#The Renew System Book review

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Copyright takedowns are a cautionary tale that few are heeding

On July 14, I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! On July 20, I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

We're living through one of those moments when millions of people become suddenly and overwhelmingly interested in fair use, one of the subtlest and worst-understood aspects of copyright law. It's not a subject you can master by skimming a Wikipedia article!

I've been talking about fair use with laypeople for more than 20 years. I've met so many people who possess the unshakable, serene confidence of the truly wrong, like the people who think fair use means you can take x words from a book, or y seconds from a song and it will always be fair, while anything more will never be.

Or the people who think that if you violate any of the four factors, your use can't be fair – or the people who think that if you fail all of the four factors, you must be infringing (people, the Supreme Court is calling and they want to tell you about the Betamax!).

You might think that you can never quote a song lyric in a book without infringing copyright, or that you must clear every musical sample. You might be rock solid certain that scraping the web to train an AI is infringing. If you hold those beliefs, you do not understand the "fact intensive" nature of fair use.

But you can learn! It's actually a really cool and interesting and gnarly subject, and it's a favorite of copyright scholars, who have really fascinating disagreements and discussions about the subject. These discussions often key off of the controversies of the moment, but inevitably they implicate earlier fights about everything from the piano roll to 2 Live Crew to antiracist retellings of Gone With the Wind.

One of the most interesting discussions of fair use you can ask for took place in 2019, when the NYU Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy held a symposium called "Proving IP." One of the panels featured dueling musicologists debating the merits of the Blurred Lines case. That case marked a turning point in music copyright, with the Marvin Gaye estate successfully suing Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copying the "vibe" of Gaye's "Got to Give it Up."

Naturally, this discussion featured clips from both songs as the experts – joined by some of America's top copyright scholars – delved into the legal reasoning and future consequences of the case. It would be literally impossible to discuss this case without those clips.

And that's where the problems start: as soon as the symposium was uploaded to Youtube, it was flagged and removed by Content ID, Google's $100,000,000 copyright enforcement system. This initial takedown was fully automated, which is how Content ID works: rightsholders upload audio to claim it, and then Content ID removes other videos where that audio appears (rightsholders can also specify that videos with matching clips be demonetized, or that the ad revenue from those videos be diverted to the rightsholders).

But Content ID has a safety valve: an uploader whose video has been incorrectly flagged can challenge the takedown. The case is then punted to the rightsholder, who has to manually renew or drop their claim. In the case of this symposium, the rightsholder was Universal Music Group, the largest record company in the world. UMG's personnel reviewed the video and did not drop the claim.

99.99% of the time, that's where the story would end, for many reasons. First of all, most people don't understand fair use well enough to contest the judgment of a cosmically vast, unimaginably rich monopolist who wants to censor their video. Just as importantly, though, is that Content ID is a Byzantine system that is nearly as complex as fair use, but it's an entirely private affair, created and adjudicated by another galactic-scale monopolist (Google).

Google's copyright enforcement system is a cod-legal regime with all the downsides of the law, and a few wrinkles of its own (for example, it's a system without lawyers – just corporate experts doing battle with laypeople). And a single mis-step can result in your video being deleted or your account being permanently deleted, along with every video you've ever posted. For people who make their living on audiovisual content, losing your Youtube account is an extinction-level event:

https://www.eff.org/wp/unfiltered-how-youtubes-content-id-discourages-fair-use-and-dictates-what-we-see-online

So for the average Youtuber, Content ID is a kind of Kafka-as-a-Service system that is always avoided and never investigated. But the Engelbert Center isn't your average Youtuber: they boast some of the country's top copyright experts, specializing in exactly the questions Youtube's Content ID is supposed to be adjudicating.

So naturally, they challenged the takedown – only to have UMG double down. This is par for the course with UMG: they are infamous for refusing to consider fair use in takedown requests. Their stance is so unreasonable that a court actually found them guilty of violating the DMCA's provision against fraudulent takedowns:

https://www.eff.org/cases/lenz-v-universal

But the DMCA's takedown system is part of the real law, while Content ID is a fake law, created and overseen by a tech monopolist, not a court. So the fate of the Blurred Lines discussion turned on the Engelberg Center's ability to navigate both the law and the n-dimensional topology of Content ID's takedown flowchart.

It took more than a year, but eventually, Engelberg prevailed.

Until they didn't.

If Content ID was a person, it would be baby, specifically, a baby under 18 months old – that is, before the development of "object permanence." Until our 18th month (or so), we lack the ability to reason about things we can't see – this the period when small babies find peek-a-boo amazing. Object permanence is the ability to understand things that aren't in your immediate field of vision.

Content ID has no object permanence. Despite the fact that the Engelberg Blurred Lines panel was the most involved fair use question the system was ever called upon to parse, it managed to repeatedly forget that it had decided that the panel could stay up. Over and over since that initial determination, Content ID has taken down the video of the panel, forcing Engelberg to go through the whole process again.

But that's just for starters, because Youtube isn't the only place where a copyright enforcement bot is making billions of unsupervised, unaccountable decisions about what audiovisual material you're allowed to access.

Spotify is yet another monopolist, with a justifiable reputation for being extremely hostile to artists' interests, thanks in large part to the role that UMG and the other major record labels played in designing its business rules:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/12/streaming-doesnt-pay/#stunt-publishing

Spotify has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to capture the podcasting market, in the hopes of converting one of the last truly open digital publishing systems into a product under its control:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/27/enshittification-resistance/#ummauerter-garten-nein

Thankfully, that campaign has failed – but millions of people have (unwisely) ditched their open podcatchers in favor of Spotify's pre-enshittified app, so everyone with a podcast now must target Spotify for distribution if they hope to reach those captive users.

Guess who has a podcast? The Engelberg Center.

Naturally, Engelberg's podcast includes the audio of that Blurred Lines panel, and that audio includes samples from both "Blurred Lines" and "Got To Give It Up."

So – naturally – UMG keeps taking down the podcast.

Spotify has its own answer to Content ID, and incredibly, it's even worse and harder to navigate than Google's pretend legal system. As Engelberg describes in its latest post, UMG and Spotify have colluded to ensure that this now-classic discussion of fair use will never be able to take advantage of fair use itself:

https://www.nyuengelberg.org/news/how-explaining-copyright-broke-the-spotify-copyright-system/

Remember, this is the best case scenario for arguing about fair use with a monopolist like UMG, Google, or Spotify. As Engelberg puts it:

The Engelberg Center had an extraordinarily high level of interest in pursuing this issue, and legal confidence in our position that would have cost an average podcaster tens of thousands of dollars to develop. That cannot be what is required to challenge the removal of a podcast episode.

Automated takedown systems are the tech industry's answer to the "notice-and-takedown" system that was invented to broker a peace between copyright law and the internet, starting with the US's 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA implements (and exceeds) a pair of 1996 UN treaties, the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the Performances and Phonograms Treaty, and most countries in the world have some version of notice-and-takedown.

Big corporate rightsholders claim that notice-and-takedown is a gift to the tech sector, one that allows tech companies to get away with copyright infringement. They want a "strict liability" regime, where any platform that allows a user to post something infringing is liable for that infringement, to the tune of $150,000 in statutory damages.

Of course, there's no way for a platform to know a priori whether something a user posts infringes on someone's copyright. There is no registry of everything that is copyrighted, and of course, fair use means that there are lots of ways to legally reproduce someone's work without their permission (or even when they object). Even if every person who ever has trained or ever will train as a copyright lawyer worked 24/7 for just one online platform to evaluate every tweet, video, audio clip and image for copyright infringement, they wouldn't be able to touch even 1% of what gets posted to that platform.

