#change automation ownership

[bashamanik]

Easy Guide to Changing Automation Ownership in monday.com | Tara Horn

Welcome, everyone! Join me, Tara Horn, in this quick and easy guide on changing automation ownership in monday.com. In this tutorial, I'll walk you through the easy process of making ownership shifts in your automation, ensuring your workflow stays in the right hands. Discover how to effortlessly navigate this feature and empower your team to manage automation with ease.

[malk1ns]

march 15 v devils, 7-3 win

nice.

i really enjoyed geno's bizarro over-the-top penalty fugue state he went into for this one. almost like he was glitching out...

we can call this a homage to @sevenfists' wonderful tragic hockeybot geno, but not as good because like...duh.

this does contain a homophobic slur just fyi.

Evgeni has followed a fairly strict game-day protocol ever since he woke up in Pittsburgh almost 20 years ago. The details have changed, refinements and efficiencies added in as his software was upgraded, but the basics, the stuff that keeps him running at optimal performance and giving his all on the ice, have remained the same.

Most of his start-up process is automated now, thankfully. Those first couple of years he needed to be manually disconnected from his charging station and powered on every morning, and since the station was bulky and he had to charge upright all night he’d spend the first half-hour trying to loosen up his joints and walk without a hitch in his step. It also meant he had to stay at the rink—the unit was permanently installed in his maintenance room, and they only had one more extraordinarily bulky one that got lugged around for road trips. Evgeni spent a lot of mornings after Dana woke him up wandering the hallways until the rest of the guys started to trickle in.

He came back from the Olympics in Sochi with a new charging port, discreetly installed under his left armpit and USB-C compatible provided it’s connected to one of his new, portable power packs. The automated start-up patch came through shortly after, and all he had to do was program in a power-down and power-up time and he boots up all on his own.

Powering down in a comfortable position had been a revelation. Being able to do it wherever he wanted was another.

Evgeni considered buying his own house—the idea of his own space is appealing, even if he’s not quite sure what people do at home by themselves at night. He’d run a pro/con analysis, though, and asked someone to look over the results to verify the conclusion he came to: however unlikely it may be, the scenario of something going wrong when nobody is there to find Evgeni and perform emergency maintenance is an unacceptable trade-off for home ownership.

Sidney’s suggestion that Evgeni just move in with him was much more logical.

Something else that came with Evgeni’s 2014 upgrade was an unexpected, but not unwelcome, libido add-on. All part of the goal to make Evgeni and others like him more human, integrate them more into society at large. It took a few months for Evgeni to calibrate to his new desires; he’d expected a standard program, especially with his lab of origin located in Russia, but after a while he figured out he was gay.

He spent the off-season experimenting and arrived in Pittsburgh for the season with a list of likes and dislikes, and a type. Sidney almost exactly matched the latter, and based on Evgeni’s new experience he was confident that the first two items could be adjusted to suit.

He’d been right. 

Sidney has said he’s in love with Evgeni. Evgeni’s emotional response center has been upgraded on a regular basis over the years, but most of the time it seems like he’s a little…slow, maybe, or removed from how he should be feeling, such as it is.

Not about Sidney. He’s pretty sure he loves Sidney too.

Sidney also understands the value of a routine. He has his own, more rigidly engrained than anything Evgeni does on gameday, and he’s more than happy to leave Evgeni alone to boot up and run his diagnostics in peace. It’s unsettling to watch, Evgeni’s been told—his eyes go disconcertingly blank, and for a solid five minutes he’s utterly unresponsive. People get weird about it, even if they’ve seen it before. He prefers to be alone.

Mid-March in a season like this one is a grind. Evgeni’s been in for repairs more this season than the last two combined, and they might not be officially eliminated from playoff contention yet but it’s just a matter of time; motivation is hard to come by, even for Evgeni. It’s reassuring to fall into his programming and run through each system one by one, making sure he’s primed for optimal performance.

There’s a spark in the corner of his vision.

Evgeni pauses, scrolls back through lines of code, reviews. Nothing. He must have imagined it.

When he pulls himself out, he’s running a few minutes late; Sidney will be almost done with his breakfast.

Evgeni heaves himself to his feet and heads downstairs. Sidney drives on game days, so Evgeni downloads the Devils’ five most recent games to review in the car.

—

He shouldn’t need to, but Evgeni likes to top-up his charge while Sidney takes his pre-game nap. Sidney likes it too, says it feels like they’re falling asleep together; it also helps that once Evgeni’s powered down he doesn’t move, so once they’re arranged to maximize Sidney’s comfort there’s no mid-sleep jostling.

When Evgeni boots back up, he feels…weird. Wrong, lying in bed with Sidney wrapped around him like normal.

He unplugs his charger and extracts himself as carefully as he can, putting on his suit and making his way downstairs to wait until Sidney is awake and ready to drive them to the rink for the game.

Sidney frowns at him when he finally comes down, but Evgeni turns his head, and Sidney lets him be.

They make small talk in the car like usual, but Evgeni’s distracted, and eventually Sidney goes quiet. To distract himself Evgeni runs back to his source code, a well-worn self-soothing mechanism when he’s feeling jumpy or off.

The code itself is simple but effective, wrapped inside a descriptor of the reason Evgeni was made in the first place.

The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada…

By the time the game starts Evgeni’s restless, shifting from foot to foot during the anthem and eyeing the opposing team with more hostility than he’s used to experiencing. 

Evgeni’s never pretended to be the cleanest player in the league. He’s sneaky with his stick, takes risky penalties because when guys hit back he doesn’t feel pain like humans do, and sometimes it works. Even for him, though, this game is tough sledding.

When his reckless double minor results in a goal against and lets the Devils draw within one, Evgeni shatters his stick in the box, then glides back to the bench with his mouth twisted in a frown. He feels—he wants to hit something, or maybe someone.

His higher processing is on alert at this aberration in behavior, but all Evgeni can do is sit on the bench, accept his new stick, and wait.

“G,” comes Sidney’s voice in his ear, and Evgeni flinches away violently—what is Sidney doing, sitting so close? Why is he pressing their legs together like that? Why is he reaching for Evgeni’s hand where it’s resting on his thigh? “Hey, you okay? You seem a little rattled; do you need a breather, maybe someone to check you out?”

“Fuck off, what you do,” Evgeni hisses, snatching his hand away. “Don’t touch me, like, what are you, a faggot? Back off.”

Crosby freezes, and Letang peers around from his other side, eyes narrowed. “What the fuck did you just say to him?”

“You fuck off too,” Evgeni snaps, half-rising with his fists clenching in his gloves, and suddenly the bot maintenance guy has an iron grip on his arm.

“Cool it, or I’m taking you back and decommissioning you here and now instead of letting you get through this game and get examined,” Freddy snaps in his ear.

Evgeni shakes his head. There’s an odd echo in his ears, metallic and hollow, and snippets from his source code keep floating into his brain—Hockey Canada announced a plan to address "systemic issues" in the culture of hockey; the early history of hockey encouraged physical intimidation and control; oh, the good old hockey game....

The rest of the game is a blur. Evgeni doesn’t cause any more goals against, even manages to put up a primary assist on the power play, but he spends his time on the bench spacing out, shrinking away from anyone who tries to talk to him as he scrolls through his coding.

The diagnostics are all still fine. Something’s wrong, though.

Evgeni spent a year in stasis while his system was flooded with hockey history and hockey culture. He doesn’t remember it very well, but those first few years had aligned pretty well with what he’d learned—hockey was rough, hockey was physical, hockey was insular and conservative and macho.

Times change. So did Evgeni, through programming and his own conclusions drawn from observing the world around him.

He seesaws between past and present, software upgrades and personality patches warring in his motherboard until he thinks he might short out. He doesn’t, obviously; there are enough redundancies built into him to keep the ISS in orbit, let alone one android on an ice rink, but that doesn’t stop him from feeling overheated and dazed by the time they troop off the ice.

Instead of walking to the locker room he turns left, toward the bot maintenance room.

He half-hears a whispered argument behind him, and shortly after it cuts off someone hurries to catch up.

“Hey,” Sidney says, and Evgeni cringes, his words from earlier rattling in his skull like they were said by someone else.

“Sorry,” he grits out. He wants to reach out and take Sidney’s hand, but the thought of someone seeing him holding hands with a man fills him with nausea. “Not sure…”

“Yeah,” Sidney says. His voice is even, flat and unsettling, but Evgeni doesn’t have room to work through that and find a fix.

Freddy’s waiting outside the room with his arms crossed. He relaxes when Evgeni rounds into view, raising his eyebrows but not commenting when Sidney follows them into the room.

“Alright, let’s get you opened up and see what’s going on,” Freddy says, gesturing to the maintenance station.

