#Gen Zia

[beenasarwar]

Re-visiting Eqbal Ahmad's book launch at Harvard with Noam Chomsky

A message from the journalist Amitabh Pal about a mutual friend, David Barsamian of Alternative Radio in Colorado reminded me of this piece published in 2006, about an event with Noam Chomsky where I first met David. Sharing as it's still relevant.

A message from the journalist Amitabh Pal about a mutual friend, David Barsamian of Alternative Radio in Colorado reminded me of this piece originally published in The News on Sunday, 8 Oct. 2006, about an event with Noam Chomsky where I first met David. The article is still all-too relevant, but the link no longer works so I’m sharing the piece here without any changes; just added some…

[wolfesona]

Lmao his face-

And the fact that Bri is unfazed (I'm cackling)

(Shuriken should've known to use protection lmao-)

@wolfesona Shuriken’s family over the years

[haleswallows]

Lost My Way (All the Way to You) Fandom: DC x DP Pairing: Spirit Halloween (Bruce/Danny) Rating: Gen

A little thing I wrote for the @haunting-heroes-creative-games Soulmates 'Who Wrote That' game. Hosted by the incredible Penner and Zia.

No teaser, it truly is that short. Summary: Bruce did not think he had a soulmate.

At least, he has pondered before the odds he had not met them with all his travels as Bruce Wayne and Batman. The odds seemed incredibly long given that he'd been globe trotting, planet and galaxy trotting, even dimension trotting.

It wasn't a painful point. Truthfully, it was more Bruce never gave it much air to be painful, never spent much time contemplating the mark of swirling stars nestled in a crown on his wrist. There was always something else more pressing.

[beardedmrbean]

Bangladesh's parliament has been dissolved, a day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina was forced from power.

Ms Hasina resigned and fled the country after weeks of student-led protests spiralled into deadly unrest.

The dissolution of parliament, a key demand of protesters, paves the way for establishing an interim government.

Bangladeshis are waiting to see what comes next, as the country's military chief is holding talks with political leaders and protest organisers.

According to local media, more than 100 people died in violent clashes across Bangladesh on Monday, the single deadliest day since mass demonstrations began.

Hundreds of police stations were also torched, with the Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) declaring a strike "until the security of every member of the police is secure".

The group also sought to place the blame at the door of authorities, saying they were "forced to fire".

Overall, more than 400 people are believed to have died, as protests were met with harsh repression by government forces.

The protests began in early July with peaceful demands from university students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs, but snowballed into a broader anti-government movement.

Weeks of unrest culminated in the storming of the prime minister's official residence, not long after Ms Hasina had fled to neighbouring India, ending nearly 15 years of rule.

Bangladeshi leaders are under pressure to establish an interim government to avoid a power vacuum that could lead to further clashes.

Within hours of her resignation, Bangladesh's army chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman pledged that an interim administration would be formed, adding on state television that "it is time to stop the violence".

Student leaders have been clear they will not accept a military-led government, pushing for Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to become the interim government's chief adviser.

Mr Yunus, who agreed to take up the role, said: “When the students who sacrificed so much are requesting me to step in at this difficult juncture, how can I refuse?”

He is returning to Dhaka from Paris, where he is undergoing a minor medical procedure, according to his spokesperson.

Meanwhile, ex-prime minister and key opposition leader Khaleda Zia was released from years of house arrest, a presidential statement said.

She chairs the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted elections in 2014 and again in 2024, saying free and fair elections were not possible under Ms Hasina.

The BNP wanted the polls to be held under a neutral caretaker administration. This has now become a possibility after the departure of Ms Hasina, who had always rejected this demand.

Ms Zia, 78, served as prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996, but was imprisoned in 2018 for corruption, although she said the charges were politically motivated.

She was not the only opposition figure to be released after years of detention.

Activist Ahmad Bin Quasem was also released from detention, according to his lawyer Michael Polak.

Rights groups say Mr Quasem was taken away by security forces in 2016, just one of hundreds of forced disappearances in the country under Ms Hasina's rule.

"There were many points during his detention that he was feared dead, and the uncertainty was one of the many tools of repression utilised by the regime," Mr Polak explained, adding they hoped the decision to release political prisoners "is a positive sign of their intentions".

"Unfortunately, the good news won’t be shared by all," he told the BBC, stating that a number of political prisoners had died in custody.

