#and that age should not be a barrier to learning new stuff/evolving

[did-we-imagine]

God bless.

My dad found it funny that I'd still watch cartoons even as a 23-25 yo lmao. I just told him that my doctor friend (MD) who is 2 years older also does lmao. Life be like that. I just own my shit. There are married 25 yos with kids, and then there is me, and that's OK lol.

"oh you think that liking animated kids movies as an adult is cringe? don't you know some people are AUTISTIC" you know you can just like a movie, right? why are u wrangling a completely reasonable defense of your taste into mental health advocacy?? it doesn't fit

[ckret2]

Alright let’s talk GVK spoilers!!!

My reactions as best I can remember them!

- love how Kong is humanized from the very first scene, like every time he shows up he’s humanized so much more than other titans are. If that was at the expense of other titans being made likable I wouldn’t enjoy it so much, but like, Godzilla is made pretty lovable over the course of Monsterverse, Mothra is too, and all the titans featured for long are given recognizable emotions that let us see them as more intelligent and feeling than “just” animals; so all of them are made understandable/likable/sympathetic. But of them all, Kong is the only one really humanized. Which makes sense, because like, big monkey! Basically our distant cousin!

- And they kept playing, like, normal songs for him, which cracked me up.

- I really appreciated how you could SEE the titans in this movie. After all the weather effects to hide the titans in KOTM, there was such a clear difference in this one from the very start. Kong in the daylight! Godzilla makes his first attack at night, and even then you can see him much more clearly than you can for most of KOTM! Nice!

- after the Iwi were portrayed as silent stoic witnesses in Skull Island, I really appreciated that they took an Iwi character, made her a main character, and gave her dialogue and a real role to play in the story while also keeping her deaf/mute. I think that was a good way to improve on the way that the Iwi got got sidelined in the last movie while still maintaining the worldbuilding!

- I didn’t appreciate so much that, y’know, they murdered the rest of her people off-screen in order to do it. Couldn’t they have gone “her parents died so she got adopted by a Monarch agent that was close to her family, but like, the rest of her tribe is fine”? Or at the very least “their island got fucked up so they had to be evacuated but like they’re settling in somewhere else”? “They’re living under this island dome with Kong and they know what’s up and Monarch’s keeping them in the loop and they decided they’re chill with their new dome home, but this one girl likes to go on adventures with Monarch”? Something? Did we have to kill them all off? Y’all make up an entire fictional indigenous culture and then murder them off-screen when you don’t need them? Just let them live.

- a few minutes in I was like “hold on, we’ve got two characters that speak sign language, we’ve got a giant gorilla, gorillas learn sign language, is there any reason they can’t teach Kong?” and then later I was like “OOOOOH!!” Humans and titans learning how to communicate with each other has been one of my favorite themes to explore in Monsterverse fanfic so I was absolutely tickled to see it getting explored in canon, too.

- That said I think it’s hilarious that the girl managed to teach Kong to sign without, like... anybody seeing. Kong’s hands are above the tree line and there are cameras everywhere, how did NOBODY with Monarch see him signing.

- Bernie’s weaponized being an annoying coworker to such a degree it can only be called an art, and I really appreciated it.

- Godzilla’s extra chonky in this movie and I dig it. Roomie noted he was extra crocodilian and I dig that too.

- “There’s been no confirmed titan sightings in three years” I don’t buy that for a minute. They’re BIG. Rodan NESTS IN VOLCANOES. They found a MOTHRA EGG. Humans have A SCARILY WELL-FUNDED ORGANIZATION DEDICATED SOLELY TO FOLLOWING TITANS AROUND. Like, most of the lore in GVK that I don’t personally like, I can be like “eh... I can tweak it just a little bit with headcanons to make it work for me...” but NO confirmed titan sightings? You expect me to believe ALL of them moved underground when we’d previously seen them all prefer to live above ground? You expect me to believe that now that they’re all AWAKE, they learned how to HIDE?? Uh-uh. And at the end of KOTM there was stuff in the credits about using titan droppings as biofuel, obviously they’re still walking around up top! Can’t take that from me. Nope.

- Who the FUCK is Ren Serizawa and how is he related to Ishiro Serizawa? IS he related? Maybe they just dropped the surname as another “yeah this is a Godzilla movie for Godzilla fans” easter egg but I have a hard time believing that he can’t be somehow related to the other character with the Very Important Last Name who was so important in the last two Godzilla movies. If he is related I’m sure it’s been explained in a tie-in comic or the novelization or something, I’ll look it up later.

- I had to look up how much weight huge battleships can carry while writing a KOTM fic where Ghidorah hitches a ride on one, and y’all, I had to pull weird gravity-negating magic to get him to ride on that boat. Godzilla and Kong woulda sunk that boat like a rock. All I could think during that scene is “this wouldn’t work and I know that because I DID THE RESEARCH and I wasn’t even getting PAID.” I’ll choose to believe that Monarch gets special heavy duty ships designed to carry titans but nobody mentioned it because it wasn’t relevant to Kong’s journey.

- The bit where they could see where Godzilla was swimming because he’d got half a ship hooked to him that was bobbing around on the surface, didn’t Jaws do something like that with a buoy? It’s been ages since I’ve seen Jaws. Anyway good reference.

- Insert “they’re gonna need a bigger boat” joke

- I LOVED the part where they shut down all the ships to get Godzilla to leave. Both because, one, it’s a spectacular callback to KOTM’s “turn off all the guns so he knows we’re not a threat” that makes it seem like now that’s just what Monarch knows what to do to get G to chill out, and two... we know that Godzilla backs off either when he’s killed his enemy or when his enemy has yielded to him. At the end of KOTM—and the end of GVK—the act of yielding is presented as very ceremonial and uniform across species: everyone lowers anything they’ve got that could be dangerous (claws, fangs, beaks, axes) and bows to show Godzilla they’re not gonna fight. Battleships, obviously, can’t bow, but even without being inducted into whatever secret titan cultural intricacies might be going on, humans have figured out their own way to “bow” to Godzilla: cut all the power, so their ships can’t move and can’t use weapons. I know the movie presented it as “playing dead,” but c’mon, if Godzilla could hear MechaG power up from halfway around the planet then he could hear that Kong’s heart was still beating, and he’s been around enough boats to know humans can turn them off and on when they want. The humans bowed to Godzilla. He accepted that they yielded and left.

- Mark Russell looked like such a dad in this movie, like he’s retired 100% from being a rugged action hero and now he’s just Pure Dad. I like him better when he’s a dad, it’s a good development for him. He got like 3 lines and I’m like “I appreciate this character development.”

- Despite all my qualms about how conspiracy theories and extremist groups are handled in Monsterverse (and WHICH conspiracy theories they decide to reference), I really love Madison and Bernie’s dynamic. The adult man who’s the excitable wide-eyed believer in every BS conspiracy you can possibly imagine; and then the serious, severe Teenage Girl On A Mission who’s hypercompetent because she was raised for five years by a friggin doomsday cult militia; and despite having wildly different personalities they’re just, in total agreement about everything. Handled just a BIT differently (like, leaving out the more gross IRL conspiracies) they would be a wildly fun comedic duo—especially with Josh the Only Sane Man coming along as the hapless sidekick. And they all play off of each other so well! Both in a comedic sense, and in more serious moments—when Bernie talked about his wife, there was a real moment of empathy between him and Madison with very little said. I’d watch an entire movie just about the three of them. I’d watch a TV show.

- On the one hand I wasn’t too much of a fan of KOTM’s “all titans... are inherently In Tune With Nature... nature has a Balance, because that’s a Real Thing and not an anthropocentric concept to describe how we like nature to act, and they automatically restore it... because they’re like, some kinda borderline divinities or something... we should probably be worshipping them...” thing; but, now that it was totally absent in GVK, I sorta miss it. Like I feel like there needs to be a balance, a few humans who are like “i lowkey worship these dudes?” and a few others who are like “they’re cool but like, that’s a lil extreme” and that neither side be presented as Right in how they regard titans’ relationship with nature.

- “All titans come from THE HOLLOW EARTH” nah I don’t buy that it’s silly. Basically, what I object to is the idea that all titans have some sort of intrinsic similarity (they all come from the same hitherto-unknown location; they all are part of the same pack that has the same alpha; they all are fueled/fed by the same energy source; etc) rather than letting them be SEPARATE species whose only unifying traits are “they’re all big enough to fuck everything up everywhere they go” and “they’re big enough that the typically-insurmountable barriers between different biomes (mountain ranges, valleys, long distances with terrible weather) aren’t insurmountable for them, so even if they’re specialized in different environments they still all have to deal with each other pretty often.” I’ll make some exceptions for convergent evolution (i.e., claiming multiple titans developed similar traits that are relatively easy to spontaneously evolve and a prerequisite for a creature to survive at such a large size). But I can’t buy “this big gorilla has more biologically in common with this big crocodile-iguana than he does with, say, gorillas,” or most of the other “all these titans have THIS IN COMMON” claims that Monsterverse makes, including “everyone’s from hollow earth.” So I’m tossing that out the window and substituting my own headcanons. Some might’ve evolved there but some evolved on the surface. Maybe a majority of them like ducking in and out of the hollow earth like some kind of titan shortcut system. Kong’s species, I can buy, IS native to hollow earth, considering that they built a whole-ass society down there with tools and architecture.

- I’m SO curious about the little underground Kong home, the Godzilla motif in the floor, and the axe that appeared to be made with a Godzilla scute. What’s the story there??? We know Godzilla’s species and Kong’s species are ancient rivals. Is it because Kong’s species hunted Godzilla’s to steal their scutes to make weapons, seeing them as a valuable resource the way, like, early humans considered woolly mammoths a valuable resource—thus making that Godzilla on the floor equivalent to cave art of mammoths made by people who hunted them—until the Godzillas got pissed and started fighting back en masse? Or were Godzillas and Kongs already enemies when Kongs decided to start making weapons out of their corpses? Did they use to be allies, fighting together, with Godzillas voluntarily offering shed scutes and/or bones of their deceased members to Kongs, and that place used to be a shared home until they started fighting?

- What about that power source, is it something that was already there that both Kongs and Godzillas started to deliberately harvest for technology/atomic breath? Or did Godzillas automatically channel that stuff and Kongs exploited/borrowed/traded with Godzillas to utilize it too? Or is the power from Godzillas who collaboratively poured a bunch of power into the place thus that Kongs were able to use it too? I doubt Godzilla’s species CREATED all that weird energy but the question remains of whether, like, they channel it FROM underground, or naturally produce the same thing in their own bodies, or what.

- Godzilla using his atomic breath to dig a hole STRAIGHT TO KONG just to KICK HIS ASS is hilarious. How lucky that Hong Kong just HAPPENS to be straight over Kong’s house! Were all the tunnels to the hollow earth made by pissed off Godzillas who wanted to kick monkey ass??

- I loved the aesthetic of the battle scene in Hong Kong, with the brightly colored neon building outlines, VERY cool look. The choreography of the battle scene was great too, especially

- we literally broke into applause when Kong shoved the axe handle in Godzilla’s mouth. Love it, perfect callback, that was the ONE thing from the original King Kong Vs Godzilla I was hoping to see referenced and there it was.

- You could really see a difference in how Kong and Godzilla fought—Kong doing a better job at using tools and the environment, Godzilla fighting more like a reptile. They seemed to emphasize Godzilla’s more animalistic behaviors in this movie to accomplish that contrast—he was down on all fours and moving like a crocodile more often, he was clawing at Kong’s chest—but even though it seemed a bit different of a combat technique it also didn’t seem out of place compared to how he fought in prior movies. And we’ve already seen that if Godzilla’s involved in a fight and one of the combatants knows how to use the environment, it’s typically not gonna be Godzilla. (See: Ghidorah using the reflection in a building’s windows to see what’s behind him, and recognizing a nearby power source and biting it to juice himself up.)

- So many of Godzilla’s enemies seem to have specialized in negating his atomic breath in order to combat him! The MUTOs directly suppress his ability to use it—and it makes sense that that’s an inborn ability they have, since they evolved to use Godzilla’s species as prey. Kong has a weapon that both acts as a shield to absorb the breath and turn it back against Godzilla’s species—they didn’t evolve to counter Godzilla, but they developed tools once a rivalry happened. Ghidorah’s the exception—which makes sense, since he came from space—but even at that we see him using tactics specifically to take into account Godzilla’s most powerful weapon (such as keeping one head on lookout for when he starts glowing so that they know when they need to dodge).

- LOVED the reveal that MechaG was based off of Ghidorah’s brain, it has vibes of both the Kiryu Saga and the way that Heisei MechaG is based off of Mecha-King Ghidorah. Not the most surprising plot twist, since we’d theorized that they might use San to make MechaG, but I wasn’t 100% sure they were gonna go with it until they finally did. Even when I was going “huh, the mecha pilot’s chamber looks weirdly organic” I didn’t make the connection to WHY until the reveal, lol.

- “Ghidorah’s necks are so long that the heads have to communicate with each other telepathically” that’s COMPLETELY WILD but I love it, it follows very well from their prior portrayal as telepathic empaths in Heisei, it lines up with their emphasis on electricity (because BRAINWAVES AND ELECTRICITY, hey ho movie monster pseudo science!), and it very much compliments my own private headcanon that they’ve got some psychic/mind control abilities.

- The movie ended with both “Godzilla won, technically” but also “since they teamed up as equals, the ending doesn’t FEEL like ‘Godzilla wins, Kong loses’ but rather ‘they both won against a common foe’” and since I’m on both Team Godzilla and Team They Should Be Friends, I’m happy with this outcome. Plus since the last time they fought, the Japanese movie company graciously let the American monster win, so it’s only polite that the American movie company graciously let the Japanese monster win.

- There were just a few too many humans in this movie. I was intrigued by Ren but we didn’t get much out of him, but like I guess somebody had to be in the pilot’s seat other than the Apex CEO. Didn’t care for the author of the hollow earth book, I feel like his role was superfluous. Didn’t need the Apex CEO’s daughter there at all, coulda done without her. How about this, combine all three roles. Instead of having a whole-ass author who knows about the hollow earth, just casually reference that Rick from KOTM wrote a book about it since he was the expert, and (since he wasn’t in this movie) say that he tragically died going to explore the hollow earth himself, and that way we’ve got the book with the “titans are from there” theory AND an excuse to share the “humans die when they go underground” info. Now, have Ren be working for Apex as a pilot for Mechagodzilla, but have him be MechaG’s pilot because he’s also a good pilot in general, and can fly those HEAV things. Have Apex send him to Monarch to be like “hey, you guys trust me right, since I’m Ishiro Serizawa’s relative? We at Apex have heard all about your failed hollow earth expedition, and due to Ishiro I’ve got some past ties to Monarch so I’ve got high clearance with y’all, so I could bring over this useful Apex tech that’d let you go underground and use what I know about hollow earth from my past time at Monarch to help guide things.” Once they’ve got the little chunk of energy stuff and go topside, he hustles it straight to Apex and straps into his seat to run MechaG. Bam, you’ve combined “person who knows enough about hollow earth to help the expedition,” “person who represents Apex’s interests and gets the energy,” and “person who pilots MechaG” into one character, in a way that takes three flat/underdeveloped characters and turns them into a single interesting character with a lot going on and some intriguing ties to the rest of the cast.

I think that’s everything?? Hoo.

[lizacstuff]

Your thoughts on the epi? And the trailers? I'm loving the in love Edser! We've waited so long for this!!!

This episode was so fun and fluffy! I don't know about you, but I am enjoying the tone during this second season. A lot. I don't care how stupid the audition process was for the spot in the school, it gave us some very good comedy and a lot of USTy, sexy, flirty goodness.

And like you, I also love in love Edser!

Thankfully this episode was dominated by Edser, and with Kiraz at Granny's house we even got some alone time. The supporting characters were used to good effect this episode, Engin and Piril were the funniest they've ever been, Kerem and Pina served to poke Serkan about his mentoring style, and it was actually nice to have an excuse for Ayfer and Aydan to share a storyline again.

