#Panel Saw Market Share

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The long, bloody lineage of private equity's looting

Tomorrow (June 3) at 1:30PM, I’m in Edinburgh for the Cymera Festival on a panel with Nina Allen and Ian McDonald.

Monday (June 5) at 7:15PM, I’m in London at the British Library with my novel Red Team Blues, hosted by Baroness Martha Lane Fox.

Fans of the Sopranos will remember the “bust out” as a mob tactic in which a business is taken over, loaded up with debt, and driven into the ground, wrecking the lives of the business’s workers, customers and suppliers. When the mafia does this, we call it a bust out; when Wall Street does it, we call it “private equity.”

It used to be that we rarely heard about private equity, but then, as national chains and iconic companies started to vanish, this mysterious financial arrangement popped up with increasing frequency. When a finance bro’s presentation on why Olive Garden needed to be re-orged when viral, there was a lot off snickering about the decline of a tacky business whose value prop was unlimited carbs. But the bro was working for Starboard Value, a hedge fund that specialized in buhying out and killing off companies, pocketing billions while destroying profitable businesses.

https://www.salon.com/2014/09/17/the_real_olive_garden_scandal_why_greedy_hedge_funders_suddenly_care_so_much_about_breadsticks/

Starboard Value’s game was straightforward: buy a business, load it with debt, sell off its physical plant — the buildings it did business out of — pay itself, and then have the business lease back the buildings, bleeding out money until it collapsed. They pulled it with Red Lobster,and the point of the viral Olive Garden dis track was to soften up the company for its own bust out.

The bust out tactic wasn’t limited to mocking middlebrow family restaurants. For years, the crooks who ran these ops did a brisk trade in blaming the internet. Why did Sears tank? Everyone knows that the 19th century business was an antique, incapable of mounting a challenge in the age of e-commerce. That was a great smokescreen for an old-fashioned bust out that saw corporate looters make off with hundreds of millions, leaving behind empty storefronts and emptier pension accounts for the workers who built the wealth the looters stole:

https://prospect.org/economy/vulture-capitalism-killed-sears/

Same goes for Toys R Us: it wasn’t Amazon that killed the iconic toy retailer — it was the PE bosses who extracted $200m from the chain, then walked away, hands in pockets and whistling, while the businesses collapsed and the workers got zero severance:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/06/01/how-can-they-walk-away-with-millions-and-leave-workers-with-zero-toys-r-us-workers-say-they-deserve-severance/

It’s a good racket — for the racketeers. Private equity has grown from a finance sideshow to Wall Street’s apex predator, and it’s devouring the real economy through a string of audactious bust outs, each more consequential and depraved than the last.

As PE shows that it can turn profitable businesses gigantic windfalls, sticking the rest of us with the job of sorting out the smoking craters they leave behind, more and more investors are piling in. Today, the PE sector loves a rollup, which is when they buy several related businesses and merge them into one firm. The nominal business-case for a rollup is that the new, bigger firm is more “efficient.” In reality, a rollup’s strength is in eliminating competition. When all the pet groomers, or funeral homes, or urgent care clinics for ten miles share the same owner, they can raise prices, lower wages, and fuck over suppliers.

They can also borrow. A quirk of the credit markets is that a standalone small business is valued at about 3–5x its annual revenues. But if that business is part of a large firm, it is valued at 10–20x annual turnover. That means that when a private equity company rolls up a comedy club, ad agency or water bottler (all businesses presently experiencing PE rollup), with $1m in annual revenues, it shows up on the PE company’s balance sheet as an asset worth $10–20m. That’s $10–20m worth of collateral the PE fund can stake for loans that let it buy and roll up more small businesses.

2.9 million Boomer-owned businesses, employing 32m people, are expected to sell in the next couple years as their owners retire. Most of these businesses will sell to PE firms, who can afford to pay more for them as a prelude to a bust out than anyone intending to operate them as a productive business could ever pay:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/16/schumpeterian-terrorism/#deliberately-broken

PE’s most ghastly impact is felt in the health care sector. Whole towns’ worth of emergency rooms, family practices, labs and other health firms have been scooped up by PE, which has spent more than $1t since 2012 on health acquisitions:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/17/the-doctor-will-fleece-you-now/#pe-in-full-effect

Once a health care company is owned by PE, it is significantly more likely to commit medicare fraud. It also cuts wages and staffing for doctors and nurses. PE-owned facilities do more unnecessary and often dangerous procedures. Appointments get shorter. The companies get embroiled in kickback scandals. PE-backed dentists hack away at children’s mouths, filling them full of root-canals.

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/17/the-doctor-will-fleece-you-now/#pe-in-full-effect

The Healthcare Private Equity Association boasts that its members are poised to spend more than $3t to create “the future of healthcare.”

https://hcpea.org/#!event-list

As bad as PE is for healthcare, it’s worse for long-term care. PE-owned nursing homes are charnel houses, and there’s a particularly nasty PE scam where elderly patients are tricked into signing up for palliative care, which is never delivered (and isn’t needed, because the patients aren’t dying!). These fake “hospices” get huge payouts from medicare — and the patient is made permanently ineligible for future medicare, because they are recorded being in their final decline:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/26/death-panels/#what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-CMS

Every part of the health care sector is being busted out by PE. Another ugly PE trick, the “club deal,” is devouring the medical supply business. Club deals were huge in the 2000s, destroying rent-controlled housing, energy companies, Mervyn’s department stores, Harrah’s, and Old Country Joe. Now it’s doing the same to medical supplies:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/14/billionaire-class-solidarity/#club-deals

Private equity is behind the mass rollup of single-family homes across America. Wall Street landlords are the worst landlords in America, who load up your rent with junk fees, leave your home in a state of dangerous disrepair, and evict you at the drop of a hat:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/16/die-miete-ist-zu-hoch/#assets-v-human-rights

As these houses decay through neglect, private equity makes a bundle from tenants and even more borrowing against the houses. In a few short years, much of America’s desperately undersupplied housing stock will be beyond repair. It’s a bust out.

You know all those exploding trains filled with dangerous chemicals that poison entire towns? Private equity bust outs:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/04/up-your-nose/#rail-barons

Where did PE come from? How can these people look themselves in the mirror? Why do we let them get away with it? How do we stop them?

Today in The American Prospect, Maureen Tkacik reviews two new books that try to answer all four of these questions, but really only manage to answer the first three:

https://prospect.org/culture/books/2023-06-02-days-of-plunder-morgenson-rosner-ballou-review/

The first of these books is These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs — and Wrecks — America by Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/These-Are-the-Plunderers/Gretchen-Morgenson/9781982191283

The second is Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou:

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brendan-ballou/plunder/9781541702103/

Both books describe the bust out from the inside. For example, PetSmart — looted for $30 billion by RaymondSvider and his PE fund BC Partners — is a slaughterhouse for animals. The company systematically neglects animals — failing to pay workers to come in and feed them, say, or refusing to provide backup power to run during power outages, letting animals freeze or roast to death. Though PetSmart has its own vet clinics, the company doesn’t want to pay its vets to nurse the animals it damages, so it denies them care. But the company is also too cheap to euthanize those animals, so it lets them starve to death. PetSmart is also too cheap to cremate the animals, so its traumatized staff are ordered to smuggle the dead, rotting animals into random dumpsters.

All this happened while PetSmart’s sales increased by 60%, matched by growth in the company’s gross margins. All that money went to the bust out.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoinegara/2021/09/27/the-30-billion-kitty-meet-the-investor-who-made-a-fortune-on-pet-food/

Tkacik says these books show that we’re finally getting wise to PE. Back in the Clinton years, the PE critique painted the perps as sharp operators who reduced quality and jacked up prices. Today, books like these paint these “investors” as the monsters they are — crooks whose bust ups are crimes, not clever finance hacks.

Take the Carlyle Group, which pioneered nursing home rollups. As Carlyle slashed wages, its workers suffered — but its elderly patients suffered more. Thousands of Carlyle “customers” died of “dehydration, gangrenous bedsores, and preventable falls” in the pre-covid years.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/opioid-overdoses-bedsores-and-broken-bones-what-happened-when-a-private-equity-firm-sought-profits-in-caring-for-societys-most-vulnerable/2018/11/25/09089a4a-ed14-11e8-baac-2a674e91502b_story.html

KKR, another PE monster, bought a second-hand chain of homes for mentally disabled adults from another PE company, then squeezed it for the last drops of blood left in the corpse. KKR cut wages to $8/hour and increased shifts to 36 hours, then threatened to have workers who went home early arrested and charged with “patient abandonment.” Many of these homes were often left with no staff at all, with patients left to starve and stew in their own waste.

PE loves to pick on people who can’t fight back: kids, sick people, disabled people, old people. No surprise, then, that PE loves prisons — the ultimate captive audience. HIG Capital is a $55b fund that owns TKC Holdings, who got the contract to feed the prisoners at 400 institutions. They got the contract after the prisons fired Aramark, owned by PE giant Warburg Pincus, whose food was so inedible that it provoked riots. TKC got a million bucks extra to take over the food at Michigan’s Kinross Correctional Facility, then, incredibly, made the food worse. A chef who refused to serve 100 bags of rotten potatoes (“the most disgusting thing I’ve seen in my life”) was fired:

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/michigan/prison-food-worker-i-was-fired-for-refusing-to-serve-rotten-potatoes/69-467297770

TKC doesn’t just operate prison kitchens — it operates prison commissaries, where it gouges prisoners on junk food to replace the inedible slop it serves in the cafeteria. The prisoners buy this food with money they make working in the prison workshops, for $0.10–0.25/hour. Those workshops are also run by TKC.

Tkacic traces private equity back to the “corporate raiders” of the 1950s and 1960s, who “stealthily borrowed money to buy up enough shares in a small or midsized company to control its biggest bloc of votes, then force a stock swap and install himself as CEO.”

The most famous of these raiders was Eli Black, who took over United Fruit with this gambit — a company that had a long association with the CIA, who had obligingly toppled democratically elected governments and installed dictators friendly to United’s interests (this is where the term “banana republic” comes from).

Eli Black’s son is Leon Black, a notorious PE predator. Leon Black got his start working for the junk-bonds kingpin Michael Milken, optimizing Milken’s operation, which was the most terrifying bust out machine of its day, buying, debt-loading and wrecking a string of beloved American businesses. Milken bought 2,000 companies and put 200 of them through bankruptcy, leaving the survivors in a brittle, weakened state.

It got so bad that the Business Roundtable complained about the practice to Congress, calling Milken, Black, et al, “a small group is systematically extracting the equity from corporations and replacing it with debt, and incidentally accumulating major wealth.”

Black stabbed Milken in the back and tanked his business, then set out on his own. Among the businesses he destroyed was Samsonite, “a bankrupt-but-healthy company he subjected to 12 humiliating years of repeated fee extractions, debt-funded dividend payments, brutal plant closings, and hideous schemes to induce employees to buy its worthless stock.”

The money to buy Samsonite — and many other businesses — came through a shadowy deal between Black and John Garamendi, then a California insurance commissioner, now a California congressman. Garamendi helped Black buy a $6b portfolio of junk bonds from an insurance company in a wildly shady deal. Garamendi wrote down the bonds by $3.9b, stealing money “from innocent people who needed the money to pay for loved ones’ funerals, irreparable injuries, etc.”

Black ended up getting all kinds of favors from powerful politicians — including former Connecticut governor John Rowland and Donald Trump. He also wired $188m to Jeffrey Epstein for reasons that remain opaque.

Black’s shady deals are a marked contrast with the exalted political circles he travels in. Despite private equity’s obviously shady conduct, it is the preferred partner for cities and states, who buy everything from ambulance services to infrastructure from PE-owned companies, with disastrous results. Federal agencies turn a blind eye to their ripoffs, or even abet them. 38 state houses passed legislation immunizing nursing homes from liability during the start of the covid crisis.

PE barons are shameless about presenting themselves as upstanding cits, unfairly maligned. When Obama made an empty promise to tax billionaires in 2010, Blackstone founder SteveS chwarzman declared, “It’s a war. It’s like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.”

