#Microscopes Market Share

[pricedaniel238]

Confocal Raman Microscopes Market is Booming Worldwide by Future Innovations & Trends

The Confocal Raman Microscope market is a rapidly growing sector within the analytical instrumentation industry, driven by advancements in materials science, pharmaceuticals, and nanotechnology research. Confocal Raman Microscopes enable scientists and researchers to analyze the molecular composition of materials with high spatial resolution, providing detailed insights into chemical structures,…

[semiconductor-hub]

Semiconductor Inspection Microscope Market Business Opportunities, Strategies, and Applications by 2032

The semiconductor inspection microscope is a critical tool in the realm of semiconductor manufacturing, designed to provide unparalleled precision and accuracy in inspecting semiconductor wafers and devices. These advanced microscopes are integral for detecting minute defects and ensuring the quality of semiconductor components. Equipped with high-resolution optics and sophisticated imaging technology, semiconductor inspection microscopes enable detailed analysis of wafer surfaces, interconnects, and circuit patterns. By leveraging cutting-edge innovations in optical and digital technologies, these microscopes facilitate enhanced defect detection and process optimization, playing a pivotal role in advancing semiconductor manufacturing standards.

The Semiconductor Inspection Microscope Market size was valued at USD 6.24 billion in 2023 and is expected to Reach USD 10.38 billion by 2032 and grow at a CAGR of 5.82% over the forecast period of 2024-2032.

Future Scope: 

The future of semiconductor inspection microscopes promises significant advancements driven by emerging technologies and industry demands. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms is expected to further enhance defect detection capabilities, enabling more accurate and automated analysis. Additionally, developments in ultra-high-resolution imaging and multi-dimensional inspection techniques are likely to revolutionize the inspection process, allowing for real-time monitoring and immediate feedback. As semiconductor devices become increasingly complex, the need for more sophisticated and versatile inspection tools will continue to grow, fostering innovations that push the boundaries of precision and efficiency in semiconductor manufacturing.

Trends: 

Recent trends in semiconductor inspection microscopes include the adoption of automation and AI-driven analytics to streamline the inspection process and improve accuracy. The shift towards smaller, more compact designs is also notable, catering to the growing demand for miniaturized semiconductor devices. Moreover, there is a rising focus on integrating advanced imaging technologies such as electron microscopy and 3D imaging to achieve higher resolution and deeper insights. The industry is also witnessing increased investments in research and development to enhance the capabilities of inspection microscopes and address the challenges posed by next-generation semiconductor technologies.

Applications: 

Semiconductor inspection microscopes find extensive applications across various stages of semiconductor manufacturing. They are used for inspecting wafer surfaces, verifying circuit patterns, and detecting defects in integrated circuits and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). In research and development settings, these microscopes play a crucial role in material analysis and failure analysis. Additionally, they are employed in quality control processes to ensure that semiconductor components meet stringent industry standards and specifications, contributing to the reliability and performance of electronic devices.

Solutions and Services: 

To meet the evolving needs of semiconductor manufacturing, manufacturers offer a range of solutions and services associated with semiconductor inspection microscopes. These include customized inspection systems tailored to specific applications, maintenance and calibration services to ensure optimal performance, and training programs to maximize the effectiveness of inspection tools. Advanced software solutions that integrate with inspection microscopes provide enhanced data analysis and reporting capabilities. Additionally, support services such as technical assistance and troubleshooting are essential for maintaining the efficiency and reliability of inspection processes.

Key Points:

Critical tool for high-precision semiconductor wafer and device inspection.

Integration of AI and machine learning for automated defect detection.

Advances in ultra-high-resolution and multi-dimensional imaging technologies.

Applications include wafer surface inspection, circuit pattern verification, and quality control.

Solutions encompass customized systems, maintenance, calibration, and training programs.

Emerging trends include automation, compact designs, and advanced imaging techniques.

Read More Details: https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/semiconductor-inspection-microscope-market-4234 

Contact Us:

Akash Anand — Head of Business Development & Strategy

Email: info@snsinsider.com

Phone: +1–415–230–0044 (US) | +91–7798602273 (IND) 

[industrynewsupdates]

Microscope Market Analysis, Opportunities And Forecast Report 2024-2030

The global microscope market size was estimated at USD 11.94 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% from 2024 to 2030. 

Growing applications and high demand for technologically advanced magnification devices is driving the market. Furthermore, the market is experiencing growth due to increased demand from the healthcare sector and the rapidly expanding semiconductor industry. Additionally, the adoption of microscopy to facilitate research endeavors fuels the demand for microscopes.

Gather more insights about the market drivers, restrains and growth of the Microscope Market

In order to improve market penetration, the microscope industry is currently undergoing advancements in technology, developing types that boast faster performance and incorporate user-friendly sample preparation techniques. Furthermore, the ongoing technical advancements, including integration with display modalities for high-definition imaging and 3-dimensional views, are poised to drive increased demand for microscopes throughout the forecast period.

The sector is expanding through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and extended ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) and deep learning. IoT creates a need for memory, connectivity, sensors, and microcontrollers, employing neural networks to improve the type of Integrated Circuits (ICs). Meanwhile, EUVL plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing of high-end computing chips. Electron microscopy, providing high-resolution imaging, enables a thorough assessment ranging from packaged devices to atomic-level gate structures. Systems based on electron beams are applied in scrutinizing the sources of device failures to optimize the manufacturing process.

The growing emphasis on research and development in areas like neuroscience, life sciences, nanotechnology, and semiconductor technology is anticipated to drive the adoption of microscopes. These instruments, known for their high image resolution, are essential for investigating cell signaling pathways and studying cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, scanning probe microscopes offer versatility by not relying on the wavelength of the light source for magnification, making them suitable for diverse environments such as gas and liquid and allowing the examination of insulator and conductor specimens.

Browse through Grand View Research's Medical Devices Industry Research Reports.

• The global pulsed field ablation market size was estimated at USD 116.6 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 37.7% from 2024 to 2030.

• The global retinal imaging devices market size was estimated at USD 3.74 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR 7.9% from 2024 to 2030.

Microscope Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global microscope market report based on type, application, and region:

Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Optical

• Electron

• Scanning Probe

• Others

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• Material Science

• Nanotechnology

• Life Science

• Semiconductors

• Other Applications

Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

• North America

• U.S.

• Canada

• Europe

• UK

• Germany

• France

• Italy

• Spain

• Denmark

• Sweden

• Norway

• Asia Pacific

• Japan

• China

• India

• South Korea

• Australia

• Thailand

• Latin America

• Brazil

• Mexico

• Argentina

• Middle East & Africa

• South Africa

• Saudi Arabia

• UAE

• Kuwait

Key Microscope Company Insights

Key players such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc, Bruker Corporation and Zeiss Group have been focusing on product innovation, expanding their service offerings, and improving operational efficiency. Additionally, these industry leaders often engage in strategic collaborations, acquisitions, and partnerships to strengthen their market presence and maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving field of microscopy.

