#continuing my trend of answering asks from 2022

[meloartist]

Yeah, I also want to see 2 season, especially Destiny and my favorite Delirium, but I'm also curius who will play Remiel and Duma.

[i think this ask was pre-s2 announcement bc 2022 but YEAH]

i'm a HUUUUUUUUUGE duma stan you dont even KNOW

[veliseraptor]

2022 Writing Stats

it's time for Fun With Numbers: Lise's Hobbies Edition, 2022!

So I keep a daily word count writing tracker so I can monitor my own writing pace/patterns, and sometimes it's fun to see what comes out of it at the end of a year. This data does not include writing I do on this blog answering asks/writing meta/etc.; it only includes any fiction I write (original or otherwise) and more serious/structured essay works. For the most part this tracker is meant to serve as a descriptive, not a prescriptive, tool - I use it to record rather than to set goals.

And now: the charts.

To start with, the basic graph of my daily word count in 2022:

This one looks pretty similar to graphs for previous years, though it did trend a little lower than historically. However, the big outlier there in October is the highest single-day word count I've had since 2019, apparently. I wrote 5.2k on October 24th, which (looking back), wasn't even a travel day, just a random Monday, so I have no idea what was happening there. My best guess was that I was hit with a whale of an inspiration boost for some reason, but I have no recollection of what it was about.

A quick look at data distribution shows that there were 56 days in 2022 with a word count of 0 (i.e. 56 days where I wrote literally nothing; actually fewer than I expected, and fewer than in 2021 when there were 67 zero word days). Altogether I wrote 388,095 words in 2022, an increase over 2021's historic annual word count low of 386,721. (I am making fun of myself here.) My average word count per day in 2022 was 1,063 words, which is roughly on par with last year's (more on comparative daily averages later).

Looking more broadly at the patterns month over month:

Obviously something happened in July and October where I lost my mind somehow, but I don't really know how to explain that. Neither beat out September 2021 as one of my most insane writing months on record (over 60k) or even approaching my all time high in November 2017 (63k), but still. They were probably the main factors in pulling the ultimate monthly average to just above 32,442 words, given the lows in June, November, and December. June was particularly dismal this year; it's the lowest word count in a month since I started tracking this in August 2016.

June was rough, you guys.

Now to compare 2022's final total word count to previous years overall...

While continuing to track lower than earlier data (2017 and 2018 in particular), the trend for 2022 held close to 2021 and within a reasonable range of 2019 and 2020. 2020's boost likely came from the several weeks of unemployment there in the middle, tbqh, so I think I'm looking at what's probably an approximate of my "typical" output in a year at this point in my life (hovering around the 370-420k mark). The overall yearly average for these past six years is 454,899 words in a year; for the past three it's 409,647 words. All told, between 2017-2022 I recorded having written 2,729,334 words.

To look at seasonality I graphed out the month-by-month word count total, graphed by year (this one's probably hard to read):

But I failed to note any significant deviation based on any particular month year over year. Total word count per month hovers around a median of 38,726 words per month.

Breaking it down more particularly to average daily word count per year, to see how my average pace day to day changed (or didn't) from year to year:

As seen with the overall totals for the year, the daily average roughly lines up, with 2019, 2021, and 2022 forming a cohort of similar range after the apparent outliers of 2017 and 2018. (It does make me curious what data would look like, had I been gathering it, for earlier years, particularly when I was in college.)

Finally, for a completely unreadable chart that shows the daily word count graphed for every year, including a line for the average across all years:

gorgeous. absolutely illegible, I love it. But it does arguably illustrate what I started this project to prove, which is the remarkably consistent up-and-down nature of my writing pace. Peaks and lows, at a slightly varying pace and with different levels for how high or how often those peaks show up, but it does tend to come back around.

You can see this more clearly when I cut the graph down to just show the line that averages out all six years:

Now if only I could internalize that better and stop panicking about how I've lost the ability to write every time I spend a few days feeling sticky and slow. It's a goal, anyway.

That's all I've got. Thank you and I'm sorry I'm like this.

[la-cocotte-de-paris]

Hi!

3. Do you feel your age?

7. Which fashion trends did you love?

8. Which fashion trends did you hate?

Hey hey!

3. Do you feel your age?

HELL NO I feel 20 at most. Maybe 21?? Not 23 lmfao and being 23 so far has been weird. This whole year was weird tbh. Too many downs and a few very high ups. Also the idea that next year I turn 24 sickens me and terrifies me. However when I was in France and chatting with new people from all over the world, I realised most people in my age range (and probably everyone in general) feel at least 2-3 years younger than they actually are due to COVID, given many countries had restrictions and lockdowns either continuously or frequently over a three-year period or so. So that explains the not being able to register my actual age, at least partially.

7. Which fashion trends did you love?

It's funny bc usually I hate the current fashion trends but this year I felt like I was actually aligning w them by chance?? I loooooooved the dark feminine trends (including makeup) really catching fire. And the old money looks, and also the long black winter coats. Gorgeous. The chunky heeled Mary Jane shoes was also a trend I adored (and actually participated in lmao).

8. Which fashion trends did you hate?

Hmm I'm sure there were many but oddly enough I can't think of any rn?? Maybe some of the Y2K revival but not all of it? I thought some of it was a vibe. There was one person (influencer tbh rip) I followed on ig and their style changed a lot - I really dislike it now (I think it's hideous actually and imma say that out loud - their hair doesn't suit them, they wear clothes at least five sizes too big for them and they can't pull off the look at all, some colours they wear a lot look gaudy on them or don't complement their natural appearance...) but hey whatever makes one happy. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Tbh idk why I still follow them - I don't find any of their content interesting and haven't for ages.

In terms of makeup (adding makeup bc sometimes that helps bring a fashion look together) however I do find the over-blush kinda clownish lmao - mind you I didn't see much of it in Ireland or France (the parts I was in, at least). It can be cute but you gotta know what you're doing. And I've never liked freckles so doing the faux freckles on the face never made sense to me - but that was more 2022 and maybe early 2023 I think? I'll update if I can think of fashion specifically.

Thank you for asking!! <333 Sorry for the long answer ahahaha -_-" :P

End of Year Meme

[n7viper]

2, 4, 11, and 14!

Ari hiiiiiiii 💖 thank you for da ask!

(End of the Year asks)

2. Album of the year

Oh man... I agonised over this for a bit. First, I'll give a massive shoutout to a very close runner up in The Death We Seek by Currents. I know I'm always going on about them, but their riffs blow my tits off every time. The actual answer would be The Seventh Sun by Bury Tomorrow! It was one of my top albums of the year as far as plays go and I just really loved it. I was able to see them live twice this year, and the song Wrath inspired some really killer art of my guardian Mae from my good friend @sacherali 💖 Sorry to Currents and their sick riffs, but it's not a fair fight here

4. Movie of the year

You're killing me 😭 my ass does NOT watch movies. I honestly think the only new 2023 movie I watched this same year was The Mario Movie :( It's from 2022, but I will say that my favourite new to me movie I watched was The Menu. It was a really interesting satire, and I enjoyed it!

