#associate cloud engineer

[topitcourses]

Aspiring cloud professionals can significantly enhance their career prospects by pursuing Google Cloud Associate Engineer Certification. During this program, you will become familiar with fundamental cloud concepts, Google Cloud Platform services, and best practices for deploying applications.

[qwikskills]

Become a Google Cloud Expert: Tips for Google Cloud Certification

If you're looking to improve your cloud computing skills, earning a Google Cloud certification is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise. The Google Cloud Platform offers a variety of certifications, including Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect, and Professional Cloud Developer.

To prepare for these exams, it is important that you have a good understanding of Google Cloud features and services. Google Cloud practice labs and other training resources can help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to pass the certification exam.

To become a Google Cloud expert, start by learning the basics of cloud computing, then explore more advanced topics like networking, security, and data management . Also, consider taking a practice test and joining a community of professionals who also want to be Google Cloud certified.

By earning a Google Cloud certification, you not only demonstrate your expertise to employers and clients, but also gain a deeper understanding of the power and potential of cloud computing. With these skills, you'll be well-equipped to tackle any cloud-related challenge that comes your way.

[rabbitcruiser]

Construction began on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on February 12, 1963.    

[reasonsforhope]

"As a Deaf man, Adam Munder has long been advocating for communication rights in a world that chiefly caters to hearing people. 

The Intel software engineer and his wife — who is also Deaf — are often unable to use American Sign Language in daily interactions, instead defaulting to texting on a smartphone or passing a pen and paper back and forth with service workers, teachers, and lawyers. 

It can make simple tasks, like ordering coffee, more complicated than it should be. 

But there are life events that hold greater weight than a cup of coffee. 

Recently, Munder and his wife took their daughter in for a doctor’s appointment — and no interpreter was available. 

To their surprise, their doctor said: “It’s alright, we’ll just have your daughter interpret for you!” ...

That day at the doctor’s office came at the heels of a thousand frustrating interactions and miscommunications — and Munder is not isolated in his experience.

“Where I live in Arizona, there are more than 1.1 million individuals with a hearing loss,” Munder said, “and only about 400 licensed interpreters.”

In addition to being hard to find, interpreters are expensive. And texting and writing aren’t always practical options — they leave out the emotion, detail, and nuance of a spoken conversation. 

ASL is a rich, complex language with its own grammar and culture; a subtle change in speed, direction, facial expression, or gesture can completely change the meaning and tone of a sign. 

“Writing back and forth on paper and pen or using a smartphone to text is not equivalent to American Sign Language,” Munder emphasized. “The details and nuance that make us human are lost in both our personal and business conversations.”

His solution? An AI-powered platform called Omnibridge. 

“My team has established this bridge between the Deaf world and the hearing world, bringing these worlds together without forcing one to adapt to the other,” Munder said. 

Trained on thousands of signs, Omnibridge is engineered to transcribe spoken English and interpret sign language on screen in seconds...

“Our dream is that the technology will be available to everyone, everywhere,” Munder said. “I feel like three to four years from now, we're going to have an app on a phone. Our team has already started working on a cloud-based product, and we're hoping that will be an easy switch from cloud to mobile to an app.” ...

At its heart, Omnibridge is a testament to the positive capabilities of artificial intelligence. "

-via GoodGoodGood, October 25, 2024. More info below the cut!

To test an alpha version of his invention, Munder welcomed TED associate Hasiba Haq on stage. 

“I want to show you how this could have changed my interaction at the doctor appointment, had this been available,” Munder said. 

He went on to explain that the software would generate a bi-directional conversation, in which Munder’s signs would appear as blue text and spoken word would appear in gray. 

At first, there was a brief hiccup on the TED stage. Haq, who was standing in as the doctor’s office receptionist, spoke — but the screen remained blank. 

“I don’t believe this; this is the first time that AI has ever failed,” Munder joked, getting a big laugh from the crowd. “Thanks for your patience.”

After a quick reboot, they rolled with the punches and tried again.

Haq asked: “Hi, how’s it going?” 

Her words popped up in blue. 

Munder signed in reply: “I am good.” 

His response popped up in gray. 

Back and forth, they recreated the scene from the doctor’s office. But this time Munder retained his autonomy, and no one suggested a 7-year-old should play interpreter. 

Munder’s TED debut and tech demonstration didn’t happen overnight — the engineer has been working on Omnibridge for over a decade. 

“It takes a lot to build something like this,” Munder told Good Good Good in an exclusive interview, communicating with our team in ASL. “It couldn't just be one or two people. It takes a large team, a lot of resources, millions and millions of dollars to work on a project like this.” 

After five years of pitching and research, Intel handpicked Munder’s team for a specialty training program. It was through that backing that Omnibridge began to truly take shape...

“Our dream is that the technology will be available to everyone, everywhere,” Munder said. “I feel like three to four years from now, we're going to have an app on a phone. Our team has already started working on a cloud-based product, and we're hoping that will be an easy switch from cloud to mobile to an app.” 

In order to achieve that dream — of transposing their technology to a smartphone — Munder and his team have to play a bit of a waiting game. Today, their platform necessitates building the technology on a PC, with an AI engine. 

“A lot of things don't have those AI PC types of chips,” Munder explained. “But as the technology evolves, we expect that smartphones will start to include AI engines. They'll start to include the capability in processing within smartphones. It will take time for the technology to catch up to it, and it probably won't need the power that we're requiring right now on a PC.” 

At its heart, Omnibridge is a testament to the positive capabilities of artificial intelligence. 

But it is more than a transcription service — it allows people to have face-to-face conversations with each other. There’s a world of difference between passing around a phone or pen and paper and looking someone in the eyes when you speak to them. 

It also allows Deaf people to speak ASL directly, without doing the mental gymnastics of translating their words into English.

“For me, English is my second language,” Munder told Good Good Good. “So when I write in English, I have to think: How am I going to adjust the words? How am I going to write it just right so somebody can understand me? It takes me some time and effort, and it's hard for me to express myself actually in doing that. This technology allows someone to be able to express themselves in their native language.” 

