#Corporate Comms Agency

[seraphimcommunications]

Best Strategic Communications Consulting Service in India - Seraphim Communications

Seraphim Communications emerges as the premier choice for strategic communications consulting in India. Renowned for its innovative solutions, tailored strategies, and impactful outcomes, Seraphim empowers organizations to navigate complexities with clarity, amplify their voices, and drive meaningful change in today's dynamic landscape.

[catboydogma]

Ur taking prompts? Could I request some fox angst? loved CTHONIC

this is (checks notes) two and a half years late but i finally did it, fellas. thank u for the prompt anon (yes i am taking prompts feel free to send prompts) and i'm glad u enjoyed chthonic!

cross-posted to ao3

wc: 2244

notes: gen, mild language, angst with a happy ending, cody's in here too, fluff, i'm gonna be honest this turned out less angsty than i thought it would but i hope it still fills your heart, anon. not quite hurt/comfort but something adjacent

1800.

Fox rubbed his eyes. He glanced at the time again.

1801.

The numbers were lying to him. They had to be lying to him. He’d been in this office reviewing mission debriefs and time sheets and finalized schedules—version 5.2.7 final final, no, really, recent final, Commander Thorn’s version—for an entire year. But the time said he still had two hours to go before his shift ended—and he could leave all the datapads and shit in his office—and go down to 79’s to talk to Cody. This was the first leave the 212th had actually been allowed to dock dirtside and not be immediately recalled for some emergency to whatever “biggest catastrophe of the tenday” the Senate found on the docket. Cody had said something about Kenobi threatening to go spare if they didn’t get at least half their actual promised leave. Fox had thought—but hadn’t said anything, in a noble and selfless show of self-restraint—that maybe Kenobi should be allowed to go spare, just this once, just to see what would happen. But it was likely that would happen anyway; the Third Systems army was notorious for a royally fucked deployment schedule.

1805.

Shit. Fox stifled a yawn and scrawled his signature across the bottom of another datapad before stacking it onto the “finished” pile. Or, in this case, the “for some little shit Corporal to cart to Stone” pile.

He would finish these forms. He would get the whole priority stack done. Then he would clean his teeth. Do something about his hair. And he would go out.

1807.

Prime’s cock. Fox was going to die here buried by a pile of datapads and formwork. Seppies didn’t have anything on the fucking roaches that ran Senate InSec. Fox longed for the days of being a snotty little Lieutenant and not knowing anything about SCI evaluation forms or whatever fresh torture admin was cooking up next. They did this to torture him—personally—specifically Fox. They were doing this with malice in whatever shriveled stones InSec personnel passed off as hearts.

His comm pinged. Fox slapped a hand over it, then lifted it to check the sender ID.

1810.

CMC212-2224: I have been detained by Cpt Howl and Gen Kenobi. ETA 2030. I have been informed that this is quote an intervention unquote. I will keep you apprised.

Fox almost laughed—then grimaced as it turned into a yawn. He could only imagine what that conversation would look like.

CMC000-1010: Fine. Dont bring the jedi

CMC212-2224: Defamation and slander.

Fox snorted. Kenobi was rubbing off on his vod. Possibly in more ways than one—if barracks gossip was to be believed.

Well, if the illustrious Marshal Commander Cody was going to be late, then maybe Fox had time to rearrange his schedule a little. He could clock out later than planned—and if he clocked out later than planned that meant he had a new slot in his schedule perfectly sized for a little nap. The strange fever-nightmares had been getting worse lately. More lurid. As wartime litigation and political corruption weakened planetary agencies—and with the other hand, strengthened the GAR—taking on CorSec’s duties had given the Coruscant Guard longer shifts and less resources. One would think that as the GAR grew and shit got added to the Guard’s plate they would get authorized for more personnel and greater expenditures—but that kind of calculation was what PerSec was for. Supposedly. Not that they did much but embezzle shit. Mm, embezzlement. Maybe there was untapped potential to be had in that avenue of strategy. Fox pushed his datapad into the pile and blearily set an alarm to ring in fifteen minutes.

He'd just close his eyes. Just for a few minutes. Then he could finish the rest of this shit. Just a few minutes and…

In the absence of that awful din someone had been making, static quiet rushed to fill Fox’s ears. He sighed and rolled his head from side to side, working out the ache in the back of his neck. The silence was oppressive and heady now that the racket was gone—that high-pitched ringing and squalling had really been getting on Fox’s nerves. Thank the Force someone had finally silenced their stupid alarm.

Alarm.

Fuck.

Every muscle in Fox’s body seized in panic. He jolted upright and swayed dangerously close to falling out of his chair, vision still blurry from a hazy combination of waking and exhaustion. The office was dark. The screen of his datapad cast a dim blue glow into the room, picking out incongruous details: a scuff on the edge of his desk, the underside of an open drawer jutting out of the filing cabinet, the gaping mouth of a half-empty caf mug.

“Heck,” a vod muttered behind him.

There was only one idiot in the GAR who still swore like a cadet.

“Shit,” Fox slurred. He groaned and slumped back down against the desk, breath hissing out of him. “Shit. How long—what time?”

“Just past 1900.” Cody righted a stack of datapads that Fox had nearly knocked over and squared the edges of the stack with the right corner of the desk.

What a freak. No, wait. Past…

“Fucking—” Fox squeezed his face between his hands and rubbed the heel of his palm into an eye until it felt bruised and hot. He’d had one job tonight. He hadn’t even managed to clear his damn inbox yet. Stupid, stupid. He should have known better than to close his eyes like that on the job. And this was the one window of time he could see Cody without a war table between the two of them, or a room full of Admiralty and Jedi watching and assessing and—

“Think you had the right idea with this,” Cody said, scrubbing his knuckles over the top of Fox’s head and through his curls. Fox watched Cody in a stupor as he peered into the open filing cabinet and shuffled its contents around so that the drawer finally closed properly. The pile of spare bits of gear and discarded pieces of armor that had accumulated on Fox’s only other chair—he was going to get around to tidying the office one day, mark his words, and then the chucklefucks who kept leaving their shit around the room would really be sorry—got a similar treatment.

“Coming all this way just to see if I’d fallen down a maintenance shaft or some shit must have been a real bitch,” Fox muttered, rubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. There was dried drool on his chin. Fucking mortifying. “Sorry to disappoint.” Cody still had time to go back out, probably. If not to 79’s then maybe to whatever other hole his troopers were slumming it in while they were on leave.

“Figured something came up.” Cody’s voice was even as he peered into the caf mug on Fox’s desk. His nose wrinkled slightly. Fox, whose Cody translator was rusty but still functional, took this to mean that Cody was disgusted beyond words by the dark rings of caf stains and thick layer of dust that filled the bottom of the mug. “If you had wanted to blow me off you would’ve found a more offensive way to do it.”

“Yeah, well.” Fox stared at a scuff mark on the top of the desk while Cody organized a row of styluses by size and weight. Sorry for ruining our plans was out of the question. I missed you and I’m sorry I’m a fuck-up, nope, definitely not. For some reason, you should go have fun and hang out with your troopers or your Jedi or whoever, rain check, but not really, I know you’re busy, I’m busy, this fucking sucks was just as impossible to try and say. Please stay, I don’t care if you ruin my filing system with your freak-ass bullshit, just stay and keep talking to me… fuck no. Absolutely unacceptable. “Got a lot on my plate. You’re gonna have to wait a bit on the obscene singing telegram. You know how the red tape is.”

“Looks it.” Cody surveyed the half-lit office with a dissatisfied slant to his mouth. On anyone else it would have been sarcasm. On Cody, it felt like vindication. “Got a headache from 79’s. Your boys have a cosy set-up in the breakroom down the hall. Figured I could put my boots up and get some shuteye if nothing else.”

Fox blinked, still trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. The nap had been one that had left him dead to the world, and dredging himself back up out of it was excruciating. And it had left him exhausted, too. There really was no winning this shit. “I bet your ARCs snore like a rancor, too.”

