#gold investing strategies

[bit-tunes]

Gold is becoming increasingly popular as an investment. Especially in times of crisis, investors increasingly rely on the coveted precious metal. Why investing in gold is considered particularly safe…

[24goldgrouplimited]

Adapting Gold Investment Strategies to Canada's Changing Economic Landscape | 24 Gold Group Ltd.

Canada's shifting economic policies are reshaping Gold Investment Strategies in 2024. Investors are increasingly turning to gold as a hedge against potential inflation and economic instability. As the Bank of Canada adjusts interest rates and implements new fiscal measures, gold's role as a safe haven becomes more pronounced. 24 Gold Group Ltd. a precious metal refining company in Toronto helps you to stay informed about these policy changes can help investors make strategic decisions and optimize their portfolios.

[uniqueeval]

ETFs are set to hit record inflows, but this wild card could change it

Exchange-traded fund inflows have already topped monthly records in 2024, and managers think inflows could see an impact from the money market fund boom before year-end. “With that $6 trillion plus parked in money market funds, I do think that is really the biggest wild card for the remainder of the year,” Nate Geraci, president of The ETF Store, told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week. “Whether it be…

[loyalluxury]

Unveiling the Power of Gold Coins: A Luxurious Investment Strategy

In an age where the financial landscape is perpetually volatile, investors constantly seek stable havens for their capital. Among the myriad investment avenues available, gold coins stand out as both a relic of ancient wealth and a contemporary bastion of financial security. This article delves into the fascinating world of gold coin investment, unraveling its complexities and highlighting its potential as a smart choice for today's investors.

The Timeless Allure of Gold

Gold coins represent one of the oldest forms of currency, their luster undimmed by centuries of economic upheavals. Historically, gold has symbolized wealth and power, from the ancient Egyptians to the Greeks, and has been a cornerstone in the economies of civilizations. Even after the dissolution of the gold standard in the mid-20th century, gold's stature as a valuable commodity has remained unchallenged. Its scarcity and durability make it a coveted asset, not just for adornment but as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainties.

Investing in Gold Coins: A Primer

At its core, investing in gold coins is straightforward. It involves acquiring physical gold in coin form—ranging from well-known pieces like the American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf to more exotic offerings from South Africa and Australia—and holding it as an investment. This investment strategy is not just about owning a piece of precious metal; it's about connecting with gold's rich history and its role in human civilization.

Why Gold Coins?

The rationale behind investing in gold coins is multifaceted. Primarily, it's seen as a diversification tool and a protection against inflation. As fiat currencies fluctuate, gold's value tends to remain stable or even increase, thereby preserving the investor's wealth. Additionally, gold coins offer tangibility that paper assets can't, providing a sense of security in uncertain times. For collectors, gold coins are not just investments but treasures that blend historical and artistic significance.

The Current Market and Future Trends

The allure of gold coins has only intensified in recent years, with prices reaching all-time highs. This surge is attributed to factors like economic uncertainty, political instability, and a weakening US dollar. Moreover, the advent of digital gold offers a modern twist on this ancient asset, allowing investors to partake in the gold market without the need to handle physical coins.

Potential Risks

However, investing in gold coins is not without its challenges. The value of gold can fluctuate, and there are costs associated with purchasing and securely storing the coins. Liquidity can also be an issue, as selling gold coins might not be as instantaneous as selling stocks or bonds. Furthermore, the risk of fraud and counterfeiting necessitates purchasing from reputable dealers and ensuring the coins are authenticated.

Making an Informed Decision

Before diving into gold coin investment, it's crucial to define your investment goals, understand the different types of gold coins available, and stay informed about current market conditions. Selecting a reputable dealer and having a plan for storing and eventually selling your coins are also key considerations.

Conclusion

Investing in gold coins can be a lucrative and secure way to diversify your portfolio and safeguard your wealth. With its historical significance and inherent value, gold remains a favored choice among investors seeking stability in an unpredictable financial world. As we continue to navigate through economic uncertainties, the timeless appeal of gold coins as a luxurious investment strategy becomes ever more compelling.

Engaging with the history, the artistry, and the inherent value of gold coins can transform the way we view investment, offering a bridge between past wealth and future prosperity. Whether you're drawn to the idea of holding a piece of history in your hand or seeking a bulwark against economic instability, gold coins offer a unique and enriching investment path.

Get More taste of opulent luxury at

#GoldCoins #InvestmentStrategy #EconomicUncertainty #SafeHaven #Diversification #InflationHedge #PhysicalAsset #HistoricalSignificance #MarketTrends #DigitalGold #PortfolioProtection #Tangibility #Liquidity #CollectibleValue #FinancialGoals #BullionCoins #Rarity #MarketConditions #ReputableDealer #StorageSolutions

[techmarkethunter]

Understanding the Dynamics of Gold Prices in India (6/1/24)

Title: Understanding the Dynamics of Gold Prices in India (6/1/24) Gold holds a significant place in India, serving various purposes from ornamental jewelry to a reliable investment option. The price of gold is subject to numerous factors, including global market conditions, currency exchange rates, and domestic demand. In this blog post, we will delve into the current gold prices in India as of…

[jaisaxenaa]

Why Investing in Gold Makes Sense

Embark on a journey through the ages with gold, an enduring symbol of wealth and cultural significance. Investing in gold provides stability as a secure alternative to stocks and a hedge against inflation. Its historical prominence, from Pharaohs to ancient Indian literature, underpins its enduring value. Economic experts anticipate upward trends in gold prices, suggesting silver for portfolio diversification. Beyond investment, gold influences global economics, sustaining employment in mining and jewelry craftsmanship. In India, gold symbolizes prosperity in cultural and religious ceremonies. For those in Delhi, www.sonadopaiselo.net/ offers transparent processes and competitive rates, turning golden dreams into tangible investments. Gold is more than a metal; it's an investment, a safety net, and a cultural legacy — a testament to wealth, resilience, and timeless allure.

