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mariacallous · 4 months

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AI projects like OpenAI’s ChatGPT get part of their savvy from some of the lowest-paid workers in the tech industry—contractors often in poor countries paid small sums to correct chatbots and label images. On Wednesday, 97 African workers who do AI training work or online content moderation for companies like Meta and OpenAI published an open letter to President Biden, demanding that US tech companies stop “systemically abusing and exploiting African workers.”

Most of the letter’s signatories are from Kenya, a hub for tech outsourcing, whose president, William Ruto, is visiting the US this week. The workers allege that the practices of companies like Meta, OpenAI, and data provider Scale AI “amount to modern day slavery.” The companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A typical workday for African tech contractors, the letter says, involves “watching murder and beheadings, child abuse and rape, pornography and bestiality, often for more than 8 hours a day.” Pay is often less than $2 per hour, it says, and workers frequently end up with post-traumatic stress disorder, a well-documented issue among content moderators around the world.

The letter’s signatories say their work includes reviewing content on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, as well as labeling images and training chatbot responses for companies like OpenAI that are developing generative-AI technology. The workers are affiliated with the African Content Moderators Union, the first content moderators union on the continent, and a group founded by laid-off workers who previously trained AI technology for companies such as Scale AI, which sells datasets and data-labeling services to clients including OpenAI, Meta, and the US military. The letter was published on the site of the UK-based activist group Foxglove, which promotes tech-worker unions and equitable tech.

In March, the letter and news reports say, Scale AI abruptly banned people based in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan from working on Remotasks, Scale AI’s platform for contract work. The letter says that these workers were cut off without notice and are “owed significant sums of unpaid wages.”

“When Remotasks shut down, it took our livelihoods out of our hands, the food out of our kitchens,” says Joan Kinyua, a member of the group of former Remotasks workers, in a statement to WIRED. “But Scale AI, the big company that ran the platform, gets away with it, because it’s based in San Francisco.”

Though the Biden administration has frequently described its approach to labor policy as “worker-centered.” The African workers’ letter argues that this has not extended to them, saying “we are treated as disposable.”

“You have the power to stop our exploitation by US companies, clean up this work and give us dignity and fair working conditions,” the letter says. “You can make sure there are good jobs for Kenyans too, not just Americans."

Tech contractors in Kenya have filed lawsuits in recent years alleging that tech-outsourcing companies and their US clients such as Meta have treated workers illegally. Wednesday’s letter demands that Biden make sure that US tech companies engage with overseas tech workers, comply with local laws, and stop union-busting practices. It also suggests that tech companies “be held accountable in the US courts for their unlawful operations aboard, in particular for their human rights and labor violations.”

The letter comes just over a year after 150 workers formed the African Content Moderators Union. Meta promptly laid off all of its nearly 300 Kenya-based content moderators, workers say, effectively busting the fledgling union. The company is currently facing three lawsuits from more than 180 Kenyan workers, demanding more humane working conditions, freedom to organize, and payment of unpaid wages.

“Everyone wants to see more jobs in Kenya,” Kauna Malgwi, a member of the African Content Moderators Union steering committee, says. “But not at any cost. All we are asking for is dignified, fairly paid work that is safe and secure.”

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zootycutieart · 3 months

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Making Gadgetini OCs was inevitable for me eventually, and these ideas came surprisingly easy for me. XD

A few years after the Gadgetinis were made, missions got riskier and CPUs slowly got more outdated. While Penny was able to keep the two up to date well enough, technology was still growing. Not wanting to do too risky an overhaul on the Gadgetinis, she decided to test on an additional set of partners for them. Smaller, more compact, and focused more on information than combat, they're the Gadgetinitinies!

Rivet is the eldest of the two, and is the link partner of Digit. What looks like a beauty mark is actually a communication hub, featuring technology from one of Penny's older laptops. As such, she's always connected to the internet. She knows facts about everything, for every location, for every new trend, for every bit of pop culture! One of her biggest flaws, unfortunately, comes from her information. Knowing so much about everything has made her self-conscious about her appearance. As such, she keeps herself meticulous, never missing a beat to make sure she looks her best, and the slightest bit of disarray can cause her to metaphorically bluescreen until she gets to looking the best, much to her detriment on the field.

Widget is the younger of the two, and is the link partner of Fidget. While she lacks her older sisters smarts, she instead makes up for it with better agility. Far more spatially aware, she can calculate the exact way to get into a location, squeeze through hidden spots better than anyone else, and is good at remembering directions. However, despite being able to do all this, she is unfortunately won over very easily by material things. Promise her a Horridoll or some merchandise for Technipets and she's easily distracted. This can work for the side of the heroes to get her motivation going, but it can also be her detriment if the villains try the same.

Gadgetinis © DiC

Rivet, Widget, and artwork © ZootyCutie (that's me!)