It looks like a torture chamber, a metal chair surrounded by needles and machinery and a large, ominous machine with a screen and dozens of blinking lights. Evgeni gingerly lowers himself into the seat and closes his eyes, flinching a little when the chair lifts and tilts him forward, giving Freddy access to his control panel.

It doesn’t hurt to have his panel opened, but it feels wrong, invasive and intrusive. Evgeni used to need to get strapped into the chair to stop from fighting, but now he squeezes his eyes closed and bites on his tongue and takes some of the big, soothing breaths that do nothing for the functioning of his shell but seem to settle his mind anyway.

“Fuck,” Freddy murmurs, and Evgeni’s eyes fly open. Before he can say a word, Sidney’s at his side.

“What is it?” Sidney demands, resting a hand on Evgeni’s shoulder and rubbing his thumb soothingly as he leans over to peer into the panel. “Oh, shit.”

“What!” Evgeni demands, clenching his fists. He hates this, hates feeling helpless and paralyzed while people bend over his back and stare down into his innards.

“Not sure what happened in here, bud, but you’ve got some seriously fucked-up wires. Something in here burnt out, and a few of the metal casings are fried.” Freddy touches something inside Evgeni that sends his left knee straight out in a kick. “Yeah, damn, that’s no good. You were maybe a few days from catching on fire.”

Sidney’s hand spasms on Evgeni’s shoulder. “Can you fix him?” he asks, voice low and worried.

“Oh, sure,” Freddy says, and the easy confidence in his voice is reassuring. Freddy never sounds overwhelmed, never sounds like there’s something he can’t make work. “Might take a while, I think I’ll have to boot him into safety mode for a few hours to make sure everything’s connected okay, but he should be ready to go by Tuesday’s game.”

Sidney’s exhale is shaky with relief. Evgeni wants to reach up and touch his hand. “We start now?” he says instead, keeping his eyes on the ground.

“Sure thing. When was your last backup?” Freddy asks, rummaging through his toolkit. “Sid, when you head back can you let Sully know what’s going on, tell him I’ll get everyone a full rundown once I can pull the readout?”

“Sure. And he backed up last night, so you can probably just—”

Evgeni interrupts him. “No,” he says firmly, finally gathering the courage to crane his neck and look up at Sidney’s face. “Back up now, please. Want to remember what I say.”

“Good man,” Freddy says, clapping Evgeni on his other shoulder.

Sidney crouches down so he can look Evgeni in the eye. “You didn’t mean it,” he says quietly. His eyebrows are furrowed, and there’s a frown tugging at his mouth. He’s sad, Evgeni concludes, and hurt, and he’s trying to hide it. “I mean, it’s like…you’re hurt, you pulled something out from your coding, it’s not—”

“Sid,” Evgeni interrupts, and Sidney startles. A quirk in Evgeni’s programming is that he doesn’t use nicknames unless he really makes an effort. “Doesn’t matter why, I still say. Can’t forget I do, it’s not…” He thinks, running through the relationships course he downloaded back in 2015 when the team was struggling and Sidney seemed like he was on the verge of ending things. “It’s reason, not excuse. I still need, like, accountability.”

He mangles the word, but Sidney’s small smile is worth it.

—

Evgeni doesn’t dream, exactly. When he’s powered down there’s still a flicker of awareness as long as he has battery, enough to pull himself to wakefulness if there’s a threat, but extended downtime for repairs is like floating in a thick black cloud. There’s a very distance perception of voices, of movement and hands on his shell and wires being replaced, but nothing that Evgeni can actually truly call a memory as opposed to a superimposed expectation of what happened.

The grogginess when he’s powered back on is very real, though, as is the stiffness in his knees. He hopes he’ll have enough time to loosen up before he has to play.

“Welcome back,” Freddy’s cheerful voice booms, and Evgeni winces. “You should be set. Had you walk and sit and do a few jumping jacks yesterday in safety mode, nothing else loosened up or shorted. Okay—hands?”

He walks Evgeni through the post-repairs protocol, checking his reactivity, his senses, the last things he remembers to check his backup loaded correctly. Check, check, check.

When Evgeni stumbles out of the room, blinking against the harsh overhead lights in the hall, Sidney’s waiting for him.

“Hey,” Sidney says, eyes flickering over Evgeni’s face.

“I’m so sorry,” Evgeni says immediately. The shame that rolls through him is new and unexpectedly powerful—he rarely feels embarrassed, his programming doesn’t allow for him to make choices that lead to that. When it’s working correctly, of course. “God, Sidney, you know I don’t mean.”

“I know,” Sidney says, and the caution in his voice makes Evgeni’s chest ache. “I told Kris what happened, he said he won’t kick your ass unless it happens again.”

“I let him,” Evgeni says earnestly, which makes Sidney laugh. “Promise, I stand there, he kick and scratch and do whatever, I just let.”

He reaches forward tentatively, touching his fingers to the back of Sidney’s hand. The flood of relief when Sidney turns his hand up and laces their fingers together is nearly enough to make him lose his balance.

Emotions are tricky things, Evgeni thinks, but he wouldn’t wipe them for the world.

[itsallmouthwashing]

Ghost Adventures AU- Survivor!Curly (Part 1)

Alright fellas, I got stupid high last night and rubbed this out with some editing while I'm at work. Please enjoy and feel free to write your own interpretations of this AU!! I don't really want to claim 'ownership' or whatever (if that's even a thing with AUs? Listen I haven't been in fandom for a while before Mouthwashing. It hath risen me from the soil like a necromancer and I am it's silly little skeleton minion) I just want to see what everyone else thinks may be going on

Anyways, please enjoy part one (out of Only God Knows) of the Ghost Adventures AU!

“Are we ready? Cameras are rolling? Yeah? Alright… We’re here at the site of the historic Tulpar Massacre-”

God, I thought I could handle this. He’s not even said anything but Tulpar. Fuck, I need to tune it out. The images are already flying through my mind. I’m reliving it all at lightspeed and it keeps fucking repeating. Every second I’m seeing it all-

“Behind us is a long-haul freighter that belonged to a company known as Pony Express. This corporation was known for cheap and speedy deliveries, along with being one of the last few companies to rely on human employees in an age of automation.”

I hope they know. We’re all heroes today.

“However, while Pony Express may have provided jobs to hundreds of people, the abuse these employees suffered is the real root of this tragedy.” Zac puts his hand up and turns his head to me. “Would you like to say a few words?”

“Huh, oh- No, I trust you.”

He nods, short and with a small smile like he’s seeing it all happening behind my eyes. Maybe he knows I'm not listening. Trying to, anyway.

“Employees aboard Tulpar were only allotted a mere FIVE hours for rest. This does not include recreational activities, which they were not allowed to do in the other nineteen hours in their day. NINETEEN hours, non-stop working around Tulpar.”

His eyes are on me. He wants to know if I’ve changed my mind.

“That’s not the worst part, oh no, friends,” He says when he realizes I won’t, “For a company that claimed to care deeply for its employees, they made it hell to file complaints or go to upper management for help. While on this year long trek-”

My stomach is in hell. I cover my mouth, pretend I’m stifling a cough, and swallow the vomit before it floods their headquarters. Think about something else. 

Anything, Anya. Anything.

“Joining us for our lock-in tonight is the sole survivor of this tragedy, Captain Grant Curly.” He opens his arms to welcome me into the frame. “We’re happy to have you here, Captain.” He says, shaking my hand.

“Happy to be here with you, fellas,” I lied. 

We aren’t even to the door and I already see the inside. We’re simply standing in a residential space travel unit, on the landing pad, which connects to the main door. To the lounge, my quarters. The cockpit, the medical bay. The lounge. Utility. The Pod.

“Captain, off the record,” He nods for his partner to turn off the camera,” In all seriousness, I want to express my appreciation. Please know that at any point you can bow out. Or if you don’t want to be in the episode at all. You just let us know if you need a break or leave all together.” 

I smile. I have to or else I may break. 

“Of course. I think more people need to be aware just how awful Pony Express was to us. It’s great that you guys are covering this.” 

They’re all waiting for me at the door. Swansea and Jimmy cross their arms and grumble something about dying to get started. Two grouches on the ship could be difficult. But Anya and Daisuke are chatting about expectations. She’s stitching the air, mimicking the motions shown in a textbook on her lap. Daisuke copies her and she rolls her eyes playful, remarking that she’s glad he’s not her intern. Swansea tells her to not give him ideas.

“Captain, where’d you go-”

“Besides, who is a captain without his crew?”

“You really loved them, didnt you?”

“Yes,” I say.

They were my responsibility, I don’t. 

Zac smiles back at me before stepping back and observing the map of the ship. He mumbles something to his crew, all of two other people, and they go separate ways to gather equipment. Zac marks something with what looks like a bingo blotter around the blown-up image of my ship. 

“Zac?”

