#Healthcare content distribution

[ennobletechnologies]

Effective Content Strategies for Healthcare

Healthcare Content Planning:

The healthcare industry, with its ever-evolving complexities, demands content that is meticulously planned and thoroughly researched. This planning ensures that the right message reaches the audience, resonating with their concerns and expectations. The essence of healthcare content planning lies in crafting narratives that not only inform but also connect with readers on a personal level.

Through digital mapping in healthcare communication, content creators can devise a roadmap that strategically places information, ensuring a coherent flow. This mapping takes into consideration the readers��� journey from being mere browsers to informed patients. Moreover, by leaning on data-driven insights, healthcare institutions can identify trends, understand patient behavior, and tailor content that hits the bull’s eye.

Medical Content Optimization

Let’s face it; medical jargon can be overwhelming. But optimizing content to be understandable and engaging for the layman is pivotal. It’s not just about diluting complex terms; it’s about presenting them in a context that’s relatable. Enhancing visual representation with diagrams, charts, and illustrations can provide clarity and enhance understanding. It’s like painting a picture with words and graphics, ensuring that the reader doesn’t get lost in translation.

Patient Education Strategies

Education is empowerment. In the context of healthcare, an informed patient is likely to make better health decisions. Using simplified language, devoid of heavy medical terminologies, can bridge the gap between practitioners and patients. Additionally, the integration of infographics, illustrations, and real-life patient stories serves as a robust mechanism to educate and inspire.

Healthcare SEO Tactics

The digital realm is bustling with information. For your healthcare content to stand out, it needs to be SEO-optimized. This involves integrating relevant medical keywords, ensuring content visibility on search engines. The power of user experience (UX) can’t be understated either. An engaging, user-friendly interface can significantly reduce bounce rates, making your content more appealing to the audience.

Hospital Content Marketing

Hospitals are more than just brick and mortar establishments providing healthcare services. They have stories to tell, experiences to share, and lives they’ve impacted. By crafting narratives that resonate with patients, hospitals can establish trust and loyalty. Integrating testimonials and reviews adds a layer of authenticity, emphasizing the significance of regular health checkups.

Medical Content Calendars

Regular engagement is the key. With medical content calendars, healthcare providers can schedule monthly health awareness campaigns, seasonal health tips, and reminders for regular screenings. This systematic approach ensures that there’s a constant flow of relevant content, keeping the audience informed and engaged.

Read More: https://ennobletechnologies.com/healthcare/healthcare-content-planning/

[kota07]

How Content Marketing Works?

Introduction:

Content creation & marketing has been a core part of Marketing for a long time. But what many people get wrong when creating a content marketing strategy is Storytelling!

Storytelling can be the difference between marketing that is impactful and something which is just another Ad on social media.

Needless to say, storytelling is not the only thing that is important for content marketing, there are many things that one has to determine when creating their content marketing strategy. Target audience, brand voice, consistency, quality, brand colours, type of content etc. In this article we’ll look at the needs & ways to create a content marketing strategy that works best for your brand & business.

Why do you need Content Marketing?

Content Marketing is the process of creating & distributing various types of content like videos, articles, social media posts, blogs etc. to attract the attention of your target audience, spread awareness about your brand & convert the same audience into loyal customers. 

Content marketing has been around since old times. From the town crier selling newspapers in the city square to the pop-up ads that you see after visiting a website. The most visible difference is the priority given to the way we market our content today.

Research shows that businesses with blogs get 67% more leads & 67% marketers claim to have seen an increase in leads due to B2B content marketing.

With the current algorithms of social media platforms which pushes short video content, Instagram reels & Youtube shorts have shown to be nearly 88% more effective when included in content marketing plans. 

Benefits of Content Marketing: 

Online Visibility

Better Lead Generation

Customer Loyalty 

Creating a Content Strategy from Scratch

To be able to take full advantage of content marketing one needs to prepare a well researched strategy. A usual content marketing strategy consists of the following: 

Goals & KPIs 

Determining Target Audience

Content Research & Type

Distribution Channels 

Re-evaluation & Optimizations

SEO’s role in Content Marketing

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is the king of marketing your content organically to your target audience. Thus, it is imperative to optimise your content as per the latest SEO standards set by search engines like google chrome, firefox etc. 

It is also important to make sure that you:

Avoid keyword stuffing

Use relevant & specific keywords

Optimise meta-tags &  description properly

Content Marketing using A.I

Content Marketing is no exception to this, with A.I you can boost your work efficiency  in many stages of your plan, such as:

Automated Creation 

Personalisation 

Predictive Analysis

Evaluation & Measuring your Success

Understand that marketing is a never-ending process. This is because the factors that drive the market & the customers are always changing. Thus, making it detrimental to your content marketing efforts.

Measure your content’s marketing effectiveness by:

Tracking Engagement Metrics 

Monitoring Website Traffic 

Lead Generation 

Social Shares 

SEO Performance

[drdemonprince]

People treat American politics like sports -- and it serves very much the same function as sports. It is a source of constant new content that can be easily analyzed, repackaged, and commented upon by the media class for a profit, distracting the public and manipulating their emotions, often by amplifying fleeting, moment-by-moment shifts that won't actually be consequential.

It also defines the boundaries of American life -- what American culture supposedly is, and what it means to belong to it or to participate meaningfully in it. If you pay too much attention to it, you get to believing that all that matters is who is holding the ball, and you stop forgetting that it's all a game, and that we could all collectively change the rules at any time we wanted.

It's endlessly frustrating to me to see even the people who realize that it's theater get swept up in its ongoing mini-dramas, and take part in endlessly churning content out about it themselves. If you already recognize that the leadership of both parties represent the interests of the ruling class equally, and equally represent police militarization, the national surveillance apparatus, corporate interests, global exploitation, colonialism, and genocide worldwide (and are the source of your own economic and legal oppression, if you're a person living in the country) why would you find a debate between candidates fascinating? Why would you be rooting for one representative of the ruling class to score a dunk on the other on a stage?

I can't think of a worse use of one's time. If you know who your enemies really are, you don't start rooting for one of them simply because you like their plotline better. And if you actually recognize a solidarity between yourself and the people who are constantly having resources extracted from their lands by American companies and who are being killed in Gaza by American-made bombs, then you wouldn't be hoping for the continued existence and prosperity of an America that occasionally does one or two nice things for you to keep you quiet.

If you think that it's the American government that "gives" you the right to get an abortion or to be gay or transgender, then you're always going to be easy to manipulate into compliance. In reality, it is the state that has the power to take your freedom AWAY -- and it does so constantly, with its police-patrolled protest zones, restrictions on healthcare access, prisons, and taxes for bombs.

But if you recognize that no state should have the ability to define how you get to live and who you get to be in the first place, then you'll forever be suspicious of all the little pacifying treats and fleeting distractions that it offers you. You won't feel relieved that at least the person extracting money from your wallet to build Reaper Drones is a woman, this time. And you won't thank her for giving you the abortion pills that are prepared and distributed by workers who live all around you, and who will continue to know how to do that vital work long after the empire is gone.