#zootycutie's art #inspector gadget #gadget and the gadgetinis #gadgetinis #own characters #fan characters #gadgetinitinies #rivet #widget

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theculturedmarxist · 1 year

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SHANGHAI — Over the past generation, China’s most important relationships were with the more developed world, the one that used to be called the “first world.” Mao Zedong proclaimed China to be the leader of a “third” (non-aligned) world back in the 1970s, and the term later came to be a byword for deprivation. The notion of China as a developing country continues to this day, even as it has become a superpower; as the tech analyst Dan Wang has joked, China will always remain developing — once you’re developed, you’re done.

Fueled by exports to the first world, China became something different — something not of any of the three worlds. We’re still trying to figure out what that new China is and how it now relates to the world of deprivation — what is now called the Global South, where the majority of human beings alive today reside. But amid that uncertainty, Chinese exports to the Global South now exceed those to the Global North considerably — and they’re growing.

The International Monetary Fund expects Asian countries to account for 70% of growth globally this year. China must “shape a new international system that is conducive to hedging against the negative impacts of the West’s decoupling,” the scholar and former People’s Liberation Army theorist Cheng Yawen wrote recently. That plan starts with Southeast Asia and extends throughout the Global South, a terrain that many Chinese intellectuals see as being on their side in the widening divide between the West and the rest.

“The idea is that what China is today, fast-growing countries from Bangladesh to Brazil could be tomorrow.”

China isn’t exporting plastic trinkets to these places but rather the infrastructure for telecommunications, transportation and digitally driven “smart cities.” In other words, China is selling the developmental model that raised its people out of obscurity and poverty to developed global superpower status in a few short decades to countries with people who have decided that they want that too.

The world China is reorienting itself to is a world that, in many respects, looks like China did a generation ago. On offer are the basics of development — education, health care, clean drinking water, housing. But also more than that — technology, communication and transportation.

Back in April, on the eve of a trip to China, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sat down for an interview with Reuters. “I am going to invite Xi Jinping to come to Brazil,” he said, “to get to know Brazil, to show him the projects that we have of interest for Chinese investment. … What we want is for the Chinese to make investments to generate new jobs and generate new productive assets in Brazil.” After Lula and Xi had met, the Brazilian finance minister proclaimed that “President Lula wants a policy of reindustrialization. This visit starts a new challenge for Brazil: bringing direct investments from China.” Three months later, the battery and electric vehicle giant BYD announced a $624 million investment to build a factory in Brazil, its first outside Asia.

Across the Global South, fast-growing countries from Bangladesh to Brazil can send raw materials to China and get technological devices in exchange. The idea is that what China is today, they could be tomorrow.

At The Kunming Institute of Botany

In April, I went to Kunming to visit one of China’s most important environmental conservation outfits — the Kunming Institute of Botany. Like the British Museum’s antiquities collected from everywhere that the empire once extended, the seed bank here (China’s largest) aspires to acquire thousands of samples of various plant species and become a regional hub for future biotech research.

From the Kunming train station, you can travel by Chinese high-speed rail to Vientiane; if all goes according to plan, the line will soon be extended to Bangkok. At Yunnan University across town, the economics department researches “frontier economics” with an eye to Southeast Asian neighboring states, while the international relations department focuses on trade pacts within the region and a community of anthropologists tries to figure out what it all means.

Kunming is a bland, air-conditioned provincial capital in a province of startling ethnic and geographic diversity. In this respect, it is a template for Chinese development around Southeast Asia. Perhaps in the future, Dhaka, Naypyidaw and Phnom Penh will provide the reassuring boredom of a Kunming afternoon.

Imagine you work at the consulate of Bangladesh in Kunming. Why are you in Kunming? What does Kunming have that you want?

The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore lyrically described Asia’s communities as organic and spiritual in contrast with the materialism of the West. As Tagore spoke of the liberatory powers of art, his Chinese listeners scoffed. The Chinese poet Wen Yiduo, who moved to Kunming during World War II and is commemorated with a statue at Yunnan Normal University in Kunming, wrote that Tagore’s work had no form: “The greatest fault in Tagore’s art is that he has no grasp of reality. Literature is an expression of life and even metaphysical poetry cannot be an exception. Everyday life is the basic stuff of literature, and the experiences of life are universal things.”

“Xi Jinping famously said that China doesn’t export revolution. But what else do you call train lines, 5G connectivity and scientific research centers appearing in places that previously had none of these things?”

If Tagore’s Bengali modernism championed a spiritual lens for life rather than the materiality of Western colonialists, Chinese modernists decided that only by being more materialist than Westerners could they regain sovereignty. Mao had said rural deprivation was “一穷二白” — poor and empty; Wen accused Tagore’s poetry of being formless. Hegel sneered that Asia had no history, since the same phenomena simply repeated themselves again and again — the cycle of planting and harvest in agricultural societies.

For modernists, such societies were devoid of historical meaning in addition to being poor and readily exploited. The amorphous realm of the spirit was for losers, the Chinese May 4th generation decided. Railroads, shipyards and electrification offered salvation.

