#Disadvantages of Letter of Credit

[emeriobanque]

A letter of credit provides a financial backdrop to both the buyers/importers and overseas suppliers ie. sellers/exporters in cross-border trade transactions by ensuring that the payment will be made on time.

Before using an international letter of credit, it is important to consider its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s find it in detail:

What is a Letter of Credit?

A letter of credit is a legal document issued by a bank or a private institution guaranteeing that a buyer will pay the seller on time and for the correct amount of goods & services ordered. In the event, that the buyer defaults or is unable to pay, the issuing bank will compensate the full or remaining amount to the seller.  

It is one of the most & frequently used global trade finance instruments in cross-border trade transactions used by sellers and buyers to avoid payment failure while importing and exporting. It is a highly customizable and effective form that can reduce credit risks. Let’s see how it works.

Read more: https://www.emeriobanque.com/blogs/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-letter-of-credit

[officialbruciewayne]

Observations on Kryptonians:

Their Biology, Behavior and its Dynamic with Beauty

An anecdotal entry by Bruce T. Wayne, regarding his experiences with the Kryptonian People.

Over the course of the last century, Earth and Humanity has become aware that not only are we not alone in our universe- but that we are not alone on our world. At an undisclosed moment in our history, our homeworld became a refuge for the last children of Krypton, a world that was lost to unknown disaster.

Kryptonians are mysterious and alien, a recipe for rejection and prejudice on this planet. Not only this, but they have exceptional powers, which lure our worst impulses of greed and exploitation. We have not always treated them with kindness.

Despite our own lack of humanity, the most notable Kryptonians of our society continue to share their unique gifts and perspectives, choosing to help wherever they can.

As a Jewish man, and a Father, the legacy of the Kryptonian people, both in entrusting our world with their children, but with it, their future in the face of diaspora, humbles me.

I would like to offer my voice of support to our kin from beyond the stars. I have some personal experience with Kryptonians, and will attempt to demystify their habits and nature, to present them to you not as strangers from the skies, but as part of the infinite diversity of our world.

Not to be feared, not be used, but to be welcomed.

ברוכים הבאים לבית שלנו

Caveat on Kryptonian Powers

Most discussions of Kryptonian biology begin and typically conclude with a long list of the powers typical to Kryptonians. These powers are considerable, but are generally used to justify how they are treated. There is no value in me lingering on this much-speculated aspect of our Kryptonian kin.

Instead, I would like to discuss the lesser known traits that I have found to be personally charming.

Diurnalism and Sun-seeking

Kryptonians are naturally diurnal by nature, and are drawn to sunlight. When relaxed, they enjoy basking in our sun's warmth and when injured, or unwell, should rest in either natural sunlight, or be placed near a sunlamp.

Many Kryptonians display a tanned or dark-skinned complexion, which I found initially counterintuitive since it indicates protective melanin in Humans. In a Kryptonian, this coloration is actually indicative of stored solar radiation. In layman's terms, it's a sign of good health in your local Kryptonian.

(Art credit to @domnorian, please support the original work here, it is used here as an example)

Dentition and Diet

The intense demands of the Kryptonian body are supported by an incredibly high metabolism. Although they are primarily sustained by solar radiation, they can and do display a remarkable appetite. This energy is readily burned off by their bodies, so it should be considered offensive to shame or draw attention to how hungry a Kryptonian may appear to a Human.

Instead, attention should be paid to the variety of their diet. I have concerns that Kryptonian nutrition is not necessarily met by traditional human foods, and believe that supplements of various metals, sillica and crystalized minerals may be of great use to them. Further research is indicated, but consider they may not be fully satisfied.

This viewpoint is supported by the Kryptonian dentition, which features a diminutive but handsome set of fangs. As this is one of the more readily visible distinguishing features, some Kryptonians experience self-consciousness when smiling.

If it is of comfort to any Kryptonians reading this, Humans enjoy 'teefies' and like to remark upon the canine teeth of our companion cats and dogs. We find it 'cute'.

Ocular Notes

It has come to my attention that Kryptonian vision is more specialized for use during flight. It has great telescopic capacity, amongst its other various modes, but this can put them at a disadvantage in our society. Being so far-sighted, Kryptonians may struggle to read letters, smaller signs and newspapers without assistance.

If you see a Kryptonian puzzling over a piece of paper, and holding it at arms' length, any offers to help should be gently made. However, Kryptonians are notoriously friendly and inclined to offer help as much as receive it. You may well make a new best friend. In fact you probably will. Statistically.

A smaller note is that Kryptonian eyes- on account of the multiple facets to their vision -all appear to be a unique type of blue. This particular shade is potentially a generative emission of scattered sunlight, though it would require more detailed research and a far longer examination on my part to confirm.

They Purr

Yes, it is true. Kryptonians purr. It is a delight to listen to.

From my observations it seems readily triggered by the presence of children, or a desire to comfort others. As well as by their own contentment, whether physical, emotional and often both.

The frequency of the oscillations seem to differ between the two circumstances, supporting my current theory that this purring is both a form of communication, but separately resonant to encourage bone growth and soft tissue repair in the sick and injured.

Reproduction and Courtship

Having not conducted a relationship with a Kryptonian, I speak from a limited capacity of research. That said, to Humans looking to court Kryptonians, they appear to be receptive to forms of lip contact, and saliva exchange.

Further erogenous zones are speculative, but there is marked sensitivity along the length of the throat and just below the occipital bone.

Love

I put it to you that Kryptonians are not powerful - they are uniquely vulnerable. An endangered culture and people who have shown us compassion alone. They deserve our protection and understanding.

This is the only home they have ever known. They are not strangers from the stars, they are our friends sharing the same sunlight.

They love us. We should love them in return.

B.T.W

PS. @official-clark-kent I am no reporter, but I did enjoy trying my hand at a small thinkpiece. Perhaps we could go fishing sometime?

[omg-hellgirl]

I’m glad there is some level of awareness of Angie’s contributions (creative and otherwise) to David Bowie’s success & legacy. For a man who was a god to the “freaks” of the 1970s, especially during the glam rock / glitter rock era of the 70s, I perceive his dynamic with Angie as a mirror of the corporate world / sexism in the corporate world (and in society in general) where women are exploited for their brilliant ideas and/or have credit taken from them by men. Like, absolutely love David Bowie’s music… so, so much. Just an infuriating analogy I’ve noticed. Sick of women being exploited in general but especially for their intelligence and creativity.

hey anon, thank you for saying that. Angie Bowie was part of David Bowie's story and actively contributed to it, mainly by encouraging him towards the glam rock path that EVERYONE appreciates him for. Not taking away his merit as a good singer and performer, but there is more than one account of Angie pushing him in that direction and supporting him; she was a force in his early career. It's absolutely frustrating that David (according to Angie HERSELF) and his fans have always tried to erase her.

For those who don't know (most of them): Angie studied in Switzerland and had and theatrical experience — years of it! And unlike David and his friends/associates, including the people in charge of managing and promoting him, she had nine-tenths of a degree in marketing.

Angie was very popular with Bowie fans in the 70s and was very kind to them. She spent hours answering fan letters and even wrote to them from JAPAN. She fought in Japan with the local police to defend them. After the divorce, David's attitude changed and over the years his fans became what they are today.

It's a shame that many fail to recognize the extremely sexist and absurd attitudes he had towards Angie just because they don't like her. Ask any of them why they don't like her and you will get an unsatisfactory answer either because David himself didn't like her or because she said something about David in public that they didn't like.

I won't put it all here — there is all the content on my blog under the Angie Bowie tag — but in her book it is implied that he even used photos of her in sexual moments with other people to put her at a disadvantage in court. Would this be acceptable by today's standards, or any standards? Do we have a name for men who do this nowadays? Also:

Angie attempted suicide in Switzerland at Christmas time in 1977, when she arrived and found out that Zowie, contrary to her expectations, was in Berlin with David.