Read More:- https://www.sonadopaiselo.net/why-investing-in-gold-makes-sense.php

[riverwoodcapital1]

Unveiling the Golden Adventure: A Comprehensive Guide to Sovereign Gold Bonds and their Role in Options Selling

Chapter 1: Meet our Hero, Ravi In the heart of a bustling city, Ravi, an IT professional, worked diligently in a corporate job. However, his true passion lay in the world of finance and investments. The gleaming allure of gold, not just for its physical beauty but also as a solid investment, had always fascinated Ravi. But his story is not just about gold; it’s about a particular financial…

[investiq]

Can investing make you rich?

Yes, investing can make you rich. If you invest wisely, the right investments can make you much more money than you could earn from a traditional 9-to-5 job.

The key to making money in the stock market is to invest in companies that are growing rapidly and have strong prospects for the future. This requires some research, but it can be done using websites like Yahoo Finance or putting together a portfolio using the dificult indicators.

If you make smart investments, you can earn far more money from your investments than you ever would from a normal job. And, if your investments lose money, you won't have to pay someone to fire you.

[clothinglennyco]

Earnings are off to a decent start. Next week is the big test for tech

Earnings are off to a decent start. Next week is the big test for tech

Stocks rallied this week as earnings season ramped up and is so far off to a better-than-expected start. With 20% of the S & P 500 having reported financials so far, sales results have thus far been 1.4% above expectations while earnings results are 5.4% above expectations, in aggregate. While the estimates have come down in recent weeks, it could signal that investors are becoming a bit too…

[what-shitfuckery-is-this-ew]

BOYCOTTING FOR PALESTINE

The Official BDS Boycott Targets

Campaigns

Block the boat: End maritime arms transfer to Israel

Ban Apartheid Israel from Sports (FIFA, Olympics)

Consumer Boycotts - a complete boycott of these brands

Disney (SPECIFICALLY MARVEL)

Intel

Axa

Puma

Carrefour

HP

Cevron

Caltex

Israeli produce

Re/max

Ahava

Texaco

Siemens

Sodastream

Intel

Organic Boycott Targets - boycotts not initiated by BDS but still complete boycott of these brands

Macdonald's

Dominos

Papa Johns

Burger King

Pizza Hut

Wix

Divestments and exclusion - pressure governments, institutions, investment funds, city councils, etc. to exclude from procurement contracts and investments and to divest from these

Elbit Systems

CAF

Volvo

CAT

Barclays

JCB

HD Hyundai

TKH Security

HikVision

Pressure - boycotts when reasonable alternatives exist, as well as lobbying, peaceful disruptions, and social media pressure.

Google

Amazon

AirBnb

Booking.Com

Expedia

Teva

Here are some companies that strongly support Israel (but are not Boycott targets). There is no ethical consumption under capitalism and boycotting is a political strategy - not a moral one. If you did try to boycott every supporter of Israel you would struggle to survive because every major company supports Israel (as a result of attempting to keep the US economy afloat), that being said, the ones that are being boycotted by masses and not already on the organic boycott list are coloured red.

5 Star Chocolate

7Days

7Up

Apple

Arsenal FC

ALDO

Arket

Axe

Accenture

Ariel

Adidas

ActionIQ

Aquafina

Amika

AccuWeather

Activia

Adobe

Aesop

Azrieli Group

American Eagle

Amway Corp

Axel Springer

American Airlines

American Express

Atlassian

AdeS

Aquarius

Ayataka

Audi

Barqs

Bain & Company

Bayer

Bank Leumi

Bank Hapoalim

BCG (Boston Consulting Group)

Biotherm

Bershka

Bloomberg

BMW

Boeing

Booz Allen Hamilton

Burberry

Bath & Body Works

Bosch

Bristol Myers Squibb

Capri Holdings

Costa

Carita Paris

CareTrust REIT

Caterpillar

Coach

Cappy

Caudalie

CeraVe

Check Point Software Technologies

Cerelac

Chanel

Chapman and Cutler

Channel

Cheerios

Cheetos

Chevron

Chips Ahoy!