[ms-hells-bells]

Porn and kink fucking warps your brain

A woman here just got sentenced for possession and distribution of child pornography. She's literally a health worker that also works with sexual abuse victims, some being teens. The material is class A, the most serious kind, news articles refuse to give any description of the content at all, even age of children, its so disturbing.

She was in a bunch of pedophile and fetish forums and saying that she wanted to have a child so that child could be abused and talking about fantasies, and would share images she found with people in these sites. To me, it clearly started from fetish content and progressed to real life. They are even investigating if her choice in career was influenced by her paraphilia.

She was only sentenced to 11 months home detention and granted name suppression AND NOT PUT ON THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY!!! Judge claimed "mitigating factors and remorsefulness". I'm sorry, but regardless of male or female, if you consume child pornography, you are an active danger to children and should not be out in society. She literally wants to have a kid so it can be abused (the phrasing makes me think she wants a girl to be abused by a man).

It's notable though, that this is so rare that news articles are specifying "female healthcare worker" in their headlines, despite a majority of healthcare workers being women. When it's a man stated by his profession, the headline is just the profession without sex mentioned, because it's near given its a man.

[unclevladscorner]

Activism is more than marching in protests

One of the things I've found frustrating is that younger people seem to believe that physical marches are the only form of activism.

I want people to know that when you provide mutual aid; like food money or clothing donations, help preserve and distribute accurate information to help minority groups, write about your experience dealing with oppressive laws and measures, or volunteer to help people in some capacity, you are engaging in activism!

Activism is a very nebulous, multi faceted thing. Maybe what you do feels small, but it can help those around you. Don't feel discouraged because everything feels turned upside down. Every amount of pushback is neccessary to help protect vulnerable people.

I'm already seeing a lot of older trans people who consider their transitions finished retreating to the safety of being fully stealth. I'm choosing not to retire and stay visible, because I've always been a visible queer and pretending I'm not or never was isn't going to change anything for me. I've already lived through the worst people can throw at me, I know I can take it.

Its going to be tough, and many are going to choose to step out of visible positions out of self preservation. If you do, I only ask that you remain active in the background, helping where you feel comfortable without comprimising your health or safety.

Again, I'm asking people to get to know their communities offline. Know where its safe for you to go to be you. Get to know where you can safely get healthcare, mental or physical, and where you can go and are a welcome.

If we see queer content removed en masse from the Internet, you'll have to seek it out in the analog world. Oldies like me will keep making zines, books, and art for you to find. Methods of distribution may need to shift in order to make sure that our art survives.

It was Gay Liberation before it became Pride.

I don't know what to expect yet, but I plan to go on creating queer content regardless of what happens. I will continue to share resources and try to help when and where I can.

As long as we don't give into apathy, we can continue to fight for a better future.

[workersolidarity]

⚠️ WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT⚠️

[ 📹 Horrific scenes from the recovery of a woman who was targeted by a Zionist sniper as she attempted to exit the Al-Said Hospital, in the north of Gaza, resulting in the immediate amputation of her leg. ]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

DAY 242 IN THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION'S GENOCIDE IN GAZA: ALL HOSPITALS IN RAFAH CLOSED AS UNITED NATIONS AGENCY DECLARES THE SITUATION "CATASTROPHIC", THE GUARDIAN DECLARES HAMAS "STILL STRONG" DESPITE NON-STOP BOMBING AND SHELLING, GENOCIDE CONTINUES WITH ONGOING MASSACRES OF CIVILIANS

On 242nd day of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 7 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 71 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, while another 182 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

It should be noted that as a result of the constant Israeli bombardment of Gaza's healthcare system, infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, local paramedic and civil defense crews are unable to recover countless hundreds, even thousands, of victims who remain trapped under the rubble, or who's bodies remain strewn across the streets of Gaza.

This leaves the official death toll vastly undercounted as Gaza's healthcare officials are unable to accurately tally those killed and maimed in this genocide, which must be kept in mind when considering the scale of the mass murder.

"There may be more Hamas militants in the north of Gaza, supposedly cleared by Israeli forces months ago, than in Rafah, the southern city in the territory described by Israeli officials as the extremist Islamist organisation’s “last stronghold”."

That's the assessment of analysts according to a piece published in The Guardian today, Tuesday, June 4th. In the article, The Guardian describes the Hamas resistance movement as "still strong" in northern Gaza.

Despite the claims of the Israeli occupation's authorities, that the occupation army has destroyed at least four brigades of Hamas militants, the fiercest fighting to occur so far was during the occupation's second invasion of Jabalia, in Gaza's north, after supposedly clearing the area of Resistance militants early on in the war.

“We do have to remember there are more Hamas armed people in the north of Gaza in the places that the IDF has already moved out of than … in Rafah … Those are the IDF’s numbers. This is why the IDF had to go back into Jabaliya and … [Al-]Zeitoun [a neighborhood southeast of Gaza City], Hamas is controlling all those areas,” the head of "Israel's" national security council from 2021 to 2023, Eyal Hulata, is quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Rather than admitting that the occupation army isn't anywhere near as strong as it claims to be, or that the Resistance isn't anywhere near as weak as they said it was, The Guardian instead goes on to assess that "the battles in Jabaliya between lightly armed Hamas militants and a powerful IDF force underlined the ability of Hamas to return to parts of Gaza from which it was forced to retreat by earlier Israeli offensives, threatening a “forever war” for months or even years to come, as Israel tries to stamp out a tenacious insurgency, experts say."

According to the article, residents in Jabalia told The Guardian that they'd witnessed Hamas officials just last month patrolling local markets, enforcing price controls and organizing the distribution of humanitarian aid.

“There was a Hamas government in control, especially through the police, but it was low profile because they were being targeted and they did just very basic duties. It wasn’t like before the war,” The Guardian quotes Joe Shamala as saying, a 26 year-old resident who had fled Jabalia recently.

"Other civil organisations more or less run by Hamas also allow low-profile but effective governance," The Guardian added.

In other news, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA), Andrea Di Domenico, warned today that the situation in the Gaza Strip has become catastrophic, and is "getting worse," emphasizing that all hospitals in Rafah were no longer functioning.

“There are major efforts to re-establish a hospital in the central region of Gaza, but there are no longer operating hospitals in Rafah, except for field hospitals," Dominco is quoted as saying.

Speaking at a press conference, Domenico told how medical teams from all over the world have been sent to Gaza, but that these doctors were unable to find someplace to treat their wounded patients.

He went on to state that it had become "very difficult for United Nations operations to continue their presence in Gaza in light of the current situation."

"To be honest," he went on, "I believe that there is no other place in the world where the regime is suffering from great pressure, and I believe that there is no other United Nations mission that can continue its activities under these circumstances other than Gaza."

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces continue pushing ever deeper into Rafah, while heavily bombing and shelling across the entirety of the Gaza Strip.

This comes in spite of orders given last month by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), at The Hague, to "immediately halt" all ground operations in the Rafah Governate, and further, ordering the occupation to allow the free-flow humanitarian aid through the Rafah border crossing.