My face looks back at me in question. I’m in my uniform, bent over the blueprints of my ship. My belt buckle, a gift from the company when I was promoted to Captain, shines in the harsh light of the ship. 

“Yes, Captain?” I ask. 

“Uh,” I start, running a hand over the dim and rusted buckle of my own, “Why do…” I have that look. The one like he sees it all before it all comes back to the front of my mind. Zac blinks and leans forward.

“What’s up, Cap?” He asks. 

“Can you read minds… or something?” 

“Ha!” He laughs, hearty and true. “No, nothing like that Mr. Curly.” He wipes moisture from his eyes. “I’ve been told I’m something of an empath."

“Ah, no wonder you’re so kind.”

Zac starts to say something, but his crew is back and dropping equipment on the floor with heavy grunts and sighs. 

“Guys! You need to be careful-” Zac rushes over, but I’m still standing at the table.

[twisted-tales-of-all]

The Enemy of My Enemy

Summary: When your home port suddenly claims a ban on pirates docking there, you and your rival are forced to join forces. Characters: Kim Hongjoong + Gender Ambiguous Reader; ft. ATEEZ members Genre: Fantasy Short Series (part 1) with a bit of Angst (and possible fluff in later parts) Tropes: pirate!AU, enemies to friends (to lovers in a later part), working together against a mutual enemy Word Count: 2.9K Contains: pirate-related violence (explosions, knives, injury, blood, etc), betrayal, cursing, mention of death and loss of limbs, homoromantic undertones for certain characters (nothing explicit or confirmed), use of 'sir' as honorific without gendered undertones

A/N: support banner by @cafekitsune ; pirate divider by @firefly-graphics 🤍

You aren't new to discrimination, not by any means. However, that didn't stop you from getting blindsided as you tied your ship to its usual post at the port.

"This ship and its crew are unwelcome in this port." A stern, deep voice booms from behind you, loud enough to gather the attention of everyone nearby - all but yours, at least.

As you finish tying the knot and stand up, you feel the figure looming directly behind you. You hadn't the slightest thought that they were speaking of your wondrous Moon Raider, not after the past three years of ensuring that your crew respected the port and its customs.

Turning, you ask the man, "What ship is unwelcome, exactly?"

Although you wanted to hide your irritation, your crew noticed. The man also must've noticed since he clears his throat harshly before responding with a tone rivaling that of an automated robot.

"Any and all pirate ships have been banned from docking on our port. Leave immediately or face the consequences."

Your irritation morphs into booming laughter, "We always pay any fines you assign us. What's with the extra formality this time around?"

As you mimic his stature, you notice another officer walking past your boat's position. You watch him announce the same rehearsed statement to the captain there as he hops out to anchor his ship to its post. However, rather than offering him a chance to leave, he grabs his arm, locking him into constraints instantly. At this point, you realize the gravity of the situation, but it's all too late. As you're focused on the Sun Howler, the officer in front of you approaches and places restraints on you. You call out to your crew, reminding them to stay calm and follow all the rules.

Dragging your rival, the other officer follows behind as you walk with your officer silently. Trying to remain calm, you attempt to calculate why this may happen. Although you may not follow all the rules perfectly, everything worked out up until now. And, although you may not enjoy competing with him, you know Captain Hongjoong plays fair just like you. For the harbor police to arrest you both, there's really only one option: new port ownership. Although this was your first time back to the dock in months, you hadn't expected such a drastic change.

Reaching the prison, the officers shove you both into a cell together. Through the bars, they remove your cuffs.

"You sure we won't kill each other in here?" You joke, screaming at their backs as they leave, entirely unfazed by your comment.

"I think they'd prefer it," Hongjoong scoffs as he taps on the sheath on his hip, "Otherwise, they'd at least remove our obvious weapons."

Cursing, you sit down with your back against the cold brick wall. Fidgeting with the frayed fabric on the thigh of your pants, you wonder if the situation could get any worse.

"What'd you do, Raider?" He prompts, using your boat as your name, somewhat of a custom between you.

"Nothing here. Not in a long time. We've been gone for three months time. What of you, Howler?"

You look up to see him leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed and one foot laid over the other. He shakes his head, and - although his hat covers his face - you can imagine how hard the cogs turn in his head to analyze the situation.

"It wasn't like this when I left either. We've only been gone about seven weeks. How'd something happen so quickly?"

After a long period of silence, you hear footsteps approaching. Even simply seeing their shoes, everything clicks for you. You can tell Hongjoong understands as well, as you can sense him tense up.

"Hongjoong.Y/N. What an amazing situation for us to reunite."

The callous tone pricks at your skin, leaving goosebumps in its stead, but you refuse to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. Your cellmate, however, is far too quick to anger to stop himself. He leans against the bars as he curses at the person who once sailed the seas opposite you both.

"The fuck is going on, Wooyoung?! Why in hell's name are you standing there high and mighty while we're stuck in a damned cage in this cellar?!"

Hands up by his head, Wooyoung stifles a laugh, "Quite aggressive now, aren't we? I know we were rivals on the sea years ago, but it looks like I won out."

"Sell out. Traitor. Fucking turncoat."

This time, he allows his laugh to echo through the prison. Cockily, he steps closer to Hongjoong, leaning in just barely out of reach.

"Does it matter what I did if I won? You look pathetic, Captain."

With this comment, you interject, "This is why you never had a loyal crew, you know. Your ego got in the way and Topaz Shields lost out because of it. Such a gorgeous ship, too. So sad. How's the leg?"

Knowing he wanted to hit below the belt, you remind him of his greatest tragedy by asking about his leg. Due to his ego, he drove his ship directly into the sirens' call and barely escaped with his life. He lost his loyal-to-a-fault first mate that day two years ago, all because he couldn't stand the thought of the other two crews finding a sacred treasure before him.

"Don't you dare mention Shields, Raider. The leg was the least of my troubles, and you know that much."

"Right, right. Pardon my impertinence. How could I forget that you lost your boyfriend as well?"

Trying to hold his composure, he reminds you that San was only ever his first mate, nothing more. Despite what everyone knows to be true thanks to their actions and Wooyoung's immediate reaction to the man's untimely death, he has denied his feelings since the incident - something to hide behind to lessen his feelings of guilt for causing his death.

"Well, whatever the case, I've come here to alert you that we'll be charging you for crimes against the city through your illegal market dealings and disregard for the laws of the area."

Hearing a former pirate captain charge someone for essentially being a pirate feels laughable, but you simply ask for the price point of said charges.

"Oh, no price for this one, Y/N. You both have been sentenced to time in jail equal to that of your career length. For you, that's three years; Hongjoong, you have 4."

Quick to react once again, Hongjoong unsheaths his dagger and swings it through the bars. It cuts Wooyoung on the lower part of his cheek, but the sound is far more intimidating than the actual damage.

Bringing his hand up to his face, Wooyoung smirks as he sees his red-stained fingertips. You keep a hand on your weapon, worried he might lash out against you both, but he simply turns to walk out.

"Enjoy your years. Once you return, there will be no Sun Howler. No Moon Raider. No pirates." He doubles down with his irritating remarks by waving his hand nonchalantly as he turns the corner.

As soon as the click of his footsteps fades to silence, Hongjoong drops into a squat. He curses Wooyoung and grumbles about the ridiculous sentencing. Seeing him freak out like this makes you giggle. He's usually light and free, the shining sun amongst a hoard of disheveled and mangled captains. You share that commonality with him - you've never quite been one for abandoning health and presentation, even if that's what many people picture when imagining pirates. The crews from this port rarely saw those kinds of pirates, not when the three captains who called this place home were you, Hongjoong, and Wooyoung. So, seeing one of these captains falling apart on the floor while cursing and swinging at someone makes you wonder how quickly you could also fall apart.

Shaking your head to rid yourself of those thoughts, you break the silence, "What's the plan, Howler?"

He looks at you dumbfounded, "Plan?"

"The escape plan? Ain't no way I'm letting that one-legged chicken act all high and mighty like that. We aren't gonna sit here and accept years of punishment for things he once did with us."

Suddenly recognizing escape as an option, Hongjoong stands up straight. You see a fire burning in his eyes and tricks within his crooked smile. He twirls the dagger around carelessly as he paces in the small box of a cell. With his newfound joy, he examines the bars, the lock, and every crevice that might be used to thwart Wooyoung's scheme and escape from the prison.

"I think this calls for a good old-fashioned bust out. Unless you think you can pick the lock from in here."

You approach the bars, trying to find the perfect angle to see what you need on the lock. However, you can't find the necessary parts to allow you to pick it from awkward angles. Turning to your cellmate, you shake your head.

