#Brexit should not have been done but that's another story

[alianoralacanta]

What happens when doing it iteratively has completely failed? Sometimes databases and political systems alike are built from scratch. Sometimes they have to be built from scratch (for example, a new company or country). Sometimes, in both cases, they even work in their 1.0 version without significant problems. That's not to say there won't be a 1.1 or even a 2.0 - but that happens either way. (It's harder, but iterative construction has different pre-requisites, and if those aren't being met and the status quo is failing hard enough, then non-iterative change is inevitable, chosen or otherwise…)

I think a lot about how, if the glorious violent revolution happens, every kid with significant medical needs in a hospital where power gets cut will die.

You can decide you're willing to sacrifice your own life, but you don't get to tell everybody else on the planet that they're acceptable collateral damage.

[alianoralacanta]

Alpine, Ocon, and a GPDR Park

According to Marcin Budkowski, who was an Alpine executive until 2002 and is now an analyst for Viaplay Poland (translated by Nischay Rathore at The Sportsrush), Esteban Ocon's attempt to join Williams mid-season was allegedly thwarted (at least in part) by use of the GPS system on his company car. Specifically, Marcin stated that an Alpine employee spotted the GPS tracker for his company car was in the Williams car park for 5 hours. The implications of this are interesting.

Despite Brexit, GPDR remains law in the UK, via the Data Protection Act 2018. This controls how personal data is used. Under this law, the data becomes personal if anyone can be individually identified by it. If Alpine had a pool of company cars and the system was to lend each one out ad hoc at need, the fact a given car has GPS, along with all the data it collects, is not personal information and thus not protected. GPDR would only become involved in that example once Alpine added the information about who had borrowed which car to the dataset. Since racing drivers generally need their company car across the season, and company cars themselves are most often a consistent perk rather than provided at need in the UK, it is more likely that Alpine provided a specific car to each staff member requiring one. This would mean the personal element was there from the beginning. If one receives anything from an employer, even if it is as trivial as a pen, one should be aware that a UK employer can record information connected with it provided GPDR principles are followed. GPDR requires that all personal information kept by a third party must have a lawful reason. The most common reasons this is done for a GPS tracker are insurance and helping staff who get lost. Lots of UK employers provide a discount to people who are willing to add a dashcam to their cars. Some won't insure certain people without a dashcam. The insurer does this to make it easier to gather evidence if there is a claim, as well as to attempt predictive risk assessment (this is not always to the customer's advantage, but is helpful often enough that it is specifically legal for an insurer). Employers who accept such insurance are in turn permitted to collect employee information relevant to insurance requirements. However, the insurance company would not be authorised to pass on the location information to Alpine - unless a claim had arisen from being parked in the Williams car park. Given that such would have made the story more interesting, and was not mentioned, we can reasonably assume this didn't happen. I believe we can rule out insurance as the reason this information went through this process. Helping staff who get lost initially doesn't look promising. We can probably assume that Esteban was not in the Williams car park to ask for directions. However, it would give Alpine itself a reason to have the GPS information in a non-crisis situation. After all, this would allow it to check on people who are expected somewhere and ask proactively if they need assistance. It would also fold into another purpose - checking if the car has been stolen. (No, nobody is going to believe that a thief would be so incompetent as to take a car belonging to one team and dump it in a different team's car park. That would run too much risk of being caught for too little reward. It does, however, establish the basic framework that would legally permit Alpine to discover Esteban's whereabouts).

In a legal framework which only controlled acquisition of personal information, an unscrupulous employer would be able to use this as an excuse to interfere with people's personal lives. Partially in an attempt to curb this, GPDR also controls the use and revelation of legally-acquired personal information. In summary: - One cannot use information for a purpose that was not originally cleared, without the informed consent of the individual whose information is at issue, unless it is in a limited range of exceptions - One cannot reveal personal information unless the individual specifically consents or it is in the limited range of exceptions - One must secure personal information against unlawful revelation I am not convinced that all 3 of these were satisfied. GPS trackers would not normally be used to track people's movements in their personal lives. Had Esteban been "on the clock" (within working hours), then it would have made sense that finding out he was within the Williams car park would be actionable (this would be a disciplinary offence under "wasting company time" or "not available to work", which are a part of employment contracts across the UK and thus an exception). However, a contract that allows someone to spend half a working shift not working without prior authorisation would be quite strange (and with that authorisation, the only possible check would be to establish the reason given could have been true). It is unlikely that Alpine would have told the journalists this way had there been an actual employment infraction. Either it would have kept silent and handled discipline behind the scenes, or presented an official press release about it. Not provided a rumour to a specific analyst who works for a media outlet and hope news percolated through in the form it desired. Thus, at some point I suspect it would have become clear that Alpine did not have the right to process the information further by law. It is vitally important for people who handle personal information not to reveal it unless and until it is legally appropriate to do so. This is why all those Not Always Right stories are anonymised - many of them were revealed to the website administrators against GPDR and similar laws, so information has to be redacted in order to make the published versions compliant. Rumours cannot be guaranteed to be provided with reference to the source's requirements for information security. Part of the reason many companies provide information security training to staff handling personal information is to control the risk of rumours acting as a leak source. One reason journalists don't always reveal their sources is to avoid getting their sources into disciplinary or legal trouble for GPDR breaches. This is why I don't think everyone at Alpine was complying with GPDR on this matter. In this instance, it probably isn't going to have much effect - but it is a good time to remind everyone that GPDR is a thing.

[lindyloosims]

So who caved first, Truss or the lettuce?

The only political thing I will ever say on this blog is this:

For a short time in the early 1980′s, Liz Truss went to a Primary School in Paisley, Scotland and one Halloween she went dressed as Margaret Thatcher. Now this would have been during the time of the miners strikes and the Falklands war. What I’m getting at here is that she’s lucky to be alive after showing up to a school in Paisley as the devil incarnate, Thatcher was not well liked all over the UK as a whole but she was absolutely despised in Scotland. She shut down the shipbuilding industry here making our country practically a ghost town and we were her guinea pigs for the poll tax when it was first introduced. She hated us just as much as we grew to hate her. Also Scotland hasn’t voted Tory since 1955 and the rest of the world, including England (sorry but it’s true), wonder why Scotland wants independence? 

You may say, but you had a referendum in 2014, you voted no. Most of the people who voted no did so under false pretences, they were lied to like Boris lied about the hundreds of millions that would go into the NHS on his blunder bus during Brexit. Others, like the elderly, thanks to a lot of scaremongering, feared for their pensions. We were told that if we voted yes we would be forced out of the European Union and the only way to remain was to vote no. In 2016 62% of Scots voted remain in the Brexit referendum, we wanted to stay but because we are “part of the UK” our votes counted for nothing and we were forced out of the EU. You may also say, but the independence referendum was a once in a lifetime thing, you had your chance and you said no, well it was but wouldn’t you say all bets are off when we are not given what we were promised? When we vote for one thing and get another? Plus our then Scottish First Minister was the one who signed a document stating that he would never call for another referendum should we vote no, hence once in a lifetime, so he resigned. Our current First Minister, who is calling for a second referendum, signed no such thing. She was elected to power by the Scottish people under this promise: “The SNP Government was elected in an explicit manifesto pledge that the Scottish Parliament should have the right to consider an independence referendum if Scotland is faced with the threat of being dragged out of the EU against its will.” Now the Westminster government are telling her no, that now is not the time. They’ve been telling her this since Theresa May was Prime Minister. Now the current shambles of a Prime Minister says the only way to deal with our First Minister is to ignore her. Ignore a leader that was elected into the position she has today by the people of her country, unlike Liz Truss who was chosen as the lesser of two evils by Tory party members!

So to those now grown up kids who were in Thick Lizzie’s class, I say this: Well done on your strong will powers, it might have taken forty years but you may just have freed your country with that one act of self reserve! We’re about to have a third Prime Minister in one year, she’s gone and fucking resigned! Is it any wonder that Scotland wants out?

I will also say this, Scotland is not anti English, this is not an attack on England and it never was. Scotland is anti Westminster, a government that we never voted for telling us what we can and cannot do. Sneering and laughing at us and treating us like something on the bottom of their shoe. Anyone who watches what goes on in the Commons can see how our SNP MPs are treated with contempt every time they stand up and open their mouths, the Tories don’t even bother to hide it, we’re nobodies...but they sure do love draining us dry of the plentiful resources we provide, but that is another story. Because of my stance on this subject I’ve been constantly shouted at, unionists cannot have a calm conversation with you, all they can do is shout and be aggressive, I’ve had the words nationalist scum spat in my face many times, and my best friend has literally been physically spat on when she was in England during the indy ref and someone heard her Scottish accent, that was her crime, her accent. She was passing that person in the street talking on her phone and he just gobbed on her out of nowhere! I leave you with the wise words of the amazing Scottish actor, Peter Mullan, who sums up the feelings of the majority. Sorry for this rant, but I’m sure a lot of people don’t know much of this, they just see us as English hating scrounging jocks which we are not! We gave you the television, the telephone, penicillin and many other wonderful things. A man in Skelmorlie on the west coast of Scotland invented the Vanish line with soap! We’re not stupid, we’re not English hating yobs, we’re just tired and we want fairness! Something we will never get under Westminster rule!

Neighbours not Masters! Sounds fair no?

[billsfangearring]

some other fic ask game questions i pulled out of nowhere LMAO, feel free to answer whichever/as many of these as you like!

- a fic you were 100% sold on from the summary

- a fic you were intrigued by from the summary

- favorite AO3 tag? (intentionally vague q!)

- most memorable fic ending?

- most memorable beginning?

- what would your ideal written-for-you fic look like? (feel free to answer this any way you want: summary, tropes, tags!)

Hahahaha I love you. These are excellent questions. You should make an ask game too!

I'm going to try to stick to fics I haven't mentioned on tumblr before, but it's possible I've done a quick rec of some of these and I've now forgotten. It's hard to keep Reddit and Tumblr recs straight.

Putting my answers below the cut because this post is v v long.

a fic you were 100% sold on from the summary

We are here by @elanev91 (Jily)

James Potter has just swept into the Premiership on a wave of Brexit outrage and, on his first night in office, a woman strolls out of his fire and tells him she’s the Minister for Magic. She tells him not to worry, he’ll never see her again unless something really serious happens.

It goes, perhaps, without saying, that something really serious happens.

As the anti-Muggle and anti-Muggleborn sentiments that have been brewing in the wizarding world once again ignite, Lily Evans finds herself in a position where she has to address the prejudice that has followed her her whole career. And she’s prepared to do that alone, but the Prime Minister isn’t nearly so willing to let her handle everything off-screen.

a fic you were intrigued by from the summary

Pot, Kettle, Black by TheDivineComedian (Wolfstar)

In 1978, Sirius Black almost becomes an Auror. Turns out even he can’t fake his way through the mental health assessment. So what. He has better things to do: Remus Lupin is one. The war is another. He spends weeks at a time undercover for the Order while Polyjuiced to the gills. It’s probably his new favourite thing. Little does Sirius know that running from himself will send him on a collision course with his ephemeral brother, but life is funny that way.

favorite AO3 tag?

According to my AO3 bookmarks, it's humor (both across all fandoms and for HP specifically)! I'd say humor, angst, and mutual pining seem right.

most memorable fic ending?

Blue Sunny Day by @firethesound (Drarry). I don't want to spoil it, but it's so heartbreaking and moving and ugh! Give this a try even if you don't normally go for creature fics or Drarry. It has a happy ending, I promise!

most memorable beginning?

Okay I know I've recced this before but n00b by @ghostofbambifanfiction (Jily). That email? Come on. Gold.

Two others would be Chained by @maquira713 (WIP, Harry/Sirius) and Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats (Drarry).

what would your ideal written-for-you fic look like?

Are you volunteering to write it? 😏

jk jk. Hmm... honestly, a First War Wolfstar/Marauders fic (shocking) with a really nuanced and complicated portrayal of the breakdown in trust between Sirius and Remus and of Peter becoming a Death Eater. This probably would need to be told through multiple POVs, but bonus points if someone could convey that through just one. I find a lot of the explanations provided in fics to be too simplistic or only focused on one aspect of what I think is a broader story.

[uk-news-talking-politics]

Lockdown hangover: Threat to the right to protest

By Sam Grant

Since the prime minster announced his roadmap out of lockdown, the national mood has changed. After a year of home-haircuts and no pub, any sign of an end to these restrictions would be greeted with joy and jubilation. But buried under this wave of optimism there are signs that those in power are seeking to retain some of these restrictions – and erode our ability to hold them to account in the process.

The right to protest is the lifeblood of a democracy. Yet it is under threat and the pandemic has super-charged the attack currently underway by the home secretary, who has made clear her disdain for public displays of dissent. Protest is an important way in which we can change and fight for a fairer, more just society. For many – particularly those who can’t be heard because they’re not allowed a voice (or a vote if this government has its way with Voter ID) – it might be the only way to stand up to power and demand change.

Since the first lockdown Liberty has warned that radical State powers ushered in during emergencies create the opportunity for our rights to be permanently undermined. Parliament must see this danger for the reality it is.

This also isn’t random opportunism or a direct response to an emerging threat. In fact, this move fits neatly into a long-term campaign to undermine the right to protest. The Metropolitan Police unlawfully banned protest in the capital for a month in 2019, and climate activists have faced injunctions obtained by companies to prevent them from protesting. The Stansted 15 activists were charged under counter-terrorism laws – the Court of Appeal found they had no case to answer, but the purpose of the charges were clearly intended to stifle dissent.