Emerging players such as CAMECA and Joel ltd. are actively pursuing strategies to establish their presence by introducing innovative technologies, forming strategic partnerships, and focusing on niche applications. Furthermore, these players are leveraging technological advancements and strategic partnerships to compete effectively with established market leaders.

Key Microscope Companies:

The following are the leading companies in the microscope market. These companies collectively hold the largest market share and dictate industry trends. Financials, strategy maps & products of these microscope companies are analyzed to map the supply network.

• Zeiss Group

• Bruker Corporation

• CAMECA

• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

• Nikon Corporation

• Olympus Corporation

• NT-MDT SI

• Hitachi High-Tech Corporation

• JEOL Ltd.

• Oxford Instruments (Asylum Corporation)

Recent Developments

• In November 2023, Ashoka University partnered with Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Pvt. Ltd. to establish a core imaging facility. Under this partnership Carl Zeiss India will provide Ashoka University with microscopy technology.

• In July 2023, at the Microscopy and Microanalysis (M&M) 2023 Conference, ZEISS Microscopy presents an array of interactive display features, highlighting new Type launches and introducing emerging researchers.

• In April 2023, Nikon unveiled the ECLIPSE Ui, Japan's inaugural digital imaging microscope designed for medical applications, with the goal of enhancing the efficiency of pathological observation and facilitating data sharing.

Order a free sample PDF of the Microscope Market Intelligence Study, published by Grand View Research.

[surkuted]

https://meetupss.com/read-blog/51361

[myblogscmi]

Global Digital Microscopes Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Increasing Demand for Advanced Imaging Technologies

The global Digital Microscopes Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,124.0 million in 2020 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period (2020-2027), as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. A) Market Overview: Digital microscopes are advanced imaging devices that provide high-resolution images and video of microscopic samples. These microscopes use digital cameras to capture images and display them on a monitor or computer screen, allowing for easy viewing and analysis. They offer various advantages over traditional optical microscopes, such as the ability to capture and store images digitally, easy sharing of images for collaboration, and the ability to perform measurements and analysis on the captured images. The need for Digital Microscopes Market is driven by the growing demand for advanced imaging technologies in various applications, including scientific research, healthcare, industrial inspection, and educational purposes. These microscopes are widely used in fields such as biology, pathology, material science, electronics, and forensics, among others. B) Market Key Trends: One key trend driving the growth of the digital microscopes market is the integration of advanced imaging technologies. Manufacturers are increasingly incorporating features such as fluorescence imaging, confocal microscopy, and multi-dimensional imaging capabilities into digital microscopes. These advancements enable researchers and healthcare professionals to observe and analyze samples with higher precision and accuracy, leading to improved diagnosis and research outcomes. For example, Olympus Corporation, a key player in the market, offers a range of digital microscopes equipped with advanced imaging technologies such as high-speed spectral confocal imaging and multiphoton imaging. These capabilities allow for detailed observation and analysis of complex biological samples. Technological: Technological advancements in digital imaging sensors, optics, and software are driving the growth of the Digital Microscopes Market. The development of high-resolution cameras, advanced image processing algorithms, and real-time imaging capabilities enhance the performance and usability of digital microscopes. D) Key Takeaways: - The global digital microscopes market is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period, due to increasing demand for advanced imaging technologies in various applications. For example, in the healthcare industry, digital microscopes are used for clinical diagnostics, pathology, and telemedicine. - The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing and dominating region in the digital microscopes market. Factors such as increasing investments in healthcare infrastructure, rising research activities, and technological advancements drive the market growth in this region. - Key players operating in the global digital microscopes market include Olympus Corporation, Nikon Corporation, Leica Microsystems, Carl Zeiss AG, Celestron LLC, Hirox Corporation, Danaher Corporation, Keyence Corporation, and Tagarno A/S. These companies focus on continuous research and development activities to introduce innovative products and strengthen their market presence. In conclusion, the global digital microscopes market is witnessing high growth due to the increasing demand for advanced imaging technologies. The integration of advanced imaging capabilities into digital microscopes and growing applications in healthcare, research, and education sectors contribute to the market expansion. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to emerge as a dominant market for digital microscopes, driven by investments in healthcare infrastructure and research activities. Key players in the market are focused on developing innovative products to maintain their competitive edge.

[digitalmarketingresearch]

Optical Microscopes Market Insight And Key Players With Forecasts Up To 2028

The Global Optical Microscopes Market Size was estimated at USD 1872.66 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 2383.73 million by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.51% during the forecast period.

We recently discussed a study on the Global Optical Microscopes Market 2022-2028 research report, which highlights critical inputs related to the global business environment, Optical Microscopes market share, regional trends, Optical Microscopes market size, and profit projection. The Optical Microscopes market report research study also enables users to identify the most significant challenges as well as available growth strategies established by the topmost firms that account for the global competitive environment of the Optical Microscopes industry.

The global Optical Microscopes market 2022 research report includes both a standard summary and an in-depth description of the industry. The international market is examined in the Optical Microscopes market report, which includes recent developing trends, regional manufacturing status, competitive landscape analysis, and much more. The Optical Microscopes market research study goes into great detail about specific development regulations, manufacturing processes, and plans. Furthermore, the Optical Microscopes market report includes several key elements such as price, import/export, investment, revenue, gross margins, and supply and demand figures.

Download Sample Copy of the Report: https://www.extrapolate.com/sample/retail/optical-microscopes-market-report/43833

Competitive Manufacturers included in Optical Microscopes Market report are:

Carl Zeiss

Olympus

Nikon

Leica

Motic

Novel Optics

Sunny

GLO

Optec

Lissview

Lioo

The global Optical Microscopes market report provides a systematic evaluation of the regional and international competitive sectors of the global Optical Microscopes industry. Major regions of the Optical Microscopes market include the United States, China, Europe, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia. The regional analysis in the Optical Microscopes market report provides detailed information about the geological Optical Microscopes market share as well as the growth rate of each zone over the forecast timeframe.

The global Optical Microscopes market report also includes a fundamental overview of price trends, company, profit margins, and so on. The report also includes up-to-date statistics and concise information about the global Optical Microscopes industry. The Optical Microscopes market research document is investigated using both primary and secondary research methods, which serves a dual purpose of estimating industrial findings as well as creating perceptive industrial insights that help you gain a better understanding and clarification of the Optical Microscopes business environment and competitive resistance.

Optical Microscopes Market Segmentation by Product Type:

Monocular

Binocular

Trinocular

The Application can be Fragmented into:

Hospital

School

Laboratory

Others

Regions/countries mentioned in this report are:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

In addition, the research study examines various factors that contribute to the growth of the global Optical Microscopes market. It also provides a scope of distinct segments and applications that have the potential to significantly influence the Optical Microscopes market in the near future. This report provides detailed information on historical milestones, recent trends, production volume, consumption rate, potential growth factors, and future prospects.