"Bust out it is. Not as quiet, but it gets the job done all the same." He reaches into the inner pocket of his coat and pulls out a small trinket about the size and shape of a pocketwatch, which confuses you. He must be able to read the confusion on your face, because he explains, "My first mate loves to tinker, and he's made some marvelous contraptions. Stand back at the bars and watch."

Listening to his advice, you stand flush against the metal bars, the cold bleeding through your clothing to leave your skin feeling fresh. He stands next to you, flips the gadget open and closed quickly, and tosses it to the opposite side of the cell. When it connects with the wall, you hear a clicking noise and instinctively close your eyes. In that short moment, you feel Hongjoong move from beside you to in front of you. With the cold on your back and the warmth from his body closely in front of you, you barely process the explosion. When you open your eyes, you see the captain boxing himself around you, framed by the outside light streaming in. You assume it's around midday from how strongly it enters the room, and you try to look anywhere that isn't directly at Hongjoong's face.

He clears his throat as he steps back, "Sorry. I didn't want debris flying into your chest or anything."

Noticing him fiddling with his shoulder, you quickly thank him before asking if he's injured. Although he blows it off, he refuses to turn around, so you know debris likely lodged itself into his upper back. You decide not to fight it until you reach the docks, so you simply make your way over the rubble and out into the sunlight, letting him follow behind to hide his injuries.

Despite the explosion, nobody seems interested when you walk past. The only looks passed your way feel like those typical for known pirates walking around. As you reach the docks again, your crew quickly catches sight of you and rushes off the ship. You're glad that they make it to you long before his crew can see you.

"Mingi, can you tend to him? We blew our way out of jail, and he got hit with debris. He's acting like he's fine, but drag him aboard anyway."

Hongjoong tries to argue, but Mingi ends up behind him and sees the injury. With your first mate yelling at him for hiding it, he can't help but walk onto the Moon Raider for medical help. As he passes you, you sneak a glance at his back and see the top left corner of his otherwise tan shirt torn and stained dark red already. Trying to figure out the trajectory of the rubble, you place your hand on your right shoulder and vow to find Hongjoong a new shirt as thanks for blocking it from hitting you.

After reassuring your crew that everything will be okay and joking that you may be fined for the massive hole in the prison wall, you make your way past your prized ship. Approaching Sun Howler, you receive a much colder reception. Bowing before the ship, you address the first mate.

"Quartermaster of Sun Howler, I wish to inform you that your captain is currently aboard the Moon Raider receiving medical care from my crew. He protected me during an explosion of his creation, so I took it as my role to aid him with our supplies. He will be fine, and we will send him to you once his wound is properly dressed."

As you raise your head, you notice an exceptionally pretty man standing about ten feet in front of you. He nods as you acknowledge him before thanking you for taking care of his captain. You weren't expecting someone who could shine in his own respect to be Hongjoong's right hand, but hearing him speak makes you understand exactly why he would be in such a position. A voice that rivals one of a siren, the grace in his speech patterns, and his subtly decorated uniform all suggest a royal background. You begin to wonder whether he was a runaway or kidnapped and assimilated.

"Stop gawking at Seonghwa, Raider. Don't go stealing someone else's first mate." Hongjoong struts up to you, shirtless other than the bandages circling his chest, back, and shoulder blade.

Although Seonghwa laughs at the comment and explains the situation, Hongjoong doesn't back down in his jests, pointing out Seonghwa's obvious beauty.

"Sometimes, even I swear you're a siren. Even royals don't typically look and sound as good as you. You sparkle, Hwa." He reaches the boy as he talks, placing a hand on his shoulder to emphasize his final sentence.

"Captain, stop with the flattery. A first mate is never as wonderful as the captain, and yet you forbid us from saying those types of comments towards you."

Feeling out of place in the interaction, you quietly excuse yourself and begin walking back to your ship, but Hongjoong calls after you, "Y/N, let's find a new port together."

You try not to react, but the comment makes you trip over the air by your feet. You hope that they don't notice while you continue walking, making your way to your ship to break the news to your crew that you need to find a new home base and likely won't be able to return. Some crew members are quick to show their anger towards Wooyoung, but you reassure everyone with one simple claim.

"If we've done everything we can and they still don't want us here, we shouldn't want to stay either."

You explain how there likely isn't any time for goodbyes since the police likely won't waste time chasing you down again, so you work towards setting sail immediately. Luckily, your crew instinctively filled up on supplies while you were stuck in the cell, so there isn't much left to do.

"Cap'n, there's someone requesting to talk to you. Should we allow him aboard?" A member screams across the ship.

"Who is it?"

"Captain Hongjoong of Sun Howler, sir."

"Let him board."

As your new companion faces you, you address him properly and lead him into your chambers. Motioning to the nearest chair at your desk, you drop the formalities in the privacy of the room. Dragging out another chair to sit in front of him, you ask about the plan. As he recounts the pirates and their known home ports, you deduce that the safest plan would be to sail north, up the coast to the city rivaling this one.

"Won't they shun us away?"

"Didn't you and I once shun each other away and brace this port together regardless? Or what of Wooyoung taking over this city to shun us away from here?"

Nodding in acknowledgment, Hongjoong confirms, "So, we head north? Stop at each port we come across?"

"We might end up too close if we do that. Does your crew have the supplies to sail safely for a week before finding a port? I don't want to taunt Shields too soon; I want to be ready to fight back."

Uncertain of Wooyoung's response to your escape, the captain agrees to meet again in a week's time. After the seventh sunrise, they will look for the closest port. In case of landing at different ports, you agree on a plan to find one another via smoke signals and a trail of coded notes. To stay one step ahead of potential enemies, you assign each other new aliases to use in the notes, basing the initials on the boats' names and their respective quartermasters: Sea Heist Sails and Mightly Reel Mast.

After agreeing on the specifics, you shake Hongjoong's hand and wish him luck on his journey. Leaving you with a quick show of comradery in smiling and claiming that he'll see you in a week, he heads back to the Sun Howler to untie her and set sail. Following his lead, you untie Moon Raider and instruct Mingi to head north, staying near the coastline if possible.

As you drift out of the port, you hear a commotion behind you. Eyes drawn towards the ruckus, you see Wooyoung red-faced and angrily yelling at his guards. As he flails his arms in the direction of your ship, he makes direct eye contact with you. With a smug smile on your face, you remove your hat in a mocking salute, signaling to the man that you've won this round without breaking a sweat.

Tags: @yourfatherlucifer @pyeonghongrie

[carpefuckingomnia]

Surviving late-stage capitalism, a term often used to describe the current phase of capitalism characterized by corporate dominance, wealth inequality, and environmental degradation, requires a combination of personal strategies, collective action, and systemic change. Here are some practical steps to navigate and resist its challenges:

### Personal Strategies:

1. **Financial Literacy and Stability**:

- Budget wisely and live within your means.

- Build an emergency fund to cushion against economic shocks.

- Invest in assets that appreciate over time (e.g., education, skills, or low-risk investments).

2. **Skill Development**:

- Continuously learn new skills to stay competitive in the job market.

- Focus on skills that are less likely to be automated, such as creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

3. **Minimalism and Sustainability**:

- Reduce consumption and focus on needs rather than wants.

- Support sustainable and ethical businesses.

- Grow your own food or participate in community gardens.

4. **Mental and Physical Health**:

- Prioritize self-care to combat stress and burnout.

- Build strong social connections for emotional support.

- Advocate for better workplace conditions and work-life balance.

### Collective Action:

1. **Unionize and Organize**:

- Join or form labor unions to fight for fair wages, benefits, and working conditions.

- Participate in grassroots movements that challenge corporate power and advocate for workers' rights.

2. **Mutual Aid Networks**:

- Create or join mutual aid groups to share resources, skills, and support within your community.

- These networks can provide a safety net during economic crises.

3. **Cooperative Economies**:

- Support or start worker cooperatives, credit unions, and community-owned businesses.

- These models prioritize people over profits and foster economic democracy.

4. **Political Engagement**:

- Vote for candidates and policies that address wealth inequality, climate change, and corporate accountability.

- Advocate for systemic reforms like universal healthcare, affordable housing, and progressive taxation.

### Systemic Change:

1. **Challenge Corporate Power**:

- Support regulations that limit monopolies and corporate influence in politics.

- Boycott companies that exploit workers or harm the environment.

2. **Promote Economic Democracy**:

- Advocate for policies that redistribute wealth, such as higher taxes on the wealthy and universal basic income.

- Push for public ownership of essential services like healthcare, education, and utilities.

3. **Environmental Justice**:

- Support policies and initiatives that address climate change and prioritize sustainability.

- Hold corporations accountable for environmental destruction.

4. **Education and Awareness**:

- Educate yourself and others about the flaws of late-stage capitalism and alternatives like socialism, degrowth, or post-capitalist economies.

- Use social media and other platforms to raise awareness and mobilize for change.