“Bet my ARCs snore louder than yours,” Cody said promptly, which was a sucker’s bet. There was a reason Hound had gotten his name, and it wasn’t just because he was damn good ARF. “Lighting in here’s dismal.” He got his hands under Fox’s arms and heaved him out of his chair with a hup and no further explanation. The door to the hall got thrown wide open and Fox winced at the flood of harsh fluorescent light that stung his eyes and made him flinch back against Cody’s grip with a rattle of plastoid.

“Some of us have work to do,” Fox growled, but it was half-assed at best. Cody just tightened his grip on Fox and practically frog marched him down the corridor.

“Got a lot of work to do,” Cody agreed, which was a trap. Cody agreeing with anything was always a trap. “Got to get my vod’ika some real sleep.”

“I didn’t know Wolffe was on Triple-Zero.” Fox finally let himself slump into Cody, accepting his fate. Now that he was away from the looming piles of formwork and a to-do list longer than his vambrace—it was easier to convince himself that it could wait until tomorrow. At least some of it.

“Wolffe’s next,” Cody told him.

Ominous. Somewhat unsettling. Ah, whatever it was, Wolffe deserved it. Probably.

The break room was blessedly close to empty. A trooper was sat bolt upright at a far table, armor all on and hands in his lap. Fox was fairly sure he was sleeping; the helmet made it hard to tell, but figuring out how to sleep upright was vital skill number fucking one for Corries.

They traded stupid stories while Cody stirred instant coco into hot water. The caf machine in here was on the fritz again—that was probably for the best. The worn sofa in the back corner still had a heavy knit blanket thrown over the back—Fox couldn’t quite remember if this had been a gift or left here by General Gallia at some point, which was sometimes the same thing—that was warmer and softer than Fox remembered it ever being. He grudgingly peeled off most of his armor, in deference to Cody in his sharply pressed dress greys.

Did the vod know that clothing existed out of GAR supply stocks? Fox tried to imagine Cody in a pair of non-reg fuzzy socks or, hell, a big robe like something the Jedi wore. A fancy jacket. A little top hat—nope. He could practically feel his eyes crossing at the effort. It was most likely that Cody had gotten his undersuit surgically grafted to him at some point—so he was never out of uniform.

They curled together on the sofa and Fox threw the blanket haphazardly over the two of them. Fox’s muscle memory knew this much, even if his memories of the last time they’d been able to do this had grown hazy with time—memories of sneaking into Cody’s sleeping pod at night as cadets to sleep back-to-front so they had someone to reach for when the night terrors grew thick enough to choke on. Memories of bowing over each other in private when the fear rose—of not being good enough, of losing a batchmate to a cruel trainer or the exacting standards of the cloners or their own carelessness—those didn’t come from Fox’s head. They were carved into his bones, they were threaded in sinew and marrow.

“Thanks for coming,” Fox said. Finally—an acceptable substitute to the words that had been bouncing around his skull and tying up his tongue. “You were right, this is better.”

Cody tipped his chin in a short nod and pressed his shoulder into Fox’s a little harder. Then, because he was a petty little shit of the highest ranking: “Didn’t catch that second bit. Let’s hear it for the record.”

“You…are an ass,” Fox said loudly, right into his ear.

“Must be genetic,” Cody said. He oozed smug at Fox, even with his expression perfectly still. It was in the tilt of his head and the way he was still managing—somehow—to look down his nose at Fox.

“No shit,” Fox muttered. He barely managed to finish off the rest of his tepid coco before sleep was tipping him sideways once more, held secure by the implacable weight of Cody’s arm around him and the rhythm of his brother’s breathing soothing something in his chest—something Fox hadn’t even known was wounded and weary. Yeah, maybe things had turned out alright after all.

[somuchyoudontknow]

Brief clarification to help with understanding the meaning of key terms: The definition of PUBLIC RELATIONS is not “publicity” though publicity is an aspect of PR.

From prsa.org: “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. At its core, public relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders across numerous platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization.”

Trolling online communities (key stakeholders across numerous platforms) to establish and/or support a specific narrative falls under the modern definition of Public Relations.

Signed, A 12-year veteran of B2B corporate PR and 9-year veteran of B2C PR/comms agency 😉

Thanks for the great info :)

[tortoisebore]

what do you think all the marauders characters would study in university?

in my head sirius is an artsy girlie & disgustingly smart but uninterested in majors that would lead to a traditional 9-5 kind of job, so he’d study something in the realm of fine arts or music that allows lots of room for freedom of expression and would lead to an interesting & exciting career (also helps that he’s a trust fund baby & has an inheritance from his guncle to fall back on)

remus is a huge fucking nerd & enjoys to inflict torture upon himself for no reason so he would do something like history or literature where u have to go to like a billion years of grad school to do anything but teach. he would also be that person that double majors just bc it’s hard & he thought he could, then nearly dies bc he’s taking 22 hours in one semester & his bf keeps having drag him out of the library to do human things like eat and sleep

james would do some shit like marketing or mass comm bc he’s a great public speaker & charismatic enough to convince ppl he knows what he’s talking ab. like imagine ur watching the news & some corporation is doing a press release and the person standing behind the mic is a very boisterous james potter. imagine u hired an agency to pitch a print ad campaign for ur newest product launch and its james potter running the slides & convincing u that u need a giant fucking billboard off of a rarely-used highway exit. like it just makes sense

peter’s a wild card tbh & i think he’d have trouble narrowing down what he wants to do bc he’s one of those ppl that’s good at a lot of things but doesn’t have one particular area he’s super attached to or passionate ab. i could see him switching majors like four times his freshman year before landing on something like UI/UX design where u can make a lot of money for knowing how people interact with technology (he’d be the one in high school running his pc into the ground w sims 4 mods & showing all the others a bunch of iOS features & they’ve never heard of) (he taught remus how to use text effects & now he won’t stop spamming the gc w bad pictures of sirius with echo)

[thewilful]

Leading Climate Comms Experts in the UK

The Wilful Group is a renowned communication agency that specializes in helping businesses, startups, and green tech companies scale solutions to the climate emergency. As leaders in climate innovation PR in the UK, we offer bespoke services to support a low-carbon and regenerative economy. Our team of professionals with diverse PR expertise across corporate, creative, consumer, digital, and B2B sectors can help you navigate the climate tech spectrum with strategic advice and practical support. Make a real difference to the world with The Wilful Group – your go-to climate communications firm.

[config-nilesh]

Top Website Design Agencies in Noida for Small Businesses

In the digital age, having a well-designed website is crucial for any business looking to establish its presence online, especially for small businesses. Noida, a rapidly growing IT and business hub, is home to several top-notch website design agencies that cater to the needs of small businesses, helping them create professional, user-friendly, and responsive websites. These agencies offer a range of services, from web design to development, ensuring that businesses can attract their target audience and compete effectively in the market.

Here’s a look at some of the top website design agencies in Noida that specialize in offering affordable and high-quality services to small businesses.

1. Tech9logy Creators

Tech9logy Creators is a highly regarded web design and development agency in Noida, known for its creative designs and robust development practices. They specialize in offering services tailored to small businesses, ensuring that the website is not only visually appealing but also optimized for functionality and search engine performance.

Key services include:

Custom website design

E-commerce website development

SEO optimization

Mobile-responsive design

For small businesses looking for budget-friendly solutions, Tech9logy Creators offers flexible packages without compromising on quality.

2. WebPreneurs Pvt. Ltd.

WebPreneurs has made a name for itself as one of the best website design agencies in Noida. They focus on delivering tailor-made websites that help small businesses build a strong digital presence. Their team of skilled designers and developers work closely with clients to understand their business goals and create designs that reflect their brand identity.

Services offered:

Website design and development

CMS integration (WordPress, Shopify)

UI/UX design

Website maintenance services

Their extensive experience in working with small businesses ensures that they provide cost-effective solutions that drive results. WebPreneurs also offers post-launch support, which is crucial for small businesses to keep their websites updated and functional.

