#data base system consulting

[pavitrapavi]

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[artisticdivasworld]

Streamlining Trucking Finances with Digital Invoice Management

Let’s talk invoices. I know, it might not be the most exciting topic when you’re out on the road, but stick with me for a minute—it’s actually smart for your business. Tired of handling stacks of paper invoices? It’s like trying to navigate rush hour traffic with a broken GPS. Papers get lost, numbers get messed up, and chasing down payments can feel like an endless loop. But here’s some good…

[mythalism]

i know everyone is really excited for the oblivion remake because i was too. oblivion was the first real video game i ever played when i was a kid, and is literally the reason i am a gamer today, but BDS has called for a microsoft boycott, and that includes anything made by bethesda.

this isn't just a "oh they have some obscure business partnerships in isr*el" or "oh they donate to this or that lobby" sort of boycott either, although those are important too. my tone is not meant to be flippant about them, but rather i want to emphasize the gravity of how microsoft directly and deliberately contributes to the palestinian death toll daily, in a way that is uniquely cruel and complicit.

microsoft has had a $35 million dollar contract with the isr*eli military since 2002. they provide cloud storage for surveillance data of gazan civillians, and an artificial intelligence program called a "mass assassination factory" to assist in planning and targeting their attacks, many of which are on civilians or involve mass civilian casualties.

microsoft's service agreements with the isr*eli military also includes the CPU responsible for the military's tech infrastructure, military intelligence units that develop spy technology used against palestinians and lebanese, the maintenance of the palestinian population registry that tracks and (illegally) limits the movement of palestinains in the west bank and gaza, their air force targeting database, and much more. they work closely with isr*eli military intelligence agencies on surveillance systems used to monitor palestians, provide specialized consulting, technical and engineering support, hosts training software for the IOF, provide financial support to organizations based in the illegally occupied west bank, and have repeatedly invested in isr*eli start ups specializing in war technology.

in 2020, internal and external pressure forced microsoft to pull out of its 74 million dollar investment in an isr*eli company that violated international law due to its use of facial recognition technology for military surveillance.

in 2021, microsoft signed a new, 3-year contract with the isr*eli ministry of defense worth $133 million dollars. the isr*eli military is microsoft's second largest military customer. the first? the united states.

you can read more (w/ sources) about microsoft's complicity here.

BDS asks us to boycott microsoft products whenever possible.

microsoft is directly complicit in countless isr*eli war crimes, and the money you provide them will further proliferate this violence. i know the oblivion remake was exciting, but please, consider the lives of palestinians above your own nostalgia. no one is free until everyone is free.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Israel relies on crude oil and refined products from overseas to run its large fleet of fighter jets, tanks and other military vehicles. The research, which was commissioned by the non-profit Oil Change International and shared exclusively with the Guardian, examines this fuel supply chain, which since the current conflict in Gaza began appears to have relied heavily on fossil fuels from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Brazil, Gabon and the US. The analysis by Data Desk, a UK-based tech consultancy firm investigating the fossil fuel industry, suggests the major oil companies facilitating the fuel supplies include BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies.

[...]

Human rights experts said that countries and corporations supplying oil to Israeli armed forces may be complicit in war crimes and genocide. “The countries and companies that have continued to supply oil to the Israeli military since the decision of the international court of justice are contributing to horrible human rights violations and may be complicit in genocide,” said David Boyd, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and the environment. “Oil firms must ensure they’re not in the business of helping to entrench Israel’s apartheid system or fuelling war crimes and possible genocide in Gaza,” said Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director, adding that it was incumbent on every company with commercial ties to the Israeli military to do “due diligence”.

Thu 14 Mar 2024

[astrologydray]

♍️Virgo Mc in the each of the degrees♍️

If you have a Virgo Midheaven (MC), your career and public image are shaped by Virgo’s themes of precision, analysis, service, and mastery. You likely thrive in careers requiring problem-solving, organization, and attention to detail, such as healthcare, science, writing, education, research, or business administration.

• 0° Virgo (Aries Point) – A powerful initiator in service-based or intellectual fields. May gain recognition in medicine, science, or social reform.

• 1° Virgo – A perfectionist with strong critical thinking skills. Could succeed in editing, analytics, or quality control.

• 2° Virgo – A talented communicator; could thrive in writing, journalism, or teaching.

• 3° Virgo – An analytical mind, ideal for investigative work, research, or forensics.

• 4° Virgo – A love for learning and refinement; may excel in academia, law, or technical writing.