Ultimately, Munder said that Omnibridge is about “bringing humanity back” to these conversations. 

“We’re changing the world through the power of AI, not just revolutionizing technology, but enhancing that human connection,” Munder said at the end of his TED Talk. 

“It’s two languages,” he concluded, “signed and spoken, in one seamless conversation.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, October 25, 2024

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: On Colour

Describing Colour in your Poetry and Stories

BLACK Shadow Black, Dusk, Midnight, Blackbird, Blackberry, Ebony, Black Honey, Darkness, Jet Black, Ink Black, Soot, Onyx, Licorice, Ivory Black, Pitch, Char, Gloom, Outer Space, Creosote Black, Melanite, Goth Black, Gunpowder

BLUE Blueberry, Sapphire Blue Metallic, Tiffany Blue (Pantone 1837), Cobalt Blue, Denim, Aquamarine, Turquoise, Sky Blue, Topaz, Ultramarine Blue, Azure, Cerulean, Oxford Blue, Periwinkle, Electric Blue, Baby Boy Blue, Pthalo Blue, Robin's Egg Blue, Persian Blue, Marino Blue, Prussian Blue

GREEN Leafy Green, Olive, Moss Green, Jade, Lime, Sour Apple Green, Emerald Green, Mint, Kiwi Green, Phthalo Green, Praying Mantis Green, Viridian, Greenback, Shamrock, Sap Green, Chartreuse, Sea Green, Pistachio, Teal, Bamboo, Sea Salt, Celadon Green, Celery, Asparagus Green, Fern Green, Neon Green, Jungle Green, Pear Green

ORANGE Pumpkin, Burnt Orange, Carrot, Sunset Orange, Tangerine, Persimmon, Salamander, Tennessee Orange (Pantone 151), Jack-o'-lantern Orange, Florida Orange, Summer Squash, Pale Daffodil, Smashed Pumpkin, Saffron, Autumn Orange, Macaroni and Cheese, Cadmium Orange

PINK Pink Flamingo, Neon Pink, Bubblegum Pink, Salmon, Peach, Fuscia, Cotton Candy Pink, Rose, Carnation, Thulian, Apricot, Atomic Pink, Barbie Pink, Hot Pink, Amaranth, Flushed, Glitter Pink

PURPLE Lavender, Purple Haze, Grape, Eggplant Purple, Plum, Violet, Orchid, Psychedelic Purple, Amethyst, Lilac, Boysenberry, Mulberry, Wisteria, Bruised Plum, Indigo, Mauve

RED Blood Red, Copper, Maroon, Strawberry, Watermelon Red, Crimson, Candy Apple Red, Tomato, Brick Red, Scarlet, Cardinal Red, Cherry, Ruby Red, Coral, Sunburn, Hot Lava, Cadmium Red, Auburn, Blush, Alizarin Crimson, Fire Engine Red, Raspberry, Vermillion, Lipstick, Burgundy, Magenta, English Vermilion, Mahogany

WHITE Dirty White, Albino, Chalk, Alabaster, Cotton, Titanium White, Vanilla, Bone White Egg Shell, Marshmallow, Ivory, Pearl White, Almond, Champagne, Blond, Cream, Milky White, Corn Silk, Bleach, Navajo White, Ghost White, Light, Cloud White

YELLOW Canary Yellow, Lemon, Banana, Egg Yolk Yellow, Mellow Yellow, Chanterelle, Mustard Yellow, Corn, Goldenrod, Amber, Pineapple, Metallic Gold, Cadmium Yellow, Wheat, Tuscan Sun, Butter, School Bus Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Citron, Dandelion

BROWN Mud Brown, Beaver, Caramel, Rust, Macaroon, Toasty Brown, Coffee, Sandy Tan, Cocoa, Honey, Chocolate, Burnt Sienna, Mocha, Seashell, Antique Brass, Bronze, Brown Sugar, Chestnut Brown, Taupe, Burnt Umber, Khaki, Dark Sienna, Light Chocolate, Sepia

GRAY Stone Gray, Ash, Metallic Silver, Platinum, Smoke, Concrete Gray, Mercury, Steel Gray, Mist, Titanium, Charcoal, Slate, Sterling Silver, Tungsten, Old Coin Gray, Iron Gray, Chrome, Magnesium, Overcast

MIXED Candy Cane (red and white), Zebra (black and white), Chameleon (many different colours), Ladybug (black and red), Wildfire (yellow, orange and red), Tiger (orange, black and white), Yellow Jacket (black and yellow), Christmas Lights (red, white and green), Rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet), Black Pepper (black and gray), Leopard (spotted gold and black), Creamsicle (orange and white), Candy Corn (orange and white), Iceberg (a bluish gray), Marbled

COLOURS: Symbolisms, Associations & Psychological Effects

Black. Especially in Gothic literature from the West, a black colour choice often represents death, evil, grief, and depression. Associated with fear, the unknown and often has a negative connotation. Black clothes can make you look thinner. A black background severely diminishes the readability of most type. Often the go to colour for funerals and grieving. It symbolizes stability and power, which gives a sense of authority. Thus, the black colour often represents professionalism and expertise.

Blue. Has positive and negative connotations in colour psychology. Some writers may use blue to represent serenity and tranquility, instilling a scene with a calming effect. Blue can also signify sadness, melancholy, or isolation. People who find someone very loyal and faithful are often called "true blue". Blue is often considered to be more masculine which is why it is often the colour of choice when choosing a suit. Lighter blues are associated with tranquility, softness and healing. Darker blues are associated with power, knowledge and seriousness. Blue is actually shown to suppress appetites a bit. The colour blue symbolizes wisdom and hope. It’s the colour of peace and confidence. Blue has been shown to reduce blood pressure and pulse rate. It fosters serenity and a sense of belonging.

Green. The colour green often symbolizes rebirth, growth, peace, jealousy, and greed. Green colours may also represent spring and renewal. It is a colour that is very easy on the eyes. Dark green is often associated with ambition. Green suggests stability, safety and hope. At the same time, it may denote a lack of experience in a particular field. Green symbolizes peace, growth, and nature. It is the colour of success, promoting healing and tranquility.