Since we’re on the subject of Hitler, this is a good spot to bring up Monowitz, a private-sector satellite of Auschwitz operated by IG Farben as a slave labor camp to make rubber and other materiel it supplied at a substantial markup to the wermacht. I’d never heard of Monowitz, but Tkacik’s description of the camp is chilling, even in comparison to Auschwitz itself.

Farben used slave laborers from Auschwitz to work at its rubber plant, but was frustrated by the logistics of moving those slaves down the 4.5m stretch of road to the facility. So the company bought 25,000 slaves — preferring children, who were cheaper — and installed them in a co-located death-camp called Monowitz:

https://www.commentary.org/articles/r-tannenbaum/the-devils-chemists-by-josiah-e-dubois-jr/

Monowitz was — incredibly — worse than Auschwitz. It was so bad, the SS guards who worked at it complained to Berlin about the conditions. The SS demanded more hospitals for the workers who dropped from beatings and overwork — Farben refused, citing the cost. The factory never produced a steady supply of rubber, but thanks to its gouging and the brutal treatment of its slaves, the camp was still profitable and returned large dividends to Farben’s investors.

Apologists for slavery sometimes claim that slavers are at least incentivized to maintain the health of their captive workforce. This was definitely not true of Farben. Monowitz slaves died on average after three months in the camp. And Farben’s subsidiary, Degesch, made the special Zyklon B formulation used in Auschwitz’s gas chambers.

Tkacik’s point is that the Nazis killed for ideology and were unimaginably cruel. Farben killed for money — and they were even worse. The banality of evil gets even more banal when it’s done in service to maximizing shareholder value.

As Farben historian Joseph Borkin wrote, the company “reduced slave labor to a consumable raw material, a human ore from which the mineral of life was systematically extracted”:

https://www.scribd.com/document/517797736/The-Crime-and-Punishment-of-I-G-Farben

Farben’s connection to the Nazis was a the subject of Germany’s Master Plan: The Story of Industrial Offensive, a 1943 bestseller by Borkin, who was also an antitrust lawyer. It described how Farben had manipulated global commodities markets in order to create shortages that “guaranteed Hitler’s early victories.”

Master Plan became a rallying point in the movement to shatter corporate power. But large US firms like Dow Chemical and Standard Oil waged war on the book, demanding that it be retracted. Borkin was forced into resignation and obscurity in 1945.

Meanwhile, in Nuremberg, 24 Farben executives were tried for their war crimes, and they cited their obligations to their shareholders in their defense. All but five were acquitted on this basis.

Seen in that light, the plunderers of today’s PE firms are part of a long and dishonorable tradition, one that puts profit ahead of every other priority or consideration. It’s a defense that wowed the judges at Nuremberg, so should we be surprised that it still plays in 2023?

Tkacik is frustrated that neither of these books have much to offer by way of solutions, but she understands why that would be. After all, if we can’t even close the carried interest tax loophole, how can we hope to do anything meaningful?

“Carried interest” comes up in every election cycle. Most of us assume it has something to do with “interest payments,” but that’s not true. The carried interest loophole relates to the “interest” that 16th-century sea captains had in their cargo. It’s a 600-year-old tax loophole that private equity bosses use to pay little or no tax on their billions. The fact that it’s still on the books tells you everything you need to know about whether our political class wants to do anything about PE’s plundering.

Notwithstanding Tkacik’s (entirely justified) skepticism of the weaksauce remedies proposed in these books, there is some hope of meaningful action. Private equity’s rollups are only possible because they skate under the $101m threshold for merger scrutiny. However, there is good — but unenforced — law that allows antitrust enforcers to block these mergers. This is the “incipiency standard” — Sec 7 of the Clayton Act — the idea that a relatively small merger might not be big enough to trigger enforcement action on its own, but regulators can still act to block it if it creates an incipient monopoly.

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/16/schumpeterian-terrorism/#deliberately-broken

The US has a new crop of aggressive — fearless — top antitrust enforcers and they’ve been systematically reviving these old laws to go after monopolies.

That’s long overdue. Markets are machines for eroding our moral values: “In comparison to non-market decisions, moral standards are significantly lower if people participate in markets.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20130607154129/https://www.uni-bonn.de/Press-releases/markets-erode-moral-values

The crimes that monsters commit in the name of ideology pale in comparison to the crimes the wealthy commit for money.

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Edinburgh, London, and Berlin!

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/2023/06/02/plunderers/#farbenizers

[Image ID: An overgrown graveyard, rendered in silver nitrate monochrome. A green-tinted businessman  with a moneybag in place of a head looms up from behind a gravestone. The right side of the image is spattered in blood.]

[treethymes]

With the exceptions of North Korea and Cuba, the communist world has merged onto the capitalist highway in a couple different ways during the twenty-first century. As you’ve read, free-trade imperialism and its cheap agricultural imports pushed farmers into the cities and into factory work, lowering the global price of manufacturing labor and glutting the world market with stuff. Forward-thinking states such as China and Vietnam invested in high-value-added production capacity and managed labor organizing, luring links from the global electronics supply chain and jump-starting capital investment. Combined with capital’s hesitancy to invest in North Atlantic production facilities, as well as a disinclination toward state-led investment in the region, Asian top-down planning erased much of the West’s technological edge. If two workers can do a single job, and one worker costs less, both in wages and state support, why pick the expensive one? Foxconn’s 2017 plan to build a U.S. taxpayer–subsidized $10 billion flat-panel display factory in Wisconsin was trumpeted by the president, but it was a fiasco that produced zero screens. The future cost of labor looks to be capped somewhere below the wage levels many people have enjoyed, and not just in the West.

The left-wing economist Joan Robinson used to tell a joke about poverty and investment, something to the effect of: The only thing worse than being exploited by capitalists is not being exploited by capitalists. It’s a cruel truism about the unipolar world, but shouldn’t second place count for something? When the Soviet project came to an end, in the early 1990s, the country had completed world history’s biggest, fastest modernization project, and that didn’t just disappear. Recall that Cisco was hyped to announce its buyout of the Evil Empire’s supercomputer team. Why wasn’t capitalist Russia able to, well, capitalize? You’re already familiar with one of the reasons: The United States absorbed a lot of human capital originally financed by the Soviet people. American immigration policy was based on draining technical talent in particular from the Second World. Sergey Brin is the best-known person in the Moscow-to-Palo-Alto pipeline, but he’s not the only one.

Look at the economic composition of China and Russia in the wake of Soviet dissolution: Both were headed toward capitalist social relations, but they took two different routes. The Russian transition happened rapidly. The state sold off public assets right away, and the natural monopolies such as telecommunications and energy were divided among a small number of skilled and connected businessmen, a category of guys lacking in a country that frowned on such characters but that grew in Gorbachev’s liberalizing perestroika era. Within five years, the country sold off an incredible 35 percent of its national wealth. Russia’s richest ended the century with a full counterrevolutionary reversal of their fortunes, propelling their income share above what it was before the Bolsheviks took over. To accomplish this, the country’s new capitalists fleeced the most vulnerable half of their society. “Over the 1989–2016 period, the top 1 percent captured more than two-thirds of the total growth in Russia,” found an international group of scholars, “while the bottom 50 percent actually saw a decline in its income.” Increases in energy prices encouraged the growth of an extractionist petro-centered economy. Blood-covered, teary, and writhing, infant Russian capital crowded into the gas and oil sectors. The small circle of oligarchs privatized unemployed KGB-trained killers to run “security,” and gangsters dominated politics at the local and national levels. They installed a not particularly well-known functionary—a former head of the new intelligence service FSB who also worked on the privatization of government assets—as president in a surprise move on the first day of the year 2000. He became the gangster in chief.

Vladimir Putin’s first term coincided with the energy boom, and billionaires gobbled up a ludicrous share of growth. If any individual oligarch got too big for his britches, Putin was not beyond imposing serious consequences. He reinserted the state into the natural monopolies, this time in collaboration with loyal capitalists, and his stranglehold on power remains tight for now, despite the outstandingly uneven distribution of growth. Between 1980 and 2015, the Russian top 1 percent grew its income an impressive 6.2 percent per year, but the top .001 percent has maintained a growth rate of 17 percent over the same period. To invest these profits, the Russian billionaires parked their money in real estate, bidding up housing prices, and stashed a large amount of their wealth offshore. Reinvestment in Russian production was not a priority—why go through the hassle when there were easier ways to keep getting richer?

While Russia grew billionaires instead of output, China saw a path to have both. As in the case of Terry Gou, the Chinese Communist Party tempered its transition by incorporating steadily increasing amounts of foreign direct investment through Hong Kong and Taiwan, picking partners and expanding outward from the special economic zones. State support for education and infrastructure combined with low wages to make the mainland too attractive to resist. (Russia’s population is stagnant, while China’s has grown quickly.) China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, in 2001, gave investors more confidence. Meanwhile, strong capital controls kept the country out of the offshore trap, and state development priorities took precedence over extraction and get-rich-quick schemes. Chinese private wealth was rechanneled into domestic financial assets—equity and bonds or other loan instruments—at a much higher rate than it was in Russia. The result has been a sustained high level of annual output growth compared to the rest of the world, the type that involves putting up an iPhone City in a matter of months. As it has everywhere else, that growth has been skewed: only an average of 4.5 percent for the bottom half of earners in the 1978–2015 period compared to more than 10 percent for the top .001 percent. But this ratio of just over 2–1 is incomparable to Russia’s 17–.5 ration during the same period.

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, certain trends have been more or less unavoidable. The rich have gotten richer relative to the poor and working class—in Russia, in China, in the United States, and pretty much anywhere else you want to look. Capital has piled into property markets, driving up the cost of housing everywhere people want to live, especially in higher-wage cities and especially in the world’s financial centers. Capitalist and communist countries alike have disgorged public assets into private pockets. But by maintaining a level of control over the process and slowing its tendencies, the People’s Republic of China has built a massive and expanding postindustrial manufacturing base.

It’s important to understand both of these patterns as part of the same global system rather than as two opposed regimes. One might imagine, based on what I’ve written so far, that the Chinese model is useful, albeit perhaps threatening, in the long term for American tech companies while the Russian model is irrelevant. Some commentators have phrased this as the dilemma of middle-wage countries on the global market: Wages in China are going to be higher than wages in Russia because wages in Russia used to be higher than wages in China. But Russia’s counterrevolutionary hyper-bifurcation has been useful for Silicon Valley as well; they are two sides of the same coin. Think about it this way: If you’re a Russian billionaire in the first decades of the twenty-first century looking to invest a bunch of money you pulled out of the ground, where’s the best place you could put it? The answer is Palo Alto.

Malcolm Harris, Palo Alto

[riaaanna]

Queen Fanclub Convention 2023 Part 2: Sue Johnstone

I have returned! Following my first post on the Queen Fanclub Convention 2023 I will be posting a series of transcripts and insights from the guest panels and other experiences!

The first guest is Sue Johnstone who was Roger's friend from back in Cornwall and also started the Fanclub in its days of infancy. I know a lot of you will be skipping the Long Transcript so I'll put up some bits of interesting stories that should be highlighted up here! Many of these were also told in Queen in Cornwall in some form or another.

Highlights:

The Queen fanclub in the early days was run from the Kensington Market stall. Brian was the most enthusiastic about it and insisted that all letter responses for the fans are handwritten and personalized.

Back in Cornwall when Sue in a singing group for the church, Roger and the church school boys used to sit and wave from the balcony and sent down paper planes, making them laugh while they were singing.

Freddie once stayed overnight at Sue's house after a party. The next morning, Sue's father went upstairs and was baffled to find him curling his hair. At some point he also saw him doing his yoga up against the wall upside down.

Once after a Smile performance in Cornwall, Sue and the band (with Freddie) walked along the headland overlooking the sea where Brian could name all the stars. They also went into a cave where they sang echoing harmonies of the song Earth.