• 5° Virgo – A meticulous worker; likely to succeed in finance, administration, or data analysis.

• 6° Virgo – Naturally inclined toward healthcare, therapy, or alternative medicine.

• 7° Virgo – A precise, creative thinker; may find success in graphic design, architecture, or craftsmanship.

• 8° Virgo – Drawn to healing professions, including nutrition, physical therapy, or holistic medicine.

• 9° Virgo – A problem-solver with innovative ideas. Could thrive in technology, engineering, or logistics.

• 10° Virgo – A strong educator; may work in teaching, coaching, or mentoring.

• 11° Virgo – A tech-savvy, analytical mind; may excel in IT, cybersecurity, or programming.

• 12° Virgo – A perfectionist in fashion, music, or fine arts. Success through precise craftsmanship.

• 13° Virgo – A highly responsible worker; may thrive in law enforcement, military, or humanitarian work.

• 14° Virgo – Health-conscious with a sharp mind. Could be drawn to dietetics, fitness, or medical research.

• 15° Virgo – A master of writing, editing, or academic research.

• 16° Virgo – Business-minded; excels in consulting, financial planning, or business strategy.

• 17° Virgo – A detail-oriented expert; could work in surgery, pharmaceuticals, or scientific research.

• 18° Virgo – A deep humanitarian drive; drawn to nonprofits, environmental work, or psychology.

• 19° Virgo – A critical thinker who excels in law, politics, or policy-making.

• 20° Virgo – A master of their craft; recognized for expertise in specialized fields.

• 21° Virgo – Exceptionally intellectual; may thrive in philosophy, academia, or technical writing.

• 22° Virgo – An innovative thinker; could work in product design, systems development, or efficiency consulting.

• 23° Virgo – A strong researcher; may specialize in history, archeology, or science.

• 24° Virgo – An excellent communicator; may succeed in broadcasting, publishing, or public relations.

• 25° Virgo – A sharp and strategic mind; could work in legal fields, investigative journalism, or intelligence.

• 26° Virgo – A healer at heart; may be drawn to nursing, surgery, or psychological counseling.

• 27° Virgo – A gifted analyst; could thrive in economics, data science, or cybersecurity.

• 28° Virgo – A precise and disciplined artist; success in sculpture, architecture, or technical art.

• 29° Virgo (Anaretic Degree) – A master strategist, perfectionist, or critic. Success comes through expertise, refinement, and precision. However, may struggle with overanalyzing or career indecision.

[collapsedsquid]

Acting Social Security commissioner Leland Dudek said Friday that he is consulting with agency lawyers and the Justice Department as he threatens to shut down the agency in response to a court ruling blocking Elon Musk’s team from accessing sensitive taxpayer data. Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a two-week temporary restraining order Thursday that prohibits Social Security officials from sharing personally identifiable information with Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service, which has been empowered to carry out cost-cutting across the government. Hollander wrote that DOGE “essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” and “never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE Team needs unlimited access to SSA’s entire record systems.” But in an interview Friday with The Washington Post, Dudek argued that the judge’s ruling was overly broad and that a reference to “DOGE affiliates” could apply to all employees who access personally identifiable information, or PII, because they are obligated to cooperate with DOGE.

They talk about this like they think they will be able to blame someone else for a social security shutdown but I don't think that's the case

[mariacallous]

The thing about the takeover of key US government institutions by the world’s richest man and his strike force of former interns is that it’s happening so fast.

It’s been three weeks since Elon Musk’s agents took over the government’s IT and HR departments. Since then, the movements of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency have had the cartography of a horror movie, DOGE picking off agencies one by one based on slasher logic, feeding an unslakeable thirst for cost-cutting and data.

Every day brings fresh incursions. Three weeks ago the United States believed in humanitarian aid. It helped people who had been ripped off by big corporations. It funded the infrastructure necessary to make America a beacon of scientific innovation. Now the United States Agency for International Development is gutted, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is on ice, and National Institutes of Health grants are handcuffed. So much for all that.

These are spreadsheet cruelties, executed with a click. The loss of real peoples’ jobs and lives—yes, despite what X-famous conspiracy theorists will tell you, USAID saved lives—all immaterial compared to the pursuit of a tighter balance sheet.

Three weeks ago, a 19-year-old who calls himself “Big Balls” online didn’t have access to government personnel records and more. A 25-year-old with a closet full of racist tweets hadn’t gotten the keys to Treasury systems that pay out $5.45 trillion each year. Elon Musk hadn’t turned the Oval Office into a romper room for his 4-year-old son.

