#digital financial suite

[digitalsolutionsfortelecos]

Expand Your Reach with Telecom Agency Banking System

Expanding your reach is crucial for financial institutions looking to grow and serve underserved markets. Many financial institutions face significant challenges in delivering accessible and efficient services, especially in regions where traditional banking infrastructure is limited. Customers in these areas struggle with limited access, often needing to travel long distances to conduct simple transactions. This gap in service delivery not only frustrates customers but also leads to missed opportunities for growth.

A telecom agency banking system offers a powerful solution to this challenge. By combining telecom networks with a robust agency banking solution, financial institutions can extend their reach, improve customer satisfaction, and significantly reduce operational costs. Integrating telecom digital banking solutions with agency banking software allows banks to bring their services directly to underserved regions, ensuring that customers can access financial services with ease and convenience. Let’s explore five effective ways this system can help financial institutions expand their reach.

Leverage the Power of Telecom Infrastructure

Telecom companies already have an extensive network that covers even the most remote regions. For financial institutions, this presents a unique opportunity. Instead of investing heavily in building new branches, banks can tap into the existing infrastructure that telecom companies provide. By utilizing telecom digital financial platforms, institutions can extend their services quickly and efficiently to areas where traditional banking systems have struggled to establish a presence.

Furthermore, telecom companies have built strong relationships with customers in these regions over the years. Financial institutions can leverage these relationships to build trust and promote their agency banking solution. By partnering with telecom providers, banks can integrate their services seamlessly, ensuring that customers can access financial services at local telecom agents without needing to visit a physical bank branch.

In addition, using telecom infrastructure ensures that banking services are available around the clock. Customers in remote regions no longer need to plan their day around a visit to the bank. With services available 24/7 through telecom agents and telecom digital financial platforms, customers can conduct their banking activities at their convenience. This level of accessibility significantly improves customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Enable Real Time Transactions for Faster Service

One of the key advantages of integrating telecom digital banking solutions with an agency banking solution is the ability to process transactions in real time. For customers in underserved areas, this is a game-changer. Whether they need to deposit money, transfer funds, or make payments, the ability to complete transactions instantly is critical.

Real time transactions not only benefit the customer but also improve the efficiency of the bank’s operations. With agency banking software, agents have direct access to the central banking system, allowing them to process transactions immediately. This seamless integration ensures that all records are updated in real time, minimizing the chances of errors and delays.

Moreover, by offering faster services through telecom digital banking solutions, banks can set themselves apart from competitors who rely on slower, traditional processes. Faster service delivery leads to improved customer satisfaction, encouraging more customers to choose your services and expanding your reach further.

Offer Cost-Effective Solutions to Customers

Reducing operational costs is a top priority for any financial institution. By integrating telecom digital banking solutions with your agency banking solution, you can significantly lower the costs of service delivery. Telecom-based banking reduces the need for expensive brick-and-mortar branches and minimizes overheads.

This cost-effectiveness translates into lower transaction fees for customers. In many underserved areas, traditional banking fees can be prohibitive, discouraging potential customers. By offering affordable services through your telecom digital financial platform, you can attract more customers who might have otherwise been unable to afford conventional banking.

Additionally, the reduced operational costs allow your bank to focus on improving customer service and expanding its offerings. With less money spent on infrastructure, you can invest more in agent training, technology upgrades, and customer support, leading to higher customer retention and satisfaction. This, in turn, helps grow your reach and strengthen your market position.

Build a Flexible and Scalable Agent Network

A key element of any agency banking solution is its reliance on agents. Agents act as the face of the bank in regions where traditional branches are not present. By equipping agents with agency banking software, you enable them to provide a full range of banking services, such as cash deposits, withdrawals, and bill payments.

The flexibility of this system allows agents to operate in multiple locations without the need for a physical bank. They can serve customers in rural areas, urban centers, and even door-to-door, depending on the needs of the community. This flexibility is a powerful tool for banks looking to expand their reach.