Browse More Details With TOC: https://www.extrapolate.com/retail/optical-microscopes-market-report/43833

Global Optical Microscopes market report 2020 discusses current developments as well as the use of various research methods and techniques to provide a detailed and systematic outlook on the respective market. Furthermore, it assesses the world Optical Microscopes market's upcoming trends, key challenges, drivers, competitive outlook, opportunities, future growth potentials, and value chain analysis. The primary goal of the global Optical Microscopes market report is to elaborate basic development trends, upcoming opportunities, and identify emerging application areas throughout the Optical Microscopes market.

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[market-insider]

Microscope Market Boosted By Rapidly Growing Semiconductor Industry And Healthcare Sector

The global microscope market size is expected to reach USD 20.4 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 7.97% over the forecast period. High demand from the healthcare sector and the rapidly growing semiconductor industry are among the key factors boosting the market growth.

Gain deeper insights on the market and receive your free copy with TOC now @: Microscope Market Report

The establishment of microscopy to promote research activities is also contributing to the product demand. One of the most important applications of microscopes is in surgical interventions. Magnified imaging systems are in high demand for cancer and neuroscience surgical procedures to improve procedural success. Major market players are focusing on developing dedicated microsurgery offerings, such as the spine, cranial, and other multi-disciplinary surgeries.

The growing adoption and rising investments in the development of microscopes by precision manufacturing industries are expected to drive market growth. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic companies reported decreases in the revenue in the second quarter of the year 2020, which affected the supply chain of most of the companies. Manufacturers in the market are adopting strategies, such as product innovation by integrating the latest technology and geographic expansion through mergers & acquisitions. For instance, in October 2020, Bruker Corp. launched the Vutara VXL Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscope, designed for biological imaging at the nanoscale, which can improve the study of nano-level cellular biology, especially in the field of spatial omics imaging.

[eretzyisrael]

by Owen Tilman

While the country’s leading universities have been under the microscope since Oct. 7, the nation’s top foundations have largely evaded scrutiny. Both, however, sit atop multibillion-dollar endowments and exert enormous influence on American politics and public policy: The Ford Foundation alone oversees the disbursal of approximately a billion dollars a year.

Where is that money going? A review of grants disbursed by the Ford Foundation’s team overseeing the Middle East and North Africa, led by Cairo-based regional director Saba Almubaslat, shows that several of the foundation’s grants have gone to organizations whose employees, events, and projects celebrated Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack and decried the "Zionist entity."  They make little effort to disguise their hostility to Jews and the state of Israel.

The foundation’s support for such organizations stands in stark contrast with Walker’s denunciation of Henry Ford, the foundation’s founder and a notorious anti-Semite. Walker described the Ford Motor Company founder last year as "one of the twentieth century’s most virulent American antisemites" and argued that "all of us engaged in building a fairer, more just America ought to embrace our responsibility to speak out about this ancient strain of inequality—this category of caste—exactly as we call out racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia."

Yet the Ford Foundation, under his leadership, has funneled more than $6.3 million since 2015 to two organizations—the Jordan-based Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), which is geared toward mobilizing "the untapped potential of … societies in the Arab region," and Action for Hope, a Lebanese non-governmental organization devoted to providing "cultural development and cultural relief programs" to populations in distress—that are fanning the flames of the ancient hatred.

The leaders of ARDD have not exactly made their views a secret. In November 2023, the organization’s executive director, Samar Muhareb, expressed "gratitude to the martyrs of Palestine because they have shed light on many important issues," according to a press release summarizing her remarks at an event.

The organization held a panel discussion in November 2023 featuring a speaker, Dr. Anis Al-Qassem, who argued in favor of Palestinians’ "right of self-defense" up to and including acts of terrorism. In fact, Al-Qassem argued, that category should not apply to "the Palestinian resistance." Rather, the idea that Palestinian "resistance" constitutes terrorism is a "lie marketed by the United States and the occupation." He urged a lawsuit against the "Zionist entity" in the International Criminal Court, according to a press release from ARDD summarizing his remarks.

Muhareb’s X feed is a troubling series of posts alternately justifying terrorism and denouncing the Jewish state for combating it. Most recently, she retweeted a post from U.N. special rapporteur Francesca Albanese eviscerating Israel for rescuing four civilian hostages from Rafah. On Oct. 7, she retweeted a post arguing Hamas’s terrorist attack needed "to be put in context" given "six decades of hostile military rule." A week later, Muhareb shared a post that accused the children of Holocaust survivors of perpetuating genocide in Gaza.

[indigoraysoflight]

Some thoughts on...everything that's happened in the last couple of days.

There's a lot of discourse around what was said on the podcast. I have a few thoughts. Feel free to skip this if it doesn't resonate with you. You're entitled to your own perspective based on what you heard. I'm sharing mine.

Unfortunately the small group of fans that "obsess" about NR and his life seem to be the ones that are validating the show and not asking any questions or keeping the room open for disappointment (I'm not directing this at anybody, it's just an observation). It's a small percentage but they're very loud. I haven't met any of them. That being said, there are fans who watch his show and like his show who understand the boundary between his character and his personal life.

It's important to be mindful of the media you consume. Most shippers and fans have been asking valid questions (respectfully). You're investing your time, money and emotional capacity into a show. If you feel like it's not doing a good job then you have every right to ask questions and decide to withhold or withdraw your investment if the answers don't appeal to you.

The questions that were brought up were ones that could've been tackled really well if they had a competent marketing strategy.

How did he get to France?

The strike complicated things, but there were ways to adhere to guidelines and lean on the resources they had at hand to tease this question months before the show premiered, in a way that hooked the audience and didn't talk down to them like they were being "difficult".

Instead of choosing to ignore the biggest question they were getting consistently, they could've utilized it for the show's promotion.

Daryl finally took a bath. Why did he finally take a bath? (Or something along those lines. It was hard to discern)

I'm tired of 'Daryl finally took a bath' joke and understand his frustration here. But the big issue is that the bath was whittled down to shipbaiting fuel when it could've been a strong and powerful scene on its own – featuring Daryl alone.

It had the potential to be a scene where Daryl was put under a microscope and not in a voyeuristic way.

A moment where Daryl sat quietly, took stock of all his scars, contemplated his life and where he was. Norman would've done a great job communicating the nuances there. A quiet scene to amplify the feeling of hopelessness, his discomfort about forming a reluctant alliance, and his feeling of displacement.

A defining moment to prove it was about Daryl. Not anyone else. But Daryl, who was alone again after he left behind his found family with the complacent trust that "they would always be there" and now had to face the possibility that he would never see them again.

It would've been deeply vulnerable yet relatable to many. It would've given a peek into Daryl's mind and forced the audience to slow down and understand the gravity of his situation.

People asking genuine questions about the show are not doing it to attack anyone. They're not doing it to be nitpicky or difficult. They're doing it to get information on key aspects of the show that they need to understand before investing in it. It can be seen as mindless criticism or it can be seen as an opportunity to improve the show in areas where there are glaring issues.