The speed is strategy, of course, flooding the zone so that neither the media nor the courts can keep pace. Lawsuits and court orders move on a different timescale than this slash-and-burn approach. (At this pace, DOGE will have tapped into every last government server long before the Supreme Court even has a chance to weigh in.) But it’s also reflexive. The first order of business in a corporate takeover is to slash costs as quickly as possible. If you can’t fire people, offer them buyouts. If they won’t take the buyouts, find a way to fire them anyway. Keep cutting until you hit bone.

This is how you get an executive order declaring that “each agency hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart,” an arbitrary ratio with no regard for actual staffing needs. It’s how you get hundreds of federal government buildings on the auction block no matter how fully occupied they are. It’s both extreme and ill-considered, a race to empty the town’s only well.

And then … what? This is the question that Elon Musk and DOGE have failed to answer, because there is no answer. Does the United States government need to become a profit engine? To return shareholder value? Does Medicaid need to demonstrate a product-market fit in time for the next funding round?

This is consultant logic. This is an engineering sprint whose inevitable finish line is the unwinding of the social contract. Democracy doesn’t die in darkness after all; it dies in JIRA tickets filed by Palantir alums.

It’s somehow even worse than that, though. Suppose you take this whole enterprise at face value, that the United States should go through the private equity ringer. It does not take a Stanford MBA to know that cutting expenses only helps half of your profit and loss statement. Any serious attempt to treat the US like a business would involve increasing revenues. So where are the taxes? And why demolish the CFPB, which has paid out over $20 billion to US citizens—shareholders, if you will—through its enforcement actions?

In the coming weeks and months, as this farce continues to unfurl, remember that the goal of most acquisitions is not to benefit the acquired. It is to either subsume or discard, whichever generates the highest return.

Elon Musk’s unprecedented influence over the executive branch will ultimately benefit Elon Musk. The employees in charge are his employees. The data DOGE collects, the procurement contracts they oversee, it all flows up to him.

And it’s flowing too quickly to keep up with, much less to stop.

[rosewind2007]

I am currently delighted by this bit in System Collapse:

I was basing the story around the human contract workers I had met on the way to Milu, like a fictional version of what I knew had probably happened to them after they arrived at the work camp they were being shipped to, framed with a lot of corroborating documentary data

Partly because just a few pages afterwards Ratthi sends Murderbot a message which says:

So, you may not know this, but I read your letter to Dr. Mensah, the one you sent when you left Port FreeCommerce. I think you’re absolutely the right person to write this

And this 👆clearly identifies a record made by Murderbot which it shares with one of its humans—Mensah’s letter “That’s why I left you, Dr. Mensah, my favorite human…” 💔

BUT…

Wasn’t there another record Murderbot shared with one of the PresAux crew? About human contract workers? Didn’t it put together a little video montage?

I pulled a selection of video from the trip with Ayres and the others on the way to HaveRatton, mostly exchanges I’d tagged so I could critique my performance later. (A few times I’d broken up fights, been forced to give relationship advice, and the infamous Cracker Wrapper in the Sink Incident.) I cut it together, labeled it “Murderbot Impersonates an Augmented Human Security Consultant,” and sent it to Gurathin.

Funny that Murderbot doesn’t mention that as a sort of inspiration/source for the media they make for the colonists?

Love the way Murderbot can cast shade on Gurathin like this, without even mentioning him…

[starman-john-tracy]

"You're safe here with me" + "I won't let anything happen to you" with Casey? :) 💙

John had taken the space elevator down to the GDF headquarters no more than half an hour ago, at Colonel Casey's request. There'd been a cyber attack on base; an attempted takeover of the GDF's long range weapons systems, and though nothing has been fired - they needed to rule out the possibility that someone could. With the tech team scrambling for solutions, scouring the databanks for any way someone could have remotely accessed their codes and their LAN, the Colonel could only think of one man she both trusts, and who’s qualified to step in and salvage the situation.

And with an updated firewall to prevent remote access, that he personally provided the protocol for, the only thing John Tracy can do to help is show up in person.

Only, John's got the soft edge of an atmospheric headache throbbing in his sinuses and his eyeballs are always the slowest thing to respond to the change in pressure between Five and Earth, so, as he bypasses the office full of scurrying IT consultants and heads directly for the server room, ready to not-entirely-legally plug Eos’ palm sized mobile unit into the GDF’s databases to assess the damage, he completely misses the slim, shadowed figure in amongst the data processing banks.