Orange. The colour orange often represents energy, excitement, joy, and creativity. Since orange is the colour of fire, it may also symbolize heat. Since orange is not as aggressive as red, it can actually stimulate brain activity. It is very useful to catch someone's attention, which is why it's used a lot to advertise food and toys.

Pink. The colour pink symbolizes love, kindness, femininity, innocence, and playfulness. Certain shades of pink can limit aggression. Pink may be associated with unconditional love and caring.

Purple. Often associated with royalty, the colour purple symbolizes bravery, spirituality, and luxury. Light purple usually brings up romantic or nostalgic feelings; while a darker shade can make you feel gloomy or sad.

Red. The colour red symbolizes some of the most powerful human emotions, like passionate love or lust. On the other side of the spectrum, this warm colour is also the colour of blood, often symbolizing anger, danger, and violence. It stimulates the appetite. Red is an emotionally intense colour associated with energy, danger, anger, passion and determination. The symbolic meaning associated with the colour red is passion, excitement, and love. It’s the colour of urgency, power, and desire. Red is said to boost hunger and is believed to inspire confidence and excitement. This colour has also been found to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

White. This primary colour traditionally symbolizes innocence, peace, and cleanliness. In Western cultures, the colour white also represents purity and virginity, while it symbolizes mourning in some East Asian cultures. Usually has positive connotations when used and thought of as safe. Associated a lot with healing, simplicity and sterility, which is why it's used in hospitals and healing centers as much as it is. The symbolic meaning of the colour white is truth and sometimes even indifference. It encourages feelings of safety and cleanliness. Clean, white clothes and linens show sterility since stains are easily visible. That’s why doctors and nurses frequently wear white lab coats and scrubs.

Yellow. Writers may use the colour yellow to symbolize creativity, happiness, optimism, and warmth—think of a yellow ray of sunlight poking out from a dark cloud. A common negative connotation of the color yellow is cowardice, popularized by the phrase “yellow-bellied.” Warming effect which stimulates body and mind. Gold is associated with the highest of luxury. When bright yellow is used with black it's one of the easiest colour combinations to see from long distances; when uses with lighter colours it's not so easy to see. Yellow ribbons are worn as a symbol of hope and used quite often to welcome home loved ones. Yellow is the colour of warmth, kindness, and happiness. It’s often associated with optimism and well-being and promotes energy.

Brown. This warm, earthy brown colour may symbolize dependability, comfort, and a sense of being grounded. Brown is also a neutral colour, and writers may use it to represent dullness and predictability. Brown is a colour that is related to very grounded traits such as simplicity, practicality, common sense and hard work. Can also be associated with those that are frugal and not too flashy.

Gray. Lighter grays are often thought of as more feminine while darker grays more masculine. Gray is considered by many to be a neutral colour; the perfect balance between light and dark / good and evil. Pop up the lighter grays and add a little shine to it, and thought immediately turns to silver, which correlates to wealth.

Sources & related articles: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

If these writing notes helped with your poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

[charmandabear]

No Sandra Dee

Summary:

One quick little lie to your parents, and you and your hot vampire greaser boyfriend have the entire night to yourselves.

Pairing: Astarion/f!Reader

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 2.3k

Tags/Warnings: reader is in high school but age isn't specified, reckless driving, 1950s greaser au, loss of virginity/innocence, vaginal fingering, piv sex, blood drinking, degredation if you squint, rough sex if you squint, praise kink if you squint, reader is a bit of a needy slut (affectionate)

I tell you the way this idea grabbed me by the collar and shoved me up against a locker and told me to give it my lunch money... I wrote it over the course of a few hours and it refused to let me go until I finished. I saw dovah_vakarian's Greaser Astarion and with some egging on from the lovely folks in the Rabid House server (join if you want a good hang) this little ditty was born. No thoughts, just greaser Astarion. (Dovah was kind enough to let me use their render for the cover photo are you SEEING IT? Are you KIDDING ME? Go give them a follow, right fucking now.)

Read on AO3

“Alright, Ma, Pa, I’m off to Suzie’s for the night!” Your heart is pounding in your ears as you shout the lie, and you can only hope it’s not in your voice, too. 

“Alright dear, have fun! Don’t forget to remind Mr. and Mrs. Johnson about the church potluck on Sunday!” your mother calls back, and without another word you slip out the front door and into the cool night air. You adjust your poodle skirt and bound down the front steps of your home, turning down the street where he’s waiting. He looks like an absolute treat, too, leaning against his shiny black convertible, the collar of his leather jacket popped, cigarette held delicately between long slender fingers. A shiver runs down your spine at the thought of those fingers. You know better than anyone what they’re capable of.

“Darling,” he greets you with that adorable foreign lilt of his. You can already feel your cheeks beginning to flush as he looks you up and down, sizing you up like a piece of meat. “Ready to leave?”

You nod vigorously. “Ma and Pa think I’m at Suzie’s, and she has strict instructions for what to say if they call.” Your mouth grows dry at the sight of his devastating smile.

“That’s my girl,” he coos, running a knuckle down your jaw and under your chin. He takes one last drag off his cigarette and drops it, grinding it into the pavement with the heel of his boot. He breathes out the cloud of smoke that obscures his features, and you inhale instinctively. The acrid smell is one that you used to absolutely hate, but now that you’re starting to associate it with him, it sends a little thrill down your spine every time. He slides into the driver’s seat and you throw your overnight bag in the back. 

“So, Astarion, where are we going?” You try to keep your tone light, but the quaver in your voice gives away your nervous excitement. He slides his red eyes over to you and a mischievous smile plays on his lips as he revs up the t-bird’s loud engine.

“Can’t some things remain a surprise?” he says slyly, and the sultry tone of his voice makes you unconsciously lick your lips. You keep your hands in your lap as he fiddles with the radio, and soon the dulcet tones of Nat King Cole fill the car. 

It’s not long before he’s speeding down the highway, and you haven’t the faintest clue where he could possibly be taking you. He pulls out the cigarette from behind his ear and pops it into his mouth.

