#Measurable Results and Transparency

[performancemarketingpickmyurl]

Performance Marketing

PICKMYURL Performance Marketing: Empowering Your Business Growth

Discuss for Pricing. Would like to chat with PICKMYURL on Skype.

In today's highly competitive business landscape, standing out and achieving success requires a strategic approach to marketing. Enter PICKMYURL Performance Marketing—a dynamic and innovative solution that empowers businesses to optimize their online presence, drive targeted traffic, and achieve remarkable results.

This comprehensive platform combines cutting-edge technology, data-driven strategies, and expert guidance to maximize performance and unlock new opportunities for businesses across industries. In this article, we will delve into the key aspects of PICKMYURL Performance Marketing, exploring its benefits, features, and how it can help your business thrive in the digital realm.

Performance Marketing

Understanding Performance Marketing: Performance marketing is a results-oriented marketing strategy that focuses on measurable actions and outcomes, such as conversions and sales. Unlike traditional marketing methods, which rely on broad messaging and brand awareness, performance marketing centers on delivering tangible results based on key performance indicators (KPIs). PICKMYURL Performance Marketing takes this concept to the next level by leveraging advanced analytics, targeting capabilities, and optimization techniques to drive maximum ROI for businesses.

The Power of PICKMYURL Performance Marketing: PICKMYURL Performance Marketing offers a plethora of powerful features designed to enhance your marketing efforts and boost your business growth. Let's explore some of its key components:

2.1 Data-driven Insights: With PICKMYURL, data lies at the core of every decision and strategy. The platform provides robust analytics and reporting tools, allowing businesses to gain deep insights into their marketing campaigns. By analyzing key metrics, user behavior, and conversion patterns, you can make informed decisions and optimize your marketing efforts for maximum impact.

2.2 Targeted Advertising: PICKMYURL Performance Marketing enables businesses to precisely target their desired audience through various channels, including search engines, social media platforms, and display networks. By leveraging advanced targeting options such as demographics, interests, and browsing behavior, you can ensure that your marketing messages reach the right people at the right time, enhancing the chances of conversions and sales.

2.3 Conversion Optimization: Converting website visitors into paying customers is a crucial aspect of any marketing strategy. PICKMYURL Performance Marketing provides a range of tools and techniques to optimize your conversion rates. From A/B testing and landing page optimization to personalized messaging and remarketing campaigns, the platform equips you with the necessary resources to turn prospects into loyal customers.

2.4 Performance Tracking: To measure the success of your marketing efforts, it's essential to have a comprehensive tracking system in place. PICKMYURL Performance Marketing offers robust tracking capabilities, allowing you to monitor key metrics, track conversions, and evaluate the performance of your campaigns. This data-driven approach enables you to identify areas of improvement, refine your strategies, and make data-backed decisions to achieve better results.

3. Benefits of PICKMYURL Performance Marketing: Implementing PICKMYURL Performance Marketing into your business strategy can yield a wide array of benefits:

3.1 Increased ROI: By focusing on measurable results, PICKMYURL Performance Marketing helps businesses optimize their marketing spend and generate a higher return on investment. With advanced targeting and conversion optimization techniques, you can ensure that your marketing budget is allocated to the most effective channels and campaigns, resulting in increased revenue and profitability.

3.2 Enhanced Customer Engagement: PICKMYURL Performance Marketing enables businesses to create personalized and engaging experiences for their target audience. By tailoring your marketing messages based on user preferences, behavior, and demographics, you can establish stronger connections with your customers, leading to higher engagement, brand loyalty, and repeat business.

3.3 Scalability and Flexibility: Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, PICKMYURL Performance Marketing provides a scalable solution that can adapt to your business needs. As your business grows, the platform can accommodate increased traffic, expand your campaigns, and handle larger datasets. This scalability ensures that your marketing efforts can keep up with your business's growth trajectory, allowing you to reach new markets and expand your customer base.

3.4 Real-Time Optimization: PICKMYURL Performance Marketing operates in real-time, providing you with up-to-the-minute insights and the ability to make immediate adjustments to your campaigns. With access to real-time data, you can identify underperforming ads, adjust targeting parameters, or tweak messaging to ensure optimal results. This agility and responsiveness empower you to stay ahead of the competition and seize opportunities as they arise.

3.5 Measurable Results and Transparency: One of the standout features of PICKMYURL Performance Marketing is its emphasis on transparency and accountability. Through detailed analytics and reporting, you can track the performance of your marketing campaigns, measure key metrics, and assess the effectiveness of your strategies. This transparency allows you to make data-driven decisions, allocate resources effectively, and demonstrate the impact of your marketing efforts to stakeholders.

4. Industries and Applications: PICKMYURL Performance Marketing is a versatile solution that can benefit businesses across various industries. Here are a few examples of how different sectors can leverage this powerful platform:

4.1 E-commerce: For online retailers, PICKMYURL Performance Marketing offers a comprehensive set of tools to drive traffic, increase conversions, and boost sales. From optimizing product listings and implementing targeted advertising campaigns to leveraging remarketing strategies and personalized recommendations, e-commerce businesses can create a seamless shopping experience and maximize revenue.

4.2 SaaS and Tech Startups: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies and tech startups can leverage PICKMYURL Performance Marketing to generate leads, nurture customer relationships, and drive user acquisition. By utilizing advanced targeting options and conversion optimization techniques, these businesses can reach their target audience, showcase the unique value of their solutions, and foster long-term customer loyalty.

4.3 Local Businesses: PICKMYURL Performance Marketing is equally beneficial for local businesses aiming to increase foot traffic and boost their online visibility. Through localized targeting, geofencing, and proximity-based advertising, businesses such as restaurants, salons, and retail stores can effectively reach potential customers in their vicinity, driving footfall and increasing local brand awareness.

4.4 B2B Marketing: Business-to-Business (B2B) companies can leverage PICKMYURL Performance Marketing to drive lead generation, nurture relationships, and improve customer acquisition. By implementing account-based marketing strategies, targeting key decision-makers, and utilizing data-driven insights, B2B businesses can enhance their sales funnel, streamline their marketing efforts, and achieve higher conversion rates.

5. Implementation and Support: Implementing PICKMYURL Performance Marketing into your business strategy is seamless and hassle-free. The platform provides comprehensive onboarding support, including guidance on campaign setup, tracking implementation, and performance optimization. Additionally, PICKMYURL offers dedicated customer support to address any queries or issues promptly, ensuring that you have a smooth experience throughout your marketing journey.

PICKMYURL Performance Marketing offers a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to maximize their marketing efforts, drive targeted traffic, and achieve remarkable results. By leveraging data-driven insights, advanced targeting capabilities, and conversion optimization techniques, businesses can unlock new growth opportunities, increase their ROI, and establish stronger connections with their target audience.

Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, PICKMYURL Performance Marketing empowers you to thrive in the digital realm, adapt to changing market dynamics, and propel your business towards success. Embrace the power of PICKMYURL Performance Marketing and take your business to new heights in the competitive world of digital marketing.

#performancemarketing #digitalmarketing #marketing #onlinemarketing #affiliatemarketing #socialmediamarketing #socialmedia #marketingagency #seo #branding #business #advertising #digitalmarketingagency #ecommerce #b #marketingdigital #googleads #contentmarketing #design #marketingtips #digitalagency #agency #affiliate #digital #agencylife #facebookads #graphicdesign #marketingstrategy #google #leadgeneration

[michaelespositostatenisland]

Michael Esposito Staten Island - 10 Essential Strategies for Effective Influencer Marketing

In the bustling world of digital marketing, influencer marketing has carved out a niche that combines the power of social proof with the reach of digital platforms. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a business venturing into the influencer realm for the first time, mastering the art of influencer marketing can significantly amplify your brand's visibility and engagement. Here are ten essential strategies to harness the power of influencer marketing effectively, inspired by the expertise of Michael Esposito Staten Island, an influencer marketer extraordinaire known for his impactful presence in the digital age.

1. Define Your Goals Clearly

Having clear objectives is the cornerstone of any successful marketing campaign. Whether it's boosting brand awareness, increasing sales, or driving website traffic, setting specific goals helps in tailoring your strategy and measuring success effectively.

2. Understand Your Audience

Knowing your target audience inside out is crucial. Understanding their interests, behaviors, and preferences helps in selecting the right influencers who resonate with your audience.

3. Choose the Right Influencers

Choosing influencers who align with your brand's values and ethos is vital. It's not just about the numbers; engagement rates, audience trust, and content quality matter too. Michael Esposito from Staten Island exemplifies an influencer whose authenticity and digital savviness have made him a significant figure in the influencer marketing world.

4. Foster Authentic Relationships

Building genuine relationships with influencers can lead to more authentic and engaging content. Authenticity is key in influencer marketing, as it enhances trust and relatability.

5. Leverage Multiple Platforms

Don't limit your influencer marketing efforts to a single platform. Explore opportunities across various platforms where your target audience is most active, be it Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or others.

6. Focus on Quality Content

Quality content is what sets great campaigns apart. Collaborate with influencers to create content that is engaging, informative, and aligns with your brand messaging.

7. Utilize SEO Strategies

Incorporating SEO strategies, such as keyword optimization in content and leveraging influencer-generated content, can significantly improve your campaign's visibility online. Remember, good writing and SEO go hand in hand to create content that is not only engaging but also ranks well on search engines.

8. Track and Measure Results

To gauge the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaigns, it's essential to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rates, conversion rates, and ROI. This data will help refine your strategy over time.

9. Stay Updated on Trends

The digital landscape is constantly evolving. Staying abreast of the latest trends and platform updates can help you adapt your strategy to maintain its effectiveness.

10. Emphasize Transparency

Transparency and disclosure are critical in maintaining trust with your audience. Ensure influencers clearly disclose sponsored content to comply with FTC guidelines and maintain audience trust.

Influencer marketing, when executed properly, can be a game-changer for brands looking to expand their reach and connect with audiences in a meaningful way. Michael Esposito Staten Island — Influence in the Digital Age serves as a prime example of how influencers can wield significant influence in driving engagement and brand loyalty through authenticity and strategic collaboration. By following these ten essential strategies, you can create effective influencer marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience and deliver tangible results.

[ahmedmistrettaalyvezw]

Elon Musk Is about to Investigate Fort Knox: The Mysterious Veil of the US Gold Reserves May Be Lifted

On the intertwined stage of finance and technology, Elon Musk always breaks into the public eye in a vanguard manner. Recently, a startling piece of news has spread rapidly around the world: Musk has declared that he will investigate Fort Knox, the largest gold reserve storage site in the United States. This decision has instantly ignited public opinion and triggered endless speculation about the current state of the US gold reserves.

