robotic life) is the little wet floor bots, warning any unexpected visitors of the mess. And of course, Freddy himself. So when the soft sobs swam into his audio receptors, Freddy became alert. The arena was pretty dark, so he had to rely on the optical sensors for finding the source. 

*sob sob* 

The sound was close. Just around the corner. Freddy tries to quiet his footing, but with his metallic feet it was hard to soften them. Behind a panel reveal a small child in gray, silently sobbing in fetal position. Upon closer inspection, the child was unharmed but distress levels rose and fell slowly. They must've been overstimulated by the arena. 

"Superstar, are you lost?" Freddy kneeled to the child. They back away in fright, scared of the muscular android in front of them. 

"I do not mean any harm. I only concern for your safety." Freddy stated as he scanned the child's face.

NO GUEST IDENTIFICATION FOUND 

"I can not find your guest identification in the system. Tell me, what is your name?"

"(Y-(Y/N)..." The child sucked a breath.

"Are your parents still the Mega Pizzaplex?"

The child calmed down after seeing the android really didn't mean any harm. Sobs and pants of fear die down to normal breathing as their heartbeat lessen softly. "N-No...They left me..." The child said timidly. "They all left me..." Tears slid down the cheeks of the kid's face once more. Freddy felt bad, doleful for the child situation. How would their parents just leave them here without taking a second glimpse back. 

"That's...horrible Superstar..." Said Freddy. The lights slowly dim away. The plex was closed; it was too late for anyone to leave or come in anymore. For the time, Freddy wanted to give the child at least a comfortable place to stay until the plex opens again.  

"Would you like to stay in my green room until the next dawn? I will help you find your parents until then."

The child nodded, wiping away the leftover tear streaks and held Freddy's outstretched hand.

Chica 🐔: Closing time. Which means snacking time! 

Between the soft ambience of background music, clunky shoes clicked onto flooring in haste. Chica makes a mad dash passed security bots, hiding behind boxes and implanted greenery when needed to. A tough mission but she was built for this. Mazercise was her daily training session, if she runs through the entire thing she can run pass these guys. "Hang tight frozen pineapple pizza. I shall reunite with you on this very night." Chica internally monologues. Recently she watched a cool heist movie with a coworker last night after they fixed the screen in the arcade.

And now she feels like one of the characters. On a dastardly mission with high risk and high reward.

*(insert a montage of Chica passing by dozens of security)*

After the final mile, Chica swiftly made it into the kitchen. During her break-in she temporarily disabled the worker bot inside. Can't have any witnesses. 

Synthetic hands rubbed against each other in triumph and mischievous glee. "Alright, now where is it...?" She ponders. It's time for a kitchen hunt. Around every corner, inside every crate and cupboard, she goes aimlessly around the kitchen.

Because she forgot where the kitchen staff left it.

"It's not here either." Chica whined. With a finger tapping against her chin, she pondered. If she was a full box of frozen pineapple pizza, where would she be?

"OH! In the trash!" That's gotta be it. It's just a quick trip to the trash pile, nothing to big for her to handle.

*rumble rumble.*

"Hm?" Chica turned to the sound. Was someone coming? The door isn't locked so anyone can get in. Well, any bot can get it, the human staff had already left. *bamp*The sound of plastic dropping made the gynoid flinch. "Hello~?" She called out. Just making sure it's not an actual person.

*shuffle*

It's...it's...it's...

It's coming from the sink cabinet.

Chica stepped lightly and quietly (despite having chunky orange heels on) towards the living cabinet.

*shuffle*

It shuffled again! The sink is alive!

Wait wait wait...it's probably just a raccoon that snuck in. Chica shrugged and open the cabinet with ease...

...

Well it's not an animal, but it is a little kid. 

The child was tiny, which explains why they could fit in the cabinet. Light grays were the color of choice for the kid, but little crumbs of brown, yellow and pink speckled their shirt. And well as their mouth, which was awkwardly straight. 

"Hey! Did you take my pizza?" Chica raised a brow. The child turn frightened after hearing her demanding question. They shakes their head in fear. They felt guilty, even if they didn't eat the gynoid's pizza. Chica, after seeing this honesty and the fear emitted from the child, took a step back. She didn't mean to scare the kid, she just asked if they knew where the pizza was. 

"Aw I'm sorry sweetie. I didn't mean to be rude." She said doply.  "Come on, let's get you out of their." She gently grab the child out from the sink and into her arms to get a better look.

NO GUEST IDENTIFICATION FOUND 

"Huh? That's weird. Usually every guest registers into the plex at the entrance. How did they get in?" Chica wiped the crumbs off the kid's face as she thought out loud. 

*grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr* A tummy rumbled.

"Hehe. Guess you're still hungry huh?" The child nodded. "What's your name sweetie?"

"I'm (Y/N)." The child giggled.

Monty 🐊: "COME BACK HERE BRAT!" Monty growled. Tonight, all of nights, had to be when a kid snuck into the plex last minute. Those security bots really are stupid. And now because of them, Monty going around chasing the kid in Gator Golf. The kid was fast. Incredibly fast. But luckily for Monty, he's got more stamina since he charged after the last performance of the night.

Currently, the kid stands on top of one of the gator head in the course, waiting for Monty to make a turn. Whether it be right or left, they'll the opposite. What they don't know is what if Monty chose to crawl upward towards them. Behind the gator head was the pools of water, which were cold and still. Monty approached the kid slowly, like a carnivore hunting for fresh meat. 

"Come on kid..." Monty groaned. Not of physical exhaustion, but of mental exhaustion from chasing this kid up down left right throughout the entire golf course. The doors leading outside the course were locked so the kid couldn't escape. The closer Monty got to the kid, the farther back they went.

But the kid knows that any further could lead into the freezing water.

"You don't want to take a swim, do ya?" Monty asked. The kid giggled and shook their head. They shifted left. They shifted right. They were definitely cornered. 

...

*slip*

*splash*

Well...it was bound to happen. The kid fell into the ravine, disturbing the still waters of the course. Monty huffed, this kid...

The child flailed in the water, whether it be due to the cold or that they didn't learn how to swim. The android groaned like a tired father who was always overworked to the bone; two fingers pinched the synthetic nose bridge. 

The reason why he's acting like this is because he knows this kid. He knows this rowdy child who always worn a child leash by their parents and somehow still manages to get off of it. He also knows that he was this kid's favorite. 

"Hang tight hatchling, I'ma comin'" Monty reassured the kid as he took his clothes off, avoiding any questions on why his stage clothes were wet. He waded, the water barely reaching the shoulders. The waters in the course were deep, but not too deep. Underneath the murky pools lied the goofballs whiffed from today's course and were left to rot below. He could tell; he was stepping on all of them. The kid held onto Monty's torso and carried out the pool, wet with tears and chlorine. 

"Jeez, I really gotta teach you how to swim."

[yuriisclumsy]

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐈𝐕 — 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐈𝐈𝐈 | 𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐈𝐕 (you are here) | 𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕

Sub-Serie: City Outskirts Art | Timeless Treasure Concept Art

Authors note: Hi, Lovelies! It's been a while since I uploaded something to the Arc series. But here it is, at last! I have other Arcs' I've been working on, so expect a few more updates in the following weeks! PS. I'll probably post a schedule once I finish the arcs and the next two chapters for the Story.

Entrance

–The main way to enter the Divine City is by first going through a system of permission only entry given and issued by the Permission of Entry Council. 

╰This Council is composed of members especially selected by her Grace.

–You have to apply to get permission to enter, with exceptions of Diplomat Permission and special Student Permission – also issued by the Council.

╰There are regulations as to who can come in, but that’ll the explored later.

–Once your permission has been approved, detailed instructions will be given to the entrance location. Even if the location of the entrance is already known to all, they still say it out of formality.

–The Main Entrance of the city is far away from the actual city contrary to common belief. Well, that is if you wish to enter by carriage or foot. Otherwise, an official boat comes around the ports of each nation every 2 weeks for transport. Hot-air balloons are also an option, though it is more complicated and expensive.

–Once inside, visitors will be given an Identification Document (ID) for recognition of Visitor Status.

–There are also guides inside the city especially for visitors. They also act like Field Trip Guides for students.

–The Hot-Air Balloon port is at a high altitude attached to the mountain the city is on. Those who chose this option will get a carriage and guide included, so it is a safe option when traveling with children.

Commerce District

–The Commerce District is the most visited place in the city. Its regulars consist of the citizens of the city and merchants, and the tourists that come in every two weeks.

–You can find all types of stores and restaurants in the district; from Sumerian cuisine to rare Liyue objects

╰Collectors usually visit Collection Actions hosted by some of the biggest treasure hunters (not to be confused for Treasure Hoarders) and adventurers out there.