“Sweetheart, can you grab my lighter? It’s in the pocket of my jeans,” he mumbles around the cigarette, and you glance nervously at the tight denim on his hips.

“Um, sure, just keep your eyes on the road,” you say automatically, feeling like you could kick yourself for sounding like such a square. But he just chuckles as you lean over and wiggle your fingers into his pocket. You can smell his cologne from here, a heady spiced smell that makes your chest ache. After a bit of struggling, you pull the zippo out from his pocket and flip it open for him to light his cigarette. You assume he’s going to let you bring the flame to him, but instead he fully turns his head toward you, red eyes boring into yours as you light it. 

“Astarion, careful,” you hiss nervously, your fingers shaking as you try to light the cigarette as quickly as possible. There isn’t another car in sight, but you’ve heard too many stories of reckless joyrides turning fatal.

He takes a puff and laughs, a cool, velvety sound. Your eyes trace his profile, his perfect nose and jawline, and the two small puncture wounds on his neck. You’ve fooled around with him a bit before, but you’ve never gone all the way. And you’ve always been morbidly curious about what it would be like for him to bite you. His eyes flick towards you and you flush, feeling like you’ve been caught. 

“Someone is having naughty thoughts,” he sings, and a timid giggle bubbles out of your lips. 

“What?” you squeak, and then clear your throat to try to sound more cool. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Is that so?” He takes a hand off the steering wheel and gently runs his fingers down the side of your neck, and you can’t suppress the moan his touch elicits. “So you’re not thinking about…” His hand continues its journey downward and stops right at your breast, fondling lightly over your sweater. You bite your lip as he squeezes the flesh, and even through the two layers of wool and satin, your nipples grow stiff with arousal. He pinches it between his fingers and you need to press your thighs together. You can already feel the cotton gusset of your panties growing wet, and with his heightened sense of smell, he knows it, too. 

“A-Astarion, eyes on the r-road,” you stammer, but he just grins wickedly before pressing his foot down on the gas, inching up dangerously over the speed limit. 

“Darling, I promise I won’t take my eyes off the road for a second,” he says with a wicked grin, lit cigarette bouncing with every word. He keeps his promise, but his hand continues to wander southward, brushing against your thigh. You squirm and whimper, simultaneously desperate for his touch and wanting him to stop. You wrestle with your conflicting desires for a moment, before temptation wins and you let your knees fall open for him. “Such a good girl for me,” he purrs as he pulls up the hem of your skirt, and even you can smell the debauchery wafting from between your legs. 

“Just please,” you whine as his fingers skate across your inner thigh, teasing you mercilessly.

“Please what, darling?” His voice is infuriatingly innocent while he’s making the dirtiest thoughts run through your mind.

“Please be careful,” you plead, your hips bucking forward to chase his touch. He steps on the gas again, increasing the speed even more. Your heart begins to pound loudly, and you can’t tell if it’s from hurtling down the highway or his fingers dancing just outside your panties.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if I can do both,” he pouts as the pad of his thumb runs up the length of your slit, and you grip the bar on the door as a moan escapes your lips. He begins to retract his hand and slows the car down slightly, causing you to whine instinctually in protest. “So love, which will it be?”

You stare in horror at your beautiful vampire boyfriend’s face. He doesn’t have the same stakes as you, he’d be able to walk away from a car wreck just fine, but you, not so much. But your cunt is aching from his relentless teasing, and your judgment is clouded with lust.

“Just… quickly, please,” you whine, and his lips stretch wide into a satisfied grin. He slams his foot down on the gas pedal as his fingers return to your soaked panties, tearing an unseemly groan from your throat. He pushes the gusset aside and slides his fingers along your slick folds as you grip the seat. You have no idea if your primary emotion is fear or arousal, but either way it's exhilarating.

“So wet, you dirty girl,” he tuts, and you can only cant your hips into his hand in response. “If only Ma and Pa could see their darling daughter now.” He inserts a slender digit and you push a saddle shoe against the dashboard to brace yourself.

“Ah- ‘starion,” you moan, your knuckles beginning to turn white from how hard you're clutching the leather seat. He pumps his finger lazily, still looking at the dark road ahead as it flies by. 

“What would Pastor Tom say if he knew you were getting fingered by your greaser boyfriend in the front seat of his t-bird.” He punctuates the filthy statement by inserting another digit, and you squirm into his hand needily. “Such a perfect little slut for me.” He curls his fingers and palms your clit, and you rock back and forth in the seat trying to push yourself down on him deeper.

“Please, ‘starion, I need more,” you pant and you catch the speedometer breaching 100 mph as he increases the pace of his fingers. He uses the heel of his hand to rub against your clit and you can feel your orgasm building deep in your core. “Yes, please, just like that.”

“My filthy girl, so good for me,” he praises you as you whimper and moan, and you grip his wrist to control his touch. You buck desperately against him, and your hand not holding his begins to pinch and fondle your breast, chasing your pleasure. “You hungry little slut, you can’t get enough, can you?”

You’re so close, and through your half-lidded eyes you see Astarion take his other hand off the steering wheel to take a drag on his cigarette. You cry out in both horror and pleasure as you crash over the edge, fucking yourself on his hand and gripping the back of the seat. Ripples of pleasure reverberate through your body offset by your heart pounding in fear. As the waves subside, Astarion pulls his fingers out and you can feel the car slowing. You’re still breathing heavily as he pulls off at an exit, driving deeper into the woods. 

As soon as the car rolls to a stop, he growls, “Get out,” as he crushes his cigarette in the ashtray. You scramble out of the car and before you can get your bearings he’s got you pushed up against the trunk of the car, kissing you forcefully. You paw wantonly at his neck, just barely keeping up.

“Please, defile me,” you groan as he pushes his bulge into your mound. You slide your fingers into his curls and guide his mouth towards your neck. “Bite me, Astarion.”