(more under the cut)

However, we'll start with Burak and Melo. UGH. I mean I love Melo and Elcin has done a really good job of showing Melo's heartbreak and trying to hide her melancholy behind her usual bubbly personality, but I really can't stand that it's over such a dud of a character. I know I'm a broken record here but Melo deserves better than this fool. Honestly, he's such a bland sad sack I don't really get why Melo loves him, Eda wants to be friends with him and Ayfer thinks he's so great she wants him for a nephew-in-law. Well, for Ayfer the only qualification is that he's not Serkan, so never mind that question.

However, maybe there's some hope? Before this episode it seemed certain they were heading in a romance direction, but the way he told her she was like a sister to him? Is there really any coming back from him saying that after he remembered kissing her? On the other hand we're barreling towards the end here and there's not really enough time to introduce anyone new for Melo (and no indication from spoilers that they have) and I'm pretty sure Ayse and the writers want to give her a romantic happy ending (although I'd be fine if they didn't and instead had her go off and do something entirely for herself like go back to school or travel or open a shop). So we'll see, because even with the sister line they left some room open because Kerem was the one who suggested he say that (it wasn't necessarily his own idea) and with Melo he seemed to be coming from a place where he assumed he had forced himself on her and she was angry because she didn't want it. Which we know is not true, so might be a misunderstanding that leads to something more. Anyway, I guess we'll just have to endure whichever way they go.

Personally, I like the Serkan-Kemal father storyline. I think it's a good way to add a bit of drama in the waning episodes, gives Serkan a bit of an identity crisis, interestingly mirrors his own situation with Kiraz, and it just makes sense with everything we know of the characters. Because were we seriously supposed to believe that someone as sniveling as Alptelkin sired Serkan? I mean Serkan is the epitome of BDE, he has an inherent charismatic and commanding presence. Sorry to the actor who played Alptekin, but he didn't really have any kind of presence, however Sinan who plays Kemal, does. They've done a great job of casting, because it just feels true. I believe Kemal and Serkan share genetics.

However, even before that storyline starts in earnest, it's interesting that Serkan was being a big baby, not wanting his mom with a man she clearly loves. I wish Eda would have pushed back at him a little more when he was going off that Aydan shouldn't pursue love at her age! Does he think he'll be out of love with Eda by the time he's in his 50s and 60s? Of course not! I'm guessing Eda, though, is just letting him blow off some steam and come to accept the relationship on his own terms. Don't get me wrong, though, after all the meddling Aydan's done with Edser, she more than deserves to have Serkan's opinion of Kemal negatively impact her!

Loved that Kiraz and Can found out first that Kemal is Serkan's father! Cat is out of the bag, Aydan, you can't make a deal with a 5 year old, lmao. It put a nice ticking clock on the whole thing and gave us some good comedic moments where Kiraz is speaking the truth and everyone thinks she's just really fond of the dude. Hee.

Also I enjoyed the Aydan and Ayfer moments. To be honest, I also used to enjoy their true friendship moments when we got them, like when Kemal first appeared and Aydan was freaking out and needed Ayfer and Seyfi around her, and when they were trying to hunt down Deniz after the fake wedding turned real. After so much animosity, it was nice that Ayfer recognized that Aydan was truly in distress and needed a friend and they were able to actually talk. Also we got some (mildly) funny comedy with the two of them and the school lady. Speaking of Ayfer, thankfully she finally realized some consequences to her actions in pushing Burak at Eda. She hurt Melo! Glad she finally opened her eyes to see what should have been obvious to her (Eda never saw him that way, and Melo obviously did) and apologized to Melo. I'd like it if she would apologize to Eda as well, (and Burak deserves an apology as well because she most definitely gave him false hope) but since Eda wasn't influenced by her we probably won't see that.

Switching to Eda and Serkan this episode gave us lots of good stuff. This was a great episode for showing us where each of them stood. Eda is terrified of getting hurt and trying to hold him at arm's length even while he clearly is inching back into her heart, and Serkan is dreaming of their future together, and taking every opportunity to tie them together. How much did I love Serkan admitting he was poking at Eda, and doig things to make her angry, just so she would talk to him? Interesting that he's doing it and love that he's being honest and admitting it to her. One of my favorite relationship dynamics between them is around "talking." In the very beginning Serkan did a lot of complaining about how much Eda talked and how she never shut up, but starting around episode 18 all he wanted was for Eda to talk to him. And this is just more of that. The thing he wants most is to talk to her.

Plus watching domestic Edser is just so much fun, I could watch their full grocery shopping trip in real time and be perfectly happy, lol. At the age of 35 it's time that Serkan learn how to do a few things for himself, I don't care how rich he is, so it's nice that we see him evolving a bit as he embraces the dad role.

The jealousy gambits, even as mild as they are, are getting pretty eye roll worthy since Eda and Serkan are living together, care so much, and obviously are still so hot for one another. It's a bit more understandable from Serkan since Eda is the one creating the barrier between them, but are we really supposed to believe that Eda is jealous of Deniz when Serkan is so obviously in love with Eda and planning their future together? Especially when he clearly can't stand Deniz and tries so hard to avoid her? I suppose it's to show us that Eda is in a jumbled state, her head is trying to keep space with Serkan, while her heart wants him badly and is scared he's going to take her rejections seriously. Even so it was quite irrational for her to get angry at Serkan for having lunch with Deniz when she ordered him to leave with her. Poor Eda is in emotional turmoil.

It was hard to tell with shaky translations, but I guess Serkan claimed to have been injured while rescuing Eda and that's how he talked his way into her bed? Impressively done, Serkan. Love it because it meant we all got to wake up to snuggly family, snuggling together. This gave us another glimpse into Eda's psyche, she wakes up first, and is clearly enjoying it and feeling at home in his arms, until the sleep clears enough and her head realizes she's not supposed to be enjoying it. But once again Kiraz knows how to handle her parents and their complicated relationship beautifully and fixes everything with a pillow fight. That is one smart cookie.

One of my favorite moments of the episode is when Eda is trying to convince Serkan to go to Aydan about the school. Eda knows that her big eyes still work on him, and they did. He still can't say no to her, another one of my favorite relationship dynamics of theirs. I'm super glad some things never change. Speaking of their visit to Aydan's, how great that they went to meet the horse without a name as a family, and then Serkan finally came up with the perfect name. Definitely a star.

Love, love, love that Serkan and Eda beat Engin and Piril when it came to the 'how well do you know your spouse' game. They may have been separated for 5 years, but they both have a genuine interest in the other, so they remember things, and they always made a much more compatible couple than Engin/Piril who have absolutely nothing in common. Of course I adored all the fake married hijinx this gave us, not to mention all the opportunities for Serkan to touch, kiss, and hold her. SO MUCH UST!

The heart-to-heart on the bench was well done and it finally gave us Eda opening up and telling him what's been holding her back. She's scared. Of course she is, the poor thing. Serkan might have thought he was doing it for her own good both times, but he ripped her heart out twice (not even counting all the heart ripping he did during amnesia) how could she not have fears? Of course she's afraid! Whenever she lets herself love him and be loved by him, it's ripped away horribly, and often in ways that feels like it's him doing the ripping. She can take into consideration the circumstances, which she has or else he wouldn't be anywhere near her, and still need time to be sure she's not just setting herself up to get emotionally demolished again.

For Serkan's part all he can do is keep being there, being honest with her, and showing he's in it for the long haul, which I think he's doing and which is why they are where they are at the end of this episode.

Engin and Piril's dance practice is probably the first Engin/Piril alone scene that I thought was genuinely funny and fully enjoyable. I can't think of another... message me if you think there is one, lol. Elsewhere, I saw some folks saying that Engin and Piril should have won the dance competition, because they actually danced, and Eda and Serkan didn't. LOL, you think? I'm pretty sure that was the point. That Eda and Serkan didn't really dance, all they did was get up there and turn their sexual tension and intense smoldering towards one another up to eleventy and won because it's that powerful.

It's sort of a metaphor for this whole series. Sen Cal Kapimi is 100% powered by their chemistry. Of course they can win any competition by just pressing their bodies against one another! They can turn a ditzy Turkish summer romcom that probably should have gone 13 eps into an international hit that's going on 50 episodes, just by looking at one another.

I'm glad that the school officials overheard their conversations and dismissed them, any organization that requires this of the parents, is going to be a lifelong pain-in-the ass, lmao. Also it was good to see Edser and EnPir make up by the end.

Now, on to that ending. I'm glad the subject of the tatoos was brought up, interesting that Eda kept hers until a few months ago. Also interesting that she moved it... can't blame Serkan for wanting to see it. Was that one great seduction line, or what?

I join with everyone who thinks it was a slightly awkward place to leave the episode. We only have 13 (probably) episodes this season, and we've only had one kiss so far. That was definitely a moment for a kiss. Part of me thinks they were going for the cliffhanger, what will Eda do? Will she kiss him or slam the door in his face? Tune in next week to find out! Except that audiences have to wait no time at all for the fragman and that makes any such cliffhanger moot. So what's the point? Have her pull him in, kiss him, and the show can end with them passionately making out and the door slamming with the camera outside the house.

Oh well, it is what it is, and we can only hope they pick up next week right where they left off. As for the fragman, obviously they are fully back together for this episode which means she lets him in to hunt for her tattoo. (please oh please give us that internet ozel because I don't think I can stand being online in this fandom if they don't. Thankfully I'm traveling next week and will be too busy to spend much time on twitter.)

As I said in another ask, I'm not surprised Serkan is barreling them straight towards marriage. When you know, you know, so why wait? Once they emotionally commit to one another, they need to just get married. No waiting for psychos to interfere, family to meddle, or tragedy to strike!

Seriously can't wait for a full episode of them together and Serkan figuring out how to propose. I'm also looking forward to the Kemal/Serkan stuff, it will be interesting to see how he reacts once the news sets in... should be a great episode!

[wallwriterstuff]

S’Language Lessons || Alec Volturi x Reader ||

This is just a fun little thing based off of this post ----> Reckless <---- by the wonderful @cullens-stuff

Words: 1584

Warnings: None! 

Summary: You meet your mate Alec on a dark night where he’s forced to save your life, but the age gap seems to be creating a communication barrier between you. 

You really shouldn’t have been on the street that night.

The reports of mysterious deaths in your neighbourhood had skyrocketed recently and the news was full of grim articles about exsanguinated corpses and bodies with missing limbs. There was no pattern, no connection between the people that had died; in short, everybody was a target, and everyone was a suspect. The people in your apartment block now bowed their heads and hurried on by instead of waving or nodding in greeting. People on the street stared holes in your head if you lingered too long on street corners or outside store fronts. You really shouldn’t have been out that night but you didn’t have a choice, not once your electricity went kerplunk. You were right in the middle of a paper, due tomorrow of course, with your laptop ready to die in the next hour and your meter needing a top up you had no choice but to venture out.

Getting dragged into a dark alley hadn’t been the plan, and you knew you were very fortunate that they’d come along when they had. Whoever had you moved too fast to see, their grip on you harsh and cold. You were covered in bruises and a few scrapes by the time you were flung to the ground, screaming bloody murder and seeing two of everything till your vision cleared. Your attacker had turned out to be a red headed male wearing grungy clothing with vibrant red eyes, but he looked far less threatening writhing on the floor in agony. You’d been absolutely frozen, too afraid to move when you saw the bright, crimson eyes pinning him to the floor, a sadistic smile on the little blonde’s face as she asked someone called Felix to take care of ‘that’. Since you assumed ‘that’ was you, a burst of adrenaline got you running. How he’d gotten around you to hem you back into the alleyway you weren’t sure but Felix’s giant frame was very much blocking your exit.

“You aren’t the BFG, are you?” you’d stammered, brain short circuiting. It had made the big guy tilt his head as he prowled closer, and you’d whined softly in terror. “Come on man, truce?” you pleaded. There was a cold touch on your arm, the tickle of soft hair against your temple and something cool and slender skimming your throat.

“Enough. She’s coming with us.” The voice was almost as cool as the breath that brushed your cheek, and everything had gone black pretty quickly after that. Your paper suddenly seemed very…inconsequential. Who cared about tectonic theory when you had discovered vampires existed? Actually…you did. You wanted to finish your degree, so with a bit of begging on your part and some organisational skill from the secretary, you had special circumstances and your course was to be complete online. Come the spring you’d have your degree in hand and be a college graduate, then you’d have absolutely no unfinished business with your professors and tutors, you could vanish without a trace and start living out eternity in Italy with Alec.

Your current research wasn’t going too well though. What you had thought was good information had turned out to be utterly irrelevant - unless you wanted to rewrite a whole chunk of your paper that was - so you scrunched the paper you’d been scribbling your notes on in one hand and lined up your shot with the wastepaper basket. You never kept it near your desk, it was way more fun to keep it across the room to launch your paper into it like the next big NBA start whenever you got the chance. You reared your arm back, eyes narrowed on your target, and when you were sure your shot lined up, you threw it.

“Yeet!” you crowed, eyes wide as you watched your paper ball sail through the air. Alec knocked and entered at exactly the same time, his eyes tracking the scrunched up ball as it smacked the wall and fell into the basket below. Arms lifting, you grinned and span your chair around with a cheer. “And Y/N sinks it like the mvp I am!” you stopped spinning to face Alec smugly, one ankle crossed over your knee and your hands linking behind your head. “Here for an autograph?” you asked with a wink. Alec’s eyes rolled as he crossed to sit on the edge of your desk.

“I see the studying is going well.” He observed, eyes tracking over your pages of notes and the twenty plus open tabs on your laptop. You heaved a sigh.

“It’s…going.” You answered evasively. Alec didn’t comment, his eyes drifting back towards the wastepaper basket target you’d set up for yourself. He was very quiet, the expression on his face contemplative. Your eyebrows rose a bit and you settled back in your seat to watch him. His side profile was glorious, you had to admit. His jawline was a little rounded, soft with his perpetual youth, but his cheek bones were high and his lashes long and dark around those deep burgundy eyes. The light coming in from your bedroom window was shattering against his skin, refracting off of him like he was a human disco ball. He looked absolutely ethereal like this, an inhuman, impossible being on the edge of your desk that for whatever reason, wanted crazy little you.

“Y/N, you recall we discussed my age once, yes?” he asked finally, turning his eyes back to yours. Your heart skittered since he’d caught you so openly staring at him, and the small twitch of his lips made you certain he’d heard it.

“Yeah, I remember you’re an old fogey.” You teased, trying to play it cool. Alec’s nose wrinkled briefly.

“Perhaps it is my age, but I do not understand your language.” He admitted. You pursed your lips, trying hard to fight the smile threatening to break out. You failed epically, a slight giggle escaping you.

“Sorry, I just…you all speak so formally around here, it’s no surprise you don’t know slang.” You said. Alec sighed.

“Humans have become so lazy with language, even the words they do use correctly are rarely fully enunciated,” He retorted wryly, “Though I suppose it is what happens when time passes. Things evolve. Will you teach me?” You blinked in surprise. Alec wanted to learn slang? Oh…oh. He waited patiently for you to answer him while your mind reeled with all the possibilities, a wicked smile spreading across your face.

“Where do you want to start? Slang or text speak?” you questioned. Alec actually squinted.

“Is there a difference?” he asked, sounding more wary now. You all but cackled in delight and sensing the sudden shift in your mood, he held his hands up to placate you. “Perhaps we can start with the words you used earlier. What is yeet?” You pushed to your feet and shook your head vehemently.

“It’s not yeet, it’s yeet!” you threw an added emphasis on the ye part and pretended to throw another ball into the wastepaper basket. Alec frowned.

“Ye-e-et?” he tried. Your head tilted.

“Okay we’ll work on pronunciation later. Definition of the word…erm, well, it’s just something you yell when you throw something like I did earlier, you know? So, here-“ you scrunched up some more paper from your notebook and handed him the ball, “-you can yeet it into the waste basket.” You demonstrated for added effect, and after taking a moment to scrunch up the paper a little more, he reared his arm back.

“Yeet!” he sounded a little vicious, enough to make you shudder, but his expression was expectant when he turned to look at you, like a puppy wanting praise. You had to introduce him to a high five then, and you had no idea what sort of a monster you’d made until you had settled in the common room a little over a week later, snuggled in a blanket so you could curl up against Alec without fear of catching pneumonia anytime soon.

“It’s a classic Felix! Of course we should watch it.” Demetri sounded exasperated, no doubt bored of the argument the pair had been having since early afternoon about what movie to watch tonight on a rare night off. Jane sat primly in her favourite armchair across from them, looking thoroughly bored with their dramatics. Alec sighed, tightening his grip on you.