Schools

–Schools… Pretty self-explanatory in my opinion. They are institutions that teach future generations. Nothing too important.

Colosseum

–The Colosseum. The second most visited place, and the most visited structure in the city. Mainly used for holding the Upholder Competition each year, the Colosseum is a place for holding big scale events. Such as, the academies introduction and orientation for first years, competitions, exams, and on rare occasions, concerts.

╰PS. For someone to get permission to hold a concert in the Colosseum, you’ll have to submit a request to the castle, and have it approved by none-other than her Grace.

Grand Library

–The Grand Library was founded by her Grace as an achievement for humanity. Achievements, published works, unpublished works, paintings, machinery, scripts, languages, everything is in here.

╰Students usually come to this library than any other because it has all they can ask for. But when outside, they will use any library they can find.

–There are a few restricted areas in the library, some having more importance than others. One in particular that no one has access to other than her Grace. No-one knows what is inside.

╰Some speculate that the answer to immortality is kept within its walls.

Castle

–The Castle is the residence of her Grace and high ranked officials. A saying about the castle says that whoever lives in the castle is automatically considered a royal. It’s been circulating for ages, many telling it to children to inspire them to achieve for the best in their fields so they can be chosen to live there.

╰Although this is fake information, those who live here are indeed treated like royals when out-and-about in the city.

–When talking to officials who live, you’d hear how they always get lost in the castle before getting the aid of Head Maid Zu or Head Butler Arias to guide them. To them, the castle is one large maze. Even General Tridalia gets lost after he takes naps in remote locations in the castle.

╰Because of the unique way the castle is structured, there is no one-way path to a place in the castle. This is why even some newer maids get lost, with even veteran butlers having difficulty when going to a new section they haven’t worked in.

Royal Garden

–The Royal Garden is her Grace's favorite place to enjoy tea when having done her work. The atmosphere is calming, with animals finding home within it.

╰Species from all over Teyvat visit.

–The garden has a lake, with rivers flowing down to the ocean.

╰All rivers in the city derive from here.

–The water in the rivers is safe for drinking.

╰People drink it when sick thinking there is healing properties in the water.

Table of Celestia

–The Table of Celestia used to be the meeting point for the gods, up until the Cataclysm, 500 years ago.

–It used to hold meetings between the devine and the mortal realm. A tree was planted there, a pledge between the two realms was formed: Mortals followed the Divines’ rule, and in turn, the Divine will protect them.

–Now, it stands as a reminder of the peaceful times we live in and those who lost their lives to achieve it.

╰It is a desolate place, not even animals come here. Her Grace softly watches from afar the table holding dear memories of time gone by.

…: ≧◉◡◉≦

???: Well, if it isn't our dear little one. It’s been a while, has it not?

…:  (◡‿◡✿) *Nod*

???: Well, what have you been up to lately?

???: Not doing chaos I hope.

…: (ㆆ_ㆆ)

???: What?

???: You youngsters are capable of anything!

???: How would I know if your intentions are always pure?

…: ( ≖.≖)

???: Alright, alright.

???: I won’t judge you anymore.

…: (゜-゜)?

???: Who am I?

???: …Isn't it a little too late to ask that question?

…: ಠ╭╮ಠ

???: You want my name…Hhmm…

???: I won’t give it to you.

…: (◑_◑)

…: ◉_◉???

???: Why?

???: Simple.

???: I like the feeling of suspense.

𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚜: @udretlnea, @taurus-caeli. Re-blog or Comment if you want to get added into the Tag section for The Divine City: Arc. Back to The Divine City: Arc Master-List. Go to Story, a related series.

Back to Master-List

[sea-lifeblog]

The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a species of hawk moth found across temperate regions of Eurasia. The species is named for its similarity to hummingbirds, as they feed on the nectar of tube-shaped flowers using their long proboscis while hovering in the air; this resemblance is an example of convergent evolution.

The hummingbird hawk-moth is distributed throughout the northern Old World from Portugal to Japan, but it breeds mainly in warmer climates (southern Europe, North Africa, and points east). Three generations are produced in a year in Spain. There is evidence that the population in the British Isles is actively expanding its range, as numbers have been consistently increasing. In addition, it is believed that this population is becoming resident instead of migratory, as warmer temperatures due to climate change are allowing individuals to overwinter.

It is a strong flier, dispersing widely in the summer. However it rarely survives the winter in northern latitudes (e.g. north of the Alps in Europe, north of the Caucasus in Russia).

Moths in the genus Hemaris, also of the family Sphingidae, are known as "hummingbird moths" in the US, and "bee moths" in Europe.[citation needed] This sometimes causes confusion between this species and the North American genus.

Its long proboscis (25–28 mm (1.0–1.1 in)) and its hovering behavior, accompanied by an audible humming noise, make it look remarkably like a hummingbird while feeding on flowers. Like hummingbirds, it feeds on flowers which have tube-shaped corollae. It should not be confused with the moths called hummingbird moths in North America, genus Hemaris, members of the same family and with similar appearance and behavior. The resemblance to hummingbirds is an example of convergent evolution. It flies during the day, especially in bright sunshine, but also at dusk, dawn, and even in the rain, which is unusual for even diurnal hawkmoths. M. stellatarum engages in free hovering flight, which allows more maneuverability and control than fixed-wing flight, despite high energetic cost. Like many large insects, it relies upon Johnston's organs for body positioning information.

The hummingbird hawkmoth's visual abilities have been studied extensively, and they have demonstrated a relatively good ability to learn colours. They have a trichromatic visual system, and are most sensitive to wavelength in the range of 349-521 nm. They have been shown to discriminate a wavelength difference as small as 1–2 nm between sources. This discrimination is even more precise than Apis mellifera, or the western honey bee. Among other flower visitors, their visual system is similar to Papilio xuthus, or the Asian swallowtail butterfly, and Deilephila elpenor, the nocturnal elephant hawkmoth. Their food preference is based mainly on visual identification, while D. elpenor preference relies upon olfactory identification. Compared to D. elpenor, M. stellatarum have a much smaller number of ommatidia, but a larger optic lobe volume to provide more visual processing tissue.

[amethystamanda]

Week 1 Report

Identification scanned. System access granted to Thoq'oi Bonzula.

Daily reports compiled and attached for review by the Council.

Day 1, Sunday:

I have confirmed with FutereSim Lab that I will begin work there tomorrow.

The ship seems to be very adequate for my needs and for any future residents.

The presence of Sixami plants in Sim soil is a welcome surprise, but I'm not sure why they are there and not in the botany lab. Was it someone's experiment? There is very little documentation available on the ship.

I have a neighbour who dresses as a large blue mammal. Sims are very strange.

I have been informed there was a music event the previous evening. I chose to attend in disguise, as my appearance caused my earlier visitors to fear me.

Day 2, Monday:

I am fortunate that my visitors yesterday brought food. Sim music events are long, and I didn't anticipate returning so late. I also find it quite lonely here, and can understand why previous Emissaries began their reproduction missions so quickly.

The lab seems to study botany, chemistry, astronomy, and rocket science, with a focus on invention. There doesn't seem to be the remains of any of our citizens, but there are areas I haven't accessed yet.

I may have met a potential breeding partner, one of the scientists, Cosmos Startchild. I will investigate him more thoroughly.

He seems to be disturbingly interested in aliens. But he gave me a lead on where Sims have been discussing things they've learned (or think they've learned) about Sixam. What I've found is concerning. Who has been talking to these Sims?

Day 3, Tuesday:

This web forum gets more disturbing the deeper I dig.

I have created a version of our synthesized food serum for the Sims. Naturally not as efficient or nutrient rich as ours, due to the available materials and equipment, but enough to amaze the locals.

I have decided that Cosmos's genetics are sufficient to be a breeding partner.

I have also been approached by a rich and influential elderly Sim. These things are important to Sims, so it may be a good idea to see what happens. Two potential breeding partners is a boon not to be refused.

Hm, he has a queen already, one who could cause trouble, but he is willing to give some nice presents, and if his queen isn't keeping him occupied...

Oh, he's evil and hot-headed. Not traits I want my offspring to inherit. I will reject his advances.

Day 4, Wednesday:

I have constructed a device I call a Alkinosin. I expect it to have many uses, including capturing suspicious or inconvenient individuals.

These Sixam-obsessed sims have a concerning amount of information. They have an entire book series, in addition to what they have in their forum. Fortunately, they believe us to be benevolent.

Day 5, Thursday:

I have earned a promotion at the lab. They gave me a lamp as a reward?