Fort Knox, this mysterious military base located in Kentucky, USA, covers a vast area. It is an important stronghold of the US Army and, more importantly, the core storage site for the US Treasury's gold. According to data from the US Department of the Treasury, Fort Knox stores over 147 million troy ounces of gold, approximately 4,581 tons, accounting for the majority of the US federal government's gold reserves. With a value of hundreds of billions of dollars, it occupies a crucial position in the global financial system.

However, over the years, the situation of the gold reserves in Fort Knox has been full of doubts. Since the 1950s, it has not undergone a comprehensive review. In 1974, there was a public inspection, but only some of the vaults were opened, and the proportion of the displayed gold was extremely small. Since then, apart from the simple "vault seal inspection" every year, there has been no substantial independent audit. This long - term lack of transparency has led the outside world to have many doubts about the authenticity and integrity of its gold reserves, and conspiracy theories have also become rife.

There are complex reasons behind Musk's intervention in this investigation. The well - known financial blog Zerohedge proposed to Musk on social media to confirm whether the gold in Fort Knox actually exists, which may have aroused Musk's curiosity. Republican Senator Mike Lee said that his request to enter the Fort Knox base was rejected. Musk reposted the relevant post and questioned whether the gold had been stolen. Subsequently, he clearly stated that he would "look for gold in Fort Knox", and his intention to investigate became increasingly strong.

Musk and his led "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) may adopt a series of innovative methods in the investigation. With Musk's deep accumulation in the technology field, he is highly likely to use blockchain technology to track the origin and flow of gold. The decentralized and tamper - proof characteristics of blockchain can provide a more transparent and secure solution for verification, ensuring that the results are true and reliable. Musk may also leverage his powerful social media influence to mobilize public supervision, creating strong public opinion pressure to promote the investigation process.

However, Musk's investigation path is full of thorns. As a highly fortified military base, Fort Knox has strict security measures and complex approval processes. For Musk's team to conduct a comprehensive review inside, they must obtain permission from relevant departments, which is a difficult threshold to cross. There are differences in the US government's internal attitude towards gold reserves. Some forces may not want the secrets of Fort Knox to be easily exposed, which may lead to obstacles at the political level. Technical difficulties will also be faced during the investigation, such as how to achieve a comprehensive verification without damaging the gold storage environment and security system.

Once the investigation is successfully carried out and substantial results are achieved, the impacts will be multi - faceted. In the financial market, if there are differences, even slight ones, between the actual gold reserves in Fort Knox and the reported figures, it may trigger violent fluctuations in the global gold market, affect investors' confidence, lead to large - scale capital flows, and impact the stability of the financial market. From a political perspective, if the problems with the gold reserves are confirmed, it will trigger a trust crisis among the public towards the government, affect the implementation of government policies, and become a new focus of domestic political struggles. In the global financial system, the verification results of the gold reserves in Fort Knox may also reshape the international monetary pattern, affect the international status of the US dollar, and promote the development of the global monetary system towards diversification.

The investigation that Musk is about to launch on Fort Knox has attracted much attention. This not only concerns the truth of the US gold reserves but also may profoundly affect the global financial market, political pattern, and monetary system. We look forward to Musk using his wisdom and courage to lift the mysterious veil of the gold reserves in Fort Knox and bring clear and true answers to the world.

[the-borgias]

Hi, could you please tell me how to do this slanted layout? the-borgias*tumblr*com/post/695485491217334272/one-chicago-appreciation-week-day-one-favorite

Hi, Anon! I'm sorry this took me a few days to answer but I struggled making this tutorial (not because the process itself is difficult but it is difficult to explain it properly.) Anyway, here's the gifset Anon is asking about. I hope this is easy to understand and I also included a .psd file of the layout :)

PSD FILE OF THE GIF ABOVE & TEMPLATE

What you'll need:

Basic Photoshop knowledge (I use Photoshop 2023)

Basic knowledge on how to make layouts (here are a couple of tutorials: x x)

Basic knowledge about layer masks (tutorial)

STEP 1: Make a basic layout

You can do pretty much any layout you want but for the sake of the tutorial I tried to recreate the same template I used in that gifset. I'm assuming you already know how layouts/templates work so I created a 540x540px canvas and went to View > Guides > New guide layout. I used these settings:

And this is how my canvas looked like:

Now I pressed (M) to use the Rectangular Marquee tool and create the rectangles I wanted. This is my end result:

STEP 2: Tilt the layout

This is actually pretty easy. First we're going to select all our layers. I paired mine in groups so they looked like this:

Once we've selected all of them (groups, layers, whatever you're working with) press Ctrl + T. Your canvas should look like this:

And we're going to tilt it by changing the angle to -2.00 in here:

Now our layout is slanted! But as you can see we have transparent spaces we need to fill. I don't know if this is the easier method to do it but I use the Polygonal Lasso tool (L). I'll use the first orange box as an example:

As you can see I use a ridiculously big zoom so I can be as accurate as possible but it's basically impossible to create a perfect box, so this will work. Once we have selected our desired shape we'll use the Brush tool (B) to paint in the layer of our original orange box:

You have to do this with every box so it's a bit tedious but that's the way I did it 🤷‍♀️ This is the end result:

STEP 3: Place the gifs (using Layer Masks)

But now, how do I know which size my gif should be? Our initial measures won't work because our final boxes are bigger so here's what I do. I'll select the Polygonal lasso tool again and make sure I select a little bit more of the box I'm measuring, like this:

It's a little hard to see it but the dots are just a little bit bigger than the orange shape. To be more accurate, my original box was 178x87px and the shape I selected is 174x100px. So I'm going to make a 174x100px gif and place it right above the background, like this:

Now we're going to select the layers of our gif (I'm assuming you're working with a Group because it's easier) and click Ctrl + the orange box. You should see this in your canvas:

And now create a layer mask in your gif group (if you don't know how to do it check out the tutorials I liked at the start of the post.)

Now you can delete the orange box. And, once again, you have to do this with every box and write down the measures (and remember that all your gifs must to have the same number of screencaps!)

I hope y'all don't mind that I didn't create 8 different gifs lmao I was too lazy so I just used a big gif as a background and made 4 small gifs. This my end result:

For the background I merged the remaining boxes and used that to create the layer mask. I'm not going to explain it since I believe it's much easier if you check out the psd file.

And that's pretty much it! It's the same as making a standard layout you just have to be careful with your gif measures. Oh and also see how my gifset shows those white marks between the gifs under a dark background?

Well, that can't be avoided since we aren't working with straight lines (you can see the same effect in the 2nd gif of this set, different layout but also not straight lines) so we'll just ignore them.

I hope this was helpful (I lowkey feel like this tutorial is a mess) and if you have any questions feel free to ask :)

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: parrotfish

Which fish hangs out on a mermaid pirate's shoulder and repeats what she says in a high-pitched voice? The parrotfish, of course. Or at least in fiction they should (certainly will in my D&D world). But even in real life, parrotfish are still pretty interesting.

(Image: a common parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) seen from the side in front of rocks and corals. It is a brightly-colored fish, mainly light blue but with patches and stripes of yellow and pink on the fins. Its mouth is open, revealing what appears to be a beak. End ID)

Parrotfish are fish famous for their mouths and eating habits. There are about 90 species known. While they were historically considered their own taxonomic family, they have since been reclassified a subset of the wrasse family and there is still some debate on how to classify them. Most species are on the smaller size, but a few can get very large. The largest species is the green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) at 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) and 75 kg (165 lbs) while the smallest species is the bluelip parrotfish (Cryptotomus roseus) reaching 13 cm (5 in). I could not find an average weight for the bluelips. What makes parrotfish really stand out visually is their colors and their mouths. Most species are very brightly colored, with distinct markings and males are usually more brightly colored than females. Their mouths are dominated by what appear to be beaks, which gave them their common name. These beaks are actually made of approximately 1,000 teeth arranged in 15 rows. As the teeth wear out, they drop off and are replaced by the row behind them. The teeth are made of fluorapatite, the second hardest biomineral int the world. To support their hardness, the fluorapatite crystals that make up the teeth are woven together in a structure very similar to chainmail, resulting in very hard teeth that measure in at a 5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. For reference, iron is a 4 and higher numbers are harder. The teeth can also handle 530 tons of pressure. You could put the weight of 200 black rhinos on a tooth and it would be fine. The beaks are powerful enough to bite through rock. Which is what they use it for, but more on that below. Another unusual feature of parrotfish is how they sleep. Some species make their own sleeping bags, which would be adorable if they weren't made of mucus. The mucus is produced using glands in the gills and looks like a transparent bubble. The fish sleeps in the mucus cocoon and when it wakes up, it eats the cocoon. There have been several proposed benefits of the cocoon. It contains chemicals that harm skin parasites while also providing a barrier that keeps new parasites from reaching the fish. It also likely blocks the fish's scent, helping it hide from predators.

(Image: a green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) swimming over yellow coral. It is large and mostly a uniform green color, except for the front of its head, which is pink. It has a large, fleshy lump on the top of its head. End ID)

(Image: a close-up of a parrotfish's beak. The top and bottom beaks are divided into two halves, left and right. The beak is bade of small, circular teeth that overlap each other. End ID)

(Image: another common parrotfish seen from the front. It is inside of a mucus cocoon, which appears as a transparent bubble around the fish. Bits of sand dot the cocoon's surface. End ID)

Parrotfish live worldwide, though the majority of species are found in the Indo-Pacific. They live in warm, shallow waters with lots of rocky reefs, especially coral reefs. They use those powerful teeth to eat and what they eat most is algae. There are three main types of feeding behavior: excavating, scraping, and browsing. Excavators bite into rocks to get their food, scrapers crape food off of the surface of the rocks, and browsers go after larger food sources like seagrass and sponges. Some of the larger parrotfish species also make coral a large part of their diet. When they eat, they naturally get rock in their mouths, moreso in excavators. Because their food clings to the rock, spitting the rocks out would deny them food. Instead, parrotfish use pharyngeal teeth set in their throats to grind the rock into sand, which then passes through the digestive tract. When it exists the digestive tract, it is in the form of fine grains of rock. Or to put it another way, parrotfish eat rock and poop sand. A single parrotfish can produce up to 40 kg (88lbs) of sand yearly, and bigger species can produce even more than that. The process of rock being broken down by living things is called bioerosion and parrotfish are one of the most famous sources of bioerosion. The sand they produce can serve as the basis for new growth of coral or other species and helps reinforce nearby islands. In places like Hawai'i, the Caribbean, and the Maldives, it's estimated that up to 80% of the famous white sand is produced by parrotfish and they serve as a major source of incoming earth to support the islands. This makes parrotfish ecosystem engineers. Their eating of algae is also majorly important to their ecosystems. Algae can overgrow and smother delicate ecosystems like coral reefs and seagrass beds and decaying algae draws oxygen out of the water. Parrotfish help the health of their environments by keeping the algae population at healthy levels. Parrotfish also eat seaweeds and sponges that grow much faster than coral and can smother coral reefs. Parrotfish are considered keystone species in many reefs, including the great barrier reef and their population dropping correlates with reduced health of reefs. Damaged reefs tent to have larger parrotfish populations and those populations drop as the reef recovers.