After several weeks of ground operations in the north of Gaza and in the Rafah Governate, driving large parts of the civilian population into the central Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have been heavily bombing and shelling in several areas of central Gaza, targeting residential homes by the dozen.

Occupation warplanes launched several raids on the Bureij Camp last night, with one of the strikes targeting and destroying the home of journalist Muhammad Ghanem, killing four Palestinians and wounding several others.

In further war crimes, IOF fighter jets bombed four residential towers, including the Al-Ahlam and Al-Maghari towers, in the center of the Bureij Camp, in central Gaza, within a two hour period, causing enormous damage to the buildings and the surrounding neighborhood.

According to local reporting, the IOF warplanes fired at least one missile into the Al-Maghari Tower, resulting in five casualties who were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

The same series of Zionist airstrikes also targeted the "Hamad Block-9" tower and the "Al-Quds Block-7" tower in the Bureij Camp.

Another raid in the Bureij Camp, at dawn on Tuesday, bombed the residential home for the Ghanem family on Block-10, with a number of casualties rushed to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

The Israeli assault continued when occupation aircraft bombed a civilian vehicle and a group of civilians in the vicinity of the entrance to a displacement shelter north of Deir al-Balah, south of Gaza City, killing 7 people and wounding 20 others.

Local reporting states that the "targeted area is crowded with displaced people near a college used as a shelter and housing hundreds of families," adding that a witness pointed to "the remains of the victims and bloodstains scattered around the place and on parked vehicles."

Meanwhile, another occupation airstrike targeted an empty room in the Abu Helu School, which houses displaced families, though luckily no casualties were reported in the attack.

The same cannot be said with another Israeli airstrike, which targeted the Al-Amsi family home in the New Camp area of the Nuseirat Camp, also in central Gaza, killing two people and wounding a number of others.

In the Rafah Governate, south of Gaza, Zionist soldiers are destroying dozens of homes near the border with Egypt, and along with the Zaroub roundabout area, while also bombing several neighborhoods in the city of Rafah.

An IOF airstrike also targeted the Khirbet al-Adas neighborhood, north of Rafah, while local paramedic crews recovered four bodies after another bombing near the Al-Najjar Hospital, east of Rafah.

In the meantime, in the northern Gaza Strip, an Israeli airstrike bombed the home of the Ghabayen family in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, while the Zionist forces continued detonating residential homes in the vicinity of the University College, in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, south of the city.

An occupation warplane also bombed the Daghmush family's residential home near the Jordanian Hospital, in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of the Gaza City.

Meanwhile, as the day went on, the Israeli occupation forces continued hammering residential homes with airstrikes and shelling in the Bureij, Al-Maghazi, and Al-Nuseirat Camps, in central Gaza, as well as in Al-Masdar village, killing another 13 Palestinians and wounding many others.

The Zionist air forces also bombarded the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, while occupation vehicles opened fire east of Al-Qarara, amidst violent artillery shelling.

As a result of the Israeli occupation's ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the endlessly rising death toll in this war on civilians now exceeds 36'550 Palestinians killed, including over 15'000 children and over 10'000 women, while another 82'959 others have been wounded since the start of the current round of Zionist aggression, beginning with the events of October 7th, 2023.

June 3rd, 2024.

#source1

#source2

#source3

#source4

#source5

#source6

#source7

#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[beardedmrbean]

A married Nassau County health care executive allegedly preyed on nearly a dozen teen girls to produce child porn over a four-year period — including two minors he ordered to call him “Daddy” and paid in exchange for the sickening content.

Jacob Walden, 38, was arraigned Wednesday morning in Central Islip Federal Court on a six-count indictment charging him with the sexual exploitation of two teens — ages 16 and 17 — whom he pressured to create sexually explicit videos and photos, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Feds recovered the disturbing images from Walden’s cellphone last April and identified at least 11 girls, as young as 14 years old, whom he contacted, coerced to send inappropriate content and paid, according to court documents.

The 16- and 17-year-old victims were located and interviewed during an investigation that feds launched in September 2023.

“As alleged, the defendant enticed minors to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and send them to him via the internet in exchange for payment,” United States Attorney John J. Durham said in a statement.

“Protecting children from predators who sexually exploit them will always be a priority of my Office.”

Investigators further found Walden, a father of five, repeatedly purchased at least 500 images and 5,000 videos depicting rape, bestiality and the abuse of toddler-age children from a large-scale production and distribution ring that advertised to adult male buyers in the US and abroad, according to court docs.

Law enforcement also recovered an encrypted conversation on Walden’s phone arranging the purchase of two child porn packages — one of which was advertised to include “4-19, FAMILY, SOLO, RAPE, MIXED” content, the documents state.

Prosecutors said at least 20,500 files of child porn were found in Walden’s cloud storage, court docs revealed.

Walden, the co-owner and managing partner of Emerald Healthcare, a company that manages nursing and assisted living facilities nationwide, remained in contact with his child victims between 2020 and 2024.

In his conversations with the two teens referenced in the indictment — referred to as Jane Doe # 1 and Jane Doe # 2 — Walden reportedly insisted he be addressed as “Daddy” and provided directions on the sexual acts he wanted the victims to perform.

He then paid them electronically after he received the alarming content, according to court documents.

Walden was arrested on July 31, 2024, and was ordered to home confinement at his $2 million Valley Stream residence, with restrictions placed on his electronic devices and his contact with minors.

The accused sicko violated his conditions within a month of his arrest after investigators discovered he made an unauthorized stop at a Verizon store and offered a woman money for sex on WhatsApp, prosecutors said.

Walden is being held without bail until his trial at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to law enforcement sources, after prosecutors argued he is a flight risk and a danger to society.

He joins high-profile perps Sean “Diddy” Combs and Luigi Mangione, who are also imprisoned at the Brooklyn facility.

“For years the defendant has enticed individuals, typically minor females in exchange for payment to produce child pornography for him,” US Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar said.

“The totality of the defendant’s voluminous submissions does not rebut the defendant’s motivation of flight. Or dangerousness.”

[triviareads]

do you have similar recommendations to the duke gets even? historical romances with feminist themes? thank you 🙏

Hi! Sorry for the delay especially considering you asked this last week, but yeah, here are some of the historicals I particularly enjoyed:

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera: Luz Alana is a Dominican rum heiress who's not only an innovator in the field, but she also wants to expand distribution of her family's rum, except obviously she faces hurdles because, men. There's also a lot of discussion of exactly where wealthy Europeans' money was coming on, and the ties between the aristocracy and colonialism, slavery, and exploitation.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera: This sapphic romance did a really lovely job of showing that yes, queer people of color existed throughout history and particularly in Paris at this time. The book also makes a case for how intertwined capitalism and colonialism is, and by the end, Cora comes to the realization that maybe being one of the few women in a powerful position in a capitalist system isn't exactly the feminist win many still think it is.

