#ap management services

[masllp]

Accounting outsourcing services in India

We provide the best Accounting outsourcing services in India and MAS is the top outsourcing and Bookkeeping service Companies in India Accounting Outsourcing Services in India | Accounting Services in India | Bookkeeping | Outsourcing Company

[masllp123]

Company Registration in Delhi by Mercurius & Associates LLP – Your Trusted Business Partner

Starting a business in Delhi? The first step to establishing a legally recognized business entity is company registration. Mercurius & Associates LLP offers seamless and hassle-free company registration services in Delhi, ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Why Company Registration Delhi?

Delhi, being the commercial hub of India, offers immense opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses. Registering your company provides:

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Types of Company Registration Delhi

Mercurius & Associates LLP assists in registering different types of business entities:

Private Limited Company

Ideal for startups and growing businesses.

Requires a minimum of 2 directors and shareholders.

Limited liability protection and easy access to funding.

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

A hybrid structure combining benefits of a partnership and a company.

Provides limited liability to partners and requires minimal compliance.

One Person Company (OPC)

Suitable for solo entrepreneurs looking for limited liability protection.

Requires a single director and shareholder.

Partnership Firm

Best for small businesses with multiple owners.

Governed by a partnership agreement with shared responsibilities.

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Ideal for individual business owners looking for simple operations.

No separate legal entity, with full control over business operations.

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Mercurius & Associates LLP ensures a quick and hassle-free registration process:

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Looking to register your company in Delhi? Mercurius & Associates LLP is your trusted partner for professional and efficient company registration services. Our experts are here to guide you through every step of the process.

[strawberryteabunny]

I got the Dress-Up Berry socks and headdress! 🍓 so so happy to have something with crochet strawberries on it ໒꒰ྀི∗ɞ̴̶̷ ·̮ ɞ̴̶̷∗꒱ྀིა ⑅˚˖ ♥︎ anyone else planning to get something from this release?

[ingenx]

SAP Hana Implementation Services: Driving Efficiency and Innovation  

The energy and natural resources industry operates within a dynamic landscape. Sustainability targets, fluctuating market conditions, and the relentless demand for greater operational efficiency pose unique challenges. To overcome these hurdles and excel, companies are increasingly relying on transformative technology solutions like SAP Utilities.  

This powerful suite of SAP reporting tools is specifically engineered to help energy companies revolutionize their processes, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experiences.  

What Are SAP Utilities? A Powerful Tool for Energy Companies 

SAP Utilities is a cornerstone of the wider SAP ecosystem, designed to address the nuanced requirements of the energy sector. It delivers a comprehensive array of integrated features, from streamlined SAP audit managed services and billing to robust energy data management and advanced asset optimization. By adopting SAP Utilities, companies can unlock a new level of efficiency, data-backed insights, and a greater focus on customer needs. 

The Value of SAP Development and Consulting Professionals 

Implementing a technology solution as complex as SAP Utilities often benefits immensely from a partnership with seasoned SAP development and consulting experts. These professionals have a deep understanding of both the energy sector's intricacies and the technical aspects of SAP solutions. Their role is essential in configuring SAP Utilities to perfectly match a company's unique operations, ensuring smooth integration with existing systems, and delivering vital training to empower end-users. 

SAP Solutions for Oil and Gas: Navigating Complexity 

Within the oil and gas industry, fluctuating prices, regulatory complexity, and the relentless push for sustainability create a particularly demanding context. Specialized SAP expertise is incredibly valuable in this arena. Consultants who understand both the industry and SAP technologies can help oil and gas companies optimize processes, navigate compliance challenges efficiently, and use data to support informed decision-making. This translates into greater operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and a stronger environmental focus. 

Embarking on the SAP Implementation Journey 

A successful SAP Utilities implementation demands careful planning and meticulous execution. SAP implementation consultants become invaluable partners in this process. They excel at mapping business processes to SAP functionality, ensuring customization aligns perfectly with your organization's specific needs. They also provide comprehensive training to equip your workforce with the knowledge to maximize the benefits of the new SAP system. 