Today, as Chinese roads, telecoms and entrepreneurs transform Bangladesh and its peers in the developing world, you could say that the argument has been won by the Chinese. Chinese infrastructure creates a new sort of blank generic urban template, one seen first in Shenzhen, then in Kunming and lately in Vientiane, Dhaka or Indonesian mining towns.

The sleepy backwaters of Southeast Asia have seen previous waves of Chinese pollinators. Low Lan Pak, a tin miner from Guangdong, established a revolutionary state in Indonesia in the 18th century. Li Mi, a Kuomintang general, set up an independent republic in what is now northern Myanmar after World War II.

New sorts of communities might walk on the new roads and make calls on the new telecom networks and find work in the new factories that have been built with Chinese technology and funded by Chinese money across Southeast Asia. One Bangladeshi investor told me that his government prefers direct investment to aid — aid organizations are incentivized to portray Bangladesh as eternally poor, while Huawei and Chinese investors play up the country’s development prospects and bright future. In the latter, Bangladeshis tend to agree.

“Is China a place, or is it a recipe for social structure that can be implemented generically anywhere?”

The majority of human beings alive today live in a world of not enough: not enough food; not enough security; not enough housing, education, health care; not enough rights for women; not enough potable water. They are desperate to get out of there, as China has. They might or might not like Chinese government policies or the transactional attitudes of Chinese entrepreneurs, but such concerns are usually of little importance to countries struggling to bootstrap their way out of poverty.

The first world tends to see the third as a rebuke and a threat. Most Southeast Asian countries have historically borne abuse in relationship to these American fears. Most American companies don’t tend to see Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sumatra as places they’d like invest money in. But opportunity beckons for Chinese companies seeking markets outside their nation’s borders and finding countries with rapidly growing populations and GDPs. Imagine a Huawei engineer in a rural Bangladeshi village, eating a bad lunch with the mayor, surrounded by rice paddies — he might remember the Hunan of his childhood.

Xi Jinping famously said that China doesn’t export revolution. But what else do you call train lines, 5G connectivity and scientific research centers appearing in places that previously had none of these things?

Across the vastness of a world that most first-worlders would not wish to visit, Chinese entrepreneurs are setting up electric vehicle and battery companies, installing broadband and building trains. The world that is looming into view on Huawei’s 2022 business report is one in which Asia is the center of the global economy and China sits at its core, the hub from which sophisticated and carbon-neutral technologies are distributed. Down the spokes the other way come soybeans, jute and nickel. Lenin’s term for this kind of political economy was imperialism.

If the Chinese economy is the set of processes that created and create China, then its exports today are China — technologies, knowledge, communication networks, forms of organization. But is China a place, or is it a recipe for social structure that can be implemented generically anywhere?

Huawei Station

Huawei’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party remain unclear, but there is certainly a case of elective affinities. Huawei’s descriptions of selfless, nameless engineers working to bring telecoms to the countryside of Bangladesh is reminiscent of Party propaganda and “socialist realist” art. As a young man, Ren Zhengfei, Huawei’s CEO, spent time in the Chongqing of Mao’s “third front,” where resources were redistributed to develop new urban centers; the logic of starting in rural areas and working your way to the center, using infrastructure to rappel your way up, is embedded within the Maoist ideas that he studied at the time. Today, it underpins Huawei’s business development throughout the Global South.

I stopped by the Huawei Analyst Summit in April to see if I could connect the company’s history to today. The Bildungsroman of Huawei’s corporate development includes battles against entrenched state-owned monopolies in the more developed parts of the country. The story goes that Huawei couldn’t make inroads in established markets against state-owned competitors, so got started in benighted rural areas where the original leaders had to brainstorm what to do if rats ate the cables or rainstorms swept power stations away; this story is mobilized today to explain their work overseas.

Perhaps at one point, Huawei could have been just another boring corporation selling plastic objects to consumers across the developed world, but that time ended definitively with Western sanctions in 2019, effectively banning the company from doing business in the U.S. The sanctions didn’t kill Huawei, obviously, and they may have made it stronger. They certainly made it weirder, more militant and more focused on the markets largely scorned by the Ericssons and Nokias of the world. Huawei retrenched to its core strength: providing rural and remote areas with access to connectivity across difficult terrain with the intention that these networks will fuel telehealth and digital education and rapidly scale the heights of development.

Huawei used to do this with dial-up modems in China, but now it is building 5G networks across the Global South. The Chinese government is supportive of these efforts; Huawei’s HQ has a subway station named for the company, and in 2022 the government offered the company massive subsidies.

“For many countries in the Global South, the model of development exemplified by Shenzhen seems plausible and attainable.”

For years, the notion of an ideological struggle between the U.S. and China was dismissed; China is capitalist, they said. Just look at the Louis Vuitton bags. This misses a central truth of the economy of the 21st century. The means of production now are internet servers, which are used for digital communication, for data farms and blockchain, for AI and telehealth. Capitalists control the means of production in the United States, but the state controls the means of production in China. In the U.S. and countries that implicitly accept its tech dominance, private businesspeople dictate the rules of the internet, often to the displeasure of elected politicians who accuse them of rigging elections, fueling inequality or colluding with communists. The difference with China, in which the state has maintained clear regulatory control over the internet since the early days, couldn’t be clearer.