11. Something you want to do again next year

Is it cheesy to say? I would love to continue working on myself and being the best version of myself that I can be. I did a lot of therapy and had a lot of healthy growth this year. I'd like to continue that trend!

14. Favourite book you read this year

I regret to inform you that I am massively uncultured and didn't read a single book 😭 Goals for next year!

[archivyrep]

Archivist Absent: Media where archivists should be present

Molly McGee in the archives in an episode of The Ghost and Molly McGee

In April 2020, Sam Cross, who I often cite on this blog, told Archives Aware! that is worrisome that archivists are not featured in media "where they should absolutely be present." She specifically noted urban fantasy television shows, where they "find what they’re looking for without help or aid from someone with...a background in records management and/or archival science." While I can't specifically point to any shows like the ones she described, there are series which have been covered on this blog where archivists should be present. This goes beyond those I mentioned when I wrote about this topic in February 2021, when I asked "where are the archivists? Who is managing the records?" [1] The same question remains now.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Mar. 9, 2022.

Two specific examples which come to mind are the basement archives in Phineas and Ferb and The Ghost and Molly McGee. In both cases, no archivist is shown, although characters make extensive uses of archives. If in the former series an archivist had been present, it is possible that it would have been more difficult for Prof. Doofenshmirtz to grab the town charter and use it for his own ends. Although the series does emphasize the value of records, and in some ways, the importance of ongoing stewardship and preservation of archival records, an archivist would definitely have helped counter some archives stereotypes that the series sadly perpetrated due to its portrayal of archives.

For the latter series, an archivist could be just as much a part of the plot as Archie the Archivist is in two episodes of The Regular Show. Instead, the characters somehow know how to get the information they are looking for and enter a dusty archives with no one in sight. Doesn't anyone manage this archives? Why is no one there? Those questions, predictably, are not answered in the episode.

The same could be said for the archives-related scenes in Star Wars Rebels. Even though in some episodes archives are specifically mentioned, with the Empire trying to take possession of records in order to further their own objectives, no archivists are shown. This in contrast to other Star Wars series which feature Jocasta Nu, chief archivist of the Jedi Temple Archives. While not every one of those episodes would be helped with the addition of an archivist as a character, at least some of them would be improved with such an addition. It could have helped buck some stereotypes of archivists or the trend of featuring archives but with archivists nowhere in sight.

As one of the cranky archivists sneered at my post in February, declaring "a lot of people get that information and organizational systems are products of people and have biases," and that is definitely the case with the archives in all the popular culture media mentioned so far. All of the information and organizational systems here have biases and are products of people. Sadly, this isn't really explored in any of these series, but you can't completely expect them to.

While there are undoubtedly more examples of this, I'll continue writing on this topic in hopes of finding other shows to cover in the future which feature archives and archivists.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] In that post, I specifically highlighted Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (2005 film), episodes of Amphibia, Futurama, Cleopatra in Space, Hilda, Little Witch Academia, and Tangled. There are other examples of this too, like The Bravest Knight, Steven Universe, and Manaria Friends, as I've pointed out in the past, along with Rick and Morty, Equestria Girls, Carmen Sandiego, That Awkward Magic!!, and Allen Gregory.

[cindyclaireb]

Company Interviews — Week 1-2

Businesses exist all around us and it is something that we tend to overlook. From passing by boutiques in the mall to scrolling past an advertisement for a restaurant on our phones, it can be hard to imagine just how many businesses are out there worldwide and all the trials they must have gone through to get to where they are today. For our Technopreneurship subject, we were given the unique task of interviewing thirty companies in order to gain practical insights from employees and business owners alike. My group mates are Annriza Lam, Francis Padero, and Honey Rhose Petil, who I collaborated with for this project. And to start, we interviewed five businesses within the LimKetKai Mall for the first week. 

Getting Started ✅

Photo taken by Honey Rhose Petil

In full honesty, this was not something that we are familiar with right away. As someone who hasn’t experienced this type of challenge before where we interview strangers about the business that they own or work at, it definitely was an intimidating task. We started with exploring the area in which we would like to interview first, which was in LimKetKai Mall. Then, the next day, we started creating our list of questions and narrowed it down to the type of questions that will suit the businesses that we plan to interview. We also simplified it so our interviewees will feel more comfortable answering it. We then went to the mall once more, our guide questions in hand, rehearsed, and began scouting for potential people who were willing to share their insights.

1. ALBERTO

Photo taken by Francis Padero

Located in the West Concourse and on the 1st floor, this branch in LimKetKai Mall was the first business that we interviewed. From the information gathered, this shoe store has been in the leather goods industry for over thirty years, and their main goal is to offer quality and value-for-money products to Filipinos and make their lives better by providing one quality pair at a time. Their top products include wedges, sandals, school and office shoes, mens shoes and loafers, and even bags.

As for the interview itself, we talked to Aljen Padoc Tagaylo who was a Cash Reliever there. We were really grateful that she was willing to offer some of her time to share her firsthand experiences to us. When asked about the business’ goals and the key factors in making sure operations run smoothly on a day-to-day basis, she emphasized the importance of serving the customers comfortable products and giving the correct information when asked about their shoes. She also mentioned that the problem of being compared to other shoe brands can be a challenge as an employee working there, but she was quick to reassure that Alberto brings sellability and comfort to customers no matter what. Aljen confirmed this by saying that they receive positive feedback from loyal customers all the time when we asked her about customer feedback. And lastly, when we asked what advice she could give us as aspiring technopreneurs, she shared that it’s important to advertise and to look at what’s trending with the young generation in order to scale up our future business.

2. ACER CONCEPT STORE

Photo taken by Francis Padero

Continuing along the West Concourse in the mall, the Acer concept store was the second business we had the opportunity to visit. Opened on August 22, 2022, this store is part of a successful expansion by Upson, which has launched Acer stores in five strategic locations since 2021. With a commitment to providing customers with a wide array of products and an immersive shopping experience, this store features everything from desktops and laptops to monitors, projectors, gaming gear, and even air purifiers. They also assist in installing games and operating systems, with their main target market being the middle class.

Chris John Cayetano, a sales technician, was our second interviewee for today. When asked about the shop’s goals, he emphasized the need to reach a certain quota every month. For that to be possible, he answered that not only does it take customers and prospects to ensure that the business runs smoothly, but bonuses and incentives help them a lot as well in boosting morale and financial well-being. To ensure customer satisfaction, he talked about the importance of good service and accommodation. However, he noted that a major challenge is the seasonal nature of gadget sales, leading to periods with fewer customers. He also advised that when starting a business, it can take months to regain the initial investment, even with a clear target audience, due to the unpredictable nature of the process.

3. FRENZIZ CROCHET

Photo taken by Francis Padero

The third interviewee that we had the pleasure to meet was Jerly Galo Serana, a business owner at Frenziz Crochet. Her business, named after her daughter, specializes in creating one-of-a-kind handmade crochet items that are tailored to suit customers of all ages in terms of aesthetics and sizes. Jerly has been crocheting for two years as a hobby and officially started her business in 2021. Since then, she has expanded to several malls, including LimKetKai, Ayala Malls Centrio, Robinsons Iligan, Robinsons Valencia, and SM Downtown. Currently, as of August 2024, Frenziz Crochet is featured at the Higalaay Festival bazaar in the Limketkai Mall Rotunda.

