#education sector trends

[newsbuck]

The education sector is witnessing a transformative shift towards greater environmental and social responsibility. From incorporating sustainability practices into their daily operations to fostering inclusivity and social equity, educational institutions are spearheading positive change.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Restaurant staff losing their jobs for cheering on a pro-Palestinian protest. A Palestinian Canadian journalist fired for her social media posts calling for a #freepalestine. Medical residents flagged to potential hiring committees for their support of Palestinians.

These are just some of the many instances across Canada in which employees and students have faced firings, suspensions or calls for them to not be hired based on their publicly stated political stance on the Israel-Hamas war. It's a trend that has been reported not just in Canada but also in the U.S. and Europe, and across various industries, including media, law, health care and the service sector. 

According to three Ontario-based lawyers who spoke to CBC News, some employers and institutions have been quick to take action against employees or students, creating an environment in which many are afraid they will lose their jobs or face consequences to their education if they express a political stance in favour of one side — Palestinians — during this war.

"I can tell you personally, in the last month and a half, I've probably spoken with someone at least once a day [about this]," said Jackie Esmonde, a labour lawyer at Toronto-based firm Cavalluzzo Law. "They're not always cases that we take on, but we do have in the range of eight to 10 cases that we're actively working on at the moment.

"I'm not seeing people making what I would consider hate speech or discriminatory speech." [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

Note from the poster @el-shab-hussein: the article later goes on in detail about how pro-Palestinian prospective employees and current employees are stalked by zionists online and added to lists and have their employers called to get them fired or dropped from future employment. This is not something new to Palestinian activists. This is something that factually happened to a recent graduate Palestinian activist in Montreal, who I will not name for his safety.

[i-am-dulaman]

Okay I'm riled up about this rn so time for a history of economics lesson (rant) from me, a stranger on the internet

I'm a communist, I hate capitlism, so lemme just put that out there. But capitlism had its moments. Even marx had some praise for parts of capitlism.

And by far the most successful form of capitlism was Keynesian economics, as evident by the enormous increase in living standards in those countries which adopted it between the 1930s and 1970s.

What's Keynesian economics? The idea that capitlism can't survive on its own, and must be supported by government spending at the poorest ends of society and taxes at the richest ends of society (essentially the opposite of trickle down economics) as well as strong regulations on certain industries like banking.

It basically started in 1936 with President Roosevelt who was a personal friend of John Keynes (who the theory is named after).

Roosevelt implemented Keynesian economics to great effect; he raised the top tax rate to 94% (he actually wanted a 100% tax rate on the highest incomes, essentially creating a maximum wage, but the senate negotiated down to 94%) and similarly high corporate tax rates, he created the first ever minimum wage, created the first ever unemployment benefit, created social security in America, pension funds, and increased public spending on things like public utilities and infrastructure, national parks, etc. Which created about 15 million public sector jobs.

This ended the great depression and eventually lead to America winning world War 2, after which many countries followed suit in implementing similar policies, including UK, Australia, and NZ (apologies for the anglosphere-centric list here but they're the countries I'm personally most familiar with so bare with me)

Over the next 40 years these countries had unprecedented growth in living standards and incomes, and either decreasing or stable wealth inequality, and housing prices increasing in line with inflation. Virtually every household bought a car and a TV, rates of higher education increased dramatically, america put a man on the moon, and so on.

Then it all abruptly ended in the 80s and the answer is plain and obvious. 1979 thatcher became UK prime minister. 1981 reagan became US president. 1983 the wage accords were signed in aus. 1984 was the start of rogernomics in NZ (Someone link that Twitter thread of the guy who posts graphs of economic trends and points out where reagan became president)

(Also worth noting those last two in NZ and Aus were both implemented by 'left' leaning governments, but they are both heavily associated with right wing policies.)

This marked the beginning of trickle down economics: tax cuts, privatization of publicly owned assets, reduction in public spending, and deregulation of the finance sector. The top tax rates are down to the low 30s in most of these countries, down from the 80s/90s it was prior. Now THATS a tax cut.

And what happened next?

Wages stagnated. Housing prices skyrocketed. Bankers got away with gambling on the economy. Public infrastruce and utilies degraded. And wealth inequality now exceeds France in 1791.

I don't know how anyone can deny the evidence if they see it, but there's so much propaganda and false information that a lot of people just don't see the evidence.

Literally all the evidence supports going back to Keynesian economics but now that the rich have accumulated so much wealth it's virtually impossible to democratically dethrone them when they have most of the politicians on both the right and the left in their pocket.

Unfortunately it was the great depression and ww2 that gave politicians the political power to implement these policies the first time around. Some thought the 2008 crash would spur movement back towards Keynesianism (which it actually did in Iceland, congrats to them), I hoped covid would force governments to now, but nope.

All these recent crises' seem to have just pushed politics further and further right, with more austerity and tax cuts.

I don't really have a message or statement to end on other than shits fucked yo.

[jessicamessicavillageofspillage]

Apparently transpeople will also die from the inaccurate recording of Sex within statistics

The collection of data on a person’s sex – that is, whether they are male or female – has become controversial in recent years, and a number of public bodies have moved away from collecting data on sex as a result. For example, Scotland’s chief statistician recently issued guidance stating that data on sex should only be collected in exceptional circumstances. This move has been greeted with alarm by quantitative social scientists who believe that data on sex is vitally important and that data on both gender identity and sex is needed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) was also embroiled in controversy when it proposed to guide respondents to the 2021 England and Wales census that they may answer the sex question in terms of their subjective gender identity, rather than their sex. This was despite the fact that the 2021 census also included a new separate question on gender identity. The ONS was forced to change its proposed guidance on the sex question by a judicial review and went on to advise that people should answer the first question to reflect their legal sex. The Scottish census authorities have been criticised for disregarding the implications of that judgment.

Statistics on employment, health, crime and education have all been affected by this trend.