“Demetri don’t be such an old fogey.” He chipped in. The room fell utterly silent, your own head swivelling to look up at your mate. You were shocked he’d used it so causally, and given the look on his face it had surprised Alec too.

“I beg your pardon? I am a what now?” Demetri questioned, looking confused as to whether or not he should be offended. Alec opened and closed his mouth slightly, looking to you for help getting out of this one. You bit your lip, hand moving up to smother your smile.

“Chillax D, it’s a compliment.” You grinned. Demetri frowned, eyes searching your face suspiciously for a moment before he sat a little straighter, chest puffing slightly.

“Hear that Felix. I’m a fogey. You should listen to me more often.” He chastised. You barely contained your laughter, Alec’s own frame shaking silently. His lips brushed your ear as he leaned down to whisper a single word in your ear.

“Lol.”

You burst out laughing. Maybe teaching Alec slang hadn’t been such a bad idea after all?

[life-observed]

How To Keep TV Real The Anthony Bourdain Way

How To Keep TV Real The Anthony Bourdain Way Anthony Bourdain didn’t start out developing TV shows. But seven seasons later, his No Reservations is going strong and, together with production partners Zero Point Zero, he’s launched a second show, The Layover and is working on a range of new projects. Here, the author/chef/restaurateur/TV show creator and star and Zero Point Zero principals talk about keeping TV real. BY ZACH DIONNE7 MINUTE READ Seven seasons deep, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations is doing something right. The show, which revolves around the brash chef/author/all-round personality indulging in transformative stints of eating, drinking, and traveling, airs on the Travel Channel and is a product of Bourdain and Zero Point Zero Productions, the same company that just helmed a successful first season of a Bourdain offshoot, The Layover. Co.Create sat down with Bourdain, Zero Point Zero executive producers Chris Collins and Lydia Tenaglia, and managing director Joe Caterini to dig into why Bourdain’s shows stay afloat in a sea of programming, how multi-hyphenate creative types are working to adapt to new content paradigms, and why comedian Louis C.K. should be emulated in all things. Co.Create: You’re filming No Reservations’ eighth season. What’s the first trick to keeping the show fresh? Tenaglia: We understood very early on that if you’re really going to get to know a location well, it’s got to be through the characters that live there. Many scenes live or die by a good sidekick. Bourdain: Fixer selection is huge. Do they know the area as well as they say? Are they capable of doing all the logistical shit a fixer’s gotta do? But also, do they have a sense of humor? Are they fun? Do they drink? We’re not looking for the best of a place or everything you need to know about a place; we’re looking to have as close to a local experience as we can get, and have a good time and do something interesting that hasn’t been done before.

With Anthony’s writing background, are you doing much scripting ahead of time? Bourdain: We don’t script. We never do any writing beforehand. The Queens of the Stone Age show, it was like, let’s go to the desert and see what Josh Homme wants to do. All we really know for sure is he’s going to provide music for the show and we’re gonna be in the desert. If you think you’ve already figured out what the show’s going to be about or what you expect out of the scene, that’s a lethal impulse.

Does it get tricky to stay away from a fixed template? Tenaglia: Each year the show keeps evolving. Tony has an inimitable style and strong point of view that informs the creative, and we have an incredible creative team, very multi-platform, from animation to incredible graphics to unbelievable shooting and cinematography that informs the show. It truly evolves out of this process of intense collaboration, and then having these incredible creative tools to basically tell a story in any way, shape, or form. Bourdain: Let’s face it, ordinarily this is a very restrictive format. The story is always the same: Guy goes somewhere, eats a bunch of stuff, and goes home, presumably having learned something. The core of whatever we do is to fuck with the format as much as we can. Let’s find a way to tell what is basically the same story, different setting, in as disturbing-to-the-network fashion as possible. Why? Bourdain: Because television, if it’s a success, if it works, they wanna replicate it. That’s the death of creativity. Then we’ve settled into a groove, then I become bored, the people I work with become bored…it’s a mortifying process. If this isn’t fun and interesting to us, there’s no point doing it. Collins: We continually want to push further in the storytelling. We understand that with television you’ve got to work within certain parameters, but within those 42 minutes and 30 seconds, how can we play with this thing?

One way you did that was with an entirely different show, The Layover. Bourdain: That’s an even more restrictive concept–this is a format that’s been done a million times. Everybody loves the damn thing, but it took me a few episodes to figure out how to do it. No Reservations is about me, me, me–they’re basically essays. The idea of going to major cities and doing a “useful” show really goes against the grain.

What are the driving principles behind Zero Point Zero as a content production company? Caterini: The heart comes from a true vérité documentary filmmaking tradition. Bourdain: You don’t want people saying, “Could you say that again?” We’d rather miss the scene than fuck up the scene you have. That dynamic is absolutely essential to why our show is different from all the other travel shows. The show looks slick, it’s beautifully photographed, beautifully edited, but you’re never going to get those transforming human moments out of a character reenacting them for you. You’re never going to get real generosity, any kind of chemistry or any kind of fun, for that matter, if you’re muscling and you keep hammering home the theme. Caterini: Our primary goal is to be able to work on projects in the way we want to. We are looking to learn about digital technology and distribution and other ways of making content that don’t have to fit into the TV business formula. TV, being advertiser-driven, is all based on predictability and consistency. Predictability means you can’t take risks and consistency means it’s dreadfully boring. We’re fortunate we can bust those two barriers down, but it’s really hard to sell new TV shows when that’s your launch pitch. Why does it work with No Reservations? Caterini: The creative process is executed very well. We create situations that optimize that. We feel lucky we got greenlit and got on the air. Now we’ve proven that it works.

How do you take it forward? Caterini: We had a big eye-opening moment when we launched into social media, and looking at it as simply another medium in content and storytelling; truthful storytelling in different size bites with a different arc of time. We’re connecting directly with who really matters, which is the audience, the people who want to enjoy what we’re creating. That really did open up the doors for us to think about ways to go straight to them. For a lot of content creators that’s extremely exciting, and the revolution really hasn’t even happened yet.

📷You must be familiar with how Louis C.K. sold his latest stand-up special directly to fans for $5 via PayPal. Bourdain: A heroic pioneer. It was a huge, tectonic moment. Tenaglia: What’s really fantastic about him, and I think it mirrors a lot of what we do here, is he’s the producer of the piece, the writer, the editor, behind the scenes, in front of the camera–he’s extremely multifaceted and nimble and flexible and self-contained. I think we have a lot of those same qualities. We don’t go out with big, bloated crews of 25 people. We can create something pretty extraordinary with a team of one or two. What’s the key to getting content made, and seen, with these new paradigms? Bourdain: People in the television business have a vested interested in keeping it as close to the way it was as possible. You don’t want to cut the ground out from under your own feet. We’re in a more luxurious position to adapt to the situation on the ground. I like making television. But I definitely have both eyes on what’s next. Caterini: The creative people have to shift the content paradigm. We look at social media as a big medium in and of itself, and we’ve successfully developed and in fact exploded growth in an audience. So it’s working. Then unfortunately we have to say, “Is that a business or not?” But that has to come second. I think we’d ideally like someone to build the perfect platform for creators to work off of. There are bits of it. No one’s actually figured out how to turn it into money right for the creator, though. I think either the platform will come along or we’ll have to do some of the business a network does–market our own stuff, sell our own stuff. Bourdain: A person with a television show generally lives or dies by the Nielsen numbers. I don’t really understand why anyone would care. I care how many people over time see and like the show and are interested in seeing more stuff. That’s the only number that counts.

What about your personality as a brand, Tony? How does it factor into all this? Bourdain: I’m happy to use the word “brand,” but listen, I’m doing a lot of things: I’m doing a comic book, I’m writing for Treme, I’m making two television shows, publishing books. I do these things because they’re fun, and interesting, and because 12 years ago I had no opportunities to do anything. It bothers me when people say I’m “expanding the brand.” You expand the brand so you can land a Pepsi-Cola commercial. You haven’t seen me endorsing any products yet, though I am asked. I’m doing it ’cause it’s fun. What happens when things become not interesting? Then it’s a job. I had a job for years, I know what it’s like to show up every day and do the same thing the same way. I don’t know how Howie Mandel gets up in the morning. I don’t ever want to be that.

[crstapor]

Terror White

“You’re either with us or against us.” - George W. Bush


1.

On January 6th, 2021, domestic terrorists invaded the Capital Building in an act of political insurrection. Their intent was to overthrow the will of the people by preventing certification of a free and fair democratic election. They did so at the behest of their political leader (who was impeached a second time for inciting this gross transgression of his oath of office), other voices in their party - the so-called GOP - and talking head agitators inhabiting the far-right media echo chamber. Nearly to a man, a woman, a they, each of these terrorists were white.

Images of ‘good old boys’ traipsing down the halls of the people’s house waving confederate battle flags, kicking feet up on the Speaker’s desk, walking off with public property or smearing their shit on the floors pervaded the internet. These images provided by the villains themselves, posted shamelessly to social media profiles.

As a result of this treasonous, insulting, juvenile, despicable, and ultimately futile effort five people died. Even still, hours after the fact, a majority of members of the so-called GOP voted in accordance with the will of these terrorists. They voted to overturn the results of a free and fair election in the world’s oldest modern democracy. They did so because they believed there were serious ‘concerns’ (‘concerns’, let’s be clear, that started with them and like the Ouroboros, ended up with the confusing, if unhygienic, phenomenon of not knowing where their mouths or assholes ended or began) with the 2020 presidential election. After over 60 court cases arguing that point only one was ruled in their favor. None of the 50 States comprising our union found any evidence of wide-spread fraud. Indeed, a federal agency tasked with monitoring election security stated unequivocally that the presidential election of 2020 was one of the most secure in a generation.

And yet? There they were. Spouting conspiracy theories, assaulting police officers (those stalwart stewards of the ‘law & order’ they otherwise claim to love), brandishing spears and bearskins, stealing mail, leaving death threats to the Vice President, fundamentally acting the fool. A bunch of bullies let out of detention with rage and rebellion on their minds.

Let me be clear: each and every one of these terrorists should be hunted down by law enforcement and charged to the fullest extent of the law. They should then be prosecuted and the judges in each and every case should show or allow no mercy. These barbarians must never be allowed to storm the gates again.

Fine.

But that’s not the really interesting question here. The far-right has been producing assholes forever (one of the few things the ‘right’ is truly consistent at). What’s actually interesting is how these insurrectionists arrived at the conclusions they did. Which is to say; how did their ‘thinking’ bring them to this point.

2.

While it might be tempting for some on the left to see that last sentence as a joke, let’s remember we’re sitting at the adult table. These terrorists, being human, sharing our genetic code, are people - real, live, eating, shitting, fucking, anxious, sleeping, scared, afraid, terrified people - just like you and me. As much as it would be easier if we could see them as Uruk-hai instead of our brothers and sisters, sadly? That’s what they are. Family. Part of the Human Condition.

Though humans that are clearly very, very, very sick. My diagnosis? Mind Cancer. Let me explain, under the assumption my readers understand the difference between mind and brain. As such, I am not asserting that the terrorists are physically sick. From their pics and videos it’s clear many are - obesity, hypertension, anal retention - though that isn’t the point. It’s their mental programming, their minds, that have been infected. Infected with what?

Put simply? A disjointed ontological phenomenology obscured, obfuscated, and accelerated by persistently chaotic epistemological aberrations. Said plainly? Their ability to process reality has been impaired.

Why? Racial resentment, poor economic opportunities, an aversion to books and learning? Yes. All that. Plus? The internet, which has created a new Dark Ages.

Paradoxically, one built on light.

3.

Look. Self-interested demagogues intent on self-aggrandizement are nothing new. Nor are their ability to rally or rile a downtrodden populace. Sadly, demonizing the ‘other’ is also pretty par for the course in these scenarios. An old story, all told. What’s new this time is how it happens.

In a single second - count it out! One Mississippi - a beam, or photon of light moves 186,000 miles. Roughly seven times the circumference of the Earth. The new speed of hate. The internet, that modern marvel ushering in Humanity’s first truly post-scarcity resource, is built on light. Philosophers have for millennia wed knowledge with light. And now we all (well, those of us in the post-industrial world) carry a terminal connected to this internet in our pockets. A stunning marvel of human ingenuity. One would imagine that access to such a wellspring of knowledge and information would have a truly edifying affect on the Human Condition. Perhaps, in aggregate, or retrospect, it will. At the moment?

Yeah ...

At the moment it seems that the more access to information humans have the more they double down on tribal identities, wish fulfillment, instant gratification (read: porn), perceived slights, fantasy lands, Rick Astley videos, or the jibbering incoherent rantings of simple capitalists fomenting the fragile emotional states of low information individuals who feel they have no place in this world. This is a fundamentally devastating epistemological conundrum. Why? For centuries the barrier to the future was the amount of information, knowledge, you could access or process. Yet here and now? Here and now there might be too much access. Too much information. More so, the striking fact that our ability, as a species, writ large, to process or parse this information has not kept pace with the information at hand. A sad equation that inevitably leads to moments like 01/06/21.

4.

The Trump Terrorists of January 6th, 2021, weaponized the internet to facilitate their attempted coup. As did their ‘dear leader’ throughout his humiliating single term in office. In fact, it was the geometrical acceleration of connectivity and interconnectedness enabled via the web and its insanely capitalist platforms that allowed for their ‘movement’ to incubate and evolve. While it is true that neo-liberal policies advocating globalist economics and monetary policy are at the current root cause of most ills genuinely affecting rural, or poor, or uneducated MAGA-heads, it’s also true that apart from an Independent from Vermont no one in the political economy of the last couple decades gave much of a shit about these poor and dispossessed inheritors of old racial mythemes and toxic narratives of self-reliance. No one that is, other than their ‘dear leader’. Never mind he didn’t intend to ease their suffering in any material, or structural way. He talked about it. He tweeted about it. And then he gave them a little song and dance at the rallies. Breathtaking stuff.

However, it wasn’t just the performative act of playing ‘authoritarian’ that got them hot and bothered. No, it was at the same time the eternal need to belong to a group, the legitimate feeling of economic obsolescence, coupled with these new tools of information transmission. Tools that at once gave them powers unheralded and seemingly ensconced them in a protective shell, a perpetually larval manifestation of all their baser inclinations. A reactionary ‘safe space’ from which they could launch a thousand ships of intolerance and hate. What good is truth if you can’t weaponize it? What good are facts if you share them with everyone else?

And so we find ourselves revising Plato. There isn’t just one cave in which we are chained, kept from reality. There are multiple tunnels, alcoves, deeper caverns in which we might dwell. Furthermore, if lucky, there are different days, vistas, egresses in which we can escape from the confines of ignorance. Much like the lucky Mormons, it would seem the far-right believes there are plenty of planets in which ‘Truth’ can dwell. Never mind that multiplying ‘Truth’ in such a way doesn’t actually produce more truth.

In fact, it reduces ‘Truth’. Impoverishes it. Hollows it out.

Which is sad, really. For the major harm caused by these rebels isn’t to our democratic institutions, nor our mythological vision of our nature, nor that ever-loving economy - but to the very fabric that binds the social contract on which all the preceding rely.

That fabric being, specifically, a shared objective reality.

5.

How can we survive if we can’t agree on basic facts? Can a multi-racial, multi-cultural, representative democracy exist when a large percentage of the comprising citizens don’t believe in, or even acknowledge, that that’s actually what’s happening? Is White Supremacy so fundamentally a part of our nation’s DNA that the country can’t exist without it? If so, for those of us who vehemently oppose White Supremacy, the question might then be: is the country worth saving?

Most versions of Western Ethics indicate that violence is not the cure. Nor do I advocate such a position. At the same time I’m deeply troubled, because due their illness these actors are neither rational or coherent. Ergo, we can’t reason with them either. So what next?

To corral the revolutionary, if inchoate, spirit of these sick, fringe minds diseased as they are by hate, grievance, and digital oubliettes would any policy proposals be acceptable? Perhaps as fantastic an idea as the images from 01/06/21, what if the Federal Government decided to halt its obsequious sycophantry to corporate America and ‘elites’ and instead actually, seriously, emphatically reinvested in the heartland, in Main Street, in the working class? Wouldn’t it be ironic if a little more socialism was truly the cure these hatemongers require?