He put a gag clause in the divorce to force her to keep quiet. Not very feminist or cool, right? Not very liberal. Wearing skirts and makeup and all the gender revolution didn't help him be a better human being with Angie.

Is there anything to be called besides Parental Alienation for a mother who in 2016, even after David's death, needs to send messages to her own son via Twitter?

How many years of being away from his mother and knowing about her only through David's distorted words did it take so that even after David's death they didn't have a mother-son relationship again.

No one has the right to disrupt a mother-son or father-son relationship, and that's what he did. His fans still won't admit it.

Anita Pallenberg, Yoko Ono, and Angie Bowie are demonized while fans can forgive paternal neglect, domestic assault, hard drugs, underage girls, and the parental alienation of several rock stars. I'm definitely aware of and recognize the sexism and, dare I say, misogyny of some fandoms.

Thanks again for this, anon. These aren't even all the sordid details of the pain David Bowie inflicted on his first wife. It's also not possible to describe all my sadness about this situation — I could spend hours talking and crying about it. I'll keep posting about Angie in the hopes that one day the blindfold will fall off people's faces.

‼️and shout out to Keith Richards who never belittled the role and influence that Anita Pallenberg had on him and in the whole rock history even though she hurt him badly; he was always FAIR and respectful to the mother of his three children‼️

[vaya-writes]

Serving the Serpent - 5

Briar owes Lord Isen her life. She works off her debt by serving in his castle. Dealing with the rapidly changing circumstances of her life, she’s not used to anyone paying her much attention. It’s hard when Isen seems set on interacting with her. 

Cis female human with selective mutism x male naga (slow burn, co-workers to lovers, power imbalances, eventual smut). 2500 words. Content warnings for this chapter: references to the cult-like elements of Briar's upbringing. Divider from firefly-graphics

Briar participates in Discourse for the first time.

Previous - Masterlist

The following afternoon, Briar is starting to regret her carefree comment. Learning to read is one thing. Staying seated in Lockwood’s office, trying her best not to hunch over the table, fingers pressed a little too tightly around a piece of chalk, is another. Because learning to read, means learning to write. And learning to write means the dark elf taking the time out of his day to point out letters and pronounce them.  

He’s patient. She’ll give him that. Pointing to each letter before and after she copies it, fingers cramping. He pronounces each sound slowly, then regularly. Gives an example word that the sound is in. Watches for Briar to nod her understanding.  

His face is nearly as blank as the slate she writes on. The only time irritation had flickered across his features was when he pronounced the first letter. He’d waited a beat, before she realised she was expected to copy the sound. She’d opened her mouth. Hesitated. And dropped her eyes in shame when nothing more than a stuttered breath came out.  

To Lockwood’s credit, he’d recovered quickly. Had adjusted the cadence of his lesson, and nothing else, no longer pausing for her to speak. Just waiting for her shows of attention and occasional nods. No further frustration shows on his features. But it doesn’t stop Briar from feeling intimidated. 

That night she lies awake in bed. It’s only when the room is silent, when she’s certain that everyone is either asleep or about to be when she’s able to vocalise. Fragments of sound, not complete words, as she tries her best to remember how Lockwood had spoken, and mimic each phonic. 

Somebody nearby stirs and she’s startled back into silence. She pulls her pillow over her head and sighs. Perhaps she could find some other time alone to practice. Or perhaps just mouthing the sounds would be enough.   

Despite the disadvantage, Briar wakes determined to see the day through, and learn as much as she can during her next lesson. She picks up breakfast on the way to the third floor, where she meets Emilie and assists her with the usual cleaning. The lizard chats as she works, going from room to room to strip the beds and clean the private bathrooms.  

She’s tense in anticipation of entering the lord’s chambers, but finds them empty. Arol’s too. She doesn’t think much of it until lunch time, when she parts ways with Emilie to meet with Cook. Isen and Arol’s meals are absent from the trolley. Part of her regards the change with curiosity.  

“Lockwood stopped by. He said you’re to skip your lesson with Lord Isen today, and to meet in his office early. I’ll have your lunch delivered there.” 

Briar blinks. Tilts her head to inquire why, but Cook misses the gesture as he turns back to work. Once he’s out of earshot, Briar lets the huff escape from her chest. Carries on with the rest of her duties, delivering the noble’s meals. 

Dinah is busy as per usual, buried in paper and parchment, sorting with deadly speed and precision. Her eyes flick up as Briar enters, and she inclines her chin a little as the woman places her tray on the desk corner.  

Briar finds herself faltering as she stops outside the newly occupied offices. She’d been avoiding the newcomers to the castle like the plague. The coral pink naga has a way of leering at her that makes her uncomfortable. And the scaled woman – Briar's not yet sure what she is – has an unwavering gaze; sharp and deadly. It raises the hair on the back of her neck, and has her struggling not to turn tail.  

When her job is done she waves down Emilie, fortunate enough to catch her as she returns from a break. 

“Is something wrong?” 

Briar shakes her head. Points to herself and then towards the stairs. She usually collects the floor’s dishes after her meal with Isen, but wouldn’t have the chance today. 

“You need to go?” 

Briar nods. Then points to her trolley. 

Emilie raises her scaled brows. “You want me to clean up after lunch?” 

She nods. ‘Please.’ 

Emilie hums and hars for a moment, before relaxing with a smile. “I guess I can do that. But you’ll owe me.”  

Briar gives a relieved smile. ‘Thank you so much.’ She even curtsies on the spot to show her gratitude, exaggerated and low. 

Her work taken care of, Briar hurries off to her next stop. 

When she arrives in the dimly lit office, Lockwood isn’t alone. She stiffens immediately in the doorway, eyeing Lord Isen and a lizard newcomer with apprehension.  

Isen smiles at her, gesturing for her to enter. “You’re right on time. We can start as soon as you’ve eaten.” 

Briar tries not to clip her motions, but she can’t help but be unnerved by the additional pair of eyes. ‘Start what, my lord?’ 

Isen gestures to the stranger. “This is Berron. He’s one of my translators. He’s going to teach us to sign your letters.” 

Briar didn’t realise it was possible to go tauter, but she does. It’s been... months, since she’d spoken to anyone fluent in Sign. She thought she be lost in silence forever when Stella died. 

She tries not to gape at Berron, who in turn tries to keep his appraisal light. 

There’s a silence in the room. It seems as if Lockwood and Isen await her reaction. She supposes the breach in etiquette might be warranted this once. Hesitant, she speaks to the lizard.  

‘You speak Sign?’ 

Berron gives an apologetic smile. “Just the basics, I’m afraid. I’m more fluent in the Serpentine dialect. But I can sign the common letters. They’re what you’re learning, yes?” His Common is nearly unaccented, and he gestures a sign occasionally as he speaks.  

He’s not fluent. But hope begins to bloom in her chest. ‘Do you-’ she hesitates. ‘Do you know how to say this?’ She adds a gesture. 

He winces. “No, sorry. What is it?” 

“Her name,” says Isen, who watches the interaction closely. “We still don’t know it.” 

“Ah,” the lizard frowns. “Well, with any luck, soon you’ll be able to spell it!” 

“Or write it,” murmurs Lockwood, who pulls out the chair at his side table. “Shall we begin?” 

Isen stays for the lesson. Practices signing letters as Berron instructs, and Lockwood sounds them out for Briar. She feels a little ridiculous, having a team of three trying to teach her literacy. She reassures herself that Isen is at least having his signing lesson, learning some greetings from his translator.  

All in all, it’s a learning experience for everyone in the room. Even Lockwood appears engaged for the next two hours. Before long he’s signing and pronouncing letters at the same time, before Briar dutifully copies him and writes them down. 

The novelty fades before the week passes. Isen participates long enough to learn how to sign his letters. Once Briar has passing knowledge of the signed alphabet, Berron finishes his tutoring. And her days go back to normal.  

She cleans in the mornings. Serves third floor meals at lunch and dinner. Takes her midday meal with Isen, where he insists she teach him Sign when he’s not busy with paperwork (he’s always busy, but he makes time). Starts learning how to string letters together, and what sounds they make. Gets used to writing with chalk. Then with a pen. And rinses off at the end of the day before trudging down to the common room for a fitful sleep.  