Implying that the fans who are asking repetitive questions are hysterical instead of looking at what's being said means they're making a show that he likes, not a show that takes their core audience's expectations into consideration.

Which is definitely something they can do if they want to. They're entitled to it. It makes a statement.

But statements don't keep shows running on TV – audiences do.

[softguarnere]

I've never participated in the lovely @blind-dates-fest before, so we're actually trying two new things this weekend: a new writing challenge, and writing for The Pacific for the first time. This OC has been banging around in my head for months now, so this seemed like a good time to introduce her - especially since she'll be making a cameo or two in one of my ongoing BOB fics. Without further ado, I hope y'all will enjoy Samantha "Mandy" Majors ♥️

The Deception of Appearances

Realistically, Mandy is aware that these are the men who are fighting for their country. The heroes of Guadalcanal can do as they please. But as MacDonald pushes his way through the bar’s crowd of wild, drinking men and boisterous women, dragging her along behind him, only one thought runs through her mind: What the hell am I doing here?

She knows, of course. She’s making money. She’s carving out a little space in journalism because, as her publisher always so kindly reminds her, the market is always changing, and fantasy stories will not be in fashion forever.

With that pleasant reminder, she lifts her chin and continues her walk into the unknown.

MacDonald struts ahead of her, openly ogling the men as if they’re an attraction at the zoo. There’s something distinctly unprofessional about the wide-eyed look that he’s always giving his subjects, like he’s got them trapped under a microscope and is poking around in their thoughts. He doesn’t seem to realize that he has a habit of making other people feel utterly invaded. Which, if Mandy had to guess, is probably why the Metropolitan Express has had her acting as his assistant for so many months. Well, that and, if she’s being honest, the fact that Duncan MacDonald cannot write to save his life.

As if reading her mind, MacDonald grabs her arm and hisses loudly in her ear to be heard over the celebrations, “Look at them! We’re bound to get a good story out of them.” Then, quietly, more urgently, “And quickly, too, because I don’t like the looks of this place.”

For once, Mandy finds herself agreeing with him. But, as is the way of the world, these things are easier said than done.

They manage to find a small table that’s miraculously unoccupied to set up shop at. Despite the look that MacDonald gives her when she orders a drink, Mandy settles in. Her boss might not want to spend any longer in this place than he has to, but that’s only because he’s not a real writer, and he doesn’t understand that the best stories come to those who are patient. These things can’t be forced, no matter how intent he seems on bending them to his will.

Besides his writing – or lack thereof – there’s the small matter of MacDonald himself. He’s too forthright, strutting up to the men and asking them bold questions with no sense of boundaries. Most respond by giving him a blank stare instead of a quote, and those who are willing to share any thoughts only give them the kind that cannot be put into print.

“Well I never,” MacDonald splutters as dark haired man with a wide smile answers his question – a completely tone deaf What’s been your favorite part of the war so far? – with a curt Wouldn’t you like to know, jackass? and a wink thrown at Mandy. MacDonald uselessly swabs his face with his handkerchief before sighing, “I don’t think this place agrees with me.” He mutters, perhaps thinking Mandy can’t hear him over the noise of the bar. “I should have stuck to vaudeville.”

I’ll drink to that, she thinks to herself as she surveys the man who’s supposed to be a war correspondent.

“He seemed to like you, though,” MacDonald says. He gives Mandy a curious look that she’s all too familiar with – one that suggests that she do all the work while he rests his delicate little mind. “Maybe you should try talking to them, without me.”

He’s throwing her to the wolves – or, more accurately, the Marines. But strangely, she finds that she doesn’t mind this time. After all, she came here to write about the war. Write about it accurately, honestly. People back home need to know what’s being fought for. And if she can lend her pen, her camera, and her typewriter to the cause, then by golly, she will. 

She nods. “Not such a bad idea.” And then she leaves him there, alone at the table, before he can change his mind.

Looking for a good story is not so different from hunting, if you think about it. At the edge of the room, Mandy surveys the scene before her. The Marines may be wild, but most of them are also intoxicated, which means their lips will be loose. She can use that to her advantage. Especially now that she’s free of MacDonald.

There. From across the bar, her eyes land on the dark-haired man who winked at her earlier. He’s one of the few men not entertaining one of the bar’s local Australian girls. An easy target.

As if to prove her point about patience, someone taps her on the shoulder just as she’s about to march through the fray to reach her intended target.

A different man, this one with blond hair, blushes slightly when she turns to him. “Um, excuse me, Miss,” he says, his thick accent taking her by surprise. For just a second, she mistakes him for one of the locals before she realizes that he’s wearing an American uniform with the name Phillips on his chest.

Maybe getting a quote will be easier than she thought it would be. “Yes?” 

Phillips nods across the bar to the man that was her original target. “My friend over there said you were a reporter, looking for quotes?”

Mandy nods, smiles, trying to make herself as bright and warm and trustworthy as possible. “That I am.” She holds up her notepad and taps it with a red fingernail. “You don’t happen to have one for me, do you Phillips?”

He’s not blushing anymore. He only smiles and shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. I don’t think I’m good enough with words for that kind of thing. But my friend is,” he adds before she can lose interest.

“Oh?” Mandy raises an eyebrow. “Do you think he would give me an interview?”

“I’m sure he would,” Phillips replies. “In fact, he was writing the entire time we were on Guadalcanal. He’ll probably give you some of his original notes.”

Mandy has to take a breath, remind herself not to get her hopes up. This could all be a rouse, after all, by some stranger.

But then again, even though she doesn’t know this Phillips, he doesn’t give off the energy of someone trying to pull a fast one on her. Maybe it’s just his southern charm, but she’s tempted to trust him right away.

“That would be great. Mind taking me to him?”

“Sure thing.” Phillips starts to weave through the crowd, leading her through the bar. He looks back and extends a hand part of the way through their walk. “I’m Sid Phillips, by the way.”

She accepts his hand. He’s got a firm shake. More of that southern charm, perhaps. “Samantha Majors. But my friends call me Mandy.”

As they push deeper into the bar, several men call out greetings to Phillips, slapping him on the back and palling around as they pass. Phillips returns their handshakes and smiles, only stopping to ask if anyone has seen the Professor. Most men shrug off the question, but one man finally points toward the farthest part of the bar and announces over all the noise, “Lucky is over there! Guess he needed a place to think.”

Lucky. The Professor. She’ll have to remember to ask about these nicknames during their interview. No doubt there’s a good story behind them both.

She slips her notebook out of her pocket as they walk, readies her pen as she turns to Phillips, ideas already churning in her head. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“There he is!” Phillips nods to a table in the bar’s far corner, where a small group of men sit drinking, partly obscured by shadow. “That’s him in the middle, with the curly hair. Robert Leckie.”

At the same moment that Phillips says his name, the man in question leans forward, throwing his face into light so that Mandy catches a glimpse of him for the first time. The sight makes her heart drop, and she freezes as if she’s just been caught red-handed.

“No,” she whispers. Then, in her head. It can’t be.