Because the remote attack hadn’t actually been remote at all, and the gunshot wound to John's shoulder, now leaking a dangerous amount of blood all over his IR blues, seemed like a pretty big clue this was no employee.

They're currently holed up in Casey's office - after the head of the GDF had bodily dragged his skinny space ass out of there. She's trying to force him down behind her desk and out of the way, while the intruder pounds on the door: his threats mostly incoherent screams and stray gunshots. John might not be as hot-headed as Scott or his youngest brothers, but he's still a Tracy and, clearly, the last thing he wants to do is sit still while others might be in danger and so the damned fool, who’s clearly never been shot before, keeps trying to get up.

“Colonel, we’ve got to- argh!” The spaceman gasps and jerks like a livewire as Casey presses a wad of cloth - a runner snatched from the fancy corporate meeting table - hard against the dark, bubbling wound in his shoulder. John's feet kick out, heels scraping helplessly against the corporate grey carpeting, and the boy's back arches against the pain in a way that plummets Valerie Casey’s heart straight through her shoes. She forces the emotion away, grabs one of his cold, blue-clad hands, and guides it on top of the wound.

“Keep pressure on that.” She instructs, as the dark stain spreads rapidly into not only his IR blues, but the ugly purple runner too. His fingers fumble and fail to take over the task, and a soft whine makes its way out between his teeth. “Come on John, you know to keep pressure on.” He's having a hard time focusing on her. She thinks he might be in shock.

“But the gunman,” John gasps, his head thrashing to the side, eyes wide, “he’s after-”

“John.” She cups John's ashen, blood-splattered face between both palms, like she would when he was a small boy and he'd come to the woman who was his Auntie in all but DNA with a bruised cheek and a split lip because he didn’t want to tell his Father he was being bullied at school. "You're safe here with me." Her mouth is a hard white line as she unclips her service pistol from it's holster, "I won't let anything happen to you."

The wood around the door handle audible splinters under a particularly savage impact, and Jeff's boy flinches under her fingers.

Oh, absolutely not.

"Security is on their way and no one is getting into this room, John. And if they somehow do," She raises the gun with both hands, holding it steady and level with the door, "they are not getting through me.”

[translatingtradutor]

[Brasil] Basic guide on how to access Hormonal Replacement Therapy through SUS

About what transitions you can do in Brazil

Reminder: You'll either have to present yourself as wanting masculine or feminine hormones. There are no other methods of hormonal transition.

However, every gender identity is valid and you can ask to be respected as non-binary by the doctos, as long as you specify to them you want HRT of a certain gender.

For example: Assigned Male at Birth. You'd say "I want feminizing HRT"

This is because the doctors here are extremly weird about this, and there have been several cases of them not understanding the situation and giving prescriptions of the wrong gendered hormone. This is because of a lack of understanding.

For non-nationals

Brazil grants full acces to the SUS for all immigrants and foreign workers. If you have a residency visa, you can use the SUS and get HRT. It also grants limited access to free emergency care for all people, even travellers and illegal immigrants - however, this will not usually grant you HRT because you need a document of residency to access scheduled care.

You can try to do this in foreign languages, but it will be extremely difficult and only some select doctors and attendants will be able to understand you. Access to HRT is already scarce in Brazil, so understand that your options become not only severely limited, but also almost impossible.

Ideally, either be able to communicate in portuguese in a basic capacity or know a close language such as spanish. You have to be able to at least communicate in all of those steps that will be showed. Consider bringing a friend that knows both languages as help. Just because someone at a certain step understood you, doesn't mean they'll understand on the next step.

Índex:

How to acess the SUS for free

Social name (nome social)

Transitioning in secret

At the general doctor

Final considerations

How to acess the SUS for free

Go to your city's UBS (Unidade Basica de Saúde), specifically the one that cares for your region. Call beforehand to see if they are the ones in charge of your region. If they aren't, find the one that's in charge of your address. If you go to the right one that takes care of that, and they say that they aren't in charge of HRT, it's a lie and wrong training of the employees.

Bring:

Original copy of RG or CIN

Printed residency proof. This can be a water, light, or gas bill that has your address listed on it.

It does not need to be in your name if you explain it as you living with someone else or renting. They don't usually verify. Just make sure your address is of the area they are in charge of.