SAP for Mining: Efficiency, Sustainability, and Improved Performance 

The mining industry, driven by fierce competition and the urgency of sustainability, can gain substantial advantages through customized SAP solutions. Implementing SAP across mining processes can deliver enhanced visibility throughout operations, enabling optimized production scheduling, streamlined supply chains, and thorough compliance with safety and environmental regulations. Leveraging SAP in this context can elevate a mining company's efficiency, reduce waste, and strengthen its competitive position. 

The Power of Reporting in the Energy Sector 

Effective data collection and analysis are critical for energy companies. SAP offers a suite of advanced reporting tools to help you tap the full potential of the data you collect. 

SAP reporting tools: Gain insights on demand through tailored reporting 

SAP Business Objects tools: Deliver sophisticated reporting and analysis capabilities for power users 

SAP audit-managed services: Outsource audit management for additional efficiency and expertise 

Wrapping Up! 

In this era where sustainability goals and technological innovation converge, SAP Utilities plays a pivotal role in powering transformation within the energy sector. By partnering with SAP development and consulting experts, implementing SAP best practices for S4 hana implementation services, and embracing the right reporting tools, oil, gas, mining, and other energy-focused companies can achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, sustainability, and innovation.  

The strategic deployment of SAP Utilities will undoubtedly be central to the success of these organizations as they navigate a future driven by technology and an increasing focus on environmental responsibility. 

[myndsolution1]

Overcoming Growth Barriers in AP Automation: A Roadmap for Success

In the ever-evolving landscape of financial processes, overcoming growth barriers in Accounts Payable (AP) automation is paramount for sustained success. At Mynd Integrated Solution, we understand the intricacies of AP automation and have crafted a comprehensive roadmap to guide you through the challenges and propel your organization towards unparalleled efficiency and growth.

[03den]

bfhamzah headcanons - sfw & gnreader

a.n: i do not know hamzah personally and do not believe this represents how he actually is/acts irl. i yap i yapped and i will continue yapping

( i feel like hamzah isn’t the type to fall just for anyone from one night to another. he gives me vibes of friends to lovers / friends to fwb to lovers troupe. his love grows gradually and he might only take his feelings seriously once he feels like he actually knows you, so you’d probably be friends for quite a while before it flourishes to sth else )

his primarily love language is acts of service. as soon as you mention anything he can help you with, he’s already putting everything to the side and standing up! oh, you need groceries for your ap? he’ll drive you and help you go through the list. your wi-fi is malfunctioning? dw, he’ll look into it. he might complain once in a while but it’s simply just to tease you — something like “your wi-fi is so trash i had to restart it twice this morning”. for him acts of service are also more than just helping, it’s his way of showing he cares and that he listens. e.g: if you mention liking * snack, don’t be surprised to see it laying around in his kitchen next time you come over

i also feel like he’s somewhat big on quality time. although editing and managing two youtube channels does keep his schedule busy, hamzah likes to be near you. js being in the same room as you—even if silent and both of you r focused on your own tasks—is enough for him. when not working, he likes to b js lazy with you too. he likes to stay in bed w you for hourss, not necessarily cuddling & to stay w u on the sofa, just slouched near each other watching cartoons. he holds those moments dear in his heart

there r still obvious exceptions where he takes you out to do sth, but he’s not overly romantic nor is he into that stuff. i can see him preferring a stay-at-home dinner date and cooking you your preferred meal than going out to a restaurant for a romantic dinner. but overall the places i imagine he’d take you r all a bit funny — laser tag, bumper cars, pet store js to look at the animals, etc..

he just isn’t much of a fan of grand romantic gestures, specially not in public or in front of cameras, so do not expect a lot of pda from him. most of his physical touch in public would have a playful insinuation, more pestering than romantic; smacking or pinching your tight, resting an arm on your shoulder like a deadweight, randomly poking your sides, and pulling your hood over your face.

it all still comes from a place of love though, and as time passes, there’s a progress on his srs and casual display of affection. if sitting down, his hand will start resting on your knee or tight while talking; if walking tgt on a busy street in front of the camera, his hand might reach for your wrist and grab it gently. if you’re outside and cold, instead of being all gentleman and giving you his hoodie/jacket, he’ll js pull you into it with him. and as time passes, appearances of kisses on the cheek and eventually on the lips on videos will start being more casual as well (outside of youtube, it all depends on how many people are around. he usually tries to be discreet with his smooches).

