#Reimagining Future of Education

[learnwithotos]

https://oneteacheronescientist.com/about-us/

[haodarling]

Like the Movies

about: a series of my favorite movies reimagined with (some of) the boys of seventeen.

notes: the movies inspired the fics, please don’t expect it to be an exact word for word reenactment of the films; i had a couple of ideas and decided to roll with it. unfortunately i will not be doing all of the boys as some of them are key side characters unless specifically requested! the stories are interrelated in some way; it won’t be explicitly stated but try and look for crumbs!

also! most if not all the y/ns in the fics are directly stated to be female due to some of the stories heavily relying on y/n’s biological sex to be female.

currently working on: pretty girl !

Pretty Girl

based on: Legally Blonde

pairing: law student! joshua x heiress! reader // ex boyfriend! wen junhui x reader

synopsis: the youngest of 3 successful sisters, no one expects you to accomplish anything save for sitting still and looking pretty, but after your boyfriend dumps you for a much more educated girl, you get your eldest sister to pay your way into harvard law where you meets joshua hong, who does not seem to appreciate how lightly you takes things.

tropes: opposites attract, popular girl x nerd boy but with a twist, they start off at the wrong foot, it gets resolved, joshua will say hurtful things along the way though

A Sweet Haven

based on: Notting Hill // Maid in Manhattan

pairing: golden retriever!mingyu x single mother!y/n

synopsis: never in your wildest dreams did you expect acclaimed actor, kim mingyu, to stumble into your quaint bakery and ask you to hide him from the onslaught of paparazzi. what began as one chance encounter turns into constant visits to you and your daughter. but just as you begin to see a future between the two of you, the reminder of his fame and reputation hovers over the both you.

tropes: forbidden romance, single mom! reader, mingyu’s an actor, secret relationship

Hot and Cold

based on: Pride and Prejudice // Emma

pairing: wonwoo x reader, seokmin x oc

synopsis: as the eldest child of your family, you have only ever wanted the best for your siblings. so when your sister confesses to being in love with someone— you do everything you can to make sure they both end up together… but the infuriatingly handsome brother of your sister’s beau seems to be against the union altogether.

tropes: enemies to lovers, they really don’t like each other at first, just two people being protective of their younger siblings, elder sibling trauma written by an only child LOL

Mr and Mrs. Choi

based on: Mr. and Mrs. Smith

pairing: agent!scoups x agent!reader

synopsis: you and seungcheol (code name: scoups) have a bit of a work place rivalry going on, and the agency wants to put you both to the test by pairing you up with each other in a mission that would determine who gets the promotion… the catch being that you both would have to play a married couple.

tropes: rivals to lovers, technically also coworkers to lovers, fake marriage au, a lot of back and forths, cheol is a teasing lil shit with y/n, will very much include the old “the target is gonna notice we’re tailing him hurry let’s make out”

Love Me Tomorrow

based on: 2 week’s notice // flipped

pairing: jeonghan x reader

synopsis: your friends and coworkers say you’re foolish for harboring a crush on the worst man ever; aka your boss. yoon jeonghan is a successful ceo, and he is well aware of the hold he has over you; often using you to perform minute and tiresome errands. but what happens when you finally draw the line?

tropes: unrequited love (initially), she fell first but he fell harder, hannie’s an asshole here ngl, he gets better i promise, y/n is on a path to self love, when hannie realized he loves her he’s so pathetic i swear

Something Borrowed, Something New

based on: My best friend’s wedding

pairing: minghao x extraverted!reader, slight vernon x reader, and slight minghao x oc

synopsis: you love your fiancee you truly do, and you were very sure he felt the same long enough to propose to you; but he’s quiet, and well- you’re not. you know this, and so you always make sure you are not too spirited in days where he doesn’t feel it. but when he runs into his old college friends, you could not help but notice how he becomes a lot livelier with his childhood best friend.

tropes: established relationship, opposites attract, golden retriever y/n and black cat minghao, angst, like a lot of it, hao has a girl best friend :(( , two people who don’t communicate because of their own personal reasons

[balancedearthylioness]

Pluto in Aquarius Transit Guide for All Rising Signs 🌌

Aries Rising ♈

Your 11th house journey begins! 🚀 Get ready for a total transformation of your friend groups, social networks, and long-term dreams. You might find yourself becoming the leader of revolutionary movements or tech-focused communities. Watch as your vision for the future evolves into something more radical than you ever imagined.

Taurus Rising ♉

Career metamorphosis incoming! 🎯 Your 10th house is getting the Plutonian makeover. Expect massive shifts in your professional life and public image. You might become known for innovative technological solutions or unconventional leadership approaches. Traditional career paths? Not anymore!

Gemini Rising ♊

Your 9th house expansion is revolutionary! 🌍 Higher education, spirituality, and worldview are all getting electrified. You might find yourself diving deep into futuristic philosophies or teaching radical new concepts. Travel could open doors to technological or humanitarian ventures.

Cancer Rising ♋

8th house intensity amplified! 💫 Shared resources, intimacy, and psychological depths are being revolutionized. You might discover new ways of handling joint finances through technology, or experience profound transformation through group healing practices.

Leo Rising ♌

Partnership revolution in the 7th house! 👥 Close relationships are getting the Aquarian treatment. Expect unconventional partnerships, possibly connected to technology or humanitarian causes. Your approach to collaboration will never be the same.

Virgo Rising ♍

Work routines and health get an upgrade! ⚡ Your 6th house is being revolutionized. Watch as your daily habits transform through technology. Health practices might become more experimental and community-oriented. Your service to others takes on a humanitarian edge.

Libra Rising ♎

Creative revolution in your 5th house! 🎨 Self-expression and romance are getting electrified. You might find yourself creating art with technology or falling for someone who challenges traditional relationship models. Your inner child wants to innovate!

Scorpio Rising ♏

Home and family transformation! 🏠 Your 4th house is getting the Aquarian shake-up. Expect revolutionary changes in your living situation - maybe a smart home or communal living arrangement. Family structures might break from tradition.

Sagittarius Rising ♐

Communication gets supercharged! �� Your 3rd house is being revolutionized. Writing, speaking, and learning take on a futuristic edge. You might become the voice of revolutionary ideas or start working with cutting-edge communication technologies.

Capricorn Rising ♑

Value revolution in your 2nd house! 💰 Your relationship with money and possessions is transforming. You might discover innovative ways to earn through technology or completely reimagine your relationship with material resources. Digital assets, anyone?

Aquarius Rising ♒

Personal revolution time! ✨ With Pluto in your 1st house, you're becoming a completely different person. Your self-image and approach to life are getting a total overhaul. You might become the embodiment of future-oriented change.

Pisces Rising ♓

Spiritual technology activation! 🌟 Your 12th house is being transformed. Hidden realms and unconscious patterns are being revolutionized. You might discover how technology can aid spiritual growth or find yourself working behind the scenes on humanitarian projects.