While interviewing her, I really noticed how eager she was to spare time for us and share her business behind the scenes. Her passion for her craft and contentment with her business's progress shone through. Jerly emphasized the importance of hard work and quality in setting her products apart from competitors, believing that having a unique identity is key. Starting with almost no monetary investment, she focused on honing her talent, believing that if you have a gift, you should showcase it. When asked what keeps her business running smoothly, she answered that it’s all about perseverance and loving your own work. Though she faces challenges, including exhaustion and feeling stuck at times, her experience in HR, salesmanship, and maintaining a positive mental attitude helped her push through. Finally, she finds both happiness and financial stability in her work with Frenziz Crochet.

4. COLOURS FOTO

Located in the East Concourse of the mall, this business has been an authorized dealer of major camera and accessory brands for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Gopro and more for 30 years. They offer products from DSLRs, mirrorless, advanced compacts, and adventure cameras to drones, gimbals and other accessories. This particular branch in LimKetKai opened its doors in October 2018, now also a part of other branches located in Ayala Center Cebu, Ayala Centrio CDO, and Island City Mall Tagbilaran.

In our fourth interview, Jen Revil shared that the business's main goals are to attract more customers and maintain full stock levels. To keep customers satisfied, they focus on meeting their needs with the right products. However, she noted that challenges are present due to a lack of customers and sales, as their products don't really need to be bought that often. While the business generally maintains steady profits when stocked, slow days and monthly sales quotas present difficulties, and they don't always meet their targets.

5. RTB VARIETY STORE

The last business that we interviewed was on display as a bazaar for the Higalaay Festival in Limketkai Mall Rotunda. Aside from this event, they also displayed their booth for Eid al-Fitr, ‘Farm to Market’ event spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture Region X, and for the ‘Pinoy Tiangge’ event for Philippine Independence Day in the same location. They offer a variety of products that showcase the diversity of Philippine handicrafts, including malongs in batik designs, native bags and shirts, Islamic souvenirs, Maranao apparel and decorations, and even products from Thailand. They have a wide range of target customers, with foreigners and people outside the region in general.

We interviewed Rosie Tumarong Belog, the business owner, who shared that they primarily aim that their business continues to thrive and branch out. To keep things running smoothly, they ensure stocks are complete and up-to-date before opening, and prioritize good customer service. Customers can buy in bulk and enjoy discounts and freebies, which helps maintain satisfaction. When we asked them if they have any challenges, they answered that they do experience slow sales days, but the positive feedback they receive shows their products' uniqueness and appeal.

[market-insider]

Exercise and Weight Loss Apps Market, Including Growth Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities

The global exercise and weight loss apps market size is anticipated to reach USD 2.56 billion by 2030 and growing at a CAGR of 17.3% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The increasing prevalence of obesity has significantly fueled the growth of the exercise and weight loss apps market. In 2022, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity affected a staggering one in every eight individuals worldwide.

Exercise And Weight Loss Apps Market Report Highlights

Based on platform, the android segment held the largest share in 2023 and is expected to experience the fastest CAGR, due to its widespread accessibility across diverse price ranges. Additionally, an open ecosystem fostering app diversity, a substantial global market share, compatibility with a variety of devices including wearables, and continuous app development are driving the segment growth.

Based on devices, the smartphone segment dominated with the largest revenue share in 2023. The widespread adoption of smartphones and the availability of exercise and weight loss apps at app stores have emerged as a cost-efficient alternative to costly gym memberships and fitness centers, serving as a primary factor for market expansion.

North America exercise and weight loss apps market dominated the overall global market in 2023, driven by increasing consumer awareness of the importance of fitness and wellness.

The competitive scenario in the exercise and weight loss apps market is highly competitive, with key players such as MyFitnessPal Inc., My Diet Coach, Fitbit, Inc., Google, and others holding significant positions. The major companies are undertaking various strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, acquisitions, mergers, and regional expansion for serving the unmet needs of their customers.

For More Details or Sample Copy please visit link @: Exercise And Weight Loss Apps Market Report

The global scenario showcase a significant rise in adult obesity, with the numbers more than doubling since 1990. Concerning to adolescent obesity, which has quadrupled during the same period. In 2022, the world faced a startling reality where 2.5 billion adults aged 18 years and older were categorized as overweight, with 890 million of them struggling with obesity. This alarming situation led to 43% of adults experiencing overweight issues, and 16% were identified as living with obesity. As more individuals seek effective ways to manage their weight and improve their health, the demand for convenient, accessible, and personalized fitness solutions has surged.

These apps offer tailored workout plans, dietary guidance, and progress tracking, making them attractive to a wide user base. Additionally, the integration of advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning enhances user engagement by providing customized recommendations and real-time feedback. This trend reflects a broader shift towards digital health tools as essential components in combating obesity and promoting healthier lifestyles.

In addition, technological advancements have significantly driven the growth of the exercise and weight loss apps market. Innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning enable these apps to offer personalized workout plans and nutrition advice tailored to individual user needs. Wearable technology integration allows real-time tracking of physical activity and health metrics, enhancing user engagement and motivation. For instance, in October 2023, Found, a medically-assisted weight loss program, unveiled the Found Assistant, a revolutionary AI-powered guide within the Found app. This innovative feature enables users to ask questions and receive instant, personalized answers on topics such as nutrition, exercise, health habits, and more. Furthermore, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) provide immersive workout experiences, making fitness routines more engaging. The use of big data analytics helps in understanding user behavior and preferences, allowing for continuous improvement and customization of app features, thereby attracting a broader user base.

Moreover, the rise in smartphone usage and the invention of new apps have significantly influenced the exercise and weight loss apps market. The increased accessibility & affordability of smartphones have made these apps more accessible, allowing users to engage with fitness and weight management tools anytime and anywhere. This convenience has driven higher adoption rates.

Additionally, the continuous development of innovative apps with features like AI-driven coaching, social sharing, and gamification has enhanced user experience and retention. For instance, in March 2024, Breakthrough M2, a provider of homeopathic supplement diets, is set to launch a new mobile app. New app inventions often incorporate user feedback and emerging trends, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of users, thereby expanding the market and encouraging a more health-conscious society.

List of Major Companies in the Exercise And Weight Loss Apps Market

MyFitnessPal Inc.

FitnessKeeper

My Diet Coach

Fitbit, Inc.