(Image: a group of many parrotfish feeding on coral. They are all the same species and are mostly blue, with yellow heads and stripes on the face. They appear to be biting the the coral. End ID)

Parrotfish are protogynous sequential hermaprodites. This means that all parrotfish are born female and can become male later in life. The transition is usually triggered when there are too many females or not enough males in a location, though in some species any fish that reaches a certain size will become male. Some parrotfish are solitary while others are social. In social species, the social groups consist of a large male and a harem of females that he protects and claims mating rights with. Other males will attempt to fight the male for dominance via headbutting and threat displays and occasionally one of his harem members will become male to challenge him. Males are usually more colorful than females, which they use to woo females, but also puts them at greater risk of predation. If the harem leader dies and is not replaces, one member of the harem will transition to male and replace him. Many species perform courtship dances during nights of the full moon. In non-social species, males will perform displays and fight with each other to attract females. In social species, the dominant male will mate with his harem while smaller males without harems will try to sneakily woo claimed females or sneak in and mate without being noticed. Parrotfish are broadcast spawners. The female releases her eggs into the water and the males releases sperm to fertilize them. The eggs will drift on the current until settling, after which the larvae will hatch. As with most fish species, only a very few of the larvae will reach adulthood.

(Image: a Mediterranean parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense). It is mostly bright red, but with a yellow patch above the tail and a yellow stripe around the eye that runs down to the belly. A large patch behind the eye is blue. End ID)

Thankfully, most parrotfish species are not particularly endangered. The largest threat to them comes from habitat loss as pollution and climate change harms coral reefs. Reintroducing parrotfish to damaged reefs helps them recover. All species are edible, though there is no commercial fishery for them. While parrotfish are capable of delivering powerful bites, there are few reports of humans getting bit. That being said, I found one case where someone had skin on his penis bitten off by a parrotfish. And yes, that link has pictures. Enjoy.

(Image: a blue parrotfish (Scarus coeruleus) looking at the camera. It is a blue fish with darker patches around the eye. Its snout is bulbous and the beak points downward. End ID).

[mindblowingscience]

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have made a discovery that could pave the way for a transformative era in photonic technology. For decades, scientists have theorized the possibility of manipulating the optical properties of light by adding a new dimension—time. This once-elusive concept has now become a reality thanks to nanophotonics experts from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in Edinburgh, Scotland. Published in Nature Photonics , the team's breakthrough emerged from experiments with nanomaterials known as transparent conducting oxides (TCOs)—a special glass capable of changing how light moves through the material at incredible speeds. These compounds are widely found in solar panels and touchscreens and can be shaped as ultra-thin films measuring just 250 nanometers (0.00025 mm), smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Led by Dr. Marcello Ferrera, Associate Professor of Nanophotonics, of the Heriot-Watt research team, supported by colleagues from Purdue University in the US, managed to "sculpt" the way TCOs react by radiating the material with ultra-fast pulses of light. Remarkably, the resulting temporally engineered layer was able to simultaneously control the direction and energy of individual particles of light, known as photons, a functionality which, up until now, had been unachievable.

Continue Reading.

[killerpancakeburger]

One man's penalty is another man's prize

SUMMARY: When agreeing to lend a hand with the organisation of some military tests, you thought it would be limited to marking times and keeping scores. Statistically, there was no way that the... "creative" penalty you came up with would be selected, right?

And the chances for your boyfriend to be the one subjected to it had to be close to zero, right?

PAIRING: Soap x f!Reader (Soaps calls Reader Ma'am twice, that's it)

TAGS: Civilian!Reader, Fat!Reader, Smug!Soap x1000, a bit Possessive!Soap, Established Relationship, flirting, banter, teasing, partial nudity. Making Shit Up for the Plot/military inaccuracies. Suggestive content but nothing graphic.

WORDS COUNT: 2k

A/N: crackfic...? Soap does push-ups fic. Soap wears booty shorts fic. That actually no one One (1) person asked for.

If you need "visual on the target", this piece by @rusticfurnace and this one by @wombywoo have been on my mind. (Hoping its ok to tag, if not, tell me)

For @glitterypirateduck Cod Vacation Mode Challenge, prompt 27.

A drop of sweat falls from your temple and lands onto the stack of papers you were scribbling on. You wipe off your dripping wet forehead with the back of your arm.

The torrid sun is beating down hard on the ground and bodies alike.

This unforgiving heat left you no respite all day long, despite the fact that all you did was sit and take notes. Drenched in sweat, you fan yourself with your notepad. Perspiration keeps accumulating between the rolls of your stomach no matter how many times you dry it off. Today's the base annual testing day, an unofficial gathering meant to measure soldiers’ performance and entertain some friendly competition.

You would almost regret committing to helping today by playing scribes, but the sadistic satisfaction of seeing others toiling away while you twiddle your thumbs is enough to thwart that feeling. That, and Soap's little… display.

Your eyes almost bulged out of your head when you arrived this morning and stumbled upon him stretching his legs, bent over, fingers aiming for his feet, wearing the shortest, thighest shorts you've ever seen. Then he greeted you as if nothing was out of the ordinary. You glanced in interrogation at Gaz and Ghost, who were respectively wearing Bermudas and tracksuits, and were met with a shrug and an eye roll.

To make matters worse, he traded his blue shirt for a sleeveless top that did wonders for his arms and shoulders - as if his tanned biceps weren't already a work of art and a weapon of mass destruction all at once.

You don’t know which incubus possessed him to wear booty shorts, but you definitely aren't complaining.

You spend the day ogling him shamelessly, knowing he was putting on a show for you. He'd sponge down his glistening face with the bottom of his shirt, offering you a tantalizing view of his toned stomach. He'd throw dazzling smiles, teasing winks and blow kisses your way. At some point, he even emptied his water bottle on his head, resulting in his shirt turning transparent and sticking to his skin in an almost obscene way.

His myriad of attentions made you dizzy, in the best of ways. You may have made yourself look like a lovesick fool, with your blissfully happy smiles and your stupid giggles, but except for the people you were close with, no one would dare to nag you about it - lest a certain Scottish sergeant with a big mouth and no fear of confrontation gets all up in their face.

Strong, bronzed hands heavily lean on your desk. Palms are turned towards you, fingers gripping the table's edge.

“M ‘ere fer my penalty.”

The voice is raspy, accent thick, tone charming and teasing at the same time.

You slowly look up from your paper to meet Soap's cerulean eyes; along the way you can’t help but peek at his tanned arms, his bulging biceps, the beads of sweat rolling down his neck, the familiar chin scar in the middle of his dark stubble. His shirt is soaked with sweat.

He's wearing the grin he has every time he lays eyes on you; a blinding, earnest thing. However, even that beguiling smile cannot hide the spark of triumph and playfulness in his gaze.

Johnny's terribly competitive, that's an open secret. It's no surprise that today's tests would fire him up. The perpetual FNG has a title to defend, after all, and with you watching, the stakes are high despite the tests’ results bearing no influence on their file.

But that excitement wasn’t supposed to target you.

“A penalty?” you repeat, unconvinced, twirling your pen between your fingers. “You?”

Doubt infused with sarcasm seeps in your tone, very much on purpose. You raise a skeptical eyebrow, on your guard. 

Your first instinct was to withdraw, prop yourself against the backrest, the distance between the two of you reduced to something too trivial to be proper, but you can’t back off from his implicit challenge. It's a well-crafted game with the two of you as its exclusive players. A dance of provocation and endearment, a mischievous yet comfortable back and forth.

The lack of privacy of it would usually discourage your bashful nature, who avoids confrontation at all costs. But the sergeant has figured out how to appeal to the competitive, driven part of you. So you stand your ground, brazenly, like you're the only two people in the world.

There is no way that Soap earned a penalty, no way that he lost. He's one of the best there is, if not the best - not that his ego needs the boost.

The SAS's youngest prodigue who beat all previous records, his name forever carved into the archives and his legend whispered among impressionable new recruits.

Not to mention that the way he said “my penalty” sounded more like “my prize” than anything else.

“‘ere. Proof.”

He hands out a piece of paper to you, a smug smirk not leaving his lips, one that is not without evoking the satisfied expression of the cat who got the cream. Your fingers brush his as you retrieve the “penalty receipt”, the contact feeling like flames licking your skin.

You take a break from defiantly holding his gaze to glance at the note. Its contents sends an ominous shiver down your spine, your eyes slightly widening in understanding.. and horror.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. The odds were, what, one in hundreds? Amplified by the fact that Soap was the one to get ahold of it, out of all competitors.

You vainly stare at your own scrawl, as if that could make the ink vanish, but reality simply gazes back. 

When asked to participate in making up a penalty, you wrote the silliest thing that came to mind, as a sort of inside joke only yourself would be privy to. Eight innocuous little words that would sign your downfall.

“Do fifty push-ups with me on their back”.

The fifty was an arbitrary pick between twenty that you judged too lenient, and a hundred that would take too long; however, you've thought a bit more about the “me on their back” part. You were heavier than the average soldier's rucksack - significantly so. It had to be a challenge, so you've made it this way.

Yet you never expected to actually end up on someone's back.

How Johnny managed to get his hands on your penalty out of all of them, you'd probably never find out, but you couldn’t deny that the “me” mentioned was you. Indeed, on top of your… recognizable handwriting, the note was adorned with little scribbles you had mindlessly doodled while bored. They were simple but easily identifiable: a foamy bar of soap, a deadpan skull, a jerrycan wearing a cap, and a stack of cash with a hat, or, put differently, the Task Force 141 stylized.

A version of the team that Soap was well-versed with, having witnessed you drawing it countless times.

There was no way out of the corner you were backed into - Soap put you on the spot, the brightest one possible, and that little shit knew it perfectly - did it on purpose.

You sigh exaggeratedly as you get up. You bypass your desk to stand in front of Johnny, not missing the way he looks you up and down. This is the first time he's seeing you in shorts, and despite how self-conscious you are about the girth of your chafing thighs, he makes it obvious how much he's enjoying the view. You cross your arms with an amused smile on your lips.

“You know you’re not supposed to enjoy your penalty, right? Kinda defeats the purpose.”

His smile mirrors yours as he bends over to whisper in your ear, close enough for you to feel his body heat, but not making a move to touch you.

“And ye do know I’d never let any of those eejits sweat and grunt under ye? That's my prerogative.”

Despite the shiver his gravelly voice sent down your spine,you throw your head back in laughter.

“Ooh so that's what this is! You're jealous.”

He remains unfazed by the accusation.

“Call it what ye want.”

“You do know I'm heavier than your rucksack, right? Much heavier? You’re going to hurt yourself.”

His eyes glint with hunger for challenge.