Ask for a consultation with a general doctor (clínico geral). it does not need any reason or justification. If they ask you why, you can say it's for redirection to the endocrinologist. If they refuse, it's wrong employee training again, as this is your right.

Social name (nome social)

You can ask to use a social name.

Nome social: The name you use that is not your name legally. In Brazil, a social name can both be official (appears in a document besides the legal name) or not. Government institutions and state-based businesses are oblied to respect all forms of social name, as well as both private and public means of education.

The SUS is oblied by law to use your social name even if it's not on a document. If they refuse, it's wrong training of the employees again, and you can call administration and point your right by law. By law, you have the right to be treated as your social name and gender.

Transitioning in secret

The SUS system will never ever notify your parents, family, or whoever else that you are transitioning with HRT!

As a person after the age of majority, which is 18 in Brazil, the government understands that you as responsable for your own health and the owner of your own data. In the case of minors, the parents need to give consent any way. If you are an emancipated minor, you are the same as someone after legal majority and have the same rights as them, including not needing parental consent. However, you'll need to bring the documents that prove your emancipation.

What may happen, however, is that you give your house phone number to them in your contact info, and that they try to call for some emergency causing the wrong person to get the call. Even so, they prefer not to tell third parties what they contacted you for.

At the general doctor (clínico geral)

At the day of the consultation (it will not be the same day you request it) you ask for the redirectioning for the endocrinologist and inform what gender you are transitioning hormonally to. You tell the doctor it is for transgender hormonal transition. The doctor can't refuse to mark the other consultation, except on specific cases describe after. The SUS is obligated by law to cover this treatment without any psychological avaliation or "proof".

The doctor will also give you the papers to start the physical exams you need for the endo consultation. It is with those exams that the endo will know how to adjust the dose for you and if you have any serious risks with HRT, as well as a basis to monitor how your transition is going for next adjustments.

Then you go to the other consultation when you manage to get it scheduled. They should ideally have experience with hormonal transition. The exams will be seen and you'll get a prescription for the hormones. You can't choose which will be the form of the hormones. They are also free and must be taken our of the SUS pharmacy if availiable. See exceptions below.

Final Considerations

The starting process usually takes some few months, but some cases can take more than years.

After the endocrinologist, you take the free hormones in accord to what your prescription was. But there are some important exceptions to this process:

If your city doe snot have an endocrinologist, they can't offer you this service, but it of their responsability to look again to see if they just didn't know one existed in the city. If there really aren't any, you can ask about close cities and (even if takes longer) try to schedule seeing one there.

If your city and none of the cities close to it have endocrinologists, they still must give you a consultation in another city even if it's very far. Maybe this will be worth it because the free hormones are only given to people with SUS prescriptions, and you might use less money in the long term.

Your city might not have hormones sometimes because too many people are using them. It is important to understand at hormone and doctor avaliability are different things in SUS. This is the norm in state capitals. Examples are Rio, São Paulo, and Florianopolis. In that case, you'll have to either pause or buy them yourself.

If your city never has availiable hormones, maybe you'll have to go to other cities to get the hormones (call first to know if they have it). It can be more worth it can buying it yourself if the city is close.

[pavitrapavi]

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[darkmaga-returns]

By Dr. Vernon Coleman

The world’s drug companies are a pretty nasty bunch – in my view, they are deadlier and more ruthless than Pablo Escobar or any of the Colombian drug barons. I’ve picked out some of the drug companies which I think are among the most evil in existence. Drug companies have worked tirelessly to suppress the truth and censor the truth tellers but staff members who are prepared to close their eyes to the crimes their employers commit are paid huge salaries and rewarded with honours. 1. Pfizer In the UK, Pfizer was fined £84.2 million for overcharging the NHS by 2,600% and in the US, Pfizer was hit with a $2.3 billion fine for mis-promoting medicines and paying kickbacks to doctors.