Her nightmares persist. They’re not as frequent, but are no less harrowing. And without a full night of rest, her days are draining. She’s not sure if it’s the inconsistent schedule, or the strange array of work she’s been given, but she feels busy. Like if she were just a cleaner, or if she just served meals things would be simpler.  

She wishes she could talk to Lockwood. To ask him to assign her a permanent position already. But he’s already doing so much for her. Putting aside an hour of his time every day to sit with her while she writes, and her lips form the shapes of letters– if silently. Besides, it’s not like she would be able to make herself understood.  

Still. Objectively, her life has improved. She knows her way around. Is getting used to the minutia of things. She’s still intimidated by Isen’s circle. Pryden and Fern scare her the most, but they’re rarely at the castle. She doesn’t know what they do for Isen, but whatever it is, it’s done elsewhere. 

Whatever they report back to Isen, it keeps him busy. The next time they return, Briar finds Isen awash in paperwork. Enough so that he doesn’t have time for their lunch lessons, only brief reprieves to eat. 

‘You still haven’t replaced Amos?’ 

He frowns. “I haven’t hired a new aide yet, no.” 

‘What are you waiting for?’ 

He squints. “Pardon?” 

She rewords her query. ‘Why not?’ 

Understanding spreads across his features, and he shrugs, turning back to his food. “It’ll take time to train a replacement. Unless you think I should hire somebody not qualified?” His tone turns teasing at the end. 

Briar resists the urge to roll her eyes. Gives an impassive shrug, before continuing her meal.  

Isen leans back in his chair, watching Briar with an unusual interest. “What would you do in my place?” 

It takes her a moment to realise it’s not a rhetorical question. She pauses midbite when she does. Points at herself as if to say, ‘you’re asking me?’ 

“Sure. I want your opinion.” 

She lets her features contort this time. ‘Why?’ 

He crosses his arms. “Humour me.” 

She takes a moment to think. Spends most of it composing herself, and smoothing her expression once more. ‘What type of assistant do you want?’ 

He tilts his head. “What do I want?” 

She points towards Amos’ old room. Signs ‘assistant’.  

“What kind of aide do I want?” 

Nod. 

He shrugs. “Somebody diligent. With initiative. Thoughtful. Around when I need them. On top of things like my schedule.” 

She nearly rolls her eyes again. Restrains her sigh. ‘Then hire a cleaner. What do you want your aide to know?’ 

“Do you mean their qualifications?” 

She gives an emphatic nod. 

“Oh. Well, nothing fancy. They don’t need to be a graduate of anything, I can train them myself. But they’ll need basic literacy and numeracy skills.” 

Part of her sours at the last comment. ‘And are there any schools in the Lowlands?’ 

“Is there what where?” 

‘School. A place of learning. A place of knowledge. Place. Know,’ she gestures until Isen catches her meaning.  

“A school? Here?” He pauses for a moment, speaking as an aside, “Show me that again-” copying her gesture, before, “No. We tried once, but people didn’t show up.” 

Again, she wants to roll her eyes. This time, he does wrangle a reaction out of her, and she has to take a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose. When she looks back up at him, ready to start again, he’s grinning. 

“You’re cute when you get exasperated.” 

She narrows her eyes. Emphatically picks up her now empty plate and takes it to her trolley.  

“Stop, I’m sorry. You weren’t finished speaking.” 

She puts her chair away before stopping in front of his desk. Reigns in her annoyance. Makes herself the picture of a perfect servant. 

‘I would go to the city. It’d be easier to find an aide there.’ 

Isen grins. “You remind me of Arol, you know?” 

She can’t identify his tone. Quirks her brow, lets herself get sucked in to the question.  

“Polite to a fault.” 

She blinks. Hyperaware of how he watches her reaction.  

Briar laces her hands in front of her. Bites down on her lip. She knows he’s goading her. Knows he just wants a reaction. She takes a deep breath. Is about to turn and leave before- 

‘-and you’re ignorant.’ 

He tilts his head. (When she reflects back on this encounter, she’ll be thankful beyond belief that she hadn’t taught him that word yet.) Then he waits, expectant for her to continue. 

‘Why should a parent send their child to school?’ 

He takes a moment to process, understanding he’s being questioned, before giving an apologetic wince. “I don’t follow.” 

‘Why did you go to school?’  

“To learn?” 

‘Why?’ 

He shakes his head. “Uh- it was expected?’ 

‘Why?’ 

“So I could learn to read and-” 

‘Sure. Why?’ 

“My father wanted me-” 

She cuts him off with the shake of her head. ‘Why?’ 

He crosses his arms again, defensive. “It’s what I was meant to do.” 

She pauses. Uses the hiatus to hammer in her point before signing again. ‘Why should I go to school?’ 

He’s quiet for a moment. “Did your parents want-” 

She shakes her head. 

He takes another few seconds. “It’s not expected?” 

No. Again.  

“So you can read and write?” 

‘Okay. Why?’ 

“Why what?” 

‘Why should I read and write?’ 

He frowns, like it should be obvious. “So you can get a better job. So you can get paid. To help you communicate.” 

She shakes her head at each answer. ‘Women cook. Women clean. I was meant to cook and clean. Why should I go to school?’ 

He grits his teeth, confused by the roundabout conversation. It’s the first time she’s seen him visibly frustrated. “Because I want you to be my assistant.” 

The statement is enough to halt her tirade.  

They’re both silent for a moment. Isen, biting his lip, regretting his outburst. Clearly it was something he’d meant to keep to himself. Briar, compartmentalising. Trying to process that information at record speed, wondering if it’s worth dropping her point.  

It’s not. She’s nearly finished. 

After the extended pause, she straightens. Points out the window, towards the peasants in the lowlands, to make her point. ‘Why should they go to school?’ 

Isen takes a moment. Then another. Then his shoulders slump – just barely. “You’re saying they have no reason to come to school?” 

She nods.  

“Oh.” 

He doesn’t look at her, frowning down at his plate, seeming to digest the knowledge. His thoughts have changed direction.  

Eventually he notices Briar, expectant.  

“Yes?” 

‘You want to make me your assistant?’ 

He purses his lips. It looks like he hadn’t planned to tell her for a while. “Eventually. Yes.” 

She stares him down. Lets him stew in the scrutiny until Isen is the one to drop his eyes, experiencing shame, or perhaps guilt, but not quite sure why. 

She waits until he looks at her again to sign her goodbye.  

‘I can’t count either.’ 

Next

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - March 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi! Also, if you tip me on here or Ko-fi, at the end of the month I’ll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn’t use each week - almost double the content! (I’m new to taking tips on here; if it doesn’t show me your username or if you have DM’s turned off, please send me a screenshot of your payment)

1. Comeback on the cards for Asian antelope declared extinct in Bangladesh

“Nilgais, the largest antelope species in Asia, are reappearing in northwestern Bangladesh, a country that was part of their historical range but where they were declared locally extinct in the 1930s due to habitat loss and hunting.”

2. Tribal Homes in Minnesotta [sic] Get $1.4M for Clean Electricity

““This grant will allow us to make electrification improvements to our members’ homes and involve them more directly in our efforts to change our energy narrative and achieve our net zero goal.””

3. Pollinators Flock to Flower-Filled Solar Panel Fields

“As populations of crucial pollinators decline, developers have been seeding the grounds of their solar arrays with native wildflowers. Now a five-year study published in Environmental Research Letters confirms that this approach boosts the pollinators’ abundance and diversity—with spillover benefits for surrounding farms.”

4. U.S. House of Representatives Passes WILD Act

“The WILD Act supports funding two different initiatives: […] the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program offers critical support for voluntary conservation initiatives[, and…] The Multinational Species Conservation Funds play a pivotal role in supporting the conservation of imperiled species globally”

5. Private Gender Affirming Care Ban Fails To Advance In England After "Ferret Filibuster"

“A bill banning puberty blockers for trans youth and defining sex to exclude trans people was blocked from being heard after Labour MPs spoke at length on pet names and ferrets.”