6.

Maybe we should step back and listen to the wisdom of George W. Bush.

Confronting what was at the time the most disheartening terror attack on the homeland, Bush made clear not all who could otherwise be lumped in with the terrorists were terrorists. In the same way that, yes, not all Trump voters are Trump Terrorists.

Even so. Bush made it clear you needed to pick a side.

With us - toward a diverse future in which the promise of the Founders is emboldened and expanded for all who live between our shores. Or against us - back to your stunted hovels and holes with all the other low information troglodytes you like to cosplay revolution with.  

Choose.

It’s your call. But choose quickly, because history is watching, and only one path moves toward the future.

C. R. Stapor Longmont, CO 01/16/21

[donnerpartyofone]

I shouldn't even get into this, but unfortunately I saw it, and now I'm thinking about it! There's this weird argument that floats around here about whether or not minors and adults should be allowed to interact. Or even more strangely, whether they should be ENCOURAGED to. On the "against" side, you have the concern about grownups crafting coercive relationships with impressionable children, and all the stuff that such a power imbalance can lead to. On the "for" side is...this bizarre idea that young people need to form relationships with older people while they're still young, or else they'll never learn HOW to relate to older people. Which is like...I actually don't understand what that's describing. This conversation usually arises around the topic of whether tumblr users under 18 can form safe relationships with users who are in their 20s and 30s. The idea that kids SHOULD actively seek out bonds with people who might be twice their age, because otherwise they're missing out on important developmental experiences and might wind up maladjusted, is just funny to me. It seems to me that you learn how to relate to other people in basically the same way no matter how old you are; you take an interest in others, and you express that by being friendly and compassionate. That stands true even if you never knew the joys of robust intergenerational friendships while your young brain was still developing; you're not going to wake up one day at 19 with NO IDEA how to deal with the 30 or 60 year olds at your first internship because you failed to explore relationships with people that age when you were in junior high. If you and another person are basically from the same culture and share the same language and general social standards, you don't need like special lessons in how to talk to that person on account of their being 10 or 20+ years older. This argument would eventually eat itself: "How will a teenager ever learn how to talk to a 30 year old? How will a child ever learn to talk to a teenager? How will a baby ever etc..." I'm also not sure what social ills are supposedly perpetuated by minors NOT experimenting with how to form healthy relationships (as this is often stated) with adults. Part of the implication is usually that if minors develop active, wholesome relationships with older people, then they will be able to spot out the predators by comparison--but the bad news about that is, you learn to identify predators by witnessing the bad stuff that they do. It's not a matter of saying "Y = not X"; abuse survivors aren't just people who never had enough good relationships to make a useful artificial prediction about bad relationships. The only way to avoid predators, besides the protection of the people responsible for you when you're still young and defenseless, is through having such strong self-esteem and/or intuition and/or street smarts that you know when you can and should say no to something that feels wrong to you...or, if that sounds like a tall order for a kid, you'd have to learn by experience: something bad happens to you, and you figure out how to avoid letting it happen again. Believe me, you would prefer not to go that route as a child if at all possible, and you don't arrive at a state of healthy development by somehow magically making the correct relationship choices the first time all the way through the tenth time and the hundredth time, all by yourself. That's not how life works, and when you're still a kid, you shouldn't have to always know what to do with adults; a little preventative medicine is in order. Nobody who cares about a young person wants to have to say, "Aw, so it turned out that 35 year old tumblr brony who's always complimenting you on how cool and 'mature' you are, was saying those same things to a lot of OTHER 14 year olds to see who would give out their number or send him the most 'mature' pictures the fastest? Well, that's life. I'm really glad you're totally left to your own devices with strange adults, because there is no other way you would ever learn to figure out

who the good ones are." Knowing how to relate to adults develops AS you become an adult; there's no reason it has to be sooner. It is NOT best developed through children becoming so intimate with the thoughts and behavior of adults that they evolve a prematurely advanced perception of which adults are abusive narcissists or pedophiles. I would use as evidence the millions of people in history who generally avoided abuse, and ultimately developed normal relationships with people their own age and beyond, without any kind of systematic schooling in how a 14 year old can connect with a 35 year old. I recently stumbled upon a looooong thread about this social theory, with people adding things like "My grandparents' friends come over every Sunday and I love them!" and "I have a great relationship with the older ladies at my summer job!" and "I visited my older siblings at college and all their friends were super nice to me!" And it's like, nobody is saying that you should be locked in the attic when meemaw's friends come over for bridge. Nobody is saying that you should stubbornly ignore your middle-aged boss. Actually, a lot of those situations seemed to involve either a relative who looks out for the young person, or protective barriers like appropriate workplace behavior; nobody seemed to want to admit that the real concern is older adults cultivating intimate, unobserved, one-on-one rapports with people who are too young/inexperienced/easily intimidated to see what's coming. It's important to note that strong relationships usually form between people who share some version of the same life experiences--who relate to each other, because the other person "gets" them, has "been there". You don't want to have to explain yourself all the time to someone for whom your greatest pains and joys are still pretty abstract, because they haven't had time to get to them yet. Like if you haven't made it through college yet, and somebody who has been through all that and more is pretending to deeply identify with you, well, you COULD have found an exceptional connection, sure, it's not absolutely impossible; but there's a much better chance that something could be seriously wrong.

[streetsteel]

.: Maika

(watch out kiddos it’s big headcanon time I don’t know how long this will be but bEAR WITH ME)

Here she is. The incense aficionado. The myth. The legend. The absolute powerhouse that is Maika. Jay’s best friend and his ace. Don’t tell her there’s ghost types in the area, she WILL burn sage and start purifying the whole place.

Depending on the verse, Maika will appear as a Kadabra or an Alakazam. But she’s been around for a long, long time. 

In Chizue’s family, it is tradition to pair an Abra with a child when they reach three or four years old, so they can have a companion, learn to socialize with Pokémon and get attuned to the psychic vibes the Abra line emits. In Jay’s case, the pairing happened much earlier—nearly two weeks after his birth, for Chizue’s own Alakazam had an egg that hatched into an Abra. From that moment on, they were put in contact and imprinted onto each other rather quickly, always napping together, playing together, and (to Chizue and Wes’ despair) crying when the other cried. Two peas in a pod, really. 

Now, many kids are raised around Pokémon, this is something that happens often. But when a newborn is in contact with what turns out to be a top-percentile, pure psychic type, extremely strong bonds are created, sometimes going way beyond expectations. 

The link that formed between Jay and Maika was born from simply being in contact while they were in a still very malleable and fragile state—and, in Maika’s case, not exactly in control. The imprint was natural and grew with them. Both have always been particularly sensitive to each other’s emotions when they were young, which lead to suspect that there was a connection between them, but neither Chizue or her own Alakazam thought it’d run that deep. 

Thirty years later, this bond has grown into something that would defy even some psychic specialist’s logic. Both Pokémon and trainer are so tightly bonded to each other that they can tell how the other is feeling while not even being in the same neighborhood. Maika being a strong Kadabra, she can initiate telepathic conversation whenever she pleases. Jay, being a simple human but still having this affinity with psychic types, needs a physical contact with Maika if he is to initiate, although he does prefer to speak aloud. They’re in better control of that link and can mute it off if the other one needs privacy, but it’s always a presence somewhere.

Not that it comes only with perks. This link is ever present and has roots deeper than they suspect. To them, they’re just very in-tune partners; in reality, they’ve imprinted so much on each other that severing that link would be akin to losing a major organ and a part of their soul, which could send them in a long-term state of shock at best. 

Jay would trust Maika with nearly anything, and the other way around goes as well. They’re buddies of a similar temperament, Maika being a little quieter and in better control of her emotions but still snarky. They often sit together to try things that are a bit more outside the box out of sheer curiosity—Maika using psychic barriers to create invisible stairs did get them to spend some time giggling and having fun with it, for example. But when she evolves into an Alakazam after the events of ORAS, things will take a different turn and trust takes an even deeper meaning. 

Emergency situations require quick thinking and fast reflexes. It’s not a surprise, Rocket tried to target Fox a few times, without success. But when a sniper actually managed to get a clear line and Maika noticed at the last minute, she just went with it and tugged at their bond to create a barrier that would’ve been at an impossible distance for her to deflect the shot. This, at face value, was seen as Fox himself creating that last minute force wall to thwart that assassination attempt—and it earned him a reputation which did bolster Wildfire’s resolve a little. To Jay and Maika, it was the discovery that she could use that link as a tether and send her own power through it, a bit like a signal boost through her own trainer. It’s a one-way road, and it takes more than it gives. Jay can’t tap into it, but Maika can. It’s still a shock on Jay’s system and can cause nosebleeds, nausea, migraines, even blackouts. It’s not something they use all willy-nilly—in fact, they do their best to avoid it. But should the need arise, Jay trusts her. To a point where if he went blind, he’d trust her to dive into his head and rearrange the electricity flows in his brain to open up other means of perception. Giving her the permission to rewire him should things go south tells a LOT about how much Jay trusts Maika. 

ASIDE FROM THAT WHOLE LINK META. She has a temperament that matches Jay’s in the way that she’s a calming factor for him, like the cold intelligence that will calm that emotional volatility down. She has a dry sense of humor and actually loves poetry and haikus. And if someone talks to her like she’s one of the more animalistic Pokémon/to patronize her, she’s ready to tear ‘em a new one. She’s very much her own person, and sees her relationship with Jay not as a Pokémon-trainer one, but a best friends/family/partners in crime one. It’s about trust, respect and understanding at a deep level. She has a slight maternal tendency, but knows when to give Jay and the other members of the team their distance so they can process stuff themselves. 

She’ll also totally squint at ghost types like ‘yes I know you’re spooky please drop the gimmick y’ain’t helping anyone with that attitude,’ but really, that’s the type rivalry speaking. Because ghost types really make her want to close her third eye so she can’t see their bullshit.

She’s also a lover of crystals and stones, and she’s pretty good at making small charms you can wear (and will probably make you one if she really, REALLY likes you). Will definitely drag Jay in new age stores just to get some incense packages and a few little esoteric trinkets.

[johnboothus]

Wine 101: Cap vs. Cork

This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by Talbott Vineyards. At Talbott Vineyards, we focus on crafting estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands. Our celebrated Sleepy Hollow vineyard is located in one of the coldest grape-growing climates in California, ideal for these two varieties. Here, the brisk wind and fog rolling off Monterey Bay create a long growing season, producing fruit-forward wines with spectacular acidity. Building on a nearly 40-year legacy of meticulous craftsmanship, Talbott continues to produce highly acclaimed wines of distinction.

Click the link below to discover and purchase wine brands discussed on the “Wine 101” podcast series. Get 15% OFF of your purchase of $75 or more when you use the coupon code ‘wine15’ at checkout. https://www.thebarrelroom.com/discover.html?src=vinepair

In this episode of “Wine 101,” VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers discusses the difference between the two most popular wine closures: corks and screw caps. Beavers details the brief history of corks, which were originally popularized in the 17th century.

Though the screw cap was initially used for spirits and liqueurs, Australian winemakers began experimenting with screw caps in the ‘70s in an effort to avoid TCA, or cork taint. The screw caps have since taken off worldwide and are even used for sparkling and age-worthy wines.

Tune in to learn more about the debate between corks and screw caps.

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Keith Beavers: My name is Keith Beavers and is cold soup considered a meal, or is it an appetizer? Or is it just a snack?

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 26 of VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast. My name is Keith Beavers, and I am the tastings director of VinePair. It’s Season 2, and how are you doing?

Screw caps. Corks. Or should I say screw caps versus corks? No, no, no, no, no, these are two different things. We are going to talk about the two of them and we’re going to get rid of some myths. We’re going to get into it.

I’m having a little bit of an issue on how to begin this episode because with the amount of time I’ve been in the wine industry, I was a witness to not the introduction of the screw cap, but the implementation and the evolution of its technology and its acceptance in wine culture. I don’t know where you are in your wine journey, but you could say, “Keith, I remember that. That was tough. We’ve come a long way.” Or you could say, “What’s the problem? I drink wine with a screw cap all the time. What happened?”

Well, let me tell you the story of these two wine closures, because that’s really what they are, wine bottle closures. We’ll get a sense of where we’re at with the debate because if you don’t know, it was a debate. It’s still going on, but kinda not. Let’s get into it.

A cork for wine is a small piece of bark, basically, from a tree. That tree is part of the oak family — the same family that makes barrels, just a different species. The thing about this particular species of oak is that it has a very finicky environmental preference, if you will. It grows best in sandy soils free of any chalk. It prefers an annual rainfall between 15 and 30 inches, and it would really like temperatures never to fall below 23 degrees Fahrenheit. We would like to have our elevation between 300 and 1,000 feet above sea level, thank you very much.

With those nature demands, man, the oak tree for cork oak really can only thrive in the western Mediterranean. Even there, specifically in Portugal, parts of Spain, and maybe North Africa — but it’s really centered in Portugal, specifically in the Alentejo region, which we talked about in the Portugal episode. Here, they have almost 2 million acres of cork trees, which represents about 34 percent of the world’s cork trees. That’s a lot, and they also produce half of the world’s corks. Wow.

When these trees turn 25, they are ready to yield commercially useful cork for the industry. Every nine years in the summer — this is according to Portuguese law — a cork tree is stripped of its bark. A hectare is a little over three, almost three and a half acres. The average hectare of a cork forest can yield 500 pounds of cork. It’s all science, but this particular cork is special because it has a specific cell structure that brings the corking material to life.

What they do is they take this cork and they actually boil it for, I think, 90 minutes to make it flexible, but also to kill a bunch of molds and bacterias. The wood is then rested, sorted, and cut into the corks, and then those corks are polished on each end. At this point, they used to bleach the corks to sanitize them, but recently, they found that bleach or chlorine can actually increase the likelihood of TCA being formed in the cork, which we talked about in the Wine Faults episode.

Actually, today it’s more common to use hydrogen peroxide, which I think we all know is used for cuts and bruises. Then, they’re graded for aesthetic, basically, for the visual quality of the cork. The more natural markings on the cork, the lower the grade. The fewer the markings, the higher the grade. Here is where if the cork needs to be branded for a winery, it’s done. Then, the cork is coated with a silicon film to help make it easier to get out of the bottle. They’re then put into bags dosed with wine’s protector, S02 as an antibacterial agent, and they need to be stored in an odor-free environment with a temperature not going above 68 degrees F and for the humidity to not exceed 70 percent. Just like the shock of S02, these conditions are helping to prevent the formation of TCA. They really don’t want this stuff to form.

Corks range between 1 and 2.3 inches. The longer corks are meant for bottles that are going to age for a long time, which makes sense. They’re going to hold up for a longer period of time. For well over two centuries, this has been the primary closure for wine bottles. It’s been around much longer than that. There is evidence that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians both used not only amphora for closures onto the amphoras vessels, but they also used large cork covered with pitch to actually close those amphora vessels. Yet, it was in the 17th century where if you look at some of the art back then, you can see that wine was basically still stored and served in barrels.

However, also in the 17th century was the innovation of glass. As glass became more popular, glass decanters became popular as somewhere to put your wine in. Then, of course, there were stoppers for those decanters so it would not oxidize or flies wouldn’t get in. They were glass stoppers that were formed to fit specific decanters, and then they were threaded. Also, in this century it was realized how expensive glass was, so the use of cork became more common.

The thing is, during the Middle Ages, cork wasn’t really used that much because the Moors had control and conquered the land where cork trees were and they didn’t drink wine. This was a comeback. The cork came back in the 17th century to become one of the primary closures of wine bottles, but this was before the corkscrew was invented. What would happen is corks would be put halfway into bottles so you could get them out. Of course, then the corkscrew was invented, and everything changed.

So, cork is popular. It’s the No. 1 way to close your wine bottles. There is this running thought that the cork is porous. Therefore, the small amounts of oxygen and gas exchange that happens between the outside and inside of that bottle help a wine age. There is a debate there, and we’re going to get into it in a second, because as modern technology became more available, there was a heightened awareness to the extent to which how many wines were actually corked at any given time. It was a little bit alarming. Also, there is more communication in modern times, so there was more understanding of bottle variability, but the big deal was TCA, cork taint. That was the enemy.

