#language evolves and it definitely evolves at a much more rapid pace on the internet

[boysnberriespie]

There’s always something off putting about new internet memes and language* becoming serious discourse with real analysis (fine and normal, academics do it all the time) but people with no media literacy read those posts/essays and think that means anybody who says those things is brainwashed sheep. They’ve been analyzed and therefore there is something significantly wrong with them.

Can we not do neutral analysis anymore? Can nothing be interesting for its own sake? Must we be the arbiters of cultural value based on the next new substack essay and how we felt about it?

*not including the misuse appropriation of AAVE which is not what I’m thinking about in this moment, and while a connected discussion, isn’t necessarily the same thing as people coming up with corecore or even something like blorbo

[ruffoverthinksthings]

I've thoroughly enjoyed the Claudine/Frollo headcannons, do you have any in mind for Esmeralda/Phoebus? If the sequel movies are wiped from this universe, that means their son doesn't exist (or not yet). Also, do you have another headcannon for onesided fresme on frollo's part? How would he handle being unable to obtain her in this universe?

Ilike to believe the sequels and spin-offs are valid, as the bookseries (which is, as of the Rise of the Isle of the Lost, is canon…to a certain extent) makes reference to characters that could onlyexist outside of the original movies, such as:

Diegode Vil, presumably the child of Ivy de Vil from the 101 DalmatiansTV series, or a descendant from the rest of the extended de Vilfamily, and

Jade,Jay’s cousin and presumably the daughter of Nasira, Jafar’ssister from the Aladdin video game series

There’sa level of personal bias, with the amount of work I’ve already putinto expanding the world with my own ideas, but I think we can allagree that the Isle and Auradon would be a whole lot less interestingif we didn’t have the likes of:

Mozenrath(Aladdin animated series) acting as Maleficent’s longsuffering middle manager, and personal chew toy as an “inferiormagical being,”

LadyWaltham (Tarzan animated series) adding an element of sympathyto the Isle of the Lost with her regretting her brother Clayton andher nephew are still on there and unable to return, and

LadyCaine (Tangled: Before Ever After), who adds a deliciouselement of grayness and a MASSIVE stain on the otherwise pristinereputation all sympathetic Disney monarchs have.

Ontothe headcanons:

Phoebusbecomes one of the new Captains of the Guard in France once theoriginal forces are merged with, or completely replaced by the newlyestablished Auradon Royal Guard. Though the actual administrative andexecutive power lies much higher up the ranks (such as theCommander-In-Chief, Beast), he himself is an incredibly influentialmember, well-known and well-loved by the citizenship and the fellowsoldiers he patrols the streets with.

Auradonhad to rely heavily on translators, human and machine, or translatingmagic during its tumultuous first years, as everyone struggled tofind one common language for every state to use as the internationalstandard (it’s English still). A LOT of things get lost intranslation or don’t translate too good into another language, orsomeone gets VERY offended when someone who is fluent in both Frenchand Chinese tells you exactly what they meant, and howunflattering it is.

Andthis isn’t even going into all the numerous cultural clashes andfaux paus, such as one unfortunate Louisiana chef realizing you’renot supposed to serve pork to most Agrahbans until he was alreadyuncovering the dish...

Phoebusbridges the gap through his calm, professional demeanor, alwaysshowing politeness and civility to everyone whoever they may be, andof course, his sense of humour, given “a real workout” when hehas to figure out how to make someone laugh with universallyunderstood comedy (someone falling face first into a pile of horsedung), non-verbal humour (wearing a silly, pink, fuzzy bunny earswhilst on duty), and using simple plays on word that foreigners caneasily get, or are tailored specifically to their language.

“Inever quite realized eggs could be such a huge source of humour,”he muses when he has to speak to Spanish speaking citizens.

However,his usefulness quickly dwindled as the culture clashes settled down,people started learning English, and of course, the already olderPhoebus found himself growing ever older and unable to keep up withthe rapid pace of advancement and pop culture references in Auradon,not to mention his disadvantage of “not being gifted a smartphonefor my first birthday.”