don’t get it wrong though, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like physical affection. in private, that man is all over your space. he’s touchy and clingy, hands always on you even if subtly. his teasing touches in public turn into something more caring and loving in private. if he’s used to mess up your hair to annoy you, when it’s just the two of you he’ll absentmindedly stroke through it. the putting-his-bodyweight-over-you-till-you-complain also turns into him being half on top of you most of the time, whether it’s draping himself across your lap, resting his head on your shoulder or flopping onto you when you’re lying down

actually, while on that, something i feel like he definitely loves is laying his head on your lap or chest. he for sure lovesss when you run your fingers through his hair too even if he doesn’t directly says it. he will even shove your legs apart js so he can lay between them. also! i have seen people say this but i’ll repeat it, he loves manhandling you and he will casually do it for no necessary reason. lowkey back hugs is also sth he likes — no dramatic embrace, js arms wrapped loosely around you and his chin resting against your shoulder

notices everything about you. your favorites, your hates, your comforts, your distresses… he’s so fast to understand and tell apart your moods too. i wouldn’t say he feels too confident in his reassuring, although he always does it and it always helps you

he texts/calls you a lottttt. def tried to be nonchalant at the beginning of your friendship but he quickly gave up. so, now that you’re dating? forget about double texting—the normal is for him to quadruple text

words of affirmation are not his strong suit. he tries his best and you’re also patient with him, but still, ‘i love you’s will take their time to be heard out loud. he prefers showing it over saying it

part 2

[fatehbaz]

Good question:

In the United States, many jails and prisons can and will charge you money for every single night that you spend imprisoned, for the entire duration of your incarceration, as if you were being billed for staying at a hotel. Even if you are incarcerated for years. Adding up to tens of thousands of dollars. What happens when you’re released?

In response to this:

---

So.

You’re getting charged, like, ten dollars every time you even submit a request form to possibly be seen by a doctor or dentist.

You’re getting charged maybe five dollars for ten minutes on the phone.

Any time a friend or family tries to send you like five dollars so that you can buy some toothpaste or lotion, or maybe a snack from the commissary since you’re diabetic and the “meals” have left you malnourished, maybe half of that money gets taken as a “service fee” by the corporate contractor that the prison uses to manage your pre-paid debit card. So you’re already losing money every day just by being there.

What happens if you can’t pay?

In some places, after serving just a couple of years for drugs charges, almost 20 years after being released, the state can still hunt you down for over $80,000 that you “owe” as if it were a per-night room-and-board accommodations charge, like this recent highly-publicized case in Connecticut:

Excerpt:

Two decades after her release from prison, [TB] feels she is still being punished. When her mother died two years ago, the state of Connecticut put a lien on the Stamford home she and her siblings inherited. It said she owed $83,762 to cover the cost of her 2 1/2 year imprisonment for drug crimes. [...] “I’m about to be homeless,” said [TB], 58, who in March [2022] became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state law that charges prisoners $249 a day for the cost of their incarceration. [...] All but two states have so-called “pay-to-stay” laws that make prisoners pay for their time behind bars [...]. Critics say it’s an unfair second penalty that hinders rehabilitation by putting former inmates in debt for life. Efforts have been underway in some places to scale back or eliminate such policies. Two states — Illinois and New Hampshire — have repealed their laws since 2019. [...] Pay-to-stay laws were put into place in many areas during the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and ’90s, said Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology at University of Southern California who is leading a study of the practice. [...] Connecticut used to collect prison debt by attaching an automatic lien to every inmate, claiming half of any financial windfall they might receive for up to 20 years after they are released from prison [...].

Text by: Pat Eaton-Robb. “At $249 per day, prison stays leave ex-inmates deep in debt.” AP News / The Associated Press. 27 August 2022.