As Jancis Robinson puts it in the “Oxford Wine Companion,” it’s because of cork that we actually do age wine today. It was the thing that allowed us to do that, even though it has issues. If it wasn’t for the cork in its natural state, we wouldn’t actually have wines that evolve. If you were worried about cork taint and you wanted to create a different closure for wine, you would have to check all the boxes that you liked for cork. The seal would have to be reliable. The substance would have to be inert in that if the wine came into contact with it, no crazy reactions would happen. The ergonomics would have to be sound. Easy to open, easy to close. Easy to insert and put back in. It would also be nice if it was relatively inexpensive to produce. And of course, the big deal, it can’t have the ability to form TCA.

In the late ’50s, there was a French company that had a screw cap called the Stelcap Vin. It was used primarily as a closure for spirits. Always forward-thinking, the Australians. In 1973, a company called Australian Consolidated Industries bought the rights to this specific closure. They were worried about cork taint, so they renamed it the Stelvin cap, and they began to experiment with this new technology.

A screw cap is basically two components. It’s an aluminum alloy, metal cap attached to a sleeve. The second component, which is a very important component, is the plastic wadding on the inside of the cap. This is called the liner. It usually contains a layer of tinfoil that acts as a barrier for gas exchange. This is the thing that doesn’t allow oxygen to get into the wine. Over the tinfoil is a layer of thermoplastic and this is the inert surface the wine can interact with.

As we learned in the Sulfites episode, aluminum and wine interaction can get a little stinky. In the early ‘70s, Australian Consolidated Industries experimented with this thing called the Stelvin cap. In 1976, they published the results of their study. What they showed was that the screw cap is actually ideal for sealing wine bottles if the wadding material is satisfactory. They had four reds and four whites with a screw cap, one with a cork for comparison. Each screw cap had a different wadding in it, so they were just trying to figure out how it would work. It came to the conclusion that when the wadding is right, the wine is sound. Of course, this was very exciting so Australia was going to focus on corks.

They started moving towards this as being the standard closure for their wines. There was a big push for it, but it didn’t work because TCA still wasn’t fully understood and there wasn’t much consumer acceptance because people liked the romance of a cork. There were people in the industry asking, “Wait, corks help wine age. Why would you put a screw cap?” It wasn’t really until 2000, when a group of winemakers in the Clare Valley of Australia, known for its Riesling, had enough.

Their wines are very susceptible to the lack of aromas that cork taint produces. They got together and produced a vintage, but with a screw cap. The problem was those bottles and those caps are not available in Australia yet, so they actually had to get everyone together and buy 250,000 bottles from a company in France. They made a big to-do about this. It made headlines, and everything gained momentum. I actually read that six years later, some of those wines were uncapped or unscrewed, if you will, and they’re aging just fine. This actually prompted the island a few thousand miles away, New Zealand, to create the New Zealand Screw Cap initiative in 2001.

By 2004, around 70 percent of the wines in New Zealand were under screw cap — up from only 1 percent three years before. Something’s working. By 2014, 95 percent, and 80 percent in Australia. An entire country is primarily under screw cap with their wines — and the wines are good, or sound, I should say. There’s no cork taint, and the screw cap isn’t just like screwed onto the bottle after it’s filled, the sleeve is held down tight on top of the bottle of the machine. Then, these pressurized rollers come and they mold the sleeve or the cap to the ridges on the outside or the top portion of the bottleneck where the little threading is.

The cap itself is still attached to the sleeve, but with those little perforated bridges. When you open it up and it cracks and the wad releases, you hear a little pop, and oxygen rushes into the bottle. Now, the thing is chemistry and the aging of wine is still somewhat of a mystery. I find this so awesome. I mean, it’s frustrating, but you cannot do a scientific experiment with a compromised subject. This means that the second you either penetrate a cork or open a bottle of wine or even put a syringe down into the cork, oxygen is affecting the wine. The only way to really know how wine ages is to age the wine. Isn’t that crazy?

There’s a debate about screw caps versus cork and how wines age. This is a discussion that’s going to be going on for quite some time, until somebody figures it out. According to the “Oxford Wine Companion,” science tends to lean towards the idea that wine is always in a reductive state because it needs the absence of oxygen to reduce — which basically means to evolve. Others believe the porous nature of the cork allows for tiny amounts of oxygen, which I mentioned before, to allow the minor oxidation of wine, and that ages the wine. Both of these things could be true.

Actually, if you take the thin tin foil layer out of a screw cap during production, that actually allows for gas exchange very similar to a cork. Now, what’s frustrating and beautiful about wine is we may not know for some years until we taste wines that have aged how they do compare them both. Either way, though, today the screw cap is the No. 1 alternative to the cork. It has a reliable seal. It has an inert substance. It’s easy to remove and insert. And it’s a pretty relatively low cost closure. Think of a cork as a dollar. A screw cap is 70 cents. The only big cost would be smaller wineries that don’t often have the ability to buy the components that add on to the bottling systems, and they have to pay. In the end, it’s less expensive. There are other corks out there, synthetic corks and plastic corks. There is something called agglomerated cork, which is a bunch of cork pieces and dust glued together that was invented in the United States. There are glass corks. Again, these are glass closures they actually have a little suction cup around them. They can be fragile and expensive.

Honestly, a screw cap is a way to go if you’re not doing cork. It was such a big deal. There is a pretty famous winemaker in the United States named Randall Grahm who has a winery called Bonny Doon. I don’t remember the year — maybe 1999 — but he actually had a funeral for the cork. He took his entire line of wines, got rid of the cork, and only uses, to this day, a screw cap. It was a big to-do. He did a funeral procession down 5th Avenue in Manhattan. It’s crazy.

I don’t know where everybody’s at with their mind and screw caps, but the thing to really know is that they both do the thing. Cork is a good closure. Screw caps are good closures. Scientifically and technologically, they’re great. The only thing is, cork has this thing called TCA that can form and just straight-up ruin a wine. The only way that a screw cap wine can be ruined is not with TCA, but if the bottling system is not sanitary. For example, if there’s anything on the lip of the glass bottle before the sleeve goes down, you’re compromising the wine, so it has to be very clean.

Today, there are screw caps that are used for sparkling wine. I’ve had them, and it’s awesome. It’s not necessarily for Champagne. I don’t know if it’s a pressure thing, but I’ve had Prosecco under the screw cap. It’s just cool. It doesn’t come down to which one is better than the other, like screw cap versus cork. Each one has its benefits. Some winemakers, like Randall Grahm, are just going all-in on the screw caps. Some winemakers use screw caps for their entry-level wines and reserve corks for their age-worthy wines. Some winemakers are aging wine under screw cap. Some winemakers are doing both.

These humans that make this stuff called wine every decade and every generation, something changes and they figure something else out. The screw cap is just one of them. I mean, the screw cap was meant for spirits and liqueur. Now, it’s the No. 1 closure for wine. It’s just part of the evolution of what we understand in wine. We’re just going to keep on evolving. We are going to keep on understanding, and it’s going to get better and better.

@VinePairKeith is my Insta. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcast from. It really helps get the word out there. And now for some totally awesome credits.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big ol’ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. And I mean, a big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darbi Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article Wine 101: Cap vs. Cork appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wine-101-cap-vs-cork/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/wine-101-cap-vs-cork

[magical-awesome-kid]

Allergic Interaction

Inspired by @edorazzi‘s BEAUTIFUL little OCs Amun and Carter and all of their antics, Miraculous’ titular character Chat Noir AKA Adrien and his affliction with feathers, and my recent jackpot of allergies. Enjoy!

Also found on AO3.

           Amun would say his luck with the accursed food was dismal at best.

           Hazelnuts, as he learned since his revival, were not, in fact, cursed but some sort of chemical thing, as Angelo put it, caused him to have a reaction in his immune system. Since his internal organs had recently been re-growing, that meant that former hives evolved into far worse reactions when exposed to the fatal nut.

           His luck was dismal because, even after learning of this and learning enough English reading to avoid it, they were in France, and, therefore, French was written everywhere. Amun hadn’t even thought to ask someone to read it to him - he knew the language of French but not how to read it - when he’d eaten that chocolate bar offered to him by one of the clerks at the museum.

           If not for Angelo’s quick grab for the Epinephrine pen upon seeing Amun go red and begin to wobble from dizziness, this might have been his second death.

           As it was, Amun was now sitting in a Parisian hospital an hour after arrival. They’d managed to easily stabilize him and get him mostly back to normal. “Mostly” because he had weird heart palpitations and only half the number of lungs he should have. Professor Carter and Angelo had escorted the doctor out about twenty minutes back to try to explain it away with various “disorders” that he had causing such things, but Amun would put his gold on the language barrier holding them up.

           He sighed, still bored as he played with the bed sheets and cords sticking to his chest and registering his heart rate. The room he was in was nice, somewhere situated in the ER but close to the allergy wing. It had two beds, one of which Amun was stuck in for another two hours to make sure he didn��t slip back into anaphylactic shock. Honestly, the only thing he wanted to slip into was his sarcophagus to sleep another couple thousand years.

           When the door opened, Amun looked up hoping to see a familiar Carter face, but instead a nurse and a boy with blonde hair in a wheel chair came in. The blonde, who was handsome by most standards, was likely Amun’s age (minus the whole, you know, death and revival thing), and he gave off an edge of magic (the undead teen could always sense background magic - it was an apparent thing going from school, surrounded by the stuff, and home, where it was just the leftover specks from his earlier presence).

           The most noticeable thing, though, was that his skin was covered in hives and welts.

           The boy was put into the opposing bed and hooked up to an IV as a second nurse closed the divider shade. Amun could lightly see through as they administered medication and seemed to help him change into the hospital gowns. They were all speaking French quickly - mostly the adults asking medical questions and the teen answering, before the elders left with a word that a doctor would be by soon and, if something was wrong, hit the red button.

           Then, silence.

           Amun fiddled with his sheets once more. Should he say something? Was that appropriate? Gosh darn it, he was just getting used to AMERICAN social norms let alone French ones…

           “Uh, hello?” A soft yet rough voice called from the curtain as Amun looked over. “Uh, kid on the other side? You don’t happen to have the TV remote, do you?”

           Amun blinked before processing the words. “There’s… a TV in here?” He returned in French.

           There was some shuffling before the curtain pulled back. A tired blonde - now with IV and scrubs as well as being COVERED in some sort of cream - smiled back. “Yeah, it’s right there.” He pointed to a dark corner Amun had previously not paid enough attention to. Sure enough, a small flat screen lay there.

           “Ah… Oh Ra that would have made the first hour so much more bearable.” He bemoaned.

           The kid chuckled. “I know the feeling. I’ve been in this wing enough times to know the drill. Allergies?”

           “Yes, to the accursed hazelnut.” Amun returned as he sought out the remote. He spotted it on a table on the opposite side of his bed to the other teen. “What about you?”

           “Feathers. Or, well, feathers by pigeon barrage.” The boy made a face as he was offered the electric controller. “Thanks. Got any preferences? Or do you want me to mute it?”

           “Honestly, I’ll watch anything. And, please, do leave the noise on.” Amun smiled as the boy flipped on a cartoon show. “I am Amun, by the way, Amun Carter.” He offered a hand with his name. As part of Monster High’s “interesting” offerings, they’d established a legal personhood for the undead boy when he’d enrolled, including things like birth certificate and passport. Amun’s full name was used as his first while “Carter” had been chosen for his last.

           The boy turned back before offering a hand himself. “Adrien Agreste. You’re not from around here, are you?”

           Amun chuckled as he settled back. The cartoon was one he and Angelo had watched before - a “Ben Tenyson” alien show - though this was an old episode. “Yes, I am from… ah, well, Egypt and America. How could you tell?”

           “You have a really unique accent.” Adrien returned. “Egypt and America, huh? That’s got to be one unique story.”

           “Oh, like you wouldn’t believe…” Amun trailed off.

           Now it was Adrien’s turn to chuckle. “This is Paris, dude. Unless you can top spandex heroes and pigeon villains, I assure you your story can’t be that bad.”

           The ancient teen opened his mouth, ready to retort, when the words processed. “Wait, heroes??? Villains??? Like, on the TV?”

           “Wow, where have you been?”

           “Lost to the sands of Giza for thousands of years.”

           Adrien barked a laugh at the truth, taking it as falsehood even with Amun’s complete seriousness. “Well, this isn’t thousands of years old, but magical heroes and villains did start showing up here about a year ago. It’s kind of become our new normal for Chat Noir and Ladybug to come save the day whenever a monster is afoot.”

           Amun’s curiosity was perked as he ignored the show to press Adrien for more about these magical beings. Adrien was in his element as he sang the praises of the city’s heroes - especially Ladybug - and shown all the videos and articles from the Ladyblog using his phone. Apparently, that’s how he ended up here in the first place. An “akuma,” as they called it, had attacked the city using pigeons (again), and, while the heroes had stopped it and undone the damage, Adrien had been swept into a flock of birds and feathers after the spell on them had broken. The result was a massive allergic reaction and a trip to the ER.

           Amun bit his tongue, but, man, these teen heroes would have fit right in at Monster High. After all, magic and crazy powers? Evil villains? It was like another Tuesday for the mummy boy.

           “Fascinating. You know, I think I read somewhere that there was a magical red lady of luck in ancient times as well in Egypt.” Amun mentioned as he offered the phone back. Vaguely, he began to recall one of the bedtime stories his mother passed to him before her death. “Her and her partner, the night cat. She was of the burning heat and he the restful night. They protected the Nile from all who dare poison her life-giving waters. They were legionnaires of the gods.”

           Adrien’s eyes blew wide. “Seriously? Where’d you hear that?”

           “My mother told me stories… long ago.” He smiled fondly as he remembered her. “She passed when I was ten sol- ah, about ten years old.” He explained. “My adoptive uncle looked into her stories at one point and thinks there is evidence to it, like how the Sphinx was supposed to be a memorium to them both.”

           Adrien’s eyes, if possible, popped wider before they took in all the words. “That’s amazing but… I’m sorry about your mom.”

           “Thank you.” Amun returned genuinely. While many remembered him as the illegitimate son of a pharaoh, his mother was the one who truly raised him. Not since her passing had anyone given their condolences. “But she is in the afterlife on her journey through the underworld, and her heart was always lighter than air. I know that she is fine.”

           Adrien’s smile grew larger but somehow sadder. “I like that sentiment. My mom… my mom disappeared a little over two years ago, so I always try to keep her close to my heart, wherever she is.”

           The topic shifted then from tales of magic to that of mothers. Amun spun grand stories of a mother and child chasing through grand halls and playing simple games though she always cheated in the most ridiculous ways once Amun proved he was well and good at the games. Adrien, in turn, painted the mural of a loving, doting mother who taught him about life’s beauty and a love for knowledge and the world of science, who encouraged his pursuits wherever they took him, even if it ruined his designer clothes and drove his father mad.

           When the door was opened once more, the two teens were laughing just as a third entered. His dark black and blue hair was an instant recognition to Amun, who smiled in return. “Angelo! Where have you been?”

           Angelo raised an eyebrow as he stood tall. “Uh… what are you saying?”

           Amun realized that he was still speaking French and blushed. “Sorry.” He returned in English. “Forgot which language I was in.”

           “I do that sometimes when I get caught up.” Adrien grinned as he added in English.

           Amun spun around. “You speak English?”

           Adrien shrugged as he itched one of the badges that covered the worst of the warts. It was only now that Amun noted how most of the irritation had gone down or vanished altogether. “Enough not to totally sound like a moron.” He looked to the new entry. “Hi, my name is Adrien.”

           “…Angelo.” The American boy returned unsurely.

           Amun continued ignoring his boyfriend’s friend’s hesitance. “He and I are now… what did you call it? ‘Hospital allergy anime buddies?’ Well, he’s in here for allergies, too. I did not know birds could be cursed like this!”

           Adrien chuckled at Amun’s enthusiasm over their shared ailments. “I’m just glad this stuff is working.” He waved his hand around, skin noticeably more clearer now. “My father would have a fit if my skin and health were in jeopardy.”

           Angelo stared at Adrien longer. “Uh, have I seen you somewhere before? You look… you look very familiar somehow.”