For a split second, she thinks that maybe her luck will be good, that she’s changed so much since their school days that he won’t recognize her. They’re not kids anymore. Maybe he’s forgotten her.

But the second that his eyes land on her, she knows that it’s no good. His expression changes quickly as he drops the thread of conversation with his friends to stare at her in confusion, then recognition. A small smile crosses his face and he stands, not frozen the way that she is.

“Sammy Majors?!” He calls, voice slightly too loud with the excitement of someone who has been drinking.

Phillips’ brow furrows as he glances between them. “You two know each other?”

“Yes,” Mandy whispers at the same time that Leckie announces, “We grew up down the street from each other!”

“Well, that’s good, right?” Phillips turns to her when he asks. “No awkward introductions to hold back your interview.”

Mandy has to force the words out of her mouth; they feel like they’re stuck to her tongue with paste. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Leckie, as usual, seems undaunted by everything before him. He shoves the man sitting next to him over and uses a grand gesture to indicate the vacated seat to Mandy. “Come join us!”

The confident demeanor that she’s worked so hard to build up all these years is slipping. With every step she takes towards him, Mandy feels like she’s clinging to it for dear life. She has to remind herself that she’s no longer Sammy Majors, the little girl who sits by the window writing fairytales because she couldn’t go out to play. She’s no longer Sammy Majors, who entered every writing competition their school hosted in vain, always losing out to lucky Robert Leckie, whose stories and poems were always so much better than hers. Robert Leckie, who had a job at the local newspaper before they had even finished high school.

As she takes the seat he offers her, one of the other men at the table laughs when he asks, “Hey, Lucky, does Vera know about this?”

Robert Leckie, who always so obviously had a crush on Vera Keller from across the street. Robert Leckie, who never seemed to realize that she existed . . . but who recognized her at first sight after all these years, and on the other side of the world, to boot.

Leckie smiles at her, so warm and open, as if his success in writing didn’t come so easily to him that it always crushed Mandy’s heart, her hopes, and her dreams. “What are you doing here?”

In response, Mandy raises her notepad and purses her lips, resetting her usual, casual demeanor that she has spent so many years working on. “I’m with the Metro Express, and my source tells me that you might be good for a quote.”

Several of his friends ooh and aah like a Greek chorus, jostling him as they laugh.

“He’s got more than just a quote for you!” One of them hoots.

“Yeah,” another man adds. “Try a whole novel!”

Mandy raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?” When Leckie shrugs in response, she allows herself to smile, to be friendly, even though it goes against her better instincts. “Robert Leckie, ever the writer.”

“Fight by day, write by night.”

She makes a small scribble on her notepad to make sure her pen still works. “Well, Private Leckie. Do you have time for a quick interview?”

Leckie leans back in his seat and takes a drag off his cigarette. A smirk plays at the corners of his mouth as he exhales the smoke, nods. “Fire when ready, Miss Majors.”

[atotaltaitaitale]

.

It was a gold medal in my book… from start to finish and everything in between.

Warning: it’s very long. I know this is the era of short format and 30-sec attention spans…but please indulge me and read on. Thank you 🥰

What it is like to host a woldwide event under the microscope of the new social media phenomenon?

I feel like this is the first Olympic Games that is being held where social media and more specifically with the rise of TikTok during the Covid-19 pandemic are so prevalent in our daily lives. Of course pictures were shared on Instagram and Facebook for previous Olympic Games but the big change this time around is the mini video format of TikTok where everyone has become a “reporter” (not to use the term “influencer”) and as such gets to reach a worldwide audience with their personal opinions in an under 1-minute format. Opinions that become trends and in order to get views (and maybe even a monetary compensation) it is clear that “click-baits” are the way to go. Our brains have been hardwired through evolution to focus on the negative, and when adding to the mix Frenchbashing and France’s national sport of complaining you then get the perfect storm for what seemed to transpire in the news. The negative effect is a cognitive bias that says something very positive will generally have less of an impact on a person’s behavior and cognition than something equally emotional but negative. Negative draws more attention. The internet empowers weak people to vent crap, we all need to pay less attention to the opinions of others that have zero connection to you. However if you get away from yellow journalism or sensationalized headlines you get maybe a more nuanced picture of the games. Dare I say a lot more positive, borderline enthusiastic.

Now the core of the Olympics. The brief: “Make It Iconic”. And wow did they deliver!!

For months and in true French spirit I heard and read the most negative comments about the Olympics : it was going to be a disaster, we will be the laughing stock of the world, I’m leaving the city to avoid the chaos, etc etc. In truth it’s always the same scenario : a country of naysayers and then each and every time we pull ourselves together and we party like there is no tomorrow. It happened with football (soccer) and rugby championship… just this year! Since the Olympic cauldron was lit, every site in Paris has turned into powerfully vibey, unapologetically French summer party. There was no scenario where I wouldn’t be in town for at least some of the events; and it turned out that we stayed the whole time. How often do you get to live in the heart of the city hosting the Olympic Games? Well turned out twice for us: first Beijing2008 then Paris2024. The chaos of the pre-game preparation is part of the hassle of hosting but walking around the city in the past few months and seeing the infrastructure being erected in the heart of the city, while I recognize could be disruptive to some, I could see the vision of the Olympic committee. I personally was certain it was going to be amazingly breathtaking and it didn’t disappoint.

Refurbishing existing landmarks is the smartest Olympic investment and they have turned each event into a love song to France - brilliant marketing for tourists, as well as investment for the future. Even though France has topped the list of the most visited country in the world for at least the last 3 decades, with a staggering 100 millions visitors in 2023. France has earned gold by every measure. Every Parisian who dared to stay in Paris this summer will tell you the same thing: they have never enjoyed the city as much as this past few weeks. The people are joyful, the sports venues are iconic, the monuments are shining, the traffic is almost inexistant, the subway is even working well. Tourists mentioned how well organized it is, how the city is calm and relaxed, people are happy and dancing... these games are a huge success. Everything is amazingly on time, safe, clean, no lines, no wait times, no wrong seating, no confusion. Rude Paris service might even just be a myth. The haters can keep whining on social media, it won't change a thing!

I had a very unique way of choosing events to attend. I chose the venues over the disciplines. I wanted to experience the games in the heart of the city with breathtaking background as I don’t have a favorite sport or root for a particular team (well apart for Team France mostly!). So I chose Stade Tour Eiffel, and it just happened that Beach Volleyball was the sport (I even got to see a game with the France team and even the USA team by chance). I did the same with Stade Les Invalides and saw Archery, Stade Concorde and saw amazing young women athletes in skateboarding. I went all the way in the suburbs to go see water polo (again by chance the French team and the USA team played) at the only purpose-built for the Olympics infrastructure Centre Aquatique Saint Denis. I will get to go to the Grand Palais (one of my favorite monument in Paris) for the Paralympics and also Stade de France for Para Track & Fields, as prices were a lot more reasonable and I’m a big advocate of the paralympics. Roland Garros with wheelchair tennis and Paris Arena with para swimming (didn’t make it to Taylor concert so at least I can see how they build a swimming pool where a stage was just a few months prior!!!) are also on my list of places I will be for the paralympics.