The "compromise" that the entertainment industry wants is automated takedown – a system like Content ID, where rightsholders register their copyrights and platforms block anything that matches the registry. This "filternet" proposal became law in the EU in 2019 with Article 17 of the Digital Single Market Directive:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/09/today-europe-lost-internet-now-we-fight-back

This was the most controversial directive in EU history, and – as experts warned at the time – there is no way to implement it without violating the GDPR, Europe's privacy law, so now it's stuck in limbo:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/05/eus-copyright-directive-still-about-filters-eus-top-court-limits-its-use

As critics pointed out during the EU debate, there are so many problems with filternets. For one thing, these copyright filters are very expensive: remember that Google has spent $100m on Content ID alone, and that only does a fraction of what filternet advocates demand. Building the filternet would cost so much that only the biggest tech monopolists could afford it, which is to say, filternets are a legal requirement to keep the tech monopolists in business and prevent smaller, better platforms from ever coming into existence.

Filternets are also incapable of telling the difference between similar files. This is especially problematic for classical musicians, who routinely find their work blocked or demonetized by Sony Music, which claims performances of all the most important classical music compositions:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/08/copyfraud/#beethoven-just-wrote-music

Content ID can't tell the difference between your performance of "The Goldberg Variations" and Glenn Gould's. For classical musicians, the best case scenario is to have their online wages stolen by Sony, who fraudulently claim copyright to their recordings. The worst case scenario is that their video is blocked, their channel deleted, and their names blacklisted from ever opening another account on one of the monopoly platforms.

But when it comes to free expression, the role that notice-and-takedown and filternets play in the creative industries is really a sideshow. In creating a system of no-evidence-required takedowns, with no real consequences for fraudulent takedowns, these systems are huge gift to the world's worst criminals. For example, "reputation management" companies help convicted rapists, murderers, and even war criminals purge the internet of true accounts of their crimes by claiming copyright over them:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/23/reputation-laundry/#dark-ops

Remember how during the covid lockdowns, scumbags marketed junk devices by claiming that they'd protect you from the virus? Their products remained online, while the detailed scientific articles warning people about the fraud were speedily removed through false copyright claims:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/18/labor-shortage-discourse-time/#copyfraud

Copyfraud – making false copyright claims – is an extremely safe crime to commit, and it's not just quack covid remedy peddlers and war criminals who avail themselves of it. Tech giants like Adobe do not hesitate to abuse the takedown system, even when that means exposing millions of people to spyware:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/13/theres-an-app-for-that/#gnash

Dirty cops play loud, copyrighted music during confrontations with the public, in the hopes that this will trigger copyright filters on services like Youtube and Instagram and block videos of their misbehavior:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/10/duke-sucks/#bhpd

But even if you solved all these problems with filternets and takedown, this system would still choke on fair use and other copyright exceptions. These are "fact intensive" questions that the world's top experts struggle with (as anyone who watches the Blurred Lines panel can see). There's no way we can get software to accurately determine when a use is or isn't fair.

That's a question that the entertainment industry itself is increasingly conflicted about. The Blurred Lines judgment opened the floodgates to a new kind of copyright troll – grifters who sued the record labels and their biggest stars for taking the "vibe" of songs that no one ever heard of. Musicians like Ed Sheeran have been sued for millions of dollars over these alleged infringements. These suits caused the record industry to (ahem) change its tune on fair use, insisting that fair use should be broadly interpreted to protect people who made things that were similar to existing works. The labels understood that if "vibe rights" became accepted law, they'd end up in the kind of hell that the rest of us enter when we try to post things online – where anything they produce can trigger takedowns, long legal battles, and millions in liability:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/08/oh-why/#two-notes-and-running

But the music industry remains deeply conflicted over fair use. Take the curious case of Katy Perry's song "Dark Horse," which attracted a multimillion-dollar suit from an obscure Christian rapper who claimed that a brief phrase in "Dark Horse" was impermissibly similar to his song "A Joyful Noise."

Perry and her publisher, Warner Chappell, lost the suit and were ordered to pay $2.8m. While they subsequently won an appeal, this definitely put the cold grue up Warner Chappell's back. They could see a long future of similar suits launched by treasure hunters hoping for a quick settlement.

But here's where it gets unbelievably weird and darkly funny. A Youtuber named Adam Neely made a wildly successful viral video about the suit, taking Perry's side and defending her song. As part of that video, Neely included a few seconds' worth of "A Joyful Noise," the song that Perry was accused of copying.

In court, Warner Chappell had argued that "A Joyful Noise" was not similar to Perry's "Dark Horse." But when Warner had Google remove Neely's video, they claimed that the sample from "Joyful Noise" was actually taken from "Dark Horse." Incredibly, they maintained this position through multiple appeals through the Content ID system:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/05/warner-chappell-copyfraud/#warnerchappell

In other words, they maintained that the song that they'd told the court was totally dissimilar to their own was so indistinguishable from their own song that they couldn't tell the difference!

Now, this question of vibes, similarity and fair use has only gotten more intense since the takedown of Neely's video. Just this week, the RIAA sued several AI companies, claiming that the songs the AI shits out are infringingly similar to tracks in their catalog:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/record-labels-sue-music-generators-suno-and-udio-1235042056/

Even before "Blurred Lines," this was a difficult fair use question to answer, with lots of chewy nuances. Just ask George Harrison:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Sweet_Lord

But as the Engelberg panel's cohort of dueling musicologists and renowned copyright experts proved, this question only gets harder as time goes by. If you listen to that panel (if you can listen to that panel), you'll be hard pressed to come away with any certainty about the questions in this latest lawsuit.

The notice-and-takedown system is what's known as an "intermediary liability" rule. Platforms are "intermediaries" in that they connect end users with each other and with businesses. Ebay and Etsy and Amazon connect buyers and sellers; Facebook and Google and Tiktok connect performers, advertisers and publishers with audiences and so on.

For copyright, notice-and-takedown gives platforms a "safe harbor." A platform doesn't have to remove material after an allegation of infringement, but if they don't, they're jointly liable for any future judgment. In other words, Youtube isn't required to take down the Engelberg Blurred Lines panel, but if UMG sues Engelberg and wins a judgment, Google will also have to pay out.

During the adoption of the 1996 WIPO treaties and the 1998 US DMCA, this safe harbor rule was characterized as a balance between the rights of the public to publish online and the interest of rightsholders whose material might be infringed upon. The idea was that things that were likely to be infringing would be immediately removed once the platform received a notification, but that platforms would ignore spurious or obviously fraudulent takedowns.

That's not how it worked out. Whether it's Sony Music claiming to own your performance of "Fur Elise" or a war criminal claiming authorship over a newspaper story about his crimes, platforms nuke first and ask questions never. Why not? If they ignore a takedown and get it wrong, they suffer dire consequences ($150,000 per claim). But if they take action on a dodgy claim, there are no consequences. Of course they're just going to delete anything they're asked to delete.

This is how platforms always handle liability, and that's a lesson that we really should have internalized by now. After all, the DMCA is the second-most famous intermediary liability system for the internet – the most (in)famous is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

This is a 27-word law that says that platforms are not liable for civil damages arising from their users' speech. Now, this is a US law, and in the US, there aren't many civil damages from speech to begin with. The First Amendment makes it very hard to get a libel judgment, and even when these judgments are secured, damages are typically limited to "actual damages" – generally a low sum. Most of the worst online speech is actually not illegal: hate speech, misinformation and disinformation are all covered by the First Amendment.

Notwithstanding the First Amendment, there are categories of speech that US law criminalizes: actual threats of violence, criminal harassment, and committing certain kinds of legal, medical, election or financial fraud. These are all exempted from Section 230, which only provides immunity for civil suits, not criminal acts.