3. iBrandox

iBrandox is another leading web design agency in Noida that has been providing top-tier services to small and medium-sized businesses. Their primary focus is on creating websites that not only look great but also perform well in terms of speed, responsiveness, and SEO. For small businesses looking to expand their digital footprint, iBrandox offers packages that suit different budgets.

Their expertise includes:

Custom web design

Responsive web development

SEO-friendly website structure

E-commerce solutions

iBrandox understands the unique challenges faced by small businesses and ensures that their websites are easy to navigate, with clean designs that engage users and convert visitors into customers.

4. Webpulse Solution Pvt. Ltd.

Webpulse Solution Pvt. Ltd. is a trusted name in the web design industry in Noida, with a strong reputation for delivering results-driven solutions for small businesses. They offer affordable yet high-quality web design services, including custom-built websites that are mobile-friendly and optimized for search engines.

Their services include:

Custom website design

Corporate website design

Website redesign services

SEO and digital marketing services

For small businesses looking to revamp their existing website or start from scratch, Webpulse offers comprehensive solutions that ensure improved user experience and better search engine rankings.

5. CSS Founder

CSS Founder is a popular web design company in Noida, known for offering affordable services without compromising on quality. Their motto, "Website for Everyone," reflects their commitment to helping small businesses get online with attractive, functional websites. They provide fast and reliable web design services, ensuring that small businesses can establish their online presence quickly.

Key offerings:

Business website design

E-commerce website development

Website redesign

Website maintenance

CSS Founder also provides transparent pricing, allowing small businesses to budget accordingly without hidden costs. Their experience with small businesses makes them a go-to option for those looking for affordable yet high-quality web design.

6. Xwebbuilders

Xwebbuilders is another great choice for small businesses in Noida looking for professional web design services. They offer custom website designs that are tailored to the specific needs of businesses, focusing on user experience and conversion optimization. Whether it's a startup or a small-scale enterprise, Xwebbuilders offers solutions that fit both budget and business goals.

Their services include:

Website design and development

Landing page design

E-commerce solutions

SEO services

Their user-centric designs ensure that businesses can connect with their audience effectively, making them a top choice for small businesses looking to improve their online presence.

7. Digital360

Digital360 is a full-service digital agency that provides comprehensive web design services for small businesses in Noida. Their team of designers and developers work collaboratively to create websites that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and performance-driven. Digital360 also provides integrated digital marketing solutions, allowing businesses to enhance their online visibility.

Services include:

Custom web design

Mobile-responsive websites

UI/UX design

SEO and content marketing

For small businesses looking to leverage their online presence, Digital360 offers solutions that help in lead generation and user engagement, all while maintaining affordability.

8. Incredible Web Designs

Incredible Web Designs has built a reputation for providing affordable web design solutions for small businesses in Noida. They are known for creating clean, modern, and user-friendly websites that help businesses establish credibility and attract more customers.

Core services include:

Website design and development

Mobile-friendly website design

Website maintenance

Graphic design and branding

Their expertise lies in delivering high-quality web design services that are cost-effective, making them a great choice for small businesses with limited budgets.

Why Choosing the Right Agency Matters for Small Businesses

For small businesses, every penny counts, and investing in the right web design agency is essential for maximizing the return on investment. A professional and well-designed website can help small businesses:

Attract and engage potential customers

Showcase products or services effectively

Boost online visibility through SEO optimization

Provide a seamless user experience, leading to higher conversion rates

By partnering with a reliable web design agency in Noida, small businesses can create a strong digital presence without breaking the bank. The agencies listed above offer specialized services that cater to the unique needs and constraints of small businesses, ensuring that they can compete effectively in the digital marketplace.

Conclusion

Noida is home to some of the best website design agencies that are not only affordable but also highly skilled in delivering custom solutions for small businesses. From responsive designs to SEO-friendly websites, these agencies offer a range of services to help small businesses thrive in the competitive online space. Whether you're a startup or an established small business, choosing the right web design agency can make a significant impact on your business's online success.

[ai-for-recruitment]

ChatGPT Prompts Examples

As recruiters, you know how important it is to communicate your company’s opportunities to potential hires. Job descriptions, job postings, interview questions, personalized comms and onboarding plans are all part of your recruitment strategy. Here we’ve got detailed prompts to help you use ChatGPT to refine these processes so every interaction is clear, relevant and authentic. These prompts will help you attract top talent and a cohesive and engaging candidate experience that matches your company values and goals.

Crafting job descriptions

"Generate a clear and concise job summary. Highlights the responsibilities, required skills (mentioning proficiency in Python and familiarity with AWS), and growth opportunities for a senior software engineer position at a technology startup based in San Francisco."

Writing engaging job postings

"Create a compelling headline and an engaging first paragraph for a job posting seeking a marketing manager for a fast-growing e-commerce company. Highlight the company's unique selling points, such as its commitment to sustainability and innovative marketing strategies, to attract experienced candidates passionate about driving growth."

Creating interview questions

"Develop behavioral interview questions that assess problem-solving skills and experience managing cross-functional teams for a senior project manager position in a multinational corporation undergoing digital transformation. Ensure questions delve into candidate strategies for mitigating risks and achieving project milestones."

Generating candidate outreach emails

"Write a personalized outreach email inviting a recent graduate with a degree in graphic design to apply for a junior graphic designer role at a creative agency known for its innovative campaigns. Highlight the agency's recent projects and encourage the candidate to showcase their portfolio."

Drafting personalized rejection letters

"Compose a respectful rejection email for a candidate who interviewed for a customer service representative position at a global tech company. Acknowledge the candidate's enthusiasm for customer service, provide constructive feedback on their communication skills, and express appreciation for their interest in the company's mission and values."

Developing candidate assessment criteria

"Define measurable assessment criteria to evaluate technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit for a senior software developer position at a cybersecurity startup. Include specific indicators for assessing experience in Python, knowledge of cloud computing (AWS), and alignment with the company's collaborative and innovative culture."

Generating feedback surveys

"Design a comprehensive feedback survey for candidates who have completed the final interview stage for a managerial role in a hospitality chain. Include a mix of Likert scale questions and open-ended prompts to gather insights on their experience with the interview process, perceptions of the company's values, and suggestions for improvement. Ensure the survey is structured to capture feedback on communication with interviewers, clarity of job responsibilities, and overall candidate experience."

Writing job ad copy for social media

"Craft a captivating social media post to advertise a remote internship opportunity in digital marketing for college students. Emphasize the benefits of gaining hands-on experience in SEO, content creation, and social media management. Use relevant hashtags (#DigitalMarketingInternship, #RemoteInternship) and incorporate visuals or a brief video showcasing past interns' successes and the supportive work environment."

Onboarding plans 

"Create a detailed onboarding plan for a newly hired data analyst joining a multinational financial services company. Include a week-by-week breakdown of training sessions on data visualization tools (such as Tableau), orientation meetings with key stakeholders from the analytics team, and an introduction to the company's data governance policies. Develop personalized learning objectives aligned with the analyst's background in statistical analysis and proficiency in SQL."

Generating candidate outreach emails

"Write a personalized outreach email inviting a mid-career professional with experience in project management to apply for a senior project manager role at a leading consultancy firm specializing in digital transformation. Highlight the firm's recent successful projects in sectors like healthcare and finance, and emphasize the opportunity to lead high-impact initiatives. Tailor the email to showcase the candidate's expertise in Agile methodologies and stakeholder management, encouraging them to share examples of past project successes."

[thatforgottenbasilisk]

wouldn't it be really ironic if someone bombed bakugou's future hero agency

Word Count: 2072 (AO3) (My Fic Masterpost)

Originally Posted on 4/29/2024

Rating: T

Summary:

Mina's not having a great day.

She's not all that great at defusing homemade pipe bombs, and yet here she is. Defusing a homemade pipe bomb. That someone put in her own damn agency. Literally what the fuck.

For Whumptober 2023 Day 8, Prompt #2: Outnumbered

"I feel like today was supposed to go a certain way and then decided to go the opposite way."

Mina hears Denki complaining over the comms, and glances over to see him fighting off twelve different villains- of varying skillsets, fortunately- alone while she takes care of defusing the bomb that their leader decided to plant in a very populated mostly-corporate building. Their very populated mostly-corporate building, to be more accurate.