The capitalist system pursues frontier technologies and profits, but companies like Huawei pursue scalability to the forgotten people of the world. For better or worse, it’s San Francisco or Shenzhen. For many countries in the Global South, the model of development exemplified by Shenzhen seems more plausible and attainable. Nobody thinks they can replicate Silicon Valley, but many seem to think they can replicate Chinese infrastructure-driven middle-class consumerism.

As Deng Xiaoping said, it doesn’t matter if it is a black cat or a white cat, just get a cat that catches mice. Today, leaders of Global South countries complain about the ideological components of American aid; they just want a cat that can catch their mice. Chinese investment is blank — no ideological strings attached. But this begs the question: If China builds the future of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Laos, then is their future Chinese?

Telecommunications and 5G is at the heart of this because connectivity can enable rapid upgrades in health and education via digital technology such as telehealth, whereby people in remote villages are able to consult with doctors and hospitals in more developed regions. For example, Huawei has retrofitted Thailand’s biggest and oldest hospital with 5G to communicate with villages in Thailand’s poor interior — the sort of places a new Chinese high-speed train line could potentially provide links with the outside world — offering Thai villagers without the ability to travel into town the opportunity to get medical treatments and consultations remotely.

The IMF has proposed that Asia’s developing belt “should prioritize reforms that boost innovation and digitalization while accelerating the green energy transition,” but there is little detail about who exactly ought to be doing all of that building and connecting. In many cases and places, it’s Chinese infrastructure and companies like Huawei that are enabling Thai villagers to live as they do in Guizhou.

Chinese Style Modernization?

The People’s Republic of China is “infinitely stronger than the Soviet Union ever was,” the U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, told Politico in April. This prowess “is based on the extraordinary strength of the Chinese economy — its science and technology research base, its innovative capacity and its ambitions in the Indo-Pacific to be the dominant power in the future.” This increasingly feels more like the official position of the U.S. government than a random comment.

Ten years ago, Xi Jinping proposed the notion of a “maritime Silk Road” to the Indonesian Parliament. Today, Indonesia is building an entirely new capital — Nusantara — for which China is providing “smart city” technologies. Indonesia has a complex history with ethnic Chinese merchants, who played an intermediary role between Indigenous people and Western colonists in the 19th century and have been seen as CCP proxies for the past half century or so. But the country is nevertheless moving decisively towards China’s pole, adopting Chinese developmental rhythms and using Chinese technology and infrastructure to unlock the door to the future. “The internet, roads, ports, logistics — most of these were built by Chinese companies,” observed a local scholar.

The months since the 20th Communist Party Congress have seen the introduction of what Chinese diplomats call “Chinese-style modernization,” a clunky slogan that can evoke the worst and most boring agitprop of the Soviet era. But the concept just means exporting Chinese bones to other social bodies around the world.

If every apartment decorated with IKEA furniture looks the same, prepare for every city in booming Asia to start looking like Shenzhen. If you like clean streets, bullet trains, public safety and fast Wi-Fi, this may not be a bad thing.

Chinese trade with Southeast Asia is roughly double that between China and the U.S., and Chinese technology infrastructure is spreading out from places like the “Huawei University” at Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology, which plans to train 100,000 telecom engineers in the next five years. We’re about to see a generation of “barefoot doctors” throughout Southeast Asia traveling by moped across landscapes of underdevelopment connected to hubs of medical data built by Chinese companies with Chinese technology.

In 1955, the year of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, the non-aligned world was almost entirely poor, cut off from the means of production in a world where nearly 50% of GDP globally was in the U.S. Today, the logic of that landmark conference is alive today in Chinese informal networks across the Global South, with the key difference that China can now offer these countries the possibility of building their own future without talking to anyone from the Global North.

Welcome to the Sinosphere, where the tides of Chinese development lap over its borders into the remote forests of tropical Asia, and beyond.

#china #economics #capitalism #communism #hmm

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cognitivejustice · 2 months

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Creating the world’s “greenest” highway in a desert city: URB city design

Bagherian’s concept includes “water-sensitive landscape design” that includes native flora and drought-resistant plants suited to the arid climate, and soil mixed with zeolite, an absorbent crystal that aids water retention.

These “passive techniques” are complemented with smart irrigation technology, he added, “which use real-time data to adjust watering schedules based on soil moisture levels, weather forecasts, and plant needs.”

Smart tech and solar-power

The autonomous solar-powered tram is just one aspect of the proposed highway’s transport system: above the tram line, a network of green areas, parks and overpasses would increase connectivity and walkability of the city, which is currently tough to navigate on foot.

The highway would also integrate smart technology, such as “internet of things” (IoT) sensors, to manage traffic and optimize energy use.

Bagherian’s designs allow for 300-megawatt solar panels and a storage system to be embedded in the tracks, that would power the tram line, as well as generate clean energy for an estimated 130,000 homes.