[Note:  According to Business Insider, in 2018, Pfizer had the lowest reputational score among the pharmaceutical companies that Reputation Institute looked at, based on the general public’s perception of product, prices and public hospitality.] 2. AstraZeneca In 2014, AstraZeneca agreed to pay $110 million to settle two lawsuits brought by the state of Texas, claiming that it had fraudulently marketed two drugs. The Texas Attorney General, when he announced the settlements, said the company’s alleged actions were “especially disturbing because the well-being of children and the integrity of the state hospital system were jeopardised.” AstraZeneca said it denied any wrongdoing. So, it paid out $110 million for not doing anything wrong, which was generous. That wasn’t the only little problem for AstraZeneca. The company had to pay $350 million to resolve 23,000 lawsuits. The company was also charged with illegal marketing, including corrupt data in studies for marketing a drug to children, a sex scandal and a poorly run clinical trial that could have compromised patient safety and data reliability. The study for this drug was financed by AstraZeneca and originally included 30 children but only eight children completed the trial and the researcher who conducted the trial concluded that it was inconclusive. The researcher was paid at least $238,000 in consulting fees and travel costs. However, the study was published anyway and led to a national recommendation that the drug be used as the leading choice for children. Other studies which showed that a drug produced harmful results were never published and were covered up. A company email revealed: “Thus far, we have buried trials 15, 31, 56. The larger issue is how do we face the outside world when they begin to criticise us for suppressing data.” After years of investigations, AstraZeneca paid a $520 million fine in the US and paid $647 million to settle global lawsuits.

[probablyasocialecologist]

While maintaining that “for some, the best outcome will be transition,” it nevertheless effectively recommended that the N.H.S. abandon the guidelines embraced by major mainstream medical associations and restrict the use of medications that have been offered for decades to adolescents across the globe with vanishingly few negative side effects or regrets. The reason, the report says, is that these treatments are insufficiently supported by reliable, long-term evidence. Then, remarkably, the report recommends treatments — psychological treatment and medications for depression and anxiety — that have even less proof behind them in helping children (or adults) with gender dysphoria, though they may help with other mental health issues, and many children with dysphoria already get these treatments. And for all its insistence of evidence, the report is peppered with mere speculation about the potential causes of gender dysphoria: pornography and the phenomenon of social contagion are invoked, with zero credible evidence to support them. It is a strange document. Social conservatives welcomed the report. But it has also been heralded in some liberal quarters in Britain, where even the Labour Party has supported its conclusions, and around the world as a model of open-minded rationalism, of well-intentioned — progressive, even — unbiased scientific inquiry attempting to provide information in young people’s best interests. This, they declare, is what following the science and the evidence looks like. But is it? In an effort to evaluate the Cass report’s findings and recommendations, I spent the months since it was released poring over the document, researching the history of transgender medicine and interviewing experts in gender-affirming care as well as epidemiologists and research scientists about the role of scientific evidence in determining care standards. What I have come to realize is that this report, for all its claims of impartiality, is fundamentally a subjective, political document.

[...]

A great deal of the media coverage of gender-affirming care in the West has painted a picture of huge numbers of children, some of them suffering from profound mental illness, rushed into medical transition, practically force-fed puberty blockers and hormones, then fast-tracked to surgery once they turned 18, based on unproven treatment and perhaps bogus science. But the report itself not only fails to show any evidence of significant regret among patients or other forms of harm; its own data also contradicts the notion of rushed transition. Of the more than 3,300 medical records examined as part of the review, about a quarter of children and adolescents were referred to an endocrinologist, which suggests a significant screening process. Indeed, on average, patients had more than a half dozen consultations before being referred. If anything, the evidence suggests a lack of care bordering on neglect, which is not surprising considering that millions of people are on waiting lists for treatment of all kinds by Britain’s crumbling health system. One of the most common pieces of feedback was that young people lingered on waiting lists, sometimes for years. A number of participants in focus groups convened for the purpose of the report said they felt that they had to “prove” to clinicians that they were transgender.

[...]

At one point the report posits that because a child has never had the experience of growing up in their assigned sex, they would have no way to know whether they might regret transition. “They may have had a different outcome without medical intervention and would not have needed to take lifelong hormones,” the report says, referring to children assigned female at birth. It is hard to know what to make of a statement like that. A person gets only one life; waiting to see how it works out isn’t really an option. To a queer woman like me, this is an ominous echo of something many of us have heard many times in our lives: Maybe you just haven’t met the right man yet. The wish — whether expressed by a parent, a teacher, a therapist or a suitor — is a wish for a child not to be queer. It is hard to find a satisfying explanation for these kinds of conjectures and conclusions in the report other than this one: Many people find transgender people at best unsettling and possibly deluded or mentally ill, or at worst immoral and unnatural. They appear to believe it would be better not to be trans. As much as Cass’s report insists that all lives — trans lives, cis lives, nonbinary lives — have equal value, taken in full it seems to have a clear, paramount goal: making living life in the sex you are assigned at birth as attractive and likely as possible. Whether Cass wants to acknowledge it or not, that is a value judgment: It is better to learn to live with your assigned sex than try to change it. If this is what Cass personally believes is right, fair enough. It can charitably be called a cultural, political or religious belief. But it is not a medical or scientific judgment.