"Well I'm sorry, would you rather be the one trying to figure out if this is a Type A or Type B pipe bomb? One of them you cut the red wire! The other kind goes off when you cut the red wire! No pressure!" Mina snipes back over the communicator, more aggravated at the situation than anything Denki's doing or saying.

"No! No! I'm sorry! Please don't put me on bomb duty!" Denki babbles frantically into his mic, and Mina at least gets a little giggle out of that.

"I'll be on bomb duty!" Katsuki yells into the communicator, and Mina rolls her eyes- not that he can see it. He's definitely the best at defusing bombs, because he's a maniac about details and bombs are all about details, but Mina's their second-best and she is also the only option for a particularly glaring reason.

"It's connected to a timer that has about three minutes left. You're in Okinawa. You will not be on bomb duty." The only reason their comms are even connected from this far away is because Hatsume upgraded the standard communicators for all licensed Pros a month ago in order to use cell towers instead of short-range wireless transmission. Thus, Katsuki and Eijirou decided to take their comms on their honeymoon, 'in case of an emergency,' according to Eijirou, and 'to laugh at your stupid problems,' according to Katsuki.

"But I'm so good at bombs! Tell me about the bomb. I will defuse it through you." Reason number two that Katsuki's not on bomb duty: he's drunk as a fucking skunk. Eijirou, though he took his comm out a few minutes before all this started going down, isn't faring much better. She can hear him in the background.

"Shut the fuck up about the bomb! Someone get me backup, they have some kind of sleeping gas they used to take two sidekicks hostage!" Hanta cuts in, and Mina goes back to focusing on the bomb. The marketing and R&D departments have both been cleared out, but she's still sitting in an empty office bullpen on the ground floor, below where a bunch of villains have somehow figured out that Eijirou and Katsuki picked this week to have their honeymoon. They had a big public wedding six months ago, and told everyone the honeymoon would be 'random' so nobody tried anything in their absence. Clearly, this did not work as well as intended.

"On it! I'm going on the main channel!" Denki responds, and starts furiously tapping at his comm to shuffle through the available channels. There's one for intra-agency communication, another for area communication- which is usually restricted to the nearest agency, which is just them, so no point- and another for all on-duty Pros. Plus more channels, but Hatsume didn't tell her where all of them connect to.

"Which sidekicks?" Mina asks idly, tracing the path of a blue wire with her finger. It connects to a canister on one side, and the timer on the other, but she doesn't know if that canister is a weird homemade battery thing or a weird homemade explosive thing. Should she just melt the explosive part when she figures it out? Sometimes that worked at UA, even though she kept getting points off for it. The last time she defused a bomb wasn't nearly this hard, but then again, she also didn't keep having to duck to avoid random objects or people being thrown in her direction.

"Radroach and Vultura." Hanta reports, and Mina sighs in disappointment. Radroach is the textbook definition of a tank, if a bit young and in need of direction, and Vultura's very quick and sneaky. With both of them taken out, they're all in much worse shape than before.

"Hey, uh, if anyone happens to be near the Ground Zero agency, we're kind of being attacked by a lot more people than we have people?" Denki's voice rings out on the main channel, which cuts in through all private channels as well as anyone who's on the main channel. He has a talent for sounding uncertain even in these kinds of situations where they definitely need backup ASAP.

It takes a minute or two of total silence over the comms, and the sound of both distant and nearby fighting before anybody responds.

"This is Ingenium II, ETA one minute. Do I want to know what I'm getting into?" Thank fuck for Iida. Super speed and a preternatural ability to be near disaster zones right where he's needed proves to be a godsend time and again, and today is definitely no exception.

"... They have a bomb?" Denki says, seemingly fully aware of the irony of that statement. Iida audibly sighs over the comms, but Mina's pretty sure he hadn't meant for that to be broadcast.

"Thank you, Class President!" She chirps, and Denki and Hanta echo it. Iida just sighs in disappointment at all of them.

True to form, he comes in through the front a few moments later, and Mina puts both of her hands up and steps back from the pipe bomb. "It seems super homemade to me, I can't make heads or tails of it. Let me know if you want me to melt anything!" With that, she relinquishes bomb duty to Iida, who takes it in stride.

"Please don't put acid on anything that could be a chemical explosive." Iida sounds tired already and he's only been here a couple of seconds. His armor looks scuffed from something that didn't happen here, and she kind of wonders what part of his shift he's on.

"Okay! Hanta, I'm on my way up!" She says to Iida and Hanta respectively, and starts running up the stairs towards the third floor, where Hanta and their sidekicks have everyone cornered.

"They went upstairs! Go there!" Hanta shouts back, and Mina guesses that he and their sidekicks had everyone cornered on the third floor. The elevators are out of service- contingency response to the 'attack alarm' being pulled, since the squishy people are on the bottom floors and therefore are less likely to need the elevators- so it should be easy for her to find which floor everybody's in.

Sure enough, the door to the fourth floor has been ripped off its hinges- why, she doesn't know- and she can hear sounds coming from inside. Remembering what Hanta said about the knockout gas, she puts her outer jacket over her nose and mouth before going inside.

Fourth floor, fourth floor... she never goes here, what the hell is on the fourth floor? She knows that people work here, she's pretty sure they're some level of squishy since she sees office desks and they're close enough to the ground floor, but she can't for the life of her remember what goes on here. She tiptoes inside, looking around for anybody causing damage or something, and she spots three people going through drawers on the other side of the room.

Thankfully, it seems like it's just these three, and one of them has their whole face exposed- not enough to rule out sleeping gas happening at the moment, but enough to suspect it's not too much of an issue right now.

"So, are you guys trying to rob us? Because all our money's at the bank, you should probably go there if you want it all that bad. Honestly, I don't know what you're looking for other than, I don't know, bruises on your bruises." Mina calls out, mentally cursing the muffled quality of her voice that comes from her makeshift gas mask. It makes the announcement much less cinematic. Thankfully, all three of the villains startle and stare at her in comedic surprise, so she's still winning in the end on that one.

"Like, are you trying to get chemical burns? Because attacking this agency specifically is how you get chemical burns." She continues, and she's not even lying- Katsuki's explosions are nitroglycerin-powered, so any damage they do classifies as 'chemical burns,' not to mention if anyone even touches any of her acid. Even the high-pH stuff is still pretty risky to anyone who's not prepared.

"We've got two of your sidekicks downstairs- " One of the villains starts, and stops when she holds up a single finger in the universal gesture for wait.

"Listen, girliepop," It should be noted that all of these villains are male, but girliepop is a state of mind, "Whatever is going on downstairs is none of my concern. I trust my coworkers, y'know? Why would I start an agency with them if I didn't trust them?" She asks, rhetorically, and doesn't wait for an answer.

"Look, I get it, we have something that you want and you don't know the word 'please.' And that's okay! We can all learn together! For example, if you could please turn yourselves in, nobody has to get hurt!" She finishes fake-sweetly, doing her best impression of a preschool teacher just for the fact that it's more annoying. She loves being annoying to people who piss her off, and making her defuse a homemade bomb is a one-way ticket to pissing her way the fuck off.

"No can do, sweetheart." A different villain says, and Mina's decided to be drop all pretenses of fake niceness. Nobody calls her sweetheart except her mom. Fuck these guys.

"Suit yourselves!" She says, and picks up a desk with one hand. They barely have enough time to duck before it's sailed across the room, and someone makes the mistake of looking back up as she's throwing a second one.

"Oooh! Headshot! How many points do I get?" She shouts as she starts walking closer. These desks aren't heavy enough to do anything better than knocking someone out, even after sailing across a room first- the worst injury that guy's got is a broken nose and maybe a concussion.

Somebody vaults over the desk he's hiding behind- brave of him- and starts running at her, with something on his arms starting to glow. Probably his quirk, and she probably doesn't want to be touching that, so she ducks down and kicks his kneecap in before he even reaches her. There's going to be so much paperwork about breaking someone's bones, she already knows, but this entire incident is already riddled with paperwork so maybe who cares?