Remember: Pluto transits are slow and deep, lasting for many years. The changes they bring are permanent and transformative. Embrace the revolutionary energy! 🌠✨

[astroa3h]

How Pluto Entering Aquarius Will Shape the Next Two Decades

Hold onto your hats, because the cosmos just handed us a front-row ticket to the most exhilarating and unsettling ride of the century. Pluto, the planet of transformation, power, and those deep, dark truths we’d rather shove under the rug, is strutting into Aquarius, the sign of innovation, rebellion, and humanity’s collective future. This isn’t just a cosmic shuffle. It’s a full-blown revolution that will flip the script on every corner of life as we know it. We’re talking society, technology, relationships, and yes, your personal universe. This not your average astrological transit.

Pluto doesn’t mess around. This is the planet of the phoenix, meaning if something isn’t working, it’s about to burn down to ashes. But don’t panic. Aquarius isn’t here to destroy for the sake of destruction. This air sign is the visionary genius, the tech whiz, the humanitarian. Together, they’re rewriting the rules of the game. Think of it like a power wash for your life and our world, a little messy at first, but ultimately freeing. For the next 19 years, expect seismic shifts in how we connect as a species. Aquarius rules technology and social systems, so the digital landscape will explode with changes. In terms of astrology predictions, AI won’t just be a cool tool; it’s going to reshape the job market, education, and even how we understand what it means to be human. If you’ve been clinging to outdated ways of working or communicating, Pluto is here to snap you out of it. The advice? Embrace the new. Learn, adapt, grow. That app you’re too stubborn to download could end up being the key to your next career move.

Power structures are about to collapse. Pluto in Aquarius doesn’t tolerate inequality, corruption, or anything that reeks of the old guard clinging to control. Governments, corporations, and even social hierarchies are in for a rude awakening. On a personal level, ask yourself where you’ve been giving your power away. Is it to a boss who doesn’t value you? A partner who keeps you small? A habit that numbs your potential? Pluto is here to tear those chains apart. But it’s on you to step into the freedom that follows. Of course, there’s a shadow side. Aquarius can be cold, detached, even ruthless in its pursuit of the greater good. Be wary of losing yourself in groupthink or tech dependency. Just because the world is speeding up doesn’t mean you have to lose touch with your own humanity. Make time for real conversations, face-to-face connections, and grounding rituals. This isn’t just a suggestion.

It’s a survival tool for navigating the chaos.

And let’s talk relationships. Traditional bonds might feel stifling under this influence. Aquarius loves independence and freedom, so if you’re in a situation that feels too confining, it’s time to shake things up. This doesn’t mean running for the hills every time someone asks for commitment. But it does mean being honest about what you need to thrive. Maybe that’s more space, or maybe it’s a complete reimagining of what love looks like for you. Just know this: Pluto doesn’t do surface-level. Any connection that’s shallow, fake, or rooted in outdated ideals is going to crumble. And that’s a good thing. This is also a time to dream big, no, bigger. Aquarius is the sign of invention and radical ideas. If you’ve been sitting on a creative project, a business idea, or a vision for your future, Pluto is giving you a cosmic green light. But there’s a catch. You can’t just dream it; you have to build it. Aquarius is innovative, yes, but it’s also fiercely logical. It’s about using your genius to create something real. So, roll up your sleeves. Get to work. You have a 19-year runway to make something extraordinary.

But remember, transformation isn’t a one-and-done event. Pluto moves slowly, digging deep into the cracks we don’t want to see. There will be moments when it feels too intense, too overwhelming. That’s when you lean into the Aquarian gift of vision. What kind of future do you want to build? What kind of person do you want to become? Keep your eyes on the horizon, even when the ground shakes beneath your feet. Pluto in Aquarius isn’t just a transit. It’s a call to action. It’s a demand to evolve. The world is changing, fast. And the question isn’t whether you’ll adapt. It’s whether you’ll rise to meet the opportunity. The universe believes you can. Now it’s your turn to believe it too.

Sending you all my love and blessings,

Ash (@AstroA3h via Instagram & TikTok)

✨💓

Ready for your own personal reading?

Visit astroash.net to book yours today!

[vintagecandy]

Will you do a whole 1920's version of Batman and his rogues or only the dork squad :3

Oh, I don't know! Over a long period of time, as I am prone to, I might do whatever comes to mind! There's a few I already picture in the setting, such as silent comedian Joker, retro-futurism Freeze, oil baron and car manufacturer Penguin, ex-circus performer air combat engineer harley quinn Side tangent-- One interesting thing about a past set gotham is that Gotham is usually so heavily modern psychology based, to the point that so many of their villains are directly involved in the scientific fields associated with the brain-- but that is really SUCH a modern field by today's standards, and it really wouldn't have been widely useful at the time. So you'll notice most of these reimaginings are going to reattribute those skills elsewhere. Even Jervis Tetch is something of a self-taught mad inventor that isn't formally educated, because the field of neurology was not as organized as it is now and blind pioneering was more likely to happen. Except Dr. Strange. He is 100% a "Educated" brain-butcher, lobotomy doctor, mental asylum nightmare just hacking people apart and drugging them up to see what happens and calling it treatment while he develops an evil eug*enics scheme, as he's prone to lol.

[resiliencebeast]

Equity Education and Mutual Justice Resources: The Book List

Anti-Racism and Intersectionality How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W.E.B. Du Bois On Critical Race Theory: Why It Matters & Why You Should Care by Victor Ray

You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Tarana Burke (Editor) Brené Brown (Editor) Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

So You Want to Talk About Race By Ijeoma Oluo

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America by Jennifer Harvey

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Mutual Aid, Direct Action, Organizing, and Community Building

Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes

Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law by Richard Rothstein and Leah Rothstein

Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade

Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution by Pyotr Kropotkin

Living at the Edges of Capitalism: Adventures in Exile and Mutual Aid by Andrej Grubačić

Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want by Ruha Benjamin

We Do This 'til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba

Practicing Cooperation: Mutual Aid beyond Capitalism by Andrew Zitcer

Practicing New Worlds: Abolition and Emergent Strategies by Andrea Ritchie

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Colonialism Education

The Poverty of Growth by Olivier De Schutter

Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell, Karen Chilton, et al.

The Future Is Degrowth: A Guide to a World Beyond Capitalism by Aaron Vansintjan, Matthias Schmelzer, and Andrea Vetter

Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics by Marc Lamont Hill, Mitchell Plitnick, et al.