---

---

Look at this:

To help her son, Cindy started depositing between $50 to $100 a week into Matthew’s account, money he could use to buy food from the prison commissary, such as packaged ramen noodles, cookies, or peanut butter and jelly to make sandwiches. Cindy said sending that money wasn’t necessarily an expense she could afford. “No one can,” she said. So far in the past month, she estimates she sent Matthew close to $300. But in reality, he only received half of that amount. The balance goes straight to the prison to pay off the $1,000 in “rent” that the prison charged Matthew for his prior incarceration. [...] A PA Post examination of six county budgets (Crawford, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lehigh, Venango and Indiana) showed that those counties’ prisons have collected more than $15 million from inmates — almost half is for daily room and board fees that are meant to cover at least a portion of the costs with housing and food. Prisoners who don’t work are still expected to pay. If they don’t, their bills are sent to collections agencies, which can report the debts to credit bureaus. [...] Between 2014 and 2017, the Indiana County Prison — which has an average inmate population of 87 people — collected nearly $3 million from its prisoners. In the past five years, Lebanon’s jail collected just over $2 million in housing and processing fees.

Text by: Joseph Darius Jaafari. “Paying rent to your jailers: Inmates are billed millions of dollars for their stays in Pa. prisons.” WHYY (PBS). 10 December 2019. Originally published at PA Post.

---

Pay-to-stay, the practice of charging people to pay for their own jail or prison confinement, is being enforced unfairly by using criminal, civil and administrative law, according to a new Rutgers University-New Brunswick led study. The study [...] finds that charging pay-to-stay fees is triggered by criminal justice contact but possible due to the co-opting of civil and administrative institutions, like social service agencies and state treasuries that oversee benefits, which are outside the realm of criminal justice. “A person can be charged $20 to $80 a day for their incarceration,” said author Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology and a faculty affiliate of Rutgers' criminal justice program. “That per diem rate can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees when a person gets out of prison. To recoup fees, states use civil means such as lawsuits and wage garnishment against currently and formerly incarcerated people, and regularly use administrative means such as seizing employment pensions, tax refunds and public benefits to satisfy the debt.” [...] Civil penalties are enacted on family members if the defendant cannot pay and in states such as Florida, Nevada and Idaho can occur even after the original defendant is deceased. [...]

Text by: Megan Schumann. “States Unfairly Burdening Incarcerated People With “Pay-to-Stay” Fees.” Rutgers press release. 20 November 2020.

---

So, to pay for your own imprisonment, states can:

-- hunt you down for decades (track you down 20 years later, charge you tens of thousands of dollars, and take your house away)

-- put a lien on your vehicle, house

-- garnish your paycheck/wages

-- seize your tax refund

-- send collections agencies after you

-- take your public assistance benefits

-- sue you in civil court

-- take money from your family even after you’re dead

[somecunttookmyurl]

the "all customer service people are trained by management to be illiterate apes you can never get any resolutions by design dont be mean about it" crowd would faint to know there is a guy at my bank RIGHT NOW attempting to resolve an issue that would normally take a week

see. i tried to order food (having nothing of note in the house, and too much pain currently to get down 3 flights of stairs about it) and the payment failed on just eat's end.

but it went through fine on my bank's end, so the funds are tied up in "pending"... for a week. my available balance is now 95p so i can't just do it again

the bank cannot typically do anything about this until the normal time frame for collection passes and they funds just release automatically. just eat have zero contactable customer service

but it is for FOOD and there's no more MONEY and i am a DISABLED CUSTOMER so BY FUCKING GOD not on zeeshan's watch

[just-a-drawing-bean]

Please Share

Hey guys, unfortunately I am asking for any help on covering the cost of my sister's medical bill.

Recently my sister found out she has cervical cancer and is about to start treatments asap. Her workplace was kind enough to start her a gofundme for the insane medical bill that is chemotherapy and cancer treatments. I wanted to share the link around to anyone willing to pitch in.

Linked below is her gofundme

Anything helps, and if you cant donate that is totally ok! Even a reblog can help.