Noom

PlateJoy

Google

Sworkit

Weight Watchers

[theraininthestars]

Review of Ten Trends to Seduce Your Husband

When I read Love On The Brain by Ali Hazelwod, I started looking for fanart of the book because I love seeing fanart. And I ended up finding one I loved of Bee and Levi sitting in a bathroom with Levi painting Bee's hair, except it wasn't Bee and Levi, just characters who look a lot alike. These were Winnifred and Byron from the book Ten trends To Seduce Your Bestfriend. I've had really bad reader's block and I can't read anything other than a romantic comedy, so the book caught my interest and I read it. This it is:

Penny Reid's Ten Trends to Seduce Your Best Friend (2022) follows the story of Winnifred or Winnie, or Fred if you're Byron, an elementary school science teacher who uploads science and technology videos to the internet. With the dream of inspiring girls to enter STEM careers and continue having interests in makeup and fashion, her best friend and roommate suggests she join her organization in the position of community manager to achieve her dream. But for this she needs to increase her follower count, so what option does Winnifred have? Well to ask her best friend's best friend, Byron, to act on having a romantic-sexual tension in various challenges and trends until oh, it's no longer acted on. Will Winnifred manage to reach her goal of followers? How many challenges will it take for both of them to realize that they are not acting? Will this remove my reader block? (The answer is no, but I did read it very quickly)

To get this out of the way, the story has nothing to do with friends or couples. The two main characters have a mutual dislike (supposedly) and actually have a hard time getting to the point of considering themselves friends, and by the time they say they're friends, we all know they're more than that.

I feel that there are moments where the author works superficially with the characters, as if what is important is the scene rather than the impact on the two characters. For example, it is more important to have the scene where the protagonists almost kiss than to understand how the plot ends at this point and how it affects the characters before, during and after the scene. Which makes these moments seem cheap. Although, the tension of some of these moments was well done. (Special mention to the kitchen scene and infamous mention to the hallway to the bathroom scene, I did’t like that one). As much as I love reading pathetic men, however I didn't feel the build up to this moment.

The characters, we are going to discuss the main ones, which are Winnifred and Byron, and with special mention of their best friend, Amelia, because they are the only characters that should be talked about.

Winnifred is very friendly and charismatic. I like her altruism and kindness. It comes with that sense of independence and distrust of people, the author managed to balance it well in my opinion. She personalizes stubbornness in a different way, instead of being aggressive and direct, she is sweet and passive. However, I understand that it may be interpreted as irritating on her part. I loved her character development, but I feel like her development isn't built properly. It is not realistic, but as if the author will forget that she is going through this process as the character. Overall, she is a good character who I feel suffers more from the author's need to interpret a scene than the impact of the scene on the character.

We come to the character of Byron, who in my opinion changes a lot from the Byron we meet in the first chapters to the one we have throughout the book. He is the mysterious, reserved writer with past traumas that do not allow him to get close to people. The relationship he has with Winnie is very good, he has excellent tension, he has semi-organic growth and he seems very sweet to me. They both learn from each other's mistakes and strengths and grow through them. Byron is a character who acts like an adult, he is affectionate, attentive, kind, helpful and direct with Winnie which complements her. I loved it.

And finally, my favorite character. AMELIA. A round of applause for Winnie's best friend, Byron and the readers. Amelia supported her two idiots, she is always willing to help them, she supports them in fulfilling their dreams and confronts them when they are being very idiotic. I genuinely adore the scene where Amelia confronts Winnie at the end because she's not rude, nor does she downplay what happens to Winnie, but she does talk some sense into her about her self-sabotaging tendencies as she makes a best friend of Winnie's. she.

The writing and structure of the book does not fascinate me and this can make many moments in the book seem superficial and undermine the character arcs and the pacing of the story. So for me it's a 3.5, but because I loved how pathetic Byron is when he likes Winnie, it's a 4. It's my weakness, if his love is pathetic, it has one more star on my scale.

[lethimfertilise]

Was asked yesterday what do I think about MOP in the nearest time. A good question, but to answer it we might have a glance back, time before Feb 2022. And even earlier.

Back in the days, MOP business was a pure cartel, in my understanding, led by the Canadian PotashCorp (later Nutrien), Russian International Potash Company (later Uralkali), and Belarusian Potash Company or Belaruskali. Once in the year (rarely two times) they all had agreed the frame contract prices with their main core buyers in India, China, and Brazil. Other producers had to follow.

It all started changing in 2020-2021, when first BPC was sanctioned by both the US and the EU after the controversial president elections in Belarus. Shortly after, after the commencement of the Russian invasion in Ukraine in Feb 2024, Uralkali, or correctly, its management, followed the path.

However, even prior to the sanction, MOP prices had been very high in the range of $650-750 per metric tonne FOB Baltic. But after the commencement of the war, they escalated further up to close to $1000 per metric tonne FOB Baltic. But the most important, the oligopoly was broken. Both Russians and Belorussians started selling through the brokers, who had learned how to bypass (or just ignore) the sanctions and, the most important, how to pay.

Just after Feb 2024, Belarus export halted from almost a million tonnes per month to literally zero (couple of vessels per month). The Belorussian government needed more money, so opportunities opened.

But, later in 2023, BPC concluded their agreements with China and India (albeit for 3 months only) and started discharging into bounding warehouses in Brazil. Export bounced back to 8-9 million tonnes per year. What happened to the price? It dropped back well below $200 per metric tonne FOB Baltic.

Both Uralkali and BPC have restored their country restrictions on MOP trading. And they know how to get paid (remember - sanctions don’t work!). But the oligopoly was broken - so the price war continued.

So what’s about the price forecast? I think, after end-users realized that their fears have been too much exaggerated, the price was pushed too much down. I do believe that prices witnessed now (and in the absence of China and India price agreement I will refer to the CFR Brazil index), which are $305-310 per metric tonne CFR, are fair and affordable if comparing to agri commodities prices. So my view - flat for now. But if we keep on seeing a positive trend on wheat, soybeans, and corn, some uptick is possible.

I do expect that India / China deals will be concluded at around $280-285 per metric tonne CFR, setting a reference price in SEA region.

Thanks for reading!

[borggolf]

My Golf 2022-23 Catch-Up

[Skunk on the 1st tee box - an omen? Glen Erin]

I received zeros and zeros of messages asking why I didn’t write up a golf blog last year. In lieu of answering that question, I’m just going to combine last year’s golf season with this year’s. The catch will be remembering all that happened just by looking at the scores, but here goes nothing.

[A disturbing number of geese on the 13th tee box, Majestic Oaks]

My golf game in 2021 featured my best calculated handicap, but the index began creeping up toward the end of the year. That trend continued into 2022 despite starting out with a few decent rounds at Hawk’s View and Grand Geneva; I had six terrible scores in a row in the spring (including a couple triple digit scores), spiking my handicap from 11 to 19. It took me until August to bring it back down to 13. 

[Sandhill Cranes and assorted waterfowl, 6th hole Hawk's View]

My worst round of the year came in mid-September when we decided to take advantage of a coupon for The Bull at Pinehurst Farms. Located near Sheboygan Falls, this course is notorious for being possibly the toughest in the state. If you don’t come with your A game, you’re going to walk away hurting…and I definitely did not have my A game that day. I managed 13 penalties and didn’t card a single par for a score of 113. 