Furthermore, by scaling your agent network, you can quickly respond to changes in demand. As customer numbers grow, adding more agents becomes easier and more cost-effective than opening new branches. This scalability ensures that your bank can meet the needs of a growing customer base without sacrificing service quality.

Additionally, with real time reporting and monitoring through telecom digital banking solutions, you can track agent performance, manage cash flow, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. This oversight ensures that your expanded agent network operates smoothly and efficiently.

Enhance Customer Engagement with Convenient Services

Customer engagement is crucial for growth. A telecom agency banking system offers unmatched convenience, allowing customers to access banking services from their mobile devices or through local agents. With telecom digital banking solutions, customers can perform everyday banking tasks without visiting a physical branch, saving time and effort.

Additionally, mobile alerts, notifications, and SMS services can keep customers informed about their account activity, promotions, or new services. This constant communication builds a strong relationship between the bank and its customers, leading to higher retention rates.

Furthermore, the ability to conduct transactions from anywhere increases customer satisfaction. By using telecom digital financial platforms, customers can manage their accounts, transfer funds, and pay bills with ease. This convenience encourages more people to use your services, helping you expand your customer base quickly and efficiently.

Banks that focus on customer convenience through agency banking software are better positioned to meet the needs of modern consumers. By enhancing customer engagement, you not only attract new customers but also build long-term relationships with existing ones.

Expanding your reach with a telecom agency banking solution provides an innovative way to break into new markets and serve more customers. By leveraging existing telecom infrastructure, offering real time services, and creating a flexible agent network, your bank can significantly grow its customer base. Moreover, the cost effectiveness and customer engagement features make this approach even more appealing for both financial institutions and customers alike.

6D Technologies Digital Financial Suite, Aureus provides one of the best agency banking solutions. You can serve more customers by leveraging telecom digital financial platforms and expanding your reach with a scalable, cost-effective agent network. Our solution ensures real time transactions and seamless integration, delivering unmatched convenience to your customers. To explore how agency banking solution of 6D Technologies can drive growth and improve customer satisfaction for your business, please visit https://www.6dtechnologies.com/fintech/agency-banking-solution/

[jeddara-of-jasoom]

Perhaps I should go to Ukraine this year, during the war. If I'm going to be involved with them in the future, the only way to really understand them is to understand what they are going through and the only way to do that is to be there when attacks are going on.

I want to go to Ukraine but it would be kind of a cop out to wait until the war is over. To show I'm with them-- go and volunteer somehow. The only thing is, I'd need somw money to get there.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Libraries have traditionally operated on a basic premise: Once they purchase a book, they can lend it out to patrons as much (or as little) as they like. Library copies often come from publishers, but they can also come from donations, used book sales, or other libraries. However the library obtains the book, once the library legally owns it, it is theirs to lend as they see fit.  Not so for digital books. To make licensed e-books available to patrons, libraries have to pay publishers multiple times over. First, they must subscribe (for a fee) to aggregator platforms such as Overdrive. Aggregators, like streaming services such as HBO’s Max, have total control over adding or removing content from their catalogue. Content can be removed at any time, for any reason, without input from your local library. The decision happens not at the community level but at the corporate one, thousands of miles from the patrons affected.  Then libraries must purchase each individual copy of each individual title that they want to offer as an e-book. These e-book copies are not only priced at a steep markup—up to 300% over consumer retail—but are also time- and loan-limited, meaning the files self-destruct after a certain number of loans. The library then needs to repurchase the same book, at a new price, in order to keep it in stock.  This upending of the traditional order puts massive financial strain on libraries and the taxpayers that fund them. It also opens up a world of privacy concerns; while libraries are restricted in the reader data they can collect and share, private companies are under no such obligation. Some libraries have turned to another solution: controlled digital lending, or CDL, a process by which a library scans the physical books it already has in its collection, makes secure digital copies, and lends those out on a one-to-one “owned to loaned” ratio.  The Internet Archive was an early pioneer of this technique. When the digital copy is loaned, the physical copy is sequestered from borrowing; when the physical copy is checked out, the digital copy becomes unavailable. The benefits to libraries are obvious; delicate books can be circulated without fear of damage, volumes can be moved off-site for facilities work without interrupting patron access, and older and endangered works become searchable and can get a second chance at life. Library patrons, who fund their local library’s purchases with their tax dollars, also benefit from the ability to freely access the books. Publishers are, unfortunately, not a fan of this model, and in 2020 four of them sued the Internet Archive over its CDL program. The suit ultimately focused on the Internet Archive’s lending of 127 books that were already commercially available through licensed aggregators. The publisher plaintiffs accused the Internet Archive of mass copyright infringement, while the Internet Archive argued that its digitization and lending program was a fair use. The trial court sided with the publishers, and on September 4, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reaffirmed that decision with some alterations to the underlying reasoning.  This decision harms libraries. It locks them into an e-book ecosystem designed to extract as much money as possible while harvesting (and reselling) reader data en masse. It leaves local communities’ reading habits at the mercy of curatorial decisions made by four dominant publishing companies thousands of miles away. It steers Americans away from one of the few remaining bastions of privacy protection and funnels them into a surveillance ecosystem that, like Big Tech, becomes more dangerous with each passing data breach. And by increasing the price for access to knowledge, it puts up even more barriers between underserved communities and the American dream.