At least 20 other families of political prisoners gathered outside a military intelligence force building in the capital Dhaka earlier in the day, still desperately waiting for news about their loved ones, AFP news agency reports.

"We need answers," Sanjida Islam Tulee, a co-ordinator of Mayer Daak (The Call of the Mothers) campaign group, told the news agency.

Across the border in India, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said he was "deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored" in Bangladesh, with which India shares a 4,096-km (2,545-mile) border and has close economic and cultural ties.

He gave the first official confirmation that Ms Hasina made a request to travel to India at "very short notice" and "arrived yesterday evening in Delhi".

India also deployed additional troops along its border with Bangladesh.

"Our border guarding forces have also been instructed to be exceptionally alert in view of this complex situation," Mr Jaishankar said.

[gailiag]

A Comprehensive List of Character Ages from Encyclopaedia Eorzea III

Got my copy today and figured I'd compile a list of every character that has an age given in Encyclopaedia Eorzea III! Contains Shadowbringers and Endwalker spoilers. Text version below the cut (warning: it is LONG).

Shadowbringers Characters

Major Characters

Vauthry – 29

Beq Lugg – ~250

Lyna – 33

Feo Ul – "newly blossomed by fae reckoning"

Kai-Shirr Olkoh – 17

Ran'jit – 88

Chai-Nuzz Mewlah – 40

Dulia-Chai Mewlah – 40

Tesleen Stoneplowe – 18

Halric of the Gold House of Aldmere – 9

Seto – at least 140

Runar – 30

Ryne – 17

Gaia – 17

Role Quest Characters

Granson Ketchthane – 28

Lue-Reeq Chalah – 18

Cerigg Morpurse – 25

Taynor Lakplowe – 10

Giott – 22

Cyella Valthane – ~10,000

Crystalline Mean Characters

Katliss Horhand – 39

Facet of Forging

Iola Waldhand – 18

Eismon Valhand – 31

Colana of the Seventh House of Oakbridge – 27

Sue-Rend Maihov – 29

Facet of Crafting

Thiuna – 24

Walden of the Final House of Elmsby – 43

Owell Freehand – 27

Facet of Nourishing

Bethric of the Second house of Pinehome – 36

Facet of Gathering

Qeshi-Rae Kaapoh – 30

Yalana of the Grey House of Ashgrave – 25

Mao-Ladd Moshca – 23

Facet of Fishing

Frithrik – 26

Mervyl Stonehand – 52

Hurielle Stonehand – 22

Lakeland Characters

Callea Skyekirk – 27

Nielden of the First House of Oakbridge – 48

Mauwyl Mudkirk – 23

Tolas Valkirk – 23

Dwarf Quests Characters

Ronitt – 15

Ozogg – 20

Kholusia Characters

Kai-Shirr Olkoh – 17

Tristol Horpurse – 39

Eueliss Hylplowe – 22

Sai-Lewq Jinal – 56

Theva Valfyst – 37

Irvithe Ketchand – 26

Grithil Ketchpurse – 26

Xamott – 50

Korutt – 19

Glagg – 72

Eulmore Characters

Ran'jit – 88

Chai-Nuzz Mewlah – 40

Dulia-Chai Mewlah – 40

The Jongleurs – 18

Mowen Freepurse – 41

The Canary – 17

Hathenbet Ketchkirk – 67

Thoarich Skyeplowe – 73

Anfrigg Morhand – 21

Bosta-Zia Panpah – 19

Amh Araeng Characters

Ghen Gen – 39

Tesleen Stoneplowe – 18

Halric of the Gold House of Aldmere – 9

Thaffe Morhand – 24

Jeryk Motplowe – 23

Jamial Nabaath – 64

Guthjon – 34

Horthur – 53

Kee-Satt Lye – 20

Rhal Ral – 27

Darmal Morfyst – 45

The Fae

Aenc Thon – "as old as the flick of a disappearing tail"