For all that this government talks about free speech, when it comes to protesting on the streets it is very keen on muffling the noise.

While criminalising protest should be concerning enough, it’s more worrying when understood to be only a small part of the story when it comes to this government’s approach to accountability.

While the pandemic has raged, this government has been quietly making plans to weaken the ways people can challenge government decisions and remove vital safeguards on accountability, whether through the overseas operations bill or via its bid to limit access to judicial review and the Human Rights Act, the consultation on which closed this week (Wednesday 3 March).

Those who are unconcerned by such plans should take another look at how this pandemic has panned out in England.

When the virus hit, the government drafted and passed the Coronavirus Act in days – the biggest limitation on civil liberties in a generation. The act gave the police sweeping new powers which saw a spike in discriminatory policing. It lowered care standards and made it easier for the government to spy on us; it enabled the postponement of elections. It also typified how this government acts. It prioritises criminal justice, punishment and control, while failing to support those most at risk.

This approach has already caused untold damage.

Under the lockdown regulations that accompanied the act, hundreds of people have been threatened, arrested and fined for exercising their right to protest, and many of the most marginalised have had to cancel protests for fear of being arrested or fined.

State power is currently at an all-time high. The ability to keep this power in check has never been more important. Yet in the much-trumpeted announcement of the road out of lockdown, no mention was made of what is happening with regards to protest. It remains under threat – certainly if the Coronavirus Act remains on the statute books. In the coming weeks, MPs must vote on whether to renew this law.

We’re all well aware that we’re not in the same place we were a year ago, but it’s not good enough for parliament to renew the act because they haven’t thought of an alternative. The government has had 11 months to learn from its mistakes and create something better. With no sign they intend to do so, we’ve done it for them.

The protect-everyone bill, which Liberty has drafted in partnership with dozens of charities and front-line organisations, as well as lawyers and academics, is a blueprint for building a pandemic strategy we can trust and that keeps us all safe.

If parliament votes through the Coronavirus Act again, they are doing so knowing the damage it has caused. Yet there is clear reluctance by some in the cabinet to let some of these powers go.

Over the coming months, protest is no doubt going to be an important part of how the public voices its concerns on everything to Brexit to the impact of lockdown and Black Lives Matter. Whatever those concerns are, they deserve the right to be heard. How able people are to take to the streets now hangs in the balance, and if the Coronavirus Act is passed for a third time, that balance very much tips in the favour of government.

[the-pen-pot]

Changes.

Before I begin, I'm pretty sure you guys all know I'm unemployed and have been for yonks. I was self-employed running an online jewellery store and a SAHM until Brexit. Since then (about 2016) I've been privileged enough to be able to adjust family finances so my spouse brings in the money and I keep the house ticking over. Sort of. Just to give you some idea of why an actual JOB never seems to feature in my ramblings)

As some of you know, I battle with depression. It hit me hard after finishing Gilded Cage back in about 2015, and while I've been medicated and had therapy since (both of which I no longer have access to), it's not the kind of thing that is ever really cured. One of the areas of my life that it's had the biggest impact is in my creativity. Writing is hard. Not while I'm doing it, but just getting started. I've developed a few different coping mechanisms, but the problem (which in my head I call inertia) is pretty persistent. It exists in other areas of my life too (tv shows, games etc): just finding the energy to *start* the thing is hugely challenging. Most days I manage it, but some days I don't get out of bed.

I think I've spent the past five years trying to get back to "normal". At first, it seemed a sound enough strategy, but it's pretty much time to admit that maybe I need to ditch that idea. This year in particular has shown everyone, I think, how much of an illusion normal is (and probably given us all an intense hatred for the phrase "new normal" which I hear all the time and it makes me want to beat someone's face in.)

So, I need to stop comparing what I'm doing now to what I've done in the past. I've been collecting fears because they're pretty excuses ("You'll never write anything as successful as Gilded Cage again. You've peaked; give up. No one will like it so why bother.) and I do like to cling to them as I give myself another reason to stay in bed all day. I need to acknowledge that different tactics worked for me in the past, but they'll no longer cut it, and I really need to find new strategies. Which, of course, is a mess of trial and error, some success and probably a dollop of crash-and-burn failure too.

So what's the plan?

Good question. I've already implemented some changes in my life to help since finishing The Riven Crown in 2017. (That was pretty much pure escapism and denial of my issues fic and I love it to this day because it let me completely ignore the issue for 18 months and didn't turn out too badly).

I started my patreon to help boost my self-esteem. To prove people were listening/caring/wanted what I write and were also willing to pay. (One of the neuroses from my upbringing is if you're not earning any money doing the thing, then that thing (and by extension you) is worthless. This is UTTER BULLSHIT and I know it but my psyche doesn't do logic). Patreon's been successful beyond my wildest dreams. Not only does it provide a good argument to my internal whinings of worthlessness, it provides my writing life with some external pressure. Before, all of my pressure came from me "You gotta update every week." which was challenging because I am simultaneously a hard-ass and a soft touch. I'd let myself miss my self imposed deadline and then loathe myself intensely for doing so. Not cool. Patreon allows me to externalise that a little bit more, which helps.

It also gives me fresh ideas, opportunities, and is an excellent way to connect with people who really, really like my work.

I also started using 4thewords to help with the inertia. It didn't. Not with the inertia bit, anyway. I still struggle to START THE THING, but what it does do is keep me going and keep me coming back, because by gamifying my writing, I'm giving myself other, smaller goals than "finish the chapter/story/thing" which, as we all know, makes a big goal easier to achieve. I'm not staring down the barrel of "Write 8 chapters and a smutty epilogue". I'm staring down the barrel of "Write 700 words to kill the critter and get cool gear" which is infinitely more do-able and also, I get cool gear. It feeds the positive reward feedback monkey brain and monkey brain likes that.

I need to do more, though, and mostly I think that comes down to trying out new strategies in the way I live my life to find a happy balance between getting things done and feeling worthwhile, and also getting the rest/downtime/whatever my neurochemistry needs to function. This is especially hard right now because I recharge through solitude. Like, utter solitude. Ideally, an empty house. Which has not happened since lockdown began in March. My home is currently also my husband's work and my kid's school, and that's not changing until at least September. I deserve a medal for not murdering anyone in the depths of an introvert-forced-to-socialise-constantly fugue yet, if I'm honest.

So next week (July 20th to 26th-ish) I'm taking a week off writing. (Sounds dead simple, doesn't it? But actually it's not.) What that means is I won't write during that week unless there's a project that's really captured my imagination and I'm compelled to do so. Will I still be posting? Yep. I'm angling this so that, hopefully, there'll be minimal delays to any scheduled postings.) After that I plan to gently increase the amount of writing/editing/actual "work" I do during the week. At the moment it's a bit hodge podge. I normally write a bit in the morning. 2000 words on a great day. On a not great day, maybe 100. I'd like to build that into something more consistent and productive, Monday to Friday. The idea is that roughly one week in every four, I'll take off from writing. 

It seems excessive. Even me looking at it right now, I'm like "that's a LOT of time off", but I think I need it. At least to start off with. I need time to just lie in bed and read fic if I want to. Time free of the constant, internal nagging of: "You should be doing x". Pre-planned, guiltless, time-off.

My hope is that it will help stabilise my productive/not productive patches into something workable that leads to a happier life for me, and more fic for you guys =D

Thanks for listening to me ramble!    

[studiopeachz]

Task Brainstorm & Research

What am I passionate about?

Food

Cultures

Traveling

Music

tattoos/illustrations/designs

art/painting/drawing

Mental health

Self discovering/acceptance/explorations/expressions

What do you wish more people understood?

I wish people understood more about the different forms of self expression through different ways such as art, design, fashion, literature, etc. 

I wish people understood more about human rights, or general personal choices without judgement

What do you feel strongly about?

I feel strongly about self love and acceptance because the factors of accepting ourselves can be hard but can make us flourish, and gives us opportunities to express how we feel 

What makes you feel good?

Art in different forms makes me feel good has it drives my curiosity to learn and dig deeper for meaningful things

Beauty and self acceptance, embracing our imperfections

Wise words/sayings that inspire and impact me and others in a positive way

What makes me unhappy?

As an empathetic person, I feel unhappy for the one who also feels unhappy or any certain unstable emotions.

Making mistakes also make me upset as it is hard to admit our own wrong doings

Stereotypes, because it gives us an invalid label to individuals which do not define us as a whole

I don’t like when people judge you right away without knowing you

If you could fix something, what would it be?

I would want to fix the past mistakes i have done, wishing i could of done better

I would of want to fix the moments that I wish i could of done or fulfilled which leads to present regrets

What would you like to see in the future?

I would like to see everyone in the world to be kinder, and more understanding towards each other as it gives opportunities to get to know individuals truly, without having to judge them right away.

I would also like to see people normalizing natural and imperfect things and different creations of forms of self expression without any judgement, but curiosity instead. 

What would you like to shine a light on?

I would like to raise awareness about the beauty of differences and self expression, even in peculiar artistic ways

What do you see that others don’t see?

As an optimistic person, I like to see the good in everything, therefore I have this willingness to listen and to understand situations, stories, and journeys of others.

I find the most imperfect things to be beautiful. 

Things about Gen Z

https://www.livingfacts.org/en/articles/2020/meet-gen-z 

https://danschawbel.com/blog/39-of-the-most-interesting-facts-about-generation-z/ 

Demographics

Gen Zers are also the most diverse generation. Research by the Center determined that nearly half (48%) of 6- to 21-year-old Gen Zers are racial or ethnic minorities, compared with 39% of Millennials in that age bracket in 2002 and more than double the percentage of early Baby Boomers in 1968.

Attitudes

In many instances, the youngest generation’s views follow Millennials’ social attitudes, and are in stark contrast to the oldest group, the Silent Generation, with Baby Boomers and Gen Xers falling in the middle.

For example, 70% of Gen Zers say government should do more to solve societal problems, rather than leaving it to businesses and individuals. By comparison, 64% of Millennials and only 39% of Silents say government should do more. Similarly, roughly 6 in 10 Gen Zers and Millennials say increasing racial and ethnic diversity is good for society, compared with about 4 in 10 Silents.

Gen Z’s as consumers 

55% of Gen Z would rather buy clothes online and 53% would rather buy books and electronics online. [JWT]

Their favorite items to spend money on are food and drink (36%), going out with friends (32%) and clothes (18%). [Visa]

66% want to own both houses and cars in their lifetimes. [Deep Focus]

Gen Z’s most used tech devices are the smartphone (15.4 hours/week), TV (13.2 hours/week) and a laptop (10.6 hours/week). [Vision Critical]

50% would look on their phone to look for a better price while shopping at a retail store. [Gen HQ]

63% are concerned when it comes to protecting their identity when paying with a debit or credit card online or in a retail store. [Gen HQ]

Gen Z values

76% are concerned about man’s impact on the planet. [JWT]

79% of display symptoms of emotional distress when kept away from their personal electronic devices. [University of Maryland]

90% would be upset if they had to give up their Internet connection while only 51% would give up eating out and 56% would give up downloading music. [JWT]

84% multitask with an Internet-connected device while watching TV. [Forrester Research]

They have more than 10 apps on their smartphone with 10% having more than 40. [Visa]

60% of Gen Zs say “a lot of money” is a sign of success. [Deep Focus]

What are some general Gen Z issues/behaviours/values: 

Social anxiety (mental health)

Racial equality

Gender identity

Self esteem

Political and social issues

Technology/ social media content

Personal beliefs and values in comparison to older generations 

Speaking up/inner voice

Stress response

Optimistic attitude “it is what it is”

Three Campaign Ideas relatable to Gen Z demographic In Aotearoa:

(self expression)

gender identity / fashion & style / art & design / illustration / ink / skin art - tattoos

(self acceptance & confidence)

Body Image & Positivity / cultural roots / growth / well-being / 

(cultural diversity)

Culture / tradition / ethnicity / foundation / 

Research Gen z with self expression, self acceptance, and cultural diversity

WHAT DOES SELF-EXPRESSION REALLY MEAN TO GEN Z?https://www.havaspeople.com/project/what-does-self-expression-really-mean-to-gen-z/ 

We always knew that Gen Z would be distinctive. They are the first true digital natives, and grew up during times of uncertainty (the wake of the last financial crisis and Brexit in the UK). But over the last year the identity of this generation has been further shaped in a profound way as some of their most formative years are taking place against the backdrop of a global pandemic, with the significant interruptions that has wrought to school, university, and early working lives, as well as social connections. Gen Z were on the precipice of progress when COVID hit “pause” on life. And yet many Gen Zers are emerging as resilient, energized, and eager to express themselves and have their voices heard.

Rinsta (real) and Finsta (fake) social media accounts, often to keep certain aspects of their life hidden from family, potential employers, and others outside of their close social circles). Yet – on the whole – they trust the technology brands and platforms themselves.