11 September 2024

[thefugitivesaint]

If you've been a frequent, repeat visitor to this tumblr and you actually follow my "source" links, you'll know that many (if not most) of those links refer you back to the Internet Archive. I spend many hours combing through the archive for images I find interesting and aesthetically pleasing from artist's whose work I enjoy. I then transfer that labor, freely, into "content" for your viewing pleasure (or so I hope). If you were not aware of this, the book industry (which is basically controlled by 5 companies) brought a suit against the Internet Archive in 2020 that claimed that the Open Library program offered by the IA was financially damaging to the publishers themselves through "copyright infringement." During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the IA created the 'National Emergency Library' which removed lending restrictions on lent digital material allowing for expanded access to books at a time when public libraries were, in many cases, not operating (or operating at a very limited capacity). In response to the NEL, four book publishers sued the Internet Archive claiming that CDL (controlled digital lending) was not an example of fair use and that offering books without wait restrictions was a violation of their copyrights. The argument made by the publisher's was only partially aimed at the NEL, the ACTUAL target of their lawsuit was with the process of CDL itself. A lower court agreed and the Internet Archive appealed. The case was taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit only to have that court affirm the lower court rulings on a unanimous decision (with some seriously questionable reasoning involved).

What does this mean for the Internet Archive? What about public libraries in general? Read the piece and the links provided in the piece. I don't do in-depth analysis here. I just refer you (dear reader) to smarter people who are putting in the work. I really just dig pictures. Pretty pictures. *Homer Simpson drooling* Seriously though, if the topic interests you, follow the links and do yourself some learning.

[kremlin]

An earnest call for your support: Help me determine if there is a gas leak in my house.

for a long time now, I have been reading and hearing about This Guy on the news, and have been reading all the articles and stories about him:

Above: Sam, tenting his weird-ass fucked up fingers like a real Wall Street Guy might do in a movie he saw

Yep, you already know this guy, his name is Sam, I'll be referring to him as Sam, as that is his first name, and not by his initials, which is what I imagine a pod person might do in an attempt to emulate human behaviour. Whatever. You already know him and what he did, I won't waste your time. Listen. Pay attention. This is not a post about this guy or what he did. That shit is boring as fuck. This is a post about a potential gas leak in my house. We'll get to that in just a bit. Remember.

I've read all the articles and all the op-eds and everything. About Sam. Let us explore the entire spectrum of media coverage of Sam and Sam's Big Ass Problem, starting from the bottom, with the worm-food-tier jackasses: What do people like Jim Cramer and Shark Tank Guy have to say about him?