What Section 230 really protects platforms from is being named to unwinnable nuisance suits by unscrupulous parties who are betting that the platforms would rather remove legal speech that they object to than go to court. A generation of copyfraudsters have proved that this is a very safe bet:

https://www.techdirt.com/2020/06/23/hello-youve-been-referred-here-because-youre-wrong-about-section-230-communications-decency-act/

In other words, if you made a #MeToo accusation, or if you were a gig worker using an online forum to organize a union, or if you were blowing the whistle on your employer's toxic waste leaks, or if you were any other under-resourced person being bullied by a wealthy, powerful person or organization, that organization could shut you up by threatening to sue the platform that hosted your speech. The platform would immediately cave. But those same rich and powerful people would have access to the lawyers and back-channels that would prevent you from doing the same to them – that's why Sony can get your Brahms recital taken down, but you can't turn around and do the same to them.

This is true of every intermediary liability system, and it's been true since the earliest days of the internet, and it keeps getting proven to be true. Six years ago, Trump signed SESTA/FOSTA, a law that allowed platforms to be held civilly liable by survivors of sex trafficking. At the time, advocates claimed that this would only affect "sexual slavery" and would not impact consensual sex-work.

But from the start, and ever since, SESTA/FOSTA has primarily targeted consensual sex-work, to the immediate, lasting, and profound detriment of sex workers:

https://hackinghustling.org/what-is-sesta-fosta/

SESTA/FOSTA killed the "bad date" forums where sex workers circulated the details of violent and unstable clients, killed the online booking sites that allowed sex workers to screen their clients, and killed the payment processors that let sex workers avoid holding unsafe amounts of cash:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/09/fight-overturn-fosta-unconstitutional-internet-censorship-law-continues

SESTA/FOSTA made voluntary sex work more dangerous – and also made life harder for law enforcement efforts to target sex trafficking:

https://hackinghustling.org/erased-the-impact-of-fosta-sesta-2020/

Despite half a decade of SESTA/FOSTA, despite 15 years of filternets, despite a quarter century of notice-and-takedown, people continue to insist that getting rid of safe harbors will punish Big Tech and make life better for everyday internet users.

As of now, it seems likely that Section 230 will be dead by then end of 2025, even if there is nothing in place to replace it:

https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/bipartisan-energy-and-commerce-leaders-announce-legislative-hearing-on-sunsetting-section-230

This isn't the win that some people think it is. By making platforms responsible for screening the content their users post, we create a system that only the largest tech monopolies can survive, and only then by removing or blocking anything that threatens or displeases the wealthy and powerful.

Filternets are not precision-guided takedown machines; they're indiscriminate cluster-bombs that destroy anything in the vicinity of illegal speech – including (and especially) the best-informed, most informative discussions of how these systems go wrong, and how that blocks the complaints of the powerless, the marginalized, and the abused.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

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

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/27/nuke-first/#ask-questions-never

Image: EFF https://www.eff.org/files/banner_library/yt-fu-1b.png

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[ivesambrose]

PAC : September 2024 Mini Messages

1. 2. 3.

And we're almost in fall 🍁

To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at ivesambrose@gmail.com

Services Offered

Reviews

Thanks for the tip ✨

Picture 1

You'll be feeling the urge to socialize or reconnect with friends and loved ones this month. Likely even connect with new people that inspire you and reignite a spark within you. It seems like as you're headed for autumn you begin to experience your personal spring. There's a lot in your mind and heart and it's been repressed there for quite some time now because you haven't found the right means to express them or the people to express them to but this: shall change. I see you wanting to maintain more balance and diplomacy in your life this month instead of extremes. In a way you've told yourself, "Hey I've done enough push and pull, let me allow things to fall in place." A lot of you might focus on regulating your nervous system, some of you might be starting therapy or just being more attentive about your mental health. Some of you might collaborate or work with others especially if you're an artist or creator of any kind. I also see a select few coming out of hiding and gaining the confidence to put themselves out there. This month will also end on a joyful note for you. You'll also be pursuing something your heart feels really called to. You'll also feel cherished and cared for, this could be from a special someone or your friends and family or the community you're proud of. You'll feel a lot less alone, you never really were.

Picture 2

Leaving all that heartache behind. Bit by bit. Holding your life by the reigns by finding the courage within. There's no need to wait for anyone to help you through this, just begin. I know certain anguishes weigh rather heavily but it doesn't have to be a permanent resident there. A lot of you are planning on moving away from a present location that hasn't been bringing you peace you'l likely end up executing it before this year ends. Sometime around this month itself you'll find yourself feeling emotionally renewed. Opportunities coming up that you had been praying for since long but you feel nervous taking up because emotional fulfillment somehow feels scary to you. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Take the plunge because it'll lead to you feeling proud and successful of yourself. I also see a peak in finances or you saving up enough to afford something that makes you really happy. If you have pets you'll be spending more time with them or even consider adopting one. You'll start finding joy in the things you used to years back. Hold onto this feeling. For some reason the song, 'Innocence' by Avril Lavigne came through for this pile as well. If you resonate deeply with music, then this song definitely has a message for you.

Picture 3

A mental breakthrough. I see you being assertive and maybe even cut throat with your goals. I also see a lot of you disciplining your mind to the maximum. Correcting any negative thought and assumption. You'll also find yourself emerging victorious no matter what situation you're facing. There's a specific turn of events and fate for you. Fall overall is a significant time for this pile. I see you embracing joy diligently, making new friends and connections and making plans with your loved ones. You have chosen to let your inner child experience everything they have been forced to let go of. Do not dim your own light this month. You were meant to shine. You were meant to stand out. Some of you might also have a significant secret admirer as well. They see you as the break of dawn after a dark and solemn night and want to pretty much make you feel the same it seems. You'll find yourself wanting to relax more and allow things to come to you. Stressing and forcing on the other hand might lead to discord and feeling burnt out. It seems as though you had been fearing the worst but there has been a pleasant change of plans for you. You will be starting a new chapter in your life, you'll be rather stubborn about it too, brainstorming quite a bit, might encounter a few conflicts here and there but nothing good team work can't solve. This will eventually lead you to the version of you that you have in mind.

[ofmdrecaps]

10/26/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; S2 Finale Anniversary! Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Kristian Nairn; Samba Schutte & Damien Gerard; Rory Kinnear; Other Fandom Petition; Fan Spotlight: Cast Cards; AMuseOfFyre; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika;

== S2 Finale Anniversary ==

It's been a year since the finale of S2 aired crew! What a year it has been! Our friends over at @adoptourcrew asked some important questions and would love to hear from you on their various socials!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys is announcing his Midwest Comedy tours going on in Indiana and Missouri! The Helium Comedy Club in Indiana information is here and Missouri is here!

Source: Rhys' Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika out and about!

Source: Instagram

== Con O'Neill ==

Con was so appreciative of everyone coming to join him and the folks of The Men out at Alnwick Playhouse!

Source: Con O'Neill's Instagram

Deepest thank yous to the super sweet Radical Hysteria on Instagram for being kind enough to share these adorable shots with Con! It looked like everyone had such an amazing time!

Source: radical_hysteria on Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

Kristian was out at MCM Comic Con in the UK-- and god to meet up with none other than Dogpool!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

Kristian's also got a new event happening in Dundee, UK on November 29th! For more info, check out Progressia Events!

Source: Progressia Events

Annnnnd if that wasn't enough, Kristian's also going to be at Beastly Books in Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 31 from 7pm -8 pm! To learn more, checkout Beastly Books!

Source: Kristian's Instagram

== Samba Schutte & Damien Gerard ==

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 released on the 25th-- and guess what? Both Samba, and Damien voice characters in the game! Yannick and Harry Stone!