Hehas an incredibly cushy administrative position that pays well,commands respect from his soldiers still, and gives him great hoursto spend with his family and other pursuits, but as he’s no longergoing out (or being allowed) on patrols and interacting personallywith the people in his jurisdiction, he can’t help but wonder ifhe’s just being eased into the idea of retirement, and Auradon issimply too nice to boot him for the much feared “chainsaw HR” ofsome corporations from BGU London.

(Forthose not familiar with the term, “chainsaw HR” is when entiredivisions, and numbers into the hundreds are suddenly, and oftentimeswithout proper recompense or retirement packages, fired or forcedinto early retirement.

It’sa play on the term “axed” for being suddenly fired, and chainsawsbeing a modern, much more efficient tool for the same job as aliteral ax.)

It’ssafe to say that at the age of 55 or so, and having already lived oneillustrious career then a brief revival, he’s having a midlifecrisis, not helped by the fact that many other Auradonians about hisage are feeling as obsolete as last year’s ayGem.

(“Butit came out just a year ago!”

“Yeah,but they updated to a new, much better firmware and hardwarearchitecture, all the hot new apps don’t even bother with legacyupdates.”)

Esmerelda has fared much better.

Shehas become an activist in this world, using the power of theinternet, the normalization of the “other,” and the erasure ofthe national and ethnic boundaries that once separated communities tohelp her fellow Romani people (I won’t use “gypsies,” as that’san offensive term to them), and other marginalized, and forgottengroups, such as much of the Wild Fae population.

Shealso owns and teaches at a dance studio, using them to train the nextgeneration of performers (“Be they for the street, the stage, orthe screen”), and waging a subtle campaign to remove the stigma forblatant and shameless use of sexuality.

I’vealways known Auradon is a conservative wet dream in many respects,and the fact that ripping a tiny tear in your skirt is considered“scandalous” by teenagers says a lot.

Beforeyou ask, YES, Esmerelda is still as desired and lusted afternow as she was BGU—probably even more so, now that we have thecombined populations of all the states, and she is a very popular andcommon presence on the internet.

Beforeyou also ask, Phoebus has long gotten over it and considers it “partof the package.”

Sheis one of the most knowledgeable and well-versed with moderntechnology out of the “Travellers” (Auradonians who were adultsor close to it Before Great Uniting), seeing as her troupe ofperformers have always been highly adaptable and all to ready to dowhatever it takes to survive, fit in with the locale they have foundthemselves in, and afterwards, thrive.

Thatthey have generally relied on being couriers and brokers ofinformation, and the internet basically being a giant free market ofinformation has helped GREATLY.

Withher religion, she still isn’t 100% on the existence of God, onlyever praying to Him during times of crisis or as a show of good faithwith the religious institutions of Auradon, but the Greek Pantheonhas given her hope that Supreme Beings like Him do exist.

“Atthe very least, He’s been very light on throwing down lightningbolts from up on high.”

(Thoughmuch less murderous and many other negative traits than the original,Disney Zeus is still INCREDIBLY fond of “warning shots.”)

Andonce more, before you ask, I can seriously see her making a cameo inthe canon as a guest dance instructor for the Descendants, if sheisn’t already a full-time staff member of Auradon Prep, and yes,she would definitely mentor Evie by showing her much healthier waysof expressing her sexuality and femininity without feeling like she’sdegrading herself, or turning herself into a “slab of meat in thebutcher’s window.”

Zephyrwas born BGU, and if my idea that the states had been communicatingfor a few years before the idea of fusing is canon, has a veryunique perspective of being a “Traveler Tot,” living with theideas and concepts imported over through the portals andcommunication crystals, before he got to live it in Auradon when thetechnology and materials could be more easily accessed and produced.

Heis still hyperactive and excitable as ever, though most of that wasbeing channeled into a combination of soldier training and becoming acircus performer like his parents; in his mind, there really isn’tmuch difference between the two, as they both require incrediblephysical skill and endurance, a sharp and creative mind, andrelentless, dedicated training, day-in, day-out.