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (out 2/5/25): I have to give Adriana Herrera props for the level of medical research she must have done because this book REALLY gets into the nitty-gritty of how women suffered (and still suffer!) when they did not have access to proper medical care, and the extent to which the patriarchy (husbands, fathers, law enforcement, etc.) prevents women from having this access. The heroine Aurora is a Black woman of Dominican-Mexican descent; she's one of the few qualified female doctors of the time, and she's LITERALLY putting her life and body on the line to help these women by setting up an underground women's clinic.

A Rose Blooms in Brooklyn by Ginny Moore: Another historical dealing with reproductive rights except in the United States around the turn of the century. The hero runs a women's shelter and was widowed after his late wife died during childbirth because they did not have access to contraception. And his shelter is based out of the poorer areas of Brooklyn, you really see how working class women and immigrant women suffer from the lack of reproductive healthcare access.

The Counterfeit Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath: I really like the level of specificity Lorraine Heath offers in a lot of her romances when it comes to less-discussed aspects of women's rights. In England, divorce was extremely difficult for women specifically to obtain, and the hero has a lot of guilt over his own mother, so he helps women by pretending to have affairs with them, and that way, their husbands can divorce them for adultery, a process that would be MUCH easier than wives trying to find cause to divorce their husbands.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite: A quieter, more introspective sapphic romance that hits on some issues that are pretty prevalent to this day; It intertwines themes of women’s intellectual labor being rejected or undervalued, but then traditional women’s work is ALSO undervalued. Lucy’s contributions to the astronomy field are repeatedly devalued by male scientists or used without credit, and Catherine’s embroidery isn’t “high art” and therefore not worth notice or artistic approval. You really can't win with the patriarchy, basically.

Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh: If you're looking for something lighter that takes on themes of censorship, specifically censoring sexual content geared towards women. The heroine secretly writes erotica under a pen name and inadvertently educates women through her writing, and the hero is charged by his powerful father to bring her down without knowing her true identity.

I do think Liana De la Rosa's Luna Sisters series gets into the intersectionality of the feminist movement but overall has stronger anti-racist, anti-imperialist themes. The sisters are all undervalued by their father, who is a high-ranking official in President Juarez's government-in-exile, and Isabel especially wants to make something of herself and offers to spy for the exiled First Lady of Mexico in order to fight the French occupation of Mexico. Ana Maria on the other hand takes the classic but historically undervalued route of being something of a political hostess, but using her power to advocate for her husband's progressive policies and anti-slavery bill.

The Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels series by Grace Callaway: What I appreciate about this series is that the Society is willing to provide investigative services to women who are often turned away by male investigators and men in power. Also, there are significant subplots with multiple heroines who hide their jobs from their love interests because they're afraid they will make them stop. Ultimately, none of them do, which is actually quite progressive compared to the one Grace Callaway heroine from a previous gen who basically gave up her investigator ambitions after marriage.

There are a lot more historical romances that have more subtle feminist themes (ex: I was just thinking about Bed Me, Earl by Felicity Niven where the heroine realizes that none of the men in her life— her brother, her husband— bothered to tell her how shitty her husband's finances were before marrying him despite there being affection on BOTH their parts before marriage, but she's made to bear the brunt of those consequences anyway, and legally has no recourse or rights post-marriage. The nice thing is, the husband fully agrees to put his finances in her hands so she can fix them, and there is a rather hysterical "you're pulling out until our money situation is stable" sitch as a result) but I wanted to focus on ones that felt standout to me. I also have thoughts on historicals that use intersectionality as window dressing, basically, which you can read here.

[everglowstardust]

Kimura Takuya Instagram Post 2020.05.08

While we continue to quarantine due to the new Corona virus’s influence, I’ve started an Instagram account to be able to have a place where I can still communicate with everyone closely, both inside and outside the country. 

I’ll use this as a new communication tool in order to make various announcements from now on. 

At the same time, I’m also in the process of making a proper fan club space. Despite the current circumstances, it will be ready by the end of this year.

Of course, I'm thinking how best to use it to distribute concert information, various content, and work with Instagram to make announcements and communicate with everyone from now on.

As soon as preparations are complete, we'll be sure to make a proper announcement, so please wait for that.

Though the state of emergency has been extended, thank you very much to those working in healthcare, those making deliveries, and those collecting garbage for continuing to work under these circumstances!

Though we still can't resume drama filming, I would like to move forward and prepare myself for when filming restarts!! 👊

Takuya

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

#CorpMedia #Idiocracy #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #DemExit #FeelTheBern

[UPDATE] ACTUAL U.S. U6 TABLE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 7 APR 2023 6.7%* [W/LTU 24.6]

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/U6RATE

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm

http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/never-ending-little-changed-unemployment-figures-january-2013

http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/april-unemployment-rate-lowest-may-2007-6106

*Does NOT Include Long-Term Unemployment (Total 24.6% - See Below)

http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/unemployment-charts

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN PROGRESSIVE/SOCIAL DEMOCRACIES

DENMARK 2.3%

NORWAY*** 3.1%

NETHERLANDS 3.5%

ICELAND*** 5.0%

GERMANY 5.6%

BELGIUM 5.8

EUROPEAN UNION 6.0%

***ICELAND AND NORWAY NOT E.U. MEMBERS

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tipsun30/default/table?lang=en

https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/unemployment-rate?continent=europe

NEW ZEALAND 3.4%

AUSTRALIA 3.5%

https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/unemployment-rate?continent=australia

https://www.stats.govt.nz/

https://www.abs.gov.au/

HOW IT'S DONE - WHAT THESE COUNTRIES HAVE IN COMMON

Higher Minimum-Wage/Prevailing Wage Than U S

https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=RMW

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Labor/Salaries-and-benefits/Minimum-wage

https://glabor.org/wp/platform/data/

https://wageindicator.org/salary/minimum-wage

Green Economic And Social Policies (Environmental Performance Index)

https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu/

https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/component/epi

https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu/results-overview

Socialized Higher Education (Free Post-Secondary Education)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_education#List_of_countries_with_free_post-secondary_education

High Trade/Labor Union Participation

https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=CBC

https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TUD

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Labor/Trade-union-membership

High Government Transparency Ratings (Less Corruption)

https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022

Equitable Distribution Of Income

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality

Universal Healthcare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_coverage_by_country

http://www.quora.com/What-countries-offer-universal-health-care-and-free-college-education

Longevity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

Universal Literacy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/references/guide-to-country-comparisons/

Lower Crime Rate

https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp

Lower Homicide Rate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

Farthest Right U S State VS Furthest Left U S State

https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=z1ebjpgk2654c1_#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=unemployment_rate&fdim_y=seasonality:S&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:US&idim=state:ST4800000000000:ST5000000000000&ifdim=country&hl=en_US&dl=en_US&ind=false

https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=c8op9mhgodplq_&ctype=l&met_y=median_income_current#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=median_income_current&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:US&idim=region:northeast:south:midwest:west&ifdim=country&hl=en_US&dl=en_US&ind=false

https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=b1tlmra7lb7a9_#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=crime_rate&fdim_y=crime_type:violent&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=state:TX:VT&ifdim=country&hl=en_US&dl=en_US&ind=false

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_homicide_rate

SEE A PATTERN? FORWARD AND TO THE LEFT, PLEASE...