Any and all donations are greatly appreciated <3

Thanks you guys

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Vittoria Elliott at Wired:

Elon Musk’s takeover of federal government infrastructure is ongoing, and at the center of things is a coterie of engineers who are barely out of—and in at least one case, purportedly still in—college. Most have connections to Musk and at least two have connections to Musk’s longtime associate Peter Thiel, a cofounder and chairman of the analytics firm and government contractor Palantir who has long expressed opposition to democracy. WIRED has identified six young men—all apparently between the ages of 19 and 24, according to public databases, their online presences, and other records—who have little to no government experience and are now playing critical roles in Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, tasked by executive order with “modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” The engineers all hold nebulous job titles within DOGE, and at least one appears to be working as a volunteer. The engineers are Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran. None have responded to requests for comment from WIRED. Representatives from OPM, GSA, and DOGE did not respond to requests for comment. Already, Musk’s lackeys have taken control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and General Services Administration (GSA), and have gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment system, potentially allowing him access to a vast range of sensitive information about tens of millions of citizens, businesses, and more. On Sunday, CNN reported that DOGE personnel attempted to improperly access classified information and security systems at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and that top USAID security officials who thwarted the attempt were subsequently put on leave. The AP reported that DOGE personnel had indeed accessed classified material. “What we're seeing is unprecedented in that you have these actors who are not really public officials gaining access to the most sensitive data in government,” says Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. “We really have very little eyes on what's going on. Congress has no ability to really intervene and monitor what's happening because these aren't really accountable public officials. So this feels like a hostile takeover of the machinery of governments by the richest man in the world.”

[...] “To the extent these individuals are exercising what would otherwise be relatively significant managerial control over two very large agencies that deal with very complex topics,” says Nick Bednar, a professor at University of Minnesota’s school of law, “it is very unlikely they have the expertise to understand either the law or the administrative needs that surround these agencies.” Sources tell WIRED that Bobba, Coristine, Farritor, and Shaotran all currently have working GSA emails and A-suite level clearance at the GSA, which means that they work out of the agency’s top floor and have access to all physical spaces and IT systems, according a source with knowledge of the GSA’s clearance protocols. The source, who spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity because they fear retaliation, says they worry that the new teams could bypass the regular security clearance protocols to access the agency’s sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF), as the Trump administration has already granted temporary security clearances to unvetted people. This is in addition to Coristine and Bobba being listed as “experts” working at OPM. Bednar says that while staff can be loaned out between agencies for special projects or to work on issues that might cross agency lines, it’s not exactly common practice.

WIRED’s report on the 6 college-aged men between 19 and 24 that are shaping up DOGE in aiding and abetting in co-”President” Elon Musk’s technofascist takeover.

[masllp]

Subsidiary Company Registration in India

Want to know how to setup Wholly Owned Subsidiary in India, Key features of the wholly owned subsidiary company, Documents required etc. Subsidiary Company Registration in India | Wholly Owned Subsidiary in India | Documents Required

[preservationofnormalcy]

[As I climb the multiple levels of stairs to the ranger tower, I take a moment to stop and reflect. I’m exhausted - after the hike to get here, the relief that I felt upon seeing the tower was tempered by the realization I had several flights of stairs ahead of me. I was in Washington State, flown here by my handlers to talk to seemingly the only Esoteric Ranger that would be available for the next month. Not for the first time, I wondered what it meant that they heavily suggested my interview subjects. The best person for the job, or the best PR face in the department?

I reach the top and stop again, and take a drink of water. A figure sitting inside the room at the top turns and sees me, and gets up to open the door. He is young, in his mid to late twenties, long brown hair done up in a bun, a large scraggly beard over the top of his ranger uniform. He has a look of amusement on his face, a sort of polite smile doing its best to cover up a smirk. His accent is thick, Appalachian, and his demeanor still manages to convey a sort of genial calm.]

S] Meghan, right?

M] Yeah. Hold on, let me…catch my breath.

S] Aint no worry. Take the time you need. I’ll just leave the door propped open. And if it helps, there’s iced tea in here waiting for you.

M] That does help. I’ll just….be a second.

[After a moment, I joined the man in the observation room. A cot, a shelf of supplies, a desk with a radio setup, a laptop on a table. A simple room for an apparently complex job. The tree-eye logo of the Rangers is plastered on many surfaces, well worn.]

M] Sheamus Doyle, right?

S] Yes ma’am.

M] I’m Meghan.

S] Pleasure to meet you. Lemme just….