Christina Aguilera

Citi Bank

Carrefour

Codral

Cosco

Canada Dry

Citi

Clal Insurance Enterprises

Clean & Clear

Clearblue

Clinique

Champion

Club Social

Coca Cola

Coffee Mate

Colgate

Comcast

Compass

Caesars

Conde Nast

Cooley LLP

Costco

Côte d’Or

Crest

CV Starr

CyberArk Software

Cytokinetics

Crayola

Cra Z Art

Daimler

Dr Pepper

Del Valle

Daim

Doctor Pepper

Dasani

Doritos

Daz

Dior

Dell

Deloitte

Delta Air Lines

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Telekom

DHL Group

David Off

Disney

DLA Piper

Domestos

Domino’s

Douglas Elliman

Downy

Duane Morris LLP

Dreft Baby Detergent & Laundry Products

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream

eBay

Edelman

Eli Lilly

Evian

Empyrean

Ericsson

Endeavor

EPAM Systems

Estee Lauder

Elbit Systems

EY

Forbes

Facebook

Fairlife

Fanta

First International Bank of Israel

Fiverr

Funyuns

Fuze

Fox News

Fritos

Fox Corp

Gatorade

Gamida Cell

GE

Glamglow

General Catalyst

General Motors

Georgia

Gold Peak

Genesys

Goldman Sachs

Grandma’s Cookies

Garnier

Guess

Greenberg Traurig

Guerlain

Givenchy

H&M

Hadiklaim

Huggies

Hanes

HSBC

Head & Shoulders

Hersheys

Herbert Smith Freehills

Hewlett Packard

Hasbro

Hyundai

Henkel

Harel Insurance Investment & Financial Services

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

HubSpot

Huntsman Corp

IBM

Innocent

Insight Partners

Inditex Group

IT Cosmetics

Instacart

Intermedia

Interpublic Group

Instagram

ICL Group

Intuit

Jazwares

Jefferies

John Lewis

JP Morgan Chase

Jaguar

Johnson & Johnson

JPMorgan

Kenon Holdings

Kate Spade

Kirks’

Kinley Water

KKR

KFC

KKW Cosmetics

Kurkure

Keebler

Kolynos

Kaufland

Kevita

Knorr

KPMG

Lemonade

Lidl

Loblaws

Levi Strauss

Louis Vuitton

Life Water

Levi’s

Levi’s Strauss

LinkedIn

Land Rover

L’Oréal

Lego

Levissima

Live Nation Entertainment

Lufthansa

La Roche-Posay

Lipton

Major League Baseball

Manpower Group

Marriott

Marsh McLennan

Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Mastercard

Mattel

Minute Maid

Monster

Monki

Mainz FC

Mellow Yellow

Mountain Dew

Migdal Insurance

Marks & Spencer

Mirinda

McDermott Will & Emery

Motorola

McKinsey

Merck

Michael Kors

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank

Merck KGaA

Micheal Kors

Milkybar

Maybelline

Mount Franklin

Meta

MeUndies

Mattle

Microsoft

Munchies

Miranda

Morgan Lewis

Moroccanoil

Morgan Stanley

MRC

Nasdaq

Naughty Dog

Nivea

Next

NOS

Nabisco

Nutter Butter

No Frills

National Basketball Association

National Geographic

Nintendo

New Balance

Nutella

Newtons

NVIDIA

Netflix

Nescafe

Nestle

Nesquick

Nike

Nussbeisser

Oreo

Oral B

Old spice

Oysho

Omeprazole

Oceanspray

Opodo

P&G (Procter and Gamble)

Pampers

Pull & Bear

Pepsi

Pfizer

Popeyes

Parker Pens

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Pizza Hut

Powerade

Purina

Phoenix Holdings

Propel

Ponds

Pure Leaf Green Tea

Power Action Wipes

PwC

Prada

Perry Ellis

Prada Eyewear

Pringles

Payoneer

Procter & Gamble

Purelife

Pureology

Quaker Oats

Reddit

Royal Bank of Canada

Ruffles

Revlon

Ralph Lauren

Ritz

Rolls Royce

Royal

S.Pellegrino

Sabra Hummus

Sabre

Sony

SAP

Simply

Smart Water

Sprite

Schwabe

Shell

Soda Stream

Siemens

StreamElements

Schweppes

Sunsilk

Signal

Skittles

Smart Food

Sobe

Smarties

Sephora

Sam’s Club

Superbus

Samsung

Sodastream

Sunkist

Scotiabank

Sour Patch Kids

Starbucks

Sadaf

Stride

Subway

Tang

Tate’s Bake Shop

The Body Shop

Tesco

Twitch

The Ordinary

Tim Hortons

Tostitos

Timberland

Topo Chico

Tapestry

Tropicana

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger Toiletries

Turbos

Tom Ford

Taco Bell

Triscuit

TUC

Twix

Tottenham Hotspurs

Twisties

Tripadvisor

Uber

Uber Eats

Urban Decay

Upfield

Unilever

Vicks

Victoria’s Secret

V8

Vaseline

Vitaminwater

Volkswagen

Volvo

Walmart

Wegmans

WhatsApp

Waitrose

Woolworths

Wheat Thins

Walkers

Warner Brothers

Warner Chilcot

Warner Music

Wells Fargo

Winston & Strawn

WingStreet

Wissotzky Tea

WWE

Wheel Washing Powder

Wrigley Company

YouTube

Yvel

Yum Brands

Ziyad

Zara

Zim Shipping

Ziff Davis

[theresattrpgforthat]

Got any games about being a little creature out to cause chaos?

THEME: Chaos Gremlins.

Hello friend! I sure do!

Space Gerbils, by Penguin King Games

You are the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter, but nobody knows your real name, or what your real voice sounds like. In fact, you've never taken your helmet off in public, at least as far as anybody knows!