### Long-Term Vision:

- **Imagine Alternatives**: Explore and advocate for economic systems that prioritize human well-being and ecological sustainability over profit.

- **Build Resilience**: Focus on creating communities and systems that can withstand economic and environmental crises.

Surviving late-stage capitalism is not just about individual survival but also about working collectively to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

[gnusnoteunuchs]

For centuries, the Venusian space colonies have been dominant in the production of tea and coffee. Historically these centrifugal farms were owned almost entirely by the Muthukumaran family, who were made staggeringly wealthy by the chokehold they enjoyed on the production of humanity's favorite luxury crops. The Muthukumaran dynasty was overthrown years ago, however, and now Venusian tea is harvested by members of the Venusian Agricultural Soviet. While the ownership of the fields has changed, though, the privilege of its owners have not; the VAS are highly privileged in the automated algorithms that control interplanetary trade, and even the gravity-shy feudal Titanians from the outer Solar System are keen to buy. Here, VAS journeypeer Victoire takes a well-deserved break alongside an agricultural drone and a member of her station's pest-control crew.

[omegaphilosophia]

The Moral Philosophy of Markets

Markets play a fundamental role in organizing economic activity, but their moral implications are widely debated. The moral philosophy of markets explores whether markets are inherently ethical, how they should be regulated, and what obligations economic actors have toward society. This inquiry intersects with utilitarianism, libertarianism, virtue ethics, and theories of justice.

1. Are Markets Morally Justifiable?

Markets operate on the principle of voluntary exchange, where individuals act in their self-interest. But does self-interest align with morality?

Utilitarian View: Markets increase overall welfare by efficiently allocating resources, promoting innovation, and reducing scarcity. If markets maximize happiness, they are morally justified.

Libertarian Perspective: Free markets respect individual liberty, allowing people to make their own choices without government interference. This perspective values freedom over outcomes.

Virtue Ethics: Aristotle and other virtue ethicists would argue that markets should cultivate ethical behavior, not just economic efficiency. Markets that incentivize greed or deception may be morally questionable.

2. Market Failures and Ethical Concerns

Markets are not perfect, and their failures raise ethical questions:

Negative Externalities: When businesses pollute the environment or exploit workers, they impose costs on society without compensation. Who is responsible for these harms?

Economic Inequality: Does a just market system allow extreme disparities in wealth? Should governments redistribute resources to create fairness?

Commodification of Morality: Should healthcare, education, or even human organs be bought and sold? Markets can conflict with moral values when some goods shouldn’t have a price tag.

3. Ethical Regulation: Free Market vs. Controlled Market

Should markets be left alone or ethically constrained?

Rawlsian Justice: John Rawls argues for economic systems that ensure fairness by prioritizing the well-being of the least advantaged.

Social Responsibility: Corporations have duties beyond profit, such as environmental sustainability, ethical labor practices, and fair wages.

Government’s Role: Laws and policies are necessary to prevent market abuses, but excessive intervention can stifle innovation and individual freedom.

4. Alternative Market Models

Different economic systems propose various moral approaches to markets:

Capitalism: Focuses on free enterprise and individual ownership but raises concerns about inequality and exploitation.

Socialism: Seeks to reduce wealth disparities but may limit personal freedom and innovation.

Mixed Economies: Attempt to balance free markets with social safety nets, creating a moral compromise between efficiency and equity.

5. The Future of Ethical Markets

With the rise of automation, globalization, and climate change, moral questions about markets are evolving:

Should AI and automation replace human labor if it causes mass unemployment?

Do businesses have an obligation to fight climate change, even if it reduces profits?

Is wealth accumulation ethical, or should markets be structured to prevent extreme inequality?

Conclusion: Can Markets Be Moral?

Markets are not inherently moral or immoral—their ethical standing depends on how they are structured and regulated. A just market system must balance efficiency, fairness, and human well-being, ensuring that economic growth does not come at the cost of exploitation or societal harm.

[rathayibacter]

as a TTRPG designer, how would you approach blackjack / a risk reward type mechanic (I am going to steal)

oh hell yea i genuinely love folks doin stuff like this, ideas are meant to be taken and ran with

and youre in luck cuz ive talked about this before w friends! i think push your luck mechanics fuckin rule in ttrpgs. something i think about a lot is how most dice-based ttrpgs have an actually pretty shallow skill ceiling. like, there's skill involved in making your build, and using your resources at the right time, but once you have your build and know how to spend resources a lot of the actual mechanical fabric of play is just rolling a die with as many modifiers on it as possible and hoping it passes the GM's threshold. there's not a lot of ownership over winning, and not a lot of regret in losing. so yea i think Blackjack's a real promising approach!

so lets talk about the actual meat and potatoes. what's Blackjack bringing to your game, what're the costs, and what's the design space?

Blackjack's letting you turn every roll into a meaningful gamble, where the players can decide how far they want to go and how much they want to risk to accomplish their goals. already that sets a kind of tone for the game, where PCs aren't really noble heroes (or, at the very least, they're noble heroes in a world that makes no effort to coddle them). failure is always a possibility, and disaster is always your fault.

in terms of costs, there's one real big one right off the bat: playing a minigame takes time and mental effort. this is the primary advantage of dice, you barely have to stop to roll a die and see if it was good or not. if you're playing Blackjack every time you do something, you're gonna get very little done. so you're gonna wanna make every game really count! the Blackjack only comes out when the stakes are big. Viditya Voleti describes a fun dice mechanic here where multiple actions from different players can be resolved with one check, and that's another way you could handle something like this.

so okay here's the fun part: design space. here's a first pass at a Blackjack ttrpg mechanic.

whenever you're in a tense situation with everything on the line, play a game of Blackjack. players may bet any amount of Strength, Stakes, and Survival, though some games may have minimum bets established by the dealer. the dealer chooses their face-up card from a hand of three, then deals their face-down card from the deck. when the round is over, the dealer pays out all bets, then describes how the gamestate has changed. if a player went bust, they fail catastrophically. their hubris comes crashing down on them. if a player lost to the dealer, they fail, but they're not out. they can push their luck and try again. if a player tied or beat the dealer, things go well for them. they pushed ahead, got what they wanted, and can try again for double or nothing. if a player got a Blackjack, they succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, double their winnings, and get full narrative control. Strength can be spent to buy new skills and abilities, to gain an edge in future games. Stakes can be spent to buy narrative beats, and many obstacles require payment before a certain number of games elapse. Survival is spent to mitigate the costs of failure and ensure your character doesn't meet an untimely end.

something i really like here is how the dealer gets some control over the difficulty of the check. once the game starts, they're still essentially automated, but they can choose to make a particular game easier or harder on the players. the three currencies also give some texture to each bet, and the GM can play this up by requiring certain minumum bets. a game against a brutal killer might cost 3 Survival upfront, so if you lose you're in a precarious place but if you win you'll be (temporarily) untouchable. it could also allow for a game world where multiple Blackjack games are present at a single time, offering different buyins and payouts to the players. they might be investigating a murder in a small town, and each suspect is represented by a potential Blackjack match. the antagonist of a long campaign might be available from the very start, sitting smugly behind an impossible game of incredible stakes, waiting for the players to build up the courage to take them down.

anyway, those are just a few thoughts on this! lmao

[purplebitcoin]

Purple Bitcoin: A Safe and Deflationary Vision for Cryptocurrency

Given the unpredictable nature of the cryptocurrency world, stability and trust are often hard to come by, but not so with Purple Bitcoin (PBTC). The idea behind PBTC is to build the one that is the least ambiguous, transparent, and safest for investors. Purple Bitcoin, built on the Solana blockchain, is a blockchain project that focuses on efficient transactions, while incorporating scarcity driven value, using advanced technology. Unlike most other tokens, this one doesn’t rely on hype or the latest short lived trend, but rather builds long term trust through audited contracts, a deflationary burn mechanism and a commitment to transparent tokenomics.

What’s unique about PBTC is that it focuses on investor protection and sustainable growth. Unlike many cryptocurrencies where there is room for sudden change or hidden risk, Purple Bitcoin is immutable and secure. The developer has renounced ownership, and with no hidden minting, investors can confidently trust that the token's supply and functionality are permanently fixed. With each PBTC transaction the supply of the token is reduced through token burns, making the token even more scarce and valuable over time. Purple Bitcoin is a forward looking cryptocurrency that provides a secure store of value with integrity and a dedication to its community.

A Rare Endorsement from Industry Titans

In a world where trust is often in short supply, Purple Bitcoin (PBTC) has accomplished what few other projects can boast: It also has validation from two highly regarded developers with ties to U.S. government blockchain initiatives. These are the same experts who have worked on critical, high stakes systems, and reviewed the PBTC contract in great detail and confirmed that it is a perfectly designed contract. Because of their experience in finding vulnerabilities, they were able to confirm that PBTC is free of hidden exploits, un mintable, and immutable.