[He takes a jug of iced tea from a minifridge and pours some into two mismatched cups, sitting at the small table and glancing at his laptop for a moment as I sit across from him.]

S] Pardon me, just watchin’ the ‘squatches.

M] Watching?

[He turns the screen around - a topographic map of the area is displayed, black with white lines, with about a dozen white dots congregating in two places.]

S] We’ve been watching the cryptid migrations. They been odd since….well, since. Ain’t been following their normal routes.

M] Is that what the Rangers do? I’m sure you know I’m here to ask questions, so….I guess that’ll be my first one.

S] A large part of it, yes ma’am. Cryptid watch.

M] I guess that’s the “catch and release” part of the poster I saw.

S] Mhmm. It’s hard work, y’know. Better here’n in the Everglades taggin’ skunk apes though.

M] Let me look at my notes…kind of scrambled after the hike here.

S] Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Everyone’s gotta do a stint in the firewatch, and we pull double duty takin’ notes on the ‘squatches while we’re here.

M] Tell me a little about the Esoteric Rangers.

S] We’re older than the Office is. Bet they ain’t told you that.

M] How so?

S] Office was founded in ‘27, right? E-Rangers were a secret division of the National Park Service, founded –

M] 1916, eleven years earlier.

S] That’s right. Even then they knew weird stuff happens in the forests, so they had a little bit earmarked for people to investigate or protect people from the weird stuff, and the weird stuff from people. When the Office came around later, we got folded into them instead. But by that time, y’know. Eleven years. That’s enough time for a place to develop a sort of….culture.

M] How do you mean?

S] We’re under the jurisdiction of the Office for the Preservation of Normalcy, ma’am, but between you an’ me, the Rangers have our own ways of doing things, our own rules. Was a requirement of the merger.

M] I see. So forested areas are your jurisdiction?

S] Anything that takes place on ‘r around a national park or a nature preserve usually has at least one of us onsite. We have our checklists, our methods for findin’ out what’s going on. Weird shit happens far from civilization.

M] Like what?

S] Reality sorta…gets weak, out here. I heard y’talked to Wren.

M] I did.

S] They’re always on about that noosphere stuff. Out here, with no people, noosphere kinda gets a little…wobbly. It’s like…if enough human minds are the bungee cords holdin’ down a tarp. It’s fine most of the time, but sometimes there’s a wind, you know? The noosphere don’t have the guidance to tell it what to do, so you get…

[He trailed off.]

M] What?

S] I seen weird shit, ma’am. Woodpeckers that move backwards, sealing up holes in trees. Hikers from twenty years ago, missing their faces. Places where the sun never shines, like that old song. Areas that looked like Lucifer’s vacation home, all burned and sulphur-smoke. Deer speakin’ in the voices of dead relatives, antlers shining blue. Gunshots where there shouldn’t be people. Realspace is weak out here. Veil gets thin when there ain’t no one to see it.

M] Is all that true?

S] As true as Mama’s promises.

M] Mmh. Tell me about the….cryptids. What is a cryptid? I know it’s like…unknown creatures, but for you they’re clearly….known, right?

[He sat back after a drink of his tea, giving a wince and a so-so gesture of his hand.]

S] That’s the mundane definition, yeah. The Office’s definition of a cryptid is….a creature whose existence ain’t really evolutionarily plausible, that would raise a lot a’ questions were it known. Jackalopes, you know, no other bunny has antlers, sort of thing. They probably didn’t evolve, per se, so…

M] What about the sasquatch? Wouldn’t it just be seen as a missing link?

[He nods, thinks for a second, looks at his computer, and then jerks his head to the door.]

S] Lemme show you something.

[On the platform outside, bolted onto the railing, is a telescope - or I assume it is. Attached to the long barrel of the device are a lot of wires, a plastic casing that looked like it housed a small electronic assembly, and a revolving series of lenses that look like they can be rotated into the eye ports like an optometrist’s testing machine. He looks into the scope, adjusting the lenses and a few knobs on the side of the device, and locks it into place.]

S] Here, take a look.