Above: CNN's "Mad Money" Jim Cramer also doing a weird hand gesture while he tells your alcoholic cable-news-addicted uncle to put his money in some dumbass shit

Above: I think this is the Shark Tank guy? I don't remember his name. Could have sworn his suit had dollar signs and not question marks (?)

I'll summarize their conclusions: "Sam is a boy genius who is super duper smart and can move objects with his massive brain due to knowing about Tech, FinDom FinTech, and computer money, specifically Money Coding. Unfortunately Sam committed massive fraud and will get his ass fucked in federal court".

Moving on from the worm-food-tier to the mediocre-tier: The totally nameless basic bitch journalists at the New York Times or Bloomberg. What do these assholes have to say?

Above: Jim Fuckface, associate financial correspondent for Bloomberg. Jim enjoys winding down on a Friday afternoon by sipping a Bud Lite Lime and wearing his baseball cap backwards, which bears the logo of his local professional sports team.

Above: Kate Fuckface, columnist at the New York Times. Kate enjoys spending her time chatting and interacting with her friends on Social Media Platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as purchasing items on Etsy

I'll summarize their conclusions: "Displaying the characteristic awkwardness of incredible technical and financial genius, it was clear to me during our interview that Sam's depth of knowledge truly knew no bounds. Unfortunately Sam committed massive fraud and will get his ass fucked in federal court."

Finally moving on to the people that might actually have a clue about what they're talking about. Sam Levine and Michael Lewis:

Above: Matt Levine, author of a comedy email newsletter named Money Stuff that is 95% financial information by weight and somehow still usually funny as fuck.

Above: Michael Lewis, author of a bunch of really good books you haven't read that were made into pretty decent movies you have seen: Moneyball and The Big Short.

I'll summarize their conclusions: "Sam sure is a smart kid and seems to know a whole lot about economics and this digital currency, and I mean a whole lot, and even more about business, accounting, and finance. Bright kid! Unfortunately Sam committed massive fraud and will get his ass fucked in federal court."

A pretty goddamn clear consensus across the board on both counts.

I listened to the interviews the entire spectrum of people listed above conducted with him -- the ones during which they unanimously concluded how smart he is. I listened to many hours of ad-hoc, unscripted Twitter Space calls he participated in, where he fielded questions about his fraud and his business with complete strangers. I listened to them very carefully. And here is my problem! I came to a different conclusion!

Sam is a fucking moron. I am not talking about solely his intellect, or solely his decision-making abilities, or any specific criteria. I am talking about all of them.

There are two possibilities:

(A) I am correct and, somehow, literally everyone else is incorrect, most of whom know vastly more about these topics than I do

(B) There is a fucking gas leak in my house and I have completely lost all cognitive abilities, suddenly and unwittingly, and exist in a cartoon reality inside my skull that would allow me to reach such a wildly different conclusion from the same evidence.

The likelihood of (A) being correct is very nearly 0%. I mean, come on. I am not fucking around when I tell you how troubling this is for me. I wrote earlier that this isn't a post about Sam or his bullshit. This is a post asking for your help in determining whether I have lost my god damn marbles.

I'll give Sam one thing -- he has some nominal ability to bullshit. If he's writing a Tweet, or making a short statement, he can finesse his words that, on some level, mask how much of a dimwit he is. He absolutely can't do that through about six hours of unscripted interviews. Listen to that shit. Listen.

I am going to go check all the joints in the gas lines in my house as well as the ports on my stove and heater. I'll come back and write a follow-up post on outlining exactly why I think homeboy is an idiot. While I do that, please, go listen to the interviews and tell me what you think.