13 Aug 2024 | Link

[eurothug4000]

INTERVIEW WITH SHIGENOBU MATSUYAMA - PRODUCER ON SILENT HILL THE ARCADE

I had the pleasure of interviewing Matsuyama-san, one of the producers on Silent Hill the Arcade! Here's what he had to say :)

Q - How did the idea for Silent Hill The Arcade come to be?

A - During the arcade boom of the 1990s and the 2000s, a desire was born to combine the unique worldview of the Silent Hill series - which was already a very strong IP console game-wise – with the haunted houses one might find in an amusement part. We wanted something that could provide an easy and pleasurable experience to an extremely varied range of customers… as in, the casual users. This is the idea that brought Silent Hill Arcade (SHA in short) to life. However, since our goal was to create a new kind of experience that could not be replicated anywhere else, we designed a game that could make the most effective use of the 5.1ch surround sound system, which was something that arcade games hadn’t adopted until that point, with a type of cabinet that could be somewhat isolated from the rest of the arcade via the use of curtains.

Q - Roughly how long did development for the game take?

A - At the time, the development cycle of an arcade game was so short it would be unimaginable today. The shortest one was around six months, the longest about one year and a half. I think SHA took us around one year and two months.

Q - What parts of development were most enjoyable for you?

A – Usually, arcade games are tested a certain number of times, both during development and just before launch in each and every country where their release has been scheduled (which, for SHA, meant Japan, the US, the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Hong Kong and Singapore). In order to keep the development budget for SHA as low as possible, however, I personally traveled alone to the US for the market testing, assembled the cabinet all by myself, repaired it when it was out of order, and stood next to it for days on end, pen and paper in my hand, ready to collect the players’ data. Game development, nearly 20 years ago, was very much an analog experience. It was also hard work, but when I look back, I have so many good memories of that time.

Q - Do you remember any kinds of ideas that you and the team wanted to include in the game, but didn’t in the end?

A – I’m sure this will sound obvious, since SHA was based on a pre-existing IP, but since the framework was pretty much already set when it came to characters and plot, we had to be extremely careful not to deviate from it so that we wouldn’t create inconsistencies. Personally, I would have loved to take the story in slightly wilder directions and include new and fresh ideas.

Q - I loved seeing so many locations from Silent Hill 3 and 4 make an appearance in the game! Was the team who worked on those two games involved in making any decisions for Silent Hill The Arcade?

A - We of course personally consulted select staff members of Konami, like for example Producer Yamaoka, with whom I had been acquainted with since before SHA. However, most development teams had a mix of internal and external members that changed pretty fluidly with each and every year, so there was no real collaboration between the various teams.

Q - What level of freedom were you given for creating this original story within the Silent Hill universe? Were you given any specific directives on what you could or could not integrate/use in the story?

A - If I have to express my personal point of view on the matter, however, should you compare the storyline for SHA with the timeline of the other games, you would indeed notice a few minor inconsistencies that we were not able to completely solve. That’s something I still have regrets about.

Q - Tell me about translating a traditional survival horror experience into the rail shooter genre and control style. What kind of considerations did you have to make for this?

A - The biggest challenge was by far to design a game system that could be as simple as possible, and to regulate the level of challenge in a way that felt balanced, because we didn't want to force complicated controls or an exceedingly high difficulty level on the casual arcade players. Moreover, there was another balance we had to strike perfectly: more specifically, the one between the aforementioned "haunted house" element - the one that was unique to SHA, with its sequences of terrifying events - and the thrilling playstyle that a rail shooter should provide to the player.

Q - As a final product, what are your personal thoughts on the game?

A - I think it had a state-of-the-art sound system, that the design of the cabinet, with its creepy-looking curtains, made people want to take a peek inside, and that the rail shooting system was simple and could be enjoyed by virtually everyone. I think we managed to combine these various elements with a one-of-a-kind worldview of Silent Hill in a way that was in my opinion pretty good! Of course, each and every member of the staff did their part, and I thank all of them wholeheartedly.

Q - Are you working on anything currently that you’d like me to mention?