And the green spaces — including parks and community gardens — would provide space for one million trees, which would also help cool the city and improve air quality.

Source

#solarpunk #solar punk #solarpunk aesthetic #solarpunk city #urb #dubai

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esconpanache · 3 months

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argumate · 2 years

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(spoilers for Glass Onion)

the first Knives Out told the tragic story of a fucked up family, and family is always a convenient justification for a bunch of messed up people to be hanging out together and one that most of us are all too familiar with in real life.

Glass Onion told the story of a bunch of college (?) friends who hung out together at a particular bar, when one of them brought in a smooth talking idiot loser who must have had superpowers of some kind as he hooked the rest up with successful careers before becoming a billionaire himself based on her work and then betrayed her with the support of the others who defended him in court.

that's already a little weird! "a reclusive rich guy invites a group of people to his private island for a dinner during which someone will be murdered" is a classic premise but having the people all be college friends from way back doesn't add anything when they're already tied together by the fact that they committed perjury to defend the rich guy in exchange for his support!

business partners falling out is a solid premise (The Social Network) and if they were lovers (were they? I'm actually not sure) then that adds even more drama, but having this quite disparate bunch of characters be college friends only matters if you delve into their relationships and group dynamic, which the movie has little interest in doing.

and it's such a wordcel movie, oh my god, it could not be less interested in how a billionaire becomes a billionaire or what distinguishes a good idea from a bad one, it doesn't try to take its own premise seriously at all, unlike the first movie which was at least about a writer who writes books, solid wordcel territory.

look at the characters:

a fashion model / designer who tweets ethnic slurs, except of course she's not racist, she doesn't realise that they're slurs, that's a much worse crime: she's ignorant! she thinks that "sweatshop" is where they make "sweatpants"! classic bluecheck attitude where actual racism doesn't exist and economic exploitation is accidental and the worst crime someone could commit is being unaware of the proper shibboleths.

a Joe Rogan / Alex Jones MRA type ("sorry feminists") who of course is a manbaby pushed around by his mother; obviously he has to die.

the Elon Musk / Adam Neumann billionaire CEO who is both genius opportunist and shambling moron who can barely speak; unclear whether his garbled explanation of "disruption" represents the intellectual bankruptcy of actual disruptors or the writer's lack of comprehension of the term.

a black scientist who is very smart and plays basically no role in the movie; it's unclear why he would commit perjury given that he's the smartest character and could just go work somewhere else, hopefully not the implication that structural racism prevents him from doing so and the bad guy is the only person who will give him a job (???).

a female politician who commits to a (dangerous?) powerplant design in exchange for campaign funding, the closest time the movie comes to actually touching on a meaningful issue before quickly skittering away.

technology is writing "AI" on a napkin and having that be worth billions of dollars, while knowing the right words to say and how to say them is a Prized Skill that is actually Important.

(it's notable that the woman who is supposedly going to start the next Google ("Alpha") moves to the well-known tech hub of New York after finishing high school, not San Francisco!)

now these may seem like silly points to harp on for what is a silly murder mystery movie but the lack of sincere commitment to the premise undermines the emotional arc of the characters: it could be a comedy about them finally breaking free of the self-interest that has kept them loyal to the bad guy, or a tragedy about the ramifications of failing to break free and continuing their descent into hatred for each other and themselves, but both of those possibilities fall flat if the writers don't really care as why should we.

the hero and protagonist of the story ends up being the victim's sister, but the victim herself is barely given the chance to speak, let alone to explain what she saw in the bad guy, why she made that deal with the devil, and what other compromises she made to create a giant AI tech empire (!).

there are better stories here waiting to be told.

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united-institute-of-technology · 14 days

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United Institute of Technology

Our Engineering College A Hub of Innovation and Excellence

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Conclusion

Our engineering college is more than just an educational institution; it's a community of innovators, thinkers, and leaders. We are proud to provide our students with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities they need to succeed in their careers and make a positive impact on the world. Whether you're passionate about building sustainable solutions, developing cutting-edge technology, or designing the infrastructure of the future, our engineering college is the perfect place to start your journey.

#college #college life #academia #university #student life #bestengineeringcollege #uit #unitedinstituteof technology #infrastructure #hostelfacility #educational institutions #top engineering colleges in india

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mushroommanchanterelle · 3 months

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I got tagged by my good friend @goodluckclove for an OC interaction game! Below, I'm going to describe a day spent between Magnus Experah and Scott Skylark Kaufner at the Bay Harbor Institute for Magical Sciences. Scott is from their series Songbird Elegies! I'm gonna tag @korblez, @daisywalletchains, and anyone else who wants to play!

Read below for more ^u^

Scott Skylark Kaufner is a 31 year old human birthright from the Bluerose Refuge Hub, a witch town on the coast of Oregon. He is intersex, born with Kleinfelters Syndrome, and chose to undergo a masculine puberty and identify as a man. Scott is Greek-Romanian and I think German on his dad's side? I haven't established that yet. But he's a shorty at 5"5, with long and wild black hair and large, dark blue eyes. He identifies as a man, but prefers to dress in loose dresses in fun colors and soft materials. No shoes.