6. Community-Led Effort to Plant Thousands of Seedlings

“Despite its urban surroundings, [the Tucki Tucki] creek serves as a vital refuge for the endangered platypus and purple spotted gudgeon populations. […] Planting native vegetation along the water’s edge serves multiple purposes. Not only does it provide crucial habitat for the endangered species, but it also helps stabilise the banks, mitigating erosion and reducing sedimentation in the creek.”

7. Court Ruling Halts Wolf Trapping and Snaring in Idaho Grizzly Bear Habitat

“[The ruling] will stop trapping and snaring […] to prevent the unlawful take of Endangered Species Act-protected grizzly bears. The decision stated, “There is ample evidence in the record, including from Idaho’s own witnesses, that lawfully set wolf traps and snares are reasonably likely to take grizzly bears in Idaho.””

8. A Boston grocery store is bringing community solar to a low-income area

“A group of energy-equity advocates in Boston is launching a community solar cooperative they say could be a scalable model for both reducing carbon emissions and building wealth in disadvantaged communities.”

9. Two-faced solar panels can generate more power at up to 70% less cost

“Scientists at the University of Surrey have built a new kind of solar panel with two faces, both of them pretty. Their flexible perovskite panels have electrodes made of tiny carbon nanotubes. These can generate more power with greater efficiency and at a cost 70% lower than existing solar panels.”

10. It's a boy! Athens zoo welcomes birth of rare pygmy hippo

“A rare and endangered pygmy hippopotamus has been born in Athens’ Attica Zoological Park for the first time in 10 years, delighting conservationists. A lack of male pygmy hippos in captivity had complicated breeding efforts, so zoo staff were “absolutely thrilled” the baby was a boy”

March 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[akookminsupporter]

I just read Hobi's 'thanks to' in the JITB album and honestly.... i've been saying this for a year now but seriously fuck everyone who started trending hashtags on bighit mistreating Hobi for not releasing a physical album and saying shit about them not respecting him and all that bullshit that solos like to say. Bighit is not a perfect company. Hybe is not a perfect company. But when the members say TRUST THEM AND THEIR WORDS, I WILL. And if they say they made their albums however they wanted, I will believe that. "there would be nothing that would hurt (my) heart as much as if it had become an album and situation that caused you guys resentment that couldn't be resolved" fuck everyone who made him feel this way. He just wanted to make an album however he wanted. He didn't know physicals would be this important. And we could have just respected his decision. But nooo because solos always fucking have to victimise them like they are 5 year olds...

I'm sorry for being angry in your askbox but it's just boiling my blood.

credit and link for the thread: twitter.com/fIytomyR00M/status/1692516703463182835?s=20

And the absurdity of it all is that there are still people blaming the company for the fact that he didn't release a physical album a year ago or misinterpreting what Hobi said in that letter.

I've said it more than once, we don't know the whole story, we don't know how involved the guys are in their projects and it's better to reserve criticism so we don't look like idiots. Yes, each release has had something different from the last but we don't know why. We don't know if the artist wanted it that way. What we do know is that they have told us over and over again to trust them but many think they know better than they do. And that is one of the big problems. The other problem with this fandom and Solos in particular, is that they complain about absolutely everything. And it's ridiculous.

For them, any disadvantage they think they see is a reason to make trending hashtags, to insult other members or to demand respect for their favs and it's exhausting. Yesterday I saw that many were complaining that in the new Weverse section, they didn't include all the adjectives they wanted for Jungkook and it's silly. Others were complaining because they didn't mention X thing about X member or because what they said was too short compared to the others. THAT IS SILLY. It's exhausting.

[no-side-us]

Letters From Watson Liveblog - Oct. 6

Charles Augustus Milverton, Part 3 of 3

This is an almost comical situation, as well as a pretty common trope nowadays. Sometimes I forget that these stories are over a hundred years old, and it makes me wonder whether this is the first instance of the sneaking-in-then-person-walks-in scene.

Holmes shouldering up to Watson and now grasping his hand is great. What's even better though is Watson intuitively understanding all these gestures and what they mean, which goes to show how close they are to each other.

I forgot the detail that the veiled woman here meets Milverton under the pretense of being a servant selling blackmail material. I had always remembered it as her being upfront about being a past victim from the beginning. I think I prefer the actual version here cause it catches Milverton off guard and puts him at a disadvantage for once.

I love that she unloads into him. A single bullet would probably be sufficient, but a barrage is much more emotional. It really adds to how angry she is. She's the real hero of this story really. I don't want to discount Holmes, it's just that if his plan succeeded Milverton would still be alive and blackmailing. With her, he can't do that anymore.

Not to give Milverton any credit, but it's impressive he can still talk after being shot so many times before dying.

Also, her grinding her heel into his face feels more visceral to me than the bullets for some reason. I think it's because the bullets had a purpose, i.e. to kill him, but crushing his face is clearly for her personal satisfaction.

I just wanted to show another example of Holmes and Watson's non-verbal understanding of each other through something as simple as a firm grip.

A very considerate action on Holmes' part. He could have just burned Lady Eva's letters, but if all the letters are there, next to a great big fire, might as well right? No harm done.

A classic moment. A part of me has always liked to think Lestrade knew, or at least heavily suspected, it was Holmes and Watson, mainly because of this line. Though if he's still alive to read this story years later then he'll know either way.

Is the veiled woman supposed to be a reference to someone well-known at the time, like an actual statesman's wife? I know Milverton was based on a real blackmailer, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was similar for her.

Great story, all in all. I really liked Milverton and his death, and it's a shame he's not more prominent in adaptations, but his story can really only end in one way, so it makes sense. Regardless, I had a lot of fun and look forward to The Six Napoleons.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

[vamuelle]

If you want to be a home owner please look into local assistance for first time home buyers.

In the US there are special loans for first time home buyers as well as assistance if you want to live in a rural area ( FHA and USDA loans). Special loans are more flexible with minimum down payment and credit score minimums as well as don't have some requirements that Conventional Loans have.

Ie one thing that helped us is Conventional loans require you to work full time consistently in the same field for 2 years. FHA only requires 6 months of employment and a letter explaining your history and to have an income that can afford the loan. I didn't have the work history needed for a Convention Loan.

The Loans, Grants, and Assistance vary state to state and you may have other options if you live in a major city. (Our second grant was only for our area.)

There also may be government backed housing assistance agencies which will help you with going through the process for free or a low payment (our state requires you to do some education with them for the FHA loan, and it was free).

My partner and I recently bought a house with a FHA Loan/Grant and a First Homeowners Grant from our lender (which has the qualifications of being a low income area, low income, as well as first homeowners). We were able to forgo any down payment or closing costs and will be paying less monthly costs then the rentals we were considering month to month.

We still had to pay some things. We paid for inspection, appraisal, insurance upfront, refundable deposit and 1000 dollars at closing.

FHA loans also have the added cost of loan insurance for month to month costs, but overall is still cheaper then renting so 🤷 I am not complaining.

Another thing to expect as a lower income buyer is you likely will only be able to afford fixer uppers so expect to have a lot of initial repair costs as well as maintaining your home over time. There is assistance for those things as well but be careful of loan scams when looking for those.

If you do consider going this route, make sure to be thorough with inspections and negotiate with what you find. It is a lot of upfront costs for something you may not go with, but can save you thousands in the long run. We needed to change out knob and tube in our house and since we found it in the inspection we were able to negotiate 12k from the sellers to fix it rather than paying that out of our pockets later. We also saved over a thousand by getting them to service the neglected HVAC. You're not likely to get a seller to fix everything, but you can save a lot with negotiating.