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram / Damien Gerard's Threads

Oh, and just by the way, Good Dead Entertainment has reported Advanced Chemistry has a 100 on the Popcorn Meter! Great job everyone! If you're still looking to help get Samba recognition, you can still do reviews on Amazon and other sites! For help on where, you can visit the repo for more info.

Source: GoodEntertainment Instagram

== Rory Kinnear ==

Our favorite Badminton Twins, Rory Kinnear..and well Rory Kinnear is going to be playing in the latest season of The Diplomat on Netflix! It premieres October 31st!

Source: Netflix Articles

== Other Fandom Petitions ==

Some other fans are hoping to get a full 6 episode series after the latest news about Good Omens only getting a 90 minute movie! They were so kind over the past year in sharing petitions for OFMD renewals, if you have a moment, and are willing, can you do a quick signature for them?

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

More Cast Cards tonight from the ever-wonderful, sweetest person ever, @melvisik! First up is Rhett Giles! One of our Segment Producers! "Segment producers exist in television programs such as morning news shows. They produce the various “segments” in the show, such as a cooking, local news, or special weather report segment. They’re typically responsible for writing about stories assigned to them in. their production system from their Executive Producers, who get their stories from their news source like CNN." - The Film Fund

Next up is just a PLETHORA of awesome Stunt Performers! James Gerardi, Kieran Gallagher, Matthew Lorenceau, Raw Leiba, Tait Fletcher, and Steve Brown!

Source: @melvisik's Twitter

= A Muse of Fyre =

Another absolutely stunning muppet by our dear friend @amuseoffyre-- this time featuring Calico Jack! I am floored at how that mustache turned out!

Source: amuseoffyre's Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies <3 I hope your weekend ended up treating you well. Sending some mini-love notes your way tonight. Good luck on the week ahead!

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A post shared by The New Happy® (@newhappyco)

Source: NewHappyCo Instagram

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

No theme, just hair! Gifs courtesy of some of our Gif-Maker Extraordinaires, @fandomsmeantheworldtome and @fuckyeahworldoftaika <3

[ukrfeminism]

Hundreds of women have gone on strike in Scotland as three more councils face claims over equal pay.

Almost 500 workers walked out of their council roles in Falkirk, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire in protest at a pay grading system which they say is outdated and pays women less than comparable male-dominated jobs.

Their action follows a strike by more than 8,000 female carers, caterers and cleaners in Glasgow, in 2018, which resulted in a payout of around £500m from Glasgow council, a bill it is yet to settle fully. It was the biggest equal pay strike in history in the UK.

Workers in similar jobs in Dundee, Perth and Kinross, Angus, Fife and Moray are now in ongoing disputes over equal pay.

The GMB union, which represents many of the women bringing claims, said local authorities across Scotland risk being bankrupted. GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour said Scotland’s councils were approaching equal pay claims “like the Titanic approaching the iceberg”. “Councillors have their heads in the sand and executives have their fingers in their ears, but these equal pay claims will come, will be won and will need to be settled.

“We know local authorities are struggling to make ends meet and we know why. But to suggest women workers are somehow making things worse by asking for money they are owed … is as dishonest as it is disgraceful.”

In England, Birmingham city council last year said it was unable to balance its books due, in part, to equal pay claims. The GMB has ongoing equal pay disputes with a number of other councils including Coventry and Cumberland.

Gilmour called on the Scottish government to create a new specialist body to settle equal pay claims nationwide and enforce payments.

Fiona O’Brien, a home carer in Renfrewshire since 2016 and a GMB rep, said she took strike action “as a last resort because enough is enough”.

“For a long time, we’ve been told: ‘you’ll never go on strike, you care too much, you’ll never stand up for yourselves’,” she said. “But we’ve had enough now – we’ve been taken for granted for too long.”

She said her role is different to what was advertised and more complex than the grade it is paid at, including administering medications, caring for people with dementia and mental illness, using specialist equipment and physically moving people with restricted mobility.

“It’s been inspirational to see us all coming together and standing up for what’s right and fair,” she said. “This could potentially change the road for a lot of people working in care and could also bring more people into the sector.”

In the event of a successful equal pay claim, higher pay grades could be retrospectively applied, allowing workers to claim up to five years of back pay and costing councils millions of pounds, the GMB said.

The union said it expects to see pay reviews in at least a dozen more Scottish local authorities.

A spokesperson for Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Falkirk council is committed to upholding equal pay, and continues to engage with GMB. We will seek to minimise disruption for those in need of our care and support at home services.”

A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire council said: “We are committed to fair pay for home carers and, following a thorough and robust job evaluation process, the pay of a typical home carer has recently risen by at least £2,500 per annum through regrading of the role.”

A Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership spokesperson said: “Negotiations between the Health and Social Care Partnership with all trade unions continue. A further offer was presented to all three trade unions, and Unison and Unite have paused industrial action as they consider this renewed offer. Unfortunately, GMB is continuing with industrial action following a consultative ballot with its members.”

Renfrewshire council did not respond to the Observer’s request for comment.

[f1ghtsoftly]

All The Women’s News You Missed This Week

10/14/24-10/21/24

Formal justice systems make headway on holding men accountable for violence against women in Bolivia, Malaysia, and Ivory Coast. An Indian researcher wins a prestigious grant for her work on Dalit (untouchable) women. A female politician heckles King Charles during his visit to Australia and Italy bans traveling abroad for surrogacy in another attempt to limit the ability of same-sex couples to have children.

Want this in your inbox instead? Subscribe here

US Abortion Rights: 

Missouri abortion-rights campaign fundraising total at $22M one month before election

3 states renew their effort to reduce access to the abortion drug mifepristone

Male Violence Against Women and Children: 

Bolivian ex-leader's looming arrest warrant triggers protests

Ex-Louisville officer who fired shots in Breonna Taylor raid readies for 3rd trial

Woman dies 2 days after co-worker shot her at Santa Monica College, police say

K-pop star gives tearful testimony on harassment

S Korean striker sorry for filming secret sex videos

Arrests Hundreds More Over Child Abuse Claims

Why fight for justice isn't over in India's 'horrific' widow-burning case, 37 years on

Duchess shocked by sexual exploitation of refugees

Murder, rape and torture allegations hit Ivory Coast student union

Buses to become safe spaces for vulnerable women

Women In The News: 

Susan Smith is up for parole 30 years after drowning her kids in a South Carolina lake

Bangladesh issues arrest warrant for ex-leader Hasina

The 'genius' Indian who shattered caste barriers

I'm not stupid, I've chosen to speak, says catfish victim duped for nine years

I’ll stand for Russian president when Putin's gone, Navalny’s widow tells BBC

New York Liberty claim first WNBA title with overtime win

WATCH: Moment King Charles is heckled by Australian politician 

Women's program aims to combat violence in Chicago: "The police cannot do this alone"

Le Sserafim: The K-pop band who want to change the industry

LGBT: 

Missouri now requires proof of surgery or court order for gender changes on IDs

Trans socialite did serve her jail term, Nigerian panel finds

Italy bans couples from travelling abroad for surrogacy 

In New York, a constitutional amendment provides election fodder for the left and the right

Arts and Culture: 

Harris interview with Fox News showcases a change in strategy for Democrats with network

Movie Review: ‘Smile 2' nicely targets pop star fame with the terrific Naomi Scott

Movie Review: Strippers, oligarchs and a fairy tale gone sideways, ‘Anora’ is a wild ride

For once — a true crime story that isn't focused on the killer

WATCH: Dawn Richard found freedom, clarity while working on new album

Becky G says ‘Encuentros,’ her second album of regional Mexican music, is a celebration of culture

Book Review: 70-year-old psychiatrist takes to the road in Anna Montague’s beguiling new novel

Half a Century After Title IX, Universities Are Still Failing Survivors: The Ms. Q&A With Nicole Bedera 

As always, this is global and domestic news from a US perspective covering feminist issues and women in the news more generally. As of right now, I do not cover Women’s Sports. Published each Monday afternoon.