Scott is a bipolar variant birthright, which means he once had the ability to reflect his emotions onto those around him. But after travelling for years to find Eddie, he used his powers so often to get through social situations that they were infected, forcing him to inadvertently control the intentions of anyone that made eye contact or extended physical contact with him. Usually this ended with the person wanting to sleep with him. As a sex-repulsed asexual, this resulted in a rough few years for Scott. The fact that he was unable to see human faces due to the torture of the Eldritch horror trying to possess him did not help.

At his best Scott is friendly and talkative, though he tired quickly socially - as much as he tries to hide that fact. He loves the ones closest to him deeply and passionately and he has a tendency to get weird and overdramatic about it. There is an undercurrent of some manic intensity to him that most choose not to bring up and he doesn't seem to notice.

He's an obsessive piano player since infancy that can't read music but can learn anything by ear if you give him time. He also has perfect pitch but pointing that out embarrasses him. Scott loves the library and thinks that librarians, service workers, and anyone in the medical field are the most important members of society. Especially librarians. He loves reading books of Greek mythology but has a different relationship to them since his upbringing in magic causes him to think most mythological/supernatural things could maybe be true. He also loves a good snack and he's not great with technology but he's really good with Excel. Magnus Experah is an agender Petraedict, a species that resembles a cross between a monkey and a cat. They have large, mossy green eyes, mostly taken up by iris, with a rounded pupil in the center, with a light complexion. White markings wind up and down their skin, covered with a thin, near invisible, layer of soft fluff. They stand at an average height of 5 feet 7 inches, with a tail two feet long ending in a fluffy mass of fur the same color as their copper hair. They wear a set of smart, small spectacles that sit on the bridge of their flat, feline nose, covering the small spattering of white freckles that dot their cheeks. Magnus is a stern scholar, often stoic even amongst their closest friends. They prefer to be called by their student title of Honorable, the Bay Harbor equivalent of a Doctorate student. They struggle with tone and inflection, often coming across far more flat than they intend to be, and they find it difficult to discern tone in voice as well. They prefer to dress sharply, in suits of autumnal colors, and try to appear professional, as if they've already been approved for their dream job at the Magus Council. When they aren't studying, Magnus enjoys walking along the coastline, watching the ships sift through the ever present fog along the sea. They're partial to reading, as well, spending much of their time in the Institute's library, or in their study at home. They're fond of music, as well, though they prefer instruments to singing, and they like their music played softly. Magnus has a condition known as PNES, or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, and as such is usually accompanied by at least one of their friends in the event of a seizure. Unfortunately, part of the process of seizing means they end up dumping all of their radioactive magic into their surroundings, warping and twisting them into something horrific. As such, they take great pains to avoid situations where there might be an abundance of noise, crowds, or yelling. They also tend to avoid conflict. They are quiet, a bit high strung, and prefer to be a wallflower.

That was a lot of fun c: Thanks for the tag!!

#writers on tumblr #authors of tumblr #creative writing #oc #original character #fault lines #queer writer #queer author #songbird elegies #blind trust #magnus experah #scott skylark kaufner

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oswaldwwfwf · 27 days

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Textile Manufacturing Companies | Oswal Group

In the bustling industrial landscape of Ludhiana, where the clang of machinery and the hum of ambition merge, one name stands out as a beacon of excellence: The Oswal Group of Companies. Founded on a vision to redefine the textile industry in Ludhiana, Oswal Group’s journey from inception to industry leader is nothing short of inspiring.

The Genesis: The Oswal Group’s foray into the textile industry dates back to the 1960s when the visionary entrepreneur, Late Shri Rattan Chand Oswal, laid the foundation stone of what would become a textile empire. With a keen eye for opportunities and a steadfast commitment to quality, Oswal ventured into yarn production, setting the stage for the group’s meteoric rise.

Excelling in Ludhiana’s Textile Hub: Ludhiana boasts a rich heritage in textiles. In such a competitive landscape, Oswal Group didn’t just survive; it thrived. Through strategic investments in state-of-the-art technology, a relentless focus on innovation, and nurturing a skilled workforce, the Oswal Group carved a niche for itself.

The group’s vertical integration, from spinning mills to garment manufacturing, enabled streamlined operations and superior quality control. This holistic approach not only ensured consistency in product standards but also bolstered Oswal’s reputation as a reliable textile partner globally.

Moreover, Oswal Group’s commitment to sustainability has been commendable. Embracing eco-friendly practices, optimizing resource utilization, and adhering to stringent environmental regulations have not only reduced the ecological footprint but also enhanced brand credibility.

Evolution in the Textile Industry: As the textile industry in Ludhiana evolves in the digital age, Oswal Group is poised to embrace the winds of change. Embracing automation, leveraging data analytics for predictive maintenance, and integrating IoT (Internet of Things) for smart manufacturing are avenues the group can explore to enhance efficiency and productivity further.