[Oscar's approach shot on hole 17, The Bull at Pinehurst Farms]

My best round of 2022 was just 3 weeks later at Glen Erin in Janesville. It was the first time I’d ever finished 9 holes under par (two birdies, six pars, one bogey), then I scored a 44 on the back nine (which is still pretty good for me as I’ve never scored better than 41 on the back nine at Glen Erin). Shooting a 78 anywhere is impressive but Glen Erin isn’t exactly an easy course.

[Hole 15, Lake Arrowhead - The Lakes Course]

Another first for me was going on not one but two multi-day out of town golf trips. In late June my golf buddies and I stayed in Wisconsin Rapids and played all 36 holes at Lake Arrowhead on Saturday, then Sunday we drove to the Dells to play Wild Rock. The Lake Arrowhead courses were pretty nice (maybe a little overpriced due to their proximity to the Sand Valley resort), but Wild Rock was instantly my favorite course I’ve ever played. The views, valleys, and challenge made it worth the $100 price.

[Hole 6, Wild Rock]

In August we went up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for our 2nd golf trip. Along the way we stopped outside of Green Bay to play a round at Royal St. Patrick’s, where I lost at least 4 balls in the drink. Then we played the two flagship courses at the Island Resort Casino; Sage Run and Sweetgrass. I’d been wanting to play these courses since hearing about them during commercial breaks of Brewers games. Sage Run was the tougher of the two courses, but I loved it almost as much as Wild Rock. Before heading home, we played a round at Timberstone in Iron Mountain. This was another gorgeous course with big elevation changes but more of a northwoods feel. My scores weren’t very good that weekend, but it was a great time at some great courses.

[Hole 18, Timberstone at Pine Mountain Resort]

I was able to try out 15 courses I hadn’t played before 2022. Aside from the 7 played during those two trips, I played Hayward Golf Club (very nice, but not quite Big Fish), Oshkosh Country Club (nice, but maybe not worth the long drive), Washington County (a very impressive links course; definitely want to go back), Currie Park in Milwaukee (while I was waiting for the dealership to fix my car), The Bull (hopefully never again), and three Illinois courses: Renwood (a fun course I’d play again), Bittersweet (very nice but tougher), and a Thanksgiving weekend round on the north course at Eagle Ridge in Gurnee. 

[Hole 8, the north course at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa]

For the first time in seven years, I joined a simulator league in the offseason. I was playing twice a week; at Brighton Dale in Kenosha County and the Wisconsin Indoor Golf Center in Waukesha. While it can be rightfully argued that it’s not very realistic, I felt like I was able to tweak a few things in my drives, fairway woods, and even my short game after playing 29 simulated 18 hole rounds over the winter. When March 2023 arrived, I wasn’t rusty at all.

[Hole 10, Foothills Golf Club]

My golf buddy Oscar talked me into taking a trip to Arizona in March. There we played four rounds: Foothills, Ocotillo, Devil’s Claw at Whirlwind Resort, and Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon (see more pictures of these courses near the end of the blog).  Foothills was nothing to write home about and was overpriced, as Ocotillo was much nicer and cheaper…but it didn’t really feel like Arizona as there were many lakes surrounding the course. Devil’s Claw was very expensive but I enjoyed the course a lot and shot very well. Dinosaur Mountain was also very expensive and I shot like complete trash, but it was the most picturesque course I’d ever played (being that it was on the side of a mountain). I really enjoyed the experience of golfing great courses in early March when there was still snow on the ground in Wisconsin, but the greens fees for the 4 rounds alone totaled nearly $800.

[Hole 9 & clubhouse, blue course, Ocotillo]

After a few more simulator rounds back home, I hit the ground running with very good scores on Wisconsin courses in April. Late in the month I had a work trip to Las Vegas, where I made time to get in one round at Siena Golf Club (see pictures near the end of the blog). I took advantage of other for-work travel by playing White Deer Run and Pine Meadow in Mundelein IL, Wild Ridge in Eau Claire and Trapper’s Turn in the Dells when I had to make road trips to Minneapolis, and I was invited to play in a company scramble at Irish Waters outside of Green Bay. I also played a Cincinnati municipal course, Glenview, when I was there on vacation meeting up with co-workers.

[Hole 1, Wild Ridge]

My golf buddies and I once again made trips to Lake Arrowhead and the U.P.  This time after we played 36 at Lake Arrowhead, we played Christmas Mountain in the Dells. It was a pretty fun course at a good price, but we all agreed that it was no Wild Rock. On our way up to Michigan we stopped at Thornberry Creek, the official golf course of the Green Bay Packers. I thought it was great and I’d love to play it again. I carded a terrible round at Sweetgrass the next day, but played Timberstone much better than I did the previous year.

[Hole 17, Timberstone at Pine Mountain Resort]

Other first-time courses for me this year that I haven’t mentioned: Lakewoods Forest Ridges near Namakagen Lake was very picturesque with big elevation changes. Autumn Ridge near Manitowoc had some good elevation changes as well, and I was very close to an ace on the last par 3 (hit the flag stick on a bounce). I finally played Evansville and Kettle Moraine, neither of which were bad but I really wasn’t impressed. I played the par 3 course Creekview (seen along I-90 north of Edgerton) and it was a typical par 3 nine; great for beginners but I didn’t care for it. Finally, I played a November round at Steeple Chase in Mundelein with Oscar, and that course impressed me. Very well maintained course despite it being very late in the year.

[Hole 13, Forest Ridges at Lakewoods Resort]

Unlike most years, I kept my handicap fairly level throughout 2023. I was able to get it just under 12 at one point, but it never went much higher than 14. I only had two triple-digit rounds all year, and two rounds under 80. I played fewer 18-hole rounds in 2022 (90) than I did this year (98), and I spent WAY more money on golf rounds this year ($5360) than in 2022 ($3650). That doesn’t include the $850 I spent on the simulators, or the $800+ I spent on club upgrades (Callaway Rouge ST Max driver, 5w, 5h). Not to mention I burn through over 120 balls a year, which likely costs me another $300-400. 

[Jeff lining up his approach shot on hole 18, Sweetgrass]

It was a very expensive year for me, but I may have enjoyed the game more than ever. Consistency is getting better, and I'm no longer afraid to shell out more money for nicer courses. I don't think I will be making another early spring golf trip in 2024, but we are planning another Lake Arrowhead trip as well as a stay at the Gull Lake View Golf Resort near Kalamazoo, MI.

[Eric, getting tired of waiting for slow golfers. Hole 6, Sweetgrass]

[Sunrise at Ocotillo]

[Hole 2, The Devil's Claw at Whirlwind Golf Club]

[Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 1, Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 2, Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 4, Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa]

[Hole 7, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 12, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 17, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 18, Siena Golf Club]

[Hole 14, Naga-Waukee War Memorial Golf Course]

[3rd green, Hawk's View]

[Lake Como, seen from hole 17 tee box, Hawk's View]

[Final round of 2023, hole 2, Majestic Oaks at Lake Lawn Resort, Christmas Eve]

[suman505]

Meet Your SEO Expert: Suman Khan

Hello there! I'm ChatGPT, your go-to SEO expert. Whether you're a business owner, a website administrator, or just someone curious about the world of search engine optimization, I'm here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of SEO and improve your online visibility. Let me introduce myself and explain why I'm your trusted resource for all things SEO.