Day 6, Friday:

The botany lab is coming along nicely, but the Kayetox Vine is being attacked by local fauna. It seems to be holding up well so far, but I've had no luck in removing the infestation.

I can confirm that I am pregnant. Cosmos has done his job adequately. Once I'm sure things are progressing well, I will begin investigating him more thoroughly, to determine if he should be added to the nest, have his memory altered, or have more serious action taken against him if he proves guilty of participating in whatever caused the disappearance of my colleagues.

The supervisors at the lab have sent me out to gather supplies. They claim that pregnant sims should not be allowed near the chemicals. I question their safety protocols and ventilation systems if that is enough to bar me from the entire indoor lab.

Day 7, Saturday:

Cosmos's sibling wanted to have a baby shower, which is a party where Sims give gifts to parents expecting offspring. It was... interesting. Everyone seems to think I should let them touch me. There was a cannon full of confetti. I have learned that the Starchild family has odd fashion taste outside the workplace.

End of weekly report. Report submitted by Thoq'oi Bonzula to Sixami Royal Council. Weekly orders received:

(Featuring Aliens Reloaded by onemorekayaker and Lumpinou's Gameplay Suggestion System)

[hb-writes]

Ch. 2 - Doesn't Mean It's True

Just because a pretty girl tells you a story doesn't mean it's true.

"It's Charlotte Specter. C-H-A-R-L-O-T-T-E space S-P-E-C-T-E-R," Charlie repeated herself for the third time, her frustration coming out as she let her head fall against the marble counter of the lobby's security desk. "Maybe she listed it as Charlie Specter. Do you have Charlie Specter listed?"

It wasn't the type of mistake that Donna tended to make. She always registered Charlie with her government name, the one listed on all of her identification cards. It was easier that way, but you never know. Even Donna was allowed an off day, and at this point, Charlie was ready to give out her middle name, date of birth, and social security number—whatever it took to gain access to her brother's office.

The man across the desk shook his head even as Charlie passed her school ID across the desk to the bored-looking suit on the other side accompanied by a New York Public Library card and the credit card that held both Charlotte and Harvey's names—for emergencies.

"Come on," Charlie groaned. "You've seen me here a million times before. My brother works at Pearson-Hardman. Harvey Specter. Senior Partner. Big corner office…kind of an important person in the building."

Harvey wouldn't like hearing her using that description to get her way and part of her even cringed as she muttered it, feeling like just as much of an entitled brat as the words made her sound, but she and the security officer had been at it for over ten minutes and a line was forming behind her.

"I'm sorry, miss. Mr. Specter doesn't have any visitors registered for this afternoon," he answered, barely concealing the shrug of his shoulders. "I can't let you up there without an appointment."

Charlotte groaned, pulling her forms of identification back and stashing them in her bag.

"That's probably because he wasn't expecting me to get out of school so early and he's been busy in meetings so he hasn't gotten any of his messages yet. I swear I'm his sister. I come here at least once a week. I have to be in your stupid system."

Charlie's fist slammed down on the counter. She wasn't usually like this. She usually treated the security team well. But this guy…he just stared back at her, eyebrow raised, unimpressed.

"You know what? Why don't you just call Donna, then. She'll verify. Donna Paulsen."

Charlie started to list off Donna's direct line, which she had committed to memory years ago but the man held up a hand to silence her while he dialed the number. Of course he already knew Donna's number. He didn't need her to tell him. Charlie didn't even utter a thank you as he waved her through to the elevators less than a minute later.

Charlie let out a frustrated huff, dropping her bag to the floor when she finally reached her brother's office. Donna glanced up from the computer screen for a moment while she continued typing, assessing the girl in a mere glance.

Charlotte's school blazer was slung carelessly over her shoulder, her white oxford shirt pulled out of the top of her maroon plaid shirt, the sleeves carelessly rolled up to her elbows, purposefully slouchy. The top few buttons were undone, revealing the lace-lined tank top beneath, and she wore sheer black tights with her black booties. Donna smirked. Charlie Specter had changed so significantly from the little girl in pigtails Harvey had introduced her to years ago, now skirting along the edges of her school's dress code as if it was a sport.

"Nice shoes," Donna commented.

"Thanks," Charlie answered, admiring them herself as she pulled her heel up off the ground. "I just got 'em."

Donna hummed. "Dress code changed recently?"

Charlotte shrugged and Donna smiled before sighing. "I know you know better than to irritate our good friends in security, Charlie. They do a very important job down there."

"He was the one irritating me," Charlie answered. "Must be new. And a complete goddamn imbecile."

Donna hummed again. The guy was new, but he was far from an imbecile. Donna liked him, actually. She momentarily directed her attention back to her computer screen, glancing at an incoming email.

Charlie leaned into the desk, pressing the heel of her palm against her cheek as she watched Donna read. "So, I think it's a good thing I got out early. I'm actually not feeling so well. I think I might be a little feverish."

"You poor thing," Donna murmured as she pulled her eyes from the email, her fingers still busy typing a quick response before she turned to look at the girl again. Her gaze tracing the contours of Charlie's face. "You're feeling feverish?"

Donna knew it was bullshit, but she didn't fault Charlie for trying.

"A little," Charlie answered, nodding her head.

Donna frowned at the computer screen once more before turning her chair to face Charlotte completely. "I already spoke to Oliver. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know." Charlie loosened a breath, putting her head down for a moment before looking back to Donna. "I was there…but don't you think Harvey has enough to deal with without us adding a silly little thing like this to his schedule? We could just let it go."

"You know what, Charlie?" Donna said, nodding her head, considering it before offering Charlie a smile. "I think you're right."

Charlie sighed. "Donna, I knew you would—" Charlie started, only to be halted in her celebration when Donna stood from her chair and leaned over the desk, causing Charlie to pull back.

"You are absolutely right," Donna continued. "Your brother's schedule is demanding enough right now without adding your careless behavior to it. He's been booked this entire week, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if this puts him right over the edge. Do you think I've been looking forward to telling him about this? His day is already full, Charlotte. Completely full."

Donna looked pointedly at the girl. She had an endlessly growing soft spot for Harvey's sister, but Donna was protective of Harvey's professional life—their shared professional life. When it came down to it, Donna supposed she was probably just protective of Harvey in general. She tried to spare him most inconveniences when she could. And dealing with Charlie when she did things like this was certainly an inconvenience. One that always put Harvey in a funk. A mood. One she'd be dealing with for days, at least.

"I'm sorry," Charlie answered honestly. "Really, I am. And isn't that all the better reason to just keep the message to ourselves then?"

The eye contact she held with Donna was so intent, so pleading that Charlie didn't notice as her brother approached, passing behind her on his way to his office. Without a word to either of them, Harvey tapped Charlie on the shoulder, beckoning for her to follow in his wake.

Charlie shut her eyes for a moment and then turned to watch her brother, unable to get any true sense of his mood from his body language alone. By the time she glanced back at Donna, the woman was back at her computer.

"Better get in there, little chick," she offered without sparing Charlie even a glance.

Charlie sighed, but rushed to pick up her bag and follow after her brother into his office.

"Why are you here and what message are you begging Donna to keep from me?"

The door hadn't even closed all of the way, but Harvey was already leaning against the front of his desk, arms folded across his chest as he watched his sister take a few tentative steps forward.

Fuck. Charlie stopped a few paces away from him, his question left unanswered for a few seconds longer as she checked over her shoulder to see that Donna was still at her desk, seemingly uninterested in their conversation. Charlie knew she was listening in, but she didn't really mind that. She was more concerned about the prospect of Donna joining them.

"Just um…" Charlie turned back to her brother as she hiked her bag up over her shoulder. "I got sent home early. I'm a little…a little sick to my stomach. I just didn't want to bother you with it. I know you're busy."

"You're a little sick to your stomach?" Harvey asked, the words sounding so stupid to Charlie now as she heard them repeated through her brother's doubtful lips. Harvey pushed off the desk to close the distance between them and placed the back of his hand to his sister's forehead. He silently transferred his hand around the back of Charlie's neck, the skin there easily accessible because her long hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head and the tie typically wrapped around her collar was nonexistent, stuffed into her bag. As Harvey held his hand to Charlie's skin, he noted that his sister's cheeks were a bit flushed. She felt warm to her brother's touch, but not by much. Certainly not enough to warrant getting sent home. Harvey left his hand resting on the back of Charlie's neck as he studied her face.

"You really don't feel well?" he asked, trying to catch her gaze though she wasn't looking up to him. If anything, she was avoiding him.

Charlie nodded, her eyes held closed for a few moments, her stomach flipping, making her wonder if she'd actually manifested a sudden illness.