More homeowners can stabilize communities and help rent to not skyrocket uncontrollably. Especially if the homeowners arent nimbys who only care about their property values and instead actually care about their renting neighbors. Homeowners also have more power in your local politics, so taking advantage of these programs and getting more power to disadvantaged people and communities is so important.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Jazmin Evans had been waiting for a new kidney for four years when her hospital revealed shocking news: She should have been put on the transplant list in 2015 instead of 2019 — and a racially biased organ test was to blame.

As upsetting as that notification was, it also was part of an unprecedented move to mitigate the racial inequity. Evans is among more than 14,000 Black kidney transplant candidates so far given credit for lost waiting time, moving them up the priority list for their transplant.

“I remember just reading that letter over and over again,” said Evans, 29, of Philadelphia, who shared the notice in a TikTok video to educate other patients. “How could this happen?”

At issue is a once widely used test that overestimated how well Black people’s kidneys were functioning, making them look healthier than they really were — all because of an automated formula that calculated results for Black and non-Black patients differently. That race-based equation could delay diagnosis of organ failure and evaluation for a transplant, exacerbating other disparities that already make Black patients more at risk of needing a new kidney but less likely to get one.

A few years ago, the National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology prodded laboratories to switch to race-free equations in calculating kidney function. Then the U.S. organ transplant network ordered hospitals to use only race-neutral test results in adding new patients to the kidney waiting list.

“The immediate question came up: What about the people on the list right now? You can’t just leave them behind,” said Dr. Martha Pavlakis of Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and former chair of the network’s kidney committee.

Pavlakis calls what happened next an attempt at restorative justice: The transplant network gave hospitals a year to uncover which Black kidney candidates could have qualified for a new kidney sooner if not for the race-based test — and adjust their waiting time to make up for it. That lookback continues for each newly listed Black patient to see if they, too, should have been referred sooner.

Between January 2023 and mid-March, more than 14,300 Black kidney transplant candidates have had their wait times modified, by an average of two years, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which runs the transplant system. So far more than 2,800 of them, including Evans, have received a transplant.

But it’s just one example of a larger problem permeating health care. Numerous formulas or “algorithms” used in medical decisions — treatment guidelines, diagnostic tests, risk calculators — adjust the answers according to race or ethnicity in a way that puts people of color at disadvantage.

Given how embedded these equations are in medical software and electronic records, even doctors may not realize how widely they impact care decisions.

“Health equity scholars have been raising alarm bells about the way race has been misused in clinical algorithms for decades,” said Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City’s chief medical officer.

Change is beginning, slowly. No longer are obstetricians supposed to include race in determining the risk of a pregnant woman attempting vaginal birth after a prior C-section. The American Heart Association just removed race from a commonly used calculator of people’s heart disease risk. The American Thoracic Society has urged replacing race-based lung function evaluation.

The kidney saga is unique because of the effort to remedy a past wrong.

“Lots of time when we see health inequities, we just assume there’s nothing we can do about it,” Morse said. “We can make changes to restore faith in the health system and to actually address the unfair and avoidable outcomes that Black people and other people of color face.”

Black Americans are over three times more likely than white people to experience kidney failure. Of the roughly 89,000 people currently on the waiting list for a new kidney, about 30% are Black.

Race isn’t a biological factor like age, sex or weight — it’s a social construct. So how did it make its way into calculations of kidney function?

The eGFR, or estimated glomerular filtration rate, evaluates kidney health based on how quickly a waste compound called creatinine gets filtered from blood. In 1999, an equation used to calculate eGFR was modified to adjust Black people’s results compared to everyone else’s, based on some studies with small numbers of Black patients and a long-ago false theory about differences in creatinine levels. Until recently that meant many lab reports would list two results — one calculated for non-Black patients and another for Black patients that could overestimate kidney function by as much as 16%.

Not every Black kidney candidate was affected. Some may have had kidney failure diagnosed without that test. For others to have a chance at benefitting from UNOS’ mandated lookback, transplant center staff-turned-detectives often worked after hours and weekends, hunting years-old records for a test that, recalculated without the race adjustment, might make the difference.

“You’re reaching out to the nephrologist, their primary care doctors, the dialysis units to get those records,” said Dr. Pooja Singh of Jefferson Health’s transplant institute in Philadelphia, where Evans received her new kidney. “That first patient getting transplanted for us was such a great moment for our program that the work didn’t feel like work after that.”

A high school sports physical first spotted Evans’ kidney disease at age 17. While finishing her master’s degree and beginning to earn her Ph.D. at Temple University, she started dialysis — for nine hours a night while she slept — and was placed on the transplant list.

How long it takes to get a kidney transplant depends on patients’ blood type, medical urgency and a mix of other factors — including how long they’ve spent on the waiting list. Evans was first listed in April 2019. When the Jefferson transplant center unearthed her old lab tests, they found she should have qualified in September 2015.

“Just for context, when I was still an undergrad I should have been on the list,” she said, recalling the anger she felt as she read the letter. What she called “a mind-blowing” credit of 3½ more years waiting also provided “a glimmer of hope” that she’d be offered a matching kidney soon.

Evans got a new kidney on July 4 and is healthy again, and grateful the policy change came in time for her.

“You don’t know if people would be alive today” if it had been enacted earlier, she said. Still, that extra step of “making amends to fix the situation for those that we can — I feel like it’s very important and it’s very necessary if you’re truly wanting to bring more equity and equality into the medical field.”

[bethanydelleman]

Lady Susan Readthrough Letters 15 & 16

Summary: Catherine remains so worried that Lady Susan and her brother will marry that she starts trying to forget Lady Susan's faults for when they become family. However, there is a new crisis. Frederica attempted to run away from school and Mr. Vernon has gone to London to try and smooth everything over. Catherine hopes that Frederica does not come to them but sees no other alternative. Lady Susan warns Catherine that her daughter is terrible and will need severe discipline.

Lady Susan did send a letter to Frederica about Sir James, which prompted her attempt to run away to friends. She tells Alicia that she's getting all her lies ready in case her daughter betrays her to her uncle. Lady Susan is also getting annoyed at Reginald for not instantly believing her about everything. She greatly prefers Mainwaring in that respect but refuses to allow him to join her in the country.

-+-

It's interesting that while Catherine thinks nearly everything Lady Susan says is a lie, she totally believes her account of Frederica. We shall see what this poor girl is actually like.

He gives a very plausible account of her behaviour at Langford; I wish it may be true, but his intelligence must come from herself, and I am less disposed to believe it than to lament the degree of intimacy subsisting between them, implied by the discussion of such a subject.

Yeah, Catherine has really good cause to be worried!

She talks vastly well; I am afraid of being ungenerous, or I should say, too well to feel so very deeply; but I will not look for her faults; she may be Reginald’s wife! Heaven forbid it!

This idea of not knowing too much about the faults of relations is discussed again in Mansfield Park. Fanny asks Edmund not to take her into his confidence about Mary, since she doesn't want to think ill of her when they marry.

“One thing more. Excuse the liberty; but take care how you talk to me. Do not tell me anything now, which hereafter you may be sorry for. The time may come—” (Ch 27)

Reginald is so incensed against the poor silly girl! Surely it is not to Lady Susan’s credit that he should be so bitter against her daughter; his idea of her must be drawn from the mother’s description.

Yay, Lady Susan is having fun talking shit about her daughter to her flirtation partner. Mother of the year!

I had not a notion of her being such a little devil before, she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness

I do get the feeling that Lady Susan is ALMOST impressed that her daughter took the initiative to run away. Like an, "Aw, she is my daughter" moment, even if it is brief.

If I am vain of anything, it is of my eloquence.

And not without cause.

There is a sort of ridiculous delicacy about him which requires the fullest explanation of whatever he may have heard to my disadvantage, and is never satisfied till he thinks he has ascertained the beginning and end of everything.

So while Reginald has been totally taken in, he is exacting. He wants dates, names, and everything! Lady Susan being annoyed by this cracks me up.

Those women are inexcusable who forget what is due to themselves, and the opinion of the world.

Great advice if you weren't talking about sleeping with a married man!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Guy Parsons :: @ParsonsGuy

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

[There is a discussion of rape in paragraph 12.]