The Government Equalities Office has issued guidance to employers who are legally bound to report on their gender pay gap to provide data on their employees’ gender identity, not their sex, and to exclude employees who “do not identify as ‘men’ or ‘women’” from the data. This makes it impossible to assess whether natal males who identify as trans or non-binary may have different labour-market experiences from natal females who identify as trans or non-binary. Yet non-binary or transgender identification may not protect females from discrimination, for example, on the basis of pregnancy or maternity or the perceived risk of becoming pregnant.

The NHS decides who to call for routine medical screenings based on the gender marker a person has recorded with their GP rather than their sex as recorded as birth. The NHS’s failure to record biological sex on patient records has led to trans patients not being called in for screening for conditions that may affect them due to their sex, such as ovarian cancer or prostate cancer. If trans patients are not screened for such conditions, the consequences are potentially fatal. The use of gender identity rather than sex has also led to confusion for some trans patients attempting to use sexual health services.

Freedom of information requests have revealed that multiple police forces in England now record crimes by male suspects as committed by women if the perpetrator requests to be recorded as such. Even small numbers of cases misclassified in this way can lead to substantial bias in crime statistics.

Differences between the sexes are an important factor for analysis in most, if not all, of the areas that social and health scientists address. Sex, alongside age, is a fundamental demographic variable, vital for projections regarding fertility and life expectancy. Sex has systematic effects on physical health and is also linked to mental health. And the importance of sex extends to all aspects of social life, including employment, education and crime.

We know that many differences between the sexes have changed dramatically over time – education and labour market participation are two examples. Without consistent data on sex, social scientists would not be able to track this change over time or to understand whether efforts to improve the representation of women and girls in domains where they are underrepresented have been effective.

We have been losing data on sex, as public sector bodies have switched to collecting data on gender identity instead. But the tide may have turned. The UK Statistics Authority has recently published guidance that recommends that “sex, age and ethnic group should be routinely collected and reported in all administrative data and in-service process data, including statistics collected within health and care settings and by police, courts and prisons”. It also says data producers should clearly distinguish between concepts such as sex, gender and gender identity.

Both people’s material circumstances and their identities are important to their lives. We know that sex matters, and we have much to learn about the ways in which gender identity matters, too. Rather than removing data on sex, we should collect data on both sex and gender identity, in order to develop a better understanding of the influence of both of these factors and the intersection between them.

Original article in The Conversation

Professor Alice Sullivan’s academic profile

UCL Social Research Institute

[batboyblog]

It’s never been a better time to get rid of your student debt.

Although President Joe Biden’s plans to cancel up to $400 billion in student debt for tens of millions of Americans were foiled over the summer at the Supreme Court, his administration has explored all of its existing authority to leave people with less education debt.

As a result, more than 3.7 million Americans have received loan cancellation during Biden’s time in office, totaling $136.6 billion in aid.

In a recent exclusive interview with CNBC, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who has been a vocal advocate for student loan borrowers, said he’s heard from the U.S. Department of Education that every two months over the next four years, another 75,000 people will be eligible to have their debt forgiven due to changes in income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

-----

The Biden administration has been evaluating millions of borrowers’ loan accounts to see if they should have had their debt forgiven. So far, more than 930,000 people have benefited, receiving over $45 billion in debt cancelation.

Most people with federal student loans qualify for income-driven repayment plans, and can review the options and apply at Studentaid.gov.

Recently, the Education Department also announced it would soon cancel the debts of those who’ve been in repayment for a decade or more and originally took out $12,000 or less. To qualify, borrowers need to be enrolled in the administration’s new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.

-----

The Biden administration has tried to reverse the trend of borrowers being excluded from the relief on technicalities. It has broadened eligibility and allowed people to reapply for the relief, as long as they were working in the public sector and paying down their debt.

Some 790,000 public servants have gotten their debt erased as a result, amounting to more than $56 billion in relief.

------

The Biden administration has also forgiven the student debt of more than 510,000 disabled borrowers. The $11.7 billion in aid was delivered under the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge.

----

Another 1.3 million borrowers have walked away from their debt over the past few years thanks to the Borrower Defense Loan Discharge. These people received $22.5 billion in relief.

Borrowers can be eligible for the discharge if their schools suddenly closed or they were cheated by their colleges.

-----

The Biden administration is also working to revise its broad forgiveness plan to make it legally viable.

The president may try to deliver that relief before November.

That alternative plan, which has become known as Biden’s “Plan B,” could forgive the student debt for as many as 10 million people, according to one estimate.

[metamatar]

In 2022, the share of unemployed youths in the total unemployed population was 82.9%. Further, the report mentioned that the share of educated youths among all unemployed people increased 11.5% from 54.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022. Among the educated (secondary level or higher) unemployed youths, women accounted for a larger share (76.7%) than men (62.2%).

The report pointed out that in 2022, the unemployment rate among youths was six times greater for those who had completed secondary education or higher (18.4%) and nine times higher for graduates (29.1%) than for persons who could not read or write (3.4%). Moreover, this trend was higher among educated young women (21.4%) than men (17.5%), especially among female graduates (34.5%), compared to men (26.4%) with similar qualifications

[slavicafire]

ah yes. please familiarise yourself with the list of guests, take note of what version type and iteration of our software they use and for what reason, what sector they are, and what are their most recent - let's say year to date - trends in incidents and educational content engagement. and what country they're from, of course, and whom else they'd like to connect to during the event so that you know who to introduce them to. the main languages other than english will be french german and italian and you're of course not expected to know them but it'd be great to learn some basic phrases to make them feel welcome. the list will also contain their hotel room numbers so please memorise them in case they want assistance in reaching the room, and also any reported food preferences so you can be helpful once refreshments are served. not everything will be kosher and halal so we'll make sure you know that too and can let them know. oh also buy shoes that look official but are super comfortable because there's not much of a chance you'll get to sit at any point

[yarameijer]