“Itall really comes down to what you mean when you say you ‘slayedthem,’” he says.

Thisquickly changes in Auradon when he finds himself addicted to HeroRising, the video game that Carlos was seen playing during hisfirst night in Auradon. While initially Phoebus sees it as a good wayfor him to blow off all his excess energy and get some physicaltraining done, and Esmerelda tolerates it as he’s not going offstealing and rearranging stop signs, it evolves into something muchmore for him in time.

Atfirst, he’s the best player on the block, then in theneighbourhood, then the school, then the city, then the state, andfinally, one of the Hall of Famers in Auradon. As he grows older, hejust barely passes his high school subjects as a conditional for hissponsors support and working with the Hero Rising developersas a PR person, community idol AKA a “Paragon,” and beta tester.The height of his fame and success comes when the latest release,Hero Rising: The Lost Legion, features a new playablecharacter based off of him, and his unique dance-like fighting style:

“Twister.”

Trueto the name, his life is sent into a spin cycle after that.

Afew years pass, a new Hero Rising is released, and everyone isgushing over the new characters, and Twister gives up his place onthe cover art alongside the series “cornerstones” to give them achance to shine.

NewParagons are brought in as the old guard goes off to college, retiresfrom the business into different, less-demanding pursuits, or isquietly given a send-off as they simply aren’t as salable nor asgood as they were a few years ago.

Zephyrquickly realizes that while he’s still got it, these new kids areinsane, and have so many advantages he didn’t, like muchbetter nutrition, a much more generous school schedule, and havingthe infrastructure, the audience, and the sponsors for Hero RisingParagons already there, rather than helping spearhead them.

Hecontinues on, making less and less public appearances, awkwardlybeing one of the only adult Paragons in crowds increasingly filledwith little kids and teenagers, and new characters based off the newParagons get the spotlight.

“Everyonealready knows Twister, and played him to death in all the specialinstance maps, the players want someone new!”

Thedeath-knell of his career and the cold, hard slap from Reality comeswhen Twister is removed from the roster due to development costs, andthe fact that Zephyr’s fees and royalties were considered too highfor the relatively lower cost of a new, fresh face who the fans aremuch more eager to see digitized.

Heand Phoebus both find themselves facing obsolescence, being leftbehind by a world that has simply moved too fast for them and leftthem in its dust, as they were only ever good at one thing each:fighting, either real bad guys or fictional ones.

Andso, with Esmerelda’s love and support, the two go off to reeducatethemselves and train in the new industries and careers Auradondemands, incidentally becoming the inspiration for the blockbusterfeel good movie of eight years from this time of writing:

“WithHonours”

Thestory of how a father and son went back to college, forced to startfrom scratch in a brand new world, learning new tricks, makingstrange friends, and doing a whole lot of growing up they didn’tknow they still needed to do.

Nowonto Frollo:

Helaments his permanent loss of Esmerelda (unlike the other Villains,he harbours no fantasies of Claudine getting him off the Isle—notwhen there’s still so much Good Work to be done here in this landof Sinners and Nonbelievers), and takes the disastrous results of hisobsession and lusting after her as a cautionary tale, the catastrophethat befalls those who turn away from God and the Right Path, and howthey take the whole world down with them.

Publicly,he is “that” preacher yelling about modesty, the sanctity ofmarriage and sexuality, and how pretty much everyone on theIsle is damned for engaging in such scandalous, salacious acts likepremarital sex, sexual intercourse without the intention ofprocreation, and of course, homosexuality.

Privately,he seeks a form of redemption by raising a good, Christian child inClaudine, the child he would have born with Esmerelda and raised ifcircumstances had been different (yeee-eep), and is looking for awoman with whom he can have a much healthier relationship with, toshow someone from this Isle what marriage and the word “love”truly means than the perversion the Islanders have turned it into.

Asboth Claudine and Not Esmerelda will attest to, he’s failedmiserably on both counts, but as usual, is blissfully unaware ofeither.