Anthropocene or Capitalocene? Nature, History, and the Crisis of Capitalism by Elmar Altvater (Author), Eileen C. Crist (Author), Donna J. Haraway (Author), Daniel Hartley (Author), Christian Parenti (Author), Justin McBrien (Author), Jason W. Moore (Editor) (Also available as a PDF online)

Dying for Capitalism: How Big Money Fuels Extinction and What We Can Do About It by Charles Derber, Suren Moodliar

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder History and Political Science

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

Black Marxism, Revised and Updated Third Edition: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition by Cedric J. Robinson

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

Palestine: A Socialist Introduction by Sumaya Awad (Editor) and Brian Bean (Editor)

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (this technical book also has an organizing guide and study guide)

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann

Time's Monster: How History Makes History by Priya Satia

We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley

Indigenous Knowledge

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (there is also a version of Braiding Sweetgrass for young adults)

Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future by Patty Krawec

Indian Givers: How Native Americans Transformed the World by Jack Weatherford

Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources by Kat Anderson

Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez Disability Education and Rights Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau Black Disability Politics by Sami Schalk

Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai

Pandemic Solidarity: Mutual Aid during the Coronavirus Crisis by Marina Sitrin (Editor), Rebecca Solnit (Editor)

Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire by Alice Wong

The Future Is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes, and Mourning Songs by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Refusing to Be Made Whole: Disability in Black Women's Writing by Anna Laquawn Hinton

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price (this author also has a guide on the same topic)

Queer Issues

We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation Hardcover by Matthew Riemer and Leighton Brown Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution by Susan Stryker

Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by Leslie Feinberg

Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising That Changed America by Martin Duberman

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe (graphic novel) Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J Brown

A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski

The Gay Agenda: A Modern Queer History & Handbook by Ashley Molesso and Chessie Needham

They/Them/Their: A Guide to Nonbinary and Genderqueer Identities by Eris Young

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman

This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson (Author) and David Levithan (Contributor)

Nonbinary For Beginners: Everything you’ve been afraid to ask about gender, pronouns, being an ally, and black & white thinking by Ocean Atlas

All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

Gender: A Graphic Guide by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele (Illustrator)

Resources for Kids and Parents

The Every Body Book: The LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families by Rachel E. Simon (Author) and Noah Grigni (Illustrator)

This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids: A Question & Answer Guide to Everyday Life by Dan Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo This Book Is Feminist: An Intersectional Primer for Next-Gen Changemakers by Jamia Wilson and Aurelia Durand (Illustrator)

Unlearning White Supremacy and Colonialist Culture

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin Diangelo

Black Rage by William H. Grier and Price M. Cobbs

White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson

How to Understand Your Gender: A Practical Guide for Exploring Who You Are by Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker

This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell (Author) and Aurelia Durand (Illustrator)

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock

Gender Trauma: Healing Cultural, Social, and Historical Gendered Trauma by Alex Iantaffi

The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice by Staci Haines

Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority by Tom Burrell

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad

Articles and Online Resources (Including Research Articles)

White Supremacy Culture by Tema Okun, at dRworks (This is a list of characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our organizations and workplaces.)

Reflections on Agroecology and Social Justice in Malwa-Nimar by Caroline E. Fazli

Mutual Aid Toolbox by Big Door Brigade Mutual Aid Resources by Mutual Aid Disaster Relief No body is expendable: Medical rationing and disability justice during the COVID-19 pandemic by Andrews, Ayers, Brown, Dunn, & Pilarski (2021)

A Marxist Theory of Extinction by Troy Vettese

Intersectionality Research for Transgender Health Justice: A Theory-Driven Conceptual Framework for Structural Analysis of Transgender Health Inequities by Linda M. Wesp, Lorraine Halinka Malcoe, Ayana Elliott, and Tonia Poteat Know Your Rights Guide to Surviving COVID-19 Triage Protocols by NoBody is Disposable

Finally Feeling Comfortable: The Necessity of Trans-Affirming, Trauma-Informed Care by Alex Petkanas (on TransLash Media)

'Are you ready to heal?': Nonbinary activist Alok Vaid-Menon deconstructs gender by Jo Yurcaba

Gender-affirming Care Saves Lives by Kareen M. Matouk and Melina Wald

What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World by Prentis Hemphill

Note from the curator: Please use your local libraries when possible! Be #ResiliencePunk.

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 14: Hastings

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: G Word count: 2.5k

Masterpost Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Sophie awoke to find it mercifully still dark outside. Despite the thrilling events of the evening, she must have dozed off, lulled into comfort within Benedict’s arms. Her body wanted to stay wrapped in the soft blankets against his warm skin, but her mind knew better. She needed to be in her quarters when the rest of the house woke up to prevent any suspicion. What exactly her role was now in the house and what exactly she would say to Benedict the next day, she wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t sleep in his room and cause outright scandal. He breathed softly beside her, his face serene as he slept. God, how she loved this man. Loved his beauty, loved his body, loved how gentle he had been with her. 

She placed a soft kiss on his forehead and slid out of the bed as carefully as she could. She couldn’t help but notice the traces of their activities on the sheets and told herself that she must be sure to intercept and launder them herself. She dressed in silence and snuck noiselessly back to her room, undetected.

Once in her own bed she found herself grinning uncontrollably, feeling like an entirely new woman. She supposed she had grown more now, having romped with a man that she loved even though she had preserved her maidenhood. It had been overwhelming but perfect. Strange, but so wonderfully fulfilling. The ghost of Benedict’s kiss, of his body, still pressed upon her skin like a memory. It made her giddy, nearly dizzy with joy. A corner of her mind whispered that she was wanton, a loose woman, the mistress that she had sworn she would never be. But she quieted it with justifications. She wouldn’t let him ‘keep her’ in the traditional sense of a mistress. She would maintain her independence with work and simply enjoy her time with him, just as Genevieve did with her gentlemen friends. The thought gave her pause, remembering that Benedict had been just such a companion to the modiste. Sophie wondered what they had gotten up to together, but knew that her free spirited friend was unlikely to harbor any jealousy toward her for entangling with an old flame, if their paths ever crossed again at all. In truth, Sophie was grateful for Gen’s assessment of Benedict’s character, which had always made her more inclined to trust him.

Whatever she had with Benedict now, it was a gift she could give herself after a lifetime of toil. To be as close as she could with the man she loved at least for a brief time, until his heart was committed to a suitable wife. 

She had wanted him for so long, so very long. He was everything to her and now that she knew he wanted her too, she could not refuse him, she didn’t want to refuse him. She had this time, however long or short it might be, to enjoy all of him. Or his body and attentions at least, if she didn’t have his heart. Maybe it would be enough to sustain her in the future after he married and moved on. Maybe it would eventually satiate the gnawing need she felt for him at all times. Maybe her time with him would educate her in knowing what to look for in a husband when they inevitably parted ways to find spouses among their own class.

As for children, she trusted that Benedict would not make her fall pregnant. Thanks to him, she now understood enough of the process to avoid such an outcome. She also knew that a woman’s courses were integral and, though she would never tell anyone, she hadn’t had hers in over a year. Not since she had left the Cowpers and lost so much weight. Without them, she felt certain that it was even more difficult to achieve. 

Now that she had known the private acts between a man and a woman, had seen and felt all of Benedict’s body, all of her concerns felt like trifles. All she wanted was more. More of him, more of his touch, more of his moans. She was an awful, sinful woman, she supposed. But right now she didn’t care. The memories of their encounter, its sounds, sights and sensations washed over her again, a blissful smile playing across her lips as she sank quickly into sleep.

She was awoken by an uncharacteristic hum of noise outside her door. Voices were shouting down the corridor, doors were slamming, and pots were clanging so loudly she could hear them all the way from the kitchen. She half wondered if the house was on fire. Blearily, she rose from bed, straightened herself and leaned out into the hall.