Hi, I've been reading accidental reversal and I really like your 'what if' scenarios with tenma and the gang, and I've had a fic idea I've been considering for a while that I'd appreciate your input on

I've really gotten attached to the idea of a Deaf Tenma, making the decision not to go to a Deaf School (The only Deaf school in Japan that I can find is Meisei Gakuen, which is located in tokyo, which is extremely close to if not the same city where Raimon is) so that he can play for the soccer team that inspired him, only to find the whole fifth sector mess going on.

naturally, he starts the whole revolution, because hes putting the quality of his education on the line to play for raimon, and he isn't about to let that sacrifice for nothing.

tsurugi notices straight away, and when he goes home he immediately starts learning JSL, because first of all he is Not ableist (for obvious reasons), and second is because if he's going to be monologuing at this kid, he's going to make sure he can be understood (he ends up being to go to interpreter when aoi/shinsuke isn't there)

shunsuke asks aoi to teach him and they bond

endou is surprisingly good at JSL when he picks it up (good with his hands + has a very expressive face), kidou, not so much (obscured face, not very expressive anyways)

due to the tension among the team in the first few games, it takes a good chunk of raimon an embarrassingly long time to realize that he isn't just wearing earbuds, and that he doesn't just have an odd accent, and that him looking directly at peoples mouths isn't just a quirk (shindou/kirino/sangoku being like 'How did you not realize? it's so obvious, we've just been learning independently')

also because I've noticed a trend in the show that these kids sure do like to monologue on the soccer field, and I think it's funny if they keep getting interrupted by a kid that just, does not seem to care (its difficult to lip read from a distance, they won't always be facing him, and it seems like a bad idea to wear hearing aids while playing a sport where kids can whip up fire tornadoes, because the average cost of a pair of hearing aids is approximately $4000, or ¥592,560)

anyways it's just an idea I've been considering

Whoa, I love that idea? It sounds so great! I’m a huge fan of rewriting the old story with just enough of a spin to give it a new flavor, and this one’s super interesting. Kinda reminds me of an idea I had at some point in which Tenma is mute and uses sign language. Also lmao Tenma pulling the revolution because ‘’I did NOT sacrifice my education just to get stuck with this crap’’ sounds like such a Tenma move, ngl.

Also yes, Raimon is located in Inazuma Town which is somewhere in Tokyo, it’s on the wiki if you want to check it out!

Okay so I’m not sure what exactly you wanted my input on, so I’m just gonna ramble! Feel free to send me another ask or comment if you wanted something more specific. Anyway, some things that immediately come to mind when I think about this:

1) One of the reasons Tsurugi takes his JSL lessons so seriously could be because Tenma reminds him of his brother. It’s not the same situation but in a way they’re both dealing with disabilities and Tsurugi has seen firsthand how hard it can be for Yuuichi, so he’s a bit softer towards Tenma because of that.

2) Depending on how much of a little shit you want Tenma to be: imagine him turning off his hearing aids at comedic moments, like when someone starts gushing about Fifth Sector’s goals. Tenma just nope’s straight out of that one. Or, although this might be a bit later when he’s more comfortable with the team, him turning off his hearing aids when someone starts scolding him. Absolute power move. They don’t even need to know he does it, maybe someone eventually finds out, cue comedic moment.

3) Since you mentioned accents… Tenma’s from Okinawa and as far as I could find, Okinawans have at least a bit of an accent. Deaf people are also known to learn how to speak by copying the lip movements of the people around them… so if Tenma grew up on Okinawa, it could be assumed he’s grown up speaking Okinawan Japanese and has the accent to match. I imagine non-deaf Tenma would have worked out most of his accent after he moved to Okinawa town so as to not stand out, but deaf Tenma would have had a harder time doing so/might not have even realized he had an accent in the first place. (There is a difference between Okinawan Japanese, which is a Japanese dialect, and the Okinawan language, which is a whole other language altogether and only a few people speak it (mostly the elderly) because it stems from a period before Okinawa was Japanese territory, so if you make use of this idea, maybe look into that a bit. It’s a bit of a complicated situation but I think it could really add something to the characters). This does depend a little on whether Tenma was born deaf or not, I think (that would also influence his lip reading/sign language skills - was he born deaf or has he only been deaf for a few years?)

4) Find subtle ways to mention it throughout the story instead of using full paragraphs. I like comparing it to writing someone who wears glasses. Small details are glasses getting fogged up when going from the outside cold into a warm room, or when drinking tea. Smudges on glasses that annoy the character. Pushing them up when they slip down their nose. These are all small, subtle actions that add a lot to the story and ‘remind’ readers of this detail without putting too much focus on it - you could try and do the same thing with Tenma’s deafness: lip reading is really difficult so Tenma might misunderstand or ask for clarification, or little habits he has (like you mentioned, watching people’s mouths rather than their eyes).

Anyway, I’d definitely recommend doing research on writing deaf characters because it’s very easy to accidentally make a mistake and come off as disrespectful. I’ve read a story or two in which there was so much focus on a character being deaf that it seemed to be their only character trait, and not only does that take away from the story, but it’s also not a good representation. Being deaf is not a defining character trait; it’s just part of their character, like wearing glasses or having asthma. An important thing that should be acknowledged but not constantly mentioned/made to be the center of their life and character.

Some questions that immediately popped into my head:

1. Was Tenma born deaf or did he lose his hearing?

2. Does he shout or say the name of hissatsu techniques? Would he even bother with that?

3. In fact would he even bother trying to learn the names of hissatsu techniques (since they can be super weird + it’s during a match and he’s not wearing hearing aids, so these both make it hard to lip read) and instead just come up with names for them himself? Imagine him referring to Sangoku’s Fence of Gaia as ‘’the rock thing’’ or Kami no Takuto as ‘’Shindou-senpai’s lightshow’’.

4. Does the entire team learn sign language (and how good are they at it), or does Tenma speak and lip read more with certain members of the team and use sign language with others?