Three big stories today. First of all, the Democrats are taking a victory lap on the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a law that has transformed the U.S. economy and for which not a single Republican voted. 

The IRA was the eventual form President Joe Biden’s initial “Build Back Better” plans took. It offered to lower Americans’ energy costs with a 30% tax credit for energy-efficient windows, heat pumps, or newer models of appliances; capped the cost of drugs at $2,000 per year for people on Medicare; and made healthcare premiums fall for certain Americans by expanding the Affordable Care Act. 

By raising taxes on the very wealthy and on corporations and bringing the Internal Revenue Service back up to full strength so that it can crack down on tax cheating, as well as saving the government money by permitting it to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, the IRA was expected to raise $738 billion. That, plus about $891 billion from other sources, enabled the law to make the largest investment ever in addressing climate change while still bringing down the federal government’s annual deficit.

“This is a BFD,” former President Barack Obama tweeted a year ago.

“Thanks, Obama,” Biden responded.

The law has driven significant investment in U.S. manufacturing. Indeed, the chief executive officer of U.S. Steel recently said the law should be renamed the “Manufacturing Renaissance Act,” as manufacturers return previously offshored production to the U.S. That same shift has brought supply chains back to the U.S. These changes have meant new, well-paid manufacturing jobs that have been concentrated in Republican-dominated states and in historically disadvantaged communities. 

Scientists Alicia Zhao and Haewon McJeon, who recently published an article in Science, today wrote that the IRA “brings the US significantly closer to meeting its 2030 climate target [of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 50–52% below 2005 levels], taking expected emissions from 25–31% below 2005 levels down to 33–40% below.”

While Republican presidential candidates took shots at the IRA today—former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley called it “a communist manifesto”—Democrats have pointed out that Republicans have been eager to take credit for IRA investments in their districts without mentioning either that they voted against the IRA or that they are still trying to repeal it.

If the Democrats are taking a victory lap for passing this transformative law a year ago, the second big story today showed the effort to steal the 2020 presidential election was fully formed earlier than had been established previously. That story came from MSNBC’s Ari Melber, who revealed a video taken by Danish filmmaker Christoffer Guldbrandsen of Trump ally Roger Stone plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election on November 5, 2020, two days before the election was called for President Biden. 

In the video, Stone dictated to an associate a statement saying that “any legislative body may decide on the basis of overwhelming evidence of fraud to send electors to the Electoral College who accurately reflect the president’s legitimate victory in their state, which was illegally denied him through fraud. We must be prepared to lobby our Republican legislatures…by personal contact and by demonstrating the overwhelming will of the people in their state—in each state—that this may need to happen,” he said. 

This video, recorded while the election was not yet decided, recalls the statement of Trump ally Steve Bannon, who told a group of associates on October 31, 2020—before the election—that Trump simply planned to declare he had won, claiming that the expected wave in favor of Biden was fraudulent. “What Trump’s gonna do is just declare victory. Right? He’s gonna declare victory. But that doesn’t mean he’s a winner,” Bannon said. “He’s just gonna say he’s a winner.”

The third big story of today shows how Trump Republicans think about women. It hits hard in the wake of this week’s story in Time magazine of the 13-year-old Mississippi girl who just gave birth after being raped by a stranger in her yard. She was unable to obtain an abortion because of Mississippi’s abortion ban. She is scheduled soon to start seventh grade.

Yesterday, far away from the home of that Mississippi girl, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit handed down a decision about the use of the abortion drug mifepristone in the case of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last year, as soon as the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion, antiabortion doctors tried to get mifepristone taken off the market by arguing that the FDA should never have approved it when it did so in 2000. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine was incorporated just after last June’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision overturned Roe v. Wade.

In April 2023, Trump appointee and longtime abortion opponent Texas judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued a preliminary ruling invalidating that approval. The federal appeals court yesterday said the drug should be legal, but significantly limited its use by saying it could not be sent through the mail or prescribed without an in-person visit to a doctor, cutting midwives and other healthcare providers out of the process. 

Judge James Ho, who was sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in his billionaire benefactor Harlan Crow’s library in 2018 (Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz was also there), wrote his own opinion in the case in order to expand on what he sees as “the historical pedigree of Plaintiffs’ conscience injury, and to explore how Plaintiffs suffer aesthetic injury as well.” 

Antiabortion doctors suffer a moral injury when they are forced to help patients who have complications from the use of mifepristone, Ho wrote, because they are forced to participate in an abortion against their principles. 

Those doctors also experience an aesthetic injury when patients choose abortion because, as one said, “When my patients have chemical abortions, I lose the opportunity…to care for the woman and child through pregnancy and bring about a successful delivery of new life.” Indeed, Ho wrote, “It’s well established that, if a plaintiff has ‘concrete plans’ to visit an animal’s habitat and view that animal, that plaintiff suffers aesthetic injury when an agency has approved a project that threatens the animal.”

In cases where the government “approved some action—such as developing land or using pesticides—that threatens to destroy…animal or plant life that plaintiffs wish to enjoy,” that injury “is redressable by a court order holding unlawful and setting aside the agency approval. And so too here. The FDA has approved the use of a drug that threatens to destroy the unborn children in whom Plaintiffs [that is, the antiabortion doctors] have an interest.” 

“Unborn babies are a source of profound joy for those who view them,” Ho wrote. “Expectant parents eagerly share ultrasound photos with loved ones. Friends and family cheer at the sight of an unborn child. Doctors delight in working with their unborn patients—and experience an aesthetic injury when they are aborted.” 

The decision will be on hold until the appeals process is completed.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[the-late-beanstalk]

MIL#1: It's Like Coffee, it's Addicting!

Dear members of the Goodnight Club, the longest-running anonymous nocturnal organization,

For the first time after a long time, I had a mother-daughter talk with my mother! We are both busy with our own stuff so we didn't really have much time to sit and have a conversation.

We talked about how she spends her time while using her phone in a day. Guess what? I feel small because I do most of its opposite.

I first asked her how long does she takes surfing on the internet. She replied to me with an hour to two, which I was surprised. In a day, I usually take more than half a day on my scrolling on my phone only if I don't have classes but I could be on my phone all day if I have nothing to do for school or house chores. That's how addicted I am.

The second question I asked her was, what kind of content does she consume from the internet? Truly, one of the contents she spends her time mostly is strengthening her spiritual growth. Every morning, after waking up, she opens YouTube and plays worship songs before getting ready to go to her work. Some of the content she spends her time on also include videos and articles about her profession; social connections; social issues; cooking and; house designs. It's funny to think that between me and my mom, I am the one who spends time mostly on my phone, but I only open the least number of apps.

I thought we didn't have characteristics that we're similar of, but at least we both are responsible individuals who also benefit from the internet. We both give credit to resources when we use their pieces of work, we don't post negativity, we verify first the validity of a content before we share it, and we don't go to sites with trash contents.

Lastly, I asked her how tech savvy she is, in which she rated herself 4 out of 5. The same goes for me, I do love exploring new things, especially in technology, which is why I rate myself a 4.5 too. I may know a lot of things about technology right now, but there's still space for improvement and space for new discoveries that I could apply to my skills while using it.

☪

While doing the interview and making the blog, I do love how my mother and I have our differences and also similarities when it comes to how we use our cell phones. It reminds me of my childhood days when we still had more time to bond and talk to each other instead of having our own life because of our gadgets. It made me realize that I have been spending so much time on my gadget when I can spend it on more important matters like my family. I should enjoy and treasure my time with them. Make more memories with them because I may or may not go far when I go pursue college; I’m sure I am going to miss them. It also taught me to appreciate more the importance of knowing how to manage my time efficiently; I could not just sit and do nothing but open my phone or laptop and not mind the time I am consuming whether it is for school purposes or just for leisure time.