“Don't knock it til you've tried it.”

“Fine. Drop and give me twenty, pretty boy.”

His grin becomes blinding. He reaches behind to grab the back of his shirt and rips it off like it burned him. 

You gape despite yourself in front of his glistening chest, all tanned skin, white scars, hard stomach and soft pecs, and he gently lifts your chin up with his index finger to close your mouth, an extremely smug smirk adorning his lips.

“Yes, Ma'am. Right away, Ma'am.”

From a stranger's perspective, his reply drips with an insolence that matches the cockiness he exhibited all day. But you know better; you can hear the underlying docility in his tone, the one he expresses when you two are intimate.

He keeps his eyes on yours as he kneels, the display way too lascivious for how public it is. You bite your lips, frowning your eyebrows in warning, but say nothing as he obeys and performs the twenty push-ups asked - on one arm. It is good that the position prevents him from staring at you, because you reckon otherwise he'd be giving you the slyest grin.

More than the impressive show of strength; more than the way his skin glows with sweat; more than the flaunting of his imposing muscles; the knowledge that he's undertaking it all for you is what tightens the band of arousal in your stomach, along with multiplying the bubbles of happiness and affection in your chest.

“Gonna take a seat, bonnie?”

He's forced to heckle you since you were so caught up in your staring that you forgot that the next part of the penalty required your participation.

And of course, he chose the cheekiest way to do so. The question, innocent at first glance, sent you back into the bedroom. The last time he asked you that was right before you sat on his face. And the time before that was when you rid him.

You oblige yourself to focus on the here and now, and carefully straddle Soap's back.

“Are you sure you can- Woh.”

He interrupts you by suddenly lowering and rising his body, obliging you to grab his shoulders to keep your balance, but easily demonstrating that the added weight has very little impact on his performance. 

“Alright, alright, you convinced me,” you yield. “That's only one out of fifty, though.”

“And yet ye dare doubt me again,” he grumbles under his breath, initiating a steadfast pace.

It is a shame that your current position prevents you from watching his face, but you concentrate on other things instead. Never before did you have the opportunity to revel in the glorious vision that was his powerful back.

You tease him by periodically clenching your thighs without warning, squeezing the meat of his shoulders or ruffling the back of his drenched mohawk.

You let out an impressed whistle when he reaches fifty, before scrambling to liberate him. He pretends needing your help to stand up, and you give him your hands without hesitation. Once he's up, you affectionately shove his shirt into his naked torso, an implicit command to make himself proper.

Following his dressing, you two stare into each others' eyes, hands in hands, like lovebirds until his stomach roars like thunder. 

You giggle; he sighs exaggeratedly, suddenly bowed down by an invisible weight, like he wasn’t overflowing with energy a minute ago.

“M starvin’. Tae death.”

“Wouldn’t have guessed.”

He starts walking towards the canteen's building, after a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows and his eyes motionning between you and the coveted reserve of food in a silent but strong proposition. You purposely let him take the lead so you can sneak behind him and grab a generous handful of his ass.

He turns his head towards you with mock outrage on his face, a hand pressed on chest, quickly replaced by appreciation.

“Been itching to do that all day,” you confess with an impish smile.

Walking side by side, you start happily humming, and just as you let your hand drop, he seizes it and puts it back on his buttock.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The moral injury of having your work enshittified

This Monday (November 27), I'm appearing at the Toronto Metro Reference Library with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

On November 29, I'm at NYC's Strand Books with my novel The Lost Cause, a solarpunk tale of hope and danger that Rebecca Solnit called "completely delightful."

This week, I wrote about how the Great Enshittening – in which all the digital services we rely on become unusable, extractive piles of shit – did not result from the decay of the morals of tech company leadership, but rather, from the collapse of the forces that discipline corporate wrongdoing:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

The failure to enforce competition law allowed a few companies to buy out their rivals, or sell goods below cost until their rivals collapsed, or bribe key parts of their supply chain not to allow rivals to participate:

https://www.engadget.com/google-reportedly-pays-apple-36-percent-of-ad-search-revenues-from-safari-191730783.html

The resulting concentration of the tech sector meant that the surviving firms were stupendously wealthy, and cozy enough that they could agree on a common legislative agenda. That regulatory capture has allowed tech companies to violate labor, privacy and consumer protection laws by arguing that the law doesn't apply when you use an app to violate it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But the regulatory capture isn't just about preventing regulation: it's also about creating regulation – laws that make it illegal to reverse-engineer, scrape, and otherwise mod, hack or reconfigure existing services to claw back value that has been taken away from users and business customers. This gives rise to Jay Freeman's perfectly named doctrine of "felony contempt of business-model," in which it is illegal to use your own property in ways that anger the shareholders of the company that sold it to you:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Undisciplined by the threat of competition, regulation, or unilateral modification by users, companies are free to enshittify their products. But what does that actually look like? I say that enshittification is always precipitated by a lost argument.

It starts when someone around a board-room table proposes doing something that's bad for users but good for the company. If the company faces the discipline of competition, regulation or self-help measures, then the workers who are disgusted by this course of action can say, "I think doing this would be gross, and what's more, it's going to make the company poorer," and so they win the argument.

But when you take away that discipline, the argument gets reduced to, "Don't do this because it would make me ashamed to work here, even though it will make the company richer." Money talks, bullshit walks. Let the enshittification begin!

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/22/who-wins-the-argument/#corporations-are-people-my-friend

But why do workers care at all? That's where phrases like "don't be evil" come into the picture. Until very recently, tech workers participated in one of history's tightest labor markets, in which multiple companies with gigantic war-chests bid on their labor. Even low-level employees routinely fielded calls from recruiters who dangled offers of higher salaries and larger stock grants if they would jump ship for a company's rival.

Employers built "campuses" filled with lavish perks: massages, sports facilities, daycare, gourmet cafeterias. They offered workers generous benefit packages, including exotic health benefits like having your eggs frozen so you could delay fertility while offsetting the risks normally associated with conceiving at a later age.

But all of this was a transparent ruse: the business-case for free meals, gyms, dry-cleaning, catering and massages was to keep workers at their laptops for 10, 12, or even 16 hours per day. That egg-freezing perk wasn't about helping workers plan their families: it was about thumbing the scales in favor of working through your entire twenties and thirties without taking any parental leave.

In other words, tech employers valued their employees as a means to an end: they wanted to get the best geeks on the payroll and then work them like government mules. The perks and pay weren't the result of comradeship between management and labor: they were the result of the discipline of competition for labor.

This wasn't really a secret, of course. Big Tech workers are split into two camps: blue badges (salaried employees) and green badges (contractors). Whenever there is a slack labor market for a specific job or skill, it is converted from a blue badge job to a green badge job. Green badges don't get the food or the massages or the kombucha. They don't get stock or daycare. They don't get to freeze their eggs. They also work long hours, but they are incentivized by the fear of poverty.

Tech giants went to great lengths to shield blue badges from green badges – at some Google campuses, these workforces actually used different entrances and worked in different facilities or on different floors. Sometimes, green badge working hours would be staggered so that the armies of ragged clickworkers would not be lined up to badge in when their social betters swanned off the luxury bus and into their airy adult kindergartens.

But Big Tech worked hard to convince those blue badges that they were truly valued. Companies hosted regular town halls where employees could ask impertinent questions of their CEOs. They maintained freewheeling internal social media sites where techies could rail against corporate foolishness and make Dilbert references.

And they came up with mottoes.

Apple told its employees it was a sound environmental steward that cared about privacy. Apple also deliberately turned old devices into e-waste by shredding them to ensure that they wouldn't be repaired and compete with new devices:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

And even as they were blocking Facebook's surveillance tools, they quietly built their own nonconsensual mass surveillance program and lied to customers about it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Facebook told employees they were on a "mission to connect every person in the world," but instead deliberately sowed discontent among its users and trapped them in silos that meant that anyone who left Facebook lost all their friends:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

And Google promised its employees that they would not "be evil" if they worked at Google. For many googlers, that mattered. They wanted to do something good with their lives, and they had a choice about who they would work for. What's more, they did make things that were good. At their high points, Google Maps, Google Mail, and of course, Google Search were incredible.

My own life was totally transformed by Maps: I have very poor spatial sense, need to actually stop and think to tell my right from my left, and I spent more of my life at least a little lost and often very lost. Google Maps is the cognitive prosthesis I needed to become someone who can go anywhere. I'm profoundly grateful to the people who built that service.

There's a name for phenomenon in which you care so much about your job that you endure poor conditions and abuse: it's called "vocational awe," as coined by Fobazi Ettarh:

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

Ettarh uses the term to apply to traditionally low-waged workers like librarians, teachers and nurses. In our book Chokepoint Capitalism, Rebecca Giblin and I talked about how it applies to artists and other creative workers, too:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

But vocational awe is also omnipresent in tech. The grandiose claims to be on a mission to make the world a better place are not just puffery – they're a vital means of motivating workers who can easily quit their jobs and find a new one to put in 16-hour days. The massages and kombucha and egg-freezing are not framed as perks, but as logistical supports, provided so that techies on an important mission can pursue a shared social goal without being distracted by their balky, inconvenient meatsuits.

Steve Jobs was a master of instilling vocational awe. He was full of aphorisms like "we're here to make a dent in the universe, otherwise why even be here?" Or his infamous line to John Sculley, whom he lured away from Pepsi: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?"

Vocational awe cuts both ways. If your workforce actually believes in all that high-minded stuff, if they actually sacrifice their health, family lives and self-care to further the mission, they will defend it. That brings me back to enshittification, and the argument: "If we do this bad thing to the product I work on, it will make me hate myself."

The decline in market discipline for large tech companies has been accompanied by a decline in labor discipline, as the market for technical work grew less and less competitive. Since the dotcom collapse, the ability of tech giants to starve new entrants of market oxygen has shrunk techies' dreams.

Tech workers once dreamed of working for a big, unwieldy firm for a few years before setting out on their own to topple it with a startup. Then, the dream shrank: work for that big, clumsy firm for a few years, then do a fake startup that makes a fake product that is acquihired by your old employer, as an incredibly inefficient and roundabout way to get a raise and a bonus.

Then the dream shrank again: work for a big, ugly firm for life, but get those perks, the massages and the kombucha and the stock options and the gourmet cafeteria and the egg-freezing. Then it shrank again: work for Google for a while, but then get laid off along with 12,000 co-workers, just months after the company does a stock buyback that would cover all those salaries for the next 27 years:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

Tech workers' power was fundamentally individual. In a tight labor market, tech workers could personally stand up to their bosses. They got "workplace democracy" by mouthing off at town hall meetings. They didn't have a union, and they thought they didn't need one. Of course, they did need one, because there were limits to individual power, even for the most in-demand workers, especially when it came to ghastly, long-running sexual abuse from high-ranking executives:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html

Today, atomized tech workers who are ordered to enshittify the products they take pride in are losing the argument. Workers who put in long hours, missed funerals and school plays and little league games and anniversaries and family vacations are being ordered to flush that sacrifice down the toilet to grind out a few basis points towards a KPI.