The interstellar tabloids have accused any number of public figures of secretly being you. They are, of course, all wrong. The real reason you never remove your helmet is that you're actually a bunch of space gerbils operating a human-size mech suit.

You're very keen on not letting this get out.

Space Gerbils is definitely the longest game on this list, with over 100 pages in the current iteration of the playtest. This is a game about teamwork, and the mech creation is the first indicator of that, as you’ll have to collaboratively create the robot the gerbils pilot in order to keep their identities a secret.

Play involves a series of phases (setup, operations, fallout, end) and a grid where your gerbils will strategically move in order to operate their bounty hunter effectively. While the premise of Space Gerbils is cute and funny, it has the potential for both humorous and dramatic scenes, you’ll likely find that your play table will approach the strategy of the game with dedication and the desire to succeed. As a result, I think Space Gerbils is going to produce a high amount of group investment.

Mutant Possum Cowboys, by It’s Eric! Games.

Mutant Possum Cowboys is a quick-play RPG where ya take the roll of talkin' possums who have taken it upon themselves ta help tha' townsfolk of tha' Wild West. 

Yer a Mutant Possum Cowboy. Yer posse is part of tha' Order of tha' Gun, dedicated ta wanderin’ from Town ta Town in “Roadkill County,” tha' Mutated Deserts of tha' Wild West, offerin’ help where needed against mutated critters and all sorts of Ne'er-Do-Wells. 

This game involves distributing points among three stats to indicate what your lil’ cowboy is good at. Your character also gets a special treasure in addition to their regular gear that gives them a little bit of kick - such as “Tha Rallyin’ Jaw Harp” which sounds like an instrument that can call for aid from miles away, or “Gold Lightnin’”, a famous double-barrelled revolver. The game feels like it draws a lot of inspiration from games such as Lasers and Feelings - particularly the roll tables provided to the GM to help them quickly generate a problem situation that the possums will have to wrangle with.

Sockgoblins, by poorstudents

You are a Sockgoblin! One of many loyal to the Great And All Powerful And Really Important Queen, living in the secret underground goblin city. Your Queen demands all sorts of items from the surface world; coffee, really big hats, the occasional hubcap. But what she craves most are Socks.

Every year, the Queen demands a sock tithe, which is where you, little sockgoblin, come in! Every other Sockgoblin has already got their Socks, but you have been slacking! You will need to venture up into the giant world of the humans and steal the last Socks! But the humans are ready. They have prepared their traps, trained their guard animals, and hired the dreaded Sockgoblin exterminator.

You and your crew of Sockgoblins venture into the world finding adventure, danger, and most importantly, Socks! No one knows where the Socks are now but you’re confident you know where they will end up; at the feet of your Great And All Powerful And Really Important Queen!

Sockgoblins is a Forged-in-the-Dark game inspired by media such as The Boxtrolls, Over the Garden Wall, and Home Alone, and provides adventures as little goblins stealing socks for the Goblin Queen. The danger of the each thing you try to do escalates in correlation to how many socks you’ll get out of it - and you can actually play using socks because they’re part of your inventory!

Sockgoblins can work as ether a one-shot or as an episodic campaign, so it’s great if you want to try out a game of it to see if your group wants to keep coming back to it.

Hotdog Princess, by jesthehuman

You are on a rookie team of Hotdog Hopefuls, wanting to join the ranks of HOTDOG: Hyper Optic Team DOG. There are a limited number of spots on the team, but one way to impress the Top Dog is by being crowned the Hotdog Princess at the local puppy pageant. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the Puppy Pageant and WIN. Alliances should be formed. Knowing when to break them is key. 

Hotdog Princess is full of puns and nods to various kinds of ‘dogs, with “Chili Dog”, “Veggie Dog” and “Danger Dog’ just a few of the dog options underneath the roll table that determines your character type. Players have two tracks: “hot” and “dog’, which you’ll fill out hangman-style whenever you fail a roll. Filling either one of the tracks prompts an end for your dog in some way. Your stats are, of course, “hot” and “dog”, with “hot” representing your charm, while your “dog” represents your jokes and pranks.

If you want a goofy game with an even goofier premise, you want Hotdog Princess.

Partners in Grime, by Michael Low

Partnerz in Grime is a story game in which the players take on the role of a crew of goblins: awesomely awful, magical critters hiding out on the edges of hooman society getting into all sorts of trouble.

The bones of this game is the Stories RPG, which is a one-page game that details some simple rules about how to use d6 dice pools to overcome obstacles or move the story forward. Partnerz in Grime is not just a story to run through with the base engine - it also comes with worldubuilding prompts, drama clocks, ways to power up your character, and a mechanic that improves’ players’ math as they play. The authorial voice is incredibly specific, sinking you into the goofiness of the game from the start, and character creation involves fill-in-the-blank prompts that fill out the character’s story.

If you want a game that is great for kids or that is really open about the kind of chaos you can unleash, you might want to check out Partnerz in Grime.

Heckhounds, by TheOtherTracy

Yours is a legacy of brimstone, fire, and damnation. You're a hunter of hell, sent to Earth to bring escaped damned souls back to the Eternal Fire.

You're also a good boy! Who's a good boy? You are!