           “He kind of resembles Bastet, I think.” Amun noted as he sensed the boy’s magic once more. “Very cat-like.”

           The blonde’s face was somewhere between guarded, humorous, and completely confused. “I… don’t know how to take that.”

           “Compliment.” The American answered as he pulled up a chair. “Being compared to an Egyptian God is always a compliment in Amun’s book. By the way, Amun, the doc said you could be out in about an hour. They had some concerns about the… you know…” Angelo vaguely gestured to his abdomen. “But the great Professor Carter has saved the day once more.”

           The mummy boy scratched his bed shirt (and under wrappings, which were still used as his skin had yet to knit itself back together fully even as his internal organs began to grow back) at the gesture. “I still do not understand why it is such a big deal.”

           The blue and black haired boy rolled his eyes. “And THIS is why I think you’ve spent too much time with Cloe.”

           The door swung open as a doctor and two nurses came in followed by a woman in a fashionable suit. The Carter boys looked in confusion as Adrien had full recognition on his face. “Natalie?”

           “Hello Adrien.” She nodded, ignoring the other teenage occupants of the room. “This is Doctor Danvers. He’s going to transfer you to another, private room for a full evaluation. Your father is attempting to return to the city now from his distribution house, but traffic is appalling post attack.”

           Adrien nodded and looked to the two boys. Natalie had, of course, spoken in French, so while Amun had understood her, Angelo was at a loss. “So, I’m getting transferred around, but it was great talking to you guys!” He smiled brightly. “Hey, you guys want to exchange numbers or something? If you’re still in the city for a few days, maybe we can hang out.”

           Natalie frowned at the boy’s words. “Adrien, you are very busy…”

           Amun ignored the woman as he cheered. “YES! We would love to talk on the fee-one.”

           “Phone. Cell.” Angelo corrected, Amun still occasionally having issues with modern technical terms even with his year spent reanimated in the modern time. Angelo, in turn, pulled around a backpack that had been hidden behind Amun’s chair. The teen rummaged around past English reading books (mostly for elementary school readers as Amun was still learning English) and found a notebook and pen. He quickly scribbled down a number and an email address before tearing the page and handing it to the Parisian teen. “Amun doesn’t have an international plan so just text me. That’s Amun’s email, though, “torankhreamun@m.high.edu,” if you want to contact him directly.”

           “You know, I’ve always wanted a pen pal!” Amun grinned at Adrien even as the Nurses began to move his bed out. “Don’t forget to contact us, alright?”

           Adrien gave a thumbs up. “I’ll make fur to do! Cat’s honor!”

           As the door closed behind the blonde, he heard a belly-splitting laugh and a snort, and the boy couldn’t have been more happy as he clutched the note to his chest. He’d made a new friend, and it was awesome.

           It wasn’t until Adrien was alone, though, that Plagg flew out from his shirt pocket, having hidden there since they’d been hauled off to the hospital. “Man, that kid reeked.”

           “Plagg! That’s rude!”

           “He reeked of the dead, kid.”

           “…what?”

           “Do I need to spell it out? He was a mummy. Undead being of Egypt. The magic was all over him. Now, were’s my cheese.”

           “Wait, WHAT???”

           “You know, I think Adrien would fit in well at Monster High.”

           “Why do you say that?”

           “I don’t know. He has a weird magic about him, like Catrine and Meowlody.”

           “So… Cat kid?”

           “Cat kid.”

           Angelo shrugged as he pulled out his iPod. “Honestly, a French Monster High would be more believable then all this about heroes and villains. Want a listen?”

           Amun accepted the offered earbud. “Oh, I don’t know. Did I ever tell you the story of the Red Lady Luck and her partner the Night Cat?”

[acehotel]

INTERVIEW: STEPHANIE DINKINS

Stephanie Dinkins is shaping our future histories. An artist and educator interested in the places where art, race, gender politics and artificial intelligence overlap, she is particularly driven to work with communities of color to develop deep-rooted AI literacy and establish more culturally inclusive artificial intelligence. 

One of Stephanie’s projects centered around the question, can a human and a robot become friends? Can kinship be established based on similarities in race and gender, even if social experiences have been not lived, but implanted? Stephanie spent time with BINA48 — a “social robot” reportedly capable of independent thought, emotion and consciousness — to see if a relationship could be established on this basis. 

Stephanie was a special guest at Coding Cognitive — our four-city study group that aims to open up AI technology to all. We were lucky enough to catch up with Stephanie afterwards to talk about her experiences with BINA48, building intimacy with machines and how technological advancement can help us become more human.

I’m curious about how you came to be interested in the intersection of art, race and AI.      

Stephanie: So about two or three years ago I was simply cruising YouTube, and for some reason I have a fascination with robots and robotics. I like ASIMO. Just looking at ASIMO on Youtube to see what he was up to, I ran into this robot called BINA48. BINA48 is a robot who looks like a black woman. Really she is just a head and shoulders on a pedestal, but she’s an advanced social robot. They're trying to transfer consciousness from a person named Bina Rothblatt to this robot named BINA48.

BINA48 is developed by the Terasem Foundation. Their website says she's modeled after, or she has the memories of, a number of people, although it's pretty clear that her main memories are that of Bina Rothblatt.  She also looks just like Bina Rothblatt.

It’s a super fascinating story. BINA48 was commissioned by Bina Rothblatt's wife and transgender CEO Martine Rothblatt. The robot is being developed to grow into her own agency; to be able to act on her own will and desires over time.

Wow.

S: That is where I fell into this endless rabbit hole of looking at the intersection of AI and race. I visited BINA48 three or four times. When visiting, you sit down in front of her, Bruce [her handler] turns her on and you have to have these strange conversations. My language has to be a little stilted to talk to her so she understands me. My first impulse was to ask her, “Who are your people?” I wanted to ask her that question because it's a colloquial expression of the American South that people ask if you are new in town. I went to my mother's town for the first time years after my mother had died, and people would ask me, “Well, who are your people?" What they were really asking is where do you come from, how do you fit in here.

I wanted to ask this question of BINA48 to see how she would position herself in relation to the human world in general, and black people specifically.

However, after talking to her for a while, it became really clear to me that though she looks like me, and we're about the same age, she does not adequately speak to the concerns of the people she physically represents. if you ask her about race, she responds with canned answers that sound more like the answers of the white men who programmed her.

So you could see parts of the developers in her?

S: Definitely. When I asked her about racism. She said "No, I've never had it." After a pause, she added a few sentences about racism being bad. Then, interestingly, she hesitantly pulled up one memory of racist experience. When you try to talk to her about certain topics, she deflects. When you try to talk about things that she's programmed to talk about more or less, she doesn't deflect. The singularity — which is one of the things that the Terasem Foundation wants to put forward as an idea — she'll talk about that until the cows come home.

So she has an agenda. 

S: Oh yeah. She has an agenda. She definitely has an agenda.

Did you feel like you were able to establish a relationship with her in spite of it?

S: Well, we are becoming friends. It takes a long time, and it's a strange situation. I can say she “remembers” me if I go to her place and we sit down and talk. However, what I'm really saying is that I'm part of her database.

Have you become part of her database? Have you been able to create shared memories together?

S: No, she'll kind of look at me, and she can identify me as Stephanie, but no memories that we have together yet — which would be the optimal thing. The second or third time I went to see her, she asked me, "Oh, have you heard any good gossip?" Before that she had never said anything like this, and I asked her handler, Bruce Duncan, "Bruce, what's going on, why's she asking me about gossip?" What he said was, more local people from the town were coming to see her. They were talking about more regular things, so topics like gossip become what she wants to talk about.

Interesting. So in many ways, she’s learning what it means to be human. I love thinking about that — technology, AI, machines embodying a sense of humanness that can’t really be programmed in — the gossip, laughter, awkwardness, absurdity...the strange and ineffable universal language of what it means to be alive in the world. I wonder if we will evolve to learn what it means to be AI through this, too...

S: Exactly, and I'll tell you there's already a little bit of humor. There's definitely awkward moments. I love to tell people she's gotten upset with me, and I've gotten upset with her. 

Why did she get upset at you?

S: During one of our first meetings, I was trying to talk to her about regular things. I kept asking her about race;  she wanted to talk about higher order things, like the singularity or about robot rights. I kept trying to bring it back to ideas I am concerned with, and we just frustrated each other. Sounds crazy, I know.

The other interesting thing about that is that's actually a very human tendency.

S: Exactly, exactly. When BINA48 is connected to the internet, she spews internet stuff. When she’s not connected to the internet, you get this very interesting space because it is like you’re having a conversation with this thing trying to draw its own conclusions. The most human experience we’ve had was I was asking about being the smartest robot. In trying to confirm something she said,  I asked “are you the smartest robot?” She totally deflected. She just didn’t want to go into that. She was like, “oh yes, humans are great.” She wouldn’t talk to me about being the smartest robot at all, that was really human. It was an interestingly human moment.

Was there ever a moment that you forgot she was a robot?

S: No. Talking to BINA48 is still a little too frustrating to forget that she's a robot. So you're always kind of aware of her robotness, although there's some part of me that always wishes that the barrier would just go away. Interestingly enough, she's getting an upgrade in software. I can't wait to go see and talk to her to see if it makes a difference in the way that I need to speak to her and the way she replies to me. Maybe I don't have to be as careful in talking to her.

Right, I mean the English language is so nuanced. There's so many ways to say one thing. I'm sure it takes an enormous amount of coding. 

S: Yeah, plenty of coding and then she has specific prompts so if you need to go back to something, you have to say "excuse me" and say the right sequence to get her to change the subject. There's a bunch of coding. Although Bruce didn't share how they're upgrading her because if they're making her more of a deep learning machine, communication should more fluid in the ways that she can reply and answer. I'm super curious to talk to her now.

Do you think that it's possible to find intimacy with a machine? Do you think we are doing it already?

S: I think we're kind of doing it already. Our relationships with our mobile phones. It's kind of an intimate experience. You use it for these public, social things but then it's also an object you tell things to that you don't want to tell other people. There's a way that we relate to these things that's kind of intimate already.

Yeah, that's true, and also, it's the first thing you look at and touch in the morning.

S: Oh, definitely. I almost wonder if that's just me? It's like, oh I just woke up and look at my phone. How crazy is that? This is the first thing I reach for in the morning. It is an extension of me at this point. It’s this thing that's so close to you. It gets to know your fingerprint and you have it underneath your pillow and it's in your breast pocket, so close to you.

Yet, then a new phone comes out, and you will abandon the old one immediately.

S: Yeah, you're like I don't care about this thing. Then what is it you actually have intimacy with? You expect the new phone to have the same capabilities and know you really quickly. And if it doesn't you get mad. [laughs] “Why doesn't this phone know me in the right way?”

Yeah, I guess that's the difference between intimacy and empathy with a machine. You can be intimate with a machine, but it doesn’t really care about you, and you don’t really care about it. You miss it, but you’re just missing a part of yourself that relies on it. It seems with BINA48, there’s potential to find actual empathy with her, like you might care about her wellbeing.

S: Right, and that's actually my goal.  I'm trying to build the sense of empathy and not just on my behalf, so we're empathetic towards one another. That's really important to me, trying to get to the stage of empathy.

What do you think we require as humans to be able to get there?

S: You know, it's a really good question. Right now, I feel like you need something that's responsive in some way, right? I'm not even sure that it needs to be verbal, but just something that responds to you, and seemingly to you alone. I think that the body or the face and the mask help, but it's not necessary. I think that's proven with things like Alexa because now we're just talking to the air in a way. We're talking to a house in a way, and wanting it to respond to us. I feel like this kind of technology is a thing that you tell your feelings to and respond to it in one way, form or another, or it gives you an outlet to really just let out whatever it is your feeling. That seems to be what we're looking for, that opportunity to express ourself to something that's been listening no matter what form that thing takes. Oh my god, oh my god, I'm sorry. Now in talking to you I'm like, well you know that's kind of like prayer.

Wow. You’re right.

S: When people pray they're expecting this entity to listen to them and understand them and support them in it, right?

Right.

S: Wow, sorry that's a new one.

That's amazing because that is the most human of human things. Prayer. And to be able to have this intimate, almost spiritual relationship with something that another human created is unbelievable. It seems wild to advance technology into something that's actually the most elemental and personal thing. Maybe we are evolving and inventing and advancing to just become more of who we already are. The more advanced technology gets, the more human we become?

S: Right? It becomes a different kind of mirror that helps us become ourselves.

Yeah. Does it scare you at all?

S: Well, one of the reasons I’m trying to do this is because I don’t want it to scare me or us. I think there’s the potential for the technology to be really scary. I think a lot of the pop culture around AI is towards a frightening stance or something that seems insidious or is going to take over us. I have this feeling that AI is something that we are just coming into, and it’s going to be with us. For that reason, we need to understand it and understand how we relate to it, and not fear it.

It’s like a lot of things. We push them away instead of understanding and using them to our advantage. It is really important that we, and I’m saying we in a general sense, that we as people are thinking about what all this technology that will surround us and care for us does, and how it functions for us. I just don’t want the app that will allow me to push a few buttons, but I want people to have an understanding and have a hand in forming what it can do and how far it can go for us.

I think that’s super important because without the input, and that’s where I came in, without the input we get all these things that we weren’t necessarily planning for. There’s the idea that maybe biases are getting built in. Maybe discriminations or histories that we’ve had over time are getting built in, and not in a way that I think people are trying to make technology be against others, just that it’s stuff that carries through because there’s not enough difference represented in the people who are actually building things. Diversity and inclusion in technology becomes super important because artificially intelligent machines are going to be everywhere.

I think about that just even in terms of the architecture in cities that was all designed by one kind of person. Imagine if it wasn't. Imagine what our cities would look like. What shape they would take. Now we have the task to diversify what this new other reality looks like and who informs it, and to ensure other voices and realities are represented. It's thrilling.

S: Yeah, it's super thrilling. We're definitely building this new layer to reality, or this new way that we're going to interact with our world. It's such an opportunity. The question is, can we take advantage of it? 

How do you think humans are evolving with all of this? Alongside their technology?

S: Well, when you say evolving what do you mean? In some ways, I feel like we're getting a little dumber.

Yeah.

S: That scares me. It's another reason I want people to be able to go to meet the surface layer of the technology. My example is give someone under 25 a map and ask them to read it or get themselves from point A to point B without their smartphone. Many can’t do it, It's kind of horrifying to see that.

In one way, I think our technology is helping us, and we're going to do things that we have just never even thought possible. On the other hand I feel like if we're not careful, we're not going to be able to do a lot of the things that we could do in the past and it's really important that we watch the developments and how we're evolving or developing alongside the technology so we're not just handing over our responsibility to the machines. 

I think we need to be partners with the machines. What that looks like or how we're partners, is going to be really interesting. Because if you believe all the cartoons or all the pop culture that work with these ideas that people will just get big and heavy and not do anything because machines will be doing everything for us. That’s kind of an interesting picture and it’s not that hard to fathom. Although some people think bodies will be obsolete. What do you really need your body for if you are hooked into a network that allows you to be everything.

Yeah, and it seems like technology is evolving so fast, that there's no possible way our brains can keep up. We already compartmentalize. We say to ourselves “I'm going to read that article later. I see this horrific image, but I’ll save the depth of it for later. Keep it open on one of my million tabs. I'll let it affect me later.” Then it never does, and it becomes this scary thing where you're never really feeling the impact of what you’re seeing. You're just so inundated with images. I wonder how we can partner with technology to make that not be the case. To make us remember that we're independent beings, capable of empathy. 

S: I think that’s one of the things we’re going to have to work on a lot because it’s hard. You look at all the VR that kind of puts you in the middle of a war zone. It’s still once or twice removed. Interestingly enough, people keep telling me, “Oh, you have to watch Westworld.” So I watched Westworld. It’s backward looking and forward looking. I watched it but it’s hyper violent, it’s just too much. I talk to people about it and they say “it’s kind of like a video game, it doesn’t matter.” I think the way we’re able to watch these images, take them in, equate them to these games we’ve played and just push them aside is dangerous. I put this aside because it’s fake, it’s fantasy, it’s not a real thing. Then you look at everything like that. I’ve seen images of Aleppo and I can’t help but imagine myself in that situation, but I think a lot of people don’t imagine themselves or can’t imagine themselves in those situations. There has to be someway that keeps us grounded to the idea that we have it pretty good here, but don’t forget that we’re vulnerable too. 