This is more than a formality, it's a true endorsement of our integrity. This validation is a refreshing sense of security for the investors who have been through the volatile cryptocurrency market. Because of these developers supporting the project, PBTC is a reliable, transparent token that will survive the trials of the digital asset world.

The Burn Mechanism: A Formula for Scarcity

PBTC employs a burn mechanism that systematically reduces its token supply, creating scarcity with every transaction. This isn’t a gimmick; it’s the foundation of the token’s value, crafted with precision to reward long-term holders.

The Three Pillars of PBTC’s Burn Process:

Transaction-Based Reductions

Everytime PBTC is bought, sold, or transferred, a portion of the transaction is taken out of circulation permanently. This is a transaction based burn mechanism intended to incrementally reduce the total supply of the token with every transaction. The more people interact with PBTC, the more the burn process continues to function in the background, adding to the deflationary nature of the token with every transaction. As a result of linking supply reduction to market activity, PBTC is in sync with natural trading behavior, forming a self-sustaining system that rewards long term holders by increasing scarcity and value.

Scheduled Token Burns

PBTC reduces transaction based, and also has scheduled token burns where a pre determined amount of the token is burned at certain intervals, over time. They are scheduled burns done in a controlled and predictable way so as to reduce supply further. These scheduled reductions complement the transaction based burns by guaranteeing that PBTC’s scarcity is not only driven by transactional activity, but by ongoing, deliberate efforts as well. The strategic burn approach of PBTC supports long term stability and value of the asset, making it a deflationary asset that rewards patience and long term investment.

Immutable Automation

The entire process of the burn is entirely integrated into the PBTC smart contract on the Solana blockchain and runs automatically without any manual intervention. The burn mechanism of this smart contract technology is both tamper proof and unalterable by any outside party, thereby protecting the token’s integrity. The burn process of PBTC is transparent and immutable, and is made possible through the use of Solana’s highly secure and efficient blockchain, giving investors confidence that PBTC’s deflationary features are inherent to the core structure of the token, and can’t be manipulated or changed without consensus. It is an immutable automation, which assures a fair and reliable system for all the participants.

This deflationary mechanism doesn’t just shrink supply—it builds confidence. Every reduction contributes to a stronger, more valuable token for those willing to hold.

What Bitcoin Did, Refined

PBTC draws inspiration from Bitcoin’s model of scarcity-driven value. Bitcoin became a store of wealth not just because of its technological innovation, but because its limited supply created a sense of rarity. PBTC takes that same idea and enhances it with real-time burn mechanics.

PBTC offers a path to scarcity that doesn’t rely on waiting years for halving events. Its design actively aligns with market activity, adapting to demand while protecting supply integrity.

A Token Built for Trust

In the cryptocurrency market, Purple Bitcoin (PBTC) is unique in that it does not base its existence on vague promises and flashy marketing. While many projects are built on hype and uncertainty, PBTC was built on transparency, security and sustainability for the long term. One of its main priorities was to solve problems crypto investors have been struggling with for a long time—fake contracts, sudden token mining, and unpredictable prices. Through careful planning and a clear vision, PBTC is looking to bring a stable & transparent token to investors.

This is not for people looking to make quick money or to speculate. It is designed for investors who prize clarity, security, and smart design, instead. PBTC’s unique features such as an audited contract, renounced ownership, and deflationary supply model are built to make sure that PBTC is a trustworthy long term project. Its value is founded on these fundamental principles, creating an ecosystem which rewards patience and makes it possible for investors to have faith in the token’s future. With PBTC we are trying to create a digital asset that will stand the test of time and provide transparency and stability for those who invest in it.

Why Investors Are Watching PBTC

Purple Bitcoin (PBTC) is appealing because it’s simple, and it’s committed to transparency. Unlike many projects that promise to dominate the market quickly or gain speculative profits, PBTC is about delivering a reliable and predictable token with a sustainable future. Using a deflationary model with tokens being burned with every transaction, PBTC slowly reduces its supply and may therefore create scarcity and drive long term value. By being a calculated approach, this makes PBTC a good investment choice for those who want stability over high risk volatility.

As the cryptocurrency market gets more mature, PBTC is a strategic move towards safer, more thoughtful tokenomics. Created with investors who are tired of hype projects and are looking for a project that has tangible value, transparency, trust, and sustainability. PBTC isn’t another speculative asset, it’s a token that is built on principles of reward for patience and long term commitment. The PBTC approach is a refreshing change for anyone who’s had enough of the wild swings that are characteristic of crypto and instead wants to focus on long term growth with minimal risk. 

Join the PBTC Community Today

We at Purple Bitcoin (PBTC) believe in community driven decision making and transparency. When you join our ecosystem, you’re part of a movement that believes in stability, trust, and long term growth. Whether you’ve been investing for decades or you’re just getting your feet wet, PBTC is a chance to be a part of a token with a long life. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to help build a safer, more sustainable financial ecosystem – join the PBTC community today to help us shape the future of cryptocurrency. We can do more together!

[annajade456]

The DevOps Lifecycle: Building, Testing, and Deploying with Confidence

DevOps, a combination of "Development" and "Operations," has emerged as a game-changer in the software development landscape. It represents a comprehensive approach that fosters collaboration between development and operations teams, emphasizes automation, and cultivates a culture of continuous improvement. In this blog post, we will delve deeper into the world of DevOps, exploring its principles, practices, and how it works. 

The Essence of DevOps: 

DevOps is more than just a buzzword; it's a mindset that aims to break down silos and bridge the gap between traditionally isolated development and operations teams. At its core, DevOps promotes collaboration, automation, and a relentless focus on delivering high-quality software faster and more efficiently.

Collaboration: DevOps encourages close collaboration and communication between development and operations teams. By working together from the initial stages of a project, teams can align their goals, streamline processes, and reduce conflicts.

Automation: Automation is the backbone of DevOps. It involves using tools and scripts to automate repetitive tasks, such as code building, testing, and deployment. This not only speeds up development but also reduces the risk of human error.

The DevOps Lifecycle: 

DevOps introduces a structured lifecycle that encompasses various stages, ensuring a seamless flow from code development to deployment and beyond.

Continuous Integration (CI): In this phase, developers frequently integrate their code into a shared repository. CI tools automatically build and test the code with every change, ensuring it remains functional and error-free.

Continuous Delivery (CD): Building on CI, CD automates the deployment process, allowing for the continuous delivery of tested code to production or staging environments. This enables rapid and reliable releases.

Monitoring and Feedback: DevOps teams continuously monitor applications and infrastructure in production. They collect feedback on system performance, user experience, and any issues that arise. This feedback loop is crucial for making improvements and responding to issues promptly.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC): IaC is a DevOps practice that involves managing infrastructure using code. It enables the automated provisioning, scaling, and configuration of infrastructure resources, ensuring consistency and reproducibility.

Version Control: Version control systems like Git are essential for tracking code changes, enabling collaboration, and ensuring code integrity.

The Cultural Shift: 

DevOps isn't just about tools and processes; it's also about fostering a cultural shift within an organization.

Shared Responsibility: DevOps promotes a culture of shared responsibility, where both development and operations teams take ownership of the entire software delivery process. This reduces blame-shifting and encourages problem-solving.

Accountability: DevOps encourages accountability for code quality, security, and performance. Team members are responsible for the outcomes of their work, from development to deployment.

Trust and Collaboration: Open communication and trust between teams are essential. DevOps encourages cross-functional teams to work together, breaking down traditional barriers.

DevOps is not just a trend but a transformative approach to software development and deployment. Its principles of collaboration, automation, and cultural transformation are reshaping the industry. ACTE Technologies, through its training and consulting services, plays a pivotal role in preparing professionals and organizations for success in the DevOps-driven world. Embracing DevOps and partnering with ACTE Technologies can lead to faster, more reliable software delivery and a competitive edge in today's dynamic tech landscape. Start your DevOps journey today and reap the benefits of this revolutionary approach.

[elsa16744]

Building a Robust Data Governance Framework: Best Practices and Key Considerations  

A good framework for data governance compliance assists organizations in ensuring data security. As a result, they can combat cybersecurity risks and fulfill regulatory requirements for responsible enterprise data operations. This post will focus on building a relevant, outcome-oriented data governance framework and strategy. 

A comprehensive strategy will help protect an organization’s digital assets from different data breaches. Global brands want to avoid reputational damage and regulatory penalties by picking up governance initiatives. However, they seek reliable compliance approaches to maximize the value of data. That is why they want to know how to foster data etiquette for accuracy, timely access to insights, and relevance to business decisions. 

Best Practices and Key Considerations for Building an Effective Data Governance Framework 

1. Clearly Communicating Process Objectives and Data Ownership 

Before a data governance framework is implemented, the objectives need to be clearly defined. What is the organization aiming to achieve by employing a data governance company? Some objectives may include the following. 