Seto – at least 140

Rak���tika Characters

Runar – 30

Almet – 87

Uimet – 85

Cymet – 83

Lanille – 140

Myalna – 38

Qitari Quest Characters

Valan – 19

Quinfort – 18

Ciuna and Phyna – 48

Qitarl Natl – 14

The Tempest Characters

Tolshs Aath – 63

Paushs Ooan – 18

Grenoldt Freethane – 51

Teushs Ooan – 33

Zumshs Aath – 68

The Empty Characters

Ryne – 17

Gaia – 17

Werlyt Characters

Gaius Baelsar – 56

Valens van Varro – 56

Severa Souther – 23

Valdeaulin Ganathain – 48

Alfonse aan Baelsar – 21

Allie aan Baelsar – 16

Rex aan Baelsar – 18

Ricon aan Baelsar – 17

Milisandia aan Baelsar – 20

Bozja Characters

Bajsaljen Ulgasch – 54

Marsak Apella – 42

Misija Votyasch – 29

Stanik Alubov – 15

Noah van Gabranth – 48

Menenius sas Lanatus – 55

Lyon rem Helsos – near 70

Sadr rem Albeleo – 37

Firmament Characters

Augebert Brasher – 36

Maelie Greystone – 11

Peyraquile Bomptond – 13

Marcelloix Mourelz – 34

Neillemard Hanette – 31

Endwalker Characters

Major Characters

Ahewann bin Alzadaal – 22

Montichaigne Mongrignois – 74

Ameliance Leveilleur – 42

Erenville – 25

Kokkol Dankkol – 43

Wilfsunn Tragbharsyn – 56

Bloewyda Uwilsyngwyn – 54

Matsya – 22

Jullus pyr Norbanus – 21

Role Quest Characters

Shirabaht bin Ardati – 31

Ea-Sura-Supin – 28

Charlet Reed – 19

Minato Urabito – 24

Kisei Urabito – 51

Sharlayan Characters

Montichaigne Mongrignois – 74

Ojika Tsunjika – 21

Dickson Denman – 38

Barnier Clarke – 54

Ameliance Leveilleur – 42

Kytte Kirk – 26

Nenelymo Totolymo – 72

Studium Characters

Rurusha Rusha – 74

Boric Azora – 40

Namono Tayamono – 29

Jude Rose – 19

Jeromere Marette – 20

Debroye – 21

Galveroche Larille – 55

Flaugustert Friont – 73

Hinageshi Wright – 29

Tankin Banjo – 35

T'laqa Tia – 31

Nele Newton – 81

Qih Aliapoh – 26

Labyrinthos Characters

Vtorak Vetasch – "indeterminate age and inconclusive gender"

Erenville – 25

Kokkol Dankkol – 43

Wilfsunn Tragbharsyn – 56

Bloewyda Uwilsyngwyn – 54

Verpaulaine Fouillel – 12

Thavnair Characters

Mehryde bihn Shinan – 40

Ahewann bin Alzadaal – 22

Mehryde bihn Shinan – 40

Matsya – 22

Qerasaf bin Shirashir – 24

Racashir bin Fahleel – 9

Yezahn bin Qulhudi – 27

Sula – 24

Arkasodara Quest Characters

Trna (Arkasodara Quests) – 21

Ogul Khatayin – 18

Kancana – 50

Garlemald Characters

Sicard Spence – 26

Licinia bas Corculum – 18

Jullus pyr Norbanus – 21

Jareck aan Natasch – 43

Vergilia van Corculum – 42

Nerva yae Galvus – 44

Rimelnaud de Thelomaire – 27

Appius eir Callaecus – 30

Galla oen Longus – 33

Volsus bas Malicus – 13

Vipsania dus Malicus – 44

Frontinus fae Malicus – 43

Job-Related Characters

Gunbreaker

Radovan Slobasch – 45

Sophie – 20

Cato nan Mammula – 52

Vitus quo Messalla – 52

Dancer

Ranaa Mihgo – 17

Nashmeira – 37

Reaper

Drusilla Varus – 52

Arnegis Elder – 42

Hermin Hart – 19

Sage

Lalah Jinjahl – 22

Mahaud Stone – 21

Ancel Stone – 26

Guildivain Sailmet – 38

Blue Mage

Latool Ja – 22

Whastrach Ahldwaensyn – 37

Ceadda of the Whalaqee – 14

Zirnberk Fyrgeissyn – 26

Seasonal Event Characters

Valentione’s Day

Lisette de Valentione – "nearing thirty"