Sue still keeps in touch with Brian and Roger. Her conversation with Brian includes knee replacements and congratulating him on becoming Sir. Roger likes to steal cigarettes even when she sees him now these days.

The last time she saw Freddie was at Queen's 20th anniversary party. She brought us a picture (on top of page) of her, Freddie, and her sister Pat from that day - a really touching moment. (📸 shared by David Taylor)

One of my favourite things about the con was that the panel guests were so kind and down to earth. After their talk on the stage they sat on the table among the audience to drink and chat, which was so lovely. When it was all wrapped I wanted to say hi to Sue and she was so nice about it! (It took me a long time to brave up and come up to her after she finished chatting with everyone, and it was my friend Rob who convinced me to actually do it, so thank you Rob!) I got a selfie with her and she signed my programme! (click to enlarge).

Transcript is under the cut below. I used the help of an auto transcription service and edited it manually afterwards, which took so much more time than expected as I had to check my references. Pictures are sourced from the Fanclub and Rupert White / Queen in Cornwall.

Disclaimer: English is not my first language so there are parts that I marked as "indistinct" and the accuracy may not be 100%. This wouldn't be their fault for not pronouncing it clearly, it would be mine for not catching it properly. There were words that I tried to guess based on context, marked with (?) at the end. I also tried my best to cross-check with other sources to ensure accuracy (in this case mostly Queen in Cornwall).

Enjoy!

Jim Jenkins (J): So, our first guest today is somebody that started all this off. 50 years ago, two friends of Roger’s, from Truro, Pat and Sue Johnstone, were asked by the band, or that's what we heard, to form a fanclub. It is my great pleasure to say we have one of those two sisters with us today.

It's really great to welcome, Sue Johnstone! So Sue’s come up and gonna talk to us, we're going to try and open a memory bubble. This is an event from 50 years ago. So I'll let Sue say hello to you all.

Sue Johnstone (S): Hello everyone, thank you so much for coming. This is the best time. It's so good to be here.

J: I'm going to start off with the first question for Sue. You started the Queen Fanclub nearly 50 years ago, in 1974.

S: Yup.

J: Did you ever think it would still be in existence in 2023?

S: I did not. I thought the band might be huge, but I was convinced they would be, but I don't, I didn’t think the fanclub would be. Although having said that, we had a lot of fans very quickly. As soon as the band had gone to Japan and so on, it really opened up. So we knew we were onto something special, and we had to set it up properly. Because we were doing it in the stall in Kensington Market, just handwriting everything, you know. And Brian insisted on that. It was Brian, really, that started the fanclub, he wanted it more than the others, really. And he used to come by and check all the letters, make sure we were actually handwriting them, you know. And doing as he wanted to do, keeping it as personal as possible. Which I think has paid off, you know, it's just brilliant. So, yeah. But longevity, no. I don't think we thought about next day, let alone 50 years.

J: It is really good. Okay, I want to take you back to the ‘60s. Back to Cornwall. You were a member of the Jayfolk band?

S: Yeah, absolutely.

J: Did you always want to be in music?

S: Well, I met Jill Johnson and her twin sisters at church, actually. I mean, I was one of four. I've got an elder brother, who's the oldest in the family, another sister, and then there was Pat and there was me. But by the time I came along, they just want to be out on a Sunday, so I had to go to church, you know, a lot. But we also joined the youth club, and it was just actually quite a good place to go. And the church school boys all came there because they were a Methodist school, and this was a Methodist church.

So they all sit in the balcony, and Jillian and I, and the twins, we do four-part harmony, (indistinct), every Sunday, you know. So that's how it started. I started singing with Jillian, and we were all Johnsons – I'm Johnstone, but they were Jillian, Janet, and Jennifer Johnson. So we called ourselves the Jayfolk. But Roger would always be in the balcony, and he used to send paper planes down to us (laughter) and be waving and making us laugh while we were singing, you know. I loved it, and I loved singing, and I loved harmonies, which is why I loved Queen. Their harmonies were superb.

J: So was Roger going out with Jill Johnson?

S: Not at that time, no, that came, it was about ‘65 I think? We went to a folk club, which was actually a guy called Dave Dowding, who was Roger's friend, his parents owned a farm, it was beautiful. In Kenwyn, in Truro, and you had to walk to get there, you know, all the way, and there was a large farm, and the folk scene was just starting up. My sister was into it, because she was five years older, I was the youngest, I'm the youngest out with Roger and everybody in fact, so I was about 13 or 14 at this time. And we went to the folk club, and Roger and Mike (Dudley) actually, who played the guitar on The Reaction, they were on bales of hay, everybody sat on bales of hay.

And yeah, we just got along, we started chatting, and then Jill and I had to get up to sing with her sisters, we did our set and that was it, Roger gave us a lift home – or someone did, I think it was him. And then Roger and Jill got together, they went to a fair in Truro, and they were together four years, but they always said there was three of them, it was always Roger, Jill and me. (laughter) Bit embarrassing, but yeah, Jill remembers it as being the three of us, you know.

J: Did you go to see The Reaction?

S: Oh yeah. They were great, yeah. And Roger was becoming, you know, he knew he was going to be a musician anyway, a good one. He just knew it. He was so into everything, he was into music, we all were actually. But I've had a bit of a mixed thing because pap was into jazz and then into folk, but mostly jazz. And my brother was in a skiffle group. My sister just had boyfriends, really, my eldest sister, but she wasn't that musical. But the rest of us were.

And my father was a piano player. He played piano accordion in a band when he was younger. And then we always had a piano in the house, we all wrote. And Dad did a little fumbling, you know, sort of... (imitates thrums on a piano) to the point where once when Freddie and Brian stayed, we all had a party at our house. And yeah, Roger and... not Roger – Freddie and Dad came together in the piano. It was brilliant. Brian on guitar. I was in another band then called Wizard, and there was a (indistinct) guitarist, he was there. And I remember we were all eating oysters, which he bought. And then we all sang, it was great.

But my father saw that, and he loved them, actually. He really liked the guys, you know. But he did come down one morning afterwards, and I think I've told you this before, and he said, “I've seen everything now!” And I said, “What's the matter, Dad?” He said, “He's up there curling his hair!” (laughter) “Is that so?” “I thought he was straightening it! I’ve seen it all now!” he said. And then Pat said Dad had gone upstairs as well, and Freddie was up, you know, doing his yoga up against the wall upside down. I mean, it was a bit much for my father, really.

But later on, when it was my 21st in London, they all came. We were living with a couple of Buddhists, actually, down in six couple of all places, they're working in Kensington Market. And we used to get a train from the market after the Greyhound pub, you know, and we'd fall asleep and end up wherever, you know. But we had a party there for my 21st, and the band all came on the train, and it was hilarious. Freddie and his, you know, cat and everything, (indistinct) it was so good. And they all stayed on this floor overnight with my Dad in the middle. (laughter) And he was like, “I don't think I'll be coming up again, my love.” (laughter) But no, we had some fun. They were lovely, though. They were all such nice people, you know. That made all the difference. They were so sweet, you know.

J: So Roger left Truro and went to London, and then you and Pat decided to move up to London.

S: Yeah, well...

J: No, Pat went first?

S: Pat moved to London already beforehand as a nanny, through a family in Ealing, and she lived up there a couple of years. We also had family in Paddington, my dad's brother, my cousins. So we used to go to London a lot. My father was a big fan of people like Tommy Cooper, and we used to go out and see shows. So I was familiar with London, but I didn't live there, but Pat had lived there, but came home when my mum got ill and stayed. So she gave up her job then. But after mum passed away, then Pat stayed a bit longer, but, you know, she was five years older, she needed to get up to – I just couldn't leave. Jillian had already left, but Jayfolk had broken up. Jill had joined The Famous Jug Band. She wanted me to go up to London with her, but I'd said no. And because of that, actually, we fell out. We didn't speak for 20 years. But she joined the band, and then she went to live in California.

But it was Roger that got us back together. He got her number and gave it to me. And it was Roger that kept in touch with me. He used to come back from London, always came to see me straight away. We'd go out for a drink or something. And he said, “Oh you've got to come up. You must come up. And we'll look after you. Don't worry about a thing. You'll be fine.” And so I did eventually. And it was Pete Bawden who ran PJ’s, the club, and my dad that drove me up.

And within 24 hours, Roger took me into Kensington Market, introduced me to everybody. And then upstairs, there was an employment agency. I got the employment. So I went up. He came with me. We went up and they asked me if I could type or what qualifications I had. And I said, “Oh, no problem, you know, anything you like.” I was thinking, (grumbles) “I don't just type at all.” And unfortunately for me, they gave me a test there and then, which was sort of (indistinct), and I was like this, (mimics funny typing) you know, not knowing what I was doing. And they said, “That was the funniest thing we've ever seen.” (laughter) “And the bravest.” They said to me, “We need a receptionist. Would you like to do it?” (laughter) So I ended up working as receptionist upstairs from the market. And eventually I got to know Hazel and Gaby, and worked for them in their store for years, actually. Just where the fanclub started in their store.

J: What were your impressions of the band when you first met, Brian, Roger – well not Roger because you know like, well Brian and Freddie?

S: They were kind, they were lovely, Brian was just so kind, and so caring, and lovely, lovely guy, and Freddie was Freddie, he just bowled you over, but he was also one of the sweetest kindest people I think I've ever met, he was wonderful, but later on when they became Queen I could understand why, because they literally acted like the Queen, because they had no money, ever, in their pockets. So they loved going out with Pat and I because we were working, you know, getting a bit of money together, and they go, (pats empty pockets) “Sorry darling, sorry…” When they were with me, you know, they never ever have any money, ever. And Roger kept stealing cigarettes even if I see him today. (laughter) So I’m just, “Hmm. Okay. Whatever.”

J: So when Roger went down to Truro with Smile, he was with Brian and Tim, what difference did you see in Roger with Smile compared to The Reaction?

S: Ooh, um, actually, they were very good, but I have to say, and I don't know if you're here today, Tim, but your voice was so good. Um, it blew a lovely way, Tim was an amazing singer, and so Smile was just, it was so good, Brian, great sound, lovely guitar, you know, Roger, amazing, everybody knew him anyway, and they were just really really good. So, what can you say, I mean, Reaction was great for their time, but Smile, and I mean, some of the earlier stuff that Tim wrote, you know, um, were just superb songs, lovely songs, so it was really good, they were very very good, and they played loads, and we went to every single gig for them.

We did, you know, we were very lucky, in Cornwall, unless you were into, you know, music or art, there was a lot of art going on, and there was a lot of hippie stuff, well, uh, beatnik(?) stuff going on, which Pat was more into than me, um, but there was nothing to do. There were no youth clubs, very rarely, you know, we had one at the church, but that was it. Um, so, there was nothing for kids to do, so we were so fortunate, and we were a unit, you know, we were a gang, we just went everywhere together, you know, and it was a really good, I mean, we, I have, you know, things go wrong in the family, obviously, but, you know, even the day that I'm done, you know, Roger was there, we went out, we went to, took me out, had coffee, you know, stayed with me all day, and, um, so, you know, they were kind, all of them, and we were a great unit. Loved it. We were so fortunate.

J: So Freddie used to come down to…

S: Yeah. We used to just hang around, yeah.

J: And you were in the audience with Freddie, watching Smile. What was Freddie like, was he itching to get up there or…?

S: You could tell he was, yeah. And he used to tell them things afterwards, “Well perhaps you should do it this way, darling.” He was very sort of like that, at the time. You know, he never changed really. But he was, as I say, he was really kind, so he wasn't sort of nasty to anyone or anything like that. He just wanted to be in it, you could tell. And I think at the time Tim was also getting into his graphics and art and maybe things were, I don't know why it sort of happened as it did, but Freddie was just, he used to just come down all the time and be around, so it was really good.

J: Did you ever see him in Ibex or Wreckage?

S: No, I don't think I did. I don't remember it. I mean, I started to get to know Pete Edmonds through Smile and everything, but when he would have been, you know, I've seen loads of photographs, so I sort of recognised him a bit, but don't think I have... Pretty sure I didn't, anyway. I don't remember it.