She was nearly bowled over by Lizzie scurrying past with a mounded basket of vegetables. The maid skidded to a stop and they looked at each other in alarm.

“Lizzie! What’s going on?” Sophie asked.

“The Duke and Duchess are due to arrive any moment.” Came the breathless reply.

Sophie’s mind reeled. “Who?”

Lizzie’s eyes were wide. “The Duke and Duchess of Hastings.” Her tone was of someone stating the obvious. When Sophie continued to stare at her in confusion, she clarified further. “The former Miss Daphne Bridgerton.”

“Oh.” Sophie uttered, taken aback. 

Lizzie cocked her head. “You should speak to Mrs. Wiggin, we have plenty that needs doing.” Then she rushed off in the direction of the kitchen.

___

Benedict grinned when he awoke, the memories of the night still fresh in his mind. He rolled over, arms outstretched, only to find himself alone. He looked around the room but Sophie was nowhere to be found. His senses kicked in and told him she was smart enough not to be caught in his bed when the household woke up, but a small part of him also feared that maybe she had run off, feeling differently about the night’s events than he had. 

He dressed quickly and marched out of his room to find her. He didn’t have to search at all because he immediately saw her at the foot of the stairs, walking up with a laundry basket in her arms.

He practically sprinted down to meet her. “Sophie! What are you doing?”

She looked at him with a blaze of annoyance and hissed. “You failed to tell me that your sister would be arriving today!”

“Oh!” He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, chastising himself. With everything happening between them, he had forgotten entirely. “Yes, yes. I’m sorry.” He opened his eyes and looked at her apologetically. “She is coming early to help prepare the house for the ball.”

Sophie rolled her eyes and stomped further up the stairs with urgency. “They will be here at any moment!”

Benedict followed her, scrambling back up the steps until they reached the second floor hall. “Still, what are you doing?” She looked at him with utter exasperation. “I’m helping! What am I supposed to do? Sit around and behave like a guest?”

Benedict couldn't help a smirk from tugging at the corner of his lips. Sophie was adorable when she was flustered. "We should talk." He said quietly, laying a hand on her arm.

She glanced about the hall, but they were safely alone. She softened, "Yes, we'll find the time."

Benedict leaned in, magnetized toward her lips and captured them with his own, thanking her for the night before. It was all Sophie could do not to moan under his kiss, she craved him so much. He pulled back and they smiled at each other, eyes alight. Breaking through the moment, the unmistakable sound of neighing horses and crunching carriage wheels drifted from outside. They both pulled apart and looked around. There was still no one in sight, but they sensed the danger of their discovery rising.

He took a last look at Sophie, not sure when they would find their next moment alone. “I must leave. And you have one task while I go. You will hold onto this feeling, and you will stay looking like this, just like this, until I see you again. Because it breaks my heart to see any other expression on your face.”

“You won’t be able to see me,” she pointed out.

He touched her chin and shot her his lopsided grin. “I’ll know.”

And then, when her eyes were full of that enchanting combination of shock and adoration, he swept in to peck her again and then dashed off down the stairs.

Sophie practically swatted him away, the mad aristocrat who wanted to steal kisses with a maid out in the open. But she couldn't stop herself from beaming like a fool as she went on about her work.

___

Benedict was well aware that he was not dressed formally enough to greet the Duke and Duchess as was customary as their host, but he also found that he didn't care. They were family after all, and both knew him well enough to know that abiding by etiquette was one of his lesser concerns. So, a bit disheveled and still lost in his heady thoughts of Sophie, he descended the front steps of Aubrey Hall to greet his sister and her family in the cool morning sunshine.

He watched as Daphne descended from her elegant carriage dressed in a lavender velvet cloak, taking her husband's extended hand. In her other arm she cradled their third child and first daughter, Caroline. Together, the couple turned and helped their two small sons hop to the ground, both outfitted in smart burgundy outfits.

"Sister!" Benedict smiled widely. "Welcome."

She turned her brilliant blue gaze upon him and smiled back, "Benedict, lovely to see you."

They kissed each other on the cheek with a small embrace before he turned to the Duke.

"Hastings," he said with a smile and a nod.

"Bridgerton," Simon's reply was characteristically cool, but warmth lit his eyes.

Benedict then turned to his nephews and niece, looking down upon them in their mother's arms and gathered around her skirt. "Hello there, all of you!"

Daphne's second son, named Barnaby according to the family's alphabetical tradition, smiled up at him and outstretched his chubby fingers. "Uncle Benny," he squeaked, "Up, up!" Though he loved all of his siblings’ children dearly, Benedict supposed he had the softest spot for Barnaby Basset, sharing initials and birth order as they did, and he happily lifted the boy onto his shoulders.

Holding onto the little knees, he looked down at his eldest nephew Augie. "Alright then, lead the charge, everyone inside."

Augie, a gentleman to the last, took his mother's free hand and led her up the steps and into the house with the rest of the retinue in tow. The additional carriages behind them began to unload with luggage and servants. The entire air of Aubrey Hall changed when visitors or family were in residence, anyone more than just himself and a handful of servants, Benedict thought. It became a large, bustling estate, full of noise and people and goings-on, rather than the quiet and intimate hideaway it had seemed to be only the night before. He was grateful to see family. It stirred a familiar warmth within his chest that he had been without for a rather long time, he realized. But he also couldn't help longing to be alone with Sophie in Aubrey Hall, or anywhere really. As much as he loved to see his sister and her family, their arrival felt like something of an intrusion, as unfair as he knew that was.

They were quickly settled into the morning room with tea, scones and cakes, the staff of Aubrey Hall bolstered by the staff brought from Clyvedon. The two boys immediately fell to playing with toys while the adults watched from the sofas, Daphne holding small Caroline on her knee.

She turned to Benedict. "How are you feeling, brother? Mother wrote that you were here convalescing. It seems you had something of an incident while out visiting…the Cavenders, was it?"

God, there was so much his family didn't know. The last he had written to them, he had notified that he would be staying at Aubrey Hall to recover from a cold caught on the way home from Cavender's party, and that he had hired a nurse to assist him. Not a lie, especially at the time the letter was written, immediately upon his arrival. How things had progressed since then was known only to him and Sophie of course, and it felt like an age had passed since the innocent days of seeing her as a helpful nursemaid. 

"Yes, I am fully recovered." He smiled at his sister. "Feeling much better."

Daphne looked at him in that exacting way only she could. "I should say so. You look very well indeed."

Benedict didn't know the extent of what she could read in his face, so he changed the subject. "Oh, and our sisters are forbidden from marrying anyone who attended the Cavender party, is that understood?" He bit into a scone. "A nest of drunks and scoundrels, the lot of them."

Simon leaned over from his seat with a smirk. "I could have told you that."

Benedict grinned in acknowledgement, then turned back to his sister. "The Cavenders aren’t invited to the house, are they?"

"No, I don’t believe so." She shook her head.

"Good,” Benedict said bluntly, “and they never shall be." 