Astrid de Valentione – 16

Little Ladies’ Day

Ulala Ula – 16

Narumi Kakeya – 21

Masha Mhakaracca – 19

Aldiytha Thorne – 22

Hatching–Tide

Jihli Aliapoh – 22

Pawlin Morning – 38

Make It Rain Campaign

Nanaphon Sasaphon – 23

Roland Redsteele – 48

Moonfire Faire

Haermaga Bleibornsyn – 39

Beaudefoin Dupaitre – 33

Hildelana Quick – 28

R'fhul Tia – 18

The Rising

Wandering Minstrel – "undisclosed age"

J'bhen Tia – 22

Nhagi'a Jakkkya – 16

All Saints’ Wake

Impresario – "gives his age as 'six hundred and sixty-six'"

Starlight

Amh Garanjy - 27

[halfberry]

The more I watch Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom the more I really like the second half. The first half is pretty rubbish and just a re-hash of the second JP movie of people taking dinos off the island and the two new characters of Franklin and Zia are horribly unlikeable and clearly created by a boardroom of Gen X suits trying to make faux zoomer appeal but once the auction scene starts and the Indoraptor busts out I really started to enjoy it. The beast itself really reminded me of the Xenomorph from Alien and the setting of being chased around a spooky mansion in the dark during a thunder storm really made me think of those old horror movies I watched as a little kid like the Hammer ones.

So, yeah, I enjoy it the same way I enjoy Jurassic Park 3 aka a (mostly) fun all around monster movie. I still hated Dominion though.

6/10

[starsburst]

@mysticarts gave me this Idea with the next gen lmk thingy so this is Ari and Mk's youngest child by a month (they do have a son and I might make another kid for them so they may have 3 kids but I don't know yet...) I think I'll name her Zia and her desing may not change... but I just needed to make her so I don't forget about this and her brothers name is Riku and if they do have a 3rd child if a girl then her name will be Hoshiko(iko for short) and if a boy then Riku or Rye... (If you guys really want you can choose if they get a 3rd child or not and you can choose the gender if you want...)

[metamatar]

[From 15 Dec 2023]

me when im against fascism:

Its predecessor, the party (Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan), strongly opposed the independence of Bangladesh and break-up of Pakistan. In 1971, paramilitary forces associated with the party collaborated with the Pakistan Army in mass killings of Bangladeshi nationalists and pro-intellectuals.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

Upon the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the new government banned Jamaat-e-Islami from political participation since the government was secular and some of its leaders went into exile in Pakistan. Following the assassination of the first president and the military coup in 1975, the ban on the Jamaat was lifted and the new party Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was formed. Exiled leaders were allowed to return. Abbas Ali Khan was the acting Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. The Jamaat agenda is the creation of an "Islamic state" with the Sha'ria legal system, and outlawing "un-Islamic" practices and laws. For this reason, it interpretes their central political concept "Iqamat-e-Deen" as establishing Islamic state by possession of state power

Upon the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the new government banned Jamaat-e-Islami from political participation since the government was secular and some of its leaders went into exile in Pakistan. Following the assassination of the first president and the military coup in 1975, the ban on the Jamaat was lifted and the new party Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh was formed.

[...] In 2010 the government, led by the Awami League, began prosecution of war crimes committed during the 1971 war under the International Crimes Tribunal. By 2012, two leaders of the BNP, one leader from Jatiyo Party and eight of Jamaat had been charged with war crimes, and by March 2013, three Jamaat leaders had been convicted of crimes. In response, the Jamaat held major strikes and protests across the country, which led to more than 60 deaths (mostly by security forces.)

The former leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, was sentenced to 90 years in jail for crimes against humanity on 15 July 2013. [...]

In 1973, the government cancelled his citizenship for allegedly co-operating with Pakistani forces during the independence war.

Azam lived as an exile in Pakistan and the UK but returned to Bangladesh in 1978 when the country was led by Gen Ziaur Rahman - the assassinated husband of the country's current opposition leader [of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party] Khaleda Zia.

Minority community leaders, rights activists and liberal personalities have raised concerns over the call by acting chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tarique Rahman, who stands convicted in a number of cases, for party men to mobilise on the streets for "regime change" on 28 October [2023].

[...] Rana Dasgupta said, considering the violent attacks orchestrated by BNP in the past, "this latest threat by Tarique is deeply concerning for the minorities in Bangladesh".