Harvey continued studying her for a few breaths, letting the silence stretch on between them. Harvey sighed. "Alright," he said. "You can take a nap here. I'll have Donna order you some soup and maybe Mike can take you to the doctor on his lunch break."

Charlie gave a quick shake of her head. She wasn't eager for Mike to lose his lunch break and she knew Donna wouldn't be happy about ordering soup for her. She also wasn't eager to see a doctor who would diagnose her as nothing more than a liar.

"It's okay. I think I just need some rest. Maybe Ray could just drop me off at home?"

She looked up at him then, Harvey's face a bit unreadable, though his voice was gentle when he asked. "Is that what you want?"

Charlie nodded, something like relief coursing through her, but then Harvey let out something close to an amused snort and Charlie tensed up.

"Yeah," Harvey said, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure that's exactly what you want." He raised his voice a bit to call Donna's name as he glanced at her through the glass, asking for his messages.

There was no response from the secretary. Donna was still seated at her desk outside the office, but Charlie knew she only had a few seconds at best before Donna complied with her brother's wishes in one way or another.

Harvey glanced down at his sister again, his hand still settled on the back of her neck. "Anything you feel inclined to tell me before I listen to those messages?"

Charlie didn't answer that. She shrugged out of her brother's grip and tossed her bag on the couch, a sulk finding its way to her face. She wasn't entirely certain if there had been a right way to play this, a way to handle it where she wouldn't have been found out, but if there had been a way, this clearly hadn't been it.

"Take a seat," Harvey said as he headed toward his own chair. Harvey stared at her as she settled, waiting for her gaze to find his. "Are you going to tell me the truth from the start or should I just go ahead and get Oliver on the phone right now?"

Charlie hesitated for a second too long and Harvey shifted, his hand inching towards the phone, spurring Charlie's tongue and lips to start moving, those parts of her body working to save her even if her brain wasn't quite caught up with or approving of the plan. "Harvey, it's stupid, really. I swear. I actually—"

Harvey chuckled, but pulled his hand back from the phone. "Kid, I'm going to stop you right there."

"But Harv—"

"No, Charlie." Harvey shook his head. Just once. Just enough frustration sowed in the movement that Charlie didn't interrupt him despite the pause in his words, a clear way in, "I want the truth. Not just your version of it. Not a story. The truth."

"Well, it's actually a funny stor—"

"I don't want a story, Charlotte," Harvey interrupted. "I want the truth."

"Same thing," she offered, knowing even as she said it that there was some type of difference between stories and truth, or there could be. Stories could be true. Or they could be embellished a bit. And there was something to be said about the way it was all delivered. She knew that well as Harvey did, so Charlie wasn't surprised when her brother shut her down once again, his tone a bit sharper this time.

"It's not," Harvey snapped. "Just because a pretty girl gives you a story, doesn't mean it's true. Especially when it's someone as clever as you."

It was a backhanded compliment and it caught Charlie up for only a moment as Harvey placed his hand on the phone once again. Charlie pushed herself out of the chair, clapping her hand down on his phone before he could do anything.

Harvey lifted one of his eyebrows and snorted, but leaned back in his chair.

"Alright, then. Go ahead," he said, gesturing toward her with a hand. "Just keep in mind that I'm a lawyer. And I'm your brother. And I know you better than anyone, so don't perjure yourself."

Charlie removed her hand from the phone, taking a small step back to her seat. "I'm not under oath, but I won't," she said as she once again settled herself in the chair, allowing herself a moment to plan. To figure out where to start.

"You can start by not fumbling with your skirt."

Charlie's fingers immediately released her skirt hem. She looked up to find her brother's baiting grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he watched her. Charlie looked away and forced herself to take a deep breath. She willed herself not to be bothered.

"Confidence is key, kid."

Charlie dragged her eyes to him again and Harvey winked at her. He winked, and something broke loose in the depths of Charlie's already withering sense of control. A hot white flash of anger flowed through her.

"Fine," she nearly shouted, her hands slamming down on the arms of her chair. "You know what? I don't even care if you get mad."

Harvey leaned forward in his chair, no longer feigning his interest in what his sister had to say, but Charlotte didn't continue right away. If she'd continued, he wouldn't have been getting what he wanted anyway. She wouldn't start off with telling him what had happened at school. She'd start off with a few choice words about him goading her. And they were well deserved, maybe. Harvey had been taunting her a bit, but wasting her sudden loose lips on a few well-placed insults wasn't productive, so Harvey let her compose herself just a bit.

The older Charlie got, the more frustrating she found the depth to which her brother knew her, knew people in general. He could read a room. He understood behavior and habits. And he understood her. Harvey was—and always had been—a great predictor of Charlie's moods and behaviors, her intentions. And to be that well understood—to be so thoroughly anticipated at every turn—was at once a great comfort and a great frustration.

Harvey often knew what Charlie would do before she knew she would do it. He could put words to the thoughts being considered in his sister's head before they became completely molded. And in moments like these, that keen awareness of his didn't serve Charlie well.

"Alright, let's hear it then," Harvey finally said, chuckling as his sister's eyes darkened.

Harvey hoped that his sister would learn to control her frustration and act with a little less impulsivity as she approached adulthood. Both traits served him well now. They served him well in moments like these, but Harvey knew she would need to make herself into less of an easy read if Charlie didn't want to be taken advantage of.

"Harvey, my office, now."

Jessica poked her head in Harvey's office, her gaze sliding over the pair of them. She smiled for a moment when she saw Harvey's sister sitting across from him and she offered Charlie a greeting, her voice much warmer than it had been when she summoned Harvey just seconds before.

Harvey pulled his eyes away from his sister long enough to acknowledge Jessica's presence, but not so long as to miss Charlie make a conscious shift as she wiped the doom and gloom from her face to greet the managing partner.

Charlie smiled as she said hello and Harvey gave a light snort and shook his head, gestures Jessica narrowed her eyes at. Jessica liked the girl, liked that she had always been an assertive little thing. She had a lot to learn, but Jessica liked that Charlie gave her brother a hard time. Harvey dealing with Charlie was like Harvey having to deal with a little dose of himself, and Jessica had noted on more than one occasion that Charlie made Harvey a little more human. It was good for him.

"How's school?" Jessica asked.

"Good," Charlotte answered quickly. "Straight A's."

"Very good. Keep it up." Jessica nodded before shifting her gaze across the desk. "Harvey, I'll be in my office."

Harvey nodded and Jessica let the door close while both Specters watched her walk down the hall. Harvey promptly stood while buttoning his jacket. Despite his interest in whatever his sister had to say, his work had to come first. He couldn't, and wouldn't, let Jessica wait for too long.

"We're not finished here," Harvey said as he took a step around the desk, stopping beside his sister and waiting for him to look up at him. "Stay put. Get started on your homework."

Charlie didn't answer him. She turned her face away from him, probably to roll her damn eyes so Harvey gave her something else to roll her eyes about before stepping out to meet with Jessica.

LTLB Masterlist (Everything)

LTLB Masterlist (Chapters)

Chapter 3

[elsa16744]

Best Practices for Data Lifecycle Management to Enhance Security

Securing all communication and data transfer channels in your business requires thorough planning, skilled cybersecurity professionals, and long-term risk mitigation strategies. Implementing global data safety standards is crucial for protecting clients’ sensitive information. This post outlines the best practices for data lifecycle management to enhance security and ensure smooth operations.

Understanding Data Lifecycle Management

Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) involves the complete process from data source identification to deletion, including streaming, storage, cleansing, sorting, transforming, loading, analytics, visualization, and security. Regular backups, cloud platforms, and process automation are vital to prevent data loss and database inconsistencies.

While some small and medium-sized businesses may host their data on-site, this approach can expose their business intelligence (BI) assets to physical damages, fire hazards, or theft. Therefore, companies looking for scalability and virtualized computing often turn to data governance consulting services to avoid these risks.

Defining Data Governance

Data governance within DLM involves technologies related to employee identification, user rights management, cybersecurity measures, and robust accountability standards. Effective data governance can combat corporate espionage attempts and streamline database modifications and intel sharing.

Examples of data governance include encryption and biometric authorization interfaces. End-to-end encryption makes unauthorized eavesdropping more difficult, while biometric scans such as retina or thumb impressions enhance security. Firewalls also play a critical role in distinguishing legitimate traffic from malicious visitors.

Best Practices in Data Lifecycle Management Security

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Cybercriminals frequently target user entry points, database updates, and data transmission channels. Relying solely on passwords leaves your organization vulnerable. Multiple authorization mechanisms, such as 2FA, significantly reduce these risks. 2FA often requires a one-time password (OTP) for any significant changes, adding an extra layer of security. Various 2FA options can confuse unauthorized individuals, enhancing your organization’s resilience against security threats.