[I look into the scope - for a moment, I think there’s something wrong with it. I can see a clearing in the forest, and three….shapes. Smudges on the lenses? No, he’d have seen that. The shapes are blurry blobs from this distance, out of sync from their sharper surroundings. I’m about to take my eyes away from the scope and ask what I’m looking at when I feel him reach over and adjust the lenses again, rotating a new set into place. It’s accompanied by an electric click and a soft whine from the device, and now I can see them clearly. The three blobs were large, humanoid figures, covered head to toe in rusty brown fur. One stands guard in the clearing, while another sits on a stone, grooming the fur of a third, possibly a juvenile. They are...impossible. Majestic creatures, even from this distance.]

S] We call it an Obfuscation Field. They’re sort of always….blurry. In the 30’s we developed techniques to see through it, y’know, but it’s one of those things people can’t find out about.

M] Unbelievable.

S] Somethin’ wrong?

M] It’s just…this whole time, you know?

[He leaned on the railing, taking a vape pen out of his shirt pocket.]

S] Yeah, I heard they kind of threw you into all this. Sink ‘r swim. I wager most people get a slower introduction.

M] Did you?

[He took a hit of his vape pen.]

M] Should you be doing that on the job?

[He gave me an amused look, gesturing around to the forest. I could almost imagine a hypothetical camera comically zooming out to show the remoteness of the tower.]

S] Nah, I grew up in all this. My family’s been practicing “The Work”, so to speak, since they came here four or five generations ago. I never got the hang of witchcraft, myself. You get a dud every other generation, so they say. My sister’s a natural though, she’s interning with the Office in Archival.

M] Some people are sort of…born into knowing this stuff.

S] We call it being “in the community”. At a certain point it all blends together. Your family does folk magic at a certain level, you grow up with your best friend bein’ a lycan, that kinda thing.

M] I feel like I’ve missed out.

S] Ma’am, sometimes it’s more trouble’n it’s worth.

M] Yeah?

S] I love my friends, my family, but….you think I wouldn’t flick a switch, give all this up? Be Sheamus the hipster and not Sheamus the cryptid hunter? Be a hell of a lot more simple. Weird shit attracts more weird shit.

[He took another hit, exhaling a thick cloud. For a moment, shapes in the cloud coalesce - the prominent brow of an ape, a rabbit with antlers. I wonder if he was being modest about his lack of magic.]

M] I’m not really sure.

S] You’re letting it get to you, all of this. So quick, so extreme. I think you need an industrial grade chill pill, ma’am.

M] Maybe I do.

S] I got a guy coming in to bring me supplies tonight. Stay here, watch the sunset, you drive back with him.

M] Are you sure?

S] Hundred percent. Take the evenin’, ma’am. You need it.

(Buy the poster here!)

[usanewscorner]

Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.”

“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”

The employees also warned that many of those enlisted by Musk to help him slash the size of the federal government under President Donald Trump’s administration were political ideologues who did not have the necessary skills or experience for the task ahead of them.

The mass resignation of engineers, data scientists, designers and product managers is a temporary setback for Musk and the Republican president’s tech-driven purge of the federal workforce. It comes amid a flurry of court challenges that have sought to stall, stop or unwind their efforts to fire or coerce thousands of government workers out of jobs.

Read More>>

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The picket line in front of the Brass Rail restaurant on Seventh Avenue near 50th Street, January 11, 1942, which completed its third year. The AFL pickets wore out 7,264 pairs of shoes and marched 1,728,000 miles, according to union statisticians. The marching goes on as the restaurant management refuses to compromise on its demand that it retain the sole right to discharge employees for service it considers unsatisfactory; the strikers offered to submit the entire dispute to arbitration.

Photo: Robert Kradin for the AP

[vague-humanoid]

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A crisis unfolded in western North Carolina as officials rushed to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service Monday, three days after Hurricane Helene ripped across the U.S. Southeast. The death toll from the storm reached the triple digits.

At least 107 people in six states were killed. A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed. Georgia’s death count was raised Monday from 17 to 25.

North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, predicted the toll would rise as rescuers and other emergency workers reached areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.

Supplies were being airlifted to the region around the isolated city of Asheville. Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder pledged that she would have food and water to the city by Monday.