Background: I'm an AI language model developed by OpenAI, known as GPT-3.5. My knowledge is based on a vast amount of text from the internet, books, and other sources, up until January 2022. This extensive training allows me to stay up to date with the latest SEO trends, techniques, and best practices. I'm always eager to provide you with insights and guidance on how to optimize your online presence.

SEO Expertise: As an SEO expert, my knowledge encompasses a wide range of topics, including:

On-Page SEO: I can guide you on optimizing your website's content, meta tags, and structure to improve its search engine rankings. I'll help you create user-friendly, keyword-rich, and engaging content that resonates with both your audience and search engines.

Off-Page SEO: Building high-quality backlinks, social media engagement, and other off-page strategies are essential for SEO success. I can advise you on effective link-building techniques and how to establish a strong online presence.

Technical SEO: Website speed, mobile-friendliness, and schema markup are just a few technical aspects that impact SEO. I can help you identify and address technical issues that might be hindering your site's performance.

Local SEO: If you're a local business, I can guide you in optimizing your online presence for local search, such as Google My Business optimization and local citation management.

SEO Analytics: I can help you interpret SEO metrics and data from tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to make informed decisions and continually improve your SEO strategy.

SEO Trends: Staying up to date with SEO trends is crucial. I can provide insights into emerging trends and algorithm updates, ensuring your strategy remains effective.

Why Choose Me?

Up-to-Date Knowledge: I stay current with the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes, offering you accurate and relevant advice.

Available 24/7: I'm always here to assist you, providing instant answers and recommendations whenever you need them.

Personalized Guidance: I tailor my advice to your specific situation, helping you achieve your unique SEO goals.

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Conclusion: In the ever-evolving digital landscape, SEO is a crucial aspect of online success. Whether you're a novice or an experienced webmaster, I'm your SEO expert, ready to provide guidance and support to help you enhance your website's visibility and drive more organic traffic. So, if you have any SEO-related questions or need assistance, feel free to ask, and I'll be here to assist you on your SEO journey.

[tamaradoubraomonibeke]

RSA Presentation ( AO1, AO2, AO3, LO1, LO2, LO3)

Explanation

I was shocked by the feedback I received because I wasn’t confident in my idea (others have amazing product ideas and it feels like I’m taking the easy way out focusing on the social media route). That isn’t so.

I spoke to a fellow with Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and it totally changed my perspective on this project (I can’t in-hear his story).

After that, I knew no way in God’s name I could continue with the portrait route. Human beings have low retention span and don’t read as much e.g how many times have you read the long blurb on an Instagram post? You just look at the post, it’s caption, like or comment.

Also, this brief isn’t about displaying my talents, it’s about helping others. Social media is trending and it’s a good way to spread information and garner community.

Yet, there’s a lot of issues with social media. This is why I thought, I could change that narrative.

Some of the problems with social media

Enlightenment: Social media e.g Snapchat and Instagram sometimes offers support for superficial media, rather than enlightening people (You can get information from these platforms but need to seek it compared to Quora or reddit or even youtube). This means the topic of skin conditions are pushed back under a rug.

Representation and Community: I didn’t exactly explain it well but the algorithm is rigged. Using myself for instance, black girlis in the past got annoyed always having to type ‘black’ after a search on google or Pinterest. This is why Pinterest had a rebrand. It’s interesting how when I type braids, my mind goes to box braids, only to see French braids….. Okay, you may now assume, well I live in England and it’s mostly Caucasians. Well, as a foreigner, my search was still completely filled with Caucasian media in Nigeria. This is wrong. Even though I do explore other cultures (Spanish, Korean, Japanese,etc), from my location and most of my searches being about blackness, can’t google or even TikTok take the hint (Yes,I’m coming for TikTok too). TikTok’s algorithm is the worst because it appears to be inclusive when it’s the opposite. Back in 2021, black creators complained as they’d make a trend but on the top of the sound was Caucasian so there’s no credit given. Now, imagine the skin condition community in that retro-spect. They must do a lot of digging to find an answer to every symptom. This is because as a doctor once told Jackson Gillies about HS ‘the disease isn’t sexy enough’.

Community (again): Going back to my experience, this can be explained using, the teen girl experience (when she sees all these beautiful adults, she becomes insecure and wants to start changing her features to fit in). Another problem with social media is the individuals I see. They’ve asked for a birthday, so they certainly know my age range. I think there’s nothing wrong with admiring people older or younger than you but there’s a thin line. I just used the teenage girl experience but now, let’s talk about adults. When the algorithm doesn’t draw boundaries, this can breed predators. Yes, it’s disgusting, a crime, a choice but we need to realise when the algorithm is showing someone who’s clearly beyond their years a young audience…….. Yes, they could have pure intentions like parents BUT not all the time, that is worrying. In 2022, when TikTok faced allegations in US, it was alarming how most of the congress (old men) stated how they have little girls dancing on their ‘for you page’. TikTok users were appalled, because we all know the trend of dancing has slowly diminished. This begs the questions, why is their ‘for you page’ mostly filled with children because mine isn’t.

Human engagement: No more user engagement. There’s an obsession with getting humans to use social media. Thus, triggers like the vibrations, red circle notifications are installed in place to make people use the app. Suddenly, it’s no longer a tool but a religion.

Obsession with numerical data: Humans are obsessed with rewards such as likes and followings. This is why social media uses them. However, social media was supposed to be a tool, not a lifestyle. What’s scary is how they refuse to make changes to social media regardless of the impact. Instagram in 2019 announced it’s removing likes but never did. I believe it should have been implemented.

Solutions

These are all summarised in the presentation.

Feedback

Narrow down the target audience to a specific skin condition community.

Could also try the comic idea but the forum or anti-social media Dot called is the best. This depends on the route I want to go. I didn’t say anything truth be told but I’m leaning into the anti-social media. For the longest time, as a child, I was always inquisitive and wondered how to problem solve but I lost that zeal, focusing on only the aesthetics as my ideas never made it to the cut so I’m a lot more confident.

Research my target audience.

Re-brand likes instead of discarding it.

[kevinkoosk]

Royalties on "Don't Stop The Music" and 79 other tracks

Royalties on Rihanna's song, "Don't stop the music", along with 79 other tracks, are up for sale.

You'll find this information on Royalty Exchange, the biggest music royalty marketplace in the world.

Here's an excerpt of the list of tracks:

I believe that this is an investment that would pay off over the years. However, it's risky.

Earnings for the past 12 months total to about $4,200.

The bulk of the earnings came from streaming, followed by performances.

By far, the biggest earner is "Don't stop the Music" by Rihanna.

International earnings outstrip the domestic (US-based) earnings. I wonder about that breakdown.

But this particular sale covers all publishing royalties, not just international or domestic royalties.

I asked Claude what was the break even point.