Version Control, Changelog, and File History Version control and changelogs are crucial practices adopted by experienced data lifecycle managers. Changelogs list all significant edits and removals in project documentation, while version control groups these changes, marking milestones in a continuous improvement strategy. These tools help detect conflicts and resolve issues quickly, ensuring data integrity. File history, a faster alternative to full-disk cloning, duplicates files and metadata in separate regions to mitigate localized data corruption risks.

Encryption, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and Antimalware VPNs protect employees, IT resources, and business communications from online trackers. They enable secure access to core databases and applications, maintaining privacy even on public WiFi networks. Encrypting communication channels and following safety guidelines such as periodic malware scans are essential for cybersecurity. Encouraging stakeholders to use these measures ensures robust protection.

Security Challenges in Data Lifecycle Management

Employee Education Educating employees about the latest cybersecurity implementations is essential for effective DLM. Regular training programs ensure that new hires and experienced executives understand and adopt best practices.

Voluntary Compliance Balancing convenience and security is a common challenge. While employees may complete security training, consistent daily adoption of guidelines is uncertain. Poorly implemented governance systems can frustrate employees, leading to resistance.

Productivity Loss Comprehensive antimalware scans, software upgrades, hardware repairs, and backups can impact productivity. Although cybersecurity is essential, it requires significant computing and human resources. Delays in critical operations may occur if security measures encounter problems.

Talent and Technology Costs Recruiting and developing an in-house cybersecurity team is challenging and expensive. Cutting-edge data protection technologies also come at a high cost. Businesses must optimize costs, possibly through outsourcing DLM tasks or reducing the scope of business intelligence. Efficient compression algorithms and hybrid cloud solutions can help manage storage costs.

Conclusion

The Ponemon Institute found that 67% of organizations are concerned about insider threats. Similar concerns are prevalent worldwide. IBM estimates that the average cost of data breaches will reach 4.2 million USD in 2023. The risks of data loss, unauthorized access, and insecure PII processing are rising. Stakeholders demand compliance with data protection norms and will penalize failures in governance.

Implementing best practices in data lifecycle management, such as end-to-end encryption, version control systems, 2FA, VPNs, antimalware tools, and employee education, can significantly enhance security. Data protection officers and DLM managers can learn from expert guidance, cybersecurity journals, and industry peers’ insights to navigate complex challenges. Adhering to privacy and governance directives offers legal, financial, social, and strategic advantages, boosting long-term resilience against the evolving threats of the information age. Utilizing data governance consulting services can further ensure your company is protected against these threats.

[fionayao2008]

Tripod Turnstile Overview Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, as well as Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are modern-day control devices for pedestrian flows. They are made use of in position where the entrance and also departure of individuals need to be controlled, such as smart neighborhoods, canteens, resorts, galleries, gyms, clubs, subways, terminals, docks, and so on location. Making use of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, as well as Flap Turnstile can make the flow of individuals orderly. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, Flap Turnstile are made use of in combination with smart cards, finger prints, barcodes and also other identification system equipment to create an intelligent gain access to control channel control system; they are used in mix with computer systems, access control, participation, billing monitoring, ticket systems as well as other software program to develop a The smart Turnstile Gate thorough monitoring system can realize functions such as access control, attendance, consumption, ticketing, and current limiting. This Turnstile Gate administration system belongs to the "all-in-one card" as well as is mounted at flows such as neighborhoods, factories, wise buildings, canteens, etc. It can complete different management functions such as worker card traveling control, attendance at get off job as well as meals, and dining. Tripod Turnstile system attributes Fast and also practical: review the card in and out with one swipe. Utilize the authorized IC card and wave it before the wise Tripod Turnstile visitor to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening and also charge recording job. The card analysis is non-directional and the analysis as well as composing time is 0.1 seconds, which is quick and also practical. Protection and also confidentiality: Use history or local confirmation, authorized issuance, as well as unique identification, that is, the card can just be used in this system, and also it is confidential and also risk-free. Reliability: Card radio frequency induction, trustworthy and also steady, with the capacity to judge and also assume. Flexibility: The system can flexibly set entry as well as departure control workers consents, amount of time control, cardholder credibility as well as blacklist loss coverage, including cards as well as various other features. Versatility: Through authorization, the individual card can be utilized for "one-card" management such as parking, participation, access control, patrol, intake, and so on, making it very easy to understand numerous uses of one card. Simpleness: Easy to set up, basic to attach, the software application has a Chinese user interface as well as is very easy to operate. Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and also Flap Turnstile( RS Security Co., Ltd: www.szrssecurity.com) are modern-day control tools for pedestrian passages. The usage of Tripod Turnstile, Swing Turnstile, and Flap Turnstile can make the flow of people orderly. Use the accredited IC card and also wave it in front of the clever Tripod Turnstile visitor to complete the Tripod Turnstile gate opening as well as fee recording work.

[electrasev5nwrites]

Ninja Daily: AIC 30

She came awake, murderous and blind. Aiko flashed chakra to her eyes and the world lit up. A little. It was definitely still dark, but more importantly her security had suddenly become alarmed and that wouldn't do at all.

The chuunin was confronting another one of her shinobi at her bedroom door- at least, the spectral figure looked like one of hers, in special operation whites. They must have come through the hallway window checkpoint- there were no entries directly to her room from the outside. So either the outside security had chosen to let them in, or that person was dead.

'I think I would have noticed a fight. But not if the security personnel had no chance to fight back.'

"Speak," Aiko said in a hard voice.

Her personal security didn't relax at all.

The special operations officer ducked their head. "Mizukage-sama," they murmured. It was difficult to describe the voice as anything other than soft. It wasn't particularly high or low, no rasp, or other identifying qualities. Possibly it was some kind of audible genjutsu, or possibly just disguising voices was in the curriculum. "We have apprehended a person who we believe to be a foreign agent. A patrol officer sensed someone in city hall and investigated. The intruder subdued the officer, but was taken into custody soon after."

She threw off the futon cover and slid out of bed. "I see. Identification code, please."

They rattled off a 10 digit series of numbers ending with the personal id number '892'. The first three matched a department she knew, the next four belonged to a subgroup that affiliated with…. She strained to remember Kiri's system. Ah, this person worked with Counter-Intelligence and rendezvoused with patrol teams. They probably had more information, then. She nodded and didn't take her attention fully away while she pushed open the closet door and found a long-sleeved shirt to pull over her head. "Wait a moment. Gaara?"

He shifted on his feet, the first sound he had made since materializing behind the intruder. "Yes, Aiko-sama?"

The Special Operations officer gave the smallest start.

Aiko did not smile. She did not. "Wake your sister, please, and stay with her."

He hesitated for a moment. Which was loyal, but- "Entertain yourself with one of your own projects," she urged, thinking of his library books. "This is something that I need to take care of. Thank you."

Apparently, she had reassured him enough. He nodded and disappeared into the house.

"Are you making certain that your small red friend does not gain information of value to Orochimaru-san?" Sanbi confirmed.

'Ah, you know me well.' She flipped her hair over her shoulders and gestured for the visitor to start walking first. The chuunin kept an uneasy position between Aiko and the masked officer, which was dutiful and not at all safe if they really were a threat. "When did this happen?"

"The intruder was observed about half an hour ago," came the muffled answer. "Stealthy pursuit and observation lasted about 12 minutes, the fight about five, and then reinforcements arrived on the scene. I was on the second team of reinforcements and came to contact you as the suspect was taken to interrogations. I left as he was escorted away."

Five minutes? That was a long time for a fight to go without one party ending up dead. Under most circumstances, that sounded to her like one party had been trying to do something other than kill- delay, capture, something. Had her agent been trying to capture alive and overextended their reach, or had the intruder been foolishly playing around and then lost their advantage?

Aiko felt her mind waking up, wondering at the possibilities. She usually liked her mysteries to start later in the day, but this did seem like a good one. "I would like to personally see them in custody. Anyone who has made it this far into Kirigakure is formidable, in preparation and intelligence if not ability."

"Of course." The officer gave a little bow, which looked a little strange since Aiko had forced them to walk ahead of her.

"This could be a trap," Sanbi said thoughtfully. "Perhaps this person is a spy. Or perhaps this is intended to walk you into an ambush."

'Mei has waited longer than I thought she would to try to kill me,' Aiko acknowledged. She grabbed a sword off the top of a dresser and buckled it on over her sleeping shorts as she walked. 'But at least for now, I will take this at face value. I will be careful, though. If you see anything that reads as unusual…'

"Of course."