[alpaca-clouds]

Solarpunk Review: Once Upon a Time in a World by Antonio Luiz M. C. Costa

Preface: I am continuing with my reviews for the short stories in the book "Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories from a Sustainable World". Once again: This book was published in 2012, so it is expected that in many regards it does not mirror modern Solarpunk sentiments. I am sorry those reviews were on hold for a while. As I said: I was quite sick, physically.

Summary

Pagu is a young journalist working for an independent anarchist news network in the future she is living in. Right now people are discussion the morality and sense of sending a couple astronauts to Mars while airing their mission - turning it into a some sort of reality TV. However, while this and the newest developments in renewable energies are what is mostly on Pagu's mind, a group of fascists plan a coup.

General Review

I think my main issue with this story was, that it had too much going on. While it kinda made sense given tit was mostly written fron the PoV of a journalist, so of course she would get to see quite a lot of what is happening in the world. Still, while the three different aspects of the story (astronauts, green energy, and fascist coup) were loosely connected, it was really loosely. In the end it was three different storylines that happened within a story that was just about 30 pages in length. And I think that was just a bit too much, making the events feel rather fast paced.

Still, I think I did enjoy this story quite a bit more than some of the other stories in this book. Mostly because I actually did like Pagu as a protagonist. She was a well defined character, I liked her stubbornness, and how she actually did self-actualize within the story.

The Solarpunk Factor

This might have been in fact the most Solarpunk story from this book so far. At least it weirdly checked a lot of my checkboxes. While there was a violent conflict, this was a conflict against fucking fascists, who were undoubtedly in the wrong. Otherwise we see conflict in the society, but that conflict is between different schools and interpretations of anarchism, as the world we see is explicitly anarchist. While the short story does not have enough time to go into details, we do see that there are anarchist systems in place to get it to work. And the characters discuss different styles of anarchism.

Something I really enjoyed especially compared towards the other stories was, that this story actually just casually had some queerness in there, and also ends with a character becoming disabled, showing us how the society deals with disabled characters. And spoiler: Yeah, other than all the other stories so far it was good. The character needed a wheelchair and they got a wheelchair, while they got also told that they no longer needed to pay for transport fares at all. That was a little tidbit that was nice!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The Daily Don

* * * *

President Biden to name national monument for Emmet Till and his mother.

          The brutal torture and murder of Emmett Till followed by his mother’s decision to hold an “open casket” funeral changed America. In 1955, a young Black teenager, Emmett Till, was abducted and killed because a white woman accused Till of “whistling” at her and grabbing her wrist. (The woman later recanted the accusations during an interview for a book.) Till’s nearly unrecognizable body was pulled from a river, where it was weighted with a 75-pound cotton gin fan secured to his neck by barbed wire. Nearly 250,000 people walked past his casket, and hundreds of thousands more saw photos of Till’s mutilated body in his casket.

          Two white men were charged with the murder and acquitted by an all-white jury. The defendants confessed to the crime a few months later in an interview given to Look Magazine—for which they were paid $4,000, a hefty sum in 1956. Having been previously acquitted, they could not be tried again for murder because of the Constitution’s double jeopardy prohibition.

          Emmett Till’s murder and his mother’s bravery in holding an open-casket funeral galvanized the nascent civil rights movement and helped to inspire a generation of civil rights leaders, including Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. On Monday, President Biden announced that he is declaring three sites as a national monument to Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. See NYTimes, Biden to Name National Monument for Emmett Till and His Mother. (This article is accessible to all.)

          President Biden’s actions come at a moment of renewed overt racism in America. Florida’s new history curriculum includes prompts asking students to consider ways in which slavery “benefitted” enslaved persons by giving them skills they could use after emancipation. See Florida’s State Academic Standards—Social Studies, 2023. The linked document includes the following “benchmark” standard (on page 6):

Benchmark Clarifications: Clarification 1: Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.

          The proposed “benchmark clarification” is a stunning revision to an institution where white owners profited from forced labor by enslaved persons. To suggest that any part of that forced labor was “beneficial” is a cruel and dishonest whitewashing of a vile institution. But Ron DeSantis nonetheless defended a “pro-slavery” curriculum that his culture war unleashed in Florida. See The Independent, DeSantis defends Florida curriculum that suggests slaves benefited from forced labor.

          But the Academic Standards linked above are far worse than the media portrays. The issue is not a single snippet—the language quoted above—it is the entire approach to teaching the history of slavery in the United States. I invite you to review pages 5 through 10 of the Academic Standards, and you will discover that much of the curriculum is devoted to describing slavery in Africa, Europe, and Asia—apparently to make the disgusting point that “everyone else was doing it.” For example, the “benchmark clarifications” on page 9 include the following:

Benchmark Clarifications: Clarification 1: Instruction includes how trading in slaves developed in African lands (e.g., Benin, Dahomey). Clarification 2: Instruction includes the practice of the Barbary Pirates in kidnapping Europeans and selling them into slavery in Muslim countries (i.e., Muslim slave markets in North Africa, West Africa, Swahili Coast, Horn of Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Ocean slave trade). Clarification 3: Instruction includes how slavery was utilized in Asian cultures (e.g., Sumerian law code, Indian caste system). Clarification 4: Instruction includes the similarities between serfdom and slavery and emergence of the term “slave” in the experience of Slavs. Clarification 5: Instruction includes how slavery among indigenous peoples of the Americas was utilized prior to and after European colonization.

          All of the above smacks of a white-racist defense of slavery in the US. Thankfully, Joe Biden is resisting the effort by the right to erase America’s shameful history of slavery and Jim Crow laws that enforced a system of apartheid for nearly a century after the Civil War.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[chromaticramblings]

book review - ecotopia by ernest callenbach

Ecotopia, written by ernest callenbach in the 1970s, describes a world in which the land regions previously known as northern california, washington, and oregon secede from the rest of the united states and create their own nation, the nation of Ecotopia. the principles of sustainability and circular economy are central to this new nation.

here are my thoughts on some things covered in the book, i hope that this reaches someone else who's read it and we can share thoughts!

(this will include spoilers. however, the nature of the book is not a narrative, and is rather a presentation of ideas. therefore reading this post will not ruin the book for you if you choose to read it)

one of the greatest thought experiments Ecotopia undertakes is that of ideal urban planning. in that respect, the book is pretty cool! they hypothetical nation of Ecotopia describes San Francisco as a central city hub, from which spokes of public transport emerge and run to smaller city towns. these towns take the place of suburbs, which were razed during the country’s Independence / reconstruction era. (wooooo!!) public transport abounds and runs at a high speed of 30 mph, which is all you really need since the urban centers are so densely built and multi use. Between city towns are managed forests (actual forests! not monocultures) as well as natural land which has been allowed to restore itself.

people live in flexible communes that typically work together to produce something, whether that be a farming commune, fishing commune, artist communes, or business / science communes that invent things. everyone has a universal base income that is just minimal enough to reasonably get by, allowing people to pursue art or a risky startup without fear of dying. which i think is really cool! necessity breeds innovation yes but you need security too. work culture in Ecotopia is also vastly different, as the boundary between work and leisure and personal time is eroded, which may seem like a bad thing but the consequence of the UBI system means that most Ecotopians actually Like their work and choose to do it of their own free will. crazy huh.

houses are typically made of wood, which to me raised a suspicion flag, cause this is the Bay Area we’re talking about, which is Humid as Shit, and the Ecotopians have phased out paint due to it containing heavy metals. which good for them i guess but those houses are gonna rot lmfao. i took the liberty of imagining they are proofed with sealant made from the biodegradable, non petroleum based plastic the Ecotopians had developed and manufactured. while wood is the building material of choice, houses are also built from large tubes of insulated bioplastic, which are joined at the whim of the family or commune creating the house. (there are no architects, everyone builds their own houses themselves to suit their needs.) these houses are cheap and accessible, and zoning laws seem to be nonexistent, making homelessness a nonissue.