Of course the amount of detail you put into it all depends on how long you want the story to be! I hope this is sort of what you wanted, and again, feel free to ask something else if this isn’t what you hoped for.

And in case you decide to write the story, best of luck!

[freshfraise]

ALL OR NOTHING - ONE

pairing: kylian mbappé x reader

summary: Childhood sweethearts. After a tearful, transformative departure at just 19, four years pass by. And now, at 23, you are being forced to awkwardly reunite with your ex-boyfriend to fulfill your dreaded journalistic duties.

authors note: this chapter is essentially the build up to when they meet again next chapter, so bear with me :)) thank you for all the love and comment if you want to be in the tag list!

previous chapter here

2022 | LONDON, SOHO

You shake off your nerves as you enter your boss's office. You were specifically called over, which was extremely rare for a journalist of your level. Sympathetic glances are shot over from your colleagues, having you anticipate the worst. You wrap your trembling digits around the frigid doorknob and heave deeply. 

“I’m removing you from Educational Journalism and switching you to a different sector.” Your boss declares bluntly, barely leaving any time for your feet to be firmly planted on the floor.

“Wh-”

“I believe your writing is better fit for a more riveting sector than Education. Something along the lines of Entertainment and Sports.” He continues, blocking out any sort of inquiry you may have. The word Sports rings in your head. It was only just four years ago. Four years ago since you last saw him. Of course, you saw the odd headline of him or a trending hashtag/tweet debating just how good of a player he is, but you made it your (extremely difficult) mission to ignore and block out as much as possible of your ridiculously illustrious ex-boyfriend. You prayed that your boss would lean more into the entertainment sector, as you definitely wouldn’t mind interviewing and writing about celebrities and media around the world.

“Okay well, is there any sort of training I need to take before I start?” You question quickly, wary that you would be cut off again.

“Your writing is just what we need, so no, none at all. In fact, you have a train to Paris booked for 7:45 am tomorrow, as you’ll be interviewing a popular football team at their stadium. I’ll confirm more details in the morning.” The ringing in your ears grows louder, almost deafening. Suddenly, your trembling fingers become slick with perspiration and your tongue abnormally scratchy. There’s no way, what are the odds? you think to yourself. Your breathing becomes more hollow and rapid, now audible.

“Ms. Y/L/N? Are-” 

You interrupt this time, (unintentionally, but nonetheless it felt good). “Is this confirmed? Is there any way to deny this? I have a lot of things going on-”

“Y/N, this job is highly sought after, so the fact you’re even considering denying this job is very telling of your dedication to your role.” Your boss reprimands, making you purse your lips in shame. “And, yes it is very much confirmed, both the train ticket and the interviews. I get it, it’s normal to get scared and anxious when meeting celebrities of such calibre, but, you’re a journalist and this is a part of your job. Paris Saint Germain is one of-” Your boss’s voice fades out in the abundance of thoughts swirling around in your throbbing head. Now, you’re regretting a lot of things. You’re regretting not keeping in touch, which would probably drastically reduce the levels of anxiety you’re feeling but also your insistence on keeping your relationship with him private, because if it wasn’t, maybe your boss would understand how uncomfortable this situation is. Although, it did save you a swarm of hate comments and death threats.

You tune back into your boss’s ongoing rant, “-I, myself, am a fan of PSG, so if you could maybe get a signature or two from a couple players, that would be great.” He suggests, voice evident of enthusiasm. You roll your eyes subtly before heading your way out of the office. 

“Oh, Y/N?” He calls out, making you turn back promptly. “A signature from Mbappé in particular.” He comments, a small smile on his face. You pinch your eyelids shut and nod, already embarrassed at the thought of asking your Ex best friend/boy friend for a signature. 

---

On the tiresome commute home, you take advantage of the empty bus and call your best friend to communicate your uneasy thoughts.

“Imani, should I quit?” You ask, slouched in your seat, head facing the bus ceiling. One of the first and only friends you made in London, Imani is the only person outside of your immediate family that knows of your past relations with the footballer. Initially, she thought that it was a very well thought out prank, before realising that it was, in fact real and ended up screaming down the phone at you in bewilderment, leaving you to explain the extensive history of Y/N and the Mbappé.

“Girl, you have bills to pay. So delete that from your options,” She states bluntly, earning a hearty chuckle from you. “Unless,” She says, dragging out the ‘S’.

“Unless what?”

“Unless you get back together with him, that financial burden is lifted off your shoulders, and I can become WAG adjacent again! Win win for all of us!” 

“Imani.” You say exasperated.

“I’m kidding. Kinda. If I’m being honest, I still don’t understand why you broke up with him. You guys were so cute.”

“First of all, It was mutual. Kinda.” You recall the series of events, remembering your desolation and ache. You bite your lower lip, not liking to think too much about the feelings that day.

“Yeah mutual, yet he was begging for you not to leave him.” Imani responds, making you giggle quietly at her cut throat attitude.

“That wasn’t funny.” You say blankly, not giving her the satisfaction of making you laugh. “Plus, that was years ago, he probably has a girlfriend now.” The thought scans your mind briefly, leaving you to ponder.

“I love you, and I don’t want to be with anyone else but you, Y/N."

“You know what that means.” Imani declares, interrupting your train of thought.

“Late night stalking session?” “Late night stalking sesh.” Imani affirms. A late night stalking session, consists of one dedicated hour to finding out everything, ever imaginable about a possible romantic interest. In this case, a past romantic interest. This should be easy, you think to yourself, due to his famed status.

After a long journey home and sixty fatiguing, extensive minutes of harassing online search engines, you and Imani concluded two things:

Ethan has grown a lot since you last saw him.

Kylian, as a matter of fact, does have a girlfriend, who apparently, he’s engaged to.