-          better quality of information, 

-          regulatory compliance, 

-          data-driven decision-making (DDDM). 

These goals will determine the governance framework’s structure. 

It also becomes very important to define data asset ownership. The data governance team, led by a data governance officer (DGO), must be held responsible for this. Those data professionals will develop data access and usage policies. They will also monitor data quality and address data-related issues across the entire organization. 

2. Drafting Comprehensive Data Protection and Anti-Espionage Policies 

A good data governance framework is based on well-articulated policies and standards. Those documents will guide data solutions and management practices, helping the firms and their suppliers. Such policies should define the most important compliance areas. 

Considerations must include unbiased data classification and 24/7 security incident tracking. Moreover, privacy assurance assessments may be conducted. A broader data lifecycle management (DLM) vision can further streamline governance compliance efforts. Companies must also establish user permission standards. They will help allow access to data only if authorized personnel submit requests to their respective superiors. Similar access controls help prevent corporate espionage actors from entering IT systems and compromising sensitive business intelligence. 

The policies developed should be flexible. After all, you will need to modify business governance frameworks. Otherwise, you cannot keep up with the regulators’ amendments to applicable laws. 

3. Focus on Data Quality and Integrity 

Ensuring data quality and integrity is very fundamental to data governance. Remember, inaccurate data leads to poor decisions. It inevitably results in misaligned strategies, causing inefficiencies in business activities. Therefore, data validation rules must be implemented. You want to encourage regular integrity audits based on those rules. Furthermore, adequate data cleansing practices will help ensure businesses’ dataset accuracy and reliability. 

Consider data stewardship programs. It involves a competent individual or a team assuming responsibility for the quality of specific data assets. 

4. Leverage Technology for Scalability and Automation 

Data management can be enhanced by using modern technologies. Newer data governance platforms, artificial intelligence, and automation tools will aid you in improving governance compliance. These technologies will, therefore, make it easier to automate the tracking of data changes. Many tools also enforce governance policies. So, users can bypass the manual work of optimizing data protection measures based on the organization’s growth. 

Conclusion 

Building a strong data governance framework will demand definite objectives. Leaders will want to develop cross-functional collaborative environments to promote data ethics and integrity policies. 

Accordingly, the best compliance assurance practices involve defining data ownership, ensuring data quality, and using novel technology. These measures would help organizations protect their data assets. Their superior compliance levels also make them attractive to more investors. 

A robust data governance framework and compliance strategy does not just mitigate risk. Rather, it would deliver strategic success while respecting regulatory and consumer values concerning privacy. 

[eye-scream-in-pain]

Discord fucking sucks. I get scammed out of my account, Which is one thing, and then when I submit a support ticket I found out that it can take upwards of A MONTH to get back to me. Then, when they finally do, it's an automated Bot response telling me "sucks to be you, we can't do Jack shit mate!"

(For reference, I lost access due to someone masquerading as a discord administrator convincing me to change the email the account is associated under in the guise of "verifying my ownership" of the account. I know it was stupid, but I realized the scam soon after and would like my account back. Advice is appreciated.)

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 9: Gone

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

You insert your key into the lock, turn it, and push open the apartment door.

"Finley! You home?" you call out as you remove the key and step inside, with Jake following closely behind you.

You spot a piece of paper resting on the kitchen island and make your way over to it. Picking it up, you read its brief contents:

Y/N, I am so sorry. -Finley

The note leaves you with a sense of mystery and concern, prompting questions about what might have transpired in your absence.

"Well, that's weird," you mutter as you observe the unusual note left by Finley. Your curiosity piqued, you then notice that Finley's bedroom door is ajar, an unusual occurrence in itself. Setting the note back on the kitchen island, Jake reads it before joining you in investigating the open bedroom door. Together, you approach the room, wondering what might await inside.

As you push the door open wider and step into the bedroom, a sense of shock washes over you. The room is conspicuously empty, devoid of all its usual contents.

"What the hell?" you exclaim, your voice tinged with disbelief. The sudden disappearance of everything in Finley's bedroom leaves you utterly perplexed.

Jake's cell phone rings just as you both grapple with the bizarre situation in Finley's bedroom. He glances at the screen, revealing the caller as Coyote.

"It's Coyote," he informs you and then answers the call on speaker. "Hello?"

"Jake. Is Y/N around? I've been trying to get ahold of Finley and there's no answer," Coyote explains.

"Yeah. You're on speaker and Y/N is right here. We just got back to her place and Finley's things are gone in her bedroom."

"I'll be right over," Coyote says and the phone goes quiet.

As the weight of the situation settles upon you, you let out a sigh, your mind racing with concerns about your future in light of the unexplained disappearance of your roommate, Finley.

Then, Jake offers a surprising solution: "Move in with me."

You turn to him, your eyes reflecting your surprise and hesitation. "Jake, I can't just move in with you. We barely know each other."

Jake suggests, "Fine. Then I'll move in here. You've got two bedrooms, I'll take Finley's."

As you contemplate this arrangement, you decide to call Finley's number to ensure she hasn't simply changed her contact information. The automated response confirms your fears: "We're sorry, this number is no longer in service."

Jake offers reassurance, "Sweety, she's gone."

Feeling overwhelmed and bewildered by the situation, you move to the living room and sink onto the couch, the surreal nature of Finley's disappearance sinking in. "This is crazy," you murmur, your voice tinged with both confusion and concern.

Jake sits on the couch next to you. "How long have you known Finley?"

"Not long. Just a couple of months. I answered her roommate add," you admitted.

"What do you know about her?"

You thought about it. "Not much really, now that I think about it."

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Jake says as he gets up from the couch and walks to the door. He opens it and Coyote is standing there.

Coyote steps into the apartment and closes the door behind him. He looks at both you and Jake. "Anything?"

"Nothing," Jake says. "What about you? What did you learn about Finley?"

Coyote starts to blush. "Uhm..."

Jake waves a hand. "We don't want to know."

You stand up. "I'm going to check her work." You look up the bar Finley worked at and called the number. "Hi. This is Y/N. Is Finley there?" You listen to the voice on the other line. "Okay. No. Thanks." You hang up and look at Jake and Coyote. "She quit. She just called in and quit."

Gavin Sinclair drinks his cup of Bourbon when there's a knock at his hotel suite door. He leisurely walks over to it, opens it and looks down at the short woman with brown hair.

"It took you long enough," he says as she walks in.

"Look I'm just here for my money," she says.

Gavin closes the door behind her and gestures for her to take a seat in the spacious hotel suite. He remains composed, his demeanor exuding an air of confidence.

"You'll get your money as long as you did everything I asked."

She looks at him. "I did." Clearly on edge, the girl glances around the opulent suite nervously. "You know, I've heard things about you, Gavin. People say you're not one to cross."

Gavin stops in his tracks, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Ah, so you've been talking to Y/N," he muses. "Interesting. She's a resourceful one, isn't she?"

"She doesn't seem like the person you described at all."

He takes another sip of his bourbon. "Well, you don't know her like I do." He opens a drawer in a nearby cabinet and retrieves a sealed envelope. With a deliberate motion, he places it on the coffee table in front of the girl. The envelope appears to contain a substantial amount of cash. "Don't spend it all in one night, Finley."

She quickly grabs the cash. "Look I'm out of here." She starts to go by him when he grabs her wrist.

Gavin's grip on Finley's wrist is firm but not painfully so. He pulls her slightly closer, his gaze locking onto hers. "Not so fast," he says calmly. "Before you go, I have a question for you."

Finley swallows hard, her nervousness palpable. "What... what do you want to know?"

As Detective Simon Fromm continues to surveil your apartment complex, he can't shake the unease he feels about his involvement with Gavin Sinclair. Something about the situation just doesn't sit right with him, and he can't ignore his instincts as a seasoned detective.

Sure, Sinclair was rich and he tossed his family's money around like it was nothing, but something about his story didn't add up.

He opens his car door and starts to walk towards your apartment.

[prettymunchkin]

Unlocking the Future: AI's Hidden Potential in Real Estate

In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements, industries across the board are witnessing transformative changes, and the real estate sector is no exception. As AI continues to permeate various aspects of our lives, its potential to empower the real estate industry remains largely untapped. In this blog post, we'll explore the unique ways in which AI can revolutionize the real estate landscape, unlocking new opportunities and reshaping traditional practices.

Democratizing Access to Real Estate Investment: Traditionally, investing in real estate has been perceived as exclusive to those with substantial capital and industry expertise. However, AI-powered platforms are democratizing access to real estate investment by offering fractional ownership and crowdfunding opportunities. Through algorithms that analyze market trends and assess investment risks, these platforms enable individuals to diversify their portfolios and participate in lucrative real estate ventures with lower barriers to entry.