The organizing committee had committed to using 95% of existing or temporary venues, which aligns with their vision of promoting responsible event production and reducing the environmental impact. They were the very first Olympic Games with full gender parity, because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allocated 50 per cent of the quota places to female athletes and 50 per cent to male athletes for a total of 10,500 competitors. Countries were encouraged to have a female and male flag bearer. Parity was there even in the lighting of the flame. The last event of the Olympics was also switched from the Men Marathon to the Women Marathon. Holding the women’s marathon after the men’s event, bringing the Games to a close, is hugely symbolic. Especially with the marathon, because women struggled for a long time to be able to take part. The route itself recognized a key moment from the French Revolution: the Women’s March on Versailles on 5 October 1789 when market women shopkeepers and workers from popular quarters gathered in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris to demand bread and arms. Between 6,000 and 7,000 Parisian women marched through Paris to Versailles to bring the king back to the Tuileries Garden. That day, Louis XVI finally agreed to ratify the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens.

Providing people in France with an outstanding Games experience has always been Paris 2024's ambition. With the Marathon pour Tous (Mass Participation Marathon), amateur athletes were able to run the same route as the Olympic marathon enabling people to follow in the footsteps of outstanding athletes. In line with the parity of the games 20,024 participants (half women and half men) got to run during the night of Saturday and an additional 20,024 participants (again half women, half men) got to run a 10k route. A truly amazing addition to this year Olympics. With the Olympic Cauldron, which has always remained on the ground in the past, the committee decided to pay tribute to French pioneers Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, who invented the Montgolfier-style hot air balloon, so the Cauldron was designed as part of a hot air balloon. The Olympic cauldron reflects the organizers' desire to place the Games and their symbols at the center of life in the capital, making the Olympic flame visible to all and contributing to the Olympic fervor in Paris. The golden balloon and cauldron sits in the Tuileries Gardens and it is sent a hundred feet up in the air every day at sunset. In 1783, the Mongolfier balloon took off from the Tuileries in front of 400,000 spectators and in the 1790s, the first-ever aerostiers brigade, the French Air Force’s hot air balloon corps, did its earliest hydrogen experiments in the Tuileries next to the Louvre.

Multiple other French rituals were also added to this Olympics. For example at the start of each sporting event, three blows are given to the floor, in the manner of theatrical tradition; these three strokes of the brigadier (the stick) are a way of combining sport and theater, and paying tribute to France's cultural tradition. In addition to the cultural symbolism, this tradition is intended to impose a certain solemn and ceremonial dimension on the event, emphasizing the importance of respecting the athletes' performances and is intended to create a strong bond between spectators and athletes. These three strokes are a reminder that each event is a unique performance that deserves the public's attention and respect. Another fun ritual is the restored bell from Notre Dame that hadn't been rung since the fire that damaged it in 2019. It has Paris 2024 engraved on it and gold medalists get to ring it and forever leave their mark on the famous city when the Games conclude, as the bell is moving to its new home at Notre Dame when the cathedral's renovations are complete.

But we cannot finish a post about Paris 2024 without addressing the elephant in the room i.e. the Opening Ceremony.

Before I start, it was so disappointing that the weather decided to turn ugly after days of sunshine just as the ceremony was starting and if you looked at a weather map during the event you would have seen that the rain was located only above Paris. But C’est la Vie!

From my French point of view seeing it in France, having just moved back here after 25+ years abroad, and after talking to many friends from different countries, the French TV commentators gave a lot more explanation during the ceremony so even if you didn’t necessarily have all the cultural references you could follow along and get it. I think it would have generated a lot less controversy if international TV commentators had had some knowledge or at least some guidelines, but then it would have spoiled the surprise if leaked before the ceremony. Just my 2 cents. Every host country tries to inject their own culture into the opening ceremony. As a reference I feel we got a different point of view of the Beijing Olympic Opening ceremony in 2008 because we lived there and understood the culture a little more than average Jo on TV and it’s true for each country. We just went a little above average… because well we are French ;-)

The opening was a mixture of references to history, culture, sport, music and, last but not least, the current issues. It carried a strong political message. All that on the backdrop of the City of Light with its plethora of buildings, parcs, spaces and the majestic Seine. It may have been tough to catch every nod to a book, character, painting or song during the event. The French have put a lot of thoughts into the significance of the olympics and of their country. It’s sad that it got nitpicked and focused to one or two scenes.

But we also have to talk a little about confirmation bias: this is our tendency as humans to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with our existing beliefs. This means if we read something or hear something that lines up with what we already think, then we are all in, often no questions asked. And then we may just hold on to our bias for dear life. “It’s a mockery of the Last Supper” may fit in really well with our confirmation bias for example if we are already feeling persecuted or believe we are being attacked. So when we hear that it wasn’t based on “The Last Supper” at all and instead on Greek mythology “Feast of Dionysus” painted by Jan Harmensz between 1635-1640 in France and hung in the Magnin Museum in Dijon, which makes more sense in reality since it links a piece of art located in France with Greece and the theme of opulence, we still have a really hard time stepping away from what we read or believe about the Last Supper. We may dig in and hold on explaining away all the things that don’t line up. We may choose to think everything that doesn’t fit with our bias is false, even if it comes directly from a source that should be given credit, for example the people who planned it! This is normal brain behavior and we all do it. I don’t care what “side” you are on, your brain does this. The trick is to know it and help your brain do better.

At the same time I know it can be hard for foreigners to understand all the messages this ceremony tried to convey. The title of the opening ceremony was “Ca Ira” (meaning it’s going to be ok) it’s a revolutionary song. The opening ceremony has the power to change people’s minds. Even though we are facing great challenges, “Ça ira”. The ceremony was created like a theater play by one of the greatest French theater directors of his generation, Thomas Jolly. They scripted it like a play to take you on an amazing journey from point A to Z. The ceremony took place in the city and unfortunately in the rain! It was spectacular. Axelle Saint-Cirel, a French Black woman, sang the French national anthem. In these times in our country, this is bold.

One of the best comments I read online: “Reading opening ceremony hot takes makes me think a lot of y’all have never heard of the French and their French ways”. It also reminded me of something I heard a while back “the French do not care what you think of them. You are not the main character here.”

Paris is, and always has been, a city of romance, excess, and toppling authority.

Also one must remember the Latin phrase used as the motto of the city of Paris: ‘Fluctuat nec mergitur” “tossed by the waves but does not sink”

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will go down in history for their stunning venues in the heart of Paris and across France, their focus on sustainability and legacy, and the record-breaking performances by athletes from the territories of 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Refugee Olympic Team. Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) are reporting record figures compared to previous Games, with Paris 2024 anticipated to be the most followed Games ever, with over half of the world's population expected to have engaged with them.