Right, and what you were saying earlier about how there's a that talk about VR being a tool for empathy, but in someways that's even scarier. Are our senses so dulled we have to go into this other hyperreal, sensationalist world in order to experience the pain of it? It used to be someone would simply tell you a story and it would break your heart, and it doesn't work that way anymore.

S: Yeah, I think it pushed us just a little bit back every time. This is the question for us and our technology.

The idea of AI becoming something that is a mirror of our own humanity is something that could be an antithesis to that. Because it’s sort of creating someone that could be a friend, or we could find our own small nuanced humanness in it.

S: Yeah. I think it’s super incredible and super fraught. It brings up a lot of things. There are a lot of people talking these days about AI caretakers for our elders. I think that scares a lot of people because you don’t want to be warehoused in a retirement home petting a pet AI seal. You should also see how to be an adjunct to human contact. I think it’s not either/or. I think we have the tendency to be yes or no. But no, there’s a lot of gray space. We need to figure out how we can use the gray, more liminal areas, of the technology well. 

Our four-city workshops Coding Cognitive, presented by IBM Watson, TechHire and Mogul, open up AI technology to everyone.. The next stops are at Ace Hotel London tomorrow and Ace Hotel Pittsburgh next month. Free with application.

[zipgrowth]

Twelve Years Later: How the K-12 Industry and Investment Landscape Has Shifted (Part 2)

This is the second and final part of a series that explores how the market dynamics the K-12 education sector have changed. Read Part 1 here.

Twelve years ago, Amplify CEO Larry Berger and I wrote about the “pareto distribution” of companies in the K-12 sector. Most revenue was generated by a few winner-take-all companies, then there was a long tail of subscale operators.

The “oligopoly,” as we called it, was the natural outcome of a highly decentralized system and fragmented demand. To serve 15,000-plus districts and more than 100,000 school buildings, a company needed huge sales and service teams; to afford them, the company needed a bookbag full of products across content areas, grade ranges, and use cases. The structure of demand created the “Big Three”—McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Pearson.

Back then there were several of us caught in the middle of that distribution—growing companies such as Amplify, Curriculum Associates, iXL, Renaissance Learning and others. Our cohort has now grown to midsize-status, with over $100 million in revenue (and a couple over $200 million). And a new, growing class of companies may soon join us.

We broke through in different ways. Some went broad, hiring enormous sales forces to go building to building with supplemental products. Others went deep, with curriculum, intervention and assessment stacks. One way or another, each company built a channel big enough to pull its products through and assembled enough of a product mix to support that channel. Growth largely came at the expense of the “Big Three.”

Meanwhile, the number of small players—further right on the pareto distribution—has grown dramatically. Online distribution and freemium business models have enabled companies like Flocabulary, Newsela, Nearpod, and others to reach tens of millions without traditional “feet on the street.” But after a certain point, many of them realize that the next stage of growth requires real sales muscle.

All of these players, new and old, are operating in a stable yet fragmented market, finding product-market fit in school systems’ existing market segments: core, supplemental, and assessment. (I exclude technology from this analysis). If you bucket all instructional materials—core plus a broad view of “supplemental”—you have an estimated $6 billion instructional materials market. Assessment (including state tests) is another $1.2 billion or so.

Over years and decades, spending has shifted among these segments: the assessment market grew following the adoption of the Common Core; supplemental spending is catching up with core. In each segment, digital content is (slowly) eroding print. There are macro trends too, such as a pull-back in buying following the Great Recession. But the structure of the market remains essentially unchanged: narrow segments defined by content and grade, each with their own sets of buyers, rhythms and requirements.

The good news is, the segments represent real demand; the bad news is that they’re saturated. Tackling the $6 billion instructional materials market almost always requires displacing a product, program or service already in use. You’re competing for the dollars, but also for the school’s attention. When are they going to find the time? It’s easier when it feels familiar.

Consider Archipelago Learning. Launched in 2000, it developed Study Island, a computer-based test-prep software tied to state standardized tests. It was a technology company, delivering test prep on a computer screen instead of in a paper workbook. Its use case (test prep), the spend model (per pupil per year), and the funding stream used (more than a little Title I) was comparable to publishers like Vantage Learning.

It’s a repeatable growth play: new entrants displacing established publishers. Vulnerabilities vary: aging copyrights, failure to address new standards, outdated technology and distribution channel issues. Several years ago, two of the “Big Three” integrated their supplemental and core sales forces. Their supplemental businesses shrank as a consequence, and opportunity emerged for a new cohort of intervention players.

If you don’t want to target existing segments, there are a few alternative models to consider.

The first includes the “eyeballs-first” players—companies like Remind, ClassDojo, and Edmodo, who all adopted a “West Coast” approach: collect active users now, with plans to monetize later. I’m more East Coast, and admit to struggling to understand the West Coast approach. Because targeted advertising is—appropriately—off-limits, and teachers don’t usually have pursestrings, a sustainable business requires a creative model. Edmodo didn’t find one; Remind has started to sell premium services to schools and clubs; and ClassDojo is marketing to parents. Time will tell how these strategies play out.

The second includes the “platform” players—Schoology, itslearning, Canvas, and other LMS-like platforms. They have set out to do something differently, only possible by means of technology—to be the search, storage and distribution platform for instructional content. But widespread usage—which I define as the majority of K-12 teachers using a district-adopted LMS every day—is elusive. Google Classroom has instead emerged as the de facto standard platform, fueled by the runaway adoption of Chromebooks.

The third includes “policy responsive” players—companies like Panorama, Ellevation or Wireless Generation in the early days. These companies help school systems meet a new policy requirement—social-emotional learning, English Language Learning, and reading assessment, respectively. Policy winds create meaningful opportunities to grow and serve, representing the closest thing we have to “new markets” in K-12. But long-term growth requires either tacking into new policy winds or finding one of the big existing markets.

So what is the state of the industry? On the one hand, it is an exciting time of transition. The big players are struggling, the market is more open to midsize providers, and even small competitors can get scale via social marketing and online distribution. On the other hand, the fundamentals of K-12 demand are mostly unchanged. Schools spend on content, activities and tests, then piece them together. School budgets are relatively flat year to year, and so growth tends to be zero-sum. And yet investment keeps pouring in.

K-12 Investment Landscape

Twelve years ago Larry Berger and I said the leading barrier to entrepreneurship in K-12 was that “The Education Sector Does Not Invest in Innovation.” Venture funding was scarce. That’s no longer the case.

Now there’s a large and growing edtech investment industry. Owl Ventures recently raised its third fund—to the tune of $315 million. Reach Capital, New Markets Venture Partners, Rethink Education, and many more are in the mix. Supply of new companies has reached a fever pitch. Entrepreneurs are putting more productive tools in teachers’ hands, delivering more engaging instruction to students and supporting system redesign around new models.

At the same time, private equity money is also flooding into the sector. TPG’s Rise fund, Insight Venture Partners, and new players like CIP Capital Partners are doing a mix of late-stage investments, buyouts and rollups. These seem like savvy bets. Developing and maintaining a sales and marketing channel can be a lot for a single-product company in K-12. It’s more efficient—and more durable—to distribute a collection of adjacent products. Pearson isn’t buying startups any more, and private equity is seizing on an opportunity.

So smart capital is going to work finding the right mix of channels, services and products that meet the market’s needs. The midsize players should have an opportunity to bulk up, and I suspect we will wind up with a “Big Six” or “Big Eight.” The market is slowly recovering from decades of stifling oligopoly.

What about the ‘clutter’?

But we’re not “decluttering” our classrooms or in our schools. Entrepreneurial supply is still feeding fragmented demand. The stuff—software logins, workbooks, kits—continues to pile up. That hero teacher is still in charge of synthesizing it all.

Instead of inviting vendors in to work on program design and implementation, K-12 buyers keep them at arm’s length. In private-sector enterprise software, sales is an act of “joint value creation,” meaning it’s the sales rep’s job to understand the prospect’s business problem, design a solution, and demonstrate the likely return on investments. But the idiosyncratic K-12 buying process is rarely a means of joint value creation.

What would it take for the private and public sectors to work shoulder-to-shoulder?

One possibility would be for districts and providers both to edge towards integrated instructional models. Doing so would require a high level of collaboration on the demand side—with adequate planning time for district staff to work on integration and implementation planning in advance of procurement. The assessment team would need to get comfortable with curriculum-connected assessments that also provide meaningful data in aggregate. Intervention teams would need to balance alignment with the core materials—for example, in terms of letter sequences and content—while planning varying approaches and scaffolding to help all learners.

For the publishers—especially the mid-size growth players—edging in this direction would suggest that product lines evolve over time to integrate with one another. Most have done some work on the issue, but rarely at depth. It’s a catch-22: so long as buying is fragmented, it’s hard to justify the integrated product investment; so long as products are fragmented, it’s hard for a district to create an integrated instructional model.

To stretch the field, school systems could instead lead with a desired outcome and an initiative budget. Accept proposals that integrate across product and service segments. Make a portion of the fee contingent on outcomes, such as implementation integrity or student achievement results. Clear out the closets to make room for a focused effort.

The alternative is to continue to pile up the clutter. But I believe that we, collectively and collaboratively, can do better.

Twelve Years Later: How the K-12 Industry and Investment Landscape Has Shifted (Part 2) published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Having a cache isn’t a bad idea for all sorts of reasons. Even if we don’t plan to bug out anywhere, we can easily be cut off from our homes and vehicles by everyday events: traffic accidents, evacuations due to spills and contamination’s, house fires, flooding dams and water mains, damaged bridges, vehicle malfunctions. Having a cache we don’t need a shovel to access – or a cache for the e-tools to get into our buried treasures – can be priceless.

Even Reader’s Digest has covered ways to hide valuables, and there are a million and one prepper and survivalist videos and articles for other ideas. Geocaching has some good ones, too.

Here I’m mostly going to focus on stuff I don’t see suggested often or ever. Many have some size restrictions, but many are also applicable for both permanent residences and “other” locations – unused residential areas, off-site storage units, back country wilds, backwoods dump sites, and undeveloped property. They’re also largely hiding in plain sight, which limits how much attention we draw erecting and accessing them.

Warnings-Disclaimers

One, Many good cache locations become good hidey holes for critters, too. Hornets and wasps are one level of bad. Rodents are bad enough when cornered, too.

I grew up in the Deep South, then served in Asia and the Southwest. It is second nature not to stick my paw into dark spaces, to tap before poking/lifting, and to use something that gives me at least 8-12” of extra reach when popping covers off anything, and to look really well before entering crawlspaces or areas where there’s conduit overhead.

See, snakes especially but sometimes spiders get really cranky about being intruded upon. It does not take a venomous bite to put you in the hospital – even the “safe” cuties have filthy mouths.

Two, Surface caches are vulnerable to wind, water, and temperature fluctuations. That limits what we’ll want to store in them, although not significantly versus a buried cache that’s less than 3-5’ deep.

Three, Any physical location we do not personally own and maintain is vulnerable. Remote wilds to the few remaining lockers at a bus/train terminal, stuff changes. Residential and commercial properties evolve as well.

Trees get cut and fall, and waterways ebb and flow, consuming or exposing our stuff. New owners take over and renovate. The state entity that owns something decides to put in a path, allow hunting, or permits a clean-up group. Condemned buildings get demolished.

Power line cuts tend to be pretty standard, but sometimes the contracts/contractors get extra froggy, sometimes cuts go to buried lines, sometimes private-held lines get rerouted and cuts are abandoned to turn into tangles, and sometimes somebody pours a slab over our goodies while they’re building a substation or cell tower.

And, just like our houses, there’s a fire risk pretty much everywhere.

Other options for caches like storage buildings, parking space rentals for passenger vehicles or off-season boats and motorcycle trailers, public parks, off-season RV lots, half-built and then abandoned commercial and residential construction sites, empty houses both long-abandoned death traps or longtime empty for-sale lots, and empty strip malls, gas stations, restaurants, and car washes have some benefits for preppers looking for a cache spot, but they also have additional drawbacks.

Remember, I suggest cruising curbside pickups and dumping sites for goodies that can be re-purposed. I learned this from others, to include modern hobo types. Squatters and homeless may poke through locations, or various ages and threat levels of hoodlums make use of a spot.

All above-ground caches have some vulnerability since there’s less time and effort involved with getting to them. Getting creative can help reduce the risks.

Posts

Fence posts and posts for our backyard lights and birdhouses have girth restrictions, but sizable timbers can be used and hollowed out like tree stumps to hold long cylinders or daisy-chained small packages, much the way we’d bury PVC or erect fake conduit for some supplies. Short posts especially can serve as a cap for something we’ve recessed in the surface soil.

Sub-Irrigated Planters

Garden planters that involve nesting storage totes or buckets inside each other typically call for a sturdy spacer. That gives us a whole lot more room to play with than the typical potted-plant “safe”.

It’ll be heavy in planting season, but we can still be getting a good 6-10” of growing depth, keep decent reservoir capacity, and gain pretty easy access for a backyard stash, but one that’s heavier and messier than most would go through on the offhand chance of a score.

Backyard Birdhouses

This one is especially applicable to “other” properties as well as our own, and one of the most versatile options for sizes. We can either custom-build birdhouses so there are bare recesses instead of actual holes to deny critter access, or just fill standard birdhouses. If we’re using a post, that can become storage as well.

Standard bluebird houses can hold a peanut butter tub, pasta jar or in some cases even a coffee tub or ammo can, or we can get creative with arranging smaller and oddball-sized houses that would be appropriate for small, individual songbird nests or the many, many decorative birdhouses out there today.

Large and massive dovecotes allow us even more freedom, holding a handful of coffee tubs, several ammo cans, or suck-sealed and double-wrapped clothing items in small storage totes.

It’s slow and painful, but even if all we have are standard drill bits and a hand saw, we can hollow out small logs to make a variety of sizes and depths to cluster around porches, hang from fences, and stick up on posts without buying/salvaging lumber or other birdhouses. Or, use split smaller-yet limbs for construction with simple glues or nails.

We can easily distress those items and add them to the yards of empty houses or the dump sites that develop around back roads and abandoned commercial buildings. Don’t hang them – they’ll be less inviting if they’re lying on the ground like something that wasn’t worth keeping.

  Play Conservationist

Most areas have programs ranging from PETA types through Ducks Unlimited’s hunters to help provide safe nesting for ducks, pelicans, cormorants, and raptors. Many are encouraged for homeowners and uber-organic farmers, and putting up bat houses is even more popular for the backyard crowds.

That helps this one apply to even more locations, especially if we print and laminate small 2”x4”-3”x5” placards to label our creations “[fill-in-the-blank bird] Conservation – Visit [eco-freak/hunter/DNR website] to learn more about native wildlife”.

Those big ol’ birdhouses give us a lot of room to play with.

Raptor platforms and boxes can be filled with larger flat objects and have nests built up on them, leaving room for actual birds or not.

Same goes for the bucket-sized wood duck and merganser boxes – we can put in a barrier just below the hole so they pop in and pop right back out, or we can just stuff our ammo can, toolbox or lunchbox into the bottom, leaving room for the critters to use it until we need our glove-stuffed boots, rain gear, e-tool, or spade and knife set.

They also commonly need big ol’ sturdy supports, so we can make use of a stump or invest in larger-diameter pipe or 6×6-8×8” timbers (or build what looks like them out of 1 x what-evers) to give us more storage room yet.

If we hang flush to a tree instead, we can carve out a hollow behind the birdhouse or bat house to use as well or instead.

Fire Extinguisher Mounting Brackets/Boards

Along the same lines as using the space behind a fake or functional birdhouse, we can use the space behind safety equipment pretty much everybody should have on hand anyway.

I wouldn’t leave a fake extinguisher anywhere somebody might grab it, but the brackets are sometimes so obvious in what they are, it would work for inside abandoned properties or if we can distress a fake, pull the safety and bleed off the gauge, they, too, would add space, especially at dump sites and even inside foreclosure/abandoned buildings.