Besides, he was about to attack her with his quirk and she didn't even use hers. Plus, she's kind of hit the limit on her patience for today, so not a lot of holds are barred right now.

"Okay! Okay! I surrender!" The last guy stands up from behind the desk, and she grabs the handcuffs off her belt and skips over to him, because why not. Someone here is finally seeing sense.

"Hold your hands out, then!" The guy, shaking, holds both his hands out before Mina realizes the cops aren't here yet, so there's nowhere she can actually put him without risk that he's going to do something. She cuffs one of his hands- the right, because it's statistically likely to be his dominant hand- and thinks about where she should put the other handcuff.

"Ah! Come on, we're going to the stairs!" In an attempt at a frog-march, she half-drags the man out to the stairs and handcuffs him to the railing. "There! Now stay still for a minute."

With that, she goes back into the bullpen and grabs a bunch of zipties from a nearby drawer. She should really start carrying more handcuffs on her, but in her defense, she's not a cop and she was in her own agency. Everyone else gets the privilege of zipties on their wrists and ankles, like she's some kind of vigilante, but again: no handcuffs. If they wanted those, they should've attacked her when she wasn't in her agency.

"Hey guys, do you need help anywhere downstairs? I'm done!" She calls out on comms, and gets a bunch of general 'same here' responses.

[chris-durand]

Social Media Comm Blog #1

Tumblr Blog #1

Although there has been an extreme rise in how social media affects our everyday lives, I do remember a time before apps like Instagram and Snapchat came into my peripheral. It wasn’t until the early 2010s that I first took notice of social media in its current form. Some could argue that communicating with strangers on Roblox or using AOL chatrooms was the original social media, and they’d be correct. However, the evolution from then up until now has shown a vast growth in its influence on society. Defining social media in basic terms would oversimplify a complicated and diverse way of communicating, but, using a more detailed definition could lead to issues in the future. If social media and online communication change in a way that has not been foreseen, a singular basic definition cannot be tied to something so impermanent. Therefore, social media’s definition can only be defined by its most current status, which is everchanging. I personally define social media as a platform of communication used between civilians, corporate bodies, and most recently artificial intelligence to spread information (and misinformation) on the World Wide Web.

My first introduction to social media was via Instagram in 2012 when the company first went public. Although it was a hot new craze, Instagram had the same novelty feeling as any other useless app on an early-generation iPhone/iPod. As years went on, however, Instagram became a permanent staple in how we communicate and view one another. Then came Snapchat, a video-sharing and messaging app that had a feature where all public posts had a shelf life of twenty-four hours before disappearing. Over the subsequent decade (2013-2023), Snapchat became a cesspool of people who garnered clout and social status by romanticizing their own lives, which is a phenomenon that has plagued people my age for years. From my experience, nothing good ever happens on Snapchat. 

I see myself as being a very socially conscious user of social media, limiting my time on the internet and doing everything in my power to not get bogged down by the microcosm social media algorithms have curated for me. I am constantly deleting and redownloading apps, a struggle I have been fighting since making my first Instagram account back in grade school. While I am able to limit my own use significantly, those who can’t should not be blamed for insane average screen times and constant internet usage. I use social media in passing, whereas others may use it as an escape or alternative to the physical world. Many people born in the late 1990s to early 2000s are children of the internet and have inadvertently been the driving force behind social media’s explosion. It has been curated for us by people and industries who had no foresight as to what their ideas would do to our brains and culture. Now everyone has ADHD, and that’s real. 

I am anti social media. I have no actual use for it other than using it as a form of entertainment when I’m bored (i.e. Instagram Reels, Twitter feed). However, I can recognize that there are many ways to use social media for productive purposes. I would like to understand this new facet of life that I have grown up with and fought against. In many ways, I have been indoctrinated, pandered to, and have had the agency to use the internet freely taken from me without the very obvious presence of an algorithm choosing what I see (and what I don’t see). I would like this class to give me a larger perspective as to what social media can do for me and how it can be used for something other than consumption or political propaganda.

[entomoblog]

Le glyphosate, révélateur de l’influence des lobbys industriels sur la « science réglementaire »

See on Scoop.it - EntomoScience

Le feuilleton-fleuve de l’autorisation de glyphosate rappelle la prévalence du lobbyisme à Bruxelles, sur fond de controverse autour de la molécule, prisée des industriels de l’agrochimie.

  Entretien avec Sylvain Laurens, directeur d’études à l’EHESS et chercheur au Centre Maurice Halbwachs (ENS/CNRS/EHESS). Fin connaisseur des logiques d’influence à Bruxelles et des mécaniques de désinformation scientifique, le sociologue a notamment écrit Les courtiers du capitalisme. Lobbyists and Bureaucrats in Brussels, et a récemment cosigné Les gardiens de la raison aux côtés des journalistes Stéphane Foucart et Stéphane Horel.

  Publié: 15 octobre 2023, 15:36 CEST

  Sylvain Laurens

Sociologue, directeur d'études à l'EHESS et chercheur au Centre Maurice Halbwachs (ENS-PSL/CNRS/EHESS), École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)

  [...]

Comment s’est déroulée la procédure qui a mené à la demande de prolongation ? Quels sont les différents acteurs politiques et réglementaires qui interviennent ?

En 2017, les États membres de l’UE s’étaient accordés sur une prolongation de cinq ans. En amont de cette décision, les industriels s’étaient regroupées en une Glyphosate Task Force, qui est devenue par la suite devenue le Glyphosate Renewal Group. Le financement de ce lobby est assez transparent et on y retrouve logiquement les fabricants de pesticides qui ont intérêt à maintenir le glyphosate sur le marché. On trouve dans la liste des financeurs Bayer, Syngenta mais aussi Albaugh Europe, Barclay Chemicals, Ciech Sarzyna, Industrias Afrasa, Nufarm, Sinon Corporation, etc.

Ces industriels ont regroupé les études qui vont dans leur sens ainsi que les revues de littérature qui à leurs yeux prouvent la non-dangerosité du produit. Et ils ont officiellement demandé le renouvellement du produit.

  La procédure classique, dans ce cas-là, est de confier la lecture et la synthèse de ces études d’impact à un État membre. Ici, au vu de la difficulté du sujet, cette tâche a été confiée en mai 2019 à quatre États membres différents (la France, la Hongrie, les Pays-Bas et la Suède. Ce groupement appelé « Assessment Group of Glyphosate » a seulement exclu deux études soumises par les industriels et a produit un rapport de synthèse qui reprend les mots d’ordre de l’industrie préconisant des restrictions uniquement pour certains usages du glyphosate.

  Le rapport a été remis, conformément à la procédure, à deux agences réglementaires européennes : l’Agence européenne des produits chimiques (ECHA) et l’Autorité européenne de sécurité des aliments (EFSA), qui ont jugé, à partir de celui-ci, qu’aucun obstacle ne s’opposait à un renouvellement. Logiquement la commission a donc proposé en septembre 2023 une première proposition de texte pour renouveler le produit. Il s’agit d’une procédure de renouvellement. Elle peut passer en « comitology », selon le jargon bruxellois, et donc être décidée dans un huis clos bureaucratique associant fonctionnaires de la Commission et représentants des États membres.

  Le principal problème est que l’ECHA travaille surtout sur la base des données transmises par les industriels. Ce mode de fonctionnement est lié à la réglementation européenne REACH qui a externalisé la charge de la preuve de l’innocuité des produits aux industriels. Ce processus a été très bien décrit dans les travaux d’Henri Bouiller. À l’époque, c’était perçu comme un progrès de demander aux industriels de prouver que leurs produits n’étaient pas dangereux, mais on n’a pas suffisamment anticipé le fait qu’il faudrait que ces agences aient leur propre capacité d’investigation sur des sujets tels que le glyphosate et ne se contentent pas de relire les documents soumis par l’industrie.

Le fond du problème est-il donc un problème de « design » des institutions européennes qui ouvre la voie au lobbyisme ?