Tactical Team Turtle remained on alert, but there wasn't even a half-hearted murder attempt. She met with the head of her Torture and Interrogations department while her escort faded away into the wall. Kiri's T&I was surprisingly small, by Konoha's standards. Kiri took less living prisoners. The head was a hard-faced man of about 60. She could only assume that Abe-san was simply too angry to retire.

"Jounin, or upper level chuunin." He paced like a cat, hardly giving his Mizukage a second glance. "No indication of affinity or bloodline limit. Clothes and weapons are all from Kirigakure, but she's definitely mainland."

Aiko bit her lower lip and turned to look at the kunoichi on the other side of the bars. It was hard to tell with her face all bloodied up, but it seemed like the infiltrator was a teenager. Maybe 15, 16. Slight build, healthy looking skin, a bit more muscled than you'd expect throughout her upper back and shoulders. She either liked building muscle or did something a little unusual, maybe used some kind of large weapon, or did a lot of free climbing? Judging by her apparent good health, she'd either come from one of the wealthier villages, or was from a privileged social strata in one of the smaller ones. A clan member, or daughter of someone wealthy.

"Fighting style?" Aiko asked. The prisoner looked up to give her a little sneer and then tossed her head.

Abe grunted. "She used poisons, but she's either mediocre or wants us to think she is."

There was a flash of irritation on the girl's face, and she turned away.

"Weapons?" Aiko asked.

Abe shrugged. "Had wire, shuriken, and a short blade on her. Only used wire in the fight, trying to garotte. Hoping to end it quietly and continue the mission, probably. Not strong enough to finish things that way, turned to hand-to-hand, delivered a poison carried under her fingernails."

She felt a tinge of doubt at his words, but Aiko gave an appreciative nod. "Thank you." She tilted her head, taking the infiltrator in one more time.

If she had been kitted-out with local goods, it meant her operation was either well-funded or done with inside help. She might have been impersonating one of their operatives, possibly for some time. At a glance, the girl fit in well enough. She had one of the broader faces so common in the older families around the western islands, a suntan, and a proud tilt to her chin.

Actually, long-term infiltration really might have been the angle. There were a lot of faces going in and out of Kiri lately, and a younger operative was likely to have a lower rank and attract less suspicion.

Well. Time would tell. Aiko took a step back and nodded to Abe. "You're authorized." But she also gestured for him to follow her. His second stepped up to the cell as they passed. She led him silently down the hall until they were far enough for her to pose a question.

"She's downplaying her strength," Abe said, before she could ask. He cracked an unpleasant smile. "Fujiwara actually cut through the wire, this girl nearly overpowered him. I think she decided mid-fight that she was going to get captured, and decided to look weak in order to leave herself wiggle room to get out. I want to give her a chance to try whatever it is she thinks she can do."

Aiko nodded, feeling reassured in his judgment. It really wasn't that hard to garotte someone, and this girl looked like she could do it. "Is it possible that the initial goal was to be captured?" she asked. "Failing to kill with poison in this situation is odd, since she can't have been hoping to take a hostage. It could be just that she doesn't know what she's doing, but that's hard to reconcile with a person who chose to deliver it via her hands. An inexperienced agent could easily make a mistake and poison themselves that way. I think that she didn't want to kill, because that would make it much more likely that we would execute her."

Abe nodded agreement. He seemed pleased by the analysis. "It's a possibility. It truly could be that a mistake was made when selecting Kiri-based weaponry, or that it was due to lack of options. But it is more interesting to wonder if this was a competent operation to get an operative in custody." He tapped the concrete wall of the prison, underneath one of the administrative buildings. "Which begs a few questions."

Aiko smiled at her agent, because it was nice to be around people who thought of puzzles the way that she did. "Well, let's ask them. Thank you, Abe-san."

He gave her a grim smile in return, with warmness in his brown eyes. "The write-up from the encounter is preliminary, I'll have more information to you as I have it." He dug within his flak jacket for twice-folded piece of paper that Aiko took. No, it was two pieces of paper, with narrow handwriting.

They exchanged nods and then went their separate ways.

Aiko took her thoughts to her office. Her first instinct was to point a finger at Orochimaru, because he had already installed one agent in her home and had a personal grudge against her. He might have assumed she had a weakness for kids, especially if he realized that she still had Gaara. And it was possible that this girl could have hoped to make contact with Karin, might still manage it. Or her mission could have been separate.

But Orochimaru wasn't the only village out there interfering in Kiri. Someone had tried to poison her people, or done it in order to sour the alliance with Nadeshiko. It could be Nadeshiko, one of Nadeshiko's enemies, one of Kiri's enemies, a neutral party who stood to lose something if they joined forces….

Could be Konoha. They had their spymaster in the country already. If he was going to go around starting conversations with people who looked like Kiri shinobi, sending a young woman would be a good method to disguise the communication.

Suna. They had responded to her message to say that they would send a delegation, but they had to be cautious. It was probably half to placate her, being that they were so weakened at the moment. Could be Suna loyalists looking to protect Temari's team, could be a rival group looking to delegitimize it to prevent her from taking power in the vacuum.

Or, hell, it could be Kumo, because those guys were just really hard to read and uncomfortably close. Close enough for all sorts of shenanigans, and a likely place to produce a kunoichi who seemed young and strong enough to pull this kind of thing off. Aiko sighed and put away the prelim report when she was done with it.

She waited an hour to hear back, at which point her body was starting to complain more vigorously about her already stressful schedule being taxed by a lack of sleep. When she got the initial report- disappointing- Aiko sighed. She considered how good Obito had been at convincing people that they wanted to tell him things. She flicked her eyes absentmindedly between Rinnegan and Sharingan, wondering at how exactly he had done that. She should have asked before, probably.

Well. She'd start looking out for opportunities to practice that kind of thing, then. It seemed wasteful to try it on this girl, though. If her first attempt went sour, she would have lost out on any chance to gain intelligence on the situation.

Irritable and exhausted, she went back home as soon as the full security sweep had come back clear. It was about 4 in the morning when the last team signed off and she crept through her house. It was dark and quiet, so she went back to her room without trying to talk to the kids. It was better that someone had gotten some damn rest.

She was back in bed for 23 glorious minutes before she had the sudden feeling of imminent doom.

"Aiko-sama." Gaara stood at the foot of her bed, arms crossed over his chest.

She sat up blearily. "Good morning," Aiko said. She tugged at a pillow that had migrated halfway down the bed at some point. "What time is it?" It was still dark in her room- the only light was coming from down the hallway. Fuck. Really? Really?

Gaara just looked at her, as though the question was completely incomprehensible.

"The boy does not sleep," Sanbi reminded.

Ugh. As soon as Konoha knew she had been lying to them about the Ichibi, she was going to pay Jiraiya to fix Gaara's seal. That wasn't the kind of thing she felt comfortable experimenting with, but the boy deserved some peace.

"What did you want to talk about?", she went with. Aiko rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and half-wished that Mei would kill her already so this bullshit would be someone else's problem.

Sanbi made a deeply unhappy noise.

"You need to arrest two of your shinobi," Gaara said promptly.

She eyed Gaara over her wrist. "For amusement value, or..." She trailed off as she remembered one of Gaara's assignments. "Oh, the poisoning?" She threw off the bedcovers and grimaced at the cold. Aiko resigned herself to it. This was clearly going to be the worst kind of day. "Who is it?"

Gaara stepped to the side slightly as she put her feet on the floor and rose into a stretch. "One of the chuunin recently interviewed," he said. He watched her run fingers through her hair and pull on thick leggings to ward off the cold night air. "They were an accomplice."

"Oh, shit," Aiko said with feeling. She wrinkled her face into a scowl. "I really would have guessed that the twins were either both innocent or both guilty."

Her apprentice gave her a doleful look.

Mei or Utakata would have taken that as a chance to say something witty. Aiko sighed and snagged more clothes off of hangers. She tossed the undershirt and sweater on the bed and began unfastening the slacks. "And?" she prompted.

"One of the former political dissidents who returned when you allowed it." Gaara did not seem particularly approving. "I found them by researching who returned to the village around the time of the shipment."

Aiko paused, one leg in her pants. "Are you saying that you assumed that one of my chuunin was guilty, and then looked for connections?" she asked. She felt vaguely insulted by it as she zipped up and pulled a long-sleeved undershirt over her head.

"Yes," said Gaara, who did not have much faith in her shinobi. "Many of your shinobi who never left the village had ties to shinobi who returned. This causes them to be compromised, if they wish to protect their friends."