69% of Gen Z believe that brands should make their stance on social and political issues known publicly. I believe this is what Gen Z mean by brand authenticity. 

showing us that authenticity does not just mean having a clear point of view, but also using your clout as a brand to share and amplify the causes that matter to you. 

showing your own alignment with the purpose and intent of a brand. Gen Z see the brands who they follow, ‘like’, and buy as a personal reflection of them as individuals, which is why they are prepared to pay more for brands that they believe support sustainability. If that’s how profoundly Gen Zers believe the impact of their consumer choices can affect the way they express themselves, it stands to reason that this will cut even deeper with regard to career choices, which is one of the reasons

This seems an important aspect of self-expression. Gen Z share a willingness to discuss issues in an open reflective way, and to seek out different opinions, which is one reason social channels are increasingly viewed as credible sources of news. To give another example, Gen Z are more comfortable talking about mental health issues than previous generations. While this can be attributed in part to the overall rise in awareness and acceptance of mental health issues over the last fifteen years, it is a noticeable shift from previous generations.

https://extremereach.com/blog/for-gen-z-consumption-is-about-self-expression/ “Consumption for this generation is an expression of individual identity.”

“Some people are angry and resentful because they feel like their voice isn’t heard, so clothing is a space where they can be self-governed.”

They’re experiencing brands in every corner of their online life and so these same “brands need to beware this generation’s discernment because they have a bloodhound-like nose for inauthenticity.”

We’ve been more empowered than ever, so why are Gen-Z the least confident generation yet? https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/gen-z-least-confident-generation 

Indeed, statistics show that, instead of a defining feeling of hope among Gen Z, there is a groaning sense of pessimism - of hopelessness. Long running research from University College London, revealed earlier this year that depression levels are two-thirds higher than millennials. The study found 14.8 per cent of 14-year-olds in 2015 said they were depressed, compared to 9 per cent in 2005. While 14.4 per cent of young people said they had self-harmed, compared to 11.8 per cent a decade ago.

“I feel like Gen Z and millennials occupy a really interesting place in politics,” says Nogia, 20 “- we’ve only known austerity, we’ve only know casual work, we’ve only know life long sentences of debt for getting an education and we’re living in an age of populism and hatred in politics.”

So, is this having a detrimental effect on a generation’s mental health and personal confidence? Pretty much.

Youth Engagement Officer at YoungMinds, “Young people today have to navigate a huge range of pressures, from school or university stress, to worries over their career and housing prospects, to the rise of social media, which can make problems like bullying or body image issues more intense than they were in the past.”

Social media is - predictably - a major cause of generational anxiety. Not only is it connecting us to the world’s most depressing news stories, it is also connecting us to a plethora of airbrushed, Facetuned accounts making us feel terrible about ourselves. No wonder confidence is low.

Gen Z demands more diversity and inclusion from brands https://www.campaignlive.com/article/gen-z-demands-diversity-inclusion-brands/1705491 

Gen Zers made clear throughout the study that they want brands to step up their efforts around representation. For example, 76% of Gen Zers said they feel diversity and inclusion is an important topic for brands to address, compared to 72% of millennials, 63% of Gen Xers and 46% of Baby Boomers who felt the same.

“Consumers don't want to see brands making an effort to be inclusive just for means of publicity,” said Jenna Stearns, researcher at quantilope and lead on the report. “They want to see something that's authentic and consistent.”

But brands that resonate most with Gen Z consumers are consistent in their support of social justice. Target, for example, has been vocal around LGBTQIA awareness and Pride month for years, said Steph Rand, senior research consultant at quantilope. 

“These brands are rising to the top because they are sustaining and consistently making [these issues] a priority, either in their communications or around the content they produce,” Rand said.

Responses regarding representation also varied by race, gender and sexual orientation. Individuals responded they feel their gender is more represented in mainstream media (70% male; 66% female) and brand advertising (71% male; 68% female) than their sexual orientation or ethnicity.

In 2021, consumers hope to see more individuals with disabilities represented in advertising and media, as well as more authentic PR backed up by action.

Integrated Awareness Campaign Examples:

Self Expression Campaign example: https://www.lsnglobal.com/youth/article/24865/a-kombucha-campaign-that-celebrates-self-expression 

Los Angeles – Health-Ade Kombucha’s latest campaign targets a new generation of health-conscious drinkers.

The campaign, You Brew You, introduces the brand’s new flavour and packaging concepts, as well celebrating the popularisation of kombucha. Diverging from traditional drinks advertising, it features a series of young models in bright clothing with colourful, neon-lit backdrops.

While kombucha brands tend to communicate in a way that focuses on health, wellness and fitness activities such as yoga, Health-Ade Kombucha is on a mission to change the image of the beverage and target a new generation of digitally-native consumers.

As the younger generation look to the future and consider how drinking impacts their health, they are turning towards soft drinks with additional health benefits. For more, explore the insight section of our macrotrend Anxiety Rebellion.

Self love/acceptance Campaign Example: https://fredandfar.com/blogs/ff-blog/banksy-made-me-do-it-transforming-everyday-ads-into-self-love-campaigns 

This stunt can have multiple meanings, as Banksy often uses his art to comment on such structures as capitalism, power imbalances, and corruption. 

Wrapped up in the Banksy frenzy ourselves, we started questioning art and its subjective worth. What makes art valuable? What qualifies as art? In what way can art be used or manipulated to impact our everyday lives? We live in a world saturated by advertisements, media and marketing targeting and manipulating us to be passive consumers. Thinking about what we are subjected to daily by multimillion dollar companies is eye opening, as is Banksy’s take on copyright laws and advertising.

Banksy urges, “any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It's yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.”

So let’s take back the power. We got the ball rolling by taking some campaigns and slogans you might recognize, and turning them into campaigns for self love and acceptance.

Join us by creating your own better slogan and use the hashtag #banksymademedoit. What we need is more self love in the world. Let’s saturate the world with our mission.

Cultural Diversity Campaign Example: https://www.refuelagency.com/blog/examples-of-brands-who-got-multicultural-marketing-right/ 

Rihanna’s brand, Fenty, is all but synonymous with authentic inclusive marketing, created on the foundation that everyone woman is beautiful and should feel included. In 2017, Fenty Beauty launched 40 shades of foundation, and that has since grown to 50. Chaédria LaBouvier wrote in Allure that Fenty Beauty’s sheer number of foundation colors is “a statement that women of color deserve complex options”. 

Rihanna shared that, “It’s important to me that every woman feel included in this brand.” Once this campaign launched, it had a ripple effect called “The Fenty Effect”, a movement calling for brands to challenge the status quo in advertising.

[inthedarkofficial]

Stats at 25

I did this at 18 and at 21 because they felt like milestones, and... well, so does 25, I guess. It's going under this time though, because you know what that is? Growth.

Novels Written: In the Dark (no, really, it's done this time!), Dragons, In the Flames (which was meant to be In the Know), and I'm about 31,000 words into the real In the Know

Poems written: 40+

Agent Rejections: 21 this year alone (and I at about 30 total? Fuck)

Agent Requests: On their way, of course

Works planned: 15 novels, 4 short story collections, 1 encyclopaedia. 1 poetry collection, 1 short play, 1 nonfiction essay.

Publishing credits: 1 that we talk about (FourxFour baby!)

Characters: where do they keep coming from?

Lives lived: Why did I phrase this in the past tense? It's still happening

Life path: One step at a time, but an author, always

Books Read: Not as many as I'd like

Books to Read: A lot more than I'd like

Concerts seen: 27

Grades in piano: 3 (why do I keep including this?)

Memories: Treasured and painful and apparently something I have to fight for

Time: Lost all meaning this last year

Nickname: Still going by Padfoot, call me Roro and I will cut you

Clothes: So! Many! Clothes! but they make me feel better than ever

Style: It changes every day because I change every day

Friendships: How did I make new, incredible friends during a lockdown? I don't know, but gods bless D&D

Parents: We survived together in one house locked down for over a year, I'm so grateful for them

Family: I miss you Kali. I miss you nan. I want to hug you, Maddison. I want to give all of you a hug, honestly.

Enemies: I'm still coming for you, Derek

Sexuality: I keep looking closer and closer to see what the ins and outs are, but I'm bi and queer and that's enough

Gender: I fucking came out as genderqueer and I've started playing with pronouns and gender presentation and honestly? Never felt better

Hair colours: Literally could not tell you anymore. How many? Who knows. I want another.

Education: A in 11+, 2 A* and 8 A GCSEs, 1 A* and 2 A A Levels, 2.1 English Literature Degree, and I will finish this fucking proofreading course! Also, that masters degree is really calling me like a siren...

Tattoos: 2, and as soon as Covid allows it, I'll be getting more

Continents : 3

Countries: 10

Cities: I clearly counted this wrong and now? no clue

Homes: About to be 9!

Places to visit: I just want to go and see (and meet!) my friends, honestly

Vaginismus: Diagnosed! Fucking diagnosed!

Dilators: size 2!

Relationship status: Not going to be fucking decided by what some fucking Western doctor thinks I should be using my vagina for holy gods.

Standards: I want to be loved right down to my scalp. I enjoy my own company too much to settle for less.

Tears shed: My eyes hurt

Laughter: My ribs hurt

Jobs: 5, +writer, always. Fingers crossed for some sweet, sweet income soon though.

Readings: More! Let me do more! Covid, you bitch!

D&D campaigns: 1 abandoned, 1 shelved, 2 ongoing, 1 beginning soon

D&D Podcasts: R.I.P. Edge of Night

D&D characters: Where are all you stupid bisexuals coming from? (Not you, Caleb, we're thrilled to have you here)

Clean: Been a daily struggle this year. Not quite succeeding sometimes. But never fully relapsed. I can be proud of that.

Mental health: Ups and downs, but I'm taking back control

Physical health: Ready to fight doctors, but I'm getting there

Height: 5′2″, do I really need to keep recording this?

Shoes size: 3 (uk), I totally need to keep recording this

Weight: Most days I like my body, and that's a big improvement

Puns: cannot count how many times I got kicked out of skype calls this year

Beliefs: Maybe it's better to have ideas, but I've found names to give power to, powers to give love to, I have principles I live by, the faeries in the garden still get offerings, hawthorn trees carpet the garden in flowers, and I am enough. The worls is on fire, and full of people doing harm for no reason, so it's hard to believe that the world is good, but my life, at its core, is a good life. And I'm so grateful, even when things are hard.

Happy memories: even in the darkest and hardest of times, I have had moments of pride, and moments I felt loved. I know what unconditional love is. What could be better

Sad memories: Reclaimed, remembered, and not going to fucking control me.

How the things I planned to do at 21 panned out: actually learned what it takes to find an agent and though it took longer than I planned, I am now doing that process. Gave up krav maga, no regrets. Did finish my third novel (at least, first draft), then learned it was the wrong novel. But I did write a whole other novel. Graduated UEA with a 2.1. Successfully left Norwich and never have to fucking return! Have done freelance editing work and got a job at Debenhams, though Covid fucked those a bit. Wrote that fucking dissertation and it's fabulous. Did see Hamilton. Did put more hats on Cicero before he broke (but he's now getting repaired!) Decided a TEFL was an insane idea, I hate teaching. Did, indeed, continue to live and did a whole lot else.

Goals at 25: Keep submitting to agents, finish In the Know and work on the faery books, continue my physical and mental health journey, keep working with the dilators, move into my own house (!), find a steady source of income, start getting my poetry and other writing out there, finish my vaginismus article, visit my friends, get a new tattoo, keep volunteering at Pride, play enough D&D to justify all these fucking dice sets, get Cicero back, keep building the life I want.

Life at 25 years: when I wrote my "Stats at 21" post, I didn't know how much denial I was in. I'd totally repressed the memory of being sexually assaulted and I didn't even know about a condition that I've just learned has likely been impacting me in multiple ways all my life. I hadn't even met a person who would become one of my best friends, and then my boyfriend, and then my ex, and then totally out of my life by the time I write this. I barely knew the guy who is now one of the most important people in the world to me. I was only beginning to question my gender. I'd not questioned my sexuality in years. I've been through counselling, learned to stand up for myself, worked on so many projects I couldn't even imagine being a part of back then, been on a huge vaginismus journey that's still on going, started playing D&D, went to the graduation ceremony I never planned to attend, and I'm about to have my own house, just to point to a select few things. There's been a global pandemic (still ongoing), movements and trials that helped me find my truth and broke my heart, Brexit fucking happened, I lost my best, dearest and oldest friend (I love you Kali) and my nan... I could not have imagined what 25 would look like on the night I turned 21, just like at 18, 21 was impossible to picture.

So I guess... hi future Rowan. Happy 27th birthday (of course it's going to be 27). What does your world look like now? Did we fall in love? Did we make good dilator progress? How's the house? Did we decide on kids? I cannot begin to wonder what your world looks like, but I swear, I'm working on making it good.

"Soft and slow/Watch the minutes go/Count outloud/ So we know you don't keep them for yourself." - Halsey

[hypnofur1]

DC Rivals - A Halloween Story

DC Rivals – A Halloween Story

By Hypnofur

Tensions ran high as Kristen and Brandon walked into the Halloween party. It wasn’t a company Halloween party, but most of the people from Brandon’s work were going. It was at a new hot bar that everyone was into. One of DC’s hottest new places. Unfortunately for Kristen, that meant Dawn was going.

Dawn was the new girl in accounting. Well, she had been with the company for about six months, so she wasn’t technically new anymore, but it was safe to say the novelty hadn’t worn off for most of the guys in the office. Kristen wished that one of those guys that was constantly drueling over her would be good enough for her. But that hadn’t happened yet, and Kristen was pretty sure that Brandon was the one that Dawn wanted.

In truth, Kristen was not typically the jealous type. She had been with Brandon since high school. There had been plenty of other girls interested in the Lacrosse captain back then, as there had been in college, and in the post college bar scene days. None of it had mattered, it had always been Kristen and Brandon, and the beautiful wedding a year and a half ago cemented that even further.