Il y a une ambivalence fondamentale jusqu’à l’organigramme de ces agences : l’ECHA, par exemple, a pour double tutelle à sa création la DG Entreprises et la DG environnement, et doit ainsi concilier enjeux économiques et expertise scientifique. Les choses évoluent peu à peu mais des agences comme l’EFSA donnent encore une place centrale à des panels d’experts dont on ne cesse d’essayer de limiter les liens avec l’industrie. Il faudrait effectivement repenser le fonctionnement des institutions européennes de façon à donner une voix aux scientifiques de façon structurelle et pas seulement en nommant « un conseiller scientifique » auprès du président de la Commission européenne.

  La transformation en scandales des cas graves d’atteinte aux personnes en raison du glyphosate peuvent être des stratégies payantes pour mobiliser l’opinion, mais le débouché de ces campagnes peine à se concrétiser sur le plan réglementaire, car les agences rattachées à la Commission ont initialement été pensées pour réglementer a minima la mise en circulation des marchandises dans un marché commun. Leur demander de réviser le fonctionnement d’une filière agro-industrielle n’est absolument pas dans leur prérogative. L’histoire des institutions européennes est en effet liée à la mise en place d’un marché commun, et à la nécessité de mettre un cadre permettant la libre circulation des marchandises. Pour changer les choses, il faudrait en passer par des réformes complexes des institutions européennes, mais il n’est pas certain que le contexte politique actuel le permette, sur fond de Brexit et de relations tendues avec la Hongrie et la montée des illibéralismes.

  Si on ajoute tous ces éléments, il n’y a pas besoin de théorie du complot pour expliquer l’arrivée sur la table de cette proposition sur le glyphosate et la prévalence du lobbyisme à Bruxelles. Porter ses positions industrielles au nom de la science à travers un groupe d’intérêt, toutes les grosses entreprises le font. Et le Glyphosate Renewal Group n’est qu’une des 1200 business associations qui œuvrent à Bruxelles. Et du côté des institutions, ces agences font précisément ce pour quoi elles ont été mandatées : accompagner la commercialisation de produits en s’assurant que les industriels sont capables de remplir des dossiers prouvant que leur produit n’est pas si dangereux si on respecte certaines normes d’exposition.

  Ce n’est pas de la science, c’est au mieux de la science réglementaire. Les scientifiques n’ont pas accès aux jeux de données de toutes ces études transmises par l’industrie (protégées pour partie par le secret industriel). Et même quand Bayer annonce qu’il va donner toute transparence aux publications transmises ou financées, on n’a pas accès aux jeux de données brutes, mais au mieux aux abstracts – cette limitation à l’accès des données était encore plus caricaturale en 2017, Stéphane Horel décrivant par exemple la mise à disposition de données par l’industrie sur un ordinateur fixe, dans une salle avec horaires restrictifs et sans possibilité de faire de copies numériques.

  Ici, on est sur de la science entravée dans ses principes de libre communication des données et on ne peut pas s’assurer de la réplicabilité de ces études : c’est une distorsion de ce qu’est vraiment la science. Entre cette « science réglementaire » et la science tout court, il y a donc un interstice, une faille que les industriels se plaisent à occuper et que les pouvoirs publics peinent à colmater. Les décisions de l’Union européenne ne sont en réalité pas toujours « Evidence Based » sur des sujets comme le glyphosate. S’il y a un intérêt intellectuel à travailler sur ces sujets, c’est aussi, car le glyphosate est l’un des rares dossiers où il existe une telle distorsion entre la « science réglementaire » et la science tout court."

  [Image] Parlement européen à Bruxelles. Christian Lue, CC BY

Bernadette Cassel's insight:

  "Les États membres de l’Union européenne devaient se prononcer le 13 octobre à Bruxelles sur la prolongation du glyphostage – ce produit chimique que l'on retrouve dans des herbicides – pour 10 ans, mais n’ont pas réussi à s’accorder : la décision est repoussée à mi-novembre. Un épisode qui vient rappeler la prévalence du lobbyisme au sein des institutions européennes, sur fond de controverse scientifique quant aux effets sanitaires de la molécule prisée des industriels de l’agrochimie."

Sarah Sermondadaz

  Renouvellement du glyphosate : en l'absence de majorité entre États membres, la décision est reportée - De www.touteleurope.eu - Aujourd'hui, 17:34

[chrisjdurand]

COMM-1400-600 Tumblr Blog #1

Although there has been an extreme rise in how social media affects our everyday lives, I do remember a time before apps like Instagram and Snapchat came into my peripheral. It wasn’t until the early 2010s that I first took notice of social media in its current form. Some could argue that communicating with strangers on Roblox or using AOL chatrooms was the original social media, and they’d be correct. However, the evolution from then up until now has shown a vast growth in its influence on society. Defining social media in basic terms would oversimplify a complicated and diverse way of communicating, but, using a more detailed definition could lead to issues in the future. If social media and online communication change in a way that has not been foreseen, a singular basic definition cannot be tied to something so impermanent. Therefore, social media’s definition can only be defined by its most current status, which is everchanging. I personally define social media as a platform of communication used between civilians, corporate bodies, and most recently artificial intelligence to spread information (and misinformation) on the World Wide Web.

My first introduction to social media was via Instagram in 2012 when the company first went public. Although it was a hot new craze, Instagram had the same novelty feeling as any other useless app on an early-generation iPhone/iPod. As years went on, however, Instagram became a permanent staple in how we communicate and view one another. Then came Snapchat, a video-sharing and messaging app that had a feature where all public posts had a shelf life of twenty-four hours before disappearing. Over the subsequent decade (2013-2023), Snapchat became a cesspool of people who garnered clout and social status by romanticizing their own lives, which is a phenomenon that has plagued people my age for years. From my experience, nothing good ever happens on Snapchat. 

I see myself as being a very socially conscious user of social media, limiting my time on the internet and doing everything in my power to not get bogged down by the microcosm social media algorithms have curated for me. I am constantly deleting and redownloading apps, a struggle I have been fighting since making my first Instagram account back in grade school. While I am able to limit my own use significantly, those who can’t should not be blamed for insane average screen times and constant internet usage. I use social media in passing, whereas others may use it as an escape or alternative to the physical world. Many people born in the late 1990s to early 2000s are children of the internet and have inadvertently been the driving force behind social media’s explosion. It has been curated for us by people and industries who had no foresight as to what their ideas would do to our brains and culture. Now everyone has ADHD, and that’s real. 

I am anti social media. I have no actual use for it other than using it as a form of entertainment when I’m bored (i.e. Instagram Reels, Twitter feed). However, I can recognize that there are many ways to use social media for productive purposes. I would like to understand this new facet of life that I have grown up with and fought against. In many ways, I have been indoctrinated, pandered to, and have had the agency to use the internet freely taken from me without the very obvious presence of an algorithm choosing what I see (and what I don’t see). I would like this class to give me a larger perspective as to what social media can do for me and how it can be used for something other than consumption or political propaganda.

[titou-nz]

Miracle Garden, Dubaï - Emirats Arabes Unis

Reconversion et abus des droits de l'Homme

Afin de mener à bien la politique de reconversion de l'économie de Dubaï vers les nouvelles technologies, le commerce et le tourisme (ou les deux dans le cadre du festival de shopping de Dubaï), le gouvernement s'efforce d'attirer capitaux et entreprises tout en maintenant une politique de grands travaux, à l'origine de nombreux complexes urbains, hôteliers ou balnéaires. Le gigantisme et le caractère novateur de ces réalisations tournent les regards du monde entier vers l'émirat et forcent sa renommée.