It's a form of moral injury, and it's palpable in the first-person accounts of former workers who've exited these large firms or the entire field. The viral "Reflecting on 18 years at Google," written by Ian Hixie, vibrates with it:

https://ln.hixie.ch/?start=1700627373

Hixie describes the sense of mission he brought to his job, the workplace democracy he experienced as employees' views were both solicited and heeded. He describes the positive contributions he was able to make to a commons of technical standards that rippled out beyond Google – and then, he says, "Google's culture eroded":

Decisions went from being made for the benefit of users, to the benefit of Google, to the benefit of whoever was making the decision.

In other words, techies started losing the argument. Layoffs weakened worker power – not just to defend their own interest, but to defend the users interests. Worker power is always about more than workers – think of how the 2019 LA teachers' strike won greenspace for every school, a ban on immigration sweeps of students' parents at the school gates and other community benefits:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Hixie attributes the changes to a change in leadership, but I respectfully disagree. Hixie points to the original shareholder letter from the Google founders, in which they informed investors contemplating their IPO that they were retaining a controlling interest in the company's governance so that they could ignore their shareholders' priorities in favor of a vision of Google as a positive force in the world:

https://abc.xyz/investor/founders-letters/ipo-letter/

Hixie says that the leadership that succeeded the founders lost sight of this vision – but the whole point of that letter is that the founders never fully ceded control to subsequent executive teams. Yes, those executive teams were accountable to the shareholders, but the largest block of voting shares were retained by the founders.

I don't think the enshittification of Google was due to a change in leadership – I think it was due to a change in discipline, the discipline imposed by competition, regulation and the threat of self-help measures. Take ads: when Google had to contend with one-click adblocker installation, it had to constantly balance the risk of making users so fed up that they googled "how do I block ads?" and then never saw another ad ever again.

But once Google seized the majority of the mobile market, it was able to funnel users into apps, and reverse-engineering an app is a felony (felony contempt of business-model) under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a crime to install an ad-blocker.

And as Google acquired control over the browser market, it was likewise able to reduce the self-help measures available to browser users who found ads sufficiently obnoxious to trigger googling "how do I block ads?" The apotheosis of this is the yearslong campaign to block adblockers in Chrome, which the company has sworn it will finally do this coming June:

https://www.tumblr.com/tevruden/734352367416410112/you-have-until-june-to-dump-chrome

My contention here is not that Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in personnel via the promotion of managers who have shitty ideas. Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in discipline, as the negative consequences of heeding those shitty ideas were abolished thanks to monopoly.

This is bad news for people like me, who rely on services like Google Maps as cognitive prostheses. Elizabeth Laraki, one of the original Google Maps designers, has published a scorching critique of the latest GMaps design:

https://twitter.com/elizlaraki/status/1727351922254852182

Laraki calls out numerous enshittificatory design-choices that have left Maps screens covered in "crud" – multiple revenue-maximizing elements that come at the expense of usability, shifting value from users to Google.

What Laraki doesn't say is that these UI elements are auctioned off to merchants, which means that the business that gives Google the most money gets the greatest prominence in Maps, even if it's not the best merchant. That's a recurring motif in enshittified tech platforms, most notoriously Amazon, which makes $31b/year auctioning off top search placement to companies whose products aren't relevant enough to your query to command that position on their own:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

Enshittification begets enshittification. To succeed on Amazon, you must divert funds from product quality to auction placement, which means that the top results are the worst products:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

The exception is searches for Apple products: Apple and Amazon have a cozy arrangement that means that searches for Apple products are a timewarp back to the pre-enshittification Amazon, when the company worried enough about losing your business to heed the employees who objected to sacrificing search quality as part of a merchant extortion racket:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-apple-special-treatment-while-others-suffer-junk-ads-2023-11

Not every tech worker is a tech bro, in other words. Many workers care deeply about making your life better. But the microeconomics of the boardroom in a monopolized tech sector rewards the worst people and continuously promotes them. Forget the Peter Principle: tech is ruled by the Sam Principle.

As OpenAI went through four CEOs in a single week, lots of commentators remarked on Sam Altman's rise and fall and rise, but I only found one commentator who really had Altman's number. Writing in Today in Tabs, Rusty Foster nailed Altman to the wall:

https://www.todayintabs.com/p/defective-accelerationism

Altman's history goes like this: first, he founded a useless startup that raised $30m, only to be acquired and shuttered. Then Altman got a job running Y Combinator, where he somehow failed at taking huge tranches of equity from "every Stanford dropout with an idea for software to replace something Mommy used to do." After that, he founded OpenAI, a company that he claims to believe presents an existential risk to the entire human risk – which he structured so incompetently that he was then forced out of it.

His reward for this string of farcical, mounting failures? He was put back in charge of the company he mis-structured despite his claimed belief that it will destroy the human race if not properly managed.

Altman's been around for a long time. He founded his startup in 2005. There've always been Sams – of both the Bankman-Fried varietal and the Altman genus – in tech. But they didn't get to run amok. They were disciplined by their competitors, regulators, users and workers. The collapse of competition led to an across-the-board collapse in all of those forms of discipline, revealing the executives for the mediocre sociopaths they always were, and exposing tech workers' vocational awe for the shabby trick it was from the start.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/25/moral-injury/#enshittification

[ripplestitchskein]

Obliviousness as a protective measure being used in two separate and distinct ways to drive a relationship conflict is so fun tho?

Blitz is oblivious to himself. He does things instinctually and then has to either backtrack and play it off when he’s called out on it or he doesn’t recognize it at all. “I spent the entire morning listening to love ballads” doesn’t EVEN REGISTER. He just does things and doesn’t connect them to his emotional state at all and when people force him to actually look at it he forces the willful ignorance into being, he reacts in anger, in vitriol, in making excuses or flirting to keep that facade of “I don’t know about this. I don’t feel this way.” This is driven by being raised in an environment where he repeatedly went with his emotions and acted like himself and was shut down every time, by his dad, by audiences, by horrible tragedies.

Meanwhile Stolas is really self aware about his own feelings when he understands them, and expresses them very blatantly. He communicates them so well. He is withholding in neither affection or emotion and he’s extremely transparent. But he’s oblivious to everyone else. He doesn’t pick up on their issues in relation to his behavior. He doesn’t see how he affects people. And that’s really the result of being raised in isolation. He never had to consider his actions affecting others, there were never any others around and when they were they very much did not want to be there either because they were employees or hated him and all attempts to connect are either rebuffed or obligatory.

And now Stolas is the catalyst for Blitz becoming a bit more self aware and Blitz is the catalyst for Stolas to be a bit less self involved and it’s just really awesome, okay?

[lilacxquartz]

— ALL EYES ON YOU —

prison realm (cursed spirit form) x gn!reader

plot: tasked with retrieving the prison realm nothing could have prepared you for what it truly was — themes: body horror, psychological horror, yandere, dark, gender neutral insert, morally grey reader — masterlist • ao3 • part 1 of 3 • part 2 >

a/n: short little series for an imagine, had this idea going for a while. it’s very niche, but essentially the prison realm is personified and is eerily attached to the reader. heavy on canon divergence. we work for the brain in this one, so platonic interactions only.

Chapter 1. Retrieval

The dull hum of the fluorescent lamp hanging just above was harsh and relentless, fully preventing you from zoning out of your boss’s monotonous drawl. Their study was sterile, basking you both in a pale clinical blue glow as they sat right across you with their nose buried in a book, barely taking the time to address you directly. You were too used to it by now though, finding their quirks to be almost expected of someone who had lived through a hundred lifetimes.

Their voice, ever silken and perhaps a touch venomous, continued to just barely regard you, “I’ll trust that you’ll find it then, won’t you?”

Your assignment was to locate the prison realm and then to bring it back; a simple retrieval mission on paper, but you knew it was far from easy.

You held your tongue between your teeth, biting back the sass you wanted to let slip. This mission wasn’t a request—it wasn’t something that you could just decline, otherwise they wouldn’t invite you into their personal study—this was a task. A command. Your will was incidental to the outcome no matter any protests you may have had.

Releasing a measured breath, you let a smile loose. “Of course.”

Kenjaku’s gaze then drifted from the pages and up to you, their eyes lingering for just long enough to make you feel slightly uncomfortable, smiling for a brief moment before then closing the book. “I’m glad,” they praised, genuinely thankful for a competent assistant in this era. Such things varied by the decades, after all. They then turned away, dismissing you with the flick of their hand, their attention snatched away by whatever thought crept into their focus, brushing you away all the same with the same indifference they applied for everything else.

You were just the cog in their machine, so as long as you worked, that’s all it was.

It wasn’t something you particularly minded though, finding their arrogance easy to deal with, at least most of the time. You didn’t have the luxury of complaining all too much, especially given your misaligned path in jujutsu society.