---

taglist: @aechii

[luxe-pauvre]

Which knowledge and skills do today’s students need to get hired in tomorrow’s job market - the market of 2030? Which is precisely the wrong question. In 2030, there will likely be a high demand for savvy accountants untroubled by a conscience. If current trends hold, countries like Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland will become even bigger tax havens, enabling multinationals to dodge taxes even more effectively, leaving developing countries with an even shorter end of the stick. If the aim of education is to roll with these kinds of trends rather than upend them, then egotism is set to be the quintessential 21st-century skill. Not because the law or the market or technology demand it, but solely because that, apparently, is how we prefer to earn our money. Instead, we should be posing a different question altogether: Which knowledge and skills do we want our children to have in 2030? Then, instead of anticipating and adapting, we’d be focusing on steering and creating. Instead of wondering what we need to do to make a living in this or that bullshit job, we could ponder how we want to make a living. This is a question no trend watcher can answer. How could they? They only follow the trends, they don’t make them. That part is up to us. To answer this question, we’ll need to examine ourselves and our personal ideals. What do we want? More time for friends, for example, or family? For volunteer work? Art? Sports? Future education would have to prepare us not only for the job market but, more fundamentally, for life. Do we want to rein in the financial sector? Then maybe we should give budding economists some instruction in philosophy and morals. Do we want more solidarity across race, sex, and socioeconomic groups? Start in social studies class. If we restructure education around our new ideals, the job market will happily tag along.

Rutger Bregman, Utopia For Realists: And How We Can Get There

[hypocrite-human]

AI & IT'S IMPACT

Unleashing the Power: The Impact of AI Across Industries and Future Frontiers

Artificial Intelligence (AI), once confined to the realm of science fiction, has rapidly become a transformative force across diverse industries. Its influence is reshaping the landscape of how businesses operate, innovate, and interact with their stakeholders. As we navigate the current impact of AI and peer into the future, it's evident that the capabilities of this technology are poised to reach unprecedented heights.

1. Healthcare:

In the healthcare sector, AI is a game-changer, revolutionizing diagnostics, treatment plans, and patient care. Machine learning algorithms analyze vast datasets to identify patterns, aiding in early disease detection. AI-driven robotic surgery is enhancing precision, reducing recovery times, and minimizing risks. Personalized medicine, powered by AI, tailors treatments based on an individual's genetic makeup, optimizing therapeutic outcomes.

2. Finance:

AI is reshaping the financial industry by enhancing efficiency, risk management, and customer experiences. Algorithms analyze market trends, enabling quicker and more accurate investment decisions. Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI streamline customer interactions, providing real-time assistance. Fraud detection algorithms work tirelessly to identify suspicious activities, bolstering security measures in online transactions.

3. Manufacturing:

In manufacturing, AI is optimizing production processes through predictive maintenance and quality control. Smart factories leverage AI to monitor equipment health, reducing downtime by predicting potential failures. Robots and autonomous systems, guided by AI, enhance precision and efficiency in tasks ranging from assembly lines to logistics. This not only increases productivity but also contributes to safer working environments.

4. Education:

AI is reshaping the educational landscape by personalizing learning experiences. Adaptive learning platforms use AI algorithms to tailor educational content to individual student needs, fostering better comprehension and engagement. AI-driven tools also assist educators in grading, administrative tasks, and provide insights into student performance, allowing for more effective teaching strategies.

5. Retail:

In the retail sector, AI is transforming customer experiences through personalized recommendations and efficient supply chain management. Recommendation engines analyze customer preferences, providing targeted product suggestions. AI-powered chatbots handle customer queries, offering real-time assistance. Inventory management is optimized through predictive analytics, reducing waste and ensuring products are readily available.

6. Future Frontiers:

A. Autonomous Vehicles: The future of transportation lies in AI-driven autonomous vehicles. From self-driving cars to automated drones, AI algorithms navigate and respond to dynamic environments, ensuring safer and more efficient transportation. This technology holds the promise of reducing accidents, alleviating traffic congestion, and redefining mobility.

B. Quantum Computing: As AI algorithms become more complex, the need for advanced computing capabilities grows. Quantucm omputing, with its ability to process vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, holds the potential to revolutionize AI. This synergy could unlock new possibilities in solving complex problems, ranging from drug discovery to climate modeling.

C. AI in Creativity: AI is not limited to data-driven tasks; it's also making inroads into the realm of creativity. AI-generated art, music, and content are gaining recognition. Future developments may see AI collaborating with human creators, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in fields traditionally associated with human ingenuity.

In conclusion, the impact of AI across industries is profound and multifaceted. From enhancing efficiency and precision to revolutionizing how we approach complex challenges, AI is at the forefront of innovation. The future capabilities of AI hold the promise of even greater advancements, ushering in an era where the boundaries of what is achievable continue to expand. As businesses and industries continue to embrace and adapt to these transformative technologies, the synergy between human intelligence and artificial intelligence will undoubtedly shape a future defined by unprecedented possibilities.

[fanartbyherd]

Me having silly head-cannon designs for the other Olympians form Ulysses dies at dawn by the Mechanisms.

As well as what their role in the city is outside of being crime bosses and mobsters. I’m not 100% certain with all these designs, but they are something.

Introducing from top to bottom, left to right.

Zeus - the biggest crime boss of the city. He practically owns the utilities, especially has a monopoly on most of the cities power grid. He controls a lot of the city by keeping it in the family and he has a big family. (he/him)

Poseidon- powerhouse in industry who’s main competitors are hestia and hepatitis, but they work in a shaky alliance as often as they work against eachother. He also has control of all the resources that come from what’s left of the oceans.(he/him)

Hera- the ultimate socialite. Anyone who is anyone wants to be invited to her shindigs. To be dropped from the invite list is to be declared socially dead. She controls large parts of the cities everyday burocratices and especially when it comes to marriage, funerals and organized festivals. Paperwork needs her seal of approval to be legal. She is known to be petty. (She/her)

Apollo- a huge influencer, dominates the social media and content viewed by the masses. Most of his power comes from his control of the medical sector, but he distracts the population from that fact by his contributions in the arts and music. Called the sun of Olympus. He is sometimes called the sun of the Olympians and is set to take over as head of comity if Zeus ever steps down (not happening) has a particular dislike of the Coptic gods, Hades in particular. (he/him)