in terms of materials, everything in Ecotopia is renewable and has a full zero waste lifecycle. wood is the material of choice. the only metal Ecotopians use comes from scavenged cars and machinery of the pre seccession era. Ecotopians still manufacture plastic, but most kinds of it are fully biodegradable in a few days. when a lasting material is needed, a different type of plastic is used; this kind will not degrade until it is in full contact with soil. given how important disposable plastic is for applications such as research, i'm glad this was considered and accounted for in this book instead of throwing it off as a "we don't need plastic anymore kumbaya" kinda vibe.

culture wise, there is a lack of emotional restraint which the book’s narrator, a visitor from NYC, frequently comments on. hugs and physical affection between all relationships and genders are normalized. there also seems to be an insistence on small talk as a way to humanize those working “lesser skilled” jobs. honestly i found this a bit annoying, as i don’t think small talk is necessarily indicative of human connection, and that a truly emotionally attuned people would be okay with giving space when necessary. but i thought it was nice to acknowledge that all people are people, even while working “subservient” jobs.

ok so those were the things i liked.

criticism #1.

WILLIAM WESTON STOP BEING A FUCKING MISOGYNIST CHALLENGE

alternatively:

ERNEST CALLENBACH WRITE ONE (1) WOMAN WHO ISN’T A SEX OBJECT CHALLENGE

NO, THE WOMAN WHO YOU DESCRIBED AS UNATTRACTIVE WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE IN A POSITION OF POWER DOES NOT COUNT

god jesus christ

over the course of his adventures, journalist William Weston encounters many fellows (men) and new friends whom he talks around the fire with (men). he also encounters Marissa, a beautiful wild woman, exotic and mysterious who runs through the forest, cares deeply for trees, stares into his soul with her plain face and round dark eyes, and has sex with him twenty four hours three hundred sixty five days a year.

he also encounters Linda, an attractively sarcastic yet caring nurse, who nurses his injuries, jacks him off, and consumes him with thoughts of when he “will be healed enough to fuck her properly”. (direct quote)

in addition to the misogyny, there appears to be a fair amount of gender essentialism in Ecotopian society, something I found disappointing. Ecotopian clothes are sharply gendered. (from my understanding of Ecotopian values, i’d expect everyone to be wearing skirts due to the ease of manufacture and resulting ease of movement.) women are described to have an “air of fertility” (yes, actually). the governing party is made up of women, due to womens’ “natural competency regarding cooperation and diplomacy rather than competition”. the only sport in the country, the ritual war games, is barred to women. (it’s actually remarked later in the book that in Ecotopian psychology offices, it is often women who come in with issues of untamed aggression, and attributes it to their exclusion from the games. i wonder what a solution could be 🤔) thankfully work is not gendered, but it appears the social spheres of men and women rarely intersect, as Weston socializes and discusses ideas with a fair amount of men, and no women. perhaps for the better, as he’d be too distracted trying to fuck them to have a discussion of any substance.

queer pairings are also mentioned offhand, but they serve the purpose of emphasizing the Ecotopian's open attitudes towards sex and intimacy. queerness is treated as a sexual quirk rather than as an orientation.

in addition to the disappointing sexism / heterosexism, there's a good amount of racism. different races live segregated. although this is a conscious choice by the inhabitants, it still strikes as somewhat odd that there wouldn't be a way for humans to maintain their culture while living in an integrated society. many of the barriers to race equality in our current system are abolished in Ecotopia; the cheapness of the bioplastic houses makes it accessible for anyone to own a house anywhere, and the ease with which people can start their own enterprises reduces employment barriers significantly. therefore i'd expect integration between races to be a significant achievement of the Ecotopians. the writing itself is also racist. callenbach makes distinctions while describing the cultures of the nonwhite populations that make it clear that white is the default of Ecotopia, and all other cultures are side notes. also, callenbach makes no mention of an Ecotopian prison system (an aspect of society that no doubt merits analysis) until he mentions the Black community. sir what is up with that 🤨

there's also a lot to be said of callenbach's treatment of Indigenous ideas. the Ecotopians take a lot of inspiration from classic Indigenous principles, such as living in balance with the earth's natural resources and respecting nonhuman life, and Indigenous clothing styles. however, this feels rather appropriative rather than appreciative, and there are no actual Indigenous characters in the book. i would expect that such an empathetic society which takes direct principles from Indigenous culture would appreciate and honor the Indigenous people within that society rather than just shamelessly taking their culture, especially given the context that Ecotopians are ex citizens of the united states, the country which caused the Indigenous communities in that area so much harm.

overall, i think this book's strengths lie in its rethinking of what society could be like without work as its central focus. i love the UBI system, the reduced work week, and the attitude of work as something to enjoy rather than something to get over with. i also love that the nation's economic fall wasn't skipped over. i think its important to realize that many policies which would improve human health and quality of life would also lower our GDP, and that maybe that's perfectly fine. maybe human lives matter more than how rich a nation is. despite all these strengths, however, the sexism and racism cannot be overlooked; they made me almost put the book down several times. this book is clearly a product of its time, written by a white man. in keeping with good critical thinking practices, its important to recognize what ideas are good to keep and what needs to be thrown out.

tldr: great ideas about an alternative structure for society, unfortunately sexist and racist as well. 6/10

[dragonflycap]

5 Trade Ideas for Monday: Cadence, Chipotle, Intuitive Surgical, Netflix and Progressive

5 Trade ideas excerpted from the detailed analysis and plan for premium subscribers:

Cadence Design Systems, Ticker: $CDNS

Cadence Design Systems, $CDNS, comes into the week at short term resistance in a move higher. The RSI is in the bullish zone with the MACD positive. Look for a push over resistance to participate…..

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Ticker: $CMG

Chipotle Mexican Grill, $CMG, comes into the week breaking resistance. It has a RSI in the bullish zone with the MACD positive. Look for continuation to participate…..

Intuitive Surgical, Ticker: $ISRG

Intuitive Surgical, $ISRG, comes into the week approaching short term resistance. It has a RSI in the bullish zone with the MACD positive. Look for a push over resistance to participate…..

Netflix, Ticker: $NFLX

Netflix, $NFLX, comes into the week breaking resistance. It has a RSI in the bullish zone with the MACD crossing up. Look for continuation to participate…..

Progressive, Ticker: $PGR

Progressive, $PGR, comes into the week testing support. It has a RSI holding in the bullish zone with the MACD negative. look for a break of support to participate…..

Start of Summer Annual Sale! Hi all the Start of Summer Annual Sale is on at Dragonfly Capital. Get an annual subscription for 38.2% off or pay quarterly for 15% off. Both auto-renew at that discounted rate until you decide to leave.

After reviewing over 1,000 charts, I have found some good setups for the week. These were selected and should be viewed in the context of the broad Market Macro picture reviewed Friday which with the June FOMC meeting and inflation data in the books, saw equity markets exhibit both strength and weakness with large caps and tech names continuing to make new all-time highs while small caps took a beating.

Elsewhere look for Gold to continue consolidation while Crude Oil consolidates in a broad range. The US Dollar Index looks ready to test the top of the consolidation range while US Treasuries bask in a short term uptrend in the secular downtrend. The Shanghai Composite looks to continue the short term move lower while Emerging Markets consolidate in the long channel.