A - Feel free to write whatever you prefer! If anything, I should thank you, since you allowed me to walk down the nostalgia lane and recall memories from almost 20 years ago that had been dimmed down by the passage of time. Thank you very much!

Shigenobu Matsuyama's site: shig.jp

[lichtgrau]

─────────── fumie forgery progress

full progress: 1 month delivery time: 2 weeks payment: 2/3 upfront, 1/3 upon delivery, exceptions made for regulars, sometimes might give rates

1. Initial Request

The client reaches out to request a new passport and identity.

2. Qualification Test

The team tests if the client qualifies for the service based on risk and feasibility.

3. Consultation Meeting

If accepted, the client is contacted for a detailed consultation about the scope and depth of the forged identity.

4. Information Gathering

The team collects all needed data, photographs, and fills out documents to start creating the forged papers.

5. Building the Background

While papers are made, contacts are used to build a realistic trail, like fake addresses, registered phone numbers, and other verifications.

6. Identity Testing

The forged identity is actively tested over 7 days to ensure it passes registration checks and system scrutiny.

7. Adjustment Phase

Any small issues or mismatches found during testing are corrected before final delivery.

8. Handover

The completed identity and a detailed list of available options are handed over to the client, based on how deep they invested into the creation.

Special Notes

A basic forged passport without deep background work is possible but comes with no guarantee of long-term success and is considered high-risk.

Pricing varies depending on how detailed and secure the forged identity is; the deeper the background (school records, residential histories, etc.), the higher the cost.

For the most secure identities, the team uses real, purchased identities (e.g. shapeshifters given up on their human life). Mostly purchased by supernatural beings with no paper trails, allowing for a full history tracing back to birth if needed.

[blitzbahrain]

Switchgear Solutions for Solar and Wind Energy Systems

Why Switchgear Matters in Solar and Wind Systems

Switchgear plays a central role in controlling, isolating, and protecting electrical equipment. In renewable energy applications, it helps:

· Manage power flow from variable energy sources.

· Protect systems from faults or overloads.

· Ensure seamless grid integration and disconnection when needed.

Unlike traditional power plants, solar and wind systems generate intermittent power, requiring switchgear that can handle dynamic loads and frequent switching.

Challenges in Renewable Energy Applications

Here are some of the unique challenges renewable energy systems face — and how they impact switchgear selection:

1. Variable Output

Solar and wind energy production fluctuates based on weather and time of day. This demands switchgear that can:

· Handle frequent load changes.

· Operate reliably under fluctuating voltages and currents.

2. Decentralized Generation

Unlike centralized grids, solar and wind systems are often spread out across multiple locations.

· Modular, compact switchgear is preferred for such installations.

· Smart monitoring becomes critical to manage performance remotely.

3. Harsh Environments

Wind turbines operate at high altitudes, and solar farms are often exposed to heat, dust, or salt.

· Switchgear needs to be rugged, weather-resistant, and have high IP ratings.

· Outdoor switchgear enclosures and temperature management are essential.

Key Features of Switchgear for Solar & Wind

When designing or upgrading renewable energy systems, look for switchgear that offers:

1. Remote Monitoring and Control

Smart switchgear integrated with IoT technology allows operators to track real-time data, detect faults early, and optimize system performance.

2. High Interruption Capacity

Wind and solar systems may experience voltage spikes. Modern switchgear provides high breaking capacities to safely interrupt fault currents.

3. Modular Design

Allows for easy upgrades and maintenance — crucial for scaling renewable installations.

4. Eco-Friendly Design

Look for SF₆-free switchgear that uses clean air or other sustainable alternatives to reduce environmental impact.

5. Hybrid Capabilities

Switchgear that can connect both AC and DC sources is increasingly valuable in mixed-source grids.

LV, MV, and HV Switchgear for Renewables

· Low Voltage (LV) Switchgear: Used in residential or small-scale solar systems. Compact, safe, and cost-effective.

· Medium Voltage (MV) Switchgear: Ideal for commercial and industrial solar/wind applications.

· High Voltage (HV) Switchgear: Essential for utility-scale wind farms or solar plants feeding into the national grid.

Each type requires specific protection, metering, and automation components tailored to its load and system requirements.

Final Thoughts

Switchgear is the backbone of any successful solar or wind energy system. As these technologies become more mainstream, the demand for resilient, intelligent, and environmentally friendly switchgear solutions will continue to rise.

Whether you’re an energy consultant, project developer, or facility manager, choosing the right switchgear today will set the stage for long-term efficiency, safety, and scalability.