Heckhounds is game of hellfire and tail wags. You and your littermates were sent to Earth to hunt an escaped damned soul. Business as usual, right? Except this time you got the bodies of mortal, Earth puppies rather than the hellhound bodies you'd normally get. The nature of the puppy in you is strong, and you've got to keep from blowing your cover while you hunt down your target!

This game feels directly inspired by the dog given to Adam in Good Omens, and I love the idea of it already. The three stats in Heckhounds are Hell, Hound, and Ineffability, with Hell relating to your infernal demon-dog strength, Hound relating to your puppy charms and virtues, and Ineffability relating to what the game calls “the odd surety of the unknowable.” The game is inspired by Honey Heist, which means that your stats will fluctuate in value and you are always at the risk of pushing a stat too high and triggering some kind of end-game state. If you want a game that sparks fun times by merging great cosmic power into an itty bitty life-form, then you want Heckhounds.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past…

Cryptid TV,by yanahn.

Something Is Wrong With The Chickens, by Elliot Davis.

Geese At The Beach, by Justin Joyce.

I’ll Be Taking That, by porchlightdusk.

Mouse Cult, by Mint-Rabbit (that’s me!)

[snekkyfics]

trying to deal with bad news. have some emduo fic.

~~~

Maunsia truly is the backwater of the North. Not so much a snowflake as a grain of dirt buried beneath them, slimy and slippery and tiny enough that they’d managed to get away with just about everything before the Antarctic Empire ran out of more available targets.

Techno’s not even sure that Maunsia is officially recognized, or if it’s even on the map.

Which would track, from what little he’s seen - and everything about it was certainly little – supported the half-cracked jokes among the men about it being a hideaway for the rich and deplorable.

And all those tracks led to fruition the moment Maunsia’s ‘king’ entered.

He was the picture of every stupid king in every fairy tale Techno had ever heard, and somehow managed to look half as bright. All trussed up in all sorts of gaudy fabrics and jewelry, twice as much as he should reasonably need in the cold, if he had the sense to invest in hardy wool and good tailors, which he clearly did not.

Techno had mentally prepared himself for many long hours of whining and meaningless imitations of groveling and bad flattery from the moment this ‘king’ entered. The sun was hardly in the sky and already the day was looking to be a lot less fun and a lot more games, and the voices were certainly making the strategy of “screw it and eat their livers” quite enticing.

But as miserable a time as these negotiations were shaping up to be, they were not yet a disaster, not yet a record-breaking horrible,

Until the rest of Maunsia’s surrendering party entered the chambers.

There was nothing unusual initially. Techno carefully – albeit with great boredom – scanned the four soldiers, and then the assorted gaggle of attendants, and then an extra soldier-looking induvidual, with a prod and a chain…

Part of Techno’s brain grasps what’s going on long before one final member of Maunia’s party is shoved between the tables separating the conqueror and the conquered, the chain looped through a hitch in the floor with a sickly practiced ease.

Ah. He’s been here before. Many times. “Gifts” were common in the process of this whole “cleaving to the Empire” business. In the beginning, when the Blade was a legend at best and a solider at least, those gifts were usually offers of status, poor bastards misunderstanding his relationship with the battlefield and the Blood God and offering him a glutton’s fill of death. Then, when the Antarctic Empire established itself as an actual force of power, the offers turned to material wealth, gold and jewels and armies. And now, as Techno, Emperor Techno, the Blade, led one of the richest and largest empires in the known world, these desperate gifts turned to rarities.

Occasionally it would be priceless works of art, although such things weren’t usually stereotypical of a ruthless warlord and thus weren’t so common. Then other times it would be strange creatures, or the remains of such, but if anything, they tempted Techno less than art would.

But most often, it was slaves.

A symbol of power, more than anything else. Techno personally theorizes that for most it’s all in the taking of a life, minus the corpse and the wastefulness. Others have called it the ultimate show of superiority, but Techno thinks that if it was so ‘ultimate’ it would not be so common, especially not in such a filthy hole as Maunsia.

At this point, Techno thought that nothing more could surprise him along this avenue, his own past muddled with the dozens of faces paraded before him, all species and races and genders and ages, dressed like royalty or entirely bare. Offered as ‘tokens of appreciation’ or ‘cooperation’ or ‘generosity,’ there for Techno’s picking.

Pick he did, the locks around beaten limbs and the tongues from their keeper’s heads.

So the horror of the day doesn’t even start with the figure gingerly moving to kneel where they’re bound.

Not even when the inky wings hesitantly and briefly stretch out to fold perfectly wrist-down, although Techno’s sure that the back of his mind was searching somewhere-

And then the figure glances up at at the table of triumphants, his gaze landing on Techno’s own.

Blue. Blue like ice. Cold and sharp and almost white against perfectly round and inky pupils. Filled with nothing but hate and determination and kill-kill-kill-

Techno’s sure he gasps, at least inhales a little sharply, not that anyone in the room cares to comment.

Which is probably a blessing, considering Techno feels like someone is dumping a never-ending stream of ice-water down his back, chilling and numbing and inciting a deep gut feeling of get-away-get-away-get-away-

~~~

them immortals are NOT friends yet

might post this as a oneshot or something. plans for lots and lots of emduo angst and hurt/comfort

[pb-dot]

Some Thoughts on the Reddit Blackout

Like many new arrivals on Tumblr these days, I used to be a Redditor until recent developments encouraged me to take my business elsewhere, and I have been following the development of the story as thoroughly as I can without actually giving Reddit any more traffic. With the most recent development of the Reddit admin corps taking on a suite of strategies lifted straight from the depression-era railroad baron playbook, I figured the time has come to talk a little about the wider implications of this whole story.