Furthermore, investing in research and development to explore alternative fibers and sustainable manufacturing processes can bolster Oswal Group’s competitive edge. With growing consumer consciousness towards ethical sourcing and eco-friendly products, tapping into this market segment can unlock new growth avenues.

Moreover, expanding the group’s global footprint through strategic alliances and partnerships can diversify market exposure and mitigate risks associated with geographical dependencies. Collaborating with international brands for co-branded collections or joint ventures can not only enhance brand visibility but also facilitate knowledge exchange and technological advancements.

Additionally, nurturing talent through skill development programs and fostering a culture of innovation can fuel Oswal Group’s evolution. Encouraging intrapreneurship and empowering employees to think beyond conventional boundaries can lead to breakthroughs in product design, manufacturing processes, and business models.

In the tapestry of Ludhiana’s textile industry, Oswal Group’s story shines as a testament to perseverance, innovation, and resilience. From humble beginnings to scaling new heights of success, the group has not only excelled but also redefined the textile industry’s standards.

As Oswal Group embarks on the next phase of its journey, the roadmap is clear: embrace technology, foster sustainability, and nurture talent. By staying true to its core values while adapting to emerging trends, Oswal Group is poised to not just survive but thrive in the dynamic landscape of the textile industry. With each thread woven with precision and passion, the Oswal legacy continues to inspire generations, shaping the future of Ludhiana’s textile industry and beyond.

#Textile Manufacturing Companies

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your7oxygen · 1 month

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Smart Home Design

Integrating Technology into Modern Architecture

Integrating technology into modern architecture not only enhances the functionality of a home but also transforms it into a more efficient, secure, and comfortable living space. Here’s how smart home design is shaping the future of modern architecture and how you can incorporate these technologies into your own home.

1. Smart Lighting Systems

Smart lighting systems allow homeowners to control their lighting through voice commands, smartphones, or automated schedules. These systems can adjust the brightness and color temperature of lights based on the time of day or personal preferences. For example, you can set the lights to gradually brighten in the morning to mimic a natural sunrise, making waking up a more pleasant experience.

2. Home Automation Hubs

A home automation hub acts as the central controller for all smart devices within a house. It integrates various smart systems, such as lighting, heating, and security, into one unified platform. This centralization makes it easier to manage and automate different aspects of home life. For instance, you can create routines that turn off the lights, adjust the thermostat, and lock the doors when you leave the house.

3. Voice-Activated Assistants

Voice-activated assistants, like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple’s Siri, have become common in smart homes. These devices allow users to control various smart home features through voice commands. From playing music and setting reminders to controlling smart appliances, voice assistants offer a hands-free way to interact with your home technology.

4. Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats are designed to optimize home heating and cooling systems, resulting in energy savings and increased comfort. They learn your schedule and preferences over time, automatically adjusting temperatures to suit your lifestyle. Additionally, smart thermostats can be controlled remotely via smartphone apps, allowing you to adjust settings even when you’re away from home.

5. Home Security Systems

Modern smart home security systems offer advanced features such as remote monitoring, motion detection, and video surveillance. Smart cameras and doorbells allow homeowners to view live footage and receive alerts if unusual activity is detected. Integration with other smart devices, such as lighting and alarms, can enhance security and provide peace of mind.

6. Smart Appliances

Smart appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, and washing machines, are designed to improve convenience and efficiency. These appliances can be controlled remotely, provide notifications about their status, and even integrate with other smart home systems. For instance, a smart oven can be preheated from your smartphone before you arrive home.

7. Energy Management

Smart home design also emphasizes energy management and efficiency. Smart meters and energy monitoring systems provide insights into your energy usage, helping you identify areas where you can save on utility bills. By integrating these systems with smart appliances and lighting, you can further reduce energy consumption and minimize your environmental impact.

#architecture #home interior #interior decorating #interior design #architectdesign #interiors #design #interiordoor #interiorstyling #home #modern #dark #luxury

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thatartiststudios · 10 months

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Since it's been a while since I've updated on Let The Games Begin, here's an extra long snippet as a treat!

The room fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of Callum and Rayla’s abrupt departure hanging in the air. Uncertain glances were exchanged between the remaining members, each one grappling with their thoughts, not knowing how to bridge the gap left by their absence. In that moment, the challenge ahead seemed even more daunting, the silence echoing the uncertainty they all felt.

Sadie, always sharp, spoke first.

“That was… interesting, huh? Callum really cares about Rayla.”

Piper nodded, her strategic mind at work, “It’s more than caring. It’s clear through what they’ve told us that they’ve been through a lot together, you can see it. We can learn from that bond.”

Carter chimed in, his voice steady. “We’ve all faced tough challenges, but there’s something unique about what they share. It’s kind of inspiring, really.”

Leo, ever practical, added, “We’re in this together. Callum’s certainly not the only one with determination. We’ve got skills, and if we use them right, we can tackle whatever comes our way.”

Piper, taking charge, said, “Let’s focus on our strengths. The Collector said these challenges are tailored to us, so we’ve got something special to offer. We just need to figure out what that is and use it.”