“What a disappointment you are to your parents,” he grunts into your ear before sinking his fangs into your jugular. The pain is exactly as exquisite as you had imagined, like icy shards that melt into a warm serenity. He takes deep gulps of your blood, and with each swig his erection grows harder against you. You grind into him, desperate to know what it’s like to feel him inside you.

He pulls away from your neck all too soon, but it’s worth it to see him panting, hair disheveled, and a monstrous bloody grin on his face. “Turn around,” he snarls, but before you can comply he’s grabbed you roughly by the waist and done it for you. He bends you over the trunk and rucks your poodle skirt up to your waist. It doesn’t take him long to pull himself out of his jeans, his cock hard and glistening. You try to turn around to see it but he grabs a hold of your ponytail, keeping your head firmly forward. 

“P-please, Astarion, I need it,” you beg, standing on your toes as you present your throbbing cunt to him. He pushes your panties to the side and aligns himself with your entrance, teasing it lightly with the head of his cock.

“Their perfect little cheerleader with the perfect grades,” he growls and you can only mewl helplessly in response. He pushes into you and you both groan, the sound mixing amongst the ambience of the forest. “You’re all mine, now,” he hisses as he bottoms out, and you claw at the shiny surface of his car. He shoves your face against the cold metal and begins to thrust into you. You cry out with every stretch, the mixture of pain and pleasure becoming quickly overwhelming. 

“Harder, Astarion,” you grunt and he yanks your ponytail back further, stretching out your neck and forcing you to look at him above and behind you. He obliges your request, pounding you into the car forcefully. His face contorts with pleasure as he slides in and out of your tight cunt, and you can already feel yourself building up to a second orgasm. You push yourself back into him, desperate to feel more, when suddenly he pulls out and you whimper from sudden emptiness. But before you can protest, he forcefully turns you around again and shoves himself back into you.

“I want to see your face when I make you cum,” he growls, and you wrap your legs around him to pull him in closer. You grab onto the back of his leather jacket as he fucks you mercilessly against the back of his car. 

“Please, Astarion,” you whimper, each thrust of his cock pushing your breath out of you. “Please don’t stop.” His rutting hips begin to grow uneven, he pounds into you a few more times before you feel the pulsing of his cock against your walls. His face in the throws of passion, his mouth still slightly bloody and his hair falling into his eyes are enough to set off your second climax. You don’t hold anything back, your cries mixed with swears and his name repeated over and over echoing off the trees.

You cling to the back of his neck as you both slow, taking your time to regain control over your breathing. Eventually he pulls out and sets you back down onto your feet. Your legs quake and he laughs as you need to grab his arms to stay steady.

“You said you wanted to be defiled,” he concedes, and you pull him into a comparatively chaste kiss.

“My parents don’t expect me home until morning,” you hum against his lips, “and I can think of a few more ways to defile me until then.”

[thewertsearch]

Though we adore Him we shall never enjoy His beauteous Croak.

Kind of fucked that Sburb still programs reverence for the Genesis Frog into the Prospitians of unwinnable sessions. It gave them a god they can never see.

We spill our blood on acres of black and white so they may cross the yellow yard.

So this is what Hussie was hinting at.

Since Rose has recently gone full Lovecraft, I suspect the 'yellow yard' is an intentional reference to the Yellow Sign, a symbol associated with the Cthulhu Mythos. If the kids' escape hatch is something this eldritch, then it almost certainly involves the Furthest Ring.

At last in Skaia's reflection through broken glass He may find the pond in which He's meant to squat.

This seems to confirm that the reboot session is winnable - and it sounds like Jade's Genesis Tadpole will be making the trip there.

The Scratched version of Jade will be able to benefit from her predecessor's work. Assuming she's still a Space Player after the reboot, I guess.

This is a book on theoretical physics, and complex spatial geometries based on the hypothetical addition of orbs to the queen's ring.

Oh, come on. You can't tease me like that and then not show me a fifty-dimensional Battlefield.

This sort of nonsense is regarded as crackpottery at best. Why would the queen ever wear more than four orbs? Four towers, four orbs, four heroes; this is a sacred truth.

There's something a little disturbing about the Carapacian inability to comprehend other sessions - especially since it's completely in-character for Sburb to deliberately engineer their brains that way.

I'm picturing a Player trying to explain to her Exile that their Prospit is one of many, and the knowledge just... slides out of their mind.

Holy shit, WQ!

You know, this is probably the most human thing that we've ever seen a Carapacian do. The ability to create art is completely irreconcilable with their NPC status - and it makes it all the more tragic that they're doomed by the game.

Writers of Prospitian fiction tend to write what they see in clouds. Hence their fables tend to be events which simply haven't happened yet, or happened in another realm. They like to use the word fiction so that kids don't get TOO scared.

Jack couldn't see into the clouds, but Prospitians can. You clearly don't have to be a Player to use them, but you do have to be on the Prospit side of the spectrum.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

A test was carried out in a laboratory on a miniature model of the New York skyline, in which a dozen or more bolts of artificial lightning were hurled from an imaginary cloud and struck the model Empire State Building, ca. July 7, 1931. No damage was done to the model. Engineers' experiments with 5,000,000 volts of artificial lightning revealed that the 1,250 foot structure afforded protection from real lightning to all surrounding it for a considerable distance.

Photo: Associated Press

[prentissmultiverse]

Fata Morgana

You and Emily Prentiss share a connection that’s as intoxicating as it is impossible—moments of closeness overshadowed by distance and doubt. Caught between longing and the need to move on, you’re left questioning if love can survive when it feels like a beautiful illusion. inspired by Fata Morgana - Nina Chuba (1407 words) The city feels colder than usual tonight. The bite of the November air cuts through your coat, but you barely notice. The city lights blur into a kaleidoscope as you walk down the street, hands buried deep in your coat pockets. Your breath forms small clouds in the crisp evening air. Somewhere ahead, the faint hum of a car engine and muted laughter echoes. But your thoughts are elsewhere, your footsteps aimless until they inevitably lead you here -

Emily’s apartment.