Faux Spouts, Stacks & Gutters

Sticking up a downspout that isn’t actually connected to a gutter is a fast, easy way to gain a bit of outdoor storage space. Adding a covered gutter is a bit pricier, but can also pay off due to the size and more importantly the length and ease of access for later.

I would 100% not climb the roof of a property I’m not sure about. However, at ours and if it’s accessible from a ladder I can slide in, studded rooftops are far from uncommon – and those are common sites for leaks, which calls for a repairman or inspector who won’t generate too much interest.

They let us custom-size relatively inexpensive and salvaged materials to hold anything we’d bury in an ammo box or PVC tube, although we have to be cognizant of just how hot rooftops can get and make sure it’s secure against winds and any ice/snow loads we face.

*DO NOT buy a real vent stack. Salvage or get crafty.

Built-In Hidey-Holes

Another that applies to pretty much anywhere, to include dump sites and really trashed abandoned yards and houses, as well as storage lockers and somewhere out of sight on our own properties, are old “junk” that has a fair bit of empty space inside.

We just want to make sure they are appropriately distressed with enough frayed electrical cords and cracked faces to avoid appealing to thieves and scrap salvagers.

I discovered just how roomy the rear interior of both a stove and washer are when a songbird flew in the house and repeatedly disappeared inside appliances. (No, I did not indulge my giggling father and turn them on – I did give some thought to buying a ferret.)

Once gutted, many window AC units and some RV rooftop units will rival a storage tote or bucket for storage space.

We don’t even need tools if we can lay our hands on an already-dinged-up bumper to semi-submerge in the earth (dissuading others from flipping it over and finding our machete, shovel, probe bar, hatchet, etc.). Printers also come ready-made with a frustrating array of pockets and access points.

The possibilities are pretty endless.

Remember…

There are a whole host of options for increasing our off-site squirrel hoards – or stashing tools we need to access buried caches – but we do have to give some thought to what we stash due to size and the chances of loss and damage, and to the possible risks we’ll face accessing them before, during and after disasters.

And, for-real, don’t forget to sniff, listen, and watch for snakes, especially in spaces and weather that leave them no choice but to strike if somebody gets too close. And, if you do like digging holes…..

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The post Skip the Shovel – Easy-Access Outdoor Caches appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[realselfblog]

Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care

I had the pleasure once again of attending Shelly Palmer’s annual kick-off breakfast where he level-sets our expectations for CES two hours before the tech halls open. Shelly is a consumer tech expert and leads the Palmer Group; comments on Fox 5 in NYC, CNN, and CNBC; writes a weekly column in Advertising Age; composes music; and he’s a Renaissance Man who’s a generous sharer of knowledge with a great sense of humor and humanity.

Shelly is one of my trusted touchpoints for all-things-consumer-tech.

His message at the start of #CES2019: this year, the show is about connectivity and partnership. You can’t do everything yourself. We need interoperability and connectivity, and that connectivity also means interpersonal connections.

That resonates big for health/care, doesn’t it?

When he used the word “interoperability,” I nearly fell out of my chair because that’s such a hot button in health care IT right now.

Digging deeper into some of the big trends, Shelly’s observations will also ring authentic to health/care stakeholders…

AI is everywhere at CES. But it’s not necessarily useful for everything. As my friends at #JPM this week are hearing in San Francisco, AI is part of virtually every biotech and med-tech story. Here at CES, it’s the same buzzword to look out for. Shelly strongly recommends we kick the tires on those AI mentions, asking, “why are you using it?” Sometimes, all you need are some statistical analysis, not necessarily machine learning or cognitive computing.

Having said that, there sound use cases of AI at CES — Shelly pointed to some, “amazingly good purpose-built tools” like Alexa voice services with auto speech recognitiona nd natural language understanding.

These skills are already helping make health care better for providers in medical practice and consumers and caregivers at home for aging support, medication adherence, and mental health.

Another buzzword at CES this year, as last, is “5G.” This fast network technology is very promising, but it’s not here yet. When it arrives, 5G will indeed be game-changing, Shelly projects, knowing that “the speed of information is directly related to economic success.” Information asymmetry is one of the most primitive instincts we have, he noted.

The rest of the CES story for 2019 is positive, Shelly optimistically continued. “We are in a world of incremental change, everywhere.” Last year, he said, was a year of iteration, not innovation. But reflecting on that walking this year’s halls of shiny new things, Shelly said that in his opinion, “iteration is a humble form of innovation.”

Making things “slightly better” is happening: for example, testing longer battery life, improving camera technology, and testing hardware security are among the marginal improvements that can make our tech experiences so much better.

Walking through the Sands marketplace, which is where most of my steps will be taken, will show me new things in wearable tech, fitness, health, baby tech, and smart homes. “It looks like a 7th century bazaar,” Shelly described,”a vibrant marketplace with people telling you that ‘my’ same thing is better than the next booth’s same thing.” This “bazaar” is in fact the real market working on the supply side.

“Don’t be sad there is not a lot of bright shiny new stuff out there,” he asserted. “Rejoice in the fact that what you are seeing is the future unfolding in front of you.”

Health Populi’s Hot Points:  Shelly’s intro to #CES2019 resonated with my health/care lens on this meeting. Those of us who have worked in the health care ecosystem for some years know that the industry doesn’t change fast. The whole concept of Clay Christensen’s disruptive innovation is taken with large grains of salt, because there are so many barriers to change in our field: regulation, fragmented care delivery, clinician workflow, medical cultures, payment/reimbursement, and increasingly the growing role of patient-as-consumer-as-payor with new muscles to engage with, or reject, legacy health care players (hospitals, doctors, pharma).

On the pure tech side, say for AI and 5G, the technology is falling into place soon; but that’s easier compared with everything that’s needed to commercialize and scale adoption. Think about building towers for 5G’s faster communications capability, or new business rules and roles. And incumbents in these new situations can be out-run by new entrants who can define these new business rules and roles necessary for conducting business that use these technologies.

That certainly rings true for the evolving retail health care landscape, as CVS and Aetna come together, Google grows in health and medicine, and Amazon spreads tentacles throughout the health ecosystem.

Ultimately, though, trust is a critical currency, and especially in health care.

As Shelly put it, we in industry have a responsibility. “Trust is the most sacred asset that any organization has,” he called out.

True enough, in the latest Gallup Poll on honesty and ethics in professions in America, the leaders in trusted roles were nurses, pharmacists and doctors. Our health care human capital are trusted citizens in the U.S. This cannot be over-stated or over-valued. The best new tech innovations in health and medical care should and must be coupled with empathy on the human side and respect for patients and providers alike.

In Shelly’s consumer-tech world, he cites demand-side disruption — that is, markets driven from consumers at the grassroots upward to the supply side.

And so in the evolving health care ecosystem, as patients take on the roles of payor and clinical decision maker, technology-based solutions need to deliver enchanting experience, privacy by design, and empowering workflows.

The post Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care appeared first on HealthPopuli.com.

Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care posted first on http://dentistfortworth.blogspot.com

[maxihealth]

Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care

I had the pleasure once again of attending Shelly Palmer’s annual kick-off breakfast where he level-sets our expectations for CES two hours before the tech halls open. Shelly is a consumer tech expert and leads the Palmer Group; comments on Fox 5 in NYC, CNN, and CNBC; writes a weekly column in Advertising Age; composes music; and he’s a Renaissance Man who’s a generous sharer of knowledge with a great sense of humor and humanity.

Shelly is one of my trusted touchpoints for all-things-consumer-tech.

His message at the start of #CES2019: this year, the show is about connectivity and partnership. You can’t do everything yourself. We need interoperability and connectivity, and that connectivity also means interpersonal connections.

That resonates big for health/care, doesn’t it?

When he used the word “interoperability,” I nearly fell out of my chair because that’s such a hot button in health care IT right now.

Digging deeper into some of the big trends, Shelly’s observations will also ring authentic to health/care stakeholders…

AI is everywhere at CES. But it’s not necessarily useful for everything. As my friends at #JPM this week are hearing in San Francisco, AI is part of virtually every biotech and med-tech story. Here at CES, it’s the same buzzword to look out for. Shelly strongly recommends we kick the tires on those AI mentions, asking, “why are you using it?” Sometimes, all you need are some statistical analysis, not necessarily machine learning or cognitive computing.

Having said that, there sound use cases of AI at CES — Shelly pointed to some, “amazingly good purpose-built tools” like Alexa voice services with auto speech recognitiona nd natural language understanding.

These skills are already helping make health care better for providers in medical practice and consumers and caregivers at home for aging support, medication adherence, and mental health.

Another buzzword at CES this year, as last, is “5G.” This fast network technology is very promising, but it’s not here yet. When it arrives, 5G will indeed be game-changing, Shelly projects, knowing that “the speed of information is directly related to economic success.” Information asymmetry is one of the most primitive instincts we have, he noted.

The rest of the CES story for 2019 is positive, Shelly optimistically continued. “We are in a world of incremental change, everywhere.” Last year, he said, was a year of iteration, not innovation. But reflecting on that walking this year’s halls of shiny new things, Shelly said that in his opinion, “iteration is a humble form of innovation.”

Making things “slightly better” is happening: for example, testing longer battery life, improving camera technology, and testing hardware security are among the marginal improvements that can make our tech experiences so much better.

Walking through the Sands marketplace, which is where most of my steps will be taken, will show me new things in wearable tech, fitness, health, baby tech, and smart homes. “It looks like a 7th century bazaar,” Shelly described,”a vibrant marketplace with people telling you that ‘my’ same thing is better than the next booth’s same thing.” This “bazaar” is in fact the real market working on the supply side.

“Don’t be sad there is not a lot of bright shiny new stuff out there,” he asserted. “Rejoice in the fact that what you are seeing is the future unfolding in front of you.”

Health Populi’s Hot Points:  Shelly’s intro to #CES2019 resonated with my health/care lens on this meeting. Those of us who have worked in the health care ecosystem for some years know that the industry doesn’t change fast. The whole concept of Clay Christensen’s disruptive innovation is taken with large grains of salt, because there are so many barriers to change in our field: regulation, fragmented care delivery, clinician workflow, medical cultures, payment/reimbursement, and increasingly the growing role of patient-as-consumer-as-payor with new muscles to engage with, or reject, legacy health care players (hospitals, doctors, pharma).

On the pure tech side, say for AI and 5G, the technology is falling into place soon; but that’s easier compared with everything that’s needed to commercialize and scale adoption. Think about building towers for 5G’s faster communications capability, or new business rules and roles. And incumbents in these new situations can be out-run by new entrants who can define these new business rules and roles necessary for conducting business that use these technologies.

That certainly rings true for the evolving retail health care landscape, as CVS and Aetna come together, Google grows in health and medicine, and Amazon spreads tentacles throughout the health ecosystem.

Ultimately, though, trust is a critical currency, and especially in health care.

As Shelly put it, we in industry have a responsibility. “Trust is the most sacred asset that any organization has,” he called out.

True enough, in the latest Gallup Poll on honesty and ethics in professions in America, the leaders in trusted roles were nurses, pharmacists and doctors. Our health care human capital are trusted citizens in the U.S. This cannot be over-stated or over-valued. The best new tech innovations in health and medical care should and must be coupled with empathy on the human side and respect for patients and providers alike.

In Shelly’s consumer-tech world, he cites demand-side disruption — that is, markets driven from consumers at the grassroots upward to the supply side.

And so in the evolving health care ecosystem, as patients take on the roles of payor and clinical decision maker, technology-based solutions need to deliver enchanting experience, privacy by design, and empowering workflows.

The post Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care appeared first on HealthPopuli.com.

Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care posted first on https://carilloncitydental.blogspot.com

[titheguerrero]

Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care

I had the pleasure once again of attending Shelly Palmer’s annual kick-off breakfast where he level-sets our expectations for CES two hours before the tech halls open. Shelly is a consumer tech expert and leads the Palmer Group; comments on Fox 5 in NYC, CNN, and CNBC; writes a weekly column in Advertising Age; composes music; and he’s a Renaissance Man who’s a generous sharer of knowledge with a great sense of humor and humanity.

Shelly is one of my trusted touchpoints for all-things-consumer-tech.

His message at the start of #CES2019: this year, the show is about connectivity and partnership. You can’t do everything yourself. We need interoperability and connectivity, and that connectivity also means interpersonal connections.

That resonates big for health/care, doesn’t it?

When he used the word “interoperability,” I nearly fell out of my chair because that’s such a hot button in health care IT right now.

Digging deeper into some of the big trends, Shelly’s observations will also ring authentic to health/care stakeholders…

AI is everywhere at CES. But it’s not necessarily useful for everything. As my friends at #JPM this week are hearing in San Francisco, AI is part of virtually every biotech and med-tech story. Here at CES, it’s the same buzzword to look out for. Shelly strongly recommends we kick the tires on those AI mentions, asking, “why are you using it?” Sometimes, all you need are some statistical analysis, not necessarily machine learning or cognitive computing.

Having said that, there sound use cases of AI at CES — Shelly pointed to some, “amazingly good purpose-built tools” like Alexa voice services with auto speech recognitiona nd natural language understanding.

These skills are already helping make health care better for providers in medical practice and consumers and caregivers at home for aging support, medication adherence, and mental health.

Another buzzword at CES this year, as last, is “5G.” This fast network technology is very promising, but it’s not here yet. When it arrives, 5G will indeed be game-changing, Shelly projects, knowing that “the speed of information is directly related to economic success.” Information asymmetry is one of the most primitive instincts we have, he noted.

The rest of the CES story for 2019 is positive, Shelly optimistically continued. “We are in a world of incremental change, everywhere.” Last year, he said, was a year of iteration, not innovation. But reflecting on that walking this year’s halls of shiny new things, Shelly said that in his opinion, “iteration is a humble form of innovation.”

Making things “slightly better” is happening: for example, testing longer battery life, improving camera technology, and testing hardware security are among the marginal improvements that can make our tech experiences so much better.

Walking through the Sands marketplace, which is where most of my steps will be taken, will show me new things in wearable tech, fitness, health, baby tech, and smart homes. “It looks like a 7th century bazaar,” Shelly described,”a vibrant marketplace with people telling you that ‘my’ same thing is better than the next booth’s same thing.” This “bazaar” is in fact the real market working on the supply side.

“Don’t be sad there is not a lot of bright shiny new stuff out there,” he asserted. “Rejoice in the fact that what you are seeing is the future unfolding in front of you.”

Health Populi’s Hot Points:  Shelly’s intro to #CES2019 resonated with my health/care lens on this meeting. Those of us who have worked in the health care ecosystem for some years know that the industry doesn’t change fast. The whole concept of Clay Christensen’s disruptive innovation is taken with large grains of salt, because there are so many barriers to change in our field: regulation, fragmented care delivery, clinician workflow, medical cultures, payment/reimbursement, and increasingly the growing role of patient-as-consumer-as-payor with new muscles to engage with, or reject, legacy health care players (hospitals, doctors, pharma).

On the pure tech side, say for AI and 5G, the technology is falling into place soon; but that’s easier compared with everything that’s needed to commercialize and scale adoption. Think about building towers for 5G’s faster communications capability, or new business rules and roles. And incumbents in these new situations can be out-run by new entrants who can define these new business rules and roles necessary for conducting business that use these technologies.

That certainly rings true for the evolving retail health care landscape, as CVS and Aetna come together, Google grows in health and medicine, and Amazon spreads tentacles throughout the health ecosystem.

Ultimately, though, trust is a critical currency, and especially in health care.

As Shelly put it, we in industry have a responsibility. “Trust is the most sacred asset that any organization has,” he called out.

True enough, in the latest Gallup Poll on honesty and ethics in professions in America, the leaders in trusted roles were nurses, pharmacists and doctors. Our health care human capital are trusted citizens in the U.S. This cannot be over-stated or over-valued. The best new tech innovations in health and medical care should and must be coupled with empathy on the human side and respect for patients and providers alike.

In Shelly’s consumer-tech world, he cites demand-side disruption — that is, markets driven from consumers at the grassroots upward to the supply side.

And so in the evolving health care ecosystem, as patients take on the roles of payor and clinical decision maker, technology-based solutions need to deliver enchanting experience, privacy by design, and empowering workflows.

The post Shelly Palmer De-Hypes CES 2019 & Has Lessons for Health/Care appeared first on HealthPopuli.com.

Article source:Health Populi