*JUST SO WE’RE CLEAR, I SPENT AN AFTERNOON WATCHING FAUX NEWS (SHUDDER) AND RECORDING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT REPUBLICANS SAY KILL JOBS, AND THEN DID THE RESEARCH TO SEE IF ANY OF THEIR CLAIMS HOLD UP IN THE REAL WORLD.

WHAT I FOUND WAS THAT THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. IN FACT, THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH TOOK THESE POLICIES TO THE FURTHEST EXTREMES ALL SEEMED TO OUTPERFORM THE US WHEN IT COMES TO EMPLOYMENT.

SO I CREATED A SURVEY OF ONLY THOSE COUNTRIES, EXCLUDING ANY THAT DID NOT FIT ALL OF THE CRITERIA. FOR EXAMPLE, I EXCLUDED BELGIUM, BECAUSE, EVEN THOUGH THEY FIT MOST CRITERIA, THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD IS ACTUALLY WORSE THAN OURS, HOWEVER, IN CASE YOU WERE CURIOUS, THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS STILL LOWER.

I ALSO FOUND THAT THEY BEAT US WHEN IT CAME TO EVERY OTHER SOCIAL MEASURE I COULD THINK OF...?

Actually, North American unemployment stats are pretty misleading and don't report the real jobless rate and the poverty it creates.

http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/unemployment-charts

For example, European countries measure their real unemployment far more honestly and comprehensively than the US [which is what I'm referring to. Bill Clinton had the long-term unemployed removed from the Dept Of Labor's stats in 1994]

For example, in France now the official jobless rate is 7.2%—that’s quite a bit higher than the US, which has an official rate of 3.4%.

However, France, like Italy and Germany, which all have a 35-hour regular work week, consider anyone working less than 11 hours a week to be unemployed, and adult full-time post-secondary students training in a recognized profession are considered part of the work force and therefore unemployed as well—in addition to employable welfare recipients.

http://tinyurl.com/2exnpzx http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/.../feature/fr0103138f.html https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/article/2001/unemployment-rate-falls http://tinyurl.com/34yk4e4

The US does not include students and has no minimum hours provisions in its calculations. By these standards, if you worked, even an hour in a week during the federal survey, you’re considered employed. If you didn’t work and hadn’t looked for a job in four weeks, you’re not considered part of the work force. Non-disabled adult welfare recipients and the huge chronic poor populations, especially in urban areas, aren’t considered either. Canada is similar.

So if you apply US-style measures to France, the rate turns out to be 3.4%. Now, if you apply French measures to the US, the rate jumps to a whopping 24.6%—that’s largely because of the huge under-employed low-paid part-time work force in the US, and the huge number of employable welfare recipients and chronic poor.

[ennobletechnologies]

Healthcare Content Planning:

The healthcare industry, with its ever-evolving complexities, demands content that is meticulously planned and thoroughly researched. This planning ensures that the right message reaches the audience, resonating with their concerns and expectations. The essence of healthcare content planning lies in crafting narratives that not only inform but also connect with readers on a personal level.

Do Read: https://ennobletechnologies.com/healthcare/healthcare-content-planning/

[trump-executive-orders]

Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People's Republic of China

Issued February 1, 2025.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the sustained influx of synthetic opioids has profound consequences on our Nation, including by killing approximately two hundred Americans per day, putting a severe strain on our healthcare system, ravaging our communities, and destroying our families. Synthetic opioid overdose is the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45 in the United States.

During my first term, I took steps to end the direct flow of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids from the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the United States. Since then, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which exerts ultimate control over the government and enterprises of the PRC, has subsidized and otherwise incentivized PRC chemical companies to export fentanyl and related precursor chemicals that are used to produce synthetic opioids sold illicitly in the United States.

Furthermore, the PRC provides support to and safe haven for PRC-origin transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that launder the revenues from the production, shipment, and sale of illicit synthetic opioids. These PRC-origin TCOs coordinate and communicate using PRC social media software applications in the conduct of their businesses.

Many PRC-based chemical companies also go to great lengths to evade law enforcement and hide illicit substances in the flow of legitimate commerce. Some of the techniques employed by these PRC-based companies to conceal the true contents of the parcels and the identity of the distributors include the use of re-shippers in the United States, false invoices, fraudulent postage, and deceptive packaging. While more than 500,000 pounds of drugs have been seized at the southern border each of the last 3 fiscal years, in addition, more than 42,000 pounds of drugs have been seized at the northern border each year on average over the last 3 years. Illicit drugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, including 75,000 deaths per year attributed to fentanyl alone.

The influx of these drugs to our Nation threatens the fabric of our society. The PRC plays a central role in this challenge, not merely by failing to stem the ultimate source of many illicit drugs distributed in the United States, but by actively sustaining and expanding the business of poisoning our citizens.

The flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl to the United States through illicit distribution networks has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis in the United States, as outlined in the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (America First Trade Policy), Proclamation 10886 of January 20, 2025 (Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States), and Executive Order 14157 of January 20, 2025 (Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists).

Despite multiple attempts to resolve this crisis at its root source through bilateral dialogue, PRC officials have failed to follow through with the decisive actions needed to stem the flow of precursor chemicals to known criminal cartels and shut down the money laundering TCOs. The PRC implements the most sophisticated domestic surveillance network coupled with the most comprehensive domestic law enforcement apparatus in the world. The PRC also routinely exerts extraterritorial reach across the globe to threaten, harass, and suppress what it views as political dissent. As such, the CCP does not lack the capacity to severely blunt the global illicit opioid epidemic; it simply is unwilling to do so.

Immediate action is required to address the national emergency I declared to finally end this emergency, including the public health crisis caused by opioid use and addiction, which will not happen until the full compliance and cooperation of the PRC government is assured.

I hereby determine and order:

Section 1. (a) As President of the United States, my highest duty is the defense of the country and its citizens. I will not stand by and allow our citizens to be poisoned, our laws to be trampled, our communities to be ravaged, or our families to be destroyed.

I previously declared a national emergency with respect to the grave threat to the United States posed by the influx of illegal aliens and drugs into the United States in Proclamation 10886. Pursuant to the NEA, I hereby expand the scope of the national emergency declared in that proclamation to cover the failure of the PRC government to arrest, seize, detain, or otherwise intercept chemical precursor suppliers, money launderers, other TCOs, criminals at large, and drugs. In addition, this failure to act constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. I hereby declare and reiterate a national emergency under the NEA and IEEPA to deal with that threat. This national emergency requires decisive and immediate action, and I have decided to impose, consistent with law, ad valorem tariffs on articles that are products of the PRC as set forth in this order. In doing so, I invoke my authority under section 1702(a)(1)(B) of IEEPA, and specifically find that action under other authority to impose tariffs is inadequate to address this unusual and extraordinary threat.