The Volatility Index looks to remain very low and stable making the path easier for equity markets to the upside. The charts of the SPY and QQQ look strong, especially on the longer timeframe. On the shorter timeframe both the QQQ and SPY have negated prior possible momentum divergences. The IWM continues to languish and showed possible renewed weakness moving lower on the week. Use this information as you prepare for the coming week and trad’em well.

[renee-rust]

Auto renew the vicious loop

When it comes to removing friction, some companies have gotten extremely good at it. However, becoming good at it does not mean higher customer satisfaction. Think of all those amazing membership auto renew deals we have gotten sucked into. Yes, those are extremely frictionless, but they mostly benefit the company, not the customer. There is one examples particularly that comes to mind of a membership that sounds great but is extremely difficult to exit, leading to endless hours on customer service calls just to make the monthly draining of your account stop.

Occasionally, I treat myself to a pampering session and get a facial treatment done. On one of these experiences, I stumbled across Skin Spa New York. They are a skin care clinic with various locations in major cities in the US, which provide various treatments. After my treatment, as I was checking out, the receptionist informed me of their membership offering. In theory it sounds great, a discount on a monthly facial, sign me up! The benefits include a monthly facial (from a choice of five treatments), a free treatment on your birthday, various discounts on further purchases and even discounts for friends.

However, what they fail to inform you of, is the terms and how difficult these can be to keep up. Ultimately making it extremely difficult to end the membership. Membership fees are automatically billed on the 1st of each month, cancelable at any time they say, however, you must email them to request a cancelation before the 20th of each month, after 3 months of membership. Unused Membership treatment can be rolled over up to 60 days but no refunds or credit for unused months or lesser value service will be issued. The list goes on and on about policies you need to follow to be able to qualify for the promised services. This just shows how what is frictionless for the company is an actual added pain point for the customer. If you read some customer reviews, they discuss the difficulties for refund on services they were mischarged for. The automatic payment system does indeed remove friction for some parties but adds it for others.

What ends up happening is that once you opt into the membership it can be extremely hard to exit, creating that lobster trap scenario: easy in, hard out. This leads to the monthly payment and accumulation of credits that are never used. Finally, when one wants to cancel one is faced with the option of either canceling and losing all credits or trying to fit multiple treatments into one month. A process that seems frictionless for the customer is only frictionless when it comes to aspects that benefit the company. On the other hand, the aspects that the customers care about are riddled with friction; think back and forth emailing to cancel the membership, difficulty booking and rescheduling appointments. When we think of automation and erasing of friction, we must remember for whom we are removing that friction and for whom might we be creating a lot more friction.

The introduction of new technologies will only further increase this discrepancy if we are not attentive. We can all agree that the process of paying for a service is time consuming and can be seen as a pain point for both company and customer. But when introducing a technology to streamline that process, we must be very attentive as for who it is benefiting. We could also think of that pain point of a great opportunity to change the narrative. Why not make this a last impression touch point? Imagine instead of a simple paying transaction, you are given an infused water and a warm towel for your hands as you exit the establishment. Instead of simply trying to remove pain points, we must focus on the customer experience and look for ways to translate those pain points into memorable experiences.

[vidulasrii]

The Ultimate Spa Experience in Chennai

Introduction

Looking for the perfect escape from your daily routine? A visit to a massage spa near me is more than just relaxation—it’s a gateway to revitalizing your body and mind. Whether you’re in need of stress relief at a spa in Chennai or curious to explore a Thai spa in Chennai, this guide will help you find the perfect experience.

Reasons to Visit a Massage Spa

1. Instant Stress Relief

A professional massage lowers cortisol levels and promotes overall relaxation.

2. Pain Management & Muscle Recovery

Massage therapies help in relieving chronic pain, improving circulation, and aiding muscle recovery.

3. Detoxification & Skin Nourishment

Body treatments like herbal wraps and facials remove toxins and rejuvenate your skin.

4. Improved Sleep Quality

Massages stimulate melatonin production, helping you sleep better and deeper.

5. Boosted Immune System

Regular spa visits support lymphatic drainage, which strengthens immunity and detoxification.

How to Choose the Best Spa in Chennai

1. Certified and Experienced Therapists

Always look for spas that employ skilled professionals trained in various massage techniques.

2. Customer Reviews and Ratings

Online feedback from past visitors can give valuable insight into service quality and hygiene.

3. Ambience and Facilities

A soothing environment with calming music and aromatherapy enhances relaxation.

4. Diverse Treatment Options

Choose a spa that offers a variety of treatments like Thai massage, aromatherapy, and Ayurvedic therapy.

5. Affordable Pricing and Packages

Compare services and look for packages that offer the best value for money.

Best Massage Treatments to Try in Chennai

1. Thai Massage

A therapeutic mix of stretching, acupressure, and assisted yoga poses to improve flexibility and energy flow.

2. Swedish Massage

A gentle, rhythmic massage that relieves tension and promotes deep relaxation.

3. Deep Tissue Massage

Focuses on deep muscle layers to ease chronic pain and improve mobility.

4. Ayurvedic Therapy

Incorporates herbal oils and rhythmic strokes to balance the body's natural energies.

5. Hot Stone Massage

Uses heated stones on pressure points to relieve stress and improve circulation.

Conclusion

A visit to a massage spa near me is an investment in self-care and well-being. Whether you choose a session at a Thai spa in Chennai or indulge in a luxury experience at a spa in Chennai, taking time for relaxation will leave you feeling refreshed, recharged, and ready to embrace life with renewed energy.

FAQs

1. How often should I visit a spa?

For relaxation, once a month is ideal, while those with chronic pain may benefit from weekly treatments.

2. Are there any side effects of massage therapy?

Generally, massages are safe, but mild soreness may occur after deep tissue treatments.

3. Can I personalize my spa treatment?

Yes, most spas offer customized treatments based on individual needs and preferences.

4. What is the average duration of a spa session?

Depending on the service, sessions typically range from 30 to 90 minutes.

5. What should I consider when booking a spa?

Check therapist credentials, customer reviews, available treatments, hygiene standards, and pricing.

[darling-lambkin]

Book Review: Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

Warning: This book review will contain spoilers. I have tried several times to re-format my analysis in a way that doesn’t give away too much of the content, but with the depth at which I prefer to discuss what I’ve read, it is simply not possible for any of my reviews to be completely spoiler-free. If you do wish to read this book, I encourage you to purchase it for yourself. Keep in mind that I do not claim to be any sort of real literary critic. I am simply one of many people online who enjoys publicly stating their opinions.

Title: Helpmeet

Author: Naben Ruthnum

Publication Year: 2022

Genre: Horror Fiction, Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.4/5

My Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Pages: 69

Date Started: December 25th, 2024

Date Finished: December 28th, 2024

Synopsis: It's 1900, and Louise Wilk is taking her dying husband from Manhattan to the upstate orchard estate where he grew up. Dr. Edward Wilk is wasting away from a mysterious affliction acquired in a strange encounter: but Louise soon realizes that her husband's worsening condition may not be a disease at all, but a transformative phase of existence that will draw her in as much more than a witness.

Going into this book, all I knew was that this story involved some type of body horror, which for me, was a major selling point. As someone who has been religiously watching horror movies since before my developing mind began to form retrievable memories, there is very little that still makes my skin crawl and my heart race. One of those such things just so happens to be body horror. We, as humans, can run from knife-wielding maniacs and hide under the covers until the monsters go away, but what we cannot run from is our own bodies. We are confined to these vessels, and when there is a flaw in the system, it arouses a primal type of dread; the feeling of “god, I hope that never happens to me”. In the story of a wife and her gradually rotting husband, there is no role that seems ideal to be played. 