Sustainable Development and Green Building Initiatives: As sustainability becomes a key priority in urban development, AI can play a pivotal role in advancing green building initiatives. Machine learning algorithms can optimize building designs for energy efficiency, leverage IoT sensors to monitor resource consumption, and forecast environmental impacts. By integrating AI-driven sustainability solutions into real estate projects, developers can minimize carbon footprints, reduce operational costs, and create healthier living environments for occupants.

Enhancing Urban Planning and Smart Cities: AI's ability to process vast amounts of data can revolutionize urban planning and contribute to the realization of smart cities. By analyzing demographic trends, traffic patterns, and infrastructure requirements, AI algorithms can optimize land use, improve transportation networks, and enhance urban resilience. Through predictive modeling and scenario analysis, city planners can make data-driven decisions that foster sustainable growth, mitigate congestion, and enhance quality of life for residents.

Empowering Real Estate Agents with Intelligent Assistants: Real estate agents juggle numerous tasks, from lead generation to property management, often leading to time constraints and inefficiencies. AI-powered virtual assistants can alleviate this burden by automating repetitive tasks, such as scheduling appointments, responding to inquiries, and generating personalized property recommendations. By leveraging natural language processing and sentiment analysis, these intelligent assistants can enhance customer engagement, streamline workflows, and enable agents to focus on high-value activities.

Predictive Analytics for Property Development: AI-driven predictive analytics offer valuable insights into future property trends and demand dynamics, guiding developers in making informed decisions throughout the development lifecycle. By analyzing factors such as population growth, economic indicators, and consumer preferences, AI algorithms can identify prime locations for new developments, optimize property designs, and forecast market demand with greater accuracy. This proactive approach minimizes investment risks and maximizes returns on real estate projects.

Cultural Preservation and Heritage Conservation: Preserving cultural heritage sites and historic buildings is crucial for maintaining a sense of identity and preserving collective memory. AI technologies, such as computer vision and image recognition, can aid in the documentation, restoration, and conservation of cultural landmarks. By digitizing architectural artifacts, analyzing structural integrity, and simulating restoration scenarios, AI contributes to the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations to appreciate and cherish.

Conclusion:

As we navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving real estate landscape, embracing AI's transformative potential is key to unlocking new opportunities and addressing emerging challenges. From democratizing access to investment opportunities to advancing sustainable development initiatives, AI empowers stakeholders across the real estate industry to innovate, adapt, and thrive in a rapidly changing world. By harnessing AI's capabilities, we can build more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities for generations to come.

[not-terezi-pyrope]

Hi! I read a lot of your posts on AI and I’m just curious about your take on the impact of AI on people and culture? I don’t use twitter so I don’t know what is being argued with AI, but my personal qualm is that it could obscure human experience. I’m not really concerned about the ownership of publicly available media, but I am worried about how AI can be used on a large scale by corporations to control human narratives. We already live in a world controlled by media monopolies, almost everything is owned by Disney, and their stuff is absolutely formulaic enough to be written by AI. While humans are borrowing just as much cultural information, one is still an original thought about how art should be created and presented. A corporation’s use of the technology will prime whatever is released for pure profit. It doesn’t need to be thoughtful at all. Again, this is already happening, but AI is just another way to streamline it. That’s part of why the writers strikes are happening right now. That kind of automation technology can shoehorn us into the necessary ends that corporations find most profitable. After reading your posts I realized that I was clumping in the technology with the ill intent of corporations. I wasn’t really considering all of its applications in its current form and I was kind of focusing on fear. You’ve changed my mind about some things. But human learning is dictated by modeling. We are sponges constantly absorbing the media shown to us. What if what’s available to us is always something easily automated by a company with its own interest? Avoiding that media completely would just result in personal isolation. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this as someone who understands the technology!

I think the key point here is one you've already made; corporations are already churning out mass media pulp optimized for profit, and have been doing so for years. At present, that pulp is probably more profitable when produced by humans, at least in terms of the overall story design of our media, so incorporating AI probably won't change much about its quality except for noticeable shortcuts that are deemed acceptable. But this is already true in digital productions. Corporations will probably still try to compete with a baseline of quality to make big budget releases acceptable to markets. You can't cut all the corners with cheap tech, which is why we are not seeing those shitty knock-off animated movies in cinemas. Things need to be a least competent even if they are schlock.

In the long term, if AI really is able to produce entire movies or similar that are comparable to human-made mass blockbusters, then the implication of that kind of depends on who is in control of the AI. It might lower the barrier to creating good looking movies, it might just let Disney make more animated princess flicks faster. I don't think either of those outcomes is essentially bad. There's good and bad ways it could manifest.

Specific failings of the technology could result in things like subtle bias, or feedback syndrome where the AI has little new content to work on as all new artworks are themselves AI generated. These are both technology issues that can be addressed, though, and are far enough off at the moment that it's hard to speculate about any real harms.

Honestly, the biggest negative impact currently threatened by AI is the obvious one that the writers are striking over; capitalism isn't set up to provide for human livelihoods under increased automation. The only solutions to this problem are strict regulation on how corporations can employ automation, or, perhaps more simply, watering down or abolishing capitalism. UBI is most realistic avenue for this at present, I think, even if it's not totally ideal (I'd like those corporations to not exist in a form that creates a profit motive, thanks).

Cultural concerns aren't nearly as scary a prospect on the horizon for me. Yeah, AI can be used to produce cheap schlock, but humans can already do that, can even automate it with free software somewhat with no machine learning required. As long as humans are ultimately deciding how and when the cheap schlock is made, as they are now, I doubt much will change about the essential character of popular art. This is all just my personal opinion, though. It's hard to predict exactly how things will shake out.

Thanks for asking!

[wedesignyouny]

Set the Standard: Atlas NYC Unveils the Best Property Management Companies in NYC

Set the Standard: Atlas NYC Unveils the Best Property Management Companies in NYC

The success of your investment depends on selecting the correct property management partner in the dynamic and quick-paced world of New York City real estate. Of all the options, Atlas NYC stands out as a model of quality, establishing the benchmark for property management in the city that never sleeps. In this piece, we examine the essential characteristics that set Atlas NYC apart as one of the best property management companies in NYC, providing a smooth fusion of experience, creativity, and unmatched customer care.

Unrivaled Local Knowledge

A thorough awareness of the local environment is necessary to successfully navigate the complexity of the New York City real estate market. The team at Atlas NYC has unmatched experience since they have developed a thorough understanding of the various neighborhoods, laws, and market trends that make up the city. Atlas NYC’s ability to adjust its property management techniques to the specific needs and problems of each property under its care is made possible by its local understanding.

All-inclusive Property Management Solutions

To maximize the performance and value of your investment, Atlas NYC provides a full range of property management services. Every area of property ownership is managed with accuracy and care according to the company’s holistic strategy, which includes tenant relations, maintenance, financial administration, and strategic planning.

Important Services Consist of:

1. Tenant Relations and Screening:

· Strict screening procedures to find qualified tenants.

· Tenant relations should be proactive and responsive to promote happy living situations.

2. Upkeep and Fixtures:

· Proactive maintenance plans to deal with problems before they get worse.

· Effective management of maintenance, guaranteeing the durability and allure of every asset.

3. Accounting for Finances:

· Efficient and open financial administration.

· Rent collecting, planning, and reporting done on time to maximize profits.

4. Adherence to the Law:

· Observance of regional laws and compliance standards.

· Reduction of the legal hazards related to property administration.

5. Planning Strategically:

· Customized plans to optimize value and return on investment for every property.

· Proactive preparation to keep up with changes and developments in the industry.

Inventive Integration of Technology

Efficiency is critical in a city renowned for its fast-paced way of living. Atlas NYC uses state-of-the-art technology to make property management processes more efficient. Technology is smoothly incorporated to improve the customer experience, from online portals that give property owners real-time insights to automated processes that improve communication and productivity.

Client-Centered Methodology

Atlas NYC’s steadfast dedication to customer satisfaction distinguishes it as one of the top property management firms in NYC. The organization places a high value on candid communication, openness, and a customized strategy to meet the particular requirements of every property owner. Throughout the management process, Atlas NYC makes sure that you feel informed and confident, regardless of your level of experience as an investor.

Increase Your Capital with Atlas NYC

Selecting the best property management company in NYC is an investment in the longevity and profitability of your real estate endeavors, not just a choice. At the forefront, Atlas NYC exemplifies the characteristics that characterize the best in property management. Visit atlasnyc.com to learn more about Atlas NYC’s extensive services and track record, and discover a new level of property management in the center of the never-sleeping metropolis.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US

Atlas NYC Property Management, LLC

77 14th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215

718-768-8888

info@atlasNYC.com