J: So when Freddie, and I don't know if this is true, I think I was told by someone but I'm going to get confirmation from you, that you were actually a part of the first people to know that he wanted to change the band name from Smile to Queen.

S: He did tell us early on, yeah. He told us – another crazy thing. We used to hitchhike up to London, which you could do in those days. Not safely, but my mum and dad didn't know it that way. We told him we'd been on the train and he'd give us the train money. And then we (mimics going off). Because it was the two of us, and it was always Pat and I, we sort of felt safe. We didn't really know about lorry drivers in those days. We weren't aware of the dangers. So we used to hitchhike up and they gave us a lift all the way, you know. And all the way to Hammersmith, which was brilliant. So we'd walk across the bridge and there we were in Barnes, in Ferry Road, where everybody was. And we'd just dive onto mattresses everywhere and think, right, that's where I am for the next week, or whatever.

But it was Freddie taking us to say goodbye. He walked us to the bus stop and he said, “I just must tell you this, dear. I've got a name for the band. I want to change it.” I said, “All right, what do you want to call it?” He said, “I'd like to call it Queen.” I went, “Oh, okay…” Now, those days, it was a long time ago. It was a little bit risqué, you know, but to say the least, really. So we just laughed and said, well, if he must, you know, I was thinking “The guys won't have that”. There's not many people who would call it Queen, you know. And anyway, it was fantastic. But by then, he also showed us that he'd done the whole Queen emblem thing, you know, which he designed. And so he was serious. There was no way it’d not been called Queen. And that was it. I mean, a few days later, there was Queen, you know, that happened straight away.

J: Did you ever go to any of the rehearsals of Queen?

S: I don't remember. I did go to Imperial College quite a lot.

J: Jimi Hendrix?

S: Yeah, some T-Rex, and all sorts of bands, they were all really great. But I don’t know if I saw them rehearsing. I don’t think I did actually.

J: When did you first see Queen?

S: Um, Truro

J: Truro, ah, the very first gig.

S: The very first gig.

J: (indistinct, speaking to audience) This would’ve been 27th of June, 1970.

S: It wasn't that one, though, it wasn't that one.

J: It wasn’t that one?

S: No, it wasn't. (Note: As you read, it was indeed that one.) It was in Truro City Hall, and the sound wasn't good, and it was Roger's mum's, I don't know, billed it or something, and they didn't like it, you know, you could tell they weren't happy about Queen at all. They billed it as Smile, and then they changed it to Queen. But it was good, you know, but it was their first ever gig. But I had seen Freddie before, now this is disputed by a number of people, but Pat and I remember, and I'm sure Pete Edmonds will as well, that Freddie took over one night in PJ's and just cleared the floor, he was fantastic.

And he played as Smile basically, and just took over, and he was strutting his stuff, you know, and he was absolutely brilliant. And I remember Pete Edmonds just dancing like a wild… in the centre of PJ's, which wasn't big at this time, and Pat and I just were in awe of it, we were just like, wow, that is incredible, you know. But other people say, didn't happen, but it did, didn’t it? That is one thing I'll never forget.

J: So you could see the potential in front of you.

S: Oh yeah, I don't think his voice was as good, it wasn't as good as Tim’s, it has to be said, and he was off key on a few occasions, but you know, the actual performance was what it was all about, it was really good.

J: Did you get to see Queen with all the bass players?

S: Well, I think I met one yesterday (Doug Bogie), (laughter) I mean I don't know, I probably did to be honest, I saw Queen before John joined, you know, so I did, but I don't really remember an awful lot about it to be perfectly honest, and I wasn't drunk or anything, it was just a long time ago, you know.

J: You’re very lucky you saw them with all the people...

S: I probably did, but I don't know. J: So I want to take you back to the Fanclub again. Is it true that Queen didn't want a fanclub? You said before Brian insisted… but why wouldn't he want a fan club if...?

S: Well… I don't know where that came from, to be perfectly honest, because all I know is that, from day one, Brian was the main instigator. He used to come into the store, sit there, read the letters. We were suddenly getting, like, they were being delivered all over London, even to our address in Greycoat Gardens(?), where we were living in Victoria, bag loads of stuff were coming in. And it was all from Japan, you know, they were massive in Japan, even in those days, you know. And then, a lot in Germany as well, and I got to know a few of the editors, so they would ring me and ask what the band were doing. So it kind of just built slowly.

But it was Brian, really, that wanted it. Yeah, and somebody had to do something, because these letters, you couldn't not answer them. And the Japanese fans always sent presents, so there was always little dolls, or, you know, all sorts of little gifts that they'd send. So we were like, I mean, my store was ridiculous, it would pile high, innit?

J: How did you get to start the Fanclub? Was it Trident or…?

S: The first place we moved to was Trident, yeah. So it was Trident Audio Productions in Wardour Street, next door to The Ship. And then there was a little alleyway and then Trident Studios was there. Yeah, so we moved in and we were on the ground floor and then there was a drum shop at the time. So we had all the drums in the front and then right at the back would be Queen Fanclub. And then we moved to another office later, upstairs. And then, you know, obviously they changed management, but at the time it was Jack Nelson. And yeah, it was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Lovely day. I wanted still to do some singing, so I enrolled to, it's called City Knit(?), and it's for, but unfortunately it was an operatic club, so it's really not what I was looking to do.

But I did do some sessions at Trident, just to keep my hand in, but the only problem with it is you've got to pay your rent. And it wasn't paying rent, so I just kept working in the market, really. I made lifelong friends, you know, I really did. Hazel and Gaby, both have passed away now, but they were my longest friends, yeah, apart from Jill.

J: So when you left working for Queen, did you follow their career?

S: Yeah, to some extent, yeah, I worked at EMI, and EMI, they were signed to EMI. And one particular occasion when I was there, they sent me off to Amsterdam with the band. And I think we did some promotion or something over there. And Freddie asked me up to his room, and he had the top of the hotel, big, big room up there. And I sort of went up, and I thought, well, I wonder what this is about, you know. And it was about their contract coming up at EMI. So he was quizzing me about EMI records, you know. And at the time, EMI was just a happening company. It was absolutely brilliant. And we'd sign Kate Bush, and, you know, I was working on the Sex Pistols one week, and Kate the next, and, you know, it was just utterly brilliant. And I couldn't, you know, praise it enough.

So they did re-sign. So I think I had a hand in that, to be honest. I don't expect it was that big. I'm sure the accountants and what have you had a bigger hand than me. But Freddie was interested to know what I thought of the actual people and the running of the company and that sort of thing. I was seven years there, and I absolutely loved it. Yeah, I was in the press office to start with. And then, because of Queen, they asked me to join International. Because I knew all the editors. Because the band, you know, I got to know the editor of, like, German rock magazines, and all around the world, I knew all the editors. So that's why I went to International. And I carried on for 40 years in the music business.

J: Wow. And then you got invited to the 20th anniversary party, the Grand Show Hall.

S: Yeah.

J: You remember that?

S: Yeah, Tim was there, and he sat at a table with Roger, with Rod Stewart, running around like a mad thing. I remember Mary sitting on a sort of platform, and I was just staying there all evening, but not for me, the highlight, well apart from what you were going to show them in a minute, but one highlight for me was that Brian introduced me to Anita, and she was like, oh, I've heard all about you, and I thought, “Oh.” Really? “Yeah, you're from Cornwall, aren't you?” She gave big cuddles and everything, but then Brian said, oh, have you met Liza, and I said, no. Liza Minnelli. It was utterly brilliant. I was like, no, oh, hi. But again, she was all cuddles, and she was such –  oh, you were there, it was brilliant, wasn’t it?

J: Very much so. I'll remember it forever.

S: I don't know, she came up and said, “I think they’re great,” and I said, “Oh, you know, I think you're pretty good too, you know.” (laughter) Well, you say to her, you know, Brian's just, you know, a gentleman like that. I'm still in touch with Brian. We talk about knee replacements. (laughter) Yeah, it's kind of not the same sort of conversations as we used to have, but yeah, he's still, we do keep in touch, you know. Yeah, and I congratulate him on becoming a Sir, (indistinct). Things like that, yeah exactly.

J: So you brought us along a photo to show everybody that is special to you. Yeah. So if you’d like to explain it…

S: Oh yeah, that's Pat, Freddie, and me – I don't know if anyone can see it, this was at The Groucho the night that we were both there, Freddie obviously knew he was very ill and he was in a back room, sort of separated from the main group and Richard Young was a photographer, very big, sort of well-known rock photographer. He came up to us and said, “Do you want to come and see him, Freddie wants to see you.” “Where is he?” You know, and I did know he was ill, but it was still a shock.

J: That is Sue, our Fred, and that is Pat, the lovely Pat Johnson. So these two ladies, they're Pat and Sue, kicked all this off, what we're doing today. And I think that deserves a round of applause. (applause) So, thank you for the great stories today, even I first heard them a few years ago, which I always loved. (indistinct) I don't collect anything, but I collect stories.

S: (refers to Jim) The first member, amazing.

J: Oh, I was a pest, I was knocking on the door at Trident and saying, “I've come from Liverpool, can I come in and see you?” And Sue went, “Yeah! Why not?” And then, I was never away.

S: Did you come to John Reid’s office?

J: Yeah!

S: It was very flash. It was a big, big place, compared to Trident. It was, yeah. I mean Trident’s next to a pub. Tommy Cooper used to drink in that pub in Trident, you know, next to Trident all the time. You could hear him laugh, you know. It was so funny. When we first moved to John Reid’s office, the first day we walked in, Elton had pushed John down the stairs, and there were four flights of stairs, you know. And John came sort of tumbling down, you know. And we went, oh! And he went, “Who are you?” And I said, “I’m from the Queen Fanclub”. And he went, “What?” you know. Stuffed us in the basement. And that's where we stayed, yeah. But all the Rocket Records was down there, and it was just a hoot. It was brilliant. We had great times. And Elton's driver used to take us up to Queen gigs in his Rolls Royce and the movies. It was fun. Yeah, it was really good fun.

But, you know, Queen were getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And when we left, I mean, John Reid wrote in his letter that we knew too much about the band. That was a problem. So we were out, you know. He needed to control it everywhere. But for me, you know, I don't know how long we would have carried on as fan club secretaries, really. I don't know. We enjoyed it. But, you know, it wasn't such a great career for us. And EMI was fantastic. So I was kind of grateful in a way.

J: What's your most memorable memory of your time working with them?

S: We used to go to gigs all together, and David Bowie's gig was particularly good, well I got some pictures. I left them back, I didn't want to break them, I wasn't sure if I should, but I can show you another time through the usual. Cause Doug (Puddifoot) fully focused doing all the photos at that time. And he was Jillian’s cousin, so I knew him quite well. There's a camera from the BBC, and he did all the early Queen stuff.

And we used to all go together to see people like David Bowie. And I know (indistinct) will tell you there's the most beautiful photo of Bowie on stage. We used to get front row, you know. But yeah, the Finsbury Park gig I think was one of the most memorable things I've ever seen. It was absolutely stunning. It was one of the best gigs I've ever seen. And I went on to work for a long time in the business. I saw a lot of gigs, not just theirs, but it was definitely one of the best things ever. My 21st was a real pain, and I had to sleep with my dad on the floor. The parties in Cornwall that we had.

There’s one, actually, Tim might remember this, when we all went to St. Agnes - and I think they might have played there that night…

J: Driftwood Pub.

S: Yeah, and we all went walking along the headland that night, overlooking the sea, and it was pitch dark and the sky was clear and full of stars, and Brian could name them all. Just, “oh yeah, this constellation, this and that,” you know. Wow. And then it was covered in glow worms and - it was just spectacular. So we all wandered back down to the beach and went into this big cave that they had - I don’t know if it’s still there or if you’re still allowed to get into it, but we did. And, it was Planet Earth, Tim’s song, that we sang, in this cave, and the harmonies - I don’t know how many of us there were, but it was Roger, Brian, I think Freddie was there that night, there was me singing, Tim obviously, he was there, it was a Smile gig obviously at the time. And um, it was something I’ll never forget, it gives me goose-pimples now - beautiful sound, of all these harmonies and echoing in this cave. Wonderful. And one of my favourite songs, too.