Sec. 2. (a) All articles that are products of the PRC, as defined by the Federal Register notice described in section 2(d) of this order (the Federal Register notice), shall be, consistent with law, subject to an additional 10 percent ad valorem rate of duty. Such rate of duty shall apply with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01am eastern time on February 4, 2025, except that goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, after such time that were loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading or in transit on the final mode of transport prior to entry into the United States before 12:01am eastern time on February 1, 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty, only if the importer certifies to U.S. Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Security as specified in the Federal Register notice.

(b) The rates of duty established by this order are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, or charges applicable to such imported articles.

(c) Should the PRC retaliate against the United States in response to this action through import duties on United States exports to the PRC or similar measures, the President may increase or expand in scope the duties imposed under this Executive Order to ensure the efficacy of this action.

(d) In order to establish the duty rate on imports of articles that are products of the PRC, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall determine the modifications necessary to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) in order to effectuate this order consistent with law and shall make such modifications to the HTSUS through notice in the Federal Register. The modifications made to the HTSUS by this notice shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01am eastern time on February 4, 2025, except as otherwise noted in subsection 2(a) of this section, and shall continue in effect until such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated.

(e) Articles that are products of the PRC, except those that are eligible for admission under "domestic status" as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, which are subject to the duties imposed by this order and are admitted into a United States foreign trade zone on or after 12:01am eastern time on February 4, 2025, except as otherwise noted in subsection 2(a) of this section, must be admitted as "privileged foreign status" as defined in 19 CFR 146.41. Such articles will be subject upon entry for consumption to the rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading in effect at the time of admittance into the United States foreign trade zone.

(f) No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this order.

(g) For avoidance of doubt, duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 shall not be available for the articles described in subsection (a) of this section.

(h) Any prior Presidential Proclamation, Executive Order, or other presidential directive or guidance related to trade with the PRC that is inconsistent with the direction in this order is hereby terminated, suspended, or modified to the extent necessary to give full effect to this order.

(i) The articles described in subsection (a) of this section shall include those encompassed by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b).

Sec. 3. (a) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall regularly consult with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security on the situation regarding the PRC. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall inform the President of any circumstances that, in the opinion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, indicate that the PRC government has taken adequate steps to alleviate the opioid crisis through cooperative actions. Upon the President's determination of sufficient action to alleviate the crisis, the tariffs described in section 2 of this order will be removed.

(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security shall recommend additional action, if necessary, should the PRC fail to take adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crises through cooperative enforcement actions.

Sec. 4. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Commerce, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to me by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of Homeland Security may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of Homeland Security. All agencies shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement this order.

Sec. 5. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency under IEEPA declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

[awkward-tension-art]

Ok so @yourgentlegirlfriend got this ask and because I’m in stem, and because I thought Leon was a pretty man, I wanted to write it.

I have never played any resident evil game but when I saw Leon I audibly said “woah mama” so I’m writing Leon as someone who only knows his character through the copious amounts of smut I’ve read in the last week.

Content warnings: Angst, comfort at the end, self-hate, a lot of guilt and shame, Leon being a sweetheart, a lot of science talk, mentions of Raccoon City, swearing, gender-neutral S/O but if I miss some pronouns let me know, reader is a scientist

If I miss any tags/warnings shoot me a message

———

Another failure. Another contamination. Another fuck-up.

Science is a cruel mistress. And you deserve such treatment.

You were just an intern at the time, but you aided in research for Umbrella. In your free time you were the one who came up with the virus. At first it was just an impossible idea, but with funding and resources it could be possible.

You presented to the heads of the science department a plan. A vaccine that could be a ‘catch all’ for every viral infection. The idea was a good one, created with purely selfless intentions. a virus with so many proteins packed into it, the immune system would be able to fight off any virus with even a slight match to the vaccine. It could be distributed to places struggling with healthcare. It didn’t have to cost anything. It could save lives!

But in your naïveté and starry-eyed vision, you didn’t realize how the very people you called colleagues and friends stole your work. Your name would be on the published paper, but your idea became Umbrella’s. It was no longer yours.

Your research, a plan to help the world, was twisted. It was forced to become an agent of destruction. You watched as they ripped out the good and replaced it with their own vile intentions.

You couldn’t handle it. You left, removing your name from the project. You signed a hefty NDA, and walked away.

You were to blame for Raccoon City. So many deaths…so much destruction and sorrow all on your head.

When you found out that Leon, your boyfriend, survived that hell you rushed from the room to vomit and cry.

Bless him, he thought you felt bad for his experiences. He even felt guilty when you sobbed throughout the night.

You felt more than bad, of course. But Leon was your guilt and shame in the flesh. He was proof that your ignorance fucked up the world. You were in love with the man your naïveté and passion traumatized.

He couldn’t know. He couldn’t know that you were responsible for everything he went through.

Even now, years later, you dedicated yourself to a research hospital. Cancer research specifically. No one could twist that. No one could rip out the good intentions of that.

Intentions be damned. Your passion had been ripped away the moment Umbrella sank their claws into your research.

You sank to the floor. Everything began to spiral. You were a killer. You were an agent of destruction. You were evil. A failure. You deserved-

“(Y/N)?”

You looked up, eyes meeting Leon. There was nothing but worry in his icy blue gaze, “hey, are you alright? Rough day?”

You didn’t even open your mouth before you were sobbing. Your heart was racing. Panic and stress were running through your veins. You had to tell him now.

He’ll hate you. Leon will hate you. Despise you.

You are evil.

Evil. Evil. Evil.

“I’m sorry!” You cried out, digging your nails into your arms. In your panic you had shoved your boyfriend back.

His eyes were wide. Concern. Fear. What happened to you? He mentally ran through any scenario that might put you in this state. Could he fix it? Could he help you?

“It’s all my fault.” You sobbed, “everything is my fault!” Your face was in your hands, “I’m a monster…”

“Alright, alright. Let’s talk this through,” Leon began to talk you down, “You’re not a monster. Why would you even say that?”

“Raccoon City!” You shouted, looking up. Your eyes were red and puffy. Tears marked your cheeks, “it’s all my fault!” Your throat closed as you choked on another sob.

Leon furrowed his brow, all he could do was get you on your feet and get you to the couch. Your crying had faded into soft whispers and croaks by then.

But…you wouldn’t let him touch you.

“You deserve better,” there was so much self-hatred in your eyes, “I’m a monster. I did it. I gave them the idea. They stole it from me. They….I was so stupid.”

“Who, who stole what from you?” Your boyfriend was sitting next to you, trying to coax more answers, “Listen, we can figure this out.” He tried to gently reassure.

Your brain was going haywire. Your emotions were out of your control. Was this panic? PTSD? You had no control anymore, “We can’t, Leon!” You snapped, “I destroyed Raccoon City! It’s all my fault.” You shot up from the couch and began pacing.

You told him everything. How you were hired. What you were put to work on. How your idea was supposed to be for good. To help the world.

How it was stolen from you. How your selfless idea was supposed to help mankind but was turned and twisted into something evil.