In this time of our lives, modern technology is very essential because we do almost everything with it. The media such as our cell phones which serve as our tool to be able to communicate in a faster way with others is very modern in that we do not need to write and make letters just to send messages unlike before when it would take time to get the recipient to receive the message. Media keeps us entertained, informed, and raises our consciousness. As it gives us benefits, it also brings us disadvantages because as time goes by, since it is becoming easier to access by everyone, especially younger individuals, the limitation is being disregarded. When we own a cell phone, for example, we have the power to do whatever we want. We basically can do anything in just one click. Since we have the power, we tend to overstep the boundaries because of factors such as temptations in which it is urging us to do it even though we knew in the first place that it was wrong. That is why as a user, knowing and keeping in mind our limitations is very important. We should always know that we need to be responsible for what we are doing. Guide the younger ones so they would make the proper use of technology and not abuse it.

☾

❈━━━━━━✾━━━━━━✾━━━━━━✾━━━━━━❈

How about you, my dear readers? 

What have you realized for tonight's talk? 

Don’t forget to share your thoughts.

➼ QOTN!

If we could use a time machine, would you like to go back and experience different kinds of media that people used to use before the modern technology era for 30 days but you have to find ways to survive your own?

⚸ coffeebeans

Some images used are not mine. Credits to the rightful owners.

[doctorcurdlejr]

that kurt vonnegut presentation you did once, can we see 👀👀👀

sure! it's just an incredibly brief intro to the ethical conversation around cybernetics in player piano (slides and notes under the read more), but I'm not really an expert it was just a cursory look. if the topic is interesting I would also suggest The Tyranny of Cybernetics in Kurt Vonnegut’s Player Piano.

I will be discussing the novel Player Piano in context of our discussion on Cybernetics and Computer Ethics.

Kurt Vonnegut was born in 1922 to a German family in Indiana, who were strong pacifists and atheists. Despite reservations due to personal anti-war values and his German ancestry, Vonnegut eventually enlisted in the US military in 1943 – an experience that influenced a great deal of his works, most notably slaughterhouse five. After the war, Vonnegut bounced around between college and odd jobs, eventually landing a PR position at General Electric. Vonnegut’s three years with the company gave him an insight into the scientific world that inspired his first novel, Player Piano which was published in 1952. Player Piano presented a dystopian American society where nearly everything has been mechanized, developing an upper class of managers and engineers, and a lower class that has lost their sense of purpose. The novel is a heavy critique of technological advancement pushed forward by a capitalist need to optimize, regardless of the happiness of the average citizen.

Playboy interview: https://web.archive.org/web/20090210155908/http://www.playboy.com/magazine/interview_archive/kurt-vonnegut/kurt-vonnegut-3.html

Vonnegut is no stranger to the scientific world. In college he originally majored in bio-chemistry, and when he enlisted, he was initially put in Carnegie Tech to learn mechanical engineering. Additionally, Vonnegut’s older brother was Bernard Vonnegut, an atmospheric scientist who is credited with discovering that silver iodide could be used in cloud seeding to produce snow and rain. But Player Piano’s ethical discussion around technological advancement is largely based on the things he saw and conversations he had with scientists during his time at General Electric. He felt that many of the people working in the research laboratory were interested in discoveries and truth but had little regard for what would be done after their technology had been developed.

During Vonnegut’s time at GE, the Atlantic would publish Norbert Wiener’s letter A Scientist Rebels. In the letter Wiener presents ethical objections to the use of research to aid in development of war technology, citing the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as examples of what happens when the consequences are not considered. Vonnegut was aware of the letter, and it would present inspiration for his first short story, Report on the Barnhouse Effect – a story about the US military taking advantage of a professor’s sudden development of psychokinetic abilities, written in the style of a report.

Vonnegut quote: https://web.archive.org/web/20090210155908/http://www.playboy.com/magazine/interview_archive/kurt-vonnegut/kurt-vonnegut-3.html

A scientist rebels: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1947/01/a-scientist-rebels/656040/

In 1948, Wiener would publish his book on Cybernetics, which would prove to be incredibly influential on Player Piano – so much so that the novel’s main character, Paul, directly cites Wiener. Player Piano, though, takes a critical stance on cybernetics. In Player Piano, the self-regulating machines presented by cybernetics do reduce mental work for the average person – but to the disadvantage of all of society. People begin to feel useless and restless as technology takes over nearly everything.

Part of the reason people become so unsatisfied with their perpetual irrelevance under an entirely systemized society is that the constant mechanization isn’t done for their benefit – it’s done to further push capitalist aims. The machines that operate society mold citizens into perfect consumers, pushing industry forever forward with total disregard for the consequences on people at large. While generally more of an optimist towards the uses of cybernetics, Wiener held similar reservations about its misuses. The second edition of Cybernetics released in 1961 included a new introduction from Wiener, who admitted that he didn’t know if cybernetics would be a benefit to humanity – but that its potential could not be truly reached or understood when all concern for its uses revolved around improving capital rather than improving the general quality of life for humanity.

Wiener’s solution to these concerns was largely brought forth in his book The Human Use of Human Beings, which outlined the ethical guidelines for computing that we discussed in class. Wiener also believed, though, that incorporating these would inherently need a restructuring of current operations and would doubtlessly be difficult. Vonnegut, on the other hand, was not one for solutions – just irony and warnings. Player Piano presents concern about the ways inequities can be perpetuated by our systems if we let them run without concern for our ethical responsibilities. Towards the end of Player Piano, Vonnegut presents a bleak but humorously-ironic look at a failed revolution attempt. After people took to the streets, destroying machines and protesting their forced obsolescence, they slowly trickle back together, finding purpose in rebuilding the same exact systems that perpetuated their irrelevance. While I can appreciate Vonnegut’s dark sense of humor, I certainly hope that in practice, we take a note from Wiener’s book and think seriously about how to use our systems to support humanity’s well-being.

Norbert Wiener Ethics: https://info-organizations-unc.blogspot.com/2022/07/norbert-wieners-foundation-of-computer.html

[finiansghost]

So I know I said I was going to do Summerchild out-takes with the bingo card, but you see, there was a dailyprompt prompt 'Paper thin masquerade', and the top-left bingo was the nine/fire combination, which they describe as 'Nine of Bows - Respect' and which I would normally read as the yearning for things to make sense or to happen in their proper season.

So instead, here's Rob Nyren, realising the Guenefyn stranger in the room isn't somebody's honey-trap pawn, she's the raparee he's been strategising against for a decade or so.

Ten short-years in Caer Guen notwithstanding, Carycoll is Rob Nyren's home ground, not hers, and that lends him certain advantages. The fact that he hasn't slept well in weeks is probably a disadvantage, but at least it's one he's used to working with.

First and foremost, he has his sister, who is as reliable an intelligencer here as Generyn is in Caer Guen. Different methods, he profoundly hopes. But Rhosyn has met the woman calling herself Hazel, and relayed her impressions: astute, politically-aware, occasionally blankly wrong-footed by the reality of the Ceriog in their own country. Might be some House's disposable daughter, might be bait in a trap, almost certainly not what she seems.

So he's forewarned, and forearmed with a letter which he knows is a trap, and which he means to use to set a less-lethal trap in his turn. He's confident in his ability to guide his king's hand; sometimes it's been harder not to; he's watching her.

He watches her see the same trap he sees, and hold her tongue. Watches her glance at the map like one who knows the land beneath. Baits her into confirming his warning, to see what words she chooses. Doesn't have to look directly at her to watch from the corner of his eye as he plays his hand. Names himself as the Free named him, and waits.

He's not expecting the Maid of the Hills to throw her cards on the table quite that clearly. Or perhaps it's only clear to him. He knows the mind behind that plan, that baits and manipulates and manouvres the opponent exactly where she wants them -

- and he's been wondering about Oisin's sudden recklessness. If his erstwhile partner is here, not whispering strategy in his ear, then a great deal of things suddenly make a great deal of sense.

She's sharp, she's bitter, she's an open book when she speaks of peace, and she always deserved more credit than the Free would give her. He can work with that.