Daphne knew better than to probe any further. She truly didn't care to know what sort of behavior would lead both her formerly rakish husband and her wild bohemian brother to think poorly of a man. Tactfully, she changed the subject while sipping her tea. "So what have you been doing to occupy your time?"

Benedict didn't meet her eyes but waved his hand around blithely. "Reading, sleeping. Sketching."

Daphne settled her teacup. "Sketching again? That sounds promising." She gave him a gentle smile. 

She had already been married and out of London when Benedict served his stint at the Royal Academy. He also hadn't told her the reason he had left so unceremoniously, which was his discovery that their brother had bought his seat rather than allowing him to earn it on merit. Though he supposed Eloise had probably written to her about it. Nevertheless, Daphne had always been supportive of his passion for art. Particularly after she had met the Duke, her appreciation for landscapes had notably increased and she always had encouraging words for Benedict when she saw him at work with his sketchbook or easel.

“Yes,” he mused. “I suppose I have some newfound inspiration.”

He immediately regretted his reply, fearing that they would probe him as to the source but fortunately Simon cut in with a wry smile.

“Or is that just a ruse for hiding mallets and absconding with a new ball?” He leaned forward and arched a brow at his brother-in-law. 

Benedict grinned back at him. Hastings was at last catching on to the family traditions, namely that of underhanded manipulation in the run up to their impending pall mall game. Benedict wouldn’t tell him that he had managed to retrieve his ball from the lake. He would save that surprise for the playing field. It seemed he would be safeguarding many secrets while his family were in residence.

Tagging: @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @goldrambutan @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale @ambitionspassionscoffee @starchaser325 @malna4903 @sincere-sarcasm @kmc1989 @makaylan @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @alexandrainlove

[cognitivejustice]

Revitalizing the ocean economy with transformative sustainability innovation in urban planning and architectural design

Image: © Haptic Architects, Oslo Works, and BOGL

A waterside scheme spanning 45,000 sqm with features including Fjordarium—an aquarium with underwater galleries capturing the fjord’s marine life and anticipating its future. The facility is part of a wider knowledge hub of workspaces for marine industry and ocean tech businesses. Haptic Architects and Oslo Works reimagine a disused parking lot as a global centre for sustainable oceanic practices.

Fjordarium featuring underwater galleries that peek into the marine life of the fjord

The Fjord area is designed as the educational centre of the scheme and will house the Fjordarium. This building will provide an immersive visitor experience by offering a window directly into the fjord. The Fjordarium will encompass various facilities such as a restaurant, bar, gallery, event space, research laboratories, workspaces, and teaching rooms above and below the water level.

In collaboration with the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), the design of the Fjordarium building has been created to safeguard marine biodiversity. The building, as per the design statement, will be engineered to withstand the fjord's waves and currents while maximising natural light penetration into the underwater areas. It will address the challenges and provide solutions for cleaning the heavily polluted fjord caused by agricultural waste. In partnership with We Are Human, the architects have conceived the Fjordarium as a destination that will seamlessly blend physical and virtual experiences. It will serve as a global learning platform, exploring the drivers of the new blue economy while promoting a shift towards environmental sustainability and a regenerative approach to oceans.

[tonydaddingham]

I mean Neil said once that the sequel involved Jesus arriving in America on a plane with secret service agents, and the S2 opening sequence shows a plane, so I'm... fairly confident that he's an adult? Jesus died when he was like 33 right

afternoon anon!!!✨ see i recall this (ask on neil's page?) and remember the response but cannot for the life of me find it anywhere (and im pretty good at Finding Stuff), do you - or anyone else reading for that matter - have a link to this? just so i can save it for future reference.

now, i hope you don't mind if i do this, but i would like to use this opportunity to parse out a more coherent rationale on the second coming, if that's okay? yeah? cool.

(previous incarnation of this theory).

thing is that the premise of the baby swap in s1 is based on the omen, right? takes at least a huge chunk of inspiration from that as the origin of how the antichrist came into the story. but it goes wrong, obviously, and there's a third baby thrown in the mix. makes a cursory wave to the omen, but isn't a carbon copy of it.

now i can't help but feel that narratively it would make sense to bookend this and have the second coming be a bit bollocksed up too. seems to be a theme in GO. and actually, when i thought about it (with extreme bias, granted, because im chomping at the bit on this theory), the second coming was potentially already fucked up anyway.

now, disclaimer time -

i completely get that people will look to the bible in reference to parsing out the second coming (or indeed any other theory). obviously i do too, for references to certain verses etc. in order to draw the relevant parallels. but there are multiple instances in GO where it is based on the bible or other texts, but doesn't follow it exactly; how GO portrayed the book of job, for example. it takes these texts, and distorts or reimagines them slightly or completely.

the way i see it, we are reading/watching GO as if this is in fact the true telling of those texts, as if (and not trying to be diminutive here) the bible is an inaccurate telling of GO, not the other way around - because, of course, we're seeing GO from the angel and demon that were 'actually there', so to speak.

im not saying that this - or any - of my theories are indisputably correct, far from it. but to me, with the information i have from the narrative as first source, and then looking at the referenced texts that inspired it, what i come up with, and write, is what makes sense to me. and it might make sense because it would be poetically apt, is in-keeping with how i interpret the characters, and/or is just plain funny or ironic (GO is after all, a comedy).

so whilst i fully anticipate people to duly correct me on how it all goes down in the bible (as they should, i love being educated!!!), please know that im not trying to deliberately misinterpret anything, but more trying to think outside the box, from the viewpoint of the GO story itself, and what direction would make the most sense in which it will reimagine these texts.

- exit disclaimer.

anyway! theory time!

so we have the imagery from the s2 sequence of the "thy kingdom come" plane, and this is obviously a reference to the resurrection as you've said, anon: that jesus arrives by plane. i truly love this imagery because if we take matthew 24:36 (KJV): "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.", the concept that in the great plan the date and time might finally be revealed in the form of a flight number, airport, and ETA is frankly hilarious to me. furthermore, "cometh with clouds" (revelation, 1:7 KJV) being reimagined as a literal plane landing again sets up the comedic backdrop so well.

now wherever the plane lands, whether from the US or to the US (again, don't have the original neil answer to refer to, but going based on your ask, anon, it's the latter), it regardless involves americans. this is where i feel it would be a perfect narrative symmetry opportunity to refer back to s1/the book, and reintroduce the dowlings.

and you might be wondering, "well no because GO set up the dowlings to be involved only insomuch that they were meant to be custodians of the antichrist - why would they also be involved in the second coming?" well, i wondered this too. the only conclusion i can come to, frankly, is GO!god having a very warped, twisted and ineffable sense of humour. they saw what satan had planned for the dowlings in inadvertently raising the antichrist, possibly did a bit of shifting around in the mystical threads, and decided that actually - just to throw in the wildcard of chaos - they should instead be the bearers of the second coming. this degree of mind-boggling ineffability, to me, would be comedically on-brand.