“I wanted to do good!” You ended up devolving into weeping again. Your legs failed you and you fell to the floor again, “I wanted to help people!” Sobs racked your body over and over again. You even lost control of your own muscles, as you were paralyzed from your own emotional state.

You didn’t want to look up. You didn’t want to see the hatred in Leon’s eyes. You didn’t want to look at the utter betrayal on his face.

You couldn’t….

Strong arms wrapped around you. Leon was on his knees, taking you into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry…” you weakly croaked, “I’m sorry…I’m a monster….”

“You’re not a monster.” He planted a soft kiss on the top of your head, “It’s Umbrella. It’s not you. They broke everything. They were the ones who did this.”

“I gave them the idea…if I just kept my stupid mouth shut.”

“You had an idea that could have helped a lot of people who needed it.” His words were soft spoken. Kind and comforting, “I mean, I don’t know much about science but a vaccine that could be used for all viruses? Sounds like it would have been amazing.”

Why didn’t he hate you? You wanted to ask him that very question. But at this point you were exhausted. Exhausted of the guilt. The shame.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He pulled you away to look at you. His hand was at your cheek, wiping away tears with his thumb.

You didn’t see any hate. Only worry.

You swallowed, voice cracking as you spoke, “I didn’t want you to hate me.” Your answer was genuine, “I love you, Leon. And I didn’t…” your throat closed again, holding back another cry.

“Well, I love you too.” He kissed your forehead, speaking softly, “and I could never hate you.” Leon was gentle with you. He spoke gently. Touched you gently. Kissed you gently.

You needed gentle. You were cracked glass, waiting to shatter. But he seemed to be the only one to hold you without breaking you completely.

Leon kissed the top of your head again. His hands were slowing running up and down your back in comfort.

Your behavior made sense now. Your obsession with doing the right thing. Your paranoia over your research. He just assumed all scientists had a degree of ‘madness’ to them. But now he understood.

The trauma and guilt had you in vice. Just like him. You may not have seen Raccoon City with your own eyes, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t have been traumatized by it.

Umbrella broke the both of you. But that doesn’t mean you were alone in picking up the pieces.

[qnewsau]

Inquest into suicides of trans Victorians calls for urgent change

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/inquest-into-suicides-of-trans-victorians-calls-for-urgent-change/

Inquest into suicides of trans Victorians calls for urgent change

A Victorian coroner has recommended urgent improvements to police systems and increased funding increase for trans and gender-diverse healthcare following an inquest into a series of tragic suicides.

Coroner Ingrid Giles has made the recommendations after an inquest into the deaths of five young transgender women in Melbourne.

One of the women, Bridget Flack (above), was reported missing on December 1, 2020.

Warning: distressing content

However despite her family’s concerns, Victoria Police officers failed to recognise her high risk of suicide, Giles found.

Those delays prevented police using Bridget’s phone signal to find her. Instead, hundreds of members of the LGBTQIA+ community conducted a ground search instead.

Tragically, two of them found Bridget’s body in bushland on December 11, 2020.

Giles said police “failed to consider the safety and wellbeing of the community members searching for Bridget.”

“Police left a vulnerable community to search for one of their own, in the knowledge that Bridget might be found deceased,” the Coroner said.

The inquest confirmed Bridget Flack died by suicide on November 30 and “systemic” police failures had not contributed to her death.

While Giles found no evidence of anti-trans bias, there were nonetheless “concerning gaps” in the police investigation.

The coroner made three recommendations to Victoria Police. They include changes to its missing persons risk assessment and training for officers.

Giles said Victoria Police conducted a thorough internal review into Bridget’s case in 2021. However none of those findings had been implemented, which Giles said must happen “as a priority”.

Bridget Flack’s sister Angela Pucci Love gave evidence at the “tough but worthwhile” inquest. She said the findings were “vindicating” and she and Bridget’s loved ones want “to help the next family”.

“If the next person doesn’t feel they’re not heard or not treated with the respect that they deserve, be it in life or after life, that makes us feel really proud,” she said.

‘You should not feel fear when consulting a doctor’

The inquest also examined the deaths of trans women Natalie Wilson, Matt Byrne, Heather Pierard and another person known under the pseudonym AS.

Coroner Ingrid Giles recommended the federal government restrict the online sale and distribution of a lethal chemical used by three of the women to take their own lives.

Another important recommendation was increasing funding, access and capacity of gender-affirming healthcare in Victoria.

Tragically, the inquest heard that Byrne resorted to gender-affirming surgery from an unlicensed, non-medical “backyard” operator in a Melbourne home.

Giles said the young trans woman’s “confronting” case shows the urgent need to improve accessibility of gender-affirming care which “simply cannot keep up with demand”.

Giles said discrimination, particularly in the health system, has serious and “wholly unacceptable” impacts on trans people.

“You should not feel fear or profound dread when consulting a doctor,” she said.

“There should not be a myriad of horror stories circulating in the community as to what could happen if you walk through the wrong door to get support. There should be no wrong door.”

Victoria Police and the Victoria Government have both said they will consider the recommendations.

Transgender Victoria chief executive Son Vivienne said the coroner’s findings are detailed and “long overdue”.

Dr Vivienne said it was crucial all frontline staff understood the increased risk trans and gender-diverse people face due to stigma and discrimination.

Anna Bernasochi, from suicide prevention organisation Switchboard Victoria, said the advocacy for systemic change would continue.

“We’re going to be there every step of the way to ensure that government, the police and our institutions are held to account so that we can change this reality for our communities,” she said.

If you need someone to talk to, help is available from QLife on 1800 184 527 or online at QLife.org.au, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via text on 0477 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[frank-olivier]

The AI Dilemma: Balancing Benefits and Risks

One of the main focuses of AI research is the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical AI system that surpasses human intelligence in all areas. The AGI timeline, which outlines the expected time frame for the realization of AGI, is a crucial aspect of this research. While some experts predict that AGI will be achieved within the next few years or decades, others argue that it could take centuries or even millennia. Regardless of the time frame, the potential impact of AGI on human society and civilization is enormous and far-reaching.

Another important aspect of AI development is task specialization, where AI models are designed to excel at specific tasks, improving efficiency, productivity, and decision-making. Watermarking technology, which identifies the source of AI-generated content, is also an important part of AI development and addresses concerns about intellectual property and authorship. Google's SynthID technology, which detects and removes AI-generated content on the internet, is another significant development in this field.

However, AI development also brings challenges and concerns. Safety concerns, such as the potential for AI systems to cause harm or injury, must be addressed through robust safety protocols and risk management strategies. Testimonials from whistleblowers and insider perspectives can provide valuable insight into the challenges and successes of AI development and underscore the need for transparency and accountability. Board oversight and governance are also critical to ensure that AI development meets ethical and regulatory standards.

The impact of AI on different industries and aspects of society is also an important consideration. The potential of AI to transform industries such as healthcare, finance and education is enormous, but it also raises concerns about job losses, bias and inequality. The development of AI must be accompanied by a critical examination of its social and economic impacts to ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly and the negative consequences are mitigated.