Les constructeurs sont le plus souvent Nakheel ou Emaar Properties, groupes bien implantés dans l'émirat et aux visées maintenant internationales. D'autres projets importants tels que le Business Bay ou celui qui prévoit de recouvrir une montagne d'un dôme puis de l'enneiger afin de créer une petite station de ski sont en préparation. Nombre de ces projets avortent mais ils sont toujours source d'une publicité dont se nourrit la cité-État. Des quartiers spécialisés dans certains domaines ont été mis en place : la Dubai HealthCare City22 est une zone franche médicale destinée à attirer les meilleures institutions de santé et proposer des soins de très haut niveau, Dubai Media City et Dubai Internet City sont des zones libres où se sont installées de grandes sociétés des médias (MBC, CNN, Yahoo!, Reuters et AP) et d'informatique (EMC Corporation, Oracle, Microsoft et IBM), Dubiotech est spécialisé dans les recherches biologiques et l'Humanitarian City accueille dans un centre différentes organisations non gouvernementales ainsi que l'UNOPS, un organisme des Nations unies. Ces quartiers permettront à Dubaï d'acquérir une certaine reconnaissance internationale et de devenir un lieu de décision important.

La ville accueille depuis plusieurs années différents évènements, dont le festival de shopping de Dubaï (ou DSF), le salon technologique Gitex ou le Dubaï Air Show, qui ont un impact très favorable sur la consommation et les investissements.

Les ouvriers étrangers (Pakistanais, Indiens, Chinois) employés pour construire ces complexes sont souvent à la merci des entrepreneurs. Cette situation tient notamment à la réglementation sur le sponsorship (kafala, à l'origine une procédure alternative à l'adoption). L'employeur doit agir comme sponsor pour permettre à ses employés étrangers d'obtenir un permis de travail et un titre de séjour. Le sponsor ayant seul la relation avec les Ministères de l'Immigration et du Travail, il lui arrive de conserver le passeport de ses employés, ce qui peut donner lieu à des abus. Néanmoins, l'institution de la kafala est loin d'être la cause exclusive du traitement des ouvriers aux Émirats et dans le Golfe, lequel peut également être expliqué par la pratique des agences de recrutement y compris dans le sous-continent asiatique et par l'absence de reconnaissance du droit syndical.

L'exploitation des ouvriers du bâtiment a touché son paroxysme lors de la crise financière qui a frappé Dubaï à partir de 2008, puisque certaines entreprises ont pu ne pas payer leur salaire à leurs ouvriers pendant plusieurs mois. Sous la pression du Conseil des Nations unies sur les Droits de l'Homme, les EAU ont désormais adopté un Système de Protection des Salaires (Wage Protection System) contraignant l'employeur à verser les salaires de ses employés par le biais d'une réglementation impliquant le Ministère du Travail et éventuellement la banque de l'employeur. D'après la réglementation locale, les ouvriers ne peuvent travailler par une température supérieure à 50 °C, mais la température est prise à l'ombre ; il arrive donc qu'elle dépasse les 55 °C sans que le travail soit interrompu. En moyenne, un suicide tous les quatre jours intervient chez les ouvriers.

[inblogue]

INFOLETTRE #3

3 ans d’Insubordination (depuis janvier 2020 - 

Très chères amies, partenaires, collaboratrices, clientes et curieuses*,  (* Nous continuons d’utiliser le féminin dans cette infolettre parce que nous nous adressons aux belles âmes (nom féminin) qui nous liront et que nous nous efforçons d’en être nous aussi.)

Dans le développement d’un enfant, c’est à trois ans qu’il fait un bond en matière d’autonomie. Il est capable de monter les escaliers, manger seul, et oh joie, est généralement propre. Ce dernier point nous a un peu inspiré l’image de couverture de ce message. C’est exactement comme ça qu’on se sent, après trois ans d'insubordination. Parce que si 2020 était le lancement d’IN et 2021, sa propulsion, 2022 aura été notre année organique, celle où nos efforts créatifs ont nourri le vivant, l’art comme l’humain, qui eux, nous ont nourris à leur tour. 

À force de durs labeurs à tenter d'extirper uniquement le merveilleux de toutes les idées, mais aussi à force d’erreurs et d’apprentissages, nous récoltons quelque chose de pas pire pantoute. Du haut de nos trois marches, nous avons une meilleure vue sur le chemin parcouru, mais aussi sur notre horizon.

@ Photo François Maisonneuve / Trois-Pistoles

En tout, nous avons joué avec 56 partenaires de création, de production et de stratégie, collaboré avec 15 partenaires-clients et 5 agences et studios. Nous avons réalisé au total 25 projets hautement variés : contenu, identités visuelles et nominales, expériences numériques, design, documentaires, publicités, réflexions stratégiques et projets en art visuel.

@ Photos Yako / Siège social d’Hochelaga-Maisonneuve à Montréal

Sorties au grand air

En 2021, nous vous parlions de deux projets que nous avions longuement couvés jusqu’à ce qu’ils déploient tous deux leurs ailes au début de 2022. La campagne «Là, je me reconnais» de Qualifications Québec, visait à ce que l’organisme sans but lucratif apparaisse sur le radar des personnes immigrantes du Québec pour faire reconnaître leurs compétences acquises dans leur pays d’origine. 

Nous avons également aidé Attitude Living à poursuivre son virage sans plastique en imaginant la campagne «Raise the bar - Élevez la barre avec ATTITUDE» pour sa nouvelle gamme de produits entièrement en barres, Leaves Bar, destinée en priorité au marché américain. 

Entrée en profondeur

En 2021, on terminait le projet de longue haleine Réflexions en profondeur, grâce auquel nous nous sommes aventurées à 3,2 km sous la terre afin de récolter des propos en profondeur sur notre avenir. Un projet en or à explorer ici!

L’adolescence tatouée sur le coeur 

Notre soif de nostalgie a été assouvie quand l’équipe de la corporation Secondaire en spectacle, qui illumine le regard des jeunes du secondaire depuis plus de 20 ans, nous a approchées pour réfléchir avec elle à son changement de nom visant à mieux refléter la diversité de son offre. La corporation est donc devenue Aclam, l’organisme qui chapeaute des programmes faisant vivre l’expression sans la pression, et qui forme une communauté de passionné.es dans les écoles secondaires du Québec.

Au passage, nous avons également revampé l’image de marque de son programme phare, Secondaire en spectacle, qui lui, garde son nom, et avons proposé une identité flambant neuve pour son programme tout aussi nouveau, Improvincial. La nouvelle architecture de marque vous sera dévoilée sous peu, mais en attendant, vous en voyez un aperçu.  

L’éléphant rose dans la pièce

Nous n'aurons jamais autant visité le théâtre qu’en 2022. Pas n’importe lequel en plus, celui de notre quartier Hochelaga-Maisonneuve : le Théâtre Denise-Pelletier. On l’a parcouru de long en large, de haut en bas. On l’a même survolé à dos de drones de course. On en a eu plein la vue et on a voulu transmettre notre vision de ce joyau patrimonial et culturel. C’est ainsi qu’est né Pièces, une visite pièce par pièce du Théâtre Denise-Pelletier, qui se veut un outil de médiation culturelle et une façon de valoriser les métiers du théâtre, souvent méconnus du public. 

À travers le point de vue unique de la sentinelle, l’âme du théâtre, le court métrage documentaire et expérimental offre une rare incursion dans les coulisses et les entrailles des lieux qui échappent au regard du public lors d’une représentation théâtrale. Le film est entrecoupé d’images d’archives qui retracent également la riche histoire du théâtre et son passé de cinéma de quartier dans les années 1930. 

Vous dire la chance qu’on a eu de compter sur une équipe dévouée et talentueuse dans cette aventure épique! 

Jouer sur tous les tableaux

Après avoir remporté un appel à projets de Desjardins, le studio de jeux Borealys s’est tourné vers nous, joueuses dans la vie, mais pas du tout «gamers», pour la direction artistique et le storytelling de la marque d’un jeu vidéo d’éducation financière pas plate. On ne peut pas en dire plus pour le moment, mais une chose est sûre, cette première incursion dans l’univers du jeu vidéo nous a donné envie de récidiver. 

(ceci est une grossière maquette qui date, pour ne rien trop révéler...)

Un futur simple

Dans un futur simple, tous et toutes comprendraient l’impact des changements climatiques sur nos habitudes de vie. Mais le futur est plus complexe que ça, c’est pourquoi la coopérative de solidarité Futur simple doit continuer à informer la population sur les changements climatiques et l'inciter à passer à l’action. 