It’s late—too late, really—but you find yourself here anyway, stopping across the street, staring up at the window where her light is still on. The faint golden glow spills into the night, soft and warm, so unlike the icy detachment you’ve come to associate with her. You’ve been here before. Too many times. You told yourself you wouldn’t come back. You promised. And yet, here you are. Again.

It’s like chasing a mirage in the desert. You know there’s no water, no oasis waiting for you. Just an illusion. A cruel trick of the light.

But God, the illusion is beautiful.

The first time you met Emily, it was her eyes that held you captive. Dark, enigmatic, and just a touch too cold. She had smiled then, soft but guarded. That smile had cracked something in you, and before you knew it, you were swept into her world.

It was intoxicating—her wit, her strength, the way she seemed to see right through you. But as much as she could pierce through your walls, she kept hers firmly intact. Every glance, every touch, every word between you felt like a dance, one where she always led, always kept the rhythm just out of reach. And you? You were too enchanted to let go, even when it became clear that Emily was more shadow than substance when it came to her feelings for you.

And you told yourself it was enough. That the stolen moments, the rare glimpses of vulnerability, made the rest of it worth it. Even when she pulled away. Even when she made you feel like you were chasing a ghost.

Now, as you stand there, staring at her window, you wonder if you were a fool for ever thinking it could be different. You know she isn’t waiting for you. She never has been. But still, a part of you hopes.

You take a step closer to her building, then another. The familiar pull drags you in like a tide. You don’t stop until you’re standing on the sidewalk just below her window, looking up like the world’s saddest cliché. The song plays in your head, the one that’s been haunting you since you left her a week ago. Ich seh' dich vor mir, Fata Morgana... The lyrics strike too close to home. She’s there, in your mind, as vivid as she ever was—yet somehow always just out of reach.

“I shouldn’t be here,” you whisper to yourself. But your feet don’t move.

But tonight, you’re here again. The glow from her window makes it impossible not to imagine her inside, curled up on the couch with a book, her brow furrowing the way it always does when she’s engrossed.

The sound of the door opening pulls you from your thoughts. Your breath catches as Emily steps out, her silhouette sharp against the light spilling from the hallway behind her. She’s dressed in an oversized sweater and leggings, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Casual, almost vulnerable. Almost.

Her dark eyes meet yours, and for a moment, neither of you says anything.

“What are you doing here?” she asks finally. Her voice is calm, but there’s a hint of something underneath—concern? Annoyance? You can’t tell.

You swallow hard, shoving your hands deeper into your pockets. “I don’t know.”

She steps closer, her expression unreadable. “(Y/N), you said you were done. You said—” She stops herself, her jaw tightening. “Why are you here?”

“I keep seeing you,” you admit, your voice breaking. “Everywhere. I can’t stop thinking about you. About us. Even though I know…” You trail off, looking down at the pavement. “I know it’s pointless.”

“(Y/N), you shouldn’t do this to yourself,” she says softly, stepping down from the steps until she’s standing only a few feet from you. Her tone is almost gentle, but her words cut deep. “You deserve someone who can give you everything.”

“And you’re saying that’s not you.”

Her expression softens, but only slightly.  “I told you before—I can’t give you what you need.”

“And what is that, exactly?” You look up at her, your eyes searching hers. “Because all I’ve ever wanted is you. Just you, Emily.”

Her lips press into a thin line, and she looks away. For a moment, you think she’s going to say something, but she doesn’t. The silence stretches between you, heavy and suffocating.

“Do you even care about me?” The words slip out before you can stop them.

Her eyes snap back to yours, wide with something that looks like shock—or guilt. “Of course I care about you,” she says quickly. Too quickly. “But it’s not that simple.”

“It’s never that simple with you,” you say bitterly, the frustration and hurt bubbling to the surface. “You keep me at arm’s length, but you won’t let me go either. Do you have any idea what that’s like? To feel so close to someone and still be completely alone?”

Her face falls, and for the first time, she looks like she might break. But she doesn’t. She never does.

“I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“But you did,” you whisper. “Over and over again.”

Ein bisschen zu kalt und zu schön für die Wahrheit... Du bist eine Lüge, man hat mich gewarnt.

Later, when you’re back home in your dark apartment, the silence feels heavier than usual. You lie on your bed, staring at the ceiling, her voice echoing in your mind.

You’d always known Emily was a mirage, a vision too perfect to be real. But knowing didn’t make it hurt any less. The distance, the detachment—it was her armor, and no matter how close you thought you’d gotten, you’d never truly breached it.

You roll onto your side, staring at the empty space in your bed where she used to be. You told her you were done. And maybe, this time, you mean it.

And yet, you can’t help but long for her. For the rare moments when the walls came down, just enough to let you feel the warmth of her light. Even if it burned you in the end.

You close your eyes, but sleep doesn’t come. It hasn’t, not since you left her.

The next morning, you walk by her building again. This time, you don’t stop. You don’t look up. You tell yourself you’re moving on, that you won’t let her pull you back in.

But as you near the corner, you catch a glimpse of her—standing at her window, watching you go. Your heart lurches, and for one fleeting second, you consider turning back. Climbing the steps, knocking on her door, and asking her—demanding—what this all meant to her. If you ever meant enough.

But then the moment passes.

Her hand moves, a small, almost imperceptible gesture, as though she’s about to reach for the window or wave or stop you. But she doesn’t. And neither do you. And for a fleeting moment, you think you see something in her eyes that wasn’t there before.

Regret. Or maybe, just maybe, love.

You turn the corner, your footsteps quickening as the building disappears behind you. Your chest aches, your mind racing with what-ifs and maybes.

You don’t stop.

You don’t look back.

And as the distance grows, you tell yourself it’s better this way. Even if you don’t quite believe it.

And I see you before me, Fata Morgana I look into eyes that were never there for me A little too cold and too beautiful to be real You are a lie, I was warned

There are a hundred red flags, and you dance with them in the wind I love looking at you until everything around you blurs And you go so far that you don’t even know what we still are As long as you’re dancing, I’ll dance along until there’s nothing left

[qwikskills]

Google Associate Cloud Engineer: An Introduction

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a popular cloud computing platform that offers a wide range of services for businesses and organizations. One of the most in-demand roles in GCP is the Google Associate Cloud Engineer. This role is responsible for managing and deploying GCP solutions, as well as providing support for customers and end-users.

The Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification is designed for individuals who have experience working with GCP, and have a good understanding of the fundamental concepts and technologies. The certification exam covers a wide range of topics, including:

GCP products and services

Cloud computing concepts

Networking and security

Storage and data management

Managing and deploying GCP solutions

Monitoring and logging

Troubleshooting and resolving issues

To become a Google Associate Cloud Engineer, individuals must pass the Google Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud Engineer exam. This exam is designed to test an individual's knowledge and skills in GCP, and is considered to be one of the most challenging certifications in the industry.

Once certified, individuals will have the skills and knowledge to design, develop, and manage GCP solutions, as well as troubleshoot and resolve issues that may arise. They will also be able to support customers and end-users, and provide guidance on best practices for using GCP.

[rabbitcruiser]

Construction began on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on February 12, 1963.    

[mariacallous]

More US workers will soon be free to leave their employers to work for rivals, thanks to a new federal rule that will block the long-standing practice of locking in workers with noncompete agreements.

The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday issued a final rule that bans most noncompetes nationwide. The agency estimated that by allowing people more freedom, the change would lead to the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade.

The FTC says about one in five US workers are bound by contract clauses that prevent them from taking new jobs from a competitor, or starting their own competing businesses, for some period of time. The agreements can trap workers and slow career advancement and wage increases—two things workers often achieve by hopping jobs.

The agreements also disproportionately affect workers in tech and certain other roles: 36 percent of engineers and architects work under noncompetes, as do 35 percent of workers in computer and math fields, according to research from the Universities of Maryland and Michigan.

Under the FTC’s new rule, “tech workers will probably experience a rise in the outside opportunities that they face,” says Evan Starr, an associate professor of business at the University of Maryland who worked on the research. “They’ll have more freedom to work where they want; they will be more likely to be paid higher wages.”

Opponents of noncompetes say they hurt workers by keeping them in lower-waged jobs and also stifle innovation, preventing people from starting their own businesses or putting innovative ideas into practice. Noncompete supporters argue that the arrangements encourage investment in staff and protect trade secrets. But recent research from Starr indicates that banning noncompetes hasn’t led to an increase in trade secret litigation.

The new FTC rule has a carve-out to keep existing noncompetes for senior executives in place. But it blocks companies from creating new noncompetes for these high-level workers. The rule is due to take effect in about four months, but it’s expected to face challenges. Two commissioners who voted against the rule saw it as overstepping the FTC’s power. The US Chamber of Commerce quickly announced after the rule passed that it will sue to try to block it.

Several states, including tech hub California, have already banned enforcement of noncompetes. But a recent tidal shift has seen the issue resonate in dozens of states. In the 2023 legislative session, 38 states introduced 81 bills that sought to ban or restrict enforcement of noncompetes. California’s long-established law is seen as part of the reason Silicon Valley became a hub for innovation, while Massachusetts’s once-similar tech corridor didn’t soar in the same way.

Tech executive Daniel Powers has battled noncompetes twice in his career. In 2010, IBM tried to delay his move from New York to Seattle to work for Amazon Web Services, the online retailer’s cloud division, by a year. The parties settled on Powers taking six months off. Fortunately for Powers, Amazon agreed to pay him even while he couldn’t work.

Two years later, the tables turned. When Powers attempted to take a job with Google Cloud, Amazon sued him, saying he had agreed not to work for one of its competitors within 18 months of leaving. The incident drew headlines as the first noncompete case Amazon had brought against someone inside fast-growing AWS, Powers recalls.

Powers had to move to California—where noncompetes aren’t legal—for the new gig, and his attorney told him to get there as soon as possible. By living in a different state, the lawsuit could be tried in federal court, where his attorney felt Amazon had less of an advantage compared to Washington state court. A federal judge ended up siding with Powers, and he lost only about three months of work at Google while the case played out.

Amazon, IBM, and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Had Powers not received discounted legal help over the years, he says, he could have easily spent over $100,000 battling noncompetes. “It’s just not fair to the employees,” says Powers, who now runs cloud advisory firm What's Next Consulting. “When I won, I got hundreds of emails and texts from Amazon employees thanking me for beating them.”

People in Washington state who want to leave one of the tech giants often must have difficult conversations with their families, advisers, and potential new employer about the risks of litigation and potentially being without a paycheck for a long stretch. Powers estimates that he has aided over 200 former Amazon and IBM colleagues in the process. California workers have no such concerns. “It’s just, ‘OK, goodbye,’” Powers says. “There’s nothing companies can do about it.”

If the new FTC rule ends up in front of the US Supreme Court, he says, his message to the justices will be simple. “Taking away a person’s ability to work in an industry they are trained in, have skills in, and have been in is a massive disservice to the employee,” Powers says. “It’s not the right thing to do to have these agreements.”

[dzamie]

Detecting AI-generated research papers through "tortured phrases"

So, a recent paper found and discusses a new way to figure out if a "research paper" is, in fact, phony AI-generated nonsense. How, you may ask? The same way teachers and professors detect if you just copied your paper from online and threw a thesaurus at it!