The Tech sector is, to the best of my understanding, in a vulnerable place right now. After the Web 2.0 gold rush and years of consolidation and growth from the biggest actors, your Alphabets, Twitters, Metas, and so on, many of the larger sites and services are reaching the largest size they can expect to grow to. How, for instance, could Facebook or Twitter grow much more now that everyone and their mother is on Facebook and Twitter? Prior to the Musk buyout, Twitter seemingly settled on upping engagement, making sure people were on Twitter longer and invested more energy and emotion in the platform, usually by making damn sure the discourse zapping through that hellhole was as polarizing and hostile as possible. Meta, meanwhile, has been making bank on user data as advertisers, AI folks, and any number of other actors salivate over getting their hands on the self-updating contact and interest registry that is Facebook.

With the rise of what we apparently have decided to call AI, data is now more valuable than ever. I consider this to be yet another Tech Hype Bubble on the level of NFTs or Metaverses, but, like with the two above, I can imagine it's hard to explain that when you are a Tech CEO and your shareholders ask you "Hey, how do you plan on earning us money off of this AI/NFT/Metaverse thing?" This is not to say CEO Steve Huffman isn't handling this whole thing with the grace of a three-legged hippo, but merely to suggest that his less-than-laudable decisions and actions in this mess don't arise from his character alone but also is a result of wider systemic issues.

One of these issues is the complicated role user data plays in modern websites and -services. Since its inception as a publicly accessible space, the question of how to monetize the Internet has been a tricky one for site and service owners. Selling ad space on your website or service has long been the go-to, but this in itself presents its own issues, having to curate content that is considered ad-friendly, malicious or careless actors making using said service or website less attractive for customers, and finally how to convince your advertisers that they get what they pay for in the first place, ie. "how do I know people even look at our ads?" All of this is before you even stop to consider how ads massively favor large, established actors.

It's no small wonder, then, that several startups in the era of internet mass adoption chose to forgo ads, or at least massively deprioritize them and/or relaunch them as "promoted posts," in an attempt to escape the stigma around ads. Meta/Facebook is probably the biggest fish in this particular pond, but we also see other services such as Twitter and Reddit follow the same pattern.

What makes this work is that the data these platforms collect from their users isn't all that valuable on a person-to-person basis, knowing that so-and-so is 32 years old, lives in a traditionally conservative part of the city, goes to Starbucks a lot, and listens to Radiohead isn't particularly useful information for anyone but a dedicated but lazy stalker; When viewed as an aggregate, however, large collections of data on a large population becomes quite valuable. This is especially true if you're working with, say, targeted ads or political campaigns. Look no further than the Cambridge Analytica data scandal for an example.

Now, all this is to illustrate the strange position the user occupies in Web 2.0. We tend to think of ourselves as the customer of Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, and so on, but it isn't the case. After all, we don't pay for these services, and if we do it's to buy freedom from ads or other minor service modifications. It is more correct to say that we make up the product itself. This is true in two respects, first, an active social community is vital for social media to not be entirely pointless, and second, we generate the data that the platform holder seeks to monetize. This hybrid product/participant role doesn't map cleanly to traditional understandings of "worker," but I argue it is a closer fit than "customer."

All of this is to say that it is immensely gratifying to see the Reddit Blackout taking the shape of a strike rather than the more typical boycott model we've seen in the internet-based protests of yesteryear. Much of this, I think, we can thank the participating Reddit moderators. While the regular platform user can be *argued* to be a worker, the moderator inarguably is one, and the fact that they aren't paid for their efforts is more a credit to the prosocial nature of humans than to the corporate acumen of the platform holders. Either way, moderating a subreddit is work, if the subreddit is large, it's quite a lot of work, and moderators keeping malicious actors, scammers, and hatemongers out of everyone's hair is a must for any decently sized social space to not be an objectively terrible experience. So, if you were to, for example, withhold your labor (moderating for free) which you as a worker can do, it would be plain irresponsible to leave the place open for said bad apples to ruin everyone's bunches, thus the shutdowns.

I don't think it's a controversial take to claim that the Reddit admins also view this more as a strike than a boycott, given their use of scabs, intimidation, and other strikebreaking tactics in an attempt to break the thing up. This is nothing new, and the fact that Reddit admins are willing to stoop to these scumbag tactics tells us that their bluster about the shutdown not affecting their bottom line is nothing more than shareholder-placating hot air.

As this entire screed has perhaps demonstrated, I believe the Reddit Blackout is important. My stay at Tumblr so far has been excellent and will probably continue past this strike no matter what outcome it has, but for others in my situation, or perhaps entirely alien to the Reddit biome, I ask you to consider: If we do not stop this level of consumer and user-unfriendly bullshit Reddit have been pulling on the API change, where will it pop up next? Who's to say the next bright idea in corpo-hell isn't "Hey boss, how about we charge these nerd losers a dollar per reblog? And maybe a fiver for a Golden Reblog (TM)?"