[listiqueblog]

The 19 Ecommerce Growth Challenges of 2018, Outlined by Amazon’s Annual Report

On May 18th, Amazon released its Annual Report for the past fiscal year (2017).

The Amazon Annual Report, which is made available to the public through the SEC, recapped the company’s remarkable year of growth.

However, it also put a spotlight on some of the challenges and obstacles Amazon will face in the year ahead.

From general Amazon growing pains to government regulation, part of the report took a hard look at some of the major issues and potential risks ahead that all ecommerce retailers need to consider (as Amazon third-party retailers or otherwise).

Let’s take a look at some of the important highlights as well as some of the specific challenges covered within this report.

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Amazon Growth Highlights

What can we take away at a high level from this report?

In a word: Growth.

Amazon Customer Base, Revenue & Shipping Data

Some of the biggest highlights of Amazon’s Annual Report were company insights shared for the very first time – like information around membership and revenue around Amazon Prime, the company’s subscription service.

Amazon Prime has over 100 million users.

Amazon Prime generated $9.7 billion in subscription revenue.

More than 5 billion items shipped worldwide with Amazon Prime.

Amazon now has 560,000 employees.

It was also revealed that Amazon Prime has more members (and a higher retention rate, at nearly 90% retention) than retail giant Costco.

Image source

But along with the good news about growth and spikes in revenue, Amazon also spent a good portion of this report talking about risks and obstacles they’ll face in the year ahead.

These issues are insightful not just for those who sell on Amazon, but for all ecommerce retailers working at scaling up their operations – as many of the difficulties discussed are relatable (albeit on different scales.)

Let’s take a look at those next.

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Amazon Risk Factors and Obstacles in 2018

The risks associated with the year ahead are fairly relatable for all retailers working in the ecommerce environment. From changes in technology to pending legislative issues, these are the top items to keep an eye on in 2018 and beyond.

1. Channel expansion and high-growth pains.

As Amazon continues to quickly scale up operations and diversify with new products, services, and verticals (like its acquisition of Whole Foods, for example), its rapid growth presents a unique set of challenges –– and places the company in a position that may be more vulnerable to risk.

The Amazon Annual Report states:

“We are rapidly and significantly expanding our global operations, including increasing our product and service offerings and scaling our infrastructure to support our retail and services businesses.

This expansion increases the complexity of our business and places significant strain on our management, personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial resources, and internal financial control and reporting functions.

We may not be able to manage growth effectively, which could damage our reputation, limit our growth, and negatively affect our operating results.”

This is an important insight (and a good reminder) to all ecommerce companies going through a period of rapid growth.

2. The risks of international operations.

One of Amazon’s biggest challenges in the year ahead will relate to expansion into international markets around the globe.

Data shows that as of 2017, Amazon’s global retail revenue continued to climb, as seen below (note the reporting change in Q1 of 2017).

Image source

This is important for all ecommerce retailers with a global operation and international customers, as they will also need to consider some of the following risks:

Local economic/political conditions: Each international relationship is subject to the nuances of constantly changing economic and political conditions. This includes geopolitical events such as terrorism and war.

International regulations on ecommerce: From protective measures from governing bodies to taxes and export laws, it’s important to monitor the risks associated with international sales.

Business licensing across borders: Certification, licenses, or permits may be necessary for certain imports and exports. Failure to maintain these documents can result in negative business impacts.

Currency exchange restrictions: There many be limitations on investment of funds and/or foreign currency exchange restrictions to consider, as well as exchange rate values.

Language/cultural differences: When staffing is necessary around the globe, understanding language and cultural differences can be difficult to navigate and carry a certain amount of risk related to communication (or even harassment).

Net neutrality and access to the internet: Net neutrality and access to the internet in general could pose a major threat to the viability of ecommerce businesses that depend on internet connectivity. China and India, for example, in Amazon’s case, both regulate sales made through Amazon and its affiliates.

3. Optimization of data & fulfillment centers.

Along with Amazon’s rapid growth have come a particular set of challenges relating to the optimization of its data and fulfillment centers. This is a very relatable concern for any ecommerce retailer that’s growing quickly.