J: Well that was funny, that was amazing, I don’t know about you guys, that was some great stories there. We really liked it. Thank you, Sue Johnstone! 

[squinchasaurus]

The Transcendent Moon

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Jean Kirstein/Reiner Braun

Warnings: canon-typical violence, NSFW (eventual)

Written for ReiJean Halloween Week 2024 - Day 4 prompt: Gothic Horror

Summary: The Transcendent Moon is a tale of gothic horror, and two broken people finding comfort in each other in a world suffering from a supernatural plague.

Jean Kirstein is a Salvationer, a specially trained soldier who hunts down the Grotesque; twisted beasts that arise during the resurgence of an ancient plague. With their ankle length coats and oversized weapons, Salvationers work in bonded pairs. Tied together by an ancient ritual, each pair share emotions and are granted superhuman strength. But Jean's partner is dead, and his new one is useless.

In spiraling streets of a fog shrouded city, they face dangerous monsters, a mysterious order with plans of their own, and a supernatural enemy as terrifying as it is tragic. Jean and his new partner have to overcome their broken pasts and learn to work together, or they will not survive the approaching storm.

Chapter One: The Gargoyle

It was the kind of day that everyone loved. Bright, clear and brimming with jubilant promises of adventure. It was the sun-drenched, blue canopied sort of day that invited lighthearted leisure and relaxation. A day best spent chasing laughing children through the district markets, or picnicking with friends by the river, or stealing kisses from a lover behind the fragrant hedges of the Sina gardens. There was no trace of rain and every assurance of warmth, and Jean Kirstein hated it for being so.

Underneath his heavy Salvationer coat and thick brown vest, his skin was slick with sweat. The glare reflecting from the glass of the tall window he stood by hurt his eyes. He might have cursed the sun under his breath, but it was not the reason he loathed the weather. He hated it because no day should be this beautiful when his heart was breaking for the second time in a year. How dare the city below him glow with golden sun when it should be dark with weeping rain and howling wind. His brow furrowed, and he gripped the wooden sill of the window.

Rough dried wax from a candle, carelessly left there to burn sometime in the past, flattened under the crush of his fingers, and he scratched at it idly. He was restless with the impulse to flee the rich paneled office whose dark walls were suffocating him. To run from the question that hung in the air, issued only moments before. He did not run. Instead, he moved from the window and away from the sun, and his mouth turned down when he saw the tall commander and the doctor waiting for his response.

“You want to bond me to the man who killed Marco?”

Finish reading on AO3

[gameartistry]

4 conferences in 10 days….. 

After a weekend of rest, I have taken a moment to reflect on what has been an intense yet rewarding few weeks, attending four different conferences back-to-back across two countries: IndieDevDay in Barcelona, Leadership Day by IGDA Finland, Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki, and W Love Games.

This year was especially significant as W Love Games had a booth at IndieDevDay, shared with IGDA, where we introduced the WLG Indie Alliance and upcoming programs for indie developers. The energy was absolutely incredible with three days of insightful talks, countless indie games on display, and valuable discussions with peers from across the industry. I was honoured to host a panel featuring amazing women in the industry - Anna Guxens, Elena Flores and Suzanne Freyjadis, and participate in another panel alongside Carolina Bonnin, Eulalia García and Alexandra Vo.

With little time to catch our breath, we headed back to Helsinki to prepare for Finnish Games Week—a brand-new event in the Finnish gaming scene that has been years in the making. But what exactly is Finnish Games Week?

Finnish Games Week: A Milestone for the Nordic Games Industry

As the Chairperson of W Love Games and Lead Organizer of this event, I am incredibly proud of our team initiating the first-ever Finnish Games Week. Our vision was to create an event that would provide a variety of opportunities for game developers, whether they were looking to advance their businesses or grow individually within their careers. To achieve this, we collaborated with IGDA Finland and Steel Media, merging three of Finland's major gaming events into a single, impactful week.

The result? A carefully curated, five-day program designed to meet the diverse needs of developers, creators, and professionals across the gaming industry. Finnish Games Week kicked off with Leadership Day by IGDA Finland, aimed at industry professionals and future leaders. It was here that many meaningful connections were made, laying the foundation for what would be an incredibly successful week. Following that, Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki took the spotlight for the next two days, offering a business-centric focus with networking opportunities for companies looking to grow in the global market. Finally, we wrapped up the week with W Love Games—a hybrid event that saw over 1k participants worldwide. This final event was all about a dev-to-dev approach, offering talks, workshops, and mentorship designed to provide practical knowledge in a safe and inclusive space for developers to share their stories and expertise.

What is next?

I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved with Finnish Games Week, and we would not be able to do so without our team of volunteers, speakers, workshop facilitators, mentors, partners and sponsors. Big shoutout to Supercell, MiTale, Suomen pelinkehittäjät ry, Metaplay, Fingersoft, Game Makers of Finland, IGDA Finland, Brazil Embassy in Helsinki.   The response has been overwhelming, and we are already starting the preparations for Finnish Games Week 2025. If you would like to get involved or host a side event, don’t hesitate to reach out—we are open to new ideas and collaborations!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this week a success. Finnish Games Week is just the beginning, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds as we continue to grow this incredible community. Stay tuned for the 2025 announcements and upcoming plans! (These awesome friendship-bracelets were made at W Love Games party hosted by Supercell, big thanks to their team for making such a memorable evening! 💜)

[psychewritesbs]

Thanks so much for sharing your metas @theanimepsychologist , I learn a lot of things from you...

Sorry for just realizing it now, that you are the writer of one of my favorite 'Soul Eater' meta ever from a few years ago (love it so much).

Now I found your blog again through your JJK metas (new fan here, just got to JJK fandom last year)....

Can I ask something, do you think SatoSugu is queerbaiting? What do you think about Gojo and Geto's relationship as romantic subtext?

(Sorry if you don't ship them, it's just, I want to know objective pov like you that neither love nor hate Gojo and Geto as characters).

If I ask these questions to SatoSugu shipper or anti SatoSugu (Gojo/Geto hater) both of those groups are subjective to their likes and dislikes...

But if you don't want to talk about it, I understand, sorry if I ask too much.

Also, just want to tell you, one of the main reason why I entered the fandom, is because of stsg. The fan arts and fan fictions for SatoSugu are amazing....But I love JJK more and understand more about the story & characters are thanks to you @theanimepsychologist (Sorry again if my main reason for entering JJK fandom is because of shipping).

Well this is awkward... I've since changed my username and perplexed moots and followers alike because of it.

Anyways, is stsg queerbaiting???? HMMMMM let's taco'bout it under the cut.

I think the ship in the manga walks a very fine line between queerbaiting and whatever the opposite is, but imo, it is ultimately not queerbaiting. More about this in a little bit.

If I'm honest though, if we go by the strict definition of queerbaiting as a "marketing technique for fiction and entertainment in which creators hint at, but do not depict, same-sex romance or other LGBTQ+ representation," the anime feels by contrast queerbaity.

I say this because MAPPA seems to be very aware it is catering to a very specific target audience...

Like... did they have to go this hard with Nanami?

Similarly, they took creative decisions that were very openly supportive of stsg as a ship while still remaining somewhat ambiguous to all of the people who do not see the romantic undertones.

In other words, MAPPA goes out of their way to make certain aspects of the story more obvious, which can feel like it is very intentionally speaking to an audience that would enjoy such changes.

Honestly tho, I LOVED the creative liberties that the anime took in general.

ANYWAYS.

My thoughts on stsg... I've actually talked about how I do like this ship before. I used to be on camp "they're just friends" and came around because I saw the vision and now I can't unsee it. But the fact that I had to be shown the vision in order to "get it" makes me feel like you have to see the ship through a certain lens in order to appreciate it romantically.

Thing is that I personally find it dissatisfying that a ship is presented to me in little "hints" and "clues" rather than through the dynamic itself. Which is where the queerbaiting allegations come in.

HOWEVER, to me, knowing how Gege writes by subverting tropes, the "queerbaiting" hints are very intentionally placed in the manga to say "these two were lovers" as opposed to doing it for "marketing purposes".

Personally, I much prefer Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle's kurofai because the clues are hidden in the dynamic and their emotional behavior to one another.

Compared to stsg, I can only read romantic subtext in two or three canon stsg panels, but I'm also not sure if it's because of Gege's skill level, lesser focus on emotional intimacy, idk...

That's how I see it at least. And I honestly respect anyone who doesn't think of them as lovers because, again, the ship is somewhat hidden in clues, not in the dynamic. And say a stsg fan reads this, they could very well think "is she blind?!"

And this is where we get into post-modernism and jjk's main theme: no one owns the objective truth. You are reading jjk through your very own unique lens, and any meaning you make out of jjk is always filtered through that lens. Trying to say your truth is absolute is basically power scaling.

At one point or another someone has to agree to disagree.

So yeah, you'll hear me say this bit about not owning the ultimate truth a lot.

Anon, thank you so much for the kind comments 🥲. I am so happy to hear you loved my Soul Eater write up and that you've ran into my jjk rambles too.

Honestly, I love writing about my favorite ships and nothing makes me sadder than the state of shipping in jjk fandom because people won't just mind their own business about who should be shipped with whom.

As a side note, I've been brainrotting about atsumei recently. Might actually write about the breadcrumbs because these two move me the way some of my absolute favorite ships, soma, asucaga, and kurofai move me.

Anyways I'VE RAMBLED WHY DID NO ONE STOP ME?, it looks like you are feeling worried about my thoughts on you starting to read jjk because of stsg. I say it is a wonderful thing that you started reading it and found enjoyment in it.

Thanks for reaching out, and as per usual I apologize on taking forever to answer asks... I have like 50 and I do try to answer most of them.

[astramthetaprime]

Going to the Extremes

The turning, the turning, the turning of the year ... those moments when you hear the creaking of the wheel as it grinds, carrying you even as it plows you under.

My first ChattaCon was ChattaCon 11. I was 16 years old, and the ecstatic joy I felt in those first few moments when I walked in and saw a guy dressed as Nightcrawler from the X-Men, leaping across the Consuite ... that moment has lived within me ever since. I picked up my first sword at that ChattaCon. I met people who delighted in talking about comic books without shame. I saw D&D books for sale like so many magical tomes proudly displayed in the markets of a mystical town. This was home, this gypsy circus village of madmen and tavern wenches.

It's been home ever since. And no more so than when I met the three men who have been my family ever since. My soul family.

Ironically, the fourth man, the man I married who introduced me to the other three, that man I haven't seen in twenty years. But the other three who attended our wedding, those three stooges I have kept firm ties.

We're all old now. They're in their 60's now. I'm not far behind. I know I'll be there when they take the last journey. Someday I'll get The Call for each of them. And I will feel grief for them. Every last one. Every moment.

But this last Friday and Saturday, we staked a claim on a table in the Consuite and we talked and talked and talked. It was about equal time how to game Medicare and so many memories of our imaginary conquests in Dungeons & Dragons. I'd leave only to attend panels, come right back and resume my place among them. My oldest friends.

I was safe, I was supremely happy, surrounded by these dear souls, once more in the heart of our ephemeral caravan home. The turning of our year.

Then Sunday dawned, and the party was over.

I washed, dressed in black, and made the drive to the funeral home.

And there was no greater contrast.

I sat silent and alone in a room with my mother's ashes while my blood family fought a furtive war all around me, faction against faction, my stepfather fighting by his absence and flat refusal to have anything to do with any of them. I was left, alone, silent, speaking to no one, watching the strained conversations. And the hyperactive screaming to two little boys that forced me to get out my ear plugs. Kids who haven't apparently been taught appropriate behavior at a funeral.