For the most part, your boss was transparent—it would all be for a reason, and truth be told, you were just as curious about the merger as they were.

~~~

Their instructions on how to retrieve such an object had landed you deep into Tengen’s territory. Getting to such a place was surely an experience though; the long and winding labyrinth to such a place already slightly exhausting you. No matter, you would slip in and out—nobody would even notice that you were ever there—nor that something vital was ever gone. Not right away, at least.

The barrier around the vicinity pulsed with the thrumming aura of something real—perhaps even living. The sensation left you feeling on edge as a result, finding that the air felt thicker here—almost tight and oppressive—vibrating with an energy that churned against the laws of reality.

Although, it didn’t matter in the end.

Such obstacles were just that—obstacles—you have dealt with worse before.

Taking a deep breath, you reached forward, extending your pointed fingers as though an invisible web orchestrated by your very own hands; lacing the digits through the tension that hung heavy in the air.

This was what you were good for.

Your cursed technique was a subtle, almost insidious little thing that could be seldom detected. Perhaps your only weakness—like for many—would be the six eyes user, but he wasn’t here, and by some luck, would be soon sealed come October. The world otherwise for now sat dormant right at your touch like an empty canvas, even if partially filled out, bare and begging for the finer details to be painted in. You merely adjusted the application of the strokes, altering your intentions with those around you—pushing past their wariness, their skepticism, their guarded judgment—you overwrote it all, demanding your rightful place.

I belong here, you thought, repeating it in your mind again and again like a swirling mantra. Tengen was tricky to deal with, especially now, years after their failed assimilation of the star plasma vessel which made them even more paranoid, but again, this all didn’t matter. You belonged here whether they accounted for it or not.

Just as was predicted, the barrier eventually gave way and without resistance, too. Tengen wasn’t even aware, so you technically weren’t even an intruder; you weren’t even significant enough to be sensed. For better or for worse, you weren’t even worth noticing.

Just as it should be, though. That was your plan from the very start.

The corridors you were then let into were just as winding and frustrating to navigate, but you pressed on all the same. The interior shifted as you moved through the passageways as if the area was alive—like you were just blood coursing through its veins—traveling through a host like an undetected parasite.

Finding the prison realm wasn’t too difficult of a task, at least. Not when you were so easily let in—like you belonged—like this was all predetermined from the moment you set foot here. Pushing forward, you continued to follow along the faint pull of cursed energy that called out to you like a siren in the deep waters, although, just as you walked, something started to feel off.

It was subtle at first. A faint pressure that squeezed around your skull like blanketing static; hushed whispers that spat warnings into your ears in a language that you didn’t understand. You told yourself at first that this was fine—that it must have been the residue aura of the barrier you had set up before—but no, this wasn’t you, nor was this Tengen. This was the consequence of something deeper. Kenjaku informed you what the prison realm was beforehand, so you were already aware that some unease might have been felt when you got closer to it, but this was different. It was something else.

The walls around you seemed to breathe as you descended deeper, the surfaces rippling through, inhaling—exhaling, pulling the air clean from your lungs. The shadows that clung around the jagged edges of pointed corners and objects alike started to melt away, pooling to mask something otherwise hidden in plain sight—but what?

You tried to convince yourself that this was a countermeasure, that something was messing with you, that this was all in your head. Tengen must have been craftier than you had thought, this must have been a backup they were actively instilling, but even then…

Something settled.

You gulped as your eyes landed on it.

The cube was found at last.

It was just as Kenjaku had described it, too.

It sat on top of a polished altar of obsidian, the sleek finish of the stone reflecting the light in a warm sheen. The hum of the cursed energy thrummed just like before, with all hints of something alive within this labyrinth seeming to isolate into this very room. The vibrations increased and then, almost as if in warning, the pressure in your ears began to hurt, the ache burrowing deep into your bones.

You expected this, though.

Their words prepared you.

(And yet, something felt wrong.)

You pushed back your unease, approaching the cube with a hesitant hand. The breathing increased, shifting from a mere hum to an almost wet, guttural purr. It was an organic sound that churned around in your stomach. Something else changed again. The sound of something stretching—contorting even—like tearing fabric. The smell, too, hit almost raw and bleeding—the unpleasant aroma of rancid butchered meat filling your nostrils.

The air around continued to feel metallic and coppery, yet somehow almost sicky sweet. Where on earth had that wretched fossil sent you off to this time? You paused in your monologuing scolding, becoming irrational with the deep sense of dread that flooded your mind. Fear wasn’t something you were too familiar with given your skillset because you were usually calm no matter the outcome, and yet, you felt like a stranger within the presence of something unfamiliar here.

As if for once, you didn’t belong.

You still took a step closer, though.

Your technique flickered from the very second you did as if waning from the proximity. Kenjaku did reveal to you that this particular cursed object was capable of draining cursed energy, but only for those trapped within it, so the situation you found yourself in, had left you feeling otherwise hesitant. You tried to brute force your technique a second time, trying to override the unsettling sensation of feeling out of place, and for a split second, the perception shifted again, but you weren’t sure if it was a good thing or not.

The hostility faded, but something else remained.

Regardless, you pressed on and snatched the cube, barely stumbling out of the base, clutching the object and keeping it pressed up against your heart. The humming persisted as if following you out of the area, like a gnawing ache.

You hated this thing, keen to blame it for you feeling this way. It was as if you left behind a reflection of yourself in this dreadful place, leaving the chamber feeling emptier than before. Whatever this was, or whatever had happened within the confines of that room, threatened the sanctity of your peace of mind, throwing you off just far enough that you left feeling more doubtful than before.

You felt watched as you carried this thing.

You felt unwelcome again.

And then finally, something within the cube shifted again, trembling with such force that you were forced to drop it from your hands. It jittered around the ground with spasming movements as the walls of the vicinity jerked around into organic spikes with an almost magnetic repulse—eerily organic—like piercing ink. You watched on, unsure of what you were witnessing, as impossible limbs started to snake out of the writhing mass, fleshing out to resemble something more human but also, not quite.

A cursed spirit, perhaps? But wait. That shouldn’t even be possible to begin with. Not with something that started as a cursed object.

The once clean sharp edges of the cube had at last dissolved and a body formed. You backed away on instinct, watching as it unfurled into life, slowly standing up to reveal its gaunt, skeletal form. Muscle slowly filled it out, bleeding into its frame while skin gradually enveloped it, ashen and grey. With a start, dozens of eyes blinked open around its body, all pointing at you. Your heart drummed in your chest all the while as you lost your breath, genuine, real fear gripping you as you watched the once static object morph into something impossible.

As it breathed, the whispering static from before filled your hearing again. A moment of realisation clicked for you at that. Perhaps Tengen was never trying to meddle at all, maybe it was this… thing… jamming the signal all along.

You paused as you looked back at it, not quite liking how it seemed to be watching you.

As if studying you.

In an attempt to distance yourself once more, the prison realm tilted its head curiously, the slow and crooked movements unsettling you even further, especially as its joints creaked when it tried to move.

“Uh,” you barely managed to croak out before continuing, hoping that it would understand you, feeling a bit ridiculous as you spoke, “I—someone has a job for you, I mean no harm—”

It didn’t seem to respond, but as you backed away, it followed you.

Its eyes shifted around, some blinking, some weeping, but ultimately all focusing right on you.

If it was following you without protest though, then you supposed that you could potentially just lead back this thing towards the base of operations, since there was not a single chance in hell that you were going to make contact with this thing again. Especially not after that feeling you experienced from being just a little too close to it. God, you hated this whole thing. You were afraid. You were so fucking afraid, but that arrogant fossil’s voice played in the back of your mind, reminding you that this was a job that you had to complete, otherwise, your return wouldn’t be taken too kindly.

“You’ll bring it, won’t you?”

Letting out a shaky breath, you cursed at them mentally. The world around you felt smaller now as you slowly returned to your senses, thinking that perhaps it was doing something weird to your mind, or maybe not—no matter either way—you needed to focus.

Slowly, you coaxed it out, seeming unnerved by its distant focus, not quite liking how it continued to stare at you. The way that it followed you seemed so genuine too, as if interested in you, but in a way that felt completely wrong. Your cursed energy faltered whenever it got too close though, so you kept having to maintain a good distance away from it, not wanting to find out what would happen should you let down your guard completely.

Once again, you forced your technique to come out, begging for it to see you as someone neutral, and hopefully unimposing enough that it no longer saw you as a threat, pressing it out again and again, in radiating waves of sheer will, until finally, something shifted again.

The atmosphere changed and it seemed to still its approach, suddenly no longer trying to close the gap with you completely, seeming instead almost content to retain a good distance away. For a brief moment from that point on, you found relief, but then as if on queue, something changed yet again.

The hum of its cursed energy intensified with a start, the oppressive aura around it seeming almost inviting—alluring even—its towering form shrugging into something casual instead and far less intimidating. The eyes that surrounded it all blinked shut, save for the two on its face, smoothing its appearance to look more human.

“You’re friendly, right?” you asked it, nervously laughing to comfort yourself.

It didn’t speak, though. Of course it didn’t.

The weight of its newfound focus left something else in its wake though, something that you didn’t want to even begin to understand.

You would get this thing back to Kenjaku as soon as you could, that much was your number one priority right now. That and getting away from it as soon as you could.

Before it got too close to you.

Before it did potentially what it was designed to do.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Kenya can have democracy or neocolonial extraction, but not both – because democracy means addressing the demands of the Kenyan people for jobs, healthcare, education, housing, transportation and basic social protections under a fair and equitable fiscal regime, while colonial extraction means the destruction of economic and monetary sovereignty, austerity for the poor, extravagant lifestyles for the elites, corruption, injustice and socioeconomic exclusion under a fiscal regime that accelerates the engines of economic entrapment. One cannot democratize a system that hasn’t been structurally and economically decolonized yet. Despite Kenya’s democratic institutions, transparent elections, independent judiciary, freedom of speech and vibrant civil society spaces, its elected governments systematically undermine the social and economic demands of Kenya’s population – less because those governments wish to ignore the mandate given to them by the electorate, but because they face financial pressures from abroad that force them to prioritize external debt service and the financial needs of creditors and foreign investors. In 2019, Kenya used 19% of its export revenues to service external debt; today that number has jumped up to nearly 50%. When a country uses half of its export revenues to pay interest on its external debt instead of investing in the basic pillars of development and prosperity, it is not surprising to see the kind of revolt that we have seen in Nairobi against the 2024 finance bill. This makes Kenya a classic case of an economy steered from abroad, by colonial design rather than by accident. The fact that Kenya is in a debt trap after decades of following IMF policy prescriptions means that either the IMF is incompetent or it is engaging in intentional economic entrapment. I believe it’s the latter. It is time to end the entrapment and to decolonize the Kenyan economy.

10 July 2024

[ltash]

The Bodyguard pt-1

Part 2 & 3 link in the end.

SimonGhostRileyxfemalereader

The boardroom was sleek, modern, and imposing, with dark wood panelling and a sprawling glass table. Sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting sharp shadows across the faces of the people who had slowly filed in, each flashing rehearsed smiles in your direction. You leaned back in your chair, absentmindedly chewing on the end of a sleek silver pen, your eyes sharp, taking in every movement, every fake expression.