[turnbulllawgroup]

Empower Yourself: Stop Debt Collection Harassment with Expert Legal Help from Turnbull Law Group

Dealing with debt can be overwhelming, but constant harassment from debt collectors can make it unbearable. If you’re facing relentless phone calls, threatening letters, or invasive tactics from collection agencies, know that you are not alone. Many individuals feel powerless when caught in the cycle of debt collection, but there’s a solution to this problem: expert legal help. Turnbull Law Group offers a lifeline for those dealing with aggressive debt collection practices, helping individuals regain their peace of mind and take control of their financial future.

Understanding Debt Collection Harassment

Debt collection harassment is more common than you might think. Collectors often employ a range of tactics, from incessant phone calls at odd hours to intimidating letters and threats of legal action. While it’s true that creditors have the right to collect debts, they must do so within the boundaries of the law.

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), consumers are protected from abusive, deceptive, and unfair collection practices. Unfortunately, many collection agencies still resort to harassment, either through ignorance of the law or because they rely on consumers’ lack of understanding about their rights. If you’re experiencing debt collection harassment, it’s crucial to know that you have legal recourse—and this is where Turnbull Law Group can help.

What Can Turnbull Law Group Do for You?

Turnbull Law Group is a legal firm that specializes in defending individuals from debt collection harassment. Their team of experienced attorneys understands the complexities of debt laws and consumer rights. Whether you’re dealing with credit card debt, medical debt, or other forms of unsecured debt, Turnbull Law Group is dedicated to helping you navigate the legal process and ensure your rights are upheld.

Here’s how Turnbull Law Group can assist:

Protect Your Rights: The firm will help you understand your legal rights under the FDCPA and other consumer protection laws. Their attorneys will make sure you are aware of what collection agencies can and cannot do, and they will take action if your rights have been violated.

Stop Harassment: One of the biggest benefits of hiring Turnbull Law Group is that they can put an immediate end to debt collection harassment. Once you retain their services, debt collectors must communicate with your legal team instead of contacting you directly. This alone can provide a significant sense of relief.

Negotiate on Your Behalf: In addition to stopping the harassment, Turnbull Law Group will negotiate with your creditors to settle or reduce your debt. Their experienced negotiators understand how to reach agreements that are in your best interest, potentially lowering the overall amount you owe.

Legal Representation: If a debt collector takes legal action against you, Turnbull Law Group can provide representation in court. Their legal team will fight to protect your assets and work towards a favorable outcome.

Why Legal Help is Crucial

Attempting to navigate debt collection laws on your own can be daunting. Collection agencies often have teams of lawyers working on their behalf, and without expert knowledge of your rights and the legal process, you may find yourself at a disadvantage. By partnering with Turnbull Law Group, you level the playing field. Their attorneys have the expertise to challenge unlawful collection practices and give you the best chance of overcoming your debt problems.

Empower Yourself Today

If debt collection harassment is taking a toll on your life, don’t wait until it gets worse. Empower yourself by taking action with the help of a skilled legal team. Turnbull Law Group provides compassionate, expert legal services to help you stop the harassment, reduce your debt, and regain control of your financial future.

Remember, you don’t have to face debt collectors alone. Reach out to Turnbull Law Group for a consultation and take the first step towards a brighter financial future. With their help, you can end the harassment and find a path forward to financial freedom.

[ahktips]

Personal Loan Settlement Handbook: Steps to Achieve Debt Relief

Personal loan settlement, also known as loan resolution, is a process through which an agreement is made between the lender and the borrower, allowing the borrower to repay their loan for a lesser amount than originally owed. This process can be crucial for individuals facing severe financial difficulties who are unable to make full loan repayments.

There can be various reasons for someone to seek personal loan settlement, including financial hardship, changes in employment or income, or inability to make monthly payments. If you are considering personal loan settlement, it is essential to consult a financial advisor. They can help you evaluate your options and guide you in making a better decision. They can also assist you in finding the best solution for your financial situation.

In this article, we will explain the process of personal loan settlement. Additionally, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of personal loan settlement. You will find comprehensive information about personal loan settlement in this article, so make sure to read it till the end to avoid any potential issues later on.

Importance of Personal Loan Settlement

The primary objective of personal loan settlement is to provide relief to the borrower. When an individual is unable to repay their loan, it can adversely affect their financial situation and mental health. In such a scenario, personal loan settlement can be a beneficial solution for both parties. The lender receives a certain amount, and the borrower is relieved from their loan.

Process of Personal Loan Settlement

The process of personal loan settlement involves several steps:

Assessing Financial Situation: The borrower should first evaluate their financial condition and determine how much of the loan they can repay.

Contacting the Lender: After assessing their financial situation, the borrower should contact the lender and explain their condition. It's important to be honest about the situation so the lender can make an informed decision.

Settlement Proposal: After discussions with the lender, a settlement proposal is made. This proposal is based on the amount the borrower can repay.

Signing the Settlement Agreement: Once the borrower agrees to the settlement, both parties sign a settlement agreement, detailing all terms and conditions.

Payment: After agreeing to the terms, the borrower makes the payment as per the agreement, which can be a lump sum or in installments.

Settlement Letter: Once the payment is completed, the lender issues a loan settlement letter, confirming that the loan has been settled.

Precautions to Take During Personal Loan Settlement

While settling a personal loan, certain precautions should be taken:

Be honest about your financial situation and provide accurate information to the lender.

Seek advice from a lawyer to understand the legal implications of the agreement.

Read all documents and agreements carefully to avoid future disputes.

Alternative Options for Personal Loan Settlement

Financial Advisor Assistance: To successfully complete the personal loan settlement process, one can seek help from a financial advisor who can guide the borrower and assist in negotiations with the lender.

Legal Advisor Assistance: During the settlement process, a legal advisor can help understand and resolve legal documents, providing guidance from a legal perspective.

Financial Planning: After the settlement, the borrower should create a solid financial plan to re-establish their financial life. This includes budgeting, saving plans, and future investment strategies.

Advantages of Personal Loan Settlement

It provides financial relief to the borrower, allowing them to manage other financial responsibilities.

Loan settlement reduces the borrower's burden and provides mental peace.

Successfully completing the loan settlement process can positively impact the borrower's credit score.

Disadvantages of Personal Loan Settlement

It can negatively impact the borrower’s credit score as it indicates that the full loan was not repaid.

Future loan approvals may become difficult for the borrower.

Sometimes, the settled loan amount may be subject to tax, which the borrower has to pay.

Format of a Personal Loan Settlement Request Letter

The format of a Personal Loan Settlement Request Letter is as follows:

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Mobile Number] [Email Address]

[Name of the Lender] [Address of the Bank/Financial Institution] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Date: [Date]

Subject: Request for Personal Loan Settlement

Dear Sir/Madam,

I, ahktips, am a reliable customer of your bank/financial institution. I had taken a personal loan of [Loan Amount] under loan number [Loan Number] from your institution. Due to my personal and financial situation, I am currently unable to repay this loan.

I deeply regret not being able to make timely EMI payments for my loan. For the past few months, I have had no stable source of income, and my financial condition has deteriorated significantly. Considering my situation, I request you to kindly provide me an opportunity to settle my loan.

I have managed to gather an amount of [Settlement Amount] with the help of my savings and family assistance. Please accept this amount as the loan settlement. I assure you that after this settlement, I will re-establish my relationship with your bank and use your services in the future.

Please consider my situation sympathetically and provide me with the necessary procedure for this loan settlement.

Thank you.

Sincerely, [Ahktips] [ahktips]

Conclusion

Personal loan settlement is a significant process that can help borrowers overcome financial crises. However, it should be done carefully and correctly to avoid associated problems. With accurate information, honesty, and proper advice, personal loan settlement can be a crucial step in improving the borrower's financial life.

This article has provided an understanding of the importance of personal loan settlement, the process, its advantages and disadvantages, and the format of a personal loan settlement request letter. We hope you found this article helpful. Continue reading our articles for more information on loans. If you have any questions related to this article, feel free to comment, and we will try our best to answer them.