Athena- she is a powerhouse in libraries, education, and the legal network. They know the laws as they wrote most of the laws. She is also a great sponsor of the arts. she runs the newspapers and has a web of information.(she/them)

Hermes- transportation, shipping and delivery, they also essentially run large portions or the cities information network. They are sometimes called the ghost of the internet along with their assistant Iris. (they/them)

Artemis- law enforcement and jails. She has her elite huntresses who deal with outlaws and criminals, renegades and thieves. She also preserves the little that remains of the cities “wild places” this is most of the time more of luxury gardens than anything that is actually wilderness. She is often considered one of the weakest of the Olympians, but as she has the backing of her brother no one bothers her, she is also a lot more powerful than people really give her credit for. After all the weakest Olympian is still more powerful than the strongest mortal king (she/her)

Demeter- the madam of food. The farms of the cities are hers and everyone relies on her food. She has adopted the mysterious ‘Persephone’ as her daughter (she/ her)

Hephaestus- the other powerhouse of industry, but focusing more on specialized goods and luxuries. Him, Aphrodite and Aries have a well known on-again-off-again situation going on. He is also know for creative (he/him)

Aphrodite- she defines beauty. Their head can be removed and swapped out as well as most of their other body parts. She controls cosmetic industries and clothing trends. He is the ultimate pimp. Running all the cities brothels and red lights districts even if doing so In the shadows. (she/them/him)

Note: Aphrodite was sort of inspired by princess langwidere from the wizard of oz. Because she is low key horrifying and I think it would fit.

Ares- the machines of war, the defenses of city districts, personal security, and criminal activities are all places where ares turns his attention. War is business and they make certain business stays booming. (they/them)

Hestia- she is that one essential oils lady, queen of home gadgets and MLMS. This Olympian has for centuries monopolized housing and construction. She is the largest landlord and head of the majority construction companies in the city. She is planning on retirement so she can focus more on her love of pyramid schemes. Though she has yet to name a successor. (she/her)

Note: this is all headcannon that I made for the fun of it. Perhaps it will be useful to someone, but for now it’s just silly headcannons.

[satyaranjan7605]

GIS In Our Daily Lives

The involvement of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in our daily lives is pervasive, influencing and enhancing various aspects across different sectors. The integration of GIS into everyday activities has become integral for decision-making, planning, and optimizing resources. GIS helps city planners and transportation experts to provide them with information like maps, satellite pictures, population statistics, and infrastructure data. GIS helps them make better decisions when designing cities and transportation systems that are sustainable and good for the environment.

The following points elucidate the notable involvement of GIS in our daily lives:

Navigation and Location Services: GIS provides monitoring functions through the visual display of spatial data and precise geographical positioning of monitored vehicles, whereas GPS provides accurate, clear, and precise information on the position and navigation of a monitored or tracked vehicle in real-time and at the exact location.GIS is at the core of navigation applications and location-based services on smartphones. It enables accurate mapping, real-time navigation, and geolocation services, assisting individuals in finding locations, planning routes, and navigating unfamiliar areas.

E-Commerce and Delivery Services: GIS software is a powerful tool for supply chain network planning. It helps determine the optimal location for distribution centers, warehouses, or other supply facilities. GIS is utilized in logistics and delivery services for optimizing routes, tracking shipments, and ensuring timely deliveries. E-commerce platforms leverage GIS to enhance the efficiency of their supply chain and last-mile delivery processes.

Weather Forecasting and Disaster Management: Many states are using GIS dashboard to monitor the rainfall across the state, on a real-time basis, from the data shared by rain sensors installed at various locationsGIS plays a crucial role in weather forecasting and disaster management. It assists meteorologists in analyzing spatial data, predicting weather patterns, and facilitating timely responses to natural disasters by mapping affected areas and coordinating emergency services.

Healthcare Planning and Disease Monitoring: Geographic Information Systems enable the visualization and monitoring of infectious diseases. Additionally GIS records and displays the necessary information that health care needs of the community as well as the available resources and materials. GIS supports public health initiatives by mapping the spread of diseases, analyzing healthcare resource distribution, and assisting in the planning of vaccination campaigns. It aids in identifying high-risk areas and optimizing healthcare service delivery.

Social Media and Geo-tagging: GIS also helps in geotagging and other location related information in posts, it’s tools can map and visualize the spatial distribution of social media activity. This analysis can reveal trends, hotspots, and patterns in user engagement across different geographic areas. Many social media platforms incorporate GIS for geo-tagging, allowing users to share their location and experiences. This feature enhances social connectivity and facilitates the sharing of location-specific information.

Smart City Initiatives: The Geographic Information System (GIS) offers advanced and user-friendly capabilities for Smart City projects and allows to capture, store and manipulate, analyze and visualize spatially referenced data. It is used for spatial analysis and modeling. It is the cornerstone of smart city planning, enabling the integration of data for efficient urban management. It supports initiatives related to traffic management, waste disposal, energy consumption, and overall infrastructure development.

Education and Research: GIS is increasingly utilized in education and research for visualizing and analyzing spatial data. It enables students and researchers to explore geographic relationships, conduct field studies, and enhance their understanding of various subjects.

Agricultural Management and Precision Farming: Farmers leverage GIS to optimize agricultural practices by analyzing soil conditions, crop health, and weather patterns. Precision farming techniques, facilitated by GIS, contribute to increased crop yields and sustainable farming practices.

Real Estate and Property Management: In the real estate sector, GIS aids in property mapping, land valuation, and site selection. It provides real estate professionals with valuable insights into spatial relationships, market trends, and optimal development opportunities.

Tourism and Recreation: GIS enhances the tourism industry by providing interactive maps, route planning, and location-based information. It assists tourists in exploring destinations, finding attractions, and navigating efficiently.