regardless; whilst just a theory, the whole thing makes sense to me - that in any case, the dowlings are going to make a reappearance. and with them, or on his own (if we follow the biblical telling that jesus was resurrected as he was from the crucifixion, at age 33yo, and therefore would suggest a timeskip from s2, but this isn't necessarily guaranteed - ie: might not be how GO chooses to portray it!), comes warlock. now we know that warlock was meant to be the antichrist, before crowley and the nuns managed to bugger it all up.

but heaven wouldn't necessarily know that its the dowlings arriving, right? presumably they'd just all gather on the tarmac awaiting the arrival, and lmao SIKE, it's bloody warlock. heaven hasn't met warlock, and therefore still think he's in fact jesus resurrected... but aziraphale has met him. he helped bloody raise him. and he knows now that he is essentially a normal kid/adult (albeit a very stuck-up one) and definitely not the second coming.

well then, if jesus was meant to be on that plane, according to the great plan, a plane being used by the dowlings... then why isn't it warlock? well, because the dowlings' actual baby isn't warlock. lets go back to the baby swap in the book/s1:

*apols, editing to correct this somewhat because it isn't quite right and lateral thinking is not my strong suit*

ANTICHRIST was meant to go to: the DOWLINGS. instead, went to: the YOUNGS. this is Adam.

YOUNG BABY was meant to go to: stay with the YOUNGS, but got mixed up. instead, went to: the DOWLINGS. this is Warlock.

DOWLING BABY was meant to go to: adoption/something nefarious instead, and indeed did. this is... Greasy Johnson.

and i love this for all sorts of reasons. now im lifting this next bit, essentially, from another ask of mine, but to keep things all in one place:

"greasy is posed as the antithesis of adam/antichrist, has a gang surrounding him that you could infer are loyal disciples, and is a mirror to adam in that adam on the whole seems to be a well-adjusted and morally-upstanding young boy.

i further think the fact that adam is the antichrist put against greasy being the second coming is a well positioned reflection on the nature vs nurture argument. ultimately adam grew up in a largely loving and supportive environment, and as the literal son of satan, you'd expect his nature, the circumstances of his birth, to rule out every other influence.

ultimately it does for a short time, but adams narrative iirc is that it is reflective of his desire to save the world... he wanted to get rid of things that were Wrong, and naively (he is still an 11-year old boy after all) thought that destroying the world and restarting it would do just that. his friends however reinforce in him that destruction and reparation are not the same thing, and so his upbringing, the nurture, wins.

greasy? we don't know a lot about him, only that he is a bully and represents the opposite of adam and the them... [and there exists] the whole [sic] analogy that greasy and the johnsonites vs adam and the them are meant to represent the hell vs heaven war..."

and then we have this small, relatively innocuous detail from the book:

as i said, possibly something of nothing. but the deliberate wording of 'breeding the fish', which is left out of s1, is - i like to think - a bit of a clue.

and before anyone comes for me on this, i am aware that this is based practically on fuck all of jack shit; im painfully aware of that. im aware that it deliberately misinterprets certain passages (not going to do the soapbox speech again, promise), but i just like to have fun. i honestly do not care if this is wrong; whatever happens in s3 should and will be better than anything i can come up with. yes, it's fun to get a prediction or speculation correct, of course it is, but it's not the endgame here. i get that others will have conflicting schools of thought, see things differently, or just plain think it's crap - that's okay! but, if that's the case, just move on from this post with a shake of your head. im not here to do anything other than have a good time, lads (gn)✨💓

edit 21/08: additional reading because now i feel vindicated: here from amuseoffyre, and my tags on this post too.

[primamchorus]

Partial Dossier #05 :: House Scientia

VOX INTELLIGENCE BUREAU HOUSE SCIENTIA

REPORT FROM PAX VOX

FFXV: Reimagined Table of Contents

<- Previous • Next ->

A House of royal retainers ever at the King of Lucis’ side, House Scientia is trained in a number of duties and activities that are specifically to aid the Crown as Hand of the King. Some of the most knowledgeable of the noble families, members of House Scientia are educated on a number of things from a young age all in order to prepare them for their role. The extent of these things range from cooking, to becoming polyglots, to even subterfuge tactics to name a few.

In their understanding, learning, and application of their knowledge, House Scientia perhaps rivals that of House Viridis in terms of magical capabilities. Over generations, it has never been uncommon for the Hand of the King to show great mastery over the manipulation of elements as well as the precision of their elemancy when concocting flasks for later use. These skills have been especially useful in their martial ability.

In an unfortunate raid, House Scientia lost one of its Hands of the King, leaving the House under the care of the next in line: Silex Scientia. With Silex's guidance, however, the future Hand of the King, Ignis Scientia, has shown promising potential and understanding of what is expected of him. Already, he serves as Prince Noctis’ attendant, showing unwavering service and loyalty to him

The crest of House Scientia are two hands and a crown. One hand beneath the crown to support, and one above to show reverence. It has ever been a point of pride the lengths of which House Scientia will go through in order to service the Crown, of which their crest symbolizes wholly.

[babybabymerrychristmas]

i think yall hear the phrase "abolish prisons" and seem to equate it with "get rid of laws altogether" those are not interchangeable phrases and they have very different meanings from one another.

"abolish prisons" = the method in which we handle crimes doesnt actually reduce crime rates, it just creates more oppression and disenfranchisement because it doesn't educate criminals why their actions were harmful, doesn't allow them to contribute to society after their crimes to reintegrate them into society a functioning and non-harmful individual and it just forces them to commit crimes forever to survive outside of the prison system, which we legally can use for slave labor to this day.

"get rid of laws altogether" = i personally think laws are the cause of evil in society. too many laws are why people commit crimes, after all, things are only crimes because we agree that they are so we can just stop agreeing that they are crimes? there is no harm from this mentality because people just know to be good people and the ones who are bad will be [punished in hell for all eternity] or whatever.

abolish prisons =/= getting rid of the concept of laws altogether but it forces us to reimagine a legal system in which the goal is to catch, educate, rehab bad behavior early and prevent the person from engaging in those immoral, harmful actions in the future. you cannot have a functioning society without some form of rules about how to behave in a society. it is quite literally impossible to even attempt to do so. the goal of prison abolition is not to get rid of laws altogether, it is to create laws with the goal of re-educating and rehabing people into not behaving in harmful ways to the rest of society.

[frank-olivier]

Rethinking Content, Reimagining AI: The Forward-Thinking Philosophy of Notebook LM

Google's Deep Mind project, Notebook LM, represents a pivotal moment in the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and content creation. By generating insightful analyses, explanations, and podcasts from diverse uploaded sources, Notebook LM revolutionizes the way individuals interact with and process information. This innovative tool, born out of the experimental "Project Tailwind" within Google Labs, epitomizes the quest for harnessing language models to enhance learning and idea organization.

The far-reaching applications of Notebook LM are a testament to its versatility. Professionals, including writers, journalists, and sales teams, leverage the platform to streamline research and facilitate knowledge sharing, thereby augmenting productivity. Conversely, personal use cases, such as uploading journals for introspective analysis, demonstrate Notebook LM's profound potential in fostering self-awareness and personal growth. This dual utility underscores the democratizing effect of Notebook LM, empowering the creation of niche content that may have been economically unviable through traditional podcasting channels.