No one bothered to talk to me, and I was frankly afraid to talk to any of them. No matter who I spoke to the "other side" would take note of it and use it against me. While my uncle urged me to just take my mom's ashes and bury them where he wanted, though I've told him repeatedly in the last few weeks that I don't have that legal right.

Everyone fighting, everyone trying to use me for their own ends. When they aren't ignoring me for being inconveniently moral.

No one seemed to remember we were there for a funeral.

I know who my real family are now. And it's not the people I share genetics with.

It's those three dear souls who opened their arms to me at ChattaCon. Three great bears of men -- each well over six feet tall! -- with expansive intellects and hilarious good humor and unmatched kindness. My dear ones. My best friends.

The ones who make my life worth living.

[dangalante]

Trends in AI & Generative AI: Insights from The 2023 AI Summit New York 

Last week, I covered the AI Summit in New York. I was excited to learn about the trends in AI and generative AI and to see some commercial applications of these new technological advancements. 

Patrick Murphy of UAB led the AI Exhibitor hub. Patrick shared insights from his research on Entrepreneurship. He shared how start-ups use AI, and Generative AI to scale up and bring products to market. 

Generative AI is being used in the following eight ways:

Content and Asset Generative

Automated Processes

Ideation

Financial Management

Project Design

Optimized Structures

Acceleration and incubation

Ethics and Risk Management. 

There was a pitching completion where start-ups did pitches in multiple rounds. At the beginning of the competition, they received advice from judges on best practices. 

One of the start-ups that was of interest was Botwise. Jan Nowak shared how his team shared a use case on how they leveraged Language Learning models (LLM)using statistics and GPT solutions for rapid automation in customer service for Mylead.global is a platform that allows influencers to earn money. As a result, MyLead.global was able to screen influencers faster and better for their big brand clients.

AI-Powered Use Cases from across the board panel discussion

Leaders Saira Kazmi Ph. D. (CVS Health), Matthew Blakemore (Creative Industries Council) Taha Mokfi (HelloFresh), Kriti Kohli (Shopify), and Kris Perez (Data Force) share how they use chatbots, improving both the buyer and seller experience using AI. How AI can be used in video games to identify levels of violence and how AI can improve in healthcare and Radiology reducing the amount of time images are read while improving accuracy and detail. 

Another interesting Panel was by Tim Delesio CTO of techolution

Tim asked What’s driving the explosive rise of AI all of a Sudden?

The answer is the economics of the labor market.

On the demand side, he cited labor shortages and persistent high inflation. 

On the supply side, he cites the rise of ChatGPT and, major scientific and Technological breakthroughs in the past five to seven years. 

He shared trends in AI for 2024 that include:

Physical Labor with AI to help deliver small batch sizes with high-precision quality control

Improved customer engagement by providing a new generation of customer service agents using Generative AI 

Tim demonstrated some of these trends when he ordered a soda using an AI-powered robotic arm. 

The booth had another machine showing how AI can enhance inventory management when items are ordered. 

I was amazed to see some AI Tech that techolution brought to the marketplace.

On that note, I saw an AI-powered Kiosk by Graphen where a man ordered his food and paid. This company is using AI to revolutionize all industries.

Man orders food AI Kiosk

Man pays for food at AI Kiosk

There were so many great talks and exhibits. 

Additional pictures can be found on Instagram. 

I want to thank the AI Summit for having me as their guest. If you want to use AI and Generative to improve business outcomes, sign up for the AI summit in your city.

What do you think is next for AI and Generative AI?

Comment and share below.

Additional pictures can be found on Instagram. 

[hologramcowboy]

I’m going to a con in the next few months and I want so badly to write Jared and Jensen short letters of my appreciation for the show and the comfort they have given fans through their panels. I also, so want to express to Jensen, in particular, that he deserves to be happy in his personal life without sounding condescending, or like an over-invested weirdo. It’s not like I think about these guys 24/7 or think I know them. I could never tell either J I love them like so many fans do, because I don’t truly know them and the world means too much for me to throw it around. But, I do care about both guys, and the public pictures I see of Jensen and the stories he tells make me ache for him. Some of his discontent is definitely his own doing, but Jensen looks like a man who is hurting, his eyes look empty and not in a vapid posing way, but a deeply sad way. I have felt that look in my own eyes when I was at my lowest. I wish I could pick the right thing to say to resonate and help him see that his married/cool guy image isn’t as important as his mental health and life. Maybe if enough fans showed they cared about him, and weren’t just drooling over his looks and perceived "perfection," it might strike a chord. He’s certainly not hearing that he deserves to be happy at home if he is walking around like a zombie.

Jared, I would mostly just thank for the kindness he shows to the world, and the way he’s given people support or a lifeline just by sharing his own struggles. I think he looks better than he has in years, though I even notice his eyes look a vpbit sad at times. It’s stressful times in the industry right now, though, so that could be it. I think he seems pretty fulfilled with his life and family.

The problem is, I’m not sure either guy would truly stop and read a letter, or if it could even be received as intended, as something beyond a "delusional fan" fawning. I honestly doubt they read everything they are given, and I don’t even blame them, but that’s what I’d like to do if I thought it might matter to them.

Heartwarming post, Anon. If you feel inspired to do something go for it! Actors feel very rewarded when fans genuinely connect with them. It's why they become actors in the first place, the need to be loved.

Please never put yourself down, nothing you wrote is even remotely delusional, you are coming from a caring place and that in itself is healing to the person on the receiving end even if you might not know the details of what is hurting Jensen right now.

On Jensen being unfulfilled with his life and family, he has given us plenty of signals and made plenty of choices that strongly hint he is unsatisfied on a personal level. Danneel neglects him emotionally, we saw this with the Rust incident and all the stories he tells are about her violating his boundaries, preferences and dignity and most especially his masculinity. A man that cannot step into the leader he was born to be because he is constantly undermined by a deceitful wife cannot be fulfilled. He keeps saying he does not want to stop working and keeps making choices that keep him away from his family despite being away for soooo long with SPN. That proves his family is not his highest value because if it was, he would make choices like what Jared did (moving his show to his hometown so he could always be present for his kids). Jensen could choose to only work in his home market, he aims to be away from his family instead and I suspect it is because he knows that is the only way his marriage can survive. He is like a visitor in his own home and that's because he's learned that Danneel is unlivable with for long periods of time. Not necessarily cause there's something with her, he definitely didn't marry her for love and so it's natural that being truly present and involved is difficult since she is clearly not the one. Their marriage is all staged moments and embellished stories (still curious which pr nut is advising them so badly) that do not resonate with authentic people because people can feel the energy of something. I don't even consider them a couple, they are forced, staged and completely lack chemistry which is endlessly sad as they are actors and actors know how to create chemistry. They can't even bring themselves to do that, why are they even together? They should consider how that blatant lack of love will translate to their children and affect them negatively.

Sorry, got a little off topic. If you feel you have something empowering and loving in your heart to share it's worth making the attempt to do so. You never know how it might impact someone.

{EDIT} changed a phrase in my response after I read this again since I had misread what the anon wrote, sorry my brain is fried today.

[blackbird-brewster]

Fooled Around (and Fell in Love) - Part 3

UPDATE: CHAPTER 2 - NOW POSTED

Two months after deciding to broaden their scope in order to try and find a little fixer-upper to make into their home, the throuple bought a three bedroom house at auction. They were officially homeowners now, although they wouldn't actually be moving in for quite some time. They had gotten the house for a steal, but that only meant it needed a lot of work before it would be able to tick all the boxes on their very important must-haves list.

Emily, of course, kept the paper towel with their wish list and planned to frame it once they were ready to move into the new house. She was endlessly excited to finally make their dream a reality, and constantly ignored Tara's loving reminders it was going to take time before they finally got to that point.

Tara was currently showing Derek through the house while pointing out her initial thoughts on what she'd like to do with the place. It already had three good-sized bedrooms and two bathrooms, but it was originally built in the 90s and pretty much all of the decor was extremely dated. There was no way in hell she was going to leave the wood panelled walls or the pine green carpet.

Derek had been flipping houses as a hobby for a few years, it was his outlet for the stress of their job, and he was extremely good at it. He'd completed four houses already and was in the market for a new project, which is how he came across this house. He always had his ear to the ground in the housing auction and real estate circles, so when he saw this house come up on the market he'd tipped Tara, Emily and JJ off.

Even though they'd worked together for years, Tara really hadn't spent all that much time with Derek outside of work before he started dating Luke and was subsequently absorbed into their friend circle. Now, she was relying on his knowledge to help her get started on remodeling this house and she had to admit, Derek really was enjoyable company. Not that she'd ever point it out, lest she stroke his already insufferable ego, but seeing him outside of the BAU and in his element while he walked around the house focusing on small details, like tapping walls to identify studs or pressing his weight into the floorboards to assess their wear, really did show a different side of him and Tara was intrigued to get to know this version of Derek more.

[Read the Full Chapter on AO3]

----------------------------------------

Fooled Around (and Fell in Love) is a queer rom-com AU that celebrates coming out at any age or stage, polyamory, found family, and above all else, the love shared between JJ/Emily/Tara.

Read the whole series: [PART 1] || [PART 2] || [PART 3]

Listen to the companion playlist on Spotify: [Fooled Around: Part 3]

[anniekong]

1) I saw the job posting and expressed my interest in applying to S.

2) S knows the hiring manager and makes the introductions via email. ( I've also reached out to others who may know him to gain insights)

3) Admin schedules the introductory meeting on the same day-it was a snow day too

4) I went to this initial introductory meeting a little underprepared to meet M

5) I went home and worked late that night. E saw that I was online and we had a quick catch up call. I told him about my day and my job search process and it turns out that M was his mentor during his time in the US. E offers to put in a good word for me.

6) I wrote a thank you note to M and inquired about the predecessor to learn more about the role.

7) It was SA and I write him a cold email and set up an initial call. I met with him to gain further insights on the role such as the day to day.

8) S puts in a good word for me explaining my performance rating in 2022 but M expresses his concerns due to lack of marketing experience and leadership skills.

9) I applied for the job and resumed working.

10) I went to Zurich to give a workshop and I saw the interview meeting pop up on my calendar for the following week. It’s a panel interview of three people in total. I shared the news with J who was co-hosting the workshop with me. She was extremely happy for me and offered to help shape my stories during my time in commercial operations. "All you have to be is yourself," she said. I wish it was that easy. We are both big believers that things happen for a reason so a rejection would not be the end of the world.

11) Exhausted after a long week, I crafted and practiced my stories on the plane ride back and continued to practice until the night before. ( Everything from my tone, hand gestures, eye contact, eyebrow twitch etc).

12) It was D-day and my first hybrid interview. I have not had an in- person interview since 2019. I had to balance looking at the screen and addressing the folks in the room. It started out well just as I've practiced. However, I was stump on questions like why should we pick you over someone else, what does success look like for you in this role, most people start from sales and work their way up to global/corporate- why are you going in the other direction, what do you hope to deliver in 18 months. I must’ve looked like a deer in headlights. They were asking me what my favorite color was and I answered 28. The interview took an hour vs the initial 45 mins meeting, which further portrayed how inefficient I was in conveying what they wanted to hear. They were challenging me and I wasn’t given them the right answers. I might have redeemed myself with the questions I’ve asked towards the end but felt defeated completely.

13) I was pretty sure I didn’t get the job at this time and shared my experiences with my work besties starting with I and sharing the questions that had stumped me and my tired and jet lag brain. “The why would they choose you is a personal branding question! You are supposed to showcase your strengths”, she said. Well it makes sense now, since you put it like that wishing that I had known that 20 minutes earlier. I took it as a learning opportunity.

14) The day after, S asked how the interview went. The corporate response for I bombed it is "This helped me understand the level of detail that is necessary to really standout in those interviews."

15) I caught up with N at the cafe and M sees me and waves at me walking in one direction. S comes walking from the opposite direction and they meet in the middle. S had asked how the interview went then and there…not awkward at all. (I found out about this later but somehow I had a feeling they were talking about me and shared my uneasiness feelings with N since it was too soon!)