The broad and varied involvement of GIS in our daily lives underscores its significance as a technology that not only facilitates geographic data analysis but also contributes to the efficiency, safety, and interconnectedness of modern society. As GIS applications continue to evolve, their impact on daily activities is expected to further expand and refine.

[transmutationisms]

i found it very interesting that you said matsson is also a fascist, just of a different sort. the whole of europe has a neonazi problem (of course the issue is not exclusive to europe but i’ll focus on it just for this talking point) especially northern europe and the countries there that are so often praised for being progressive in their approach to welfare and education, have experienced a massive spike in (not so) covertly organized fascist groups in various sectors especially during the past several years. matsson seems to me like a sort of abstract personification of this trend and the relation between his steady line of dog-whistling and him being at the front of a future-oriented venture like gojo is fascinating to me.

yes. don't have a ton to add here; i think this type of fascist relationship to futurism is kind of analogous to how fascism will also sometimes use populist anti-capitalist rhetoric whilst being in actuality fully dependent upon capitalist production and economies. but yeah the conversation the americans had on the plane made the exact type of linkage you're talking about: welfare state, nasdaq master race, health care. ofc these types of social benefits can in fact be used to great nationalist/fascist effect. like, state welfare can absolutely be used as a form of 'positive eugenics' (meaning attempts to encourage the 'right' sort of people to reproduce, as opposed to 'negative eugenics', which is the genocidal and exterminatory practices that are maybe more readily identified as eugenic). matsson's reference to france is telling here, as france has quite a significant history of positive eugenics, such as vichy natalist policy, which has roots in 19th century population thinking, biopolitics, and even earlier fears about national decline/degeneration.

anyway yeah this is very much what matsson is supposed to be cueing to, in his specifically techno-futuristic way. like this is exactly how we are supposed to hear his ideas about biological superiority, parse his use of normative healthy bodies to demonstrate strength, etc. there are some nuanced differences from how logan operated, but they both shared certain aspects of body politics and fundamentally both engaged in this type of hereditarian, health-strength-morality thinking, which is ofc why matsson was able to speak logan's language so effectively in s3.

[sapphire-weapon]

I think what a lot of the frantic shippers don't get, is that many of us value story over whatever sector of an online, meaningless fandom "wins", lmao. I don't dislike OG Aeon because aur naurr what about Cleon or Eagleone, I disliked it because it was a cheap selling point, that ultimately messed up the chance of a bigger, decent story for both characters, ESPECIALLY Ada, the overly sexualised, no personality counterpart.

They binned character development that makes sense, for a quick buck on sex appeal, it surprisingly didn't work, it ended with their main character looking a fucking moron in his last OG instalment (video games), now Capcom have ultimately decided to choose script over trend. That is a good thing. It means better games.

Man, I'm too old to choose a winning ship or whatever the fuck, I just want something to be well written if I've paid for it, lmao. It's scary how few seem to understand that concept. It's like foaming at the mouth because Rebecca didn't reminisce anout screwing Billy fifty years ago in Death Island. Times change, so do characters and their potential and certain obnoxious fanbases need to accept reality at some point.

but the thing is, man, like... a lot of these people are from the younger generation and literally do not know how to map a character arc or plot out a story. so their perception of what makes a game good is how well it serves their ships and headcanons.

you know, i run into this phenomenon fairly often where, people get really turnt about my meta posts, but they can't articulate why. they're insistent that i'm wrong or biased, but they can't make an argument against me. and then one day someone said to me flat out that they only take the surface interpretation of a story and never give weight to any deeper symbolism because they genuinely didn't think stories went that deep.

and i just

i don't know that it's so much about a ship "winning" so much as it is that these people's understanding of the story depends on it. and for their surface-level understanding of the story to be wrong... it probably makes them feel stupid.

but like it's not their fault that the education system failed them

[berniesrevolution]

CATALYST JOURNAL

While the uptick in strike activity in 2021 is heartening, its influence should not be exaggerated. The number and extent of job actions was noticeable but still very small by historical standards, and union density continued to decline. A significant labor upsurge might be in the works, but it is not in evidence yet.

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis spoke movingly of the workers keeping the world turning in dark times:

People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines or on the latest television show, yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history. Doctors, nurses, storekeepers and supermarket workers, cleaning personnel, caregivers, transport workers, men and women working to provide essential services and public safety, volunteers, priests, men and women religious, and so very many others. They understood that no one is saved alone.1

These workers have done everything we’ve asked of them and more. They have been through hell, particularly those who have risked their health and well-being to care for the sick, educate the young, feed the hungry, and deliver the things the rest of us need to get through this period of grinding uncertainty. Employers, politicians, and talking heads have lauded them as essential workers, but the stark gap between the praise and the grim realities of working life in the United States — which was already miserable for millions before the pandemic — have pushed many to the breaking point. Indeed, record numbers of American workers have quit their jobs in what the media has dubbed the Great Resignation. According to the US Labor Department, 4.5 million workers voluntarily left their jobs in November 2021. The number of monthly quits has exceeded three million since August 2020, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down.2 Job switchers span the employment ladder, but turnover has been largely concentrated in the low-wage service sector, where workers are taking advantage of the very tight labor market to get a better deal for themselves. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, workers with high school diplomas are currently enjoying a faster rate of wage growth than workers with bachelor’s degrees, a remarkable situation that has not occurred in decades.3

Worker discontent is not only finding expression in the form of quitting and job switching. In 2021, we witnessed a modest increase in the frequency and visibility of collective action in the workplace. Tens of thousands of workers, union and nonunion alike, challenged employers through protests and strikes across sectors and in many different geographical regions. Workers in health care and social assistance, education, and transportation and warehousing led the way, but they were joined by workers in hotels and food services, manufacturing, and other industries. Protests and strikes tended to be concentrated in states where labor is relatively stronger, namely California, New York, and Illinois, but some states with low union density, like North Carolina, saw an uptick in labor action, too. Pay increases were easily the most common demand, but health and safety, staffing, and COVID-19 protocols were high on the agenda as well.