Dawn knew full well that Brandon was married. She had of course sized up Kristen immediately. Tall, trim, elegant, classy Kristen. She was any man’s dream wife. She was any family’s dream daughter in law. Dawn knew that wasn’t her. She was almost Kristen’s opposite. Brunette, not as tall, but curves in all the right places. She wasn’t Miss Classy prim and proper, she was fun and loud, and flirty, and sexy as hell. All guys wanted her, She suspected, but couldn’t yet be sure, that Brandon secretly did too. Dawn loved the idea of landing a hot, successful young lobbyist like Brandon. Even if it did mean being a “homewrecker��.

Dawn saw Kristen and Brandon as soon as they walked into the party. She wasted no time in greeting them. Of course, both women noticed they both had cat costumes on. Well, the term  “costume” was actually a bit much, since they had both just added cat ears and some eyeliner drawn cat make up.

Dawn had paired that with a sexy black top and short black velvet skirt that was showing off all of her curves in the best possible way. Kristen’s make up was more subtle. She wore a cute black top, and a stylish faux fur vest. She did, however decide to wear some black leather pants. They weren’t slutty, by any means, but they were enough to make sure Brandon kept his attention on her all night.

As the married couple entered the party, Dawn wasted no time in approaching. She gave Kristen a huge hug, exclaiming that it was “soooooo gooooood to see” her. Both Dawn and Kristen knew this wasn’t genuine. Kristen also suspected that Dawn was nowhere as tipsy as she was making herself seem. She liked the idea of guys having the idea that she was “not in a position to make good decisions”. Kristen mentally rolled her eyes at that, as she did when Dawn’s hug with Brandon lasted longer than it should have. Of course, to his credit, Brandon showed no interest in hugging Dawn. In fact, it was really the world’s most awkward hug. He was well aware of his wife’s beautiful brown eyes upon him.

Kristen did have to admit though, this was a fantastic bar for a party. Most people were in their thirties like she and Brandon. The costumes were fun and fantastic. The music was great, and the place had a sexy vibe. For her part, Dawn liked the fact that she was arguably the hottest girl in the room, with Kristen being her only rival for that unofficial title.

It wasn’t long before Dawn was dancing. She made sure everyone could see her. And everyone did. All the guys had no problem just staring at her, watching her dance. All the guys except Brandon that is. Kristen giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she noticed him awkwardly trying to look anywhere other than at Dawn.

This was cute to Kristen, but very frustrating to Dawn. In a huff, she stormed off to the bar. Kristen was pleased. She started to think that this night was going to be more fun than she had originally anticipated. She started a fun conversation with some of Brandon’s other coworkers, but she kept a discreet eye on Dawn.

That’s when she noticed Dawn talking to a pale, thin older man. She wondered if he worked at their company. She certainly hadn’t seem him before. He didn’t have the young, cool, vibe that most of those employees had either. Yet, Dawn was staring at him so intently, like he was the hottest guy in the world. Kristen suddenly wondered if he had money. Dawn seemed to her like the kind of girl that would find an old guy attractive if he had a lot of money. Yup, that was probably the case.

Another older gentleman with money approached Kristen, however, this one was Brandon’s boss. They had met a few times, and he had found Kristen to be absolutely delightful. A perfect spouse for the young superstar he was planning to fast track up the firm. Kristen went into full charm mode, and of course had no choice but to focus all of her attention on Brandon’s boss. This important conversation lasted about five minutes or so. It was of course very hard to hear over the loud music, but whenever Kristen couldn’t hear what he said, she nodded with a polite and lovely smile. She could tell by the approving looks he gave Brandon that she had done well. She even ignored the fact that the bosses gaze lasted a little too long on her, and he looked her up and down a bit more than he should. Scotch could make a man a little less subtle than he thought he was.

As the boss walked away, Brandon scooped Kristen up in his arms and gave her a big hug and kiss. He was so proud of her. Kristen hugged him back so tightly. She was proud of herself too. Dawn had never really been a threat, but Kristen still felt a sense of triumph in beating her again tonight.

It was just then that Dawn appeared again. “Kristen, come with me!” she exclaimed. “There is someone you just have to meet.” Dawn said, while simultaneously grabbing Kristen’s hand.

Kristen gave a surprised and confused look back to Brandon as she was pulled away from him, her drink almost spilling as she was tugged across the club. Equally confused, Brandon simply looked at her with a smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Kristen could see that Dawn was pulling her towards the pale older gentleman that she had met, but she really had no idea why. “Dawn, where are you taking me?” Kristen asked.  “Who is this guy, is he--”

Kristen stopped mid-sentence as she came within range of the man.

The old man exuded confidence, charm, and animal magnetism.  His dark eyes had a piercing aspect.  This man was amazingly attractive, leaving her speechless. At the same time, she sensed there was something mysterious, maybe even dangerous about this man. She started to worry about Dawn’s intentions. She turned to get Brandon’s attention.

“I’m sure he is not that interesting,” the old man said, locking eyes with Kristen. At the same time, Dawn put her arm around Kristen’s waist, holding her so she was facing the man. Dawn then stared lustfully back at him.

Kristen immediately held his gaze, feeling as if she were getting lost in the man’s enthralling dark eyes. She could almost feel her thoughts being inexorably pushed aside. Even her fear was fading away, replaced by a growing need to submit.  

But that was a strange thought, she realized.  She didn’t know this old man.  Sure, he had a tremendous presence, but…well, the more she thought about it, she realized he had a commanding demeanor.  His firm voice, and his piercing eyes.  She could feel them gaze into her, through her, and see all of her secrets, all of her desires.  She felt her body tingle, she noticed herself start to get wet. Looking into those eyes, she knew all she had to do was obey.  

Kristen was now completely submerged in the vampire’s thrall. Her mind was spiraling down into a world of absolute submission and there was no turning back. An overwhelming bliss traveled up from her sweet spots and collided in her brain with the utter pleasure of the vampire’s commands, filtering through her wide open brown eyes.

“You are now completely under my power,” the vampire said. “Completely under my control. From this moment on, I am your idea of sexual perfection. I am your Lord and Master. You desire only to please me, to serve me. You are my slave.”

 “Your slave,” the perfect blonde wife happily repeated back to her new Master.

The old man, the vampire, or Count Edgington, as he was formally known in London, had been a vampire for over 250 years. He had been turned when he was older. He had been a wealthy banker in late1700’s Southern Wales, who was enslaved by a vampire to be her financial benefactor. She didn’t know she was being tracked by vampire hunters. A battle ensued, and as part of a last ditch effort to create a solider to aid in her fight, she had turned Edgington. However, it was too late, she was killed by the vampire hunters. They had left him for dead, unaware that he had been turned. He then moved to London and became a very powerful master vampire.

Complications with Brexit had brought him to Washington DC. He tried not to trifle in humans’ political affairs, but sometimes he had to step in to protect his considerable wealth. This was one of those times. He had always been fond of American women, so he decided to pick up a few on his trip. He had seen Dawn and Kristen as he arrived, and found the contrast between the two to be quite delicious. They would serve as wonderful souvenirs from his trip.

“Follow me”, the vampire said. Both women happily did so. It was at this point that Brandon started looking for his wife in the club. From across the crowded room, he she and Dawn trailing behind a tall thin man who was now speaking to the club manager. The manager soon lead them into his office.

Inside, the entranced club manager closed the door to his office and stood there, waiting for further instructions from Count Edgington, who was now realizing what a wonderful treat he had stumbled upon with these two ladies. He looked around the office. It was perfect. Part office, part apartment. There was even a large bed inside. He wanted to enjoy this thoroughly, and as such, he knew he needed to be at full strength. “You have done well. I am pleased. Present me your neck” he commanded the manager, who immediately obeyed. The Count drank him – to death. Not a spill was dropped. The manager collapsed to the floor with only two puncture wounds on his neck. It wasn’t the bloody mess you see in movies. And Count Edgington, a meticulous man in both life and after life, was most certainly not covered in blood. He was also smart enough to end the life of the manager. He had no desire to make more vampires, that didn’t benefit him in the least.

Now at full strength and virality, the Count admired the blonde wife. He had been watching Kristen all night. He knew full well that she had come with Brandon. He could see the big diamond on her long, elegant finger. He knew she was married. True love could be a distraction to a thrall, if not properly dealt with. As such, a part of Kristen knew something was wrong. She felt like she belonged to the man in front of her, but that wasn’t right. Was it? There was someone else.

The Count extinguished this protest, with his kiss. She responded to it immediately, as she was only human. She kissed him passionately, lovingly, and sensually while her hands held his head. Count Edgington curled his hands around her long, trim, toned body, pressing her against him, feeling his way down into her leather pants till he cupped her ass with both hands, caressing them as if they were his personal property…. which they would soon be. Not wanting to neglect his other prize, he then turned his attention to Dawn. Not only kissing her as passionately, but also carrying her unto the manager’s desk, raising her black tank top from above her head then planting his lips on her breasts, taking his time to fondle each one. Now the vixen was moaning, her hand reaching down into the vampire’s pants to grasp his erection.  He then commanded Kristen to sit on the desk, kissing her navel while his hands undid her leather pants buttons and allowed them to drop to her ankles. Then he lied her back, spreading her legs wide before bringing his head down on her. Kristen gave an instant gasp the moment his tongue landed on her pussy, making her become instantly wet. She couldn't control her moans as Count Edgington ferociously nibbled, licked and sucked his way between her legs. Dawn approached her, sucking one of her breasts, bringing further excitement from her. Their lips locked in a kiss, and then Dawn offered her own breasts to nibble on. The office room was filled with their moaning. After a while, Count Edgington stopped what he was doing and got to his feet. "I think it's time I present you ladies with the true prize." His hand removed his cock fully from his pants; Kristen could sense her eyes widen upon seeing it up close, too dazed by the majesty of it.  Count Edgington laid in the center of the bed while both women came to him from either side, Dawn from the left and Kristen from the right; their line of sight focused on his vampiric cock. Both women pressed their tongue on it, as if wanting to feel its reality; Dawn was the first to swallow it up, a satisfying moan escaped from within her throat as she sucked on it while Kristen cupped her mouth on each of his testicles. Like that, they both exchanged with Kristen sucking for a while then releasing it back to Dawn. Count Edgington lay there, muttering enticing words of control and their desire for him and each other.

Saliva dripped from both women's mouths as they performed their task, sucking his cock at the same time moaning deep in their mouths as if they couldn't get enough of it. Several times they'd stop, rub the tips of the tongue over the top of his cock, kiss each other, and then return to the job at hand. Count Edgington stretched both hands under their legs, fingering the both of them, his fingers playing with their labia and clitoris at the same time.  Finally, the Count told them “it is time”

Kristen was grateful for the invitation as she came and sat over Count Edgington's hips, his hand guiding his cock into the open wetness that was her married pussy. The cap of his cock forced its way inside her, making her scream out. Within minutes she was bouncing on it, waving her head from side to side like an out of control fan, while Count Edgington's hands held both her ass, pulling her back towards him. At that moment she was very much in another planet, in another galaxy, with nothing to do except surrender herself to the thunderbolt of excitement exploding within her. It was so unlike nothing she had ever experienced before in her life. She couldn't stop herself from screaming out, even as Dawn played with her breasts and kissed her. "How does it feel?" Dawn asked her, laughing. "How does it feel with Master? Is it amazing?" "Oh my God, yes!," Kristen managed to cry while Count Edgington's hips pumped his mighty cock from under her. "So very FUCKING YES!", Kristen exclaimed. She rarely, if ever, swore. Finally he pushed her off and allowed Dawn to have her own fun. Dawn cried out as well, but she managed to give him a reasonable rocking, grinding her hips on top of his while she leaned forward over him, offering her large breasts to his mouth. Kristen sat back on the bed, fingering herself, not wanting to be rid just yet of the experience she had just undergone, while watching Count Edgington fuck her former rival, his hands smacking her bottom, eliciting further yells from her. Several times, he pulled his cock out of her, and allowed Kristen to give it several good sucks before returning it back into Dawn's pussy. Later, they changed positions. This time, Count Edgington rested on his left arm while Kristen came and lay beside him, raising her legs upwards for him to inject himself into her. He hammered his way into her, making her scream with unhindered joy, her hand held the back of his jerking hip, wanting him to fuck her harder and faster. Dawn came over and lay in front of her, opening her legs wide enough for Kristen to nibble on her pussy. When she was too busy screaming out her lust, she inserted two of her fingers inside. After a while, Count Edgington came over and stood before the bed, dragged Dawn towards him and gave her a standing Missionary. Both of them watched as he pushed his cock wholeheartedly inside her, slamming his way inside her with as much effort his back could muster. Dawn kept screaming for him to fuck her harder. The way Count Edgington held her thighs over her shoulder, that was exactly what he did, his brow furrowed with sweat while he did his work. Kristen couldn't help but picture him as one would picture a wild stallion -- he fucked almost without any hint of mercy, which only seemed to drive Dawn wilder.  It was at this point that the office door had swung open. Brandon, and one of the club’s janitorial staff burst into the room. The custodian immediately looked down and saw the lifeless club manager. Brandon’s eyes widened in shock and horror as he saw Dawn and his beloved wife on the bed before him.

Edgington knew he needed to act fast. The custodian looked up in fear, and the Count caught his eye. “Close the door!” he commanded quickly. He couldn’t have any of the other patrons see what was happening in here. “Look at me!” He then commanded the custodian. “You are my slave!” he said firmly. No more words were necessary.