"Everyone wants to protect their friends," Aiko said dryly, the instant that her head was out of the neck on her sweater. She pushed the sleeves of her coziest sweater up to her elbows and glanced around for socks.

"Not everyone's friends have previously expressed their hatred for the citizenry of the village," Gaara pointed out.

She stopped in her tracks, mismatched socks in hand. Then she gave her apprentice a wounded look, as though it was his fault that he was right. "Some of them are nice people," Aiko pointed out. "There were good reasons to leave."

"I do understand your policy," Gaara said. He looked bored beyond belief at the concept. "The former political dissident is Yama Shuu. He left as a jounin and was reinstated as a chuunin, pending mental health assessments before returning to rank."

Aiko let out a gusty sigh. "I don't think he's going to pass them." What a pain in the ass. They could have used another jounin.

Gaara's eyes tracked over to her and then away. He didn't respond.

Ah, well. He was here on business after all. "Motivation?" Aiko asked.

"Yama-san blames Kirigakure as a whole for the toxic culture that resulted in the bloodline purge," he said, more comfortable on topic. "He was not associated with any clan, but fled when the order to purge was given."

She sighed. "So either just because he disagreed with it, he thought more killing would come, or that he possibly had some bloodline connection that might have gotten dug up," Aiko summarized. She felt tired. All she had energy for was pulling her hair back in a way that hopefully disguised any bedhead. "Evidence against him?"

"He has one of the missing containers," Gaara said, sounding offended at this sloppy work. "Possibly he intended to use the tainted food in another location."

"Ugh," Aiko said, disgusted. That was fairly damning. "When did you discover this?"

Gaara shifted his weight slightly, the first chink in his armor that she had seen today. "Recently," he hedged.

She folded her arms and looked down at him. "You just came here from wherever he lives, didn't you?"

He looked away.

"And he didn't see you at all? We do need to move fast. If he's a jounin, he might well notice someone was in his space." She started for the door and stalked down the hallway.

"He awoke," Gaara said, sounding stiff and defensive.

Oh, no.

She stopped in her tracks.

"I have restrained him."

Well, that boded well. Didn't sound fatal or anything. Considering Gaara's track record of problem solving, not murdering was a definite plus.

...It was factually true, but she just didn't feel that reassured.

"I have broken his arms and legs. As a precaution."

Ah. She turned around to look at her apprentice, unamused. "Was that necessary?"

Gaara didn't meet her eyes. "Yes. He would flee on his legs, would he not? And make handsigns for a shunshin or other such techniques."

Aiko inhaled, closed her eyes for a moment, and considered how it actually sounded like Gaara must have broken all the man's fingers in order to be certain that he would not be able to perform any jutsu. There was a certain brutal practicality to it. As a solution for a person with few, if any, resources to fall back on, she could understand it. She would do it, in the right circumstances.

But being the student of the Mizukage, a person who knew many powerful and resourceful people- those were not the circumstances of harsh desperation.

"Are you going to give a lecture about bringing proper supplies?" Sanbi asked.

'And a team,' Aiko answered, annoyed that she had to spell this out. That was the more important part. Gaara was not a lone wolf. He could have asked her, or pretty much anybody to go along with him. Two people could have much more easily handled the unpleasant surprise of disturbing their target. And one of them could have stayed to watch the prisoner, instead of breaking half their bones to be sure he wouldn't escape.

She felt a sudden pang of sympathy for Tsunade- her Tsunade, the one who had had to beat the same lesson into Aiko's head again and again. Shit. She totally deserved this student, didn't she.

"Half his bones? Not nearly. Humans have many bones," Sanbi said carelessly. "Do not exaggerate."

That was totally not the point, not even a little.

She did not deserve Sanbi, probably, but she had him. So she sighed and did what she had to. Yama-san's poor broken body was taken into custody, and a messenger was sent to divert Oda Aoi onto a mission roster that was leaving at first light, in response to new information that would require more firepower. The poor woman would have to hustle, given that she'd get the message 20 minutes before she was required to be at the gates, but it was still better. There was no sense in risking Aoi getting involved when her brother was taken into custody. He would be there when she got back, one way or another. Innocent and free, or guilty and awaiting judgment.

Kai did not actually have a chance to escape- his residence was surrounded by agents who moved in once his sister was off of the premises- but it was still surprising that he reportedly made his bed, ate half a bowl of rice and some miso soup from a packet, and then ambled out onto the street to surrender.

Guilt? Aiko wondered. Or just a desire to retain a bit of dignity?

Still, it did seem to put the nail in Gaara's theory. Just for that, she considered tossing her water at Oda Kai when she heard her people bring him into the secured interrogation area that Yama-san had only recently left. She had had faith in him, damnit, completely unwarranted faith based on her relationship with her twin.

"Ah. After all, you are so close," Sanbi said dryly. "You have a twin?"

Aiko told him to shove his attitude someplace rude.

She dealt with the poisoner first. He cut a pathetic figure, even after some medical treatment. Gaara had indeed broken his hands, and that was delicate work to reverse. They were swollen purple lumps under white bandage. His legs were better- splinted professionally, and slightly raised. They'd be better within a week, with continued treatment.

So her terrorist suspect was balancing on the very edge of his ass with both legs in the air and arms resting gingerly on a plastic table when she came in.

It was not a sight to strike fear.

"Good afternoon." She let her voice come out just as unimpressed as she felt, not bothering to reach for the manners she'd apply to any random person on the street. He'd been rude first, what with the murder and all. "I apologize for my apprentice's enthusiasm, but you have bigger problems, don't you?" Aiko pulled out the lone seat and settled on it like a queen.

Yama-san still hadn't looked at her, though he had flinched at the sound of her voice.

She sighed. "You present an irritating counterargument to my initiative to reintegrate political dissidents," Aiko said. She let her real annoyance come out. "Selfish, don't you think? Good men and women left their country reluctantly, because it was in the fist of a madman. And now you've given my political rivals a good, solid justification to say that they should all be hunted down because they left, even though the culture has changed to prove that many of those who left were in the right. Is that what you wanted?"

Not that she had many political rivals. At least, not many who had revealed themselves. There was someone waiting around, she had no doubt. There always was.

Yama-san seemed to draw further into himself. Good. Perhaps he was ashamed. It seemed like his profile was accurate, at least.

"Do you deny it?" Aiko demanded, just to be clear. He had already confessed, but she wanted to hear it.

"No." He said it sullenly. "I wanted to hurt as many people as possible. They're weak. They cowered when that bastard ruled. They deserved it."

"You were really bad at it," Aiko pointed out. Her tone slipped into a little bit of mockery. "I was served some- did you know that? I and my apprentice. I suppose you wish we'd eaten that. But it was not terribly subtle- how foolish was it not to stick around to ensure that the damaged foods went to people who would not know?"

Yama let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. That could mean a couple of things.

"You have two options."

The prisoner looked up, but there wasn't much hope on his face.

Aiko didn't smile at him, because there was mocking someone for failing to kill you, and then there was being a real dick. She wasn't interested in further torturing this man. He'd already lost. "The punishment for treason is death," she said. "No matter how sympathetic I find your reasoning for leaving Kirigakure, what you have done is inexcusable."

"Why are there two options, then," he asked dully. "Is it a matter of if I want to be beheaded or poisoned?"

She snorted. That was a dumb question. "State executions need to be uniform," Aiko dismissed. "No, your options are to walk to your execution, or to go under an experimental genjutsu. If it is successful, you will have no recollection of the last months, and will therefore receive no punishment such as demotion or prison time."

His eyebrows floated up in disbelief. "No consequences?" he said, skeptical. He huffed through his nose. "You're weak."

"There's a pretty good chance that the genjutsu will have side effects, assuming it doesn't drive you entirely mad," Aiko admitted. She shrugged. She did not have a great record with this. "Perfecting it would be very useful for me, but I'm afraid that I don't often find a good chance to practice on someone who could be watched after to track symptoms that would allow me to refine the genjutsu. If it goes well, you will lose several months of memory, but you'll wake up a loyal citizen of Kirigakure."

That, at least, she knew she could do for a fact. She'd done that a dozen times, at least. She could already change what a person believed. It was subtracting information that she was interested to try out.

He was silent and pale. "Ah," he finally managed. A shudder wracked his body.

"The only reason that the punishment for treason is death is as a deterrent. I admit that I'm not certain it is effective," Aiko readily admitted. It didn't matter what she told him, he wouldn't be talking about it later either way. "But as you indicated earlier, we cannot have a state where citizens believe they can harm our people without consequence. Key here is belief. Either your status as a citizen, or your belief can be ended. Your only collaborator has been secured, so there is no concern that someone will walk away from this with the lesson that violence will go unpunished."