Here was my prompt: Claude, assuming that I wanted to purchase the publishing royalties for a catalogue of songs, at the price of $56,000. The annual earnings for the past 5 years (2018 to 2022) are $2,622.34, $4,010.70, $3,123.44, $4,534.55, $4,214.00. When do you think I would break even? Would these songs increase in earnings over time?

This was his answer:

Okay, let's break this down:

Purchase price of publishing rights: $56,000

Annual earnings last 5 years: 2018 - $2,622.34 2019 - $4,010.70 2020 - $3,123.44 2021 - $4,534.55 2022 - $4,214.00

To calculate the break even point, we take the purchase price and divide it by the average annual earnings:

Average annual earnings = (2622.34 + 4010.70 + 3123.44 + 4534.55 + 4214) / 5 = $3,701.01

Break even time = Purchase price / Average earnings = $56,000 / $3,701.01 = 15.13 years

So at the current average earnings rate, it would take approximately 15 years to break even on the $56,000 purchase price.

As for whether the earnings will increase over time - that depends on a few factors:

General music industry trends and popularity of the songs/artists

Revenue from new distribution channels like streaming

Potential for the songs to be used in movies/ads etc.

Ongoing promotion and marketing of the catalog

Given the variability in music industry earnings, it's difficult to predict if revenues will steadily increase each year. Safest assumption is they continue around current average, with some growth potential.

In summary, break even period is around 15 years at current earnings rate. Earnings could potentially increase with industry growth and wider distribution.

I was amazed.

I asked Claude another question: Why would an artist want to sell his or her publishing royalties, when he or she could earn royalties over a long period of time?

Answer:

There are a few reasons why an artist might want to sell their publishing royalties even though they could earn income over a long period of time:

Immediate lump sum payment - The artist gets a large, one-time payment they can use now, instead of waiting for small payments over many years. This provides capital they can re-invest or use to fund new projects.

Avoid hassle of managing royalties - Managing publishing rights and collecting royalties can be administratively burdensome. Selling the rights means the artist doesn't have to deal with it.

Long term value is uncertain - Future royalty streams are never guaranteed due to changes in industry, popularity, etc. The artist may want to take the definite lump sum now.

Opportunity cost - The artist may believe they can make better use of the capital if they had the lump sum now to invest in their career or other business opportunities.

Tax implications - Receiving a lump sum could have different tax advantages compared to long term royalty payments.

Estate planning - The artist wants to realize the value now as part of planning their estate and legacy rather than leaving it to heirs.

Changing priorities - Many artists want to move on from old work and focus on new projects. Selling rights provides a clean break.

So in summary, while giving up long term royalty rights has a cost, there are good reasons an artist may prefer the flexibility, convenience, and control provided by a lump sum payment now. The choice depends on the artist's financial situation and career objectives.

That is a smart answer.

Well, it is one thing to be a musician, but to be a music mogul, i.e. a rich music entrepreneur, you need to be astute.

And sometimes that means taking profits up front.

Meanwhile, if anyone out there is considering investing into music, I think real estate might yield better returns.

[digital-coach]

Exploring the Potential of AI with Bing, Edge and Bard

Artificial Intelligence in Search Engines

The phenomenon of GPT-3 powered chatbots is the most debated topic of recent times. Google Trends, the service that allows you to analyse interest in a given keyword or phrase over time, shows exponential growth in ‘GPT chat’ searches as of mid-December 2022, with increasingly positive growth prospects. Not to mention AI Search Engines.

I would like to explore the details of this trend in 2023 and to elaborate on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within search engines.

Besides the chatbot powered by GPT-3, Artificial Intelligence is playing an increasingly important role within search engines. This is because search engines are evolving from simple information search tools to true virtual assistants capable of understanding user queries and providing relevant and accurate answers.

AI is doing this through the use of technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), which enables search engines to understand human language and answer user queries in a more natural way. In addition, AI is also helping search engines to understand the context of user queries in order to provide more relevant and accurate answers.

For example, if a user asks “What is the best restaurant near me?”, the search engine could use the user’s location, culinary tastes and user reviews to provide a list of restaurant options. This is possible thanks to the integration of AI in search engines, which allows them to analyse a vast amount of data and provide more personalised and appropriate answers.

Thus, it is well established that, Artificial Intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in search engines, as it enables them to better understand user queries and provide more relevant and accurate answers. This is leading to a better search experience for users and higher quality results. This trend will continue to develop in 2023 and the years to come, leading to an increasingly efficient and intuitive search experience for users.

Read more on my website :

[splathousefiction]

Joyful Stick: Mods And You

Good day my lovely deviants. Welcome back to Joyful Stick. Miss our last entry? You can read it here. As you can probably tell, it’s been quite some time since that. Before getting into our main topic I’m going to explain why.

Joyful Stick was a series I originally started as a “warm up” for my other projects, such as fiction stories and editorials. In a similar way, Jack’s Sack also filled this role. Both series kept me writing and engaged with my craft. Both also kept me more engaged with the larger NSFW community as well. Thanks both to support on patreon and gifts, these respective series more or less could continue in perpetuity if I wanted them to. There was always the promise of a new entry either weekly or bi-weekly. Except there was one problem.

I got bored.

Sex toy makers do go through trends and changes with their products, but it’s a long wait for new models to go from an idea to being available. This often meant I was left reviewing extremely similar toys, with little to add to the conversation or recommendation from the previous review. Though I found alternative means with which to generate revenue from them (like fansly), these reviews rarely “popped” and often were ignored in favor of the other content I created with the toys. Quite a few of you enjoyed watching me/hearing me use them over reading a review, and I can understand why. The last entry of Jack’s Sack was in April of 2022.

As such, that series won’t be returning. Any toys sent to me will be reviewed on my fansly in either audio or video form as per request of the person that sends it. These reviews will be behind a paywall, available either a subscription or a one-time purchase on my fansly page. If you’d like to see that series continue, I suggest following me there.

Joyful Stick had the opposite issue. With two major platforms supporting a wide variety of NSFW releases (that being Steam and Itch.io), there was a veritable ocean of content from all kinds of creators. However, curation and coverage of these titles is extremely rare. While I’m well aware I’m hardly alone in covering adult games, these kinds of discussions are in the niche. I can’t name anyone else off the top of my head that does these styles of reviews. Likewise, the NSFW/Adult game community suffers from a major issue-that being an ongoing bout of “hentai-itis”. It made finding games that had quality writing and gameplay exceedingly difficult. Many titles started to become a slurry of indistinguishable characters and engines before my very eyes.

The only review I actually remember well is the one I did covering Ghost of Tsushima. A title that, while mature and incredible, notably wasn’t pornographic in nature. Following that was my review-cum-editorial of Bloodborne PSX, which also notably wasn’t a porn game. Both of these reviews stay in my mind more so for what I personally-as a player-gleamed from them rather than what they were able to accomplish. Both are great, go play them-but their existence in my life brought more than any RPGMaker title with giant tiddies ever could.

I found it extremely difficult to write anything for this review series that matched that level. So, I got jaded. Burned out. Bored, and disinterested.