However - Brandon, full of jealous, fear, and rage, was clear about to strike. “Restrain him!” Edgington commanded the custodian, who was a large, heavy man. Much larger than the fairly trim Brandon.

“Ahh, the dutiful husband. Here to save the day.” Edgington snickered.

“Kristen, what… why?” Brandon muttered as he struggled against the seemingly iron grip of the entranced custodian.

Kristen’s eyes focused on her husband as she heard his voice. Brandon. It was Brandon. She knew that. She knew he was her husband. She knew she had betrayed him. But her Master was so incredible, so sexual. How could she have resisted? Even now, as confronted with her husband and her betrayal, she was less concerned with him,and more concerned with when her Master was going to return his attention to her.

“How?” Brandon asked, as he realized something sinister was afoot. He looked at Count Edgington as he was trying to process how this was all possible. It proved to be his undoing, as their eyes met. A few words later, he knelt before the Count. With the Brandon threat secured, Edgington turned his attention back to the women. "All right ladies, I’m ready for you. Arrange yourselves before me." And that they did: Dawn to his left while Kristen to his right, both of them sticking their ass up at him, instinctively knowing what they meant. Count Edgington once again started with Kristen, who gave a whooping cry as he forced his cock inside her again and gripping both hands on her hips, slammed his way forcefully into her. Back and forth he went, giving her little breathing space to escape from his might. Kristen couldn't stop herself from coming again and again, screaming ecstatically at the same time as she felt gigantic bolts of nuclear explosions taking place inside her. Count Edgington so luxuriated in the sight of watching his cock appear and then disappear inside her married pussy from above. When he was through with her, he allowed her to fall on the bed while he turned his mode of sexual domination upon Dawn.  A while later, he pulled himself out of her, stroking his cock in his hand. "I'm about to come. Ladies, I'm about to come! OPEN YOUR MOUTHS!" he ordered the both as they came and knelt on the carpet before him, their mouths lay wide open as if they were winter lovers about to swallow falling drops of snow. Count Edgington jerked his cock as his vampiric cum landed on both women's faces. He gave both of them equal measure, watched as they licked up everything he had just released. His mouth gave off a relishing sigh of relief as his tank soon became empty. The two women finished by licking off any extra from each other’s faces.

Edgington was purposeful in his finish. He knew that having some of his essence in their bodies would allow him telepathic control of the women, not just hypnotic control via his eyes and his voice. He had learned centuries ago that this was the best method. As mentioned, he was very against creating other vampires. Human slaves were much easier to control and profit from.

At his command, Kristen and Dawn rose and collected themselves. They fixed their own and each other’s make up and put their clothes back on. Then, they left the office. Kristen didn’t pay any attention to Brandon, who still knelt on the floor, waiting for commands from his new Master.

Kristen and Dawn were soon sexually and suggestively dancing with each other, and then they soon added Brandon’s boss. They were rivals now more. Edgington could smell the money on him. He knew he was going to like Washington DC.

[orisitme-blog]

Writing My Novel – Lessons Learned Part 1

So, it has been just over a year since I published my first novel. In my previous working life, we would always have a ‘lessons learned’ meeting a couple of months after a project went ‘live’ in an effort to try to understand if we could have done anything better and it occurred to me that I should do the same with my novel.  So, adapting my project life-cycle knowledge to the process of novel writing, here goes:

Requirements

Before you start any project, you should of course define your requirements – and so I did (sort of). I didn’t really think too much about who the book was for other than anybody who was interested in Brexit and satire but I did plan every character and summarized every chapter.  What surprised me was how much the characters and the story I was telling changed as my tale started to unravel. My characters altered states and made their opinions known in ways I had not imagined. Like a tree through the seasons, swaying one way, then another, losing leaves, being lopped, then regrowth. A lot of regrowth.  

My conclusion then on being clear on what you want to write is of course - yes, be clear on the genre and who your audience is but don’t attempt to nail it all down at the start. Writing is a creative as well as a technical process and although you do need to ensure your basic structure is right (a bit like building a house) for many writers the process is organic (I say ‘for many’ – there are of course some who can sit down and plonk words down onto a page in their correct story-telling sequence first go) but most writers are not like that - I know I’m certainly not. So, my lesson learned for the future is to set down a framework, write a first draft with summary chapters, find out who appears, get to know them, see where they take me and what they get up to then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.  

Mentoring

I was finding certain chapters in my novel quite difficult to write and so I decided I needed some guidance, somebody to help and advise me. I did my homework, selected one of the top agencies and paid a few hundred pounds for their mentoring service. They selected a mentor from their pool of consultants and she worked with me, she read my manuscript and offered guidance.  It worked well. She was helpful and worth the money. Would I do it again though? Maybe, if I could guarantee I would have the same mentor, otherwise probably not. My lesson learned is that it is expensive and I am now aware of how ‘hit and miss’ the process can be. I was lucky, I got a good mentor, it could have been so different…

Editing

I obviously needed an editor so I used the same agency for the editing process. Why not? The mentoring had worked well after all. So, I sent in my finished masterpiece … manuscript for a quote. It was just under 70,000 words. Now, I will be the first to admit that I was a little fuzzy on the editing process at the time (it is all so much clearer to me now). So, I called the agency and I discussed with their reception lady what needed to be done. She gave me a hefty four figure quote and explained to me that for my money their editor would do a copy-edit, a check for punctuation and grammar and also proof read my novel. I knew there was a fair amount of work involved so I agreed.  

For just over three weeks, nerves on edge, I waited for the return of my manuscript. Waited as one might wait for a child returning from their first school trip away. However, all I can say is that when I did get my manuscript back it was as if I’d gone to pick up my child and found her sitting on a bench in the car park having gone nowhere at all. I will say at this stage that the three weeks away from my novel helped me to look at it in a completely new light. I read it with an air of detachment and spotted all of the previously unseen errors and niggly mistakes that I hadn’t previously been able to see because I was too close to the content – take note, I noticed these things after it had been through their editing, punctuation, grammar and proofreading processes! I could not believe the state it was in.  To be brutally honest I was a little embarrassed that I had submitted it in that state in the first place. They were not at all embarrassed about taking my money and not doing the work though.

The only aspect of human discord that I am good at is how best to avoid confrontation.  Which is generally what I do. That said, when a company, blatantly takes the piss out of you (I’m sorry they are the only words that I think of to accurately describe what happened) then I feel duty bound to make a stand. So, I evaluated the situation and considered my options. I am a great believer in being careful which battles I choose to fight in life but it became obvious to me I had to do something about it. I couldn’t let them get away with it.  As a start I contacted the agency, I mentioned that I was a bit surprised at the manuscript they had sent back to me and asked if maybe they had sent me the wrong version.

Long story short – they explained to me that copy-editing, punctuation/ grammar and proof-reading were separate processes, that my novel now needed to be proofread and if I wanted it done they would give me a quote. I pointed out to them that I did understand that they were separate processes but that they had  quoted me a sum of money and told me that proofreading  would  be included – they therefore set my expectation level so it would be fair enough for me to think that the work would be done. I then (and this is the reason I had little hesitation in confronting them in the first place) included in my reply the email in which they had confirmed exactly what they said they would do. Without the email as evidence it would just have been an ‘I said/ you said‘ scenario and who can be bothered with that? They then came back to me and confirmed that the work they sent back was, overall, to a standard with what the industry would produce (I tell you this lot did not make the publishing industry look good at all!) but that they were prepared to offer me a small refund or a slightly larger amount on a credit note. I wish I was kidding.

I then decided to add a little detail as to why I was not satisfied with the work they had done. I pointed out that their editor had introduced a couple of punctuation errors, when referring to two of the characters had spelled their names incorrectly and in one chapter a baby – who was a boy at the beginning of the chapter was a girl by the end of it! This was in a single chapter and she never picked up on it. It is basic editing and I know, I know, I’m embarrassed by it but my excuse is that it was my first novel. To this day I have no idea what their editors  excuse was for producing such sloppy, unprofessional work.  Apparently this woman has written a book on editing. I despair.  

When an organization behaves in such a way the damage they do in trust – not only to their own company but to the business as a whole is immense. That said, the last contact I had with the agency, they put their hands up, admitted their mistakes and provided a solution. I work on the principle that in business – as in life – anything can go wrong at any time and all you can ask when it does is that the parties involved are open, honest and discuss and correct their mistakes in a non-tricky way. It’s called integrity. Eventually they did that so good for them.

We eventually agreed on a 50% refund.

As a result of my experience I decided to rethink the whole editing process for my future novels, in part 2 of my blog I will discuss how I got my novel edited and the lessons that I learned from  the editing process. I will also talk about  the  mistakes I made during the publication process – there were several - the main one being the title! I can’t believe I chose such a rubbish title for my novel - too late now though, I’m stuck with it!

S.A.Lama

Author ‘Brexit comes to Bedwell Ash.’  

[beliamh-its-me]

Performance overview & Research

The overarching theme of My Country is inspired by the question, ‘How united is the United Kingdom?’. The idea behind the theme derived from the contrasting verbatim scripted opinions surrounding Brexit. Through acknowledging the vast amount of opinions and stories, we compared each region to the referendum results. Not only did this support our theme, it helped to structure the fictional manifestations of regional characters. For example, Caledonia’s persona has been based off the Scottish remain vote totalling 62.0% (BBC, 2016). So, in order to amplify this, Caledonia is extremely defensive and angry in a way to foreshadow the verbatim lines. Brexit links to the exploitation of corruption within the UK’s patriotism, something amplified in the script. A poignant line, to support the theme comes from Theresa May, ‘...a vision that works not for the privileged few’. The message shows the government promoting the UK as a satisfied minority, proposing changes are needed. This idea finishes the play, leaving the audience questioning the current political climate. We aspire to start a conversation, about politics and its importance. May, quickly became the Conservative party leader. Offering an idea that Brexit was a distant idea, until it was not, accompanied with unsettling optimism. Another issue that arises is the name ‘Brexit’. Broken-down it means ‘Britain’ and ‘Exit’. This means Northern Ireland is excluded from the branding, linking to a long history of division within the UK, and is played on in the script. The major element, being the lack of spoken lines from NI through verbatim, to create the sense of lesser respect for NI’s opinions. The theme of delight breaks tension in the performance. During the fictional scenes, there is shared food, facts and laughter! This is important in remaining partial, but mostly to celebrate the UK for individuality. The constant return of the characters throughout the verbatim sections, create a sense of familiarity. The creative vision is synonymous with the medium, Zoom. The Guardian (2019) reported that Farage’s party accounted for 51% of all shared content on Facebook and Twitter during the campaign. Meaning that Brexit was a social media operation. We used this to incorporate the fictional characters. This is shown through using Facebook inspired videos that indicate joining a ‘Pub Chat’ group call. This implies the characters oversee the verbatim characters, and join the audience in watching the performance. Further, creating a sense of realism as the audience form a relationship with the fictional characters. Both parties are learning about the Brexit repercussions, however the voices of the nation’s get drunk instead resolving the issues within the discussion. This imitates life, as Brexit was unclear.

The creative vision started with explicit use of the Facebook page however, due to complications of practicality, we decided to use the page as an implied structure, through ‘Pub chat’ videos. This was determined after wanting to use a link to the page, to display images alongside monologues. The page distracted the words being spoken, so we refrained. Click here for rehearsal footage

In two ways we have portrayed to the audience the right atmosphere. First, creating a sense of urgency through breaking up scenes with movement and digital influence. This mirrors the masses of campaigning prevalent at the time, and allows information to form in an unbiased way. The second aspect is placing the audience vote before the ‘vote’ scene. This immerses the audience and clarifies a timeline of the performance.

We discussed other avenues to separate the fictional characters from verbatim. Through development of the first scene, we determined that costume would support our intentions. All fictional scenes have Union Jack hats and tops. This is so we can physically change our aesthetic to make transitions easier for the audience. Click here for rehearsal footage.

Research:

My Country- a work in progress, is a verbatim play created by Carol Ann Duffy and Rufus Norris (2017). Duffy is an award-winning writer for her work writing raw and expressive poetry and plays. Duffy’s work includes Take My Husband (1982) and Standing Female Nude (1985). Rufus Norris has acted, written and directed numerous plays/operas such as, Market Boy (2006), Cabaret(2007) (BBC, 2013). Together these playwrights have been able to create an enticing piece surrounding the Brexit debate, with views from numerous angles of the leave/remain spectrum. Verbatim interviews promise direct access to actual lived experiences and make them authentic (Fisher, 2011). To convey Brexit and the volume of controversy surrounding it, verbatim is one of the best ways to express the UK’s concerns fairly. The final vote was 51.9% Leave, 48.1% remain (BBC, 2016). This shows that it is almost impossible to depict the UK’s opinions without using both sides, especially when looking at regions such as Northern Ireland and Scotland who have a troubled history with England. Summerskill (2021) see’s verbatim as ‘Documenting aspects of historical material which tend to be missing from other sources relating to lived experience (p. 24). With the combination of media, technology can thicken participant’s experience, through building different versions of reality, or spaces (Burnett, 2019). This supports our intentions to blend education with theatrics. It also justifies our ideas to improve audience connection. Our audience, typically, were under the voting age during the referendum. This means that, although the effects of Brexit will deeply govern their lives, they had no say in the matter. With the use of verbatim we can transfer the thoughts, feelings and facts from the UK to give the audience an education. Although Brexit has happened, the British Youth Council (2020) are still fighting for young people to be ‘stakeholders in [their] future’. Through reminding them of the past we could motivate them to work on their future in this country. The challenges of creating a political performance entail removing any bias, to allow a genuine response from audience members. If it is done correctly, the abstract creation of political theatre can initiate enquiry and evaluation instead of negative confrontation (Kritzer, 2008).