"Any political party that complies with the basic tenets of democracy should refrain from issuing such threats publicly," Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, added.

In the run-up to the 2014 national election, violence on the streets coupled with targeted attacks on minorities across the country still traumatise the victims, he observed

[burnt-scone]

Sun Palm (Vincent Brown) 26 He/Him Romantically Queer

Choctaw and Shawnee

Power to control Plasma Energy (so basically power to make mini-itty-bitty stars) Which also means he can create and put off UV Radiation. Technically, the blasts are white and blinding, but for PR & advertising, it's cgi or illustrated yellow like a cartoon sun

Eye color(that you can't see because I've been rewatching Adventure Time: Chestnut

Natural Hair color: Dark Ash Brown

Dye: C70F1B Iberian Red

Piercings:

☆Left Ear: 2 orbital and one lobe stud

☆Right Ear: 2 lobe studs and a daith

☆mouth: Snakes bites and tongue

☆Right eyebrow: 1 eyebrow

Tattoo:

☆Left Arm: upper arm Spider below deltoid

☆Right Arm: Mourning Rings on lower Arm below elbow

☆ Shoulder: Black Heart

☆Chest: Zia Sun (celebrating career)

Casual Wear: He usually wears more grey scale textiles casually and prefers accentuating outfits or comfortable ones.

Uniform: He wears a suit that's sleeveless and has a built-in skirt with side slits. The skirt goes down to his knees. It's the same shade as his hair. On the chest is a Zia Sun with yellow in the middle. No, this does not come from either of his tribes but the Pueblo People. He did not choose this his manager did. He wears deltoid long gloves that also have Zias on the palms (Sun Palm get it) and almost like form fitting gogo boots, but flexible and no heel. And a mask that's supposed to look like war paint (again, not his choice)

He is used in advertisements for sunscreen and sun balm that claims to use his powers in testing.

He's very tired of his job because he doesn't actually do much helping and is just used as a way to diversify the hero world. They use him because he's indigenous, not for his ability to fight crime and help. As seen by his suit that not much research went into when they designed it for him. He just wants a normal life at this point.

Was watching Gen V and was sketching and thought, why not make a super with stupid management making stupid decisions and who is stuck in a contract.

[kpoptimeout]

K-Pop Debuts and Comebacks for the Fourth Week of June (Jun 19-Jun 25 2023)

Jun 19

Kang Daniel - SOS

Nation's IT boy Kang Daniel is back with another powerful piece!

NCT DREAM - Broken Melodies

The maknae unit of NCT returns with another nostalgic piece!

Jun 20

Kim Jaehwan - LUCKY! ft. BOBBY

Wanna One's main vocal has fun with funk in this collab with iKON's BOBBY!

Jun 21

Lapillus - WHO'S NEXT

Young girl group Lappilus is back with another fun track.

Jun 22

Clazziquai - Baby ft. Jaeyeon and Lim Sejoo

Legendary Korean electropop band Clazziquai makes their first return since 2019 in this smooth song.

tripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes - Touch+

tripleS's sub-unit brings 2nd gen girl group debut energy to this sweet song!

Zia - Because You Don't Love Me

OST and ballad queen Zia returns with another heartwrenching piece.

Jun 23

HAHA X U-KWON - ICE BOTTLE

Korean raggae artist and comedian HAHA collabs with BLOCK B's U-KWON on this fun summer jam!

I.M - Overdrive

MONSTA X's maknae rapper I.M is back solo in this cool track.

YENA - Wicked Love

IZ*ONE's triple threat YENA returns solo in this dark yet charming piece!

Jun 24

No releases.

Jun 25

No releases.

What is your favourite track of the week?

[444namesplus]