16) S shared that he’s still interviewing and there’s a McKinsey consultant that they are also considering. Well that's nice… I thought. He/she will definitely be a thousand times more polish than me. S also recommended that I ask L to reach out to M to endorse me on my performance.

17) I’ve never done this before and had to double check with someone who has worked with HR to see if this is normal (I realized how risk adverse I am during this process). She convinced me that it's not only normal, but a necessity when applying internally. I wrote an email to L, having saw her and caught up with her in the office the day before.

18) L replied and to my surprise, said she was proud that I was asking for endorsement when most people shy away from it. She mentioned that she had already put in a good word for me.

19) I started applying for other jobs because I was coming to terms with not getting the job.

20) S follows up with M the following week. I’m embarrassed at this point because he was pushing for an answer and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have an answer because I got rejected.

21) 8 days from the interview date, I’m sitting at lunch with a neighboring finance team and shared my interview experience during this busy time at work. When I got to my desk, M pings me and asked if I have time to chat. I replied asap and he called me right away.

22) “I got some feedback for you,” he said. “I welcome any feedback you have,” I replied, having already made peace with myself that I will have to resume the job hunt. “ You got the role,” he said….and I haven’t stopped smiling since that moment.

I wanted to highlight the amount of effort it took to apply for one role. I could have easily gotten rejected and this process would have to occur again before I land on my next role.

I understand the power of networking, sponsorship and personal branding.

Although the future is exciting, I’m even more touched by the amount of people who are willing to help me, expecting nothing in return throughout this process- most notably, all of my sponsors ( S, L, A & E), E who is an informal mentor to me, D who consistently sent me job postings, AD who offered to help with interviewing, I connecting me to everyone she knows on the Global Oncology team. The countless number of coffee chats with the oncology marketing team who took time out of their day to educate me with nothing to gain.

I pinged I when I received the good news and she was so happy and excited for me. "You did all the magic," she said. "Not at all, it felt like a teamwork." It sure wasn't because of my stellar interviewing skills.

I’m so thankful for them and will continue to pay it forward.

As J and I agreed on, it's this cycle of good karma and positivity that will continue to expand.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”

A

[neonbyhorizon]

Luxury Apartments in Viman Nagar by NEON: Designed for the Modern Urban Lifestyle

Viman Nagar, a corner of Pune where the old meets the new, hums with life. The streets are alive with the clatter of footsteps and the murmur of voices.  NEON has built homes here, not just structures of steel and glass, but places where life unfolds.

NEON’s luxury apartments rise tall, touching the sky. They stand in Viman Nagar like sentinels, watching over the city that never seems to sleep. These are not just buildings; they are homes crafted with care, designed for those who seek something more.

The Heartbeat of Viman Nagar

In Viman Nagar, every day is a new story. The airport is close, and planes draw lines across the sky. Markets burst with color, and the scent of spices hangs in the air. Cafes spill out onto the sidewalks, and laughter drifts from open windows. It’s a place where the world comes together, and it’s no wonder that people seek luxury apartments in Pune Viman Nagar.

 NEON understood this when they laid the first brick. They saw a place where life thrived and wanted to be part of it. Their apartments are more than rooms and walls; they are part of the city’s fabric.

Homes Built with Purpose

NEON’s vision was clear: create homes that are both simple and profound. The architecture is clean, without unnecessary frills. Large windows invite the sun, and balconies offer a quiet place to watch the world go by.

Inside, the rooms are open and filled with light. The materials are honest—wood that feels warm underfoot and stone that stands firm. Every corner has been thought through, every detail considered.

Spaces that Breathe

The living rooms flow into dining areas, and the kitchens are crafted for real cooking. Here, one can imagine the smell of bread baking or the sizzle of a pan. The bedrooms are retreats, places where one can find rest. It’s all about balance and making sure that every space feels right.

Life Beyond the Threshold

Stepping outside the apartment doesn’t mean leaving comfort behind.  NEON has ensured that the entire building feels like home.

A Place to Be Together

There are common areas where neighbours become friends. Maybe it’s over a cup of coffee in the morning or a quiet chat in the evening. These spaces are simple but welcoming, with seats that invite you to stay a while.

Keeping Well

The fitness centre is state-of-the-art, with weights to lift and treadmills to run on. It’s a place to keep the body strong. The rooftop pool isn’t just water in a basin; it’s a place where the sky meets the water, and one can float and forget the world for a time.

Embracing the Present

NEON knows that the world moves fast. They’ve included just enough technology to make life easier without making it complicated.

Thoughtful Details

Lights adjust when the sun goes down, and the temperature stays just right. Security is there but doesn’t intrude. It’s about making life smooth, letting people focus on living rather than managing gadgets.

Respecting the Earth

Building in a city doesn’t mean forgetting about nature.  NEON has made choices that honor the environment.

Gentle Footprints

Rainwater is saved, and solar panels gather the sun’s energy. Waste is handled with care, not just tossed aside. Gardens are tended, green spaces where birds might rest and children might play.

An Investment in Life

Choosing to live here is about more than owning property. It’s about being part of something larger.

Growing Together

The value of these luxury apartments in Pune Viman Nagar isn’t just in bricks and mortar. It’s in the life that surrounds them. The city grows, and with it, the worth of these homes. It’s an investment in today and tomorrow. What truly makes these apartments special are the people who live there. They come from different places, bringing their stories and dreams. Neighbours share more than walls. They share moments—a greeting in the hallway, a smile in the elevator. Children play together, and friendships form. It’s a small world within a big city.

Conclusion

NEON’s luxury apartments in Viman Nagar are more than buildings. They are places where life happens, where each day brings something new. They are homes for those who seek comfort without excess, who appreciate the simple pleasures. In a city that never stops moving, these apartments offer a place to pause. For those looking for luxury apartments in Pune Viman Nagar, NEON provides not just a home but a way of life. It’s about living well, respecting others, and finding joy in the everyday.

The streets outside may be busy, but inside, there’s peace. It’s a balance between the world out there and the sanctuary within.  NEON has created something lasting here, something that feels right. In these homes, one can find a place to grow, to love, to live. They stand as a testament to what can be achieved when thoughtfulness meets action. For anyone seeking a home in Viman Nagar, NEON has opened the door.

[prachicmi]

Smart TV Market to Witness Highest Growth Driven by Escalating Penetration of High-Speed Internet Connectivity

The global smart TV market is estimated to be valued at US$ 150 billion in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 16% over the forecast period from 2024 to 2031.

Smart TV or connected TV refers to internet-enabled television sets that allow users to stream online content directly from the TV screen. Incorporating technological advancements such as voice control, multi-screen management, and content sharing features onto television sets has revolutionized the way viewers consume multimedia content across genres. The ability of smart TVs to seamlessly connect with other smart home devices and enable personalized streaming services has augmented their adoption among households globally. Rapid digitization and escalating penetration of high-speed internet connectivity is driving the demand for smart TVs. Key Takeaways

Key players operating in the smart TV market are Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, TCL, Hisense, and Xiaomi. The growing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) media services among audiences is fueling the sales of smart TVs. Key players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ are partnering with smart TV manufacturers to pre-install their applications, thereby driving their adoption. Smart TV Market Trends intechnological advancements such as integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) capabilities are helping smart TV manufacturers to deliver a more personalized viewing experience. AI-enabled features such as content recommendation, voice search, and augmented interactivity are enhancing user engagement. Market Trends The incorporation of innovative panel technologies: Major players are focusing on developing smart TVs integrated with innovative panel technologies such as OLED, QLED, and micro-LED to provide superior picture quality, contrast ratio, and viewing angles. Growing preference for large-screen TVs: Changing consumer behaviors and rising disposable incomes are fueling the demand for large-screen smart TVs of screen sizes 65 inches and above for an immersive home theater experience. Market Opportunities Surging demand from emerging economies: Countries such as India, Brazil, and Indonesia are expected to witness high growth in smart TV sales owing to the expanding middle-class population and growing media and entertainment consumption. Integration of 5G technology: Future opportunities lie in developing 5G-enabled smart TVs that can support rapid content streaming and seamless connectivity of IoT devices for an enhanced smart home experience. Impact of COVID-19 on Smart Tv Market Growth

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the Smart Tv Market News globally. During the initial lockdown phase in early 2020, the supply chain was disrupted and manufacturing units were shut down. This led to a dip in production volumes across major smart TV manufacturing countries. However, as people were confined to their homes due to lockdowns and movement restrictions, the demand for in-home entertainment increased rapidly. Smart TV emerged as one of the most viable options for accessing OTT platforms, online gaming, video conferencing and virtual socialization. Many upgraded to newer and larger screen sizes to enhance home viewing experience. Various streaming platforms also launched new attractive subscription plans and deals to fuel viewership.

As lockdowns eased from mid-2020, production facilities gradually resumed operations with strict safety protocols. Major brands strategized to cater to the emerging demand through new product launches and attractive offers. The rising work from home and hybrid work culture further boosted demand as people upgraded TVs for professional usage as well. By late 2020, the disruptions were minimized and many countries saw stronger rebound in sales compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

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[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] The 4th Edition of The Battle of Voices, organized by Bloggers Alliance and Voice of Achievers, concluded spectacularly today at the prestigious Jio Institute in Navi Mumbai. The event celebrated the rise of podcasting as a vital tool for digital storytelling and marketing, with insightful panel discussions, interactive performances, and an awards ceremony honoring India's top podcasting talent.Panel discussion on podcasting and storytelling, Jio InstituteThe day began with an insightful keynote by Advertising legend KV Sridhar (aka Pops), Global Chief Creative Officer at Nihilent Limited, who shared valuable anecdotes about the power of storytelling. Pops is known for leading teams that created top advertising campaigns such as 'I Love You Rasna', "Hamara Bajaj' and 'Wah Taj'. This was followed by an introduction to The Battle of Voices by Dr Amit Nagpal, Founder & President of Bloggers Alliance which aims to celebrate storytellers - creators, students, or professionals. Dr Amit highlighted storytellings power, "Our hearts connect to stories, our brains are wired for stories, and our ears want to listen to stories. We want our stories to be heard because our experiences are stories, our complaints are stories, and sometimes, the biggest burden on our souls are our untold stories."The first panel, Podcasts: The New Marketing Powerhouse, featured industry leaders such as Shimona Mathur (MnM Talkies), Vineet Kanabar (Matrix Partners), and Archana Kapoor (Radiofest). They discussed how podcasts are reshaping brand storytelling and marketing. The panel emphasized that podcast success is not defined by chasing numbers but by consistency and building a niche community of listeners. Long-term credibility leads to easier marketing and conversions, with podcasts emerging as a key tool for generating awareness and engaging audiences through unique storytelling lenses.Following this was an engaging interactive session on Digital Storytelling & Voice Modulation, led by Tathagata Chowdhury, a seasoned theater actor and founder of Theatrician. He captivated the audience with techniques for elevating storytelling skills and performance behind the microphone.The event also saw Sachin Karnik, Founder of The Great Unicorn Hub, speak on the art of storytelling when pitching startups to investors, highlighting how compelling narratives can secure investor interest. Harjeet Khanduja, Sr VP HR at Reliance Jio, shared insightful anecdotes about the power of storytelling and podcasts, showing how modern leaders and organizations can use podcasts to authentically engage with their audience.Another highlight was the second panel, The Future of Digital Storytelling: Elevating Podcasts & Vodcasts, featuring insights from Rima Amarapurkar (Podcaster & Filmmaker), Nimisha Sirohi (Actor & Voiceover Artist), Aditya Kuber (Ideabrew Studios), and Mae Mariyam Thomas (Maed in India). The panel explored how podcasts go beyond simple dialogues or celebrity interviews, offering a platform for storytellers to share personal and impactful stories on any topic close to their hearts. This was followed by Mantra (popular actor, podcaster, and Director, MnM Talkies) addressing the awardees for their win.The Battle of Voices 2024 Awards recognized top and emerging talents in podcasting:Aishwarya Ashok took home 1st place in the Professional - Indie Podcast Category for her podcast Founder's Foyer, while Rakesh Soni (India Unveiled) and Samentha Fernandes & Arnold Medeira (The Weekend Brain) shared the 2nd place honors.In the Professional - Regional Podcast Category, Soham Sabnis claimed 1st place with Mangalwar Marketing, followed by Sohm Kurulkar, who secured 2nd place for Cosmos Star Media.The Professional - Backed by Studio Category was dominated by Dakshin Gangotri for their docu-podcast series India's Greatest Journeys, produced by MnM Talkies, while Abhishek Mittal earned 2nd place for Wisdom Whispers, backed by Ideabrew Studios.The Student Podcast Category saw