When looking at companies to influence ideas throughout the creative process, I wanted to draw on two avenues:

The first, being movement to enhance the digital platform. As the creator of the ‘Feast’ and ‘Europe’ sequences, I wanted to make sure that we were utilising the ability to make smaller gestures, whilst still adding abstract and full-bodied movement. I drew inspiration from DV8, a physical theatre company. DV8’s published work of Can We Talk About This?, depict a woman talking in verbatim whilst holding a tea cup. The movement around her is abstract and exciting. The idea to have a focus whilst also conveying deeper dramaturgical control is powerful and I wanted it to be seen within the above-mentioned scenes.

The second, the incorporation of portraying political information. I have drawn on a slightly abstract perspective for this influence. This American Life (2020) by Ross Gay explores delight, which is one of our themes, in this there is a podcast of a boy getting the bus for the first time. Although he is surrounded by the excitement of childhood, he still speaks of death and anxiety. This is something echoed in our piece, a lot of the audience members have been treated like children in the eye of Brexit, but are being given the platform to learn it as they maybe should have at the time. We use our polls to give the audience the chance to express this.

The link below will take you to a specific research document for this performance, containing sources for performance material and references.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X5ibI5xWIoWm3bK9W6aAgplQtarR-Hq5gq8m9uGf1u4/edit

The link below will take you to the social media page:

https://www.facebook.com/RuleBritannia1922

Bibliography

Afflick, R.  (2020). ‘British Youth Council urge Government to consult young people on Brexit’. British Youth Council, 31 January. Available at: https://www.byc.org.uk/news/2020/british-youth-council-urge-government-to-consult-young-people-on-brexit (Accessed: 12 March 2021).

‌BBC (2015). ‘EU Referendum Results’. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu_referendum/results (Accessed: 2 March 2021).

Burnett, C. et al. (2019) ‘Conceptualising Digital Technology Integration in Participatory Theatre from a Sociomaterialist Perspective: Ways Forward for Research’, Research Papers in Education, 34(6), pp. 680–700. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1229827&site=eds-live&scope=site (Accessed: 12 March 2021).

DV8 (2021). DV8 Physical Theatre. Dv8.co.uk. Available at: https://www.dv8.co.uk/media-portal (Accessed: 8 May 2021).

DV8 (2021). DV8 Physical Theatre. Dv8.co.uk. Available at: https://www.dv8.co.uk/projects/can-we-talk-about-this/foreword-by-lloyd-newson (Accessed: 12 May 2021).

Fisher, A. (2011) ‘Trauma, Authenticity and the Limits of Verbatim’, Performance Research, 16(1), pp. 112–122. doi: 10.1080/13528165.2011.561683

Gay, R.. (2020). The Show of Delights - This American Life. Available at: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/692/the-show-of-delights (Accessed: 12 May 2021).

Kritzer, A. (2008) Political Theatre in Post-Thatcher Britain: New Writing, 1995-2005.  Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

My Country: A Work In Progress by C.A. Duffy (2017)

Savage, M. (2019). ‘How Brexit party won Euro elections on social media – simple, negative messages to older voters’. The Guardian, 29 June. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/29/how-brexit-party-won-euro-elections-on-social-media (Accessed: 26 April 2021).

Smith, N. (2013). ‘Rufus Norris: Who is the new National Theatre director?’ BBC News, 15 October.  Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24532470 (Accessed: 10 March 2021).

Summerskill, C. (2021) Creating verbatim theatre from oral histories. Routledge: New York. 

[researchetcsblog]

tidal energy marketing Advice - What You Need To Knows

tidal energy marketing has become an increasingly important tool in today's market. While many companies have already jumped into the tidal energy marketing arena, it is imperative that you are able to separate yourself from the competition by doing the research necessary to ensure that you are offering the best service and price to your clients. As the tidal energy industry grows globally, it is critical to stay ahead of the tidal energy marketing curve by engaging the best marketing experts on the Internet and creating a marketing plan that will generate the tidal energy marketing results you desire. By conducting a full-service natural gas liquids and crude oil research plan you will be able to determine which products are currently selling well, which would be a good candidate for a tidal energy marketing campaign and which would require some tweaking to achieve better overall results.

There are several natural gas liquids and crude oil research programs that are currently undergoing testing or have been tested, but which may be premature to launch as part of a full-service tidal energy marketing campaign. In most instances, the company has conducted the research after the fact when market conditions have been established to the point that you can confidently make an informed decision on whether or not the venture should proceed. This would be the ideal situation. However, things rarely happen the way they are planned. Due to the uncertainty associated with natural resource markets, there is always the possibility of a company launching a program and finding out that it would be more effective if they waited until market conditions were more favorable.

In most instances, waiting a year or two before investing in a full-service crude oil and natural gas liquids research program is sufficient. The reason behind this is that natural gas liquids are not as economically feasible as crude oil. Therefore, if your goal is to make a significant profit rather than just a small return on your investment, you would be best served by waiting. The same logic applies if your goal is to build a long-term relationship with an oil company. Waiting to invest in an expensive program now will only alienate your potential client base.

If you are considering tidal energy marketing research, your first step should always be to find out all that you can about the technology. While there are some well-known experts that provide credible information and recommendations for tidal energy, you should also try to find out as much as possible about the technologies, the industry leaders, and the suppliers. The Internet is a great source for this kind of research. While you will undoubtedly find some biased opinions in the tidal energy marketing forums, at least you will have an expert to consult who has done his or her research and understands the industry better than any of the amateur scientists that frequent the forums.

When you begin your search for information, you will undoubtedly come across a number of different opinions. Some will be good, some bad, and some will be completely wrong. The best thing to do when trying to determine what is what regarding tidal energy marketing advice is to find a consensus opinion about the topic. The opinions that you hear may not agree with one another but they should still be able to offer good insight into the subject.

When you have narrowed down your list of possible sources for information about tidal energy, your next step is to find out how you will pitch your products and services. This is where you can take your lead from the reputable forums. These individuals will have taken the time to speak with industry leaders and others who are in the know to get their opinion. After you have assembled the pieces of the puzzle, it is then time to set up a website to promote your products. While a blog works great for a marketing platform, having a separate website devoted to your business can help make sure that your efforts to get maximum exposure.

As mentioned above, research is the key when it comes to tidal energy marketing campaigns. Without thorough research, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Not only do you need to learn more about tidal energy, you also need to learn everything you can about the competition. If you aren't very competitive, you might have a harder time finding prospects. However, if you are too aggressive, you could see your profits decline. Researching each potential market space can help you ensure that your campaign is effective and profitable.

Overall, tidal energy marketing strategies can work for small businesses or large corporations. Even if you just manage to get one installation started, your name will be known by consumers and you will have created an important new source of income for your community. Take the time to learn more about this exciting and potentially lucrative opportunity.

Summary: According to XYZResearch study, over the next five years the Tidal Energymarket will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ xx million by 2026, from US$ xx million in 2020. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in Tidal Energybusiness.

Tidal Energy market development trend, sales volume and sales value (million USD) forecast in regional market, the main regions are China, USA, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, South America, Southeast Asia.

Sales forecast by type/application from 2021-2026

Industry chain, downstream and upstream information is also included.

World trade was already slowing in 2019 before COVID 19 outbreak, weighed down by trade tensions and slowing economic growth, such as uncertainty generated from Brexit, the U.S.-China trade war, the Japan-South Korea trade war.

Trade is expected to fall by between 13% and 32% in 2020 as the COVID 19 pandemic disrupts normal economic activity and life around the world, according to the study of WTO. The decline in exports has been mainly due to the ongoing global slowdown, which got aggravated due to the current Covid-19 crisis. The latter resulted in large scale disruptions in supply chains and demand resulting in cancellation of orders.

XYZResearch’s analysis shows that as China started reopening its economy, world exports initially recovered across the board. But estimates of the expected recovery in 2021 are uncertain, with outcomes depending largely on the duration of the outbreak and the effectiveness of the policy responses.

 We split global market into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (M USD), market share and growth rate of Tidal Energy for these regions, from 2014 to 2026 (forecast), covering

China

USA

Europe

Japan

Korea

India

Southeast Asia

South America

 Global Tidal Energy market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Tidal Energy sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (M USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including

Aquamarine Power ltd

Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd.

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd.

Tenax Energy

S.D.E. Energy Ltd.

AquaGen Technologies

Atlantis Resources Ltd.

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc.

Ocean Renewable Power Company LLC

Marine Current Turbines Ltd.

Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd

BioPower Systems

Blue Energy Canada Inc.

On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into

Tidal Stream Generator

Pendulor Device

Oscillating Water Columns

Barrage

Others (Lagoon and Turbine)

On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Tidal Energy for each application, including

Commercial

Industrial

Residential

 If you have any additional requirements, feel free to contact us.

Global Tidal Energy Market report offers great insights of the market and consumer data and their interpretation through various figures and graphs. Report has embedded global market and regional market deep analysis through various research methodologies. The report also offers great competitor analysis of the industries and highlights the key aspect of their business like success stories, market development and growth rate.

Global Toggle Light Switches Market

Global Toilet Seat Sanitizers Market

Global Tooling Composite Market

Global Toroidal Inductor Market

For more contact us: https://www.reportmines.com/ 

[timeagainreviews]

My Series 10 Rewatch: The Pilot

Hello friends! If you caught my last update, you'll know I took the last couple weeks off to study for my Life in the UK test. My test was on Saturday and I am happy to report that I passed! I think it took me longer to go through security than to take the actual test. After two weeks of studying, I am very much ready to get back into the groove of talking about Doctor Who. We now continue with my series ten rewatch!

The title "The Pilot," is an interesting choice for the first official episode of series ten. While it references the plot of the episode, there is also an implication that this story is a bit of a reset to a new beginning. It acts as a pilot to the Doctor and Bill show. Not only had Clara been the companion for basically three seasons at this point, there was also a year of hiatus between "The Husbands of River Song," and "The Return of Doctor Mysterio." It is a weird placement for a final season for a showrunner and lead actor. It's also a weird place to drop a brand new companion.

This new version of Doctor Who opens with the Doctor as a university professor teaching possibly the worst class on campus, that everyone seems to love. His star pupil is a girl named Bill, who isn't actually a student but loves his lectures. Speaking of star pupils, there is also a love interest for Bill in the form of a girl named Heather, but more on that later. The Doctor's office at the university is peppered with references to the past. On his desk sits a jar with the sonic screwdrivers of previous Doctors, like an assortment of pens. There are also portraits of River and Susan. And tucked away in the corner of the room sits the TARDIS, with an "out of order," sign hanging from its doors.

The first time I watched this episode I started to groan at the fact that the TARDIS was out of commission. Not because it should never happen, but more that I expected this to be incredibly tedious. After several years of Steven Moffat's plot arks leading to disappointment, I was bracing to be underwhelmed. As it turns out, the TARDIS works as good as it ever did. But the Doctor and Nardole are grounded regardless. This is due to the fact that there is some sort of door or safe they've been tasked with guarding, which brings us back to the whole bracing for mediocrity thing. I remember immediately thinking "Missy is in there." Spoiler alert- she absolutely is.

Dumb safes and meaningless promises meant to build up empty intrigue aside, the real reason to get excited for series ten is Bill. I was immediately interested in the concept of a black gay companion with a gender fucky name. I remember when the pictures circulated of her wearing a vintage Prince jumper and everyone was speculating whether she was from the '80s or '90s. This only added to my excitement for her character. As many of you know, I am a big fan of the idea of companions in modern Doctor Who that aren't from modern-day earth. Sadly, as it turns out, she's not a hip '80s lesbian, she's once again from modern-day England. Oh well, at least Nardole is from the future. Though I don't understand why he is suddenly a cyborg that makes whirring noises and drops lug nuts. There was none of that in Doctor Mysterio.

The Doctor calls Bill into his office where he confronts her about attending his classes. He wants to take her on as her personal tutor, despite her not being a student. He mentions that he noticed she smiles when she's confused, which is a good indication that she is openminded and naturally curious. It's even implied that he sees a little bit of Susan in her. I liked that little nod to Susan, though it begs the question why the new series has never had her return. While looking at the pictures, Bill indicates that she has no pictures of her mother before she died.

The Doctor uses this as an opportunity to do a kindness for his new friend Bill. Using his ability to time travel, the Doctor goes back in time to take a shoebox worth of photos of Bill's mother. Nevermind that doing this might change the trajectory of her mother's life, thus undoing any chance that she might meet Bill's father. It's a sweet moment for Bill, but it's undercut by Moffat's shitty writing. Bill notices the Doctor's reflection in one of the photos, but never brings it up. She doesn't even thank him. It doesn't really go anywhere other than to inform the audience that the TARDIS does, in fact, still work.

It's this kind of gay people need tragic backstories for no reason mentality that frames a lot of this episode. While I applaud Moffat's inclusion of a gay companion, it comes off as a middle-aged man's depiction of a young gay woman. There is diversity on the screen, but none in the writing room. This is made all the more apparent by Bill's horrible chips anecdote. Bill has a crush on a student who comes into the cafeteria where she works. So she gives her extra chips every day until it starts making the girl fat. The Doctor asks her why she is telling him this story and she replies with "I was hoping it would go somewhere." As did Steven Moffat, but it didn't. It just hangs there like a fart saying "Did I mention I was gay?"