The "Audio Overview" feature, with its remarkably human-like conversational style, significantly enhances user engagement. However, this very aspect also precipitates crucial inquiries into the dynamics of trust and perception in AI-generated content. As the creative outputs of humans and AI become increasingly indistinguishable, the boundaries between them begin to blur, prompting a necessary reevaluation of AI's role in creative processes. This convergence necessitates a thoughtful, user-centric approach to design and education, ensuring that the benefits of AI-driven content are maximized without diminishing the inherent value of human creativity.

The development of Notebook LM is also distinguished by a laudable emphasis on responsible AI innovation. The integration of robust safety filters, stringent privacy measures – including the ephemeral "context window" for user uploads – and a proactive stance against potential misuse, collectively demonstrate a forward-thinking commitment to mitigating the risks associated with AI. This paradigmatic approach is indispensable in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, where the interplay between innovation and responsibility is continually being redefined.

As we look to the future of content creation, Notebook LM shines as a pioneering example of what’s possible when human creativity and AI seamlessly intersect. This powerful fusion has the potential to revolutionize industries far and wide. However, as we tap into its transformative power, we’re also faced with complex questions around AI-driven creativity, trust, and innovation. As we embark on this exciting technological journey with Notebook LM, it’s crucial that we thoughtfully consider its broader implications, working to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all and its challenges are met with careful consideration

Raiza Martin & Steven Johnson: Inside NotebookLM (Google DeepMind, November 2024)

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

[iamarketinginsight]

Revolutionizing B2B Sales: Advanced Outbound Lead Generation Strategies for the Digital Era

The Changing Landscape of Business Development

In today's hyper-connected world, traditional sales approaches are becoming obsolete. Successful businesses are reimagining outbound lead generation as a strategic, data-driven process.

Core Principles of Modern Outbound Lead Generation

Transformative Approach

Intelligence-driven targeting

Precision communication

Value-centric engagement

Relationship-first methodology

Strategic Frameworks for Success

Intelligent Prospect Identification

Advanced market segmentation

Predictive buyer persona development

Deep competitive intelligence

Behavioral pattern analysis

Precision Targeting Techniques

Account-based marketing strategies

Micro-targeted communication

Contextual engagement models

Personalization at scale

Technology: The Competitive Differentiator

Cutting-Edge Tools

AI-powered lead scoring

Machine learning algorithms

Sophisticated CRM integrations

Automated outreach platforms

Real-time analytics dashboards

Communication Mastery

Engagement Strategies

Hyper-personalized messaging

Value proposition alignment

Pain point addressing

Storytelling in communication

Minimal friction approach

Sales Enablement Techniques

Content-Driven Approach

Thought leadership development

Educational content strategies

Trust-building resources

Industry insights sharing

Psychological Engagement

Emotional intelligence in sales

Trust acceleration techniques

Authentic relationship building

Consultative selling mindset

Performance Measurement

Critical Metrics

Conversion rate optimization

Lead quality scoring

Customer acquisition cost

Sales cycle acceleration

Pipeline velocity

Advanced Technological Integration

Predictive analytics

Natural language processing

Conversational intelligence

Automated follow-up systems

Cross-platform tracking

Overcoming Common Challenges

Breaking through noise

Avoiding generic approaches

Managing rejection

Maintaining consistent engagement

Continuous learning and adaptation

Future-Proofing Sales Strategies

Emerging Trends

AI-augmented selling

Hyper-personalization

Predictive engagement models

Integrated multi-channel approaches

Conclusion

Successful outbound lead generation is an art and science of strategic, technology-enabled, human-centric approach.

Innovate. Connect. Grow.

[longlistshort]

Work by Adrienne Elise Tarver

Work by Ray Anthony Barrett

Work by Cara Despain

Work by Andrae Green

One room with sculpture by Margaret Griffith

Against Dystopia, the group exhibition at Diane Rosenstein curated by niko w. okuro, presents a variety of interesting work that speaks to the times we are living in.

The exhibition includes ten international artists representing twelve cities across the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and all five regions of the United States-  Ray Anthony Barrett, Ashanti Chaplin, Phoebe Collings-James, Cara Despain, Andrae Green, Margaret Griffith, Jane Chang Mi, Olivia “LIT LIV” Morgan, Esteban Ramón Pérez, and Adrienne Elise Tarver.

From the gallery-

Presented on the eve of the 2024 presidential election, Against Dystopia is ‘a far-reaching exhibition, both in terms of the diverse backgrounds and approaches of its featured artists, and the social, cultural, and geographic ecosystems those artists represent and critique,’ writes okoro, who is based in New Haven, CT. The exhibition ‘features artworks that inhabit a spectrum of anti-dystopian thought, from mobilizing conceptualism to overcome historic traumas and the precarity of the present, to envisioning future utopias against seemingly insurmountable odds.’

Against Dystopia transforms fear and anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of our shared future into a tangible site of hope—one where collective memory reminds us of our agency to enact change today, and rich cultural traditions empower us to imagine alternative futures. Of significance is the inclusion of artists who identify as multi hyphenates, playing numerous social roles within their communities, such as advocate, change agent, chef, documentarian, educator, father, filmmaker, mother, musician, oceanographer, researcher, and too many more to name.

Artworks are grouped into three thematic sections, each of which explores creative strategies of resistance and works against dystopia at all costs: field research, symbolic interactionism, and speculative fiction.

Ray Anthony Barrett (Missouri), Ashanti Chaplin (Oklahoma), Cara Despain (Utah/Florida), and Jane Chang Mi (Hawai‘i/California) use field research to map histories of frontierism, settler colonialism, and land politics onto ecological and socioeconomic systems today. With a focus on listening to the land and sea to both unearth and atone for difficult truths, these artists name and dismantle dystopian practices on the path to reconciliation. Embracing an appreciation for both hyperlocal traditions and the tenets of global citizenship, each underscores our shared duty to ensuring ecocultural sustainability and Earth’s habitability for future generations.

While Margaret Griffith (California), Olivia Morgan (New York), and Adrienne Elise Tarver (New York) work through markedly different mediums and styles, they share a fearlessness in addressing ongoing tensions and questions surfaced amidst the political firestorm of 2020. Embracing tenets of symbolic interactionism, or the theory that individuals shape and are shaped by society through daily interactions and the co-creation of meaning from symbols, these artists remind us of the power of human connection to bridge difference. Each steers towards social cohesion by processing collective grief and the enduring impacts of the 2020 presidential election, the proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement respectively. Whereas Morgan and Griffith subvert symbols that often polarize rather than unite us within physical space—such as fences, face masks, and smartphones—Tarver reaches into the past to pull forth reimagined symbols that speak to our spiritual interdependence.

Phoebe Colling-James (United Kingdom), Andrae Green (Massachusetts/Jamaica) and Esteban Ramón Pérez (California) boldly envision alternative realities by using speculative fiction and symbolic allegory to sew threads of connection across time and space. Each resists linearity and subverts narrative tropes to instead materialize the fluid spiritual dimensions of lived experience. Through their layered ceramics, paintings, and sculptures, these artists mine the depths of their respective Jamaican/British, Jamaican/American, and Chicanx heritages to comment more broadly on social conditions today, prompting us to dream beyond what’s readily visible or knowable.