By recognizing the challenges and complexities of AI development, we can work toward creating a future where AI is developed and deployed in responsible, ethical and beneficial ways.

Ex-OpenAI Employee Reveals Terrifying Future of AI (Matthew Berman, June 2024)

Ex-OpenAI Employees Just Exposed The Truth About AGI (TheAIGRID, October 2024)

Anthropic CEO: AGI is Closer Than You Think [machines of loving grace] (TheAIGRID, October 2024)

AGI in 5 years? Ben Goertzel on Superintelligence (Machine Learning Street Talk, October 2024)

Generative AI and Geopolitical Disruption (Solaris Project, October 2024)

Monday, October 28, 2024

[uthra-krish]

From Curious Novice to Data Enthusiast: My Data Science Adventure

I've always been fascinated by data science, a field that seamlessly blends technology, mathematics, and curiosity. In this article, I want to take you on a journey—my journey—from being a curious novice to becoming a passionate data enthusiast. Together, let's explore the thrilling world of data science, and I'll share the steps I took to immerse myself in this captivating realm of knowledge.

The Spark: Discovering the Potential of Data Science

The moment I stumbled upon data science, I felt a spark of inspiration. Witnessing its impact across various industries, from healthcare and finance to marketing and entertainment, I couldn't help but be drawn to this innovative field. The ability to extract critical insights from vast amounts of data and uncover meaningful patterns fascinated me, prompting me to dive deeper into the world of data science.

Laying the Foundation: The Importance of Learning the Basics

To embark on this data science adventure, I quickly realized the importance of building a strong foundation. Learning the basics of statistics, programming, and mathematics became my priority. Understanding statistical concepts and techniques enabled me to make sense of data distributions, correlations, and significance levels. Programming languages like Python and R became essential tools for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization, while a solid grasp of mathematical principles empowered me to create and evaluate predictive models.

The Quest for Knowledge: Exploring Various Data Science Disciplines

A. Machine Learning: Unraveling the Power of Predictive Models

Machine learning, a prominent discipline within data science, captivated me with its ability to unlock the potential of predictive models. I delved into the fundamentals, understanding the underlying algorithms that power these models. Supervised learning, where data with labels is used to train prediction models, and unsupervised learning, which uncovers hidden patterns within unlabeled data, intrigued me. Exploring concepts like regression, classification, clustering, and dimensionality reduction deepened my understanding of this powerful field.

B. Data Visualization: Telling Stories with Data

In my data science journey, I discovered the importance of effectively visualizing data to convey meaningful stories. Navigating through various visualization tools and techniques, such as creating dynamic charts, interactive dashboards, and compelling infographics, allowed me to unlock the hidden narratives within datasets. Visualizations became a medium to communicate complex ideas succinctly, enabling stakeholders to understand insights effortlessly.

C. Big Data: Mastering the Analysis of Vast Amounts of Information

The advent of big data challenged traditional data analysis approaches. To conquer this challenge, I dived into the world of big data, understanding its nuances and exploring techniques for efficient analysis. Uncovering the intricacies of distributed systems, parallel processing, and data storage frameworks empowered me to handle massive volumes of information effectively. With tools like Apache Hadoop and Spark, I was able to mine valuable insights from colossal datasets.

D. Natural Language Processing: Extracting Insights from Textual Data

Textual data surrounds us in the digital age, and the realm of natural language processing fascinated me. I delved into techniques for processing and analyzing unstructured text data, uncovering insights from tweets, customer reviews, news articles, and more. Understanding concepts like sentiment analysis, topic modeling, and named entity recognition allowed me to extract valuable information from written text, revolutionizing industries like sentiment analysis, customer service, and content recommendation systems.

Building the Arsenal: Acquiring Data Science Skills and Tools

Acquiring essential skills and familiarizing myself with relevant tools played a crucial role in my data science journey. Programming languages like Python and R became my companions, enabling me to manipulate, analyze, and model data efficiently. Additionally, I explored popular data science libraries and frameworks such as TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, Pandas, and NumPy, which expedited the development and deployment of machine learning models. The arsenal of skills and tools I accumulated became my assets in the quest for data-driven insights.

The Real-World Challenge: Applying Data Science in Practice

Data science is not just an academic pursuit but rather a practical discipline aimed at solving real-world problems. Throughout my journey, I sought to identify such problems and apply data science methodologies to provide practical solutions. From predicting customer churn to optimizing supply chain logistics, the application of data science proved transformative in various domains. Sharing success stories of leveraging data science in practice inspires others to realize the power of this field.

Cultivating Curiosity: Continuous Learning and Skill Enhancement

Embracing a growth mindset is paramount in the world of data science. The field is rapidly evolving, with new algorithms, techniques, and tools emerging frequently. To stay ahead, it is essential to cultivate curiosity and foster a continuous learning mindset. Keeping abreast of the latest research papers, attending data science conferences, and engaging in data science courses nurtures personal and professional growth. The journey to becoming a data enthusiast is a lifelong pursuit.

Joining the Community: Networking and Collaboration

Being part of the data science community is a catalyst for growth and inspiration. Engaging with like-minded individuals, sharing knowledge, and collaborating on projects enhances the learning experience. Joining online forums, participating in Kaggle competitions, and attending meetups provides opportunities to exchange ideas, solve challenges collectively, and foster invaluable connections within the data science community.

Overcoming Obstacles: Dealing with Common Data Science Challenges

Data science, like any discipline, presents its own set of challenges. From data cleaning and preprocessing to model selection and evaluation, obstacles arise at each stage of the data science pipeline. Strategies and tips to overcome these challenges, such as building reliable pipelines, conducting robust experiments, and leveraging cross-validation techniques, are indispensable in maintaining motivation and achieving success in the data science journey.

Balancing Act: Building a Career in Data Science alongside Other Commitments

For many aspiring data scientists, the pursuit of knowledge and skills must coexist with other commitments, such as full-time jobs and personal responsibilities. Effectively managing time and developing a structured learning plan is crucial in striking a balance. Tips such as identifying pockets of dedicated learning time, breaking down complex concepts into manageable chunks, and seeking mentorships or online communities can empower individuals to navigate the data science journey while juggling other responsibilities.

Ethical Considerations: Navigating the World of Data Responsibly

As data scientists, we must navigate the world of data responsibly, being mindful of the ethical considerations inherent in this field. Safeguarding privacy, addressing bias in algorithms, and ensuring transparency in data-driven decision-making are critical principles. Exploring topics such as algorithmic fairness, data anonymization techniques, and the societal impact of data science encourages responsible and ethical practices in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Embarking on a data science adventure from a curious novice to a passionate data enthusiast is an exhilarating and rewarding journey. By laying a foundation of knowledge, exploring various data science disciplines, acquiring essential skills and tools, and engaging in continuous learning, one can conquer challenges, build a successful career, and have a good influence on the data science community. It's a journey that never truly ends, as data continues to evolve and offer exciting opportunities for discovery and innovation. So, join me in your data science adventure, and let the exploration begin!