[onlyjaeyun]

ok but jay or jake idk which suits this more but I THINK BOTH would love to fuck u in the back of their brand new car like they just picked it up n already they need u in the backseat to ‘break it in’ n claim it as yours

omg my sweet sweet cinna this is such a delicious thought to be honest and as someone who lowk has a thing for cars this made my head spin 🤞🏼🥺

— cw: fem!reader, lowk exhibitionism, creampies, car sef (it's parked lol)

Personally I think this whole concept suits Jay more than Jake, simply because he gives me those vibes and the combination of him and expensive cars makes me giggle. 🤭

Park Jongseong has a very specific model of a car in his minds which he's determined to make his own once he's got his life together. and as he works very hard to save up for it, you're by his side all along way, supporting him in every aspect possible (except financially bc he'd "rather drink a bottle of piss" than take his precious girlfriend's money), which he's more than just grateful for.

after months of picking out every single detail with a lot of care and thoughts, he finally gets to pick his nee baby up and take her home. and there's absolutely no way jay's not taking you with him because he wants to share this very special moment with the one person who's never doubted him or his saving abilities.

by the time you two drive away in the sexiest car you've ever been in, you quickly notice the way your boyfriend struggles to realise that this isn't a dream and he's actually sitting in his dream car, which he actually owns now.

as jay makes his way to the highway, you reach over to caress his cheek with a soft giggle of excitement, simply enjoying your boyfriend's happiness snd wordlessly letting him know how proud you are of him.

only for a single second does he avert his gaze from the street to look at you, just a single second.

yet the next thing your brain manages to comprehend is the feeling of jay's big hands roaming your body like a man gone mad.

you can't even properly remember when he drove off the highway and into the most random exit to find an abandoned parking lot before he pulled you into the backseat of his new car.

"j-jay", you whimper and throw your head back, losing every bit of composure you had left the second he pulls your panties down your thighs, almost instantly burying his face in your drenched cunt ss he tightly takes a hold of your soft hips.

your biyfriend's always been one to surprise you with his actions and behavior, yet nothing could have ever prepsred you for the hunger in his eyes snd the determin in his grip on you.

"want you to be the first thing i do in this baby", he grunts and wraps his pretty lips around your sensitive clit, nudging your soaking wet entrance with the tips of his fingers before he slowly pushes them in and moans against your cunt at the way you start clenching around the digits.

"please", is the only thing you manage to get out, your head spinning from all the arousal clouding your brain, "fuck me then."

and how could jay deny his perfect girl a request so sweet, right?

without saying another word, you lazily watch your boyfriend unbuckle his belt, pulling his pants down just enough to expose his rock hard cock to your hungry eyes before he lets a thick drop of his own spit fall onto the tip and gives himself a few good strokes.

you have absolutely no idea how many times you cum, but by the end of jay's energy and impressive stamina, you can feel the mixture of your own snd his cum pooling underneath your ass, staining the expensive leather of his brand new car.

"mission accomplished", is the only thing jay mumbles before he lets out a breathy chuckle and pulls you into the sweetest kiss.

[honeybubbledivination]

Pick A Page ✨

Hey, busy bees! I decided to try out something different! Kinda like mini messages while I work on figuring out shadow work stuff and readings to do for that segment! 😋 Choose which Page calls to you and see what message she has for you today! They’ll go in order of how they’re listed in the image below!

What/Who are the Pages: The Pages are the youngest, typically female court cards that bring a curious, creative, energetic energy to the suit. They each have a naive, but uniquely passionate perspective on life. Carries messages of new opportunities and creative possibilities/ideas.

[disclaimer: take what resonates and leave what doesn’t! Any and all messages are to be interpreted with your own discernment.]

[Tarot Cards are from 'The Robin Wood Tarot' by Robin Wood.]

Page of Swords:

4oC, The Hanged Man, KnoW, QoP

The Page of Swords recognizes you’re in a period of discontentment due to a stagnant situation. She tells us with the Knight of Wands and Queen of Pentacles that you will need to utilize a newfound and, almost, sudden bravery to step into a new era of financial stability that will clear away your stagnation. Good luck and good love!