The year 2021 was less a strike wave than a strike ripple, and it has not yet resulted in any appreciable increase in unionization. A few trends stand out. The first is that labor protest and strike action were heavily concentrated among unionized groups of workers. Unionized groups of workers accounted for nearly 95% of all estimated participants in labor protests and more than 98% of all estimated participants in strikes. The second is that protests and strikes were concentrated by industry — namely health care and education, which together accounted for roughly 60% of all labor actions. Finally, protests and strikes were heavily concentrated geographically. Just three states with relatively high levels of union density — California, New York, and Illinois — accounted for more than half the total estimated participants in protests and strikes. In short, collective workplace action is by and large taking place where organized labor still retains residual sources of strength. In this context, spreading protest and strike action beyond its current industrial and regional confines depends on unionization in new places.

Conditions conducive to labor action — rising inflation, pandemic-related pressures, and a tight labor market — are likely to persist into 2022, and the Biden administration’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been meaningfully supportive of worker organizing. US labor is probably not on the verge of a historic breakthrough, but in this context, workers may have an opportunity to make modest material and organizational gains.

Making new organizational gains is critical to the fortunes of the labor movement and the reviving US left. The vast majority of the workers involved in strikes and labor protests last year were already members of unions, not unorganized workers looking to unionize. This is why it is so concerning that last year’s uptick in labor action occurred amid a further decline in union density in 2021. The overall rate of union membership stands at 10.3% of the total labor force, while the total number of union members, just over fourteen million in 2021, continues its long decline.4 While some have argued that treating union density as the key measure of labor’s strength is a mistake, it seems clear that, at least in the US context, where union density and union coverage almost entirely overlap, it does provide an effective measurement of working-class power.5

Boosting the level of union density should therefore be among the leading priorities of progressives and socialists in the United States. As the power resources school of welfare state scholars has long argued, the relative strength of the labor movement and its affiliated political parties has been the single most important factor shaping welfare state development over time and across countries. Here in the United States, where we have never had a nationwide social democratic party aligned with a strong labor movement, the weakness of working-class organization is clearly reflected in the fragmentation and stinginess of our welfare state. The state-level wave of attacks on organized labor that began in 2010 have made it that much harder for unions to defend working-class interests and reduce inequality. But the fact that they were able to meaningfully mitigate the growth of inequality, even during the period of neoliberal retrenchment, shows that rebuilding the labor movement needs to be a chief priority of any progressive political agenda.6 The Biden administration’s pro-union stance suggests it understands this. But if it’s unable to act decisively to boost union membership, all the pro-union rhetoric it can muster will ultimately amount to little.

TRACKING LABOR ACTION

Researchers at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) began documenting strikes and labor protests in late 2020. Their ILR Labor Action Tracker provides a database of workplace conflict across the United States, based on information collected from government sources, news reports, organizational press releases, and social media. It counts both strikes and labor protests as “events” but distinguishes between the two. The major distinction between strikes and labor protests, according to this methodology, is whether the workers involved in the event stopped work. If they did, the event is defined as a strike; if they did not, it is defined as a labor protest. The Labor Action Tracker also collects data on a number of additional variables, including employer, labor organization (if applicable), local labor organization (if applicable), industry, approximate number of participants, worker demands, and more.7

ACTION TYPES

In 2021, there were 786 events with 257,086 estimated participants.8 Over 60% of the events were labor protests, while less than 40% were strikes (there was one recorded lockout). Roughly one-third of the estimated number of workers participated in labor protests, while roughly two-thirds participated in strikes. Further, the average number of estimated workers per labor protest (188) was significantly smaller than the average number of estimated workers per strike (553, see Table 1 for details).

DURATION

Neither labor protests nor strikes tended to last very long, which tracks with the generally sharp decline in strike duration in recent decades.9 Labor protests in particular were very short affairs. Of the labor protests with a start and end date, 96% lasted for just one day or less. Strikes also tended to have a short duration, but they typically did not end as quickly as protests. Of the strikes with a start and end date, one-third lasted for one day or less. Roughly two-thirds of strikes (68%) ended within a week, and over 90% ended within thirty days. One strike stands out for its unusually long duration: a 701-day strike by United Auto Workers (UAW) members against a metallurgical company in Pennsylvania, which began in September 2019 and ended in August 2021.

INDUSTRIES

An informed observer will not be surprised by which industries saw the largest number of labor action events (Table 2). The leading two industries by far were health care and social assistance and education, which are both highly unionized and have been subjected to enormous pressures during the pandemic. Together, they accounted for nearly 40% of the total labor protests and strikes. These industries also comprised over 60% of the overall number of estimated labor action participants — health care with 41.5% of the estimated participants, education with 18.8%. The overrepresentation of health care and education workers becomes even starker when we compare this to their employment shares in the overall labor force. In 2020, these two industries accounted for 16.3% of total nonfarm employment — health care with a 13.8% share and education with 2.3%.10 Put another way, the share of health care workers in 2021 labor actions was roughly three times larger than their share in the nonfarm labor force, while the share of education workers was more than eight times as large.

These two pace-setting industries were followed by a second tier of industries including transportation and warehousing, accommodation and food services, and manufacturing. It is not surprising to see these listed among the most turbulent industries, as they contain a mix of highly unionized employers and nonunion employers that have become a major focus of labor organizing activity, namely Amazon — the most frequently targeted employer, with twelve total labor actions — which was the target of twice as many labor actions as McDonald’s, the second-most targeted employer.

The industrial distribution of labor protests generally follows the overall distribution of labor action, with the notable exception of manufacturing, which saw far more strikes than protests. While the health care industry did not experience the largest number of strikes, it accounts for more than half of estimated strike participants (53%). Workers in education (12.4%) and manufacturing (16%) also accounted for outsize shares of the estimated number of participants.

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