Olympics 2024 organizers said the Paris Games broke the record for the most number of tickets sold or allocated in the event's history: 9.7 million tickets were sold or allocated for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million sold for the former and a million for the latter. The previous ticket sales record was held by Atlanta in 1996 (the “Centennial Game”) when 8.3 million tickets were sold.

Good luck to the next country/city.

LA: You might not have iconic historical landmarks as backdrop but you have showbiz. Your stadium are big, bigger and biggest and so is your motto. You might not have to worry about rain but I hope you won’t have to worry about wild fires. Anyway You do you. You should do whatever is best for you, no matter what other people think… because France sure did.

With love from Paris 🇫🇷

PS: do not forget the Olympics are not quite finished… there is still the Paralympics and the amazing athletes competing. They need our encouragement too.

There is no excuse since Paris 2024 will make history as the first Paralympic Games to offer some live coverage from each of the 22 sports. There will be record number of broadcasters to cover Paris 2024 Paralympics. Media Rights Holders in more than 160 countries and territories have committed to broadcasting the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Edit: I wrote a shorter version for the Paralympics… give it a go here you may as well 🤷‍♀️

[insipid-drivel]

Y2K’s Forgotten Heroes And The Looming Threat of 2038

I feel like sharing some information about the 90′s to people here. Particularly about Y2K, aka Internet Armageddon That Didn’t Happen In 2000 Thanks To People You Haven’t Heard Of Like My Mom.

My mom, among her teammates and people tasked with similar roles to her, never get any recognition for the work they did in keeping computers across the globe functioning in 2000. She was a project manager among a group of overstressed, underappreciated people that worked at a company called Intel that are responsible for preventing a global societal collapse in 1999. Y2K being allowed to happen the way people thought it would (and really, it was going to be worse than even Intel could forecast and they still don’t know how bad it would’ve been) would’ve undoubtedly destroyed the fabric of the internet in 1999 and 2000, and therefore, no social media platforms like this Hellsite right here. She’s actually on tumblr and has been following the Muskrat’s destruction of Twitter with mute, techie horror.

In the years leading up to 2000, the world was panicking on its tenderhooks due to the looming crisis that was Y2K. For those of you that are either too young to remember or just didn’t know about it, Y2K was a big deal. A planet-alteringly big deal. A “We don’t know how much would’ve crashed and burned in our world’s society and economy if we’d ignored it,” big deal. tl;dr: All computer software around the world wasn’t programmed to have their internal clocks transfer to January 1st, 2000. Instead, what was going to happen was every functioning computer in the world running Intel software - on New Years Eve, 1999 - would change calendars to January 1st, 1900.

This was a catastrophic prospect for everyone impacted by the computer age. People receiving social security benefits and paying off formal loans with interest rates would suddenly receive benefits and payment rates documented in 1900. NORAD, the international weather-tracking service kids use to track Santa on Christmas Eve and that warns people of natural disasters like hurricanes, would have gone dark with no timestamps to indicate major shifts in weather. Entire governments would lose all digital contact with one another. The WHO and CDC would go dark. Hospital networks would’ve gone down. The Stock Market would’ve gone to shit. No one in the world would’ve been immune. If Japan suffered a massive, horrific famine due directly to the 1929 crash of the US Stock Market before the Internet, imagine what would’ve happened if the very screens that displayed the global stock market records to major metropolitan cities around the world just... stopped working in 2000. Went dark. Blue-screened. An entire system built upon split-second trades, bids, buyouts, and reports for trade around the world would’ve shut down for a lot longer than just a split second.

By the time it was almost the year 2000, the Internet as we knew it was like a gigantic, invisible, planet-sized Rube Goldberg machine that a comparatively microscopic group of people were tasked with repairing before it could fail in ways they couldn’t foretell, without being able to live-test any of their solutions. It was “Fuck it, we’re doing it live!” to the extreme. Most of the programmers that had built the infrastructure for the Internet and computer technology as we recognize it, all the way back in the 60′s, were retired, dead, no longer working in those sectors, or simply hadn’t kept up with changes in the technology and couldn’t be brought up to speed to help in time. Even the highest echelons of the management at Intel itself didn’t really consider Y2K to be a big concern, except for my mom’s department. I still have lingering anxiety and trauma from hearing the sound of a woman’s voice shouting with panic and anger, because she was the one literally shouting into her phone to “Nah, we’ll be fine,” Luddite tech giants that NO, NOTHING WAS FINE AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE VERY BAD from the time I was born in 1992 to January 1st, 2000.

Any programs and companies relying upon Microsoft software, even Word and Excel, would have either suffered catastrophic errors, or ceased to function altogether, too. The team handling Y2K didn’t know how bad it could’ve actually gotten at the time, and they were still responsible for stopping it. To this day, my mom and the rest of the team members that worked with her can’t actually say how much of our technological lives would’ve been destroyed if they’d done nothing. The potential destruction was literally unfathomable. The global economy relied on computers and tech by the time Y2K became a major topic of concern to experts, much less casual everyday users.

This was before WiFi. This was before smartphones. HotSpots? The stuff of cyberpunk fantasies. This was before most cell phones had a text feature; you carried your cell phone and a pager separately, and if you thought character limits on Twitter were bad? lol. Ever had to make a collect call in a phone booth? Do you have any idea how badly we’d freak each other out over the thought of the germs on those things? If you couldn’t afford a collect call, which cost for every minute you were talking, you had to get creative and learn to say who you were and where you were to someone in the, “Caller, at the tone, please state only your name, beep” 3-second window of free time you got to contact someone.

You could’ve been stuck in a bad neighborhood at 3am. Taxis didn’t pick up hitchhikers like they do in New York, and you could screw off if you didn’t have cash on you; credit cards were mostly used at malls and supermarkets, and retail workers from the 90′s to this day still have the question “Credit or debit?” burned into their souls. You needed coins as well as bills and credit cards. It was still common to pay for groceries with a paper check, because you carried a checkbook around with you everywhere as an adult. There was no RideShare service with anyone but a serial killer, because yeah, serial killers loved targeting stranded pedestrians back then and that’s why nobody hitchhikes anymore. Homicidal freaks like The Green River Killer (Gary Ridgway) and BTK (Dennis Rader) were still at large and unidentified. It was thanks to revolutions in tech and computers that they were caught at all; BTK having been busted thanks to metadata and TIME STAMPS on a floppy disk.