- Bunny 🍯💛

Page of Cups:

The Devil, 2oC, KnoC, 4oS

The Page of Cups spills a situation that you will be put into that is framed as either a love offer or some kind of emotional offer from a younger male you know. (For some of you, this male may be a brother close to your age. In this case it would not be a romantic offer, of course.) This offer is meant to tempt you as they aren’t being 100% honest about their motives. Remember that the decision is yours, but relationships and friendships should be equal give and take. Sometimes sticking to yourself and protecting your peace is better for your soul and your wallet! Good luck and good love!

- Bunny 🍯💛

Page of Pentacles:

The Emperor, KoC, The Empress, QoC

The Page of Pentacles reveals a coin with two polished faces. You’re being guided to remain balanced in the physical while maintaining healthy balance with your emotional well being. Remember that you cannot put too much into one cup or you will flood your kingdom. But, you cannot leave your cup empty or your kingdom will fall into a drought. Good luck and good love!

- Bunny 🍯💛

Page of Wands:

1oW, 3oP, 6oC, 6oS

The Page of Wands draws an image of you leaving a situation that you realized was not equal give in take. She encourages you to pick up the pen and start creating again! Utilize your experience with your keen and adventurous imagination to make a little money! Work hard and have fun while you do it! Good luck and good love!

- Bunny 🍯💛

Bunny’s Notes: I hope you guys enjoyed this shorter version of a reading! Also, I doodled the backdrop for the cards and my new pfp! It’s been awhile since I’ve done any kind of digital art, so it’s not amazing! But, I’ve been trying to liven up my blog and get back to things I enjoy doing! Thank you so much for buzzing by!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Molly McGhee’s “Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind”

Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is Molly McGhee's debut novel: a dreamlike tale of a public-private partnership that hires the terminally endebted to invade the dreams of white-collar professionals and harvest the anxieties that prevent them from being fully productive members of the American corporate workforce:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734829/jonathan-abernathy-you-are-kind-by-molly-mcghee/

Though this is McGhee's first novel, she's already well known in literary circles. Her career has included stints at McSweeney's, where she worked on my book Information Doesn't Want To Be Free:

https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/information-doesn-t-want-to-be-free

And then at Tor Books, where she worked on my book Attack Surface:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250757531/attacksurface

But though McGhee is a shrewd and skilled editor, I think of her first and foremost as a writer, thanks to stunning essays like "America's Dead Souls," a 2021 Paris Review piece that described the experience of multigenerational debt in America in incandescent, pitiless prose:

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2021/05/17/americas-dead-souls/

McGhee's piece struck at the heart of something profoundly wrong in American society – the dual nature of debt, which represents a source of freedom for the wealthy, and bondage for workers:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/19/zombie-debt/#damnation

When billionaire mass-murderers like the Sacklers amass tens of billions of liabilities stemming from their role in deliberately starting the opioid crisis, the courts step in to relieve them of their obligations, allowing them to keep their blood-money:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/11/justice-delayed/#justice-redeemed

And when Silicon Valley Bank collapses due to mismanagement by ultra-wealthy financiers, the public purse yawns open and billions flow out to ensure that the wealthiest investors in the country stay whole:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/18/2-billion-here-2-billion-there/#socialism-for-the-rich

When predatory payday lenders target working people and force them into bankruptcy with four-digit APRs, the government intervenes…to save the lenders and keep workers on the hook:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/29/planned-obsolescence/#academic-fraud

"Debtor vs creditor" is the oldest class division we have. The Bronze Age custom of jubilee – the periodic cancellation of all debts – wasn't some weird peccadillo. It was essential public policy, and without jubilee, the hereditary creditor class became the arbiter of all social priorities, destabilizing great nations and even empires by directing production to suit their parochial needs. Societies that didn't practice jubilee (or halted it) collapsed:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/08/jubilant/#construire-des-passerelles