Ba Ban Bang Be Ben Beng Bi Bia Bian Biang Bie Bien Bieng Bing Bio Bion Biong Biu Biun Biung Bo Bon Bong Bu Bun Bung Cia Cian Ciang Cie Cieng Cii Ciia Ciian Ciiang Ciie Ciien Ciieng Ciin Ciing Ciio Ciion Ciiong Ciiu Ciiun Ciiung Cio Cion Ciong Ciu Ciun Da Dan Dang De Deng Di Dia Dian Die Dien Dieng Din Ding Dio Dion Diong Diu Diun Diung Do Don Dong Du Dung Fa Fan Fang Fe Fen Fi Fia Fian Fiang Fie Fien Fieng Fin Fing Fio Fion Fiong Fiu Fiun Fiung Fo Fon Fong Fu Fung Ga Gan Gang Ge Gen Gi Gia Gian Giang Gie Gien Gin Ging Gio Gion Giong Giu Giun Giung Go Gong Gu Gun Ha Han Hang He Hen Heng Hi Hia Hian Hiang Hie Hien Hieng Hin Hing Hio Hion Hiong Hiu Hiun Ho Hon Hu Hun Jia Jiang Jie Jien Jii Jiia Jiiang Jiie Jiien Jiieng Jiin Jiing Jiio Jiion Jiiong Jiiu Jiiun Jio Jion Jiu Jiung Ka Kan Kang Ken Keng Ki Kia Kian Kiang Kie Kien Kieng Kin Kio Kiong Kiu Kiun Kiung Ko Kon Kong Ku Kun Kung La Lan Le Len Li Lia Lian Liang Lie Lien Lieng Lin Ling Lio Lion Liong Liu Liun Lo Lon Long Lu Lun Lung Ma Me Men Meng Mi Mia Miang Mie Mieng Min Ming Mio Mion Miong Miu Miung Mo Mon Mong Mu Mun Mung Na Nan Nang Ne Neng Ni Nia Niang Nieng Nin Ning Nio Nion Niu Niung No Non Nong Nu Nung Pa Pan Pang Pe Pen Peng Pi Pia Pian Piang Pie Pien Pieng Pin Ping Pio Pion Piong Piu Piun Piung Pon Pu Pun Pung Qa Qang Qe Qen Qeng Qi Qia Qian Qiang Qie Qien Qieng Qin Qing Qio Qion Qiong Qiu Qiun Qiung Qo Qon Qong Qu Qun Qung Ra Ran Rang Re Ren Reng Ri Ria Rian Riang Rie Rien Rieng Rin Ring Rio Rion Riu Riun Ro Ron Rong Ru Run Rung Sa San Sang Se Si Sia Sian Siang Sie Sien Sieng Sin Sing Sio Sion Siong Siu Siun Siung So Son Song Su Sun Sung Ta Te Ten Teng Ti Tia Tian Tiang Tie Tien Tieng Tin Ting Tio Tion Tiong Tiu Tiun To Ton Tong Tu Tun Tung Wa Wang Wen Wi Wia Wian Wiang Wie Wieng Win Wing Wio Wion Wiong Wiu Wiun Wo Won Wong Wu Wun Wung Xia Xian Xiang Xie Xien Xieng Xii Xiia Xiian Xiiang Xiie Xiieng Xiin Xiing Xiio Xiiong Xiiu Xiiun Xio Xion Xiong Xiu Xiung Za Zan Zang Ze Zeng Zi Zia Zian Ziang Zie Zieng Zin Zing Zio Zion Ziong Ziu Ziun Ziung Zo Zon Zu Zung

[goalhofer]

2023 In Memoriam Part 8

2nd Lt. Oscar Wilkerson, 96

Dimitrious Stanley, 48

Larry Coyer, 79

Iriki Satoshi, 55

Marguerite Jauzelon, 105

Arne Espeel, 25

Kevin Bell, 67

Robert Hébras, 97

David Jolicoeur, 54

Ted Lerner, 97

Doug Fisher, 75

Ramón Palacios, 102

J. Paul Taylor, 102

Maj. Gen. W. Russell Todd, 94

Brian DuBois, 55

Zia Mohyeddin, 91

Roger Bonk, 78

Conrad Dobler, 72

Archbishop William Joseph Kurtz, 87

Toyoda Shōichirō, 97

Charley Ferguson, 83

Allen Green, 84

Maj. Gen. Gary L. Harrell, 71

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Summons of The Champion

by ziazippy5379 There's a ghost attacking Central City and so the heroes on site decide to summon some help. Words: 1500, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Zia's DPxDC Prompt Fills Fandoms: Danny Phantom, DCU Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Bruce Wayne, Zatanna Zatara, Barry Allen, J'onn J'onzz, Jack Fenton (Danny Phantom), Box Ghost (Danny Phantom) Additional Tags: Summoning, Crack, Good Parents Jack and Maddie Fenton, i guess, i really have no idea what to tag this, its really just crack, Ghost King Danny Fenton via https://ift.tt/tmJGzoN

[limerental]

oh I forgot to post this on here whoopsie oopsie

dnd:hat 5+1 gen fic, 5k, complete

excerpt

The difficulty was, he didn't know what to say about any of it.