The report states:

“If we do not adequately predict customer demand or otherwise optimize and operate our fulfillment network and data centers successfully, it could result in excess or insufficient fulfillment or data center capacity, or result in increased costs, impairment charges, or both, or harm our business in other ways.”

There are a couple of things to consider here:

Inventory has to be optimized. If accomplished, optimized inventory will help lower shipping costs from fulfillment centers and increase margins.

Good terms are crucial with shipping companies. Since Amazon depends on third-party shipping companies to deliver packages bearing its name, it relies on a cost-effective agreement, reliable delivery, and good service from those providers through a contractual agreement with well-defined terms.

4. Seasonality and holiday strain.

Like most retailers, Amazon faces a massive influx of traffic and orders during the fourth quarter each year thanks to the year-end holiday shopping surge.

This rapid uptick in customer volume means preparing for things like:

Demand forecasting: Ensure there is enough inventory available without selling out.

Planning for increased shipping costs: Formulate a strategy for last-minute shoppers and express delivery.

Risk of site crash due to increased traffic: Add extra bandwidth for increased site traffic volume without having the site go down (which can hurt sales).

Extra staffing: Plan ahead for extra staffing during the holidays, including holiday pay and overtime considerations to meet customer demand.

5. Rapidly evolving business model.

The pains Amazon feels during the holidays doesn’t lessen too much throughout the rest of the year thanks in part to the company’s rapid growth.

Data shows that sales jumped from $135 billion to $178 billion between 2016 and 2017 alone.

Image source

Let’s look at a few of the risks that accompany this growth trajectory.

Technology: The speed at which technology advances (and thus, users adapt their habits) poses a certain amount of risk for a business that can’t be flexible or agile enough to adapt to those changes quickly.

Stock value: As a publicly traded company, Amazon has to answer to investors while trying to maintain a rapid pace of growth. The stock value of the company is also extremely volatile and can be influenced by things like media coverage.

Industry trends: The way people discover, research, and buy products is always changing, so accounting for shifts and trends can be difficult and costly.

6. Government regulation.

There’s a lot up in the air right now around government regulation for companies like Amazon, but also for ecommerce retailers in general, too.

Watch for the following legislative issues to make an impact:

Data protection: With topics like GDPR in the news, ecommerce businesses have to think about how changes around data protection will impact their companies. This may require increased investment around data security and monitoring for risk mitigation.

Energy consumption: Any major changes to laws and regulations could have serious implications for everything from manufacturing to shipping and beyond.

Taxation: The Supreme Court is discussing ecommerce taxes right now, which could mean additional taxes for online retailers.

Online payment services: Changes around online payments could have major implications for ecommerce retailers –– not to mention the disruption posed by digital currencies like bitcoin and systems like blockchain.

Executive Summary

The numbers were good for Amazon this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed smooth sailing in the future.

Being aware of the risks and challenges associated with ecommerce in general and with Amazon’s unique business model allows the company to prepare as best it can. You can take a page from this playbook, too.

Amazon’s 2018 Risk Checklist for High-Growth:

Local economic/political conditions.

International regulations on ecommerce.

Business licensing across borders.

Currency exchange restrictions.

Language/cultural differences.

Net neutrality and access to the internet.

Optimizing inventory.

Good terms with shipping companies.

Demand forecasting.

Planning for increased shipping costs.

Risk of site crash due to increased traffic.

Extra staffing.

Technology.

Stock value.

Industry trends.

Data protection.

Energy consumption.

Taxation.

Online payment services.

Want more information about Amazon? Check out: How to Successfully Market Products on Amazon & Think Like a Buyer.

Want more insights like this?

We’re on a mission to provide businesses like yours marketing and sales tips, tricks and industry leading knowledge to build the next house-hold name brand. Don’t miss a post. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

The 19 Ecommerce Growth Challenges of 2018, Outlined by Amazon’s Annual Report published first on https://goshopmalaysia.tumblr.com

[dutifullycoldenthusiast-blog]

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