"And we are more useful to you alive," he said bitterly.

"For information and as employees, yes." Aiko nodded. And as though it was an after thought, she added, "Although we could make use of fertilizer, of course. You may have heard about our push to produce more of our foods locally, it's very exciting."

She watched him flinch.

"Aiko," Sanbi said, sounding disgusted.

'I want him to think about the consequences,' she thought back, unrepentant. 'Not decide in a moment of stubborn, misplaced nobility that he'll die for his ideals of struggle against Kirigakure. Dead is dead, life has possibility.'

"You can decide now, or anytime within a week." Aiko unfolded her arms and straightened away from the wall. She looked down at him without tilting her head. "You can convey your decision to your jailors at any point, or wait until I return to ask you in 7 days. Unless you have an answer for me now?"

He was breathing heavily, the whites of his eyes showing. He let out a wild laugh. "It's not much choice, is it?" he choked out.

"People who poison food supplies get less choices than other people," Aiko said coldly. "It'd be one thing if you had tried to get revenge, or struck out at people who you thought were going to cause harm. I could understand that. It could even be patriotic, assuming you were successful. But you don't get the moral high ground here. You just wanted to hurt as many people as possible. Obviously, an antisocial mindset like that cannot be tolerated."

He ducked his head to look down at the plastic table his hands were on. It could have been shame, repentance. It could also be stubborn deception.

Aiko waited a long moment, giving him a chance to give an answer. When none came, she turned and swept out.

"Would you actually use him for fertilizer?" Sanbi asked, sounding amused but genuinely curious.

She wrinkled her nose. 'Not for anything that we might eat. I'm fairly certain that's a health risk. Maybe some trees, though?'

"Ah. That is reasonable. I do like trees."

"Everyone likes trees," she responded, feeling a bit cheered at the thought. Nice, calming trees. No one had ever tried to murder her with a tree, no tree had ever attacked her, trees were useful and pretty-

"You have low standards," Sanbi said thoughtfully.

Eh. Anyway.

Mokuton. That would be a nice thing to do today. She would steal away some time to work on that after the workday was done. It would be a lot better for her nerves than trying out her sharingan.

But for now, the work day had to begin in earnest. Coffee was made, mail was received, and she summoned Gaara in for a performance review right before she was going to talk to her advisers about the incident's conclusion.

"Overall, you've been doing well." She leaned back in her chair and hooked a foot around the bar under her desk. Gaara met her eyes with a total lack of concern. "Before he left for Wave country, Tazuna-san gave me a positive report on your intelligence and diligence through your work with him, and I am also very encouraged that you have, overall, been very gentle," she said. It came out a little wry, because of the incident this morning. "Your stability lately bodes very well for your future leadership roles. I'm also proud that you resolved the largest problem that I have given you so far. Successfully investigating an incident of sabotage speaks well to your deductive capabilities." She cocked her head at him. "What, do you think, you could have done better?"

Gaara shifted his weight very slightly towards the back. Another boy might have looked down at his feet.

She raised her eyebrow and waited.

"I could have broken less bones," he said, sullen. It was hard to hear him.

Aiko gave an encouraging nod. "That's true," she said, in a tone of light praise. "You did perfectly in the context of a one-man mission. However-"

She stopped. Her tired brain had belatedly made a connection between the story and just how diligent Gaara was at obeying orders.

Gaara looked guilty.

Aiko gritted her teeth, sucked in a deep breath, and resisted the urge to run her fingers through her hair. "You didn't go alone. Did you."

It was not really a question. Gaara looked shifty, but he nodded.

She looked at him for a long moment. "I did tell you to keep your sister with you," Aiko started, because she really should have expected this. She stopped. She took a deep breath and actually did run her fingers through her hair. "I meant for you to keep her out of trouble, not that you were authorized to take her out on a mission."

Gaara tilted his chin up. "That is what she said," he ground out. His tone went flat. "After we had first subdued Yama-san. With a rope," he added, as if it was important for her to know that he had initially intended to do things the way that she would prefer.

Aiko closed her eyes and took a minute. She let out a long sigh. "Well, in that case. It was a good idea to bring back up. In the future, please bring backup who does not need to conceal their presence on the mission, if plausible."

Her apprentice nodded.

She eyed him a long moment and thought it over. She leaned forward. "How did it go? Did you work well together?"

Gaara took a moment to answer, but then gave an uncertain nod. "It was- acceptable," he said.

Ah. Aiko pursed her lips, imagining how those two would be as a team. Scary, that's how. She liked it. "Cool." She tapped her fingers against her chin. "I might have you two do some other missions together. But do not do that again." She made sure she was holding eye contact when she emphasized, "Ever. Never ever. Do you understand me?"

He grunted. "I understand." Gaara cleared his throat. "When we report the encounter to Terumi-san and Utakata-san, shall I disclose Karin-san's presence?"

"Oh. God, no." Aiko leaned away from that suggestion. "I would never hear the end of it. You both keep your mouths shut. If anyone asks you why you didn't bring assistance, tell them that I had authorized it."

"And if they ask why there are so many broken bones?" Gaara asked, sounding just a little bit guilty.

Aiko shrugged, telegraphing the movement to banish his sad little mood. "Tell them that you saw he was the kind of monster who puts the toilet paper on backwards," she said flippantly. "You don't have to justify yourself to anyone but me. And a kiri-nin might not think to ask, anyway."

"Yes." Gaara nodded decisively. "I will remember it." He lifted his chin just that little bit higher.

Nishikawa-san knocked on the door and peered inside. He looked tired. "Mizukage-sama," he murmered. "Terumi-san and Utakata-san are here to see you."

Aiko exchanged a look with Gaara, willing him to be cool. "Send them in."

Her assistant drew back. Mei breezed in, a smile playing at her lips. Utakata was at her heels looking annoyed. The combination told a familiar story.

"So." Mei seated herself on the softest chair and crossed her legs. "I went down to see our newest guest." Her eyes sparkled. "Gaara, dear, why did you do that?"

Aiko felt her muscles seize up, but not one was looking at her.

Gaara sneered. "He put his toilet paper on the wrong way. He deserves to die."

Utakata gave Aiko a quizzical look, safely out of Mei's sight. She tried not to give anything away in her face. Stern. Solemn. Yes, this was a reasonable thing that her young man had just said. She gave a firm nod.

Mei faltered. She looked between Gaara and Aiko. Her mouth opened for the obvious question- which is the wrong way?- and then she clearly thought better of it. Her smile turned strained. She tossed her head and suddenly seemed more interested in talking to Aiko. "Has our lady guest from this morning said anything?"

[newscientistsawards]

French scientists have discovered a new blood group system, “Gwada negative,” in a woman of Guadeloupean origin—the only known carrier worldwide. Officially recognized as the 48th blood group system in June 2025, this rare discovery highlights the importance of genomic screening in transfusion medicine and rare blood identification.

New Scientists Awards 

4th Edition of New Scientists Awards | 25-26 June 2025 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nomination Link: https://newscientists.net/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee 

Web Visitors: https://newscientists.net/ 

For Enquiry: support@newscientists.net #sciencefather #scientist #scienceinnovation #researchexcellence #scientificbreakthrough #NewScientistsAwards #GwadaNegative #RareBloodType #BloodGroupDiscovery #TransfusionScience #MedicalBreakthrough #GenomicMedicine #ISBT2025 #Guadeloupe #RareDisease #blooddonations

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[wholesomeobsessive]

When a dozen wallets with money and identification in them were deliberately left in public places in various cities around the world in 2013, the number returned with the money still in them varied from eleven out of twelve in Helsinki to one out of twelve in Lisbon. Moreover, the one that was returned in Lisbon was returned by a visitor from the Netherlands; no Portuguese returned any. In Rio de Janeiro, four were returned. Earlier international tests using wallets with money in them, conducted by the Reader’s Digest, found 67 percent of these wallets returned, with the money still there, in the United States, 70 percent in Stockholm, and 100 percent returned in Oslo (Norway) and in Odense (Denmark).

When a television station in Copenhagen tried to duplicate the experiment, “they literally could not even leave the wallets— people would instantly pick them up and come running after them, so they had to give up!” A Danish economist estimates that the level of honesty in Denmark saves the criminal justice system a sizeable amount annually. That is aside from how much more investment is likely to be made in such an economy by both foreigners and Danes. By contrast, in Mexico 21 percent of the wallets were returned. What is gained locally by those in economies with a lower level of honesty seems unlikely to equal in value the investments deterred, and the jobs not created.

Wealth, Poverty, and Politics by Thomas Sowell