He didn’t know why he spent most hours of the day imagining escalating scenarios to guarantee that all the irritating things in his present life went on their merry way. He didn't know why they irritated him so much in the first place.

Even the mule was starting to bother him. Couldn’t Holga have won a more regal animal? One that drooled less when it drank from bodies of water? Couldn’t she have fallen in love with a less beige halfling? Couldn’t they have gone with any number of Edgin’s ideas for their new way of making a living instead of spending long hours taste testing sauces?

Maybe he was in a mood.

Maybe he wasn’t being fair to his fellow travelers, especially his daughter.

“Sorry,” he grumbled. “I haven’t been sleeping very well. Hammocks kinda disagree with me.”

“The hammocks were your suggestion.”

“They’re getting old.”

“You’re getting old,” she shot back, flashing a cheeky grin. It was an expression that was all Zia. The thought made him want to find his own secluded glade and yell.

[darkmaga-returns]

By Eric S. Margolis

December 2, 2024

Pakistan is the world’s most important Muslim nation.  It has 251 million people, nuclear weapons, the world’s sixth largest armed forces, intelligent, capable people, vast lands and major sources of water.

Yet Pakistan is a giant mess.  Its current politics are a form of tribal warfare.  Corruption engulfs almost everything. Disease, particularly diabetes, afflicts its long-suffering people.  Polio is making return.

In recent years, Pakistan has suffered vast floods that have ravaged this nation.  Equally menacing, next-door India remains an ever-present danger.  Far-right Hindu extremists who are heavily represented in the current Modi government, keep talking about ‘reabsorbing’ Pakistan into ‘Mother India.’  This would have happened long ago except for Pakistan’s important nuclear arsenal and delivery systems.

India has also built an extensive nuclear arsenal, including three new submarines armed with intermediate-range nuclear missiles. This while people in India and Pakistan starve in the streets. And 60% of homes in India lack indoor plumbing.

The only institution in Pakistan that really works well is the armed forces.  I have met many of its generals: most of them are intelligent, combat-ready officers. I knew Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan, the ferocious chief of ISI intelligence service who led the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan. He was murdered with the tough tank general Zia ul Haq who ruled Pakistan until his aircraft was sabotaged in 1988.  Zia was a great Islamic warrior and man of steel.  Many Pakistanis still believe he was assassinated by the US though there is no direct evidence.

I was friends with the late Benazir Bhutto, a fascinating and alluring woman who was murdered in 2007.  I interviewed Gen. Pervez Musharraf in 1999, a man who seemed insignificant compared to Gen. Zia.

Benazir Bhutto, whose father Zulfikar was ordered hanged by Zia, used to tease me, ‘oh Eric, you love your Pakistani generals.’ I did. Most were fierce Pashtuns from the NW Frontier, born warriors. They first defeated the Soviet Union, then the mighty USA.

I also took to some of the Indian generals that I met. They and their Pakistani counterparts had none of the slipperiness and deceit of most politicians.

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AI-Driven Personalization: Enhancing Consumer Engagement

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/ai-driven-personalization-enhancing-consumer-engagement/

AI-Driven Personalization: Enhancing Consumer Engagement

We live in a world where personalized consumer experiences are increasingly the norm. To think, a couple of decades ago, the only options at the coffee shop were cream and sugar or black. Nowadays, you assume you’ll be able to order your half-caff, no-foam, almond milk cappuccino with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla—anything less would seem outdated. 

Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar store or a fully digital SaaS company, the customer expectation of personalization is keeping pace with coffee orders. Research from McKinsey found that 71 percent of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. 76 percent reported getting frustrated when this doesn’t happen. AI tools can help companies understand their customers’ expectations from the very first interaction. With this insight, companies can improve experiences in order to drive engagement, retention, and ultimately, growth. 

At Jotform, our teams across every function are constantly researching new ways to incorporate AI-driven personalization into our processes to make every part of the customer journey just a bit more personalized. If you’re wondering how to get started, here are some simple strategies that have proven effective for us. 