Nous avons épaulé l’organisme pour son offensive de sensibilisation destinée aux jeunes sur TikTok pour ouvrir ce dialogue par la conception et la direction de création d’une offensive. Ainsi est née la Climatoréplique. L’idée consiste à reprendre, par le moyen de la mécanique TikTok «Stitch», le matériel des climatosceptiques et d’offrir la possibilité aux influenceur.ceuses de répliquer à la suite de leurs propos. En collaboration avec toute une équipe, nous avons également créé l’identité visuelle de la campagne.

Retour à la case départ

Après avoir eu l’aval d’un diffuseur et l’immense participation de Roméo & Fils pour le développement d’un pilote d’une courte série Web historique, le diffuseur a viré son capot de bord, ce qui fait que nous nous sommes retrouvées par terre, mais avec le volant entre les mains (la démo). Nous la regardons à l’occasion et imaginons une nouvelle fin. Parfois, l’imaginaire devient réalité. C’est ce que nous verrons.

Vous vous souvenez qu’en 2020, nous avions été prêter main-forte à un agriculteur et qu’un documentaire se profilait à l’horizon? Eh bien, on n’a pas réussi à obtenir le financement, comme la majorité des projets créatifs qui sont soumis aux grandes instances. Baisserons-nous nos bras d’insubordonnées? Non. Nous le monterons nous-mêmes ce documentaire, financé par nous, à coup d’heures volées à notre présent pour les redistribuer à notre avenir. Robin des Bois peut aller se rhabiller. L’or de nos jours, c’est le temps.

En attendant d’accoucher de notre film, on a aidé le réalisateur Gabriel Allard-Gagnon avec le design de l’affiche de son court métrage de fiction Sikiitu, qui a notamment remporté le Grand Prix canadien au festival international du court métrage REGARD. Le film, et non pas l’affiche, pour celles qui ne suivaient pas. 

Quant à être dans la conception d’affiches, on a aussi imaginé celle de la pièce de théâtre 2h14, écrite par David Paquet et mise en scène par Robert Cadieux, pour la troupe de théâtre La Réplik.

Un toit pour toi

L’automne commençait à s’éparpiller partout autour de nous, mais les intervenants sociaux ne se laissaient pas berner par cette chaleur temporaire et se préparaient déjà à voir arriver les temps froids qui mordent ceux qui n’ont pas le confort d’un chez-soi. 

Mission Old Brewery nous a appelées en renfort créatif pour essayer d’aller chercher des dons durant cette période difficile. L’idée nous est venue alors que nous étions bien calées dans notre divan à voir passer les annonces d’hôtes Airbnb et à s’imaginer dans un ailleurs plus confortable.

La campagne créée s’inspire des annonces d’entreprises proposant des séjours de courte durée, comme celles d’Airbnb. Nous avons ainsi emprunté de façon subversive les codes et le langage publicitaire de ces entreprises et les avons appliqués au monde de l’itinérance. 

La page reloger.ca a été créée pour récolter les dons et les aider à soutenir toutes les opérations nécessaires pour reloger les personnes en situation d’itinérance. Pour donner, c’est par ici. 

C’est plus écolo en vrac

D’autres mandats ont occupé notre temps d’humaines. On est tombées dans le terrier du lapin blanc pour créer l’univers visuel de l’importateur de vin Alice (à venir «avenir»).

On a joué avec Lg2, pour Fromages d’ici et les Rôtisseries St-Hubert et avec Réservoir, pour l’Ordre des experts-comptables de France. On a aussi épaulé l’équipe de production de l’ONF avec le contenu de leur site Web.

Nous terminons cette infolettre avec nos projets artistiques personnels que nous menons en parallèle, de façon insubordonnée, l’entreprise étant fondée pour nous permettre de le faire. Notre projet Acte de présence, dont les deux premières moutures n’avaient malheureusement pas reçu l’aval du centre d’art daredare, du Centre PHI et du Conseil des arts de Montréal, a réussi à se tailler une place à la Biennale en art visuel de Longueuil, avec une performance et une série de photos lors de l’événement Manifestation JEUS. Le projet abordait la commémoration, l’identité, l’occupation du territoire et la pertinence de commémorer les personnages du passé et de les ériger en statues pour tenter de fixer leur mémoire.

Simon continue son parcours d’artiste visuel et présentera prochainement son projet Résurrection, qui traite d’identité, de spiritualité et de nationalisme réinventé. Le projet sera exposé en mars à la galerie Les Trois C du Centre Henri-Lemieux, à Ville Lasalle, puis en mai sous forme de performance à la Place des Spectacles au cœur du centre-ville de Montréal, durant l’événement Cuisine ta ville, dirigé par l’ATSA.

Catherine rédige actuellement son premier roman sur le thème de la disparition et prévoit de le terminer d’ici la fin de l’année.

Le projet Maison Magloire (projet fantôme), qui explore les traces réelles d’un fantôme inspiré de la légende de la maison hantée de Trois-Pistoles, sortira à l’été 2023. Il a reçu le financement de la MRC des Basques et de la municipalité de Notre-Dame-des-Neiges.

Le mot de la fin appartient à Martin Ouellet qui nous a quittées depuis un an déjà et qui nous manque au quotidien. La mort fait chier bien plus que la vie (parfois).

Nous vous souhaitons un bon début d’année. 

Insubordonnez-vous avec ou sans nous!

Simon & Catherine

* Abonnez-vous à notre infolettre annuelle.

Insubordination Pour celles et ceux qui croient

Simon Beaudry et Catherine Martellini, associées insubordonnées

Joignez-nous sur Facebook INfolettre insubordination.co

Insubordination est un atelier de création transdisciplinaire et nomade. Nous racontons des histoires évolutives multiformes et multiplateformes. Nous créons du contenu libre ou de marque qui allie la force d'impact de l'art visuel et de la publicité avec la rigueur de la méthode journalistique. Nous travaillons autant avec les agences et studios qu'avec des marques et entreprises directement. 

Trois-Pistoles

[news24fr]

Un fondateur d'origine indienne d'une agence de marketing multiculturelle a reçu le titre de "La liberté de la ville de Londres" pour avoir laissé sa marque sur le centre financier de la capitale britannique. Manish Tiwari a reçu cet honneur lors d'une cérémonie au Chamberlain's Court à Guildhall à Londres au début du mois. Le prix, décerné par la City of London Corporation, remonte au XIIIe siècle et est depuis devenu un honneur décerné aux personnes qui ont un impact sur le centre financier de Londres, appelé City ou Square Mile. "Ravi de partager cet héritage avec des personnalités et des dignitaires historiques - M. Churchill, Mme Thatcher et M. Nehru, des hommes d'État contemporains comme M. John Kerry et des légendes modernes comme Harry Kane", a déclaré M. Tiwari dans sa réaction. "La ville de Londres est l'endroit où j'ai obtenu mes tout premiers clients et je suis honoré de faire partie de cette glorieuse tradition", a ajouté M. Tiwari, fondateur et président de "Here and Now 365" - une agence de publicité et de marketing. . On pense que la « liberté de la ville de Londres » a commencé en 1237 et a permis aux bénéficiaires d'exercer leur commerce dans la ville. Un ancien récipiendaire indien de cet honneur est Jawaharlal Nehru, le premier Premier ministre de l'Inde, et d'autres récipiendaires éminents incluent le dirigeant sud-africain Nelson Mandela et le fondateur de Microsoft, Bill Gates.(À l'exception du titre, cette histoire n'a pas été éditée par le personnel de NDTV et est publiée à partir d'un flux syndiqué.)

[indiafrontline123]

Tribhuwan Joshi joins Asus India as Lead-Corp Comm, PR&CSR, Consumer & ROG PC Business

Joshi has over 15 years of cross-functional experience in the corporate and agency sectors as an integrated communications professional. He has made contributions to a number of prestigious organizations, including Team Orange PR, Panasonic India, Anchor by Panasonic, and MSL Group India.