The next few scenes take place over a montage. We see Bill and the Doctor in their respective student and tutor roles. And we also see Bill having a bit of a social life. Bill catches the starry-eyed glances of Heather at a club and they both stand there on the dance floor staring at each other. There's an implication that the two of them are into each other, but we never actually see anything to show why they would actually like one another other than raw animal attraction. In fact, their few interactions are actually rather awkward and cold. There's about as much chemistry between the two of them as there was between Clara and Danny. Which if you remember was zero.

There isn't really a whole lot of focus on anything other than characters for this episode. Moffat usually writes in one of two ways- heavy on character and light on plot, or so heavy on plot that it sits weird against his characters. This would be the former, as the plot is nearly non-existent. Bill begins to notice Heather around and tries to chat her up. Heather shows Bill a puddle that doesn't make sense considering it hadn't rained in days. I kind of love Bill's reasoning that the puddle is piss from the men on campus. That was genuinely funny. Well done, Moffat. But there is more to this puddle in that it also shows your reflection wrong. Heather notices this because the reflection of the star in her eye isn't where it should be.

Let's talk about Heather for a moment. She's a very odd character. Firstly, there is her eye, which has a defect that gives her iris a star shape. Bill asks the Doctor what kind of defect would do this, but neither the Doctor or the show has an answer. Much like Moffat's running gag from "The Curse of the Fatal Death," said- I'll explain later. But later never comes. Other than her eye, Heather's other two biggest traits are that she's most likely a lesbian and that she wants to leave. Her personality isn't really all that important other than to act as the thrust for the plot, which is sadly from another episode of Doctor Who altogether.

Doctor Who is a very old show. It’s bound to repeat itself. Chris Chibnall ripped off "The Silurians," wholesale with "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood." I get that this was necessary as a means to re-establish the Silurians and why they've remained underground. But on other occasions, Doctor Who seems to repeat itself out of sheer laziness. Remember when the library in "Forest of the Dead," saves everyone at their time of death? Or when Missy plucks people out of their timeline at their time of death? Or when the Testimony records people in history at their time of death? Or when the Thijarians comfort people at their time of death? Because I do. So it's not surprising that when Moffat wants to steal from another episode, he steals from one from his own stint as showrunner.

The episode I'm talking about is "The Lodger," written by transphobic Brexiteer shitlord- Gareth Roberts. In it, a spaceship disguised as a top story flat lures people to their demise while searching for a pilot to take it into space. The ship's main criteria for a pilot is that the candidate be someone with wanderlust. Does any of this sound familiar? That's the exact same M.O. of the mysterious puddle. It latches onto Heather because it senses her desire to travel and extrapolates that into consent to take over her body and use her to pilot it around the universe. However, another part of Heather's psyche has kept it earthbound- a desire to be with Bill. If you remember correctly, this is very similar to how "The Lodger," ended. Craig and Sophie's desire to stay together is what kept them from being reduced to ash by a machine too stupid to realise it was killing its host.

Now, I understand that it sounds like I'm ripping on Moffat quite a bit, but I actually do like him as a writer. "Heaven Sent," is one of the best episodes in the entire history of Doctor Who. This one, however, is not great. After the puddle overtakes Heather's body, it begins to follow Bill everywhere. At first, Bill thinks the puddle is Heather, but her creepy Midnight-esque repetition of everything Bill says is enough to raise suspicion. Bill begins to run to the safety of the Doctor, where she finds him and Nardole fussing with the giant safe. The room in which the safe is located only lets friends inside, which is either telling or worrying as the puddle is able to simply wash into the room under the door. As I watched the water flow down the stairs I found myself feeling forgiving toward the effects department from "The Horror of Fang Rock." Green blobs beat slow-mo water any day.

For no reason other than it needed to be more spooky, the puddle screams like a wraith every time we see it. I loved the little addition of Heather's wet mascara adding to her ghostly appearance. The Doctor, Nardole, and Bill take a trip around space and time to see if they can shake the puddle. But no matter where they go, the puddle is never far behind. For a creature made of water, it certainly is thirsty. And trust me, that's far better a pun than the one I was considering. The WAP references were just too low of a fruit.

For reasons I can't exactly pinpoint, the Doctor decides to take the chase right in the middle of a battle between the Daleks and the Movellans. While I love the return of the Movellans in all of their Rick James majesty, it's a very weird scene. As far as I can devise, the Doctor is merely trying to see if the puddle can withstand the blast of a Dalek. It almost feels like Moffat needed to wake the audience up with a jolt of Dalek action. Up to this point, there has been very little tension. What I can't figure out is what Nardole is doing with the Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver the whole time. From what I can tell, he's shutting doors, closing off the corridors and locking Daleks out. Maybe? I really don't understand.

The Puddle takes the form of a Dalek just long enough to make us worry that maybe Nardole didn't get them all. Watching the Dalek disintegrate into a puddle of water was genuinely cool. I was reminded of things like the clear Dalek from "Revelation of the Daleks," or the visible innards of the teleporting Dalek in "Remembrance of the Daleks." I like it when the show does weird visual stuff with the Daleks. It's part of why I love Davros so much. The puddle reforms as Heather, holding out her hand for Bill to take, which the Doctor warns her not to take.

Part of the tragedy of the Doctor's character is how oblivious he is to human emotion. It's part of why he needs human companions in the first place. He couldn't possibly conceive of a situation where Heather's own yearning for Bill might be the cause for all of their problems. But Bill sees this. She sees the human desire underneath all of the scary and so she too reaches out, grasping hands with Heather. What I don't understand is why Heather needed to leave and see the universe without Bill. Why they needed to say goodbye at all is more of that "gays can't have nice things," bullshit I mentioned earlier. Let's walk through the logic a bit.

Toward the beginning of the episode, the Doctor explains that the acronym for TARDIS- Time and relative dimension in space, means life. If you think about this, it's him saying that life is basically you in a point of time and a point of space, relative to you. Thus it explains the very essence of being alive and experiencing the universe from your unique perspective. But toward the end of the episode, he changes this position to mean that TARDIS means "What the hell?" As in, just go ahead and live life how you choose. This comes after the Doctor trying to wipe Bill's mind and deciding he can't. This leads to the Doctor allowing himself to travel, despite the promise he made about the safe nobody cares about. Basically, Heather doesn't get to join in on the Doctor and Bill's travels because Moffat still had to do a thing.

A lot of this episode is neutered by this need to adhere to the season ark. Which I now realise is a major contributing factor as to why I so often forget Nardole is a companion. Nardole is forced to become the Doctor's babysitter, forcing him to hide his travels with Bill. Because of this, we see Nardole as more of an authority figure than a companion. He's the strict schoolmaster the Doctor and Bill are forced to sneak past on their way to adventure. What this does, sadly, is cut Nardole out of a lot of the adventures. The same thing happened to Danny Pink, whose opposition to the Doctor often times left him out of the fun. Also like Danny Pink, it's an arrangement that worked best with Rory Williams and has been imitated to hell and back since.

While I can't consider this episode a total success, I also can't write it off outright. It would be easy to damn it in a "Simpsons did it," fashion for taking its plot from a previous episode. It would be easy to write it off for being plot light queer bait where nothing really happens. I could rail on the inclusion of the Daleks for the sake of Daleks. But I have to ask myself- what is the function of this episode? The answer to this question brings me back to its title. This episode is a pilot for a new iteration of the series. We're in a new place with some new faces, and some familiar ones. The pieces on the board have changed location and strategy. If the function of this episode was to hit reset, I would say it succeeds.

Bill is a very likeable character. You immediately want to see more of her. Her introduction is both charming and endearing. The roundabout way she took to arrive at saying "it's bigger on the inside," seemed less thick than quirky, which is right on the money. You want to see more of her. You want to hear more of her questions. You want to experience the universe through the filter of her perception. We needed a companion who was different from the previous one. It was important that the audience is able to move forward with the new cast. We're not comparing Bill to Clara as many did with Martha and Rose. We're not being asked to forget the past any more than we are being asked to cling to it. This is exactly the right tone and in that way, I find it to be wholly successful.

[uk-news-talking-politics]

Never-ending story: Deal unveils next Brexit arguments

By Ian Dunt

The deal Boris Johnson brought back from Brussels should be a prized moment of triumph for Brexit's hardline political leaders. The war is won. No free movement, or single market, or customs union. Britain out of even the most harmless European programmes or regulators, like Erasmus or the European Aviation Safety Authority. Everything settled. Total victory.

So it's interesting that the deal isn't really the end of something at all. It is the start of it. It is the creation of a forum for further conversations, in which Britain can either pull further away from Europe or walk closer towards it. But all the dynamics we see - in terms of the structure of the agreement, the economic repercussions and the likely political motivations of future governments - point towards reintegration with Europe. The document is a testament to Brexit's victory. But it contains within it the flaws which will undermine and perhaps even reverse it as a project.

The central accomplishment of the deal is to secure zero tariffs. That's what both sides wanted and it's what they got. This shouldn't be brushed aside. If it were not the case, parts of manufacturing and most of farming would become unprofitable overnight.

But elsewhere, the deal is really quite strikingly poor, even by the standards the government set itself. The British team hoped that professional qualifications on both sides would be mutually recognised. They failed. They hoped to secure an equivalence agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and reduce the hassle of checks on agricultural goods, like the EU offered New Zealand and Japan. They failed. They tried to secure mutual recognition of conformity assessments so that domestic bodies could certify goods for the EU market, like the EU offered Canada and the US. They failed.

But then, it's possible the government never really cared about these issues, or that it didn't have the capacity to pursue them given the tight timeframe and covid. So it's worth looking instead at two areas they really did care about: the level playing field and fishing.

Level playing field

The level playing field involves policy areas like labour rights, the environment and state aid - where a government subsidises a sector in a way that disadvantages its competitors.

The EU's opening position was that the UK align dynamically with its law on state aid under European Court of Justice jurisdiction. Over the summer, it gave up on that and instead demanded a domestic state aid enforcement programme from the UK, which would lead to arbitration in the case of a breach, and tariffs if one side was found to have broken their word. And after a lot of screaming and shouting and needless fuss, that was basically what they got.

Each side has to maintain a body to oversee its subsidy control regime and a court or tribunal to try subsidy cases. If a subsidy breaches the agreement, the court can order it to be recouped. If a dispute over subsidies is not solved by consultation between the EU and UK, each party can resort to "remedial measures". There is arbitration before the counter-measures are imposed and possibly afterwards, if one party says they are disproportionate. If they find there was a breach, it can authorise a suspension of parts of the trade agreement.

On labour standards and the environment, both sides committed to not lowering protections, with a right to proportionate counter-measures in the event of a breach with a material impact on trade or investment. Those counter-measures will be subject to review by an arbitration tribunal.

But there is also an arrangement which sits above all these specific provisions. It is called "rebalancing". This is not about maintaining present standards, it's about what happens in the future. If either party decides that there have been "significant divergences" in the level playing field which are having a major impact on trade and investment, they can impose "rebalancing measures" in the form of tariffs.

After four years, if one side decides there have been too many breaches, they can trigger a review of that whole part of the trade agreement, leading to a potential suspension of the whole thing and other linked aspects, like transport. Basically, the threat of no-deal hasn't gone away, even now. It can still be imposed after a few years if the two sides diverge.

Fishing

The results on fishing follow a similar pattern. The opening EU position was that Britain should maintain the position it had in the EU. This involves a complex interplay of arrangements. Basically, the stock of fish species are divided up between countries in set quotas, which do not change. Then each year scientists provide advice on a total allowable catch.

Britain's position was that it was now an independent coastal state and it would decide what went on in its waters. Essentially it wanted to turn into Norway, which gets together with the EU every year to sort out the quota. If no agreement is reached, Norway can tell them they can't fish in their waters.

Legally, Britain's position was completely sound. But it had a problem with leverage. Britain does not eat its own fish - 80% of what it catches goes to the EU. So if the UK refused to play ball, the EU would simply apply the tariffs on fish, which are very high, and make the sector unprofitable. You could catch all the fish you want, you just couldn't sell them.

Many experts thought the UK would fail to get the EU to re-open the tortured quota question, but in fact it secured a 25% increase in the value of the EU catch in UK waters. Less than it wanted, but a decent result. There'll be an adjustment period of five and a half years. This new quota then becomes the baseline for 2026. Like Norway, annual negotiations will decide access.

But an interesting thing happens if the UK tries to block or limit EU access to its waters. The EU can retaliate by limiting access to its waters, or, more damagingly, slapping tariffs on fish, or on other goods, or even by suspending other parts of the deal. Either side can terminate the arrangement, but if they do it automatically terminates the trade, aviation and road transport sections - basically the no-deal guillotine again.

Boris Johnson claimed that after the five and a half year adjustment period is over, Britain could catch "all the fish that it wants". In fact, this is incorrect. The deal clearly suggests that after this period the quota will stay at the point of the initial reduction. Of course, the UK can close its waters if it wants to, but tariffs will go up.

This dynamic is very similar to the one experienced by countries like Norway in the EEA agreement. They technically have a way of vetoing European law. It's called Article 102 – the 'right of reservation'. Norway even came pretty close to using it over the Postal Services Directive. But if they did it, it would neutralise that whole part of the agreement. So they never do, because the consequences are too dire.