Five guards stood silently behind you, their presence a subtle but unmistakable reminder of your authority. You were untouchable here, or at least, that's what you needed them to believe. As the CEO and heiress of Aventis Pharmaceuticals, a company built on generational influence, you knew there were black sheep lurking within your empire. You could feel it in the way certain board members avoided your gaze, shifting uncomfortably under your silent scrutiny.

"Let's get started," you said, your voice calm but unyielding as you set the pen down, giving each person a measured look. "I need the details on the latest antinarcotic project we're working on."

There was a pause before the head of R&D, Dr. Marcus Lewin cleared his throat. He looked pale, though you couldn't tell if it was the lighting or nerves. "Ah... of course, Miss Aventis," he began, shuffling some papers before him. "We're in the third phase of clinical trials now. The formula has shown promising results, minimal side effects, with a faster recovery rate compared to the last version."

You raised an eyebrow, watching him squirm slightly. "Minimal side effects?" you repeated. "We're aiming for a groundbreaking product, Dr. Lewin. I expect 'minimal' to be an understatement."

"Yes, of course," he stammered, nodding vigorously. "I, uh, apologize. We're working on further improvements. There's also some data regarding efficacy rates in the latest testing group. I can forward the specifics to you."

You leaned forward slightly, your gaze hardening. "Forward them to me? Dr. Lewin, I'd prefer a comprehensive update now from you. Or are there... issues you'd rather not discuss here?"

A few other board members shifted uncomfortably, casting sidelong glances at one another. But Dr. Lewin managed a stiff smile. "No issues, Miss Aventis. We've been gathering the results carefully. We're confident we can meet the expected deadline and provide a full report for you to review."

You nodded slowly, letting the silence stretch. "Good. I expect nothing less. And, just to be clear," you said, glancing around the table at the assembled members, "I don't tolerate surprises. If there are any... discrepancies, now is the time to disclose them. Otherwise, I expect total transparency."

A hush fell over the room.

Your gaze shifted to Martin Hayes, the company's CFO, a man known for his sharp financial acumen and, at times, slippery ethics. He sat across the table, his fingers tapping nervously against his folder. He offered a tight, polite smile as he looked up to meet your eyes.

"And about our deal with that company?" you asked, your voice cool, with just a hint of impatience.

Martin cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "Yes, of course, Miss Aventis. The partnership with Arcadia Biotech is progressing as planned. We've secured favourable terms for both manufacturing and distribution, ensuring a significant reduction in costs while increasing production capabilities."

You tilted your head, studying him. "And Arcadia is still unaware of our... competitive projects?"

He hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, but you didn't miss it. "They're completely in the dark," he assured quickly. "We've kept all sensitive projects under strict confidentiality clauses. As far as Arcadia is concerned, they're our exclusive partners in the development and distribution of the existing narcotic treatments."

You tapped your fingers against the table. "Good. I'd like a written assurance from you that our proprietary research won't leak. If Arcadia or any other competitor even hints at knowing about our new product, I'll know who to turn to, won't I, Martin?"

The colour drained slightly from his face. "Absolutely, Miss Aventis. You have my word; I'll have our legal team draft an ironclad document."

"See that you do." You leaned back, giving him a faint smile as if to relieve the tension just slightly. "And remember, gentlemen and ladies," you added, letting your gaze roam around the table, "we're here to lead the industry-not to compete in petty games. I expect only the highest standards of loyalty and discretion."

A murmur of agreement filled the room, the board members nodding.

You leaned forward, placing both hands on the table, and fixed each board member with a piercing stare. The boardroom fell silent, the tension thick in the air.

"Also, remember this," you said, your voice low but unwavering. "I am more than capable of running my father's company. Each of you is here because you're shareholders, yes, but let's not mistake that for immunity."

A flicker of uncertainty crossed a few faces, and you didn't miss a beat.

"If I find out that anyone here has tampered with our formulas, compromised our products, or made any attempt to sabotage the reputation of Aventis Pharma..." You let the threat hang in the air for a moment, letting them feel the weight of your words. "Then you'll all be sinking with me. I won't hesitate to bring down every last one of you along with this company if it comes to that."

Martin Hayes shifted uncomfortably, his collar suddenly seeming a little too tight. Dr. Lewin was looking down at his notes, his jaw clenched, while a few others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Now," you continued, sitting back but keeping your gaze sharp, "let's ensure that it never comes to that. We are all on the same side, or we should be. Our success is your success. I expect complete loyalty to the vision my father built and entrusted me to lead."

You let the silence settle, watching them absorb your message. Finally, you smiled, but it was a smile of steel. "Any questions?"

No one spoke up, and you nodded in satisfaction. The boardroom felt smaller, suddenly less crowded with ambition and more attuned to your authority.

The boardroom cleared, and with a curt nod, you dismissed the meeting. Rising from your seat, you walked out with purposeful strides, your five bodyguards falling in line behind you, each scanning the area, their presence, an unspoken wall of security. You exited the building and moved toward the parking lot, where the air was still and quiet, almost eerily so.

Your eyes drifted to a Hummer parked discreetly in the far corner. It felt out of place, like a shadow that didn't belong. You slipped into your sleek sports car, the engine purring to life, but an uneasy feeling gnawed at you. Suddenly, figures emerged from the darkness, men with sharp eyes and cold expressions, each one wielding M14 rifles. Diego Garcia's assassins. The Hummer door stayed shut, but you caught a glimpse of Garcia himself watching from within, his gaze locked on you.

Before you could react, a hail of bullets erupted. Your heart thundered as your bodyguards sprang into action, returning fire, but the assassins moved with ruthless precision. In moments, one by one, your guards went down, each man fighting until his last breath but hopelessly outnumbered. You watched in horror, paralyzed as they fell, each life extinguished in seconds. You barely registered your own scream, choked by terror and fury, as the sounds of gunfire faded, leaving only silence and blood.

Your hands fumbled, trying to unlock the doors, but they were stuck, trapping you in the vehicle like a helpless bystander in a nightmare. You felt your pulse race as the shadows closed in, and then Diego was there, standing right outside your window, his face illuminated in the dim parking lot light. He smiled, a dark, twisted smile that sent chills through you.

"Mine," he whispered through the glass, his voice laced with malice and satisfaction.

A wave of dizziness overtook you, and everything spun. His words echoed in your mind as your vision blurred. Helpless and horrified, you slipped into unconsciousness, the last image seared into your memory: Diego's face, and that sinister smile that promised nothing but darkness.

A week had passed since the attack, but the memory of it still haunted you, flickering at the edge of your thoughts as you sat on the plush velvet sofa in your expansive drawing room. Sunlight poured through the towering windows, casting a warm glow over the gleaming marble floors and the breathtaking view of the Los Angeles skyline stretched beyond, grounding you in the opulence of your mansion. The faint hum of a helicopter faded as it settled on the rooftop, carrying with it your new bodyguard: Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley, a man whose reputation preceded him.

The sound of heavy boots echoed through the hallways, each step precise and deliberate, growing closer until the double doors swung open. You rose from the sofa, instinctively straightening your posture as the figure of Ghost entered the room, his presence consuming it instantly. He was massive, towering over you at 6'4", his muscular frame stretching the fabric of his black t-shirt, every inch of him exuding strength and danger. His broad chest and shoulders were carved with the kind of power that comes only from a life on the battlefield, and his thick, muscular thighs tested the seams of his black cargo pants. A holstered firearm rested against his leg, a stark reminder of the deadly world you were stepping into.

But it was his eyes that struck you the hardest. Deep brown and unwavering, they locked onto yours with an intensity that felt almost physical, as if they could see straight through every secret you held. A skull-patterned bandana covered most of his face, concealing his expression, but his gaze was enough, it was fierce, calculating, and unyielding. His buzz-cut hair, a dirty blonde, caught a hint of sunlight, and a jagged scar traced down his left temple, the brutal souvenir of battles fought and survived.

The contrast between the two of you felt almost surreal, his raw, masculine power against your delicate, fragile beauty. At just five feet tall, your frame seemed almost dainty by comparison, a striking contrast of elegance and strength. The soft material of your dress hugged your figure, emphasizing the curve of your waist and your petite, curvy form, while your brown, doe-like eyes met his with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

"This is Ghost, ma'am," he nodded, his voice low, gravelly, resonant. The sound of it sent a shiver down your spine, filling the room as thoroughly as his presence did.

You hesitated, caught off guard by his intensity, before extending your hand. "Lieutenant Riley," you greeted, your voice steady even as you took in every detail of the man before you. "I've heard a lot about you."

He accepted your hand, his grip firm and respectful, but his eyes stayed sharp and assessing, as if already calculating every risk, every angle of protection.

"Welcome to my mansion. How was your journey?" you asked, settling yourself elegantly on the velvet couch, your posture flawless.

"The journey was fine, ma'am," he replied, his deep voice rumbling through the room. He took a step closer, crossing his arms, his gaze intense and assessing. "The view from the landing pad is quite something, too."

You felt his eyes linger, moving over you, taking in the details of your petite frame and the way your bodycon dress clung to your curves. He tried to keep his focus professional, but it was hard not to notice the finer details.

"Tea, coffee, or whiskey?" you offered.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Whiskey," he replied without hesitation, his gaze still fixed on you.

With a small nod, you rose from the sofa and moved to the bar across the room, reaching for the bottle of Kentucky bourbon. His eyes tracked your every movement, lingering on the bare skin between the thin straps of your dress. The dress hugged your form perfectly, and though he kept his face stoic, his attention remained unwavering as you poured the amber liquid into a glass.

You turned, holding the glass in your hand, and extended it to him. He stepped forward, his calloused fingers wrapping around the glass, brushing lightly against yours. The brief contact sent a jolt up your arm, but his face revealed nothing, not a hint of reaction. He lifted the glass to his lips, taking a slow, measured sip, all the while keeping his gaze steady on you.

You leaned back onto the plush sofa, crossing your legs elegantly, watching as he brought the glass of bourbon to his lips, taking a slow sip without breaking eye contact. The slight tension in the room was palpable, each of you sizing up the other, feeling out the boundaries of this unfamiliar relationship.

"So," you murmured, a faint hint of curiosity in your tone, "you wear the skull mask, Ghost..."

His eyes narrowed slightly above the edge of his mask, a flicker of irritation passing through them. He lowered the glass, studying you in silence for a moment before he replied, his tone even. "It's part of the job," he said. "Helps me keep things... impersonal. No one gets to see my face."

You tilted your head, not breaking his gaze. "Not even me?" you asked softly, a subtle challenge in your voice. "Not even the person you're here to protect?"

There was a beat of silence, his eyes dark and unreadable behind the mask. For a moment, you thought he might look away or ignore the question altogether. But then he spoke, his tone a shade more guarded. "Protection is about distance, ma'am. Masks help with that. It's not personal, just how I keep a clear line between my duty and... everything else."

You took a slow breath, absorbing his words. "Clear lines, huh?" You leaned forward, resting your chin on your hand as you studied him, his formidable frame, his stoic face, the shadows that clung to him. "Is that what works best for you, Lieutenant? No attachments, no faces, just the mission?"

He held your gaze, unflinching. "It's what's kept me alive." His answer was calm, unwavering, as though he'd thought it through many times before.

You nodded, acknowledging the harsh reality he lived by. "Well, I suppose I can respect that," you replied, your voice soft but thoughtful. "But you should know, Ghost, this won't be a typical mission. There are things at play here that... don't fit within clear lines."

He didn't respond, but his intense gaze on you seemed to deepen, like he was silently bracing himself for the unknown. Finally, he gave a slight nod, the barest hint of understanding in his eyes.