Refining marketing and sales campaigns

If you’ve ever received a gift and thought, “This person doesn’t know my taste at all,” then you can relate to the frustration of impersonal offerings. Personalization means making customers feel special. According to McKinsey, it’s linked to a more positive customer experience overall. In your sales and marketing campaigns. AI tools can play an essential role in making your consumers feel unique and understood— “seen” in the Gen Z parlance. Take the Zia app: it uses AI to analyze customer data and understand their preferences and behaviors. With this insight, it customizes interactions, recommendations, and communications to match each customer’s specific wants and needs. For example, Zia can determine the optimal time to reach out to a client based on their activity, ensuring your message is received at the best moment. Zia can even identify trends in your own workflows and suggest ways to automate routine tasks, making your processes more efficient and freeing up time for more meaningful customer engagement. 

By leveraging AI-driven tools, you can create more personalized experiences that resonate with each customer, building stronger connections, boosting loyalty, and driving the bottom line.  When crafts retailer Michaels Stores, for example, increased email campaign personalization from 20 to 95 percent, they saw increases in click-through rates: 41 percent for SMS campaigns and 25 percent for emails. At Jotform, we’ve seen similar results—the more personalized the campaign, the greater the engagement. 

Enhancing customer support

The capabilities of AI-driven chatbots are more astounding each day—well beyond automating replies to frequently asked questions (although that is a valuable function). They can also create and continually enhance customer support ticket responses. They can learn from past tickets to automatically suggest fields for new tickets, providing more consistent responses and decreasing manual workloads for employees. AI-powered chatbots can handle appointment bookings, soliciting the required logistical information so that customers know their concerns are being tended to. For their part,  employees can organize their schedules with less personal input (and energy). AI chatbots can help customers make purchase decisions and locate the products and services they need. They can also collect customer feedback and insights, helping companies to continually tailor and improve the experience.

AI-powered chatbots have proven to be highly effective. For example, ING’s Netherlands subsidiary replaced its rules-based customer chatbot with an AI-driven chatbot. Seven weeks later, they found the AI chatbot was providing a remarkably better experience, helping 20 percent more customers avoid long waits and receive instant assistance. Advancements like this can make customer support processes both more efficient and personalized.

Empowering data-driven personalization

In Tokyo, the regular McDonald’s menu features a teriyaki chicken filet sandwich. In Paris, you’ll find macarons on the “MacDo” menu. In Texas, there’s a sausage burrito. The fast food chain’s practice of diversifying its offerings based on the tastes and expectations of different customer bases is a basic example of market segmentation—dividing consumers into sub-groups based on demographics, needs, priorities, common interests, and other psychographic or behavioral criteria. Then, a company can tweak its “menu” to better serve each segment.

AI-powered tools can help companies gather comprehensive customer data and perform tasks like market segmentation. They can generate insights and reports based on that information, enabling companies to set data-driven objectives and KPIs that speak to each customer’s preferences.

As McKinsey notes, these data-driven decisions drive repeat engagement, which creates more data. Companies can design even more targeted experiences for customers, creating a flywheel—a loop of data and personalization that enhances customer satisfaction and fuels sustainable growth.

Boosting efficiency and enhancing human-centered service 

At Jotform, integrating AI tools into our customer support processes enables employees to focus on higher-impact tasks, like novel customer issues that require personal attention and creative problem-solving. By delegating routine inquiries to AI, our team members have more time to focus on understanding our users’ unique pain points and developing tailored solutions. This shift improves operational efficiency and empowers our team to deliver more thoughtful, human-centered services. Customers are happier—and employees are more satisfied, too. One of the key advantages of leveraging AI tools to automate manual tasks that don’t require personal input—be it taking meeting notes, scanning for security issues, or generating standard replies—is that it frees professionals to focus their time and energy on more meaningful tasks, like listening to users and figuring out how to serve their unique needs. In a sense, automation is the key to unlocking greater freedom, creativity, and strategic thinking. 

Despite widespread fears, AI tools aren’t necessarily stealing human jobs. Instead, they’re liberating professionals to excel at the parts of their jobs that are most human—for example, tasks that require listening, empathy, and innovation. For companies, automation is an investment that pays dividends over time. This approach not only enhances employee satisfaction by eliminating repetitive tasks but also ensures that the most important stakeholders—customers—receive the highest level of personalized attention and care.