While I was confident that I would find, at least, a moderate level of enjoyment in this book, what truly surprised me was just how engaged I was. For years, reading has felt more like a chore than an activity to be cherished, and thus, I found myself taking a step back from literature. Even now, with my renewed motivation, I often still find myself dreading that time of night when it’s time to pick up my book and settle down without a screen. This story, however, had me coming back at every opportunity. I read in favor of sleeping, I read to put off countless writing projects–when I say that I was itching for each new chapter, I truly mean it. The descriptions of Edward’s deterioration were vivid enough to leave me feeling uneasy, and I found myself begging for some sort of levity, grasping at straws for answers regarding exactly what was causing his body to decay. While I did enjoy the ending overall, I will confess that upon the revelation of the sinister antagonist, I was rather underwhelmed. Cosmic horror and the likes simply doesn’t appeal to me at most times, and for me, it was difficult to comprehend exactly what the creature itself may have looked like. Having said that, I was pleased when it was clarified that the creature was something that has been here for a long time, rather than something from space or an alternate dimension; new to this world and eager for a host. 

Perhaps this is a common opinion, but personally, my favorite character in this narrative was the final version of Louise Wilk. Despite the strife Edward put Louise through in life, there is still something so inherently romantic about finding a life literally inside the body of your deceased spouse. The concept of two becoming one, of two souls and two minds speaking to one another internally until they become so deeply fused that they cannot tell where one ends and the other begins, is something that I can only hope to mimic someday–metaphorically, of course!

Favorite Quotes:

“But she never tended to anyone who mattered, until she married someone who did.” (pg 20)

“Isn’t the earth better off after a burning?” (pg 35)

“I cannot explain to you how it feels because I am too cowardly to feel it.” (pg 40)

“A word can have such force, and a name is an entire incantation.” (pg 41)

“They could feel, in the drifting moment just before or just after sleep, a flower between and behind their lungs. Its roots wrapped around their joined vertebrae, and it grew slowly, careful not to exceed their body until they died.” (pg 67)

[rabbitindisguise]

lav's year in review

Writing

Original fiction: 19,492

8,348

555

5,553

818

4,218

Fandoms: 3,595

murai no koi: 3,595

total: 23,087

[more under the cut!]

Life events:

all private student loans CANCELLED 🎉🎉🎉

moved out, living solo in an apartment

started fostering a cat

started lithium

re-started botox

made plans to have a total hysterectomy in early spring (march 26th!)

made plans to go have my birthday at a campground with stars visible in 2025

tried a lot of different games to figure out what kinds I liked (spoiler: not visual novels, rip)

put together a lego christmas train

made a lot of cool friends

expanded my nendoroid collection (it's at 13 now)

went to a cool local craft event

wove one scarf

nearly finished my winter kitties cross stitch and gridded my moth to a flame sprouting lupine cross stitch

sorted out my name change documents/made a plan for getting a passport renewed

Anime

Sousou no Frieren (x2)

Dungeon Meshi (x2)

kaiju no. 8

wind breaker

solo leveling

Majo to Yajuu; The Witch and the Beast Chiyu

Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata; The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Yubisaki to Renren; A Sign of Affection

Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san; Mr. Villain's Day Off

30-sai made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii; Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

Akuyaku Reijou Level 99: Watashi wa Ura Boss desu ga Maou de wa Arimasen; Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimamana Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsu Suru; 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

Demonic Cultivation

Hyouka

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge; Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

Mashiro no Oto; Those Snow White Notes

Mission: Yozakura Family

skull face-san

mob psycho

jujutsu kaisen

hell's paradise

haikyuu

Wistoria: Wand and Sword

I Parry Everything

Hazure Waku no "Joutai Ijou Skill" de Saikyou ni Natta Ore ga Subete wo Juurin Suru made

My Hero Academia (episode 7)

A Condition Called Love

Blue Lock season 2

Negative Positive Angler

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions Season 2

Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii

Murai no Koi

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World Season 1 and 2

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History

The Do-Over Damsel Conquers The Dragon Emperor

The Blue Wolves of Mibu

Webcomics [new category!]

tiger tiger (caught up; pg 750)

the croaking (caught up; pg 255)

say the right thing by Sammy Montoya (finished)

ride or die (pg. 278)

how to be a werewolf (caught up)

tigress queen (pg 2046)

strange and wild (caught up; ch.28, ep.2)

darkness in love

kochab (finished)

wychwood (pg. 638)

come hell or high water (pg. 410)

hunter of insania (pg. 25-2)

alice and the nightmare (ch. 5, pg. 1)

the house of lowther (episode 39)

Books

tmbd re-read

midnight predator + shapeshifters den of shadows re-read

scum villain's self saving system

heaven official's blessing (started)

grandmaster of demonic cultivated (started)

weaving iridescence

a strange and stubborn endurance

alpha's son

Manga/webnovels

akane banashi (ch. 136)

kagurabachi (ch. 21)

I cannot reach you (ch. 22, pg. 58)

subarashii kiseki ni yasashii kimi to (ch. 6.5)

akai ito no shikkou yuuyo (finished; ch. 5.6)

later, he became a royal healer (ch. 80)

the guild member next door (finished; ch. 50.5)

old fashioned cupcake (vol. 2, ch. 1)

koimonogatari (caught up; ch. 22)

kabukichou bad trip (ch. 5)

? ones (not sure if started)

tomorrow, make me yours

dekoboko sugar days (ch. 6.2?)

I seriously can't believe you

Movies/TV shows

bee and puppycat

PLUTO

glass onion

the boy and the heron

castlevania

muppet christmas carol

muppet holiday movie

going postal

hogswatch

klaus

sea beast

Videogames

a little to the left DLC x2

disco elysium

potion permit

unpacking

stellaris

a lot happened last year, jeez. Ultimately I made it through the year though, and that's what matters. And so did everyone reading this :3 yay us!

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] Instrument Engineers' Handbook – Volume 3: Process Software and Digital Networks, Fourth Edition is the latest addition to an enduring collection that industrial automation (AT) professionals often refer to as the "bible." First published in 1970, the entire handbook is approximately 5,000 pages, designed as standalone volumes that cover the measurement (Volume 1), control (Volume 2), and software (Volume 3) aspects of automation. This fourth edition of the third volume provides an in-depth, state-of-the-art review of control software packages used in plant optimization, control, maintenance, and safety. Each updated volume of this renowned reference requires about ten years to prepare, so revised installments have been issued every decade, taking into account the numerous developments that occur from one publication to the next. Assessing the rapid evolution of automation and optimization in control systems used in all types of industrial plants, this book details the wired/wireless communications and software used. This includes the ever-increasing number of applications for intelligent instruments, enhanced networks, Internet use, virtual private networks, and integration of control systems with the main networks used by management, all of which operate in a linked global environment. Topics covered include: Advances in new displays, which help operators to more quickly assess and respond to plant conditions Software and networks that help monitor, control, and optimize industrial processes, to determine the efficiency, energy consumption, and profitability of operations Strategies to counteract changes in market conditions and energy and raw material costs Techniques to fortify the safety of plant operations and the security of digital communications systems This volume explores why the holistic approach to integrating process and enterprise networks is convenient and efficient, despite associated problems involving cyber and local network security, energy conservation, and other issues. It shows how firewalls must separate the business (IT) and the operation (automation technology, or AT) domains to guarantee the safe function of all industrial plants. This book illustrates how these concerns must be addressed using effective technical solutions and proper management policies and practices. Reinforcing the fact that all industrial control systems are, in general, critically interdependent, this handbook provides a wide range of software application examples from industries including: automotive, mining, renewable energy, steel, dairy, pharmaceutical, mineral processing, oil, gas, electric power, utility, and nuclear power. Publisher ‏ : ‎ CRC Press; 4th edition (19 August 2011) Language ‏ : ‎ English Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 1139 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1439817766 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1439817766 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 kg 860 g Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.86 x 6.35 x 29.85 cm Country of

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[yomaom]

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