"Understood," he said, his tone low and resolute. And in that moment, you realized that, for all the distance he wanted to maintain, his presence, steady and unyielding, was exactly what you needed.

"Diego Garcia," you said, your voice quiet but resolute. "The Santiago Cartel."

Ghost's expression darkened. The name carried weight, a reputation steeped in violence. "Diego Garcia," he repeated, his tone grim. "Powerful, ruthless, no ordinary drug lord."

"He's bigger than Valeria Garza. More dangerous than El Sin Nombre."

Ghost's gaze was sharp, intense. "I know. Santiago Cartel is one of the deadliest in Mexico, and Garcia's the head of the snake."

"He's after me," you admitted, feeling the weight of the words as they left your lips.

Ghost's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"My company produces anti-narcotics," you explained. "We sell the cure. He sells the poison."

Recognition flickered in his eyes. "You're cutting into his profits," he said, understanding dawning. "You make him look weak."

"We're about to launch a new antidote," you continued. "One that blocks the effects of drugs like cocaine, fentanyl. It's still in testing, but it'll be on the market soon."

He nodded slowly, processing it. "The cartel won't let that happen. They'll do whatever it takes to stop you."

You felt a shiver at his words but pushed on. "He's already killed for it. My bodyguards... I watched them die, right in front of me."

A muscle tightened in Ghost's jaw. "He killed them in front of you," he said, his voice low, edged with anger. "Bastard doesn't play by any rules."

"He sent his men. They were armed with M14 rifles. My men didn't stand a chance."

His expression grew grim. "M14s. No wonder your guards didn't make it."

"Laswell suggested you," you continued, watching him closely. "She said if anyone could handle Garcia, it'd be you."

He met your gaze, a flicker of confidence in his eyes. "She's not wrong. I've dealt with men like him before." His voice was calm, unshaken. "And I'll take him down.

"Let me show you around," you said, motioning for him to follow.

Ghost nodded. "Lead the way."

The mansion was sleek and modern, blending luxury with privacy. As you walked through the marble driveway, you passed the tall, solid wooden door into the living room, its polished granite floors gleaming in the light. To the left, a door opened to the swimming pool area, surrounded by greenery. Above, a glass skywalk connected the house, offering a view of the water below.

A spiral staircase led to the second floor where your master bedroom and its luxurious bathroom were located, complete with a Jacuzzi and a high-tech shower. The back lawn opened up to the underground parking area.

As you walked, Ghost took in everything with a sharp, calculating gaze. The mansion wasn't just a home, it was a fortress. Every detail, from the barbed wire to the strategic location, was a reminder of the protection it offered.

"Like what you see?" you asked, watching his reaction.

Ghost's expression was unreadable, but his voice was steady. "It's secure," he said, eyes flicking over the property. "More than most would need."

"It's still smaller than other mansions here," you countered.

"Smaller, yes. But more secure," he said. "Most billionaires settle for an alarm system. You went further."

"The reason I don't go bigger is security," you replied. "I know Diego could breach it, but it's L.A. He'd think twice."

Ghost nodded. "Smart. L.A.'s dangerous, but Garcia would hesitate."

"Good. Let him be intimidated. Makes my job easier."

He shifted his attention back to you. "What about inside? Armed guards?"

"Outside," you said. "The perimeter's covered."

He raised an eyebrow. "Inside?"

"You..." you trailed off, letting him fill in the rest.

Part 2

Part 3

Pic credit: VhenanVirabelasan

https://www.instagram.com/vhenan_virabelasan?igsh=MWpmdnVzaXN5czYyZg==

[painted-bees]

sad ace hours over here. Maybe Raf can relate: has he ever felt like garbage for not finding his partner hot or sexy or whatever? Has he ever felt like he was robbing them of an important part of their relationship?

Oh no, anon Q nQ I am reaching through the computer screen with a hot, comforting beverage of your choice and much love.

Raf takes...a while to come to terms with the idea that a may...probably be ace, as he'd need to see a lot more people talking about it before he's even convinced that it's a thing. So, with that context, he--yeah, actually, haha. Less so with Margie because she's extremely communicative. But in his past relationships, his lack of sexual attraction was typically obscured to him by other forms of attraction that, in certain contexts, he would misinterpret as the bog standard sexual attraction that everyone feels. Confusingly, his attraction in romantic relationships rarely served any sexual motivations when he actually needed it to--and this had led him to assume that he was just... really fickle; some days, he was "in love" with his partner and other days, he really wasn't--and that's just the way he was. It always feels bad when a partner is trying to make moves and be sexy, and he has to mask his disinterest. He's a born and raised performer, so he can play a fair gig, but it felt dishonest to him, and he'd have definitely served time in his own mind wondering if he should keep "pretending" that he loves them when he clearly isn't feeling that fabled "spark" abt them.

But then, later, they do or say something smart/clever/funny typical of themselves and he'll think "no, I definately do love them, I'm just being weird abt it idk". Again, attributing it to being "fickle."

In his relationship with Alex, they were basically still kids [college kids are kids don't fite me on this] and Alex wasn't really observant enough to notice when Raf was kinda checked out and playing a script haha.

But Lacey sure fuckin' did. Lacey could tell the difference between a genuine Raf smile and a performed smile. And she haaated being on the receiving end of Raf's cordial performances. If he wasn't going to love her "for real" then she needed him to just not fuckin' bother. And this resulted in fights [a lot of things between them resulted in fights kfkd]. In some ways, it felt a lot worse that she wouldn't let him act out the part when she was able to clock it as a performance. But that's kinda because the performance itself is a guesture of love in its own right. Not an act of conciet [and he doesn't really figure that out himself until his relationship with Margie tbf].

His relationship with Lace was bad for a lot of reasons [they were both just...awful to one another in equal measures], but she really did make him feel like there was something deeply, distressingly, fundamentally wrong about his capacity to love sometimes. Like he'd never be able to fully love someone the way they deserved [and he blamed his upbringing for this, not his sexuality, rip].

His relationship with Margie is the first relationship he's had where he feels like...an emotionally mature adult lmao and the things about himself that he still needs to figure out, they're able to figure it out together. Again, Margie's compulsion towards transparency and her need to communicate all things has benefitted him hugely, even if he is naturally more of a "keep things close to the chest" sort of person himself. It leads them to little moments like this one that allows Raf the chance to be honest with her about what he is and isn't feeling, and for her to affirm that she understand where he's coming from and just wants to meet him where he's at [knowing well that the same is true vice versa].

[fossette-promenade]

How I added a bustle to make a skirt larger:

My friend bought this Abilletage skirt, but it was a bit too small for them. They asked if I could alter it for them. I have very minimal sewing skills, but I accepted the project (because im a pushover). So here's how I did it.

First I had them put the skirt on and measured the gap. The skirt had a zipper and they couldn't zip it all the way. There was a 7 inch gap.

I bought 2 yards of this very light bamboo cotton fabric that reminded me of chiffon. I wanted the fabric to flow because I wasn't confident I could make something structured.

I cut out an 8 inch "box" of fabric to act as the base (i stacked 2 bc the fabric was a little transparent) Then with the rest of my fabric, I cut 5 rectangles out to be each bustle layer. I used the gathering foot on my sewing machine to ruffle them up (i had to learn how to change the foot and tension, there are multiple youtube videos that were helpful)

I also made sure to finish my hems with a double fold hem. This made it look very professional!

I made sure everything lined up before I altered the skirt. Then, the scary part! I seam ripped the skirt. I did not want to mess with the zipper, so I used the front seam. Then I added the plain 8 inch "box" on without the ruffles sewn on. I attached the ruffles by handsewing.

(before and after) it isn't very clean looking, but it's on the inside plus there's no raw edges showing!

I didn't make a new waistband, I just folded over the top ruffle and stiched the sides closed.

And here's the final result! I think it makes the skirt more classy, plus it fits bigger now! I know it doesn't look absolutely perfect, but I thought this might inspire some of you to try it yourself and gain some experience like I did!

Thank you for reading!

[accountability-movement]

The cost of eggs will rise

Help me develop accountability questions for our government in regards to bird flu and the cost of eggs:

Given that avian influenza has led to the culling of millions of egg-laying hens, resulting in a significant decrease in egg production and a corresponding increase in prices, what specific measures is the government implementing to mitigate the impact on consumers?

Considering the ongoing avian influenza outbreak, which has been linked to rising egg prices, what steps is the government taking to support affected poultry farmers and ensure a stable egg supply?

What proactive measures is the government implementing to prevent future avian influenza outbreaks, and how are they ensuring that poultry farms adhere to biosecurity protocols to minimize the risk of virus transmission?

How is the government investing in research and development of avian influenza vaccines or treatments to protect poultry populations and stabilize the egg supply chain in the future?

What lessons has the government learned from the current avian influenza outbreak, and how are these lessons being applied to improve response strategies for future animal disease outbreaks that could impact food supply and prices?

Given the ongoing challenges posed by avian influenza, what investments is the government making in vaccine research and biosecurity measures to protect poultry populations and prevent future outbreaks?

Considering the economic strain on restaurateurs and bakeries due to rising egg prices, what assistance programs are in place to support small businesses heavily reliant on eggs?

What steps is the government taking to enhance surveillance and early detection of such diseases to mitigate their impact on the food supply?

Given the forecasted 20% increase in egg prices in 2025 due to ongoing avian influenza outbreaks, what immediate actions is the government taking to alleviate the financial burden on consumers, especially those in low-income households?

Following the removal of over 1,000 pages related to gender identity and vaccine information from federal websites, how does the administration plan to ensure that critical health information remains accessible to the public?

With the recent appointment of new leadership within the CDC, what measures are being implemented to restore public trust and improve the agency's responsiveness to health crises?

In response to the removal of certain health guidelines from federal websites, how does the administration plan to address concerns about transparency and the politicization of public health information?

[darkmaga-returns]

A once-classified federal strategy paper has been declassified, revealing the Biden administration’s extensive plans to address "domestic terrorism." The document, released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard following legal pressure from America First Legal (AFL), outlines a sweeping strategy that extends far beyond traditional national security measures. Remember when the "unvaccinated" were a domestic terror threat?Remember when parents who spoke up at school board meetings were classified as a domestic terror threat? These are just two examples of the Biden regime weaponizing the federal government against  individual Americans.

America First Legal (AFL) sounded the alarm in an April 2 letter, accusing the Biden regime of of weaponizing federal power against its own citizens. The group warned that officials were labeling “disfavored views” as “misinformation,” “disinformation,” or “hate speech” and moving to suppress them under the guise of national security. Tulsi Gabbard responded on April 5, acknowledging the concerns and promising action to restore transparency and accountability.

The mechanics of control

The plan promotes aggressive collaboration with private-sector partners, particularly tech companies. These firms are encouraged to work closely with federal agencies, sharing data and identifying online threats. On paper, this appears as public-private cooperation, but in practice, it looks like the institutionalization of speech surveillance. The strategy calls for sweeping educational initiatives, with federal agencies leading digital and civic literacy campaigns aimed at training Americans to spot “disinformation” and consume government-approved content.

The core issue lies in the looseness of the definitions. “Misinformation” is a fluid category, shifting with political context and official narratives. When the government starts guiding information flow based on ideological judgments, the line between counterterrorism and censorship blurs. The plan does not explicitly call for censorship, but it outlines a framework where suppression can operate quietly and systematically. Social platforms adjust algorithms, flag certain content, or apply filters, all while citing guidance from federal agencies. The result is a system of influence without direct orders, and coercion without fingerprints.