Against Dystopia opens concurrently with The Getty’s Pacific Standard Time: Art x Science x LA, which similarly explores, “opportunities for civic dialogue around some of the most urgent problems of our time by exploring past and present connections between art and science.” By convening an international group of visionary artists to help initiate these dialogues, Against Dystopia prompts viewers to pursue deeper understanding of shared challenges and solutions, on both the micro and macro levels.’

Below are a few more selections-

Photos by Olivia "LIT LIV" Morgan

Installation by Ashanti Chaplin

Work by Jane Chang Mi

Paintings by Andrae Green and sculpture by Phoebe Collings-James

Work by Margaret Griffith

This exhibition closes 11/2/24.

[osmiumpenguin]

It's the solstice tonight, and a good time to reflect on my favourite books from the past year.

I'm making very little attempt to rank these titles. They're simply the books that I enjoyed most, and they're presented in the order I read them. • "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet," by Becky Chambers (2014) • "The Galaxy, and the Ground Within," by Becky Chambers (2021) • "Locklands," by Robert Jackson Bennett (2022) • "Beloved," by Toni Morrison (1987) • "Exhalation," by Ted Chiang (2019) • "Fugitive Telemetry," by Martha Wells (2021) • "Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future," by Patty Krawec (2022) • "The Vanished Birds," by Simon Jimenez (2020) • "The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family," by Joshua Cohen (2021) • "Utopia Avenue," by by David Mitchell (2020) • "The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery," by Amitav Ghosh (1995) • "Moon of the Crusted Snow," by Waubgeshig Rice (2018) • "Bea Wolf," by Zach Weinersmith; illustrated by Boulet (2023) • "Fighting the Moon," by Julie McGalliard (2021) • "The Empress of Salt and Fortune," by Nghi Vo (2020) • "The Glass Hotel," by Emily St. John Mandel (2020) • "New York 2140," by Kim Stanley Robinson (2017) • "When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain," by Nghi Vo (2020) • "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Omnibus," by Ryan North et al; illustrated by Erica Henderson & Derek Charm & Jacob Chabot & Naomi Franquiz & Tom Fowler & Rico Renzi et al (2022) • "Buffalo Is the New Buffalo: Stories," by Chelsea Vowel (2022) • "Greenwood: A Novel," by Michael Christie (2019) • "The House of Rust," by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber (2021) • "Children of Memory," by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2022) • "Jade Legacy," by Fonda Lee (2021) • "A Deadly Education: A Novel: Lesson One of the Scholomance," by Naomi Novik (2020) • "The Last Graduate: A Novel: Lesson Two of the Scholomance," by Naomi Novik (2021) • "The Golden Enclaves: Lesson Three of the Scholomance," by Naomi Novik (2022) • "To Be Taught if Fortunate," by Becky Chambers (2019) • "Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution," by Carlo Rovelli (2020), translated by Erica Segre & Simon Carnell (2021) • "A Psalm for the Wild-Built," by Becky Chambers (2021) Ah, but I said I'd make "very little attempt" to rank them, not "no attempt." So here is that attempt: my favourite five books from the last solar orbit — the five I enjoyed even more than those other thirty — also presented in the order I read them.

• "Nona the Ninth," by Tamsyn Muir (2022) • "Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands," by Kate Beaton (2022) • "Record of a Spaceborn Few," by Becky Chambers (2018) • "Briar Rose," by Jane Yolen (1992) • "Babel, or, The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution," by R.F. Kuang (2022)

[new-employeeamillion]

Someone might ask me about this for next year’s QnA, but what the heck.

My immediate thoughts regarding the tentative Warner/Paramount merger.

I’m no business expert, but I’m educated enough to know that merging two already huge media companies will be a bad thing for workers. Remember what happened when Disney bought Fox 5 years ago? Content from both companies has become more homogeneous since then.

Just thinking about the idea that Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon could share the same parent company has me worried. They’ve already been dealing with identity crises since the streaming bubble took people’s attention away from cable, and if they both have the same executives controlling them, that’ll just make the situation worse. Think about how low their viewership has gotten in the past decade. If they’re both under the control of the same company, one or both of them will have the plug pulled. And with Cartoon Network Studios shutting down recently, I bet it’s going to be them.

I’m spitballing here, getting paranoid over a hypothetical outcome that only exists in my head right now, but if Cartoon Network is no longer a studio, channel or active brand identity by 2025 or 2026, that’ll make me really sad. Sure I don’t follow their new stuff as much as I review their old stuff, but I focus on their old stuff for a reason. It’s a symbol of the animation renaissance of the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s. The medium was in crisis before then, but an impassioned new wave of animators brought it back, with the help of a business tycoon and his channel that actually saw value in the art form. I can’t see that happening again when there’s less companies and less job opportunities for animators. Time isn’t always cyclical. This could very well be the end what we currently consider the Modern Era of Animation.

And the possibility of Warner Bros. owning SpongeBob has me even more concerned about its future. They could do one of two things:

-Cancel everything in the franchise as a tax write-off (can you blame anyone for thinking they’ll do that?)

-Dip even harder into movies and spin-offs, making Nickelodeon’s current strategy seem quaint

Here’s the thing. I wouldn’t be so apprehensive about movies (beyond the first two) and spin-offs if the main show was over already. I’m not saying Season 13 and 14 are bad and shouldn’t exist, just that Nickelodeon should only be doing one or the other, the main show or subsequent media. At this point, I’ve come to terms that SpongeBob is like Mickey Mouse and Looney Tunes, this animated mascot that’s outlived the creator and so will always be a symbol of the corporation it came from. But notice how with Mickey Mouse and Looney Tunes, their original serieses ended decades and decades ago. We’ve been getting spin-offs, film appearances and complete reimaginings for far longer than their original theatrical shorts were in production.

I’m fine with SpongeBob still being around as a mascot in 50 years like them, but not if the show is going to be in its 44th season and a virtually different production with different people behind it. There is the likelihood that Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount will look at the ratings it’s getting on Nick and put it to rest, leaving behind spin-offs and reimaginings. As harsh as it is to say, that’s the safest possible outcome, but I don’t think that’ll be what they do. They’ll either do even more to oversaturate the brand, or throw it all away like it’s worthless. Sorry if this spiel has been pretty cynical, but I have no reason to be optimistic if this goes through.

The only thing people are excited about with all this is all the crossover possibilities if all the NickToons and Cartoon Network Originals were owned by the same people. And while they seem tantalising, those old franchises were only so good because the creators were encouraged to compete, encouraged to experiment, encouraged to make what they wanted to watch, and encouraged to leave a lasting impact. If the merger goes through, that might not be the case. Crossovers are literally the only positive people seem to be gleaming from this, so fair enough. Have those happy thoughts, because you’re really gonna need them. A SpongeBob/Looney Tunes crossover will break everyone’s brains though, and I mean that in bad and good ways.