It looks for “tortured phrases”; that is, phrases which resemble standard field-specific jargon, but seemingly mangled by a thesaurus. Here's some examples (transcript below the cut):

profound neural organization - deep neural network

(fake | counterfeit) neural organization - artificial neural network

versatile organization - mobile network

organization (ambush | assault) - network attack

organization association - network connection

(enormous | huge | immense | colossal) information - big data

information (stockroom | distribution center) - data warehouse

(counterfeit | human-made) consciousness - artificial intelligence (AI)

elite figuring - high performance computing

haze figuring - fog/mist/cloud computing

designs preparing unit - graphics processing unit (GPU)

focal preparing unit - central processing unit (CPU)

work process motor - workflow engine

facial acknowledgement - face recognition

discourse acknowledgement - voice recognition

mean square (mistake | blunder) - mean square error

mean (outright | supreme) (mistake | blunder) - mean absolute error

(motion | flag | indicator | sign | signal) to (clamor | commotion | noise) - signal to noise

worldwide parameters - global parameters

(arbitrary | irregular) get right of passage to - random access

(arbitrary | irregular) (backwoods | timberland | lush territory) - random forest

(arbitrary | irregular) esteem - random value

subterranean insect (state | province | area | region | settlement) - ant colony

underground creepy crawly (state | province | area | region | settlement) - ant colony

leftover vitality - remaining energy

territorial normal vitality - local average energy

motor vitality - kinetic energy

(credulous | innocent | gullible) Bayes - naïve Bayes

individual computerized collaborator - personal digital assistant (PDA)

[traintrainingmontage]

Crackship writing exercise from the discord today. An Edward & Diesel 10 (or pre-slash Edward/Diesel 10) fic for @ikoarts and @shikariiin !!

When Diesel 10 first arrived on the railway, the experience was about what he'd expected. The whispers had begun following him like gnats, buzzing about Pinchy, his size, his paintwork, and, of course, his resting bitch face. The steam engines especially looked at him like he was some particularly disgusting bug that had crawled onto their line, their gazes judgemental even as their fear prevented them from being loud about it.

Diesel 10 had expected a warmer reception from the diesels, but oddly enough, they appeared to be a mixed bag. Some of them seemed friendly, but several of them seemed to genuinely fear his presence. Others simply avoided him, as if not wanting to associate. It was something of a lonely first day, to be sure, but Diesel 10 didn't care. He wasn't here to make friends. He never had been. He was here to do jobs nobody else could do, and if they didn't want to be around him, so be--

His train of thought was derailed by a friendly "peep peep" coming in his direction--the whistle of a steam engine. Surprised, Diesel 10 looked up to see what looked like an honest-to-awfulness K2 making their way towards him, a smile on their face.

"What do you want?" Diesel 10 growled, brandishing Pinchy threateningly. He didn't believe in the kindness of that smile for a second; if this engine was here to pick a fight, that was fine by him. Maybe it would help him get rid of some stress.

"Hello!" the other engine greeted warmly, once again catching Diesel 10 completely by surprise. "That's a rather remarkable claw you have there. My name is Edward, and I'm here to formally welcome you to Sodor. Might I know your name?"

Diesel 10 blinked, utterly at a loss. This way-outdated steam engine didn't seem intimidated by Pinchy; if anything, he looked rather impressed. And his expression didn't hold any of the judgement that the others had, diesel or otherwise--as far as Diesel 10 could tell, he was just trying to give a genuine greeting. The diesel was so dumbfounded by this whole exchange that instead of a retort like "piss off" or anything else he'd felt like saying to all those judgey steam engines, he instead found himself replying with: "Uh, the name's Diesel 10. And my claw here is Pinchy."

"Diesel 10 and Pinchy, is it?" There was a beat of silence, and the diesel wanted to brace himself for the inevitable teasing, but there was none to be had. Edward's grin seemed to shine even brighter, somehow. "Wonderful! Thank you very much. Oh, and I'm so sorry for the way that the others treated you on your way in. I'll have a talk with them later. But for now, please accept my sincere apologies."

At this point, Diesel 10's estimation of reality felt like it had been tilted sideways. A steamie? Actually apologizing to him? And not just in a lip-service kind of way either; the diesel could tell that Edward was being quite genuine. Once again, having lost all of his bluster, he managed to stammer out: "Oh, uh, it's fine. I'm used to this kind of thing."

Edward's expression suddenly turned stern. How strange it was to see another get angry on his behalf instead of at him. "Well, you shouldn't have to put up with it here on Sodor. Please let me know if anyone's bothering you."

Then, just as quickly as his ire had clouded his face, it vanished, leaving behind only that sunny smile. "I'll come visit you again soon, Diesel 10. You seem like a good sort, and I look forward to working with you!" With that, Edward pulled away, giving another "peep peep!" of his whistle in farewell as he left. Diesel 10 couldn't help but let out an answering honk of his horn.

Only once the steam engine was out of sight did Diesel 10 feel like he could finally think straight. Over and over again, his conversation with Edward seemed to loop around in his head, always lingering on that gorgeous smile.

"Oh, Pinchy," the towering diesel whispered. "Now I'm really not sure what to do."

[soon-palestine]

On Monday, a brave Google Cloud engineer spoke up against the corporation’s complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. A video of the worker standing up for their rights went viral, with some reposts reaching up to 8 million views and generating widespread global support, including from Palestinians in Gaza. Three days later, Google fired this worker.

Google has engaged in a clear cut act of retaliation against its own worker for speaking up about the terms and conditions of their labor.

This is the first immediate firing of a worker after a public, brave act of employee dissent against Project Nimbus, Google and Amazon’s shared $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli military and government. This is the second worker associated with the No Tech For Apartheid campaign that Google has retaliated against for organizing within their workplace, and the latest in a series of cases in which Google has retaliated against workers for speaking up about the corporation’s ethical malpractice in a range of business decisions.

While touting the importance of “democratic values” in the workplace, Google is shutting down free speech and silencing debate and dissent among workers within the company.

Google’s aims are clear: The corporation is trying to silence workers to hide their moral failings. Google is enabling the world’s first AI-powered genocide through Project Nimbus. Through this contract, Google and Amazon are aiding and abetting the Israeli apartheid state and genocidal campaign in Gaza against Palestinians. Instead of cleaning up its own house, and dropping its contract with a genocidal regime, Google is punching down on its own workers. For almost three years, thousands of Google & Amazon workers have organized against the companies’ contracts with the Israeli government and military, with no response from management or executives.

As a Cloud Software Engineer on critical technology that enables Project Nimbus to run on sovereign Israeli data centers, this worker spoke from a place of deep personal concern about the direct, violent impacts of their labor. They spoke from a deep belief that truly ethical engineering must account for the impact on communities around the world.

While terminating this brave worker, Google HR asked how they were feeling. The worker replied: “proud to be fired for refusing to be complicit in genocide.”