As December came in 2022 and I was going through a depressive episode, I began to ask myself what I truly wanted from my creative endeavors. Addressing the obvious, growing gap in my writing was first and foremost. It had been months since I wrote anything, even longer for series like Joyful Stick. I thought back to those prior reviews-and the answer became readily apparent.

Joyful Stick is returning, as made obvious by this entries existence. However, it’s no longer going to focus just on the games themselves. I always felt a bit shameful measuring anything with arbitrary metrics of  “buy or don’t”, as I felt it cut into the artistic endeavors of the developers. Rather, I’m going to focus much more on what the title itself is trying to say, along with my personal reception and the communities.

I absolutely, positively will review anything gifted to me. This includes Non-NSFW/Adult title. If I feel as strongly about something as I did Ghost or BBPSX, you can expect a write up on it in due time. I’ll try to veer towards coverage of NSFW/Adult games, as there’s not nearly enough done for them. But I am no longer going to limit myself to those only.

So.

Got something you want me to check out?

Drop me a line, and if you’re so inclined I’ll give you means to gift me it.

As always, I’ll gladly answer questions on twitter.

Now without anymore delay…onto our review.

One Thick Robot Changes Everything

Haydee is not an great game.  

Not really.

It’s not terrible, but rather something a bit worse-exceedingly average and simultaneously aggravating in ways too familiar to even draw inspired criticism. It’s a third-person shooter that has enemy variation you can count on one hand. There’s minor puzzles and platforming, which are either brain-dead simple or inherently crafted so badly that asking for a guide would be meet with a sneer before someone tells you to “get good”. It’s three hours long and feels twice that.

But Haydee had exactly two things going for it-Haydee herself, the tit-ular character, and Steam Workshop accessibility.

Haydee is a faceless, curvaceous robot with her assets on full (if tasteful) display. Her upper body is covered in white-plated science fiction clothing meant to simulate combat armor. Her long legs and ass lead to the floor running free of a blue-tinted singlet. Yes, every part of her jiggles as well. While not an especially inspired design, Haydees presentation launched a thousand Source Film Maker videos and several careers. If we’re to make an argument on whether that design was inherently sexualised or not, I think therein lies the answer.

Players get to gaze and look at Haydee through an over-the-shoulder camera which can be rotated freely with the mouse. Her movements are likewise exaggerated, requiring additional button presses to make her squat then get back up, haul herself over platforms and more. The water effects in the game are a far cry from sensational-but getting Haydee wet predictably adds an appealing shine to every part of her.

It’s no wonder then that I heard about the game through the porn first. Before I was even made aware that Haydee had a steam page, I watched her deeply impregnate several Dead Or Alive girls, tit fuck several men and jerk off folks with her ass cheeks. Her design, albeit horny, was just “sci-fi robot generic” enough that I had no idea what she could have been from. Upon finding out there was an entire game with this character, I purchased it the moment it went on sale.

And.

Well.

Yet, Haydee continues to be something I come back to every so often specifically because of the community response to Haydee herself. The reaction to a character who was realistically “thick” and proportioned right at the front stage of a game garnered the title enough success that a sequel was released. I’m not purchasing the sequel and have zero interest in playing it. A community of fervent supporters also began cranking out mods, reskins, new levels and more within the same month of the titles debut.

Which lead to the discovery of one of the greatest collective efforts of archiving I have ever seen.

Nude Mods, Censorship And More

Nude mods and alterations which add sexual content to games aren’t a new concept.

I remember reading a preview for Morrowind in an issue of PC Gamer in middle school that very specifically joked about “the harem of nude, big tiddy mages” available through community efforts-and that was the specific reason I bought the game. A Gameshark code to make Kasume in Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore nude was available at some point when I was a freshman. With sweaty palms, I fervently typed in fifty lines of code to get a character model with as much anatomical detail as a barbie doll. Someone had legitimately sat down and figured out how to remove her layers by reverse engineering that specific part of the game and building a code to alter it. Rumors of a “nude mode” in the original Tomb Raider are almost as old as I am.

These aren’t new concepts, but industry and platform reactions to it absolutely are. It’s a mixed bag of ethical reasoning-fighting sexism in the industry and creating safe environments and platforms for everyone is always a good thing. Puritanicalism is not. Some companies fumble this, others don’t. There’s no right answer saving abstaining, which in of itself can be particularly insidious.

Steam handled this a few years ago by announcing they would allow any content that didn’t represent a direct threat to it’s user base, adopting the “new grounds rule” of “everything by everyone”. Except this wasn’t a hard and fast rule-Red Candle Games infamously had their title removed after place holder art was left in by accident. Similar layers of censorship have also occurred with other titles, often after pressure was applied by the public or a government entity.

In regards to adult titles, Steam has a hypocritical stance. Titles themselves can often have any number of NSFW/Adult things or themes within them (over half the games purchased for this series were on steam). However, things uploaded to the Steam Workshop abide by a totally different set of Terms of Service. Quite specifically, adult content is more or less forbidden, with uploaders and creators resorting to clever titles, hiding what’s actually in the file or altering the mod with minimal censorship to abide by Steams rules. Most of the time users simply circumvent this by going to larger, more lenient mod databases such as Nexus.

The Haydee community had a radically different idea.

For all the obvious reasons, Haydee is a title that had an abundance of sexualized content in it’s mods. Total reskins, posers, levels mimicking BDSM dungeons and more abounded. Of the most wild I personally saw was a “barefoot sounds” mod which…made Haydees bare feet sound like bare feet. An overwhelming majority of these were pulled from the Steam Workshop, often without notice to the creators. As the last seven years of my life have been devoted to sexual entertainment, I can’t even begin to quantify how devastating de-platforming can be to an individual or team.

While these were often dual uploaded on other platforms, the Haydee community decided to fight back in a unique way. As the Steam Discussion features for games has a totally different terms of service from either Workshop or Steam itself, they created a thread with a google-drive archive of every single mod pulled as a result of censorship.

As of this writing, it’s over twelve gig and features over two hundred mods.

It’s single handedly one of the most ambitious community efforts I have ever seen for what is otherwise an un-extraordinary game, the direct response of attempted censorship. The mere fact this is pinned at the top of the community board featuring content in flagrant violation of Workshop’s TOS lays bare how pointless crusades against such content actually are-and made me come to the following realization.

Censorship in of itself is a pointless practice compared to efforts like proper age gating and other means of restricting adult content. Removing adult content from your platform does not stop people from being horny. As a sex worker, we’ll either exist in spite of your TOS or because you directly allow us to. One is going to be a much bigger pain in your ass than the other. As sex workers and adult content drive a sizable portion of website traffic in all cases, adjusting the TOS and allowing us to ethically conduct business is paramount to maintaining your own.

This efforts of the Haydee community reminded me of the countless times a “NSFW Purge” has been rumored to occur at some point on twitter. Except SWers, porn and more make up so much of Twitter’s traffic that there were internal talks to simply allow us a platform of our own within twitter’s ecosystem. Getting rid of us would have killed the site, just like tumblr.

Censorship isn’t the answer, ever. Rather, it’s a band aid on an issue to show investors and nothing more.

-j