No closure

This is the great advantage the EU has. It is an advantage of size, but also of solidarity. The UK can't pick countries off and sell the fish to one of them if tariffs go up with another. The tariffs are the same for all. This is what gives the EU its strength. It's why the UK mostly capitulated. And it's why the dynamic is likely to remain the same in future. After all, this is the most messianically pro-Brexit government we're likely to see. If they didn't take no-deal in the face of EU leverage, how likely is it that a future one will?

There is ultimately no closure here. We are going to see the same dynamic in future that we have witnessed over the last four years: constant talking and bickering, with the UK facing the reality of EU leverage.

The deal sets up a new institutional structure of a Joint Partnership Council - and you'd better get used to that name, you'll be hearing it a lot over the next few years. It'll be formed of over 30 sub-councils, each focusing on a specific area of the agreement. What was once done in the Council and Commission will be done through a vast array of specialised committees and working groups. As time goes on, more of these committees will emerge, on things like financial services, as they become added to the framework of the agreement.

Every five years, the UK and EU will review the agreement, supplementary agreements and any matters related to it. That corresponds to the standard five-year political timetable in Brussels and Westminster. In other words, each new Westminster parliament, or Council president, or European parliament, is going to have their own Brexit, their own appraisal of the relationship.

This is a pulsating, living deal. The metaphor of a divorce no longer really holds. It's like a couple splitting up but then buying a new much smaller home where they'll meet up at weekends. Maybe they'll be sickened by each other whenever they arrive. Maybe they'll start to remember what they saw in each other in the first place. Divergence or integration.

For the next couple of years, Johnson will try to prove the benefits of the former. But in the medium-to-long-term, the good money is on the latter. Future Labour governments will seek closer ties on security, trade and smaller items like Erasmus. More pro-business Tory administrations without the current ERG baggage may well pursue the same. Business will lobby constantly for the UK to avoid regulatory divergence because it will increase the cost of exports to Europe. And most importantly, the EU has very broad powers in the agreement to punish divergence. It can suspend parts of the agreement, or simply apply tariffs.

So structurally, economically and politically, the winds blow in the direction of integration. It's not conspiracy or magic; it's just that people trade most with places that are close and big. And when they trade, they want less friction. Brexit has done many shocking things, but it cannot negate the objective reality of geography or trade flows.

Even in the moment of Brexit's triumph, it carries the seeds of its own failure.

[stone-man-warrior]

October 30, 2020: 2:55 pm:

I am seeing evidence of a calling to terror soldiers to attack in large groups, but with the specification of not using a nitrous gas tank to hold and carry the nitrous has weapon, the attack without a tank is called “natural”, and suggests that the targets of such “natural” terror soldiers, are those of high security, where concealing nitrous tanks is not possible without risk of detection.

This is in response to what I am seeing, I wrote these ideas and thoughts on my suspended Twitter account, cannot send it anywhere. The result of that kind of writing in the Twitter text boxes, has proven to be interesting, but the remedy for the outcome of such writing is beyond what I am able to combat. Begging for help here.

There is not much time.

I need help personally from ongoing attacks at my home, and the nation needs help from ongoing attacks throughout the USA, and the world needs help to maintain freedom for the people on it.

Please send help.

Send US Military to Oregon.

Please send medical services.

This Pontifex Tweet fits the "natural" commands that Trump seems to be saying.

If Jesus is a sail on a mast, he uses wind to move the boat where the mast is attached.

Some sails differ.

A sail with a tank to carry nitrous, differs from a similar sail, but one without a tank of nitrous.

Put the difference aside. Become "Natural". In that way, draw near to others, to use wind to move the boat. No tank, no questions asked.

Look for ideas presented on Twitter that present low pressure conditions, or, low wind speed, or, foul odor, perhaps cows and bovine ideas, stampede, brief gusts rather than long sustained wind, or acceleration. Short burts of power created with many parts.

The story about the "walking building" today fits into these kinds of terror commands. The building was moved a short distance by virtue of many RAMS, each one taking a small step, moving forward in unison, and with alternating steps.

Many terror soldiers, each one armed with a small quantity of nitrous gas, working in unison, alter-nately... alter-neatly... alter naturaly, in effort, to gain some ground.

In the field where this attack plan is to be deployed, it is likely a highly secure area, one where concealing an internal nitrous tank could be detected.

Air Port. Government facility. Large corporate technology research & development offices, facilities. Military installation. Voting booth? I think not.

Bigger, more, complex.

Vote counting, yes.

Vote count facility in your county: "Hi, we are with NBC Universal, and we are interested in showing the TV viewers, the voting public, just exactly how secure and proffessional the vote counting and verification process is done. We would (pssssss) like to get (hissssss) your permission to (HISSSSSSS) have access and follow the proceeesssssssss as you count votes here. There are only 27 of us in our production team, we (hissssss pssssss) won't be in the way, we are NBC Universal, the trusted source for US voters (hisssssss)."

Something like that might happen. After NBC Universal gets inside, anything could happen.

I think bigger, and more secure an area though. The vote counts are correct historically in my view, it's the voters who are imposters, millions, and more millions of Canadians who killed and replaced the majority of the voting public over the course of fifty years. The vote count is already been dealt with by the Pope Bergoglio and his pirate navy.

What else could they be after, something very useful as an "end game" guarantee of sustained and eternal power after the last blow is dealt?

Absence of Freedom, is the presence of captivity.

They will be wanting every guarantee that once the last drop of freedom is squeezed from USA, that there can be no possible means of restoring the freedom.

So, prisons, jails, hospitals.

Those kinds of things are what they need.

US Military bases on all continents, they need that, and have already successfully taken many of them, so, which US Military bases are left un-sacked?

Those are the places where small sparking devices should have been installed years ago, at and around US Military bases. Small candle holders in those areas. The towns where bases are at, need to have sparking devices installed throughout the towns. Attach them to the street lamps, cross walks, along the guard rails on the freeway.

It only needs to make a small spark and be distributed around a geographic area.

USA is not worth the cost of a set of spark plugs, so, no one listened to what I have been warning about for so long, and, USA remains wide open to the Bergoglio and his pirate navy. USA is being beaten by a group of church lady's and TV entertainers. We are getting our asses annihilated, and no one is noticing what has been happening. We, as a nation, are still not seeing that the corona virus is not a virus. It's a gas attack, and it has "gone viral". It's not a medical virus, it's a slaughter. The gas attack is viral by the way it is carried out, by attacking individuals, regular citizens, capturing them, torturing them, so they will provide information that leads the terror army to other family and friends of the captured victim. The contacts in the cellular phones of victims alone, is enough to cause exponentially increasing numbers of victims hourly, each one replaced with an imposter from the Canadian terror army, or, from SAG casting rosters.

Either way, the replacements happen, are cast into their roles in place of murdered victims, stacked on top of one another over time, every day, each cellular phone obtained leads to dozens more victims, daily, hourly, and compounded by the minute exponentially.

We are still not seeing that the virus is only viral by the way the terror army is attacking.

We are still refusing to use simple elementary physics to combat the virus. In the event that there is a virus, or, in the event that it's a nitrous gas attack on the world, either way, the small flame that clears the air of both germs, and nitrous gas, is being tossed into the water, discarded.

A hundred thousand years of humans using a flame to survive.... forgotten about.

I don't think there is much of a threat at the voting facilities, I think other targets are what they are going to take. Look at this way... there are two choices on the ballot, each one is a piece of shit, there is no choice.

It's like that intentionally. Both are on the same team, they act as if they are enemies, but their goals are the same, so, the vote will not change anything. The change if Biden is selected, only amounts to the difference of volume. It will go from loud and obnoxious, to quiet and secretive. There will no other real change. They both work from the same SAG Screenplay. They are both staring roles in the same soap opera.

The point is that the vote result, either way, serves the Pope Bergoglio and his pirate navy the same way.

They are after other, bigger, more important targets. The kinds of targets that ensure USA loss of freedom, loss of nation, loss of constitution, will remain a loss.

French North American Republic Territory is the goal for all of North America that the Bergoglio's crusades are after. He works in unison with British House of Lords, and they use Screen Actor Guild to command the Canadian terror army that was provided to the SAG, by the British Throne, for them to command with marching orders, here, on Twitter.

FNART replaces Canada, USA, and Mexico with a new Communist Kingdom. Clearly, you can easily see that ingredients used for the set up, NAFTA, then USMCA.

Add Trump's Wall, and then see that Brexit is the other side of the coin in Europe. The British used the Euro Dollar as a weapon, one that allowed anonymous easy travel between the European countries, easy access for the Pope Bregoglio's pirate navy. Meanwhile, the UK never accepted the Euro Dollar. They won't allow that freedom of anonymous movement, you need Pound Sterling while in the UK, so, you need to ID yourself at an currency exchange house. But not in the EU. Just load up on that monopoly toy money that the Brit’s arranged, and start hopping fences.

A global attack.

Having said all of that, some clarification:There is a difference between Trump and Biden in the White House, however, that difference won't affect the outcome, the way I see things.

Like I said, the Brit's use the Christian church to build a base of crusading terror soldiers. Both Trump and Biden are loyal to the Brits, loyal to the Vatican, neither are loyal to USA.

There is a complication as mentioned in other things I have written, and that is Trump is, like Biden, a British Knight, however, secretly Trump is loyal to the German parts of the Vatican, the remnants of Pope Benadict. On other hand, Biden is loyal to the current Pope, the Bergoglio.

With the Bergoglio, comes Amazon, Google, Tesla, Facebook, Twitter, Space X, The Boring Company, and all of the so called "Unicorns".

With the Pope Benedict parts of the Vatican, the Trump parts, also comes those same things. The difference is that the Bergoglio Unicorns don't know that the Benedict parts of the Vatican have been undermining them, while riding on all of those long coat tails they made. The Trump/Benedict Vatican, is in conflict with the Bergoglio/House of Lords Vatican.

It's complicated.

None of that complication changes the outcome, that USA will be replaced with a new nation. The difference seems to be, whether Canada and Mexico is included in both versions of the end of the soap opera. Trump built a wall. That does not really fit into the Bergoglio/House of Lords plans for North America. That plan had no wall, to my knowledge.

How does all of that affect the Brexit part of the global takeover?

I don't have an answer or speculation for that. As far as the Corona Virus is concerned, it's as if we have become too fucking stupid to save our own lives.

3:15 pm.

[thessalian]

Thess vs Looking Forward

So. Briefly.

I know that a lot of you are upset about Biden being the Democratic candidate instead of Sanders. I get it. I do. Just ... please. Let me give you a potted history of the 2019 election here in the UK.

Jeremy Corbyn was the leader of the Labour party. He was a lot like Bernie Sanders in terms of policy. The thing is, he was slandered mercilessly by the Tories, and there was the passingly curious fact that his policies were probably too radical to be implemented wholesale without the kind of economic shakeup that would result in pushback from the mega-rich that would, in the end, hurt a lot of people long before it helped them. Yes, it would help them in the end, but not before a small but significant percentage of them died of starvation, exposure, and / or suicide because of the steps the mega-rich would take to keep their mega-rich status. Yes, in the end it would probably be better. Probably. But then again, there’s the straight-up cynicism within the voting population: “Yeah, this sounds great, but they’ll never do it”. Decades of increasingly obvious backtracking on campaign promises, using the party manifesto as toilet paper, and straight-up barefaced lies means that people don’t trust good intentions anymore.

Long story short: Corbyn promised the moon, even most of the people who wanted the moon were less than convinced that he’d give it to them ... and add to that his non-stance on Brexit. He was deemed too reactionary and too extreme in his political views, and a lot of people within Labour were suggesting that maybe he should let there be a vote on whether to keep him as leader of the Labour party, thinking that there might be a chance for Labour to win the 2019 election if Corbyn wasn’t ... you know, the face of the party. He refused, and the election was called. And not enough people voted tactically because of their issues with Corbyn and /or his policies. So ... for those of you who weren’t aware, or didn’t know, the result:

The Conservative Party, and thus Boris fucking Johnson, got an 80 SEAT MAJORITY.

Want to look at UK news and see what he’s done with it?

The US has it worse. You’ve already had that orange-hued jackass in office for four years. You can’t survive another four years of Trump. You sure as hell can’t survive another more than four - and he’ll try, if he wins. He’s been taking lessons from Putin and see what Putin’s done to dodge, rewrite, and straight-up unmake the restrictions on how many terms a Russian president can serve. If it wasn’t Putin, it was one of Putin’s puppets.

Shut up about Bernie Sanders. I know. I understand. I do. I wanted Corbyn too. But I also knew that we were not at a stage where he could win an election. I personally think he should have stood down as leader of the Labour party before Labour even thought about an election. Right now, you have Biden. And there’s a lot being said about Biden, good and bad. Just remember that in the UK, Corbyn got badly slandered, and a lot of what was said about him didn’t stand up. Those things were said - and highlighted, and twisted, and snuck into the dialogue - to make him look less palatable than his policies made him look. And to be fair, it wasn’t that his policies looked bad; it was that they were easy to twist to make look bad. Reactionary policies often are.

Right now, your choices are Biden or Trump. You can say “I can vote third party!” all you want, but look at it out there! A vote for third party at this stage is a vote for Trump. End of statement.

Put Bernie Sanders behind you, hold your nose, vote tactically (which means vote Democrat), and remove the literal fascist from office! If you don’t, he will use his four years to make sure you can’t ever do it by peaceful means again! I would not put it past him! Again, lessons from Putin!

Stand on your smaller principles later. Stand for the least amount of damage to your civil liberties now.