This is perhaps getting into grandstanding, but I believe we are way past due for a renegotiation of what it means to be a platform holder and -user on this hot mess of an internet. If we as users do not take an active, strong stance on the matter, the Steve Huffmans, Elon Musks, and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world will decide without us. One does not have to be a fortune teller to see that the digital world this would create would not have our best interests in mind any more than the current one does.

So, in closing, I wish to extend my wholehearted support to the participating Moderators of Reddit and everyone who has decided to take their business elsewhere for the duration of the shutdown. Even without getting into the nitty-gritty of the API situation, this is a fight worth having, and may we through it make a world that's just a little bit less shitty.

Become Ungovernable

Become Unprofitable

Stay that way.

[thecomfywriter]

writeblr interview

thanks for the tag @illarian-rambling <3

No further ados! Let's get straight into it :)

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Short stories, novels, or poems?

If we're talking about writing them-- novels more often than the others, but i dabble into all of them ngl. I tried writing poetry once upon a time, and while it's not all bad, it's not all good either (i shared some of the bad ones here, buried deeply in the archives. i might share the good ones sometime who knows). and short stories i used to do all the time with my irl writer friends, where we'd give each other 3-word prompts and an hour to bust one out. 10/10 recommend lol in terms of reading, all of them :)))

What genre do you prefer reading?

high fantasy and classics. give me wuthering heights and the iliad. but also, things you'd find on a high school english class reading list. i love those types of inquisitive stories

What genre do you prefer writing?

high fantasy, political fantasies or political conspiracy fictional stories. give me the complicated lore and old history, and all the strategy and war tactics and yadayada. i LIVE FOR IT

Are you a planner or a write-as-I-go kind of person?

extreme planner. i have planned every single potential wip i have in the drafts and for the future in my notion. chapter per chapter outline. scene per scene. entire oc wiki pages. lore pages. even a dictionary for their languages and different dialects, AND the scriptures they refer to/believe in. extreme planner.

What music do you listen to while writing?

whichever playlist i'm in the mood for, but typically it's my writing, august 8, or the (un)official tov soundtrack. the genres on those are so mixed, i can't even say: oh its classical, oh its r&b. no. its just vibes. anyhow, on the discord server, you can actually see what music i listen to while i write LOL because i linked it. but yes, i'll link my spotify here too because why not?

Fave books/movies?

favourite books are the iliad, the giver, wuthering heights, the last dragon, a thousand splendid suns, and the remains of the day. i've gone on a tangent about them before here!

Any current WIPs?

i'm in the editing phases of Throne of Vengeance, which I plan on publishing very soon (👀) and the writing stages of Court of Sins!

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be?

Hair half up in a bun and half down. Biker shorts or men's oversized lounge shorts. oversized (men's, probably) t-shirt or hoodie, or if it's with the biker shorts, a muscle-tee or a cropped tank top. layered gold necklaces, rings on every finger, multiple gold piercings and cuffs on both ears, my classic gold chain, gold bracelet, and iron cuff on my left wrist. sneakers/running shoes/vintage mint nike tennis court shoes. i have the whole outfit DOWN lmao

Create a character description for yourself

typical brown girl who can't escape the overenthusiastic punjabi girl stereotype because of her loud and eccentric personality. has strong "youngest sibling" energy with a strong level of independence and yet an immediately willingness to let someone else take care of things. flip flops between dressing extremely well and being a fashion icon with impeccable style, to dressing like she ran out of all her clothes and can only wear knitted dishrags. has been canonically told by her father she is "the son [he] never had". she doesn't know what to do with this information. incredibly studious and a huge academic. if she didn't have the extroverted personality she did, people would be more inclined to calling her a nerd. instead, they call her intelligent and call it a day. slightly a teacher's pet. can convince anyone and everyone around her to do her a favour because she's mysteriously persuasive. doesn't know how to do romantic love, but is 1000% invested in showering people in platonic love. has 10k different hobbies, none of which are remotely related. every week, she finds a new topic to obsessively research about and ramble to her voice memos to. as her sisters and friends like to say, "her life is like a series of side quests" i think that about does it., lest i wished to keep rambling LOL

Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing?

yes and no. i like taking a singular piece of lore from people i know, typically with their permission. so, some of the ocs in my books are named after people i know in real life whom i asked if i could name my character after. it doesn't really go beyond oc naming, tbh. i feel like stealing people's real life lore is kinda... invasive? idk.

Are you kill-happy with characters?

1000% and my best friend hates me for it. i feel like a toxic partner, only capable of showing my ocs affection by making them suffer

Coffee or tea while writing?

both, plus other substances. cold water. diet soda. hot water. milk. hot cocoa. literally everything.

Slow or fast writer?

fast, but it depends on a) if i'm in school or not (pre-med babyyyyy); b) if i have a deadline of not (i once finished a full draft in 3 months because i put the finish date on my document and felt the need to meet that deadline)

Where/who/what do you find inspiration from?

my childhood and my childhood stories. disclaimer: i DID have a happy childhood, before anyone makes any wild assumptions LOL

If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be?

a bookkeeper, a scholar, or a soldier. or an adventurer. not just because they're cool, but because that's what i currently do irl, so why not in a fantasy setting too?