AOL was still one of the top ISPs and email services to the United States. You would receive installation CDs for AOL in children’s cereal boxes like prizes. Dial-up was still a normal part of life. Blockbuster was renting out Nintendo 64 games along with VHS movies. DVD players were revolutionary. Barnes & Noble and Borders were still competing. The FBI still warned you at the start of a movie that piracy was illegal while almost every VHS had a “record” setting you could use with impunity. Amazon was primarily an online bookstore. J.K. Rowling was just some closeted TERF that just published her first weird, popular British fairytale about some kid that went to a school for wizards where goblins were real but black people weren’t. You could get a copy at the Scholastic Book Faire if your school library didn’t have it. MySpace wasn’t a thing. YouTube didn’t exist. Cell phones were big and sturdy enough to be used as a lethal weapon. AskJeeves was one of the most popular search engines because, fuck it, Jeeves was a dapper butler and asking him questions was fun. A phone call could disconnect you from the internet unless you paid for multiple lines. DSL was seen as the newest, hottest, next-gen concept. The World Trade Center was still standing and present in the generic backdrops of nearly every daytime or New York-based news or talk show. Mr. Rogers, Bill Nye, and Bob Ross were amazing children on PBS between episodes of Reading Rainbow and Sesame Street while people were shell-shocked over Princess Diana’s death. Pluto was still classified as a planet. Wishbone was a Jack Russel Terrier that reenacted famous literary adventures.

Germany was being cajoled into reunifying after Mr. Gorbachev agreed to take the wall down. Namibia was a new country and no longer part of South Africa. We were losing our minds over photos from the brand new Hubble Space Telescope. Yugoslavia existed. Czechoslovakia was splitting. We were learning to call the USSR “Russia” again. Yemen was being unified. The Human Genome Project had just been announced. The Cold War was finally over!

Meanwhile, my mom worked as a project manager at Intel specifically tasked with replacing and/or reprogramming any and all Intel computer software with extended time stamps past 1999, for the entire technological world. You’re here, right now, reading this very post in part thanks to her and her team’s exhaustive years of work to change and update the entire world’s software. If it required anything from Intel to function or had to co-function with Intel, it was part of my mom’s job to beat the literal countdown to January 1st, 2000.

If she and her team failed, it was lights out. She was bouncing me on her knee while fielding calls from everywhere from Silicon Valley, California, to London, England, to Beirut, Lebanon, to Tokyo, Japan. My every day around her was nothing but tech-talk when it was actually in English. Those incredibly intelligent, clever, gifted men and women from around the world spared not a single second for themselves when it came to their singular, united focus on stopping Y2K from bringing the entire global economy and communications to their knees.

My mom didn’t take maternity leave with my baby brother in 1998; she telecommuted instead in order to keep working. When she would go on business trips almost every week, she would bring me back plush toys of dolls in clean-room Intel Bunny Suits instead of stuffed animals. Stopping Y2K was too important.

And you know what happened? Nothing. 2000 rolled around, and the first thing to start were conspiracy theories that Y2K had been made up, or that Y2K itself had been its own conspiracy theory to trick users into buying new computers and software. In fact, the people responsible for preventing Y2K turned an impending global disaster into what is now known as “the first challenge of the 21st century successfully met.“

And yet, to this very day, the real people responsible for fixing everything before it had a chance to break go unmentioned and unrecognized. They never received fanfare or thanks, but scrutiny and skepticism instead. Can you imagine doing a job so well and so efficiently that the entire modern world either ignored you, or even got pissed at you because things didn’t fall apart? Their children - me included - grew up steeped in the understanding and fear that if we tried to demand more attention from them, we were stopping them from saving the world as we knew it.

So, as you finish reading this, I ask you to go out there and learn about “The 2038 Problem”. While it’s being handled differently thanks to the precedent my mom and her fellow badass, dedicated teammates set, it still has to be handled in time, just like Y2K. The original team may have been left to disappear into obscurity, so the very least we can do is thank the hard-working people that are toiling away as we speak to keep the lights on again in 2038.

[taylortruther]

I feel like part of the point of releasing So Much music is specifically to enable some of it to get lost/buried. Idk if it’s super purposeful, but she’s sort of saturating the new Taylor music market, which helps lessen the intensity of the microscope on every little detail. She’s always sort of buried more controversial/direct music in deluxe editions etc and obviously she’s been thinking a lot about how to ethically write about real life situations/people by factionalizing, using more third person narration, explicitly stating that she “changed your name and any real defining clues”. I think releasing so much content (ugh I hate that word) helps with the public autopsy. Kind of like how ~at first~ social media allowed celebs to control their public image and take away some power from paps. Idk if that makes sense as a connection but yeah

hmmm, idk. i think she just likes to create. agreed that she usually shares more uncomfortable or vulnerable stuff on bonus or deluxe tracks but, idk, the standard version of ttpd was pretty raw 😭 i feel she has found a boundary by simply not engaging with stuff online and finding ways to write about her experience without laying out the exact events (which i think she does well in ttpd.)

[alexjcrowley]

Look, it's not to defend Succession at all costs or anything, but I honestly think Tomgreg isn't queerbaiting.

From my perspective (and this is just my opinion), while technically fitting the bill, Tomgreg misses the point of queerbaiting entirely.

Okay, so, by definition, queerbaiting is "a marketing technique for fiction and entertainment in which creators hint at, but then do not depict, same-sex romance or other LGBQTIA+ representation." And while the purpose of queerbaiting is to attract, so to bait, LGBQTIA+ or allies of the community to watch/read/generally enjoy a piece of media, the reason why the LGBQTIA+ representation is then never actually present is not to make the homophobic share of the public uncomfortable.

Like I watched BBC Sherlock with my dad, and I used to riot for Johnlock, but my dad couldn't see it. He laughed at "I'm not gay" jokes by Watson, but he never thought John and Sherlock were acting like a couple, alright?

I think Tomgreg misses the point of queerbaiting because it succeeds not only into making uncomfortable the homophobic share of the public, but also the allies and the LGBQTIA+ community. Tomgreg moments are so painful to watch, whether you're straight or not. The cringe coming from Tom Wambsgans is unmatched. I honestly don't know what Jesse Armstrong is gaining from this: it's not for the straights, it's not for the allies, it's for the gays etc., it's there to make you understand the meaning of "I wanna study Cousin Greg under a microscope".

Who is Tomgreg benefitting, other than Nicholas Braun receiving forehead kisses from Matthew MacFadyen?

Yes, it's A bait, but for whom? Whom is it baiting? Who is attracted by that? And I mean by a reason other than a morbid and self destructive curiosity of seeing something real fucked up like a car accident.

That's what Tomgreg is, the most gruesome car accident ever showed on TV and none of us has yet been able to look away.

So I think, I think while technically being queerbaiting, it just misses the point entirely of what queerbaiting is: secretly attracting the LGBQTIA+, while keeping the homophobic straight viewers. Succession scares the homophones away, but also succeeds in its pursuit to make everyone else who keeps watching extremely uncomfortable.

I do NOT want Tom and Greg to be together, I could actually use them to be less gay.

And before you tell me this is just me, there are I don't know how many posts, tweets or TikToks that explain how they specifically want Tomgreg to be canon not in a kisses and I love you way but in a "fuck me fuck you" not always necessarily physical, but always metaphorical way.

A fair share of Tomgreg fans are calling for war and whore behaviours on both sides, not love, not healthy committed relationship, just anger and resentment and betrayal and whatever drug Jesse Armstrong put in there.

This isn't even a TedTalk, so I don't know if I should thank you.