Alina Shaikh, Jahnvi, and Shreya (Fergusson College, Pune) win 1st place for Gaavgunj, with Aaqib Rangraze taking 2nd place for Baawra Mann. Additionally, CNS Narsee School received a special award for their exceptional efforts in podcasting with CNS Den.This year's event was made possible by the contributions of our Industry Partners, MnM Talkies, and Masterclass Partners, Ideabrew Studios, who shared their expertise on podcast growth and production. Key collaborations with The Radio Festival, Theatrician, Maed in India, and India Podcast List helped shape the narrative around podcasting's evolution in India, while The Daily Eye served as our dedicated media partner.The event would not have been complete without the support of our Music and Gifting Partners, Hoopr, Primes & Zooms, and Kitabe Book Club. The winners received a 1 year Creator Elite Subscription from Hoopr AI, along with coupons for Podcast and Video gear from Primes and Zooms along with some insightful books by Kitabe Book Club. The special guests and jury received some unique made-in-India fragrances powered by Exclusive Gifting Partner, A Fragrance Story for their valuable contributions and their expertise.As the event came to a close, Dr Amit Nagpal shared his thoughts on personal branding for podcasters, "You don't build your personal brand. Other people do, when they see excellence and have pride in associating with you."This was followed by Yashika Begwani, Founder of Voice of Achievers expressing her gratitude, "The growth of podcasts as a medium of communication has been nothing short of phenomenal. We are excited to see how this dynamic form of storytelling continues to evolve and look forward to hearing more from these talented creators in the future."The event also featured a heartfelt vote of thanks to the Jio Institute for their collaboration as venue partners and to all the jury members, participants, and sponsors for their continuous support. For media inquiries or more details, please contact: www.voiceofachievers.com, www.bloggersalliance.org. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] The 4th Edition of The Battle of Voices, organized by Bloggers Alliance and Voice of Achievers, concluded spectacularly today at the prestigious Jio Institute in Navi Mumbai. The event celebrated the rise of podcasting as a vital tool for digital storytelling and marketing, with insightful panel discussions, interactive performances, and an awards ceremony honoring India's top podcasting talent.Panel discussion on podcasting and storytelling, Jio InstituteThe day began with an insightful keynote by Advertising legend KV Sridhar (aka Pops), Global Chief Creative Officer at Nihilent Limited, who shared valuable anecdotes about the power of storytelling. Pops is known for leading teams that created top advertising campaigns such as 'I Love You Rasna', "Hamara Bajaj' and 'Wah Taj'. This was followed by an introduction to The Battle of Voices by Dr Amit Nagpal, Founder & President of Bloggers Alliance which aims to celebrate storytellers - creators, students, or professionals. Dr Amit highlighted storytellings power, "Our hearts connect to stories, our brains are wired for stories, and our ears want to listen to stories. We want our stories to be heard because our experiences are stories, our complaints are stories, and sometimes, the biggest burden on our souls are our untold stories."The first panel, Podcasts: The New Marketing Powerhouse, featured industry leaders such as Shimona Mathur (MnM Talkies), Vineet Kanabar (Matrix Partners), and Archana Kapoor (Radiofest). They discussed how podcasts are reshaping brand storytelling and marketing. The panel emphasized that podcast success is not defined by chasing numbers but by consistency and building a niche community of listeners. Long-term credibility leads to easier marketing and conversions, with podcasts emerging as a key tool for generating awareness and engaging audiences through unique storytelling lenses.Following this was an engaging interactive session on Digital Storytelling & Voice Modulation, led by Tathagata Chowdhury, a seasoned theater actor and founder of Theatrician. He captivated the audience with techniques for elevating storytelling skills and performance behind the microphone.The event also saw Sachin Karnik, Founder of The Great Unicorn Hub, speak on the art of storytelling when pitching startups to investors, highlighting how compelling narratives can secure investor interest. Harjeet Khanduja, Sr VP HR at Reliance Jio, shared insightful anecdotes about the power of storytelling and podcasts, showing how modern leaders and organizations can use podcasts to authentically engage with their audience.Another highlight was the second panel, The Future of Digital Storytelling: Elevating Podcasts & Vodcasts, featuring insights from Rima Amarapurkar (Podcaster & Filmmaker), Nimisha Sirohi (Actor & Voiceover Artist), Aditya Kuber (Ideabrew Studios), and Mae Mariyam Thomas (Maed in India). The panel explored how podcasts go beyond simple dialogues or celebrity interviews, offering a platform for storytellers to share personal and impactful stories on any topic close to their hearts. This was followed by Mantra (popular actor, podcaster, and Director, MnM Talkies) addressing the awardees for their win.The Battle of Voices 2024 Awards recognized top and emerging talents in podcasting:Aishwarya Ashok took home 1st place in the Professional - Indie Podcast Category for her podcast Founder's Foyer, while Rakesh Soni (India Unveiled) and Samentha Fernandes & Arnold Medeira (The Weekend Brain) shared the 2nd place honors.In the Professional - Regional Podcast Category, Soham Sabnis claimed 1st place with Mangalwar Marketing, followed by Sohm Kurulkar, who secured 2nd place for Cosmos Star Media.The Professional - Backed by Studio Category was dominated by Dakshin Gangotri for their docu-podcast series India's Greatest Journeys, produced by MnM Talkies, while Abhishek Mittal earned 2nd place for Wisdom Whispers, backed by Ideabrew Studios.The Student Podcast Category saw

Alina Shaikh, Jahnvi, and Shreya (Fergusson College, Pune) win 1st place for Gaavgunj, with Aaqib Rangraze taking 2nd place for Baawra Mann. Additionally, CNS Narsee School received a special award for their exceptional efforts in podcasting with CNS Den.This year's event was made possible by the contributions of our Industry Partners, MnM Talkies, and Masterclass Partners, Ideabrew Studios, who shared their expertise on podcast growth and production. Key collaborations with The Radio Festival, Theatrician, Maed in India, and India Podcast List helped shape the narrative around podcasting's evolution in India, while The Daily Eye served as our dedicated media partner.The event would not have been complete without the support of our Music and Gifting Partners, Hoopr, Primes & Zooms, and Kitabe Book Club. The winners received a 1 year Creator Elite Subscription from Hoopr AI, along with coupons for Podcast and Video gear from Primes and Zooms along with some insightful books by Kitabe Book Club. The special guests and jury received some unique made-in-India fragrances powered by Exclusive Gifting Partner, A Fragrance Story for their valuable contributions and their expertise.As the event came to a close, Dr Amit Nagpal shared his thoughts on personal branding for podcasters, "You don't build your personal brand. Other people do, when they see excellence and have pride in associating with you."This was followed by Yashika Begwani, Founder of Voice of Achievers expressing her gratitude, "The growth of podcasts as a medium of communication has been nothing short of phenomenal. We are excited to see how this dynamic form of storytelling continues to evolve and look forward to hearing more from these talented creators in the future."The event also featured a heartfelt vote of thanks to the Jio Institute for their collaboration as venue partners and to all the jury members, participants, and sponsors for their continuous support. For media inquiries or more details, please contact: www.voiceofachievers.com, www.bloggersalliance.org. [ad_2] Source link

[odmeducationalgroup]

ODM Hosts East India's Largest Career Fair; Connects Students With 66 Global Universities

Bhubaneswar, Odisha — The world is coming together in the era of global connectivity that is shaping the future of education. Keeping the necessity of exposure as the core motive, ODM Educational Group has taken a pioneering step as it organised East India’s largest University Career Fair at ODM Public School in Bhubaneswar.

The fair, a cornerstone of ODM's ambitious College Connect Program, brought together an impressive array of 66 universities from seven countries, creating a bridge for students to acquire educational opportunities. As students from across Odisha and neighbouring states flooded the venue, the air was thick with anticipation and the promise of new pathways to pursue diverse careers of student’s choice.

Dr. SatyabrataMinaketan, the visionary Chairman of ODM Educational Group, surveyed the bustling fair. "This isn't just a career fair; it’s our student's gateway to the world," he said. The chairman added, “Our goal is to equip our students with the knowledge and resources necessary to make well-informed decisions about their academic and professional futures."

Stalls adorned with flags and banners from India, France, the United States, Canada, Italy, Australia, and Switzerland created a colourful amalgam of educational diversity. Representatives from prestigious institutions like Bocconi University in Italy and Colorado State University in the USA mingled with their counterparts from Indian powerhouse universities such as Ashoka University and OP Jindal Global University.

Amidst the sea of eager faces, students clutched brochures from various universities. Elina Shah, a student of ODM Global School, gushed, "I never imagined I'd have the world at my fingertips like this. Talking to these university representatives and counsellors has surged my view about the vast range of career options in the best way possible!"

The fair wasn't just about glossy brochures and impressive statistics. It was a diligently curated event designed to address the needs of today's students who think globally. Panel discussions on topics ranging from the impact of artificial intelligence on future job markets to the growing importance of interdisciplinary studies captivated the audience.

Harriet Coutinho Representing the University of Connecticut -USA struck a chord with many when she spoke about the changing face of education.  She emphasised, ‘Education is not an isolated matter anymore. Neither should schools, colleges or universities. Thus, this is an amazing collaborative measure to prepare students for career and a lifetime of adaptation and learning."

ODM's innovative approach extended beyond the fair itself. The integration of BridgeU, a cutting-edge university and career guidance platform, showcased the group's commitment to supporting students in selecting the right university, whether in India or abroad. This platform streamlines the college application process, providing students with comprehensive tools and resources.

However, the most striking aspect of the fair was the human touch. ODM's foresight in stationing trained global Career Counselors across its campuses in Angul, Durgapur, Ranchi, Gurgram, and Bhubaneswar was evident in the personalised guidance offered to the students at every turn. The insights into global education trends and local contexts helped the students align their aspirations with realistic pathways.

Workshops on application procedures saw students furiously taking notes, while mock interview sessions had them straightening their backs and practising ideal gestures for interview sessions. The fair also addressed the practical concerns of studying abroad. Representatives fielded questions about visa processes, while university admission advisors discussed scholarship opportunities and funding options.

SwoyanSatyendu, COO of ODM Educational Group, observed the scene with satisfaction and shared his vision for the future.  He said, "In a world where borders are increasingly blurred, initiatives like this fair are not just valuable but vital. These career fairs serve as bridges, connecting local talent with global opportunities, and in doing so, they reshape the future of education."

The successful organisation of the University Career Fair by ODM Educational Group has helped the students carve a pathway for their ambitions. It had done more than just connect students with universities; it had expanded horizons, challenged preconceptions, and ignited a passion for global learning.

About ODM Educational Group:

ODM Educational Group is a premier educational organisation that delivers holistic education that empowers students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and competitive world. With six distinguished schools under its umbrella, the group strongly emphasises academic excellence, character development, and leadership skills. ODM Educational Group strives to cultivate responsible, future-ready global citizens equipped to lead with integrity and make meaningful contributions to society. Through its innovative programs and commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals, ODM continues to set benchmarks in the field of education.

PR Resource: https://www.pressreleasepoint.com/odm-hosts-east-indias-largest-career-fair-connects-students-66-global-universities#:~:text=The%20fair%2C%20a%20cornerstone%20of,students%20to%20acquire%20educational%20opportunities.