Most fave book cliche?

friends to lovers trope for romances. jealousy arcs. misunderstandings that are DONE RIGHT. angst. ANGST. found family. the old mentor. things like that, i eat it right up like we're in an all-inclusive buffet

Least fave book cliche?

toxic male leads who everyone forgives because they're hot. i honestly can't think of much. if it's executed right, everything is fun and freegame

Fave scenes to write?

i genuinely have no clue. i love writing in general. maybe the dialogue fluff scenes that never make it to the final draft because they're so absolutely filler but they butter my croissant in ways only a boulangerie would be able to serve?

Most productive time of day for writing?

night time with the cityscape if i'm in my uni town! daytime in my mancave if i'm in my hometown!

Reason for writing?

i've always been a storyteller, and i can't exist with this world in my mind without opening the gates for everyone to pay a visit. i enjoy sharing what i love. they say the universe is expanding, and that is an undeniable fact, for all the proof i need is in the way the worlds in my head keep growing.

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thanks again for the tag, my love <3

i'll tag @writingismydrugs @drchenquill @wyked-ao3 @willtheweaver @satohqbanana and @pexchys

cheerios!

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Is Paris 2024 the last breath of Brazil's sports investment bump?

Twenty-four years ago, Brazil’s athletes returned from the Sydney Olympics branded as underachievers, without a single gold medal — the first time that had happened since the 1976 Games.

In response, Brazil changed its investment policies, and the results followed. Between Beijing 2008 and Tokyo 2020, Team Brazil matched or surpassed its previous Olympic performances in both gold medals and total medal counts.

Government funding for athletes rose sharply in preparation for the Rio 2016 Games, with the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) aiming for a historic performance in front of their home fans. The strategy succeeded, but Brazil’s athletes continued to excel in subsequent Games. At Tokyo 2020, Brazil won a record 21 medals, including seven golds, matching its previous best from London 2012.

A key factor in this improved performance was the federal Bolsa Atleta (Athlete Scholarship) program, in place since 2005 and considered one of the largest sports support programs in the world. 

More than 8,700 athletes currently benefit, receiving monthly payments ranging from BRL 410 (about USD 70) for youth athletes to BRL 16,600 for those ranked high in the world.

As reporter Isabela Cruz explained, 98 percent of the 276 athletes on Team Brazil for the Paris 2024 Olympics have received support from Bolsa Atleta at some point in their careers — and 87 percent still do, according to the Sports Ministry.

However, Brazil is unlikely to continue this recent trend of improving Olympics performances in Paris. Pre-Games projections had the country winning four gold medals by this point in the events, but surfer Gabriel Medina and skateboarder Rayssa Leal — both national favorites — had to settle for bronze in their events.

While part of the Brazilian fanbase believes that is the byproduct of biased refereeing, a study by data intelligence firm PontoMAP points to another direction. Government funding for athletes has decreased in the two Olympic cycles following Rio.

Continue reading.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Would A Remoraid Be A Good Pet?

A remoraid would be a pretty good, if occasionally annoying, pet for anyone seeking a pretty straight-forward fish pokémon to care for!

Size-wise, you’re looking at a family large aquatic pet, so you’re going to want to make sure you can provide them with plenty of underwater space to move around in. This is pretty standard procedure for fish pokémon, but it understandably is a pretty big ease-of-care hurdle for a lot of pet owners. Caring for a remoraid, unless you already have the space for them, will be an big investment, so keep that in mind.

Wild remoraids are both scavengers and hunters. Most of the time, wild remoraids find food by clinging to the underside of mantines with their dorsal fin to be carried around until they find leftovers to scavenge (Silver). They seem to not be too picky about food, which is nice, and feeding them will be fairly easy as all you would need to do is scatter their food in their habitat for them to find. Occasionally, however, remoraids can hunt for prey by forcefully expelling water with their abdominal muscles (Gold, Ruby/Sapphire). They are said to be accurate enough with this attack to hit moving targets as far away as 300 feet (Gold). Typically, they use this strategy to knock flying prey out of the air (Ruby/Sapphire) or even prey that live in trees, like burmies (Legends: Arceus). This means you would have to keep an eye out for your remoraid being a menace to local wildlife that may pass over their habitat. It also means that they can easy spray you with water from vast distances and with great accuracy whenever they want. Depending on how mischievous your remoraid is, this could become a constant annoyance.

Remoraids are able to use their water-expelling prowess to perform an interesting suite of moves. Clearly, they can spray water at pretty high velocities and in high quantities, as they can use moves as powerful as Hydro Pump. Remoraids can also use Ice Beam to freeze targets solid, indicating that they have some sort of control over the temperature of the water they use as a weapon. This means that, in a pinch, a remoraid could be a pretty big threat to any human within 300 feet of them. That being said, we know that remoraids prefer to avoid conflict with foes in the wild (Pearl), which means that they would be unlikely to attack you unless they felt cornered and like they had no other option.

In summary, a remoraid would make a pretty good pet for anyone willing to take the dive into the costs and responsibilities of caring for a larger aquatic pet. They may squirt you in the face with water when you’d least expect it, but they don’t pose much of a health risk and have excellent ease-of-care.