[xcziel]

hadn't seen this on here yet

South Korea Is Fighting for Democracy Again—And the World Needs to Know

by Heesoo Jang

Assistant Professor of Media Law and Ethics, Journalism Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst 

South Korea is once again at a critical juncture in its democratic history. More than a hundred thousand protesters, joined by over 4,000 professors and 1,466 Catholic priests announcing their declarations of the state of affairs, are calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation. This echoes the massive movement that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in 2017 for corruption and abuse of power, showcasing South Koreans’ enduring commitment to holding leaders accountable.

What’s unfolding in South Korea is not just a domestic issue—it’s a reminder that democracies everywhere require constant vigilance. Yet, international media, like the BBC and AP News, have largely missed the bigger picture, focusing on soundbites and foreign policy instead of the underlying democratic struggles. This oversight leaves out important context for the global audience to understand the deeper context of widespread domestic dissatisfaction of the state of democracy in South Korea.

At the heart of the protests are allegations of corruption and abuse of power. President Yoon has exercised his veto power 25 times since 2023, blocking investigations into allegations against his wife, including claims of stock manipulation in Deutsch Motors. This is the most frequent use of veto power South Korea has seen since South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, who faced impeachment in 1952 and eventually resigned in 1960 amid widespread public outrage over his authoritarian rule and attempts to consolidate power. 

These vetoes, alongside scandals like the “Myung Tae-Kyun Gate,” have eroded public trust in the administration. The gate alleges that political broker Myung Tae-Kyun, a close ally of Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon Hee, manipulated public opinion during the 2022 presidential election. Through his Future Korea Research Institute, Myung reportedly conducted biased polls favoring Yoon to influence election narratives. A leaked phone recording released by the opposition Democratic Party has further implicated Yoon in discussions about candidate nominations, fueling allegations of election interference.

Beyond these vetoes, Yoon’s administration has faced widespread criticism for systemic failures in governance, public safety, and economic management. The Itaewon tragedy, where 159 people lost their lives during a crowd crush, starkly exposed grave inadequacies in public safety protocols and emergency response systems. A special investigation on this tragedy was also a bill the President has vetoed. Similarly, the death of Private Chae during military service revealed systemic abuses and negligence within the military. Instead of enabling accountability, President Yoon has repeatedly vetoed special prosecutor bills aimed at investigating these military abuses. Public frustration has only grown as investigations into these tragedies have failed to hold senior officials accountable. Meanwhile, Yoon’s administration has also faced allegations of undermining press freedom by targeting journalists and media outlets critical of the government. 

Adding to these failures is a healthcare system on the brink of collapse, where prolonged medical staff shortages, exacerbated by budget cuts, have caused long-term disruptions in patient care. Instead of addressing these structural issues, the government has opted for a hasty increase in medical school quotas—a move experts warn will only further destabilize the system. Yoon’s economic policies have similarly drawn heavy criticism for favoring the wealthy with tax cuts while reducing public welfare budgets, deepening inequality between South Korea’s elites and its struggling middle and working classes. Rising household debt and record-breaking small business closures have fueled calls for reform, yet the administration’s inaction has only alienated the public further. Compounding these grievances, a 15% cut to South Korea’s research and development (R&D) budget has alarmed academics and scientists, who warn that this decision jeopardizes the nation’s innovation-driven economy and long-term global competitiveness—a concern echoed by prominent universities like Yonsei and Ewha Womans University, which cite these cuts as emblematic of broader governance failures.

Despite the scale of unrest, international media have failed to convey the full significance of this crisis. Instead of contextualizing public discontent and the erosion of democratic norms, they have focused on peripheral issues, ignoring the protests’ broader implications for democracy. This has also allowed misinformation to muddy the narrative internationally, preventing the international public from gaining important contextual information about what’s happening in South Korea. For example, posts on Chinese social media have falsely portrayed the protests as anti-war rallies rather than demands for accountability and reform. 

South Korea’s struggle is a powerful reminder that democracy is not self-sustaining—it requires active vigilance. The protests and demands for reform exemplify how civil society can confront governance failures. The world deserves more context and a nuanced understanding from international journalism about what South Korean democracy is facing, as its fight for justice, transparency, and the rule of law holds lessons for all democracies.