Sadie agreed, “We can’t forget to watch each other’s backs. Unexpected things might happen, and we’ve got to be ready to adapt.”

Carter remarked, “This is different from our usual battles. We need to be smart, use our heads. But we also need to trust our instincts.”

Leo, with a smirk, said, “We’ve got brains and guts. That’s a powerful combo. And with Callum and Rayla’s bond as an example, we’ve got heart too.”

And so, they continued talking, their words reflecting their individual strengths and perspectives. The conversation was more relaxed now, the initial tension dissipating. They might be facing challenges from a mysterious force, but together, they felt stronger, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

—

In the days that followed, life aboard the Argo II settled into a routine. The first few days were indeed mundane, but they were far from uneventful. The heroes spent their time getting to know each other better, sharing stories of their worlds and adventures. Jason and Callum found common ground in their shared abilities over the skies and storms, their conversations often drifting into the intricacies of their powers.

“Your father being the god of the sky must be incredible,” Callum remarked, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Jason shrugged, a mix of emotions flickering across his face, “Well, not always. The gods aren’t always the best parents, but it does have its perks.” His tone carried a hint of both pride and resignation, a reflection of his complex feelings about his divine lineage.

The camaraderie on the ship grew, weaving friendships among the diverse group of heroes. Piper’s charm eased the tension, her laughter becoming a beacon of positivity. Sadie and Carter, with their knowledge of ancient myths and magic, fascinated the others with tales of Egyptian gods and mysterious artifacts. Leo, the mechanic, found eager listeners in Callum and Carter, bonding over their shared fascination with technology.

Amidst these interactions, Rayla found herself adapting to life aboard a flying ship. Surprisingly, her seasickness didn’t come into effect as the Argo II soared through the skies. Instead, she marveled at the vast expanse of clouds beneath them, feeling a strange mixture of awe and homesickness. Callum stood by her side during these moments, his presence a reassuring anchor in the midst of the unfamiliar.

Navigating their course to Thebes, the heroes consulted maps and discussed strategies. They shared meals in the ship’s meeting room, their conversations ranging from battle plans to the quirks of their respective worlds. The ship became a hub of learning and collaboration, where each hero contributed their unique knowledge and skills.

As the days passed, friendships deepened, and trust solidified. The challenges ahead seemed less daunting in the face of their shared strength. Unbeknownst to them, these moments of camaraderie would become the foundation upon which they would face The Collector’s trials, forging bonds that would prove crucial in the battles to come. And so, their journey continued, the Argo II carrying them steadily toward Thebes, each day bringing them closer to the unknown challenges awaiting them.

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the deck of the Argo II. Leo, ever the instigator, clapped his hands together with a mischievous grin.

“Alright, folks, let’s see what you’ve got! We need to know each other’s abilities inside out to work as a team. So, who can fly?”

Carter and Sadie exchanged amused glances before transforming into their bird forms, a graceful kite and a sleek hawk respectively. They took off, circling the ship effortlessly. Carter’s landing, however, was less than elegant, and he stumbled slightly, earning a teasing remark from his sister.

“Nice landing, brother dear.”

“Very funny,” Carter retorted, regaining his composure with a mock glare.

Next, Jason stepped forward, his eyes focused as he manipulated the winds around him. The air responded to his command, lifting him off the deck.

“I can control the winds. With Piper,” he glanced at his companion, “I can carry both of us.”

Callum stroked his chin thoughtfully, a playful glint dancing in his emerald eyes. Leo, always eager for a story, couldn’t resist the temptation.

“What’s on your mind, Callum?” he inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Callum cast a sidelong glance at Rayla, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

“Just deciding if I want to go the easy way or the dramatic way,” he replied, his voice dripping with mischief.

Rayla rolled her eyes, elbowing him slightly. “Just go for the dramatic, it’s what you normally do anyway.”

Callum shoots back a look of fake annoyance before saying, “If you wish.”

With a theatrical flourish, Callum walked over to the railing, feigning deep contemplation before leaping off the edge. Gasps of horror filled the air, except for Rayla, who merely crossed her arms, unimpressed.

“Aren’t you worried?” Piper asked, her expression horrified.

Rayla just shrugged nonchalantly, “Eh, he’s jumped off of higher places.”

Moments later, Callum shot back into view, his mage wings propelling him upward with impressive speed. He landed on the deck, taking a mock bow with his wings still formed around his arms. Piper, her eyes wide with amazement, spoke up.

“I thought I saw you with wings when you arrived at Camp Half-Blood, but I didn’t realize what they were until now.”

Callum walked over to Rayla, a triumphant grin on his face. He wrapped an arm around her, his wings dissolving as he did so, and she responded by playfully shoving him away, feigning annoyance.

“Show-off,” she teased.

Callum winked at her, his eyes sparkling with playful affection. “Friendly reminder, you suggested it.”

Next Part

#rayllum #tdp rayla #tdp callum #hoo jason #hoo leo #hoo piper #kane chronicles carter #kane chronicles sadie #current wip #current fic project

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