Today's workers are debt burdened at scales and in ways that defy comprehension, the numbers are so brain-breakingly large. Students who take out modest loans and pay them off several times over remain indebted decades later, with outstanding balances that vastly outstrip the principle:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

Workers who quit dead-end jobs are billed for five-figure "training repayment" bills that haunt them to the end of days:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/04/its-a-trap/#a-little-on-the-nose

Hospitals sue indigent patients at scale, siccing debt-collectors on people who can't pay – and were entitled to free care to begin with:

https://armandalegshow.com/episode/when-hospitals-sue-patients-part-2/

And debt collectors are drawn from the same social ranks as the debtors, barely trained and unsupervised, engaging in lawless, constant harassment of the debtor class:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/12/do-not-pay/#fair-debt-collection-practices-act

McGhee's "American Dead Souls" crystallized all of this vast injustice into a single, beautiful essay – and then McGhee crystallized things further by posting a public resignation letter enumerating the poor pay and working conditions in New York publishing, triggering mass, industry-wide resignations by similarly situated junior editorial staff:

https://electricliterature.com/molly-mcghee-jonathan-abernathy-you-are-kind-interview-debut-novel-book-debt/

Thus we arrive at McGhee's debut: a novel written by someone with a track record for gorgeous, brutally insightful prose; incisive analysis of the class war raging in the embers of capitalism's American Dream; and consequential labor organizing against the precarity and exploitation of young workers. As you might expect, it's fantastic.

Jonathan Abernathy is a 25 year old, debt haunted, desperately lonely man. An orphan with a mountain of college debt, Abernathy lives in a terrible basement apartment whose rent is just beyond his means. The only thing that propels him out of bed and into the world are his affirmations:

Jonathan Abernathy you are kind

You are well respected and valued by your community

People, including your family, love you

That these are all easily discerned lies is beside the point. Whatever gets you through the night.

We meet Jonathan as he is applying for a job that he was recruited for in a dream. As instructed in his dream, he presents himself at a shabby strip-mall office where an acerbic functionary behind scratched plexiglass takes his application and informs him that he is up for a gig run jointly by the US State Department and a consortium of large corporate employers. If he is accepted, all of his student debt repayments will be paused and he will no longer face wage garnishment. What's more, he'll be doing the job in his sleep, which means he'll be able to get a day job and pull a double income – what's not to like?

Jonathan's job is to enter the dreams of sleeping middle-management types in America's largest firms – but not just any dreams, their nightmares. Once he has entered their nightmare, Jonathan is charged with identifying the source of their anxiety and summoning a more senior operative who will suck up and whisk away that nagging spectre, thus rendering the worker a more productive component of their corporate structure.

But of course, there's more to it. As Jonathan works through his sleeping hours, he is deprived of his own dreams. Then there's the question of where those captive anxieties are ending up, and how they're being processed, and what new products can be made from refined nightmares. While Jonathan himself is pulling ever so slightly out of his economic quagmire, the people around him are still struggling.

McGhee braids together three strands: the palpable misery of being Jonathan (a proxy for all of us), the rising terror of the true nature of his employment, and beautifully turned absurdist touches that are laugh-aloud funny. This could be a mere novel of ennui and misery but it's not – it's a novel of hilarity and fear and misery, all mixed together in a glorious and terrible concoction that is not like anything else you've ever read.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/08/capitalist-surrealism/#productivity-hacks

[sugarsprinklesoul]

Your ultimate guide to glowing up physically and mentally in 2024.

This is a guide to glowing up physically and mentally in 2024, including skincare tips, hair care, mental health, vision boards, journaling, and creating new habits to achieve your goals.

Physical Fitness:

Incorporate a mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises into your routine.

Focus on a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.

Stay hydrated by drinking an adequate amount of water daily.

Skincare Routine:

Develop a consistent skincare routine with cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection.

Consider adding products with ingredients like retinol and vitamin C for anti-aging benefits.

Hair Care:

Maintain regular haircuts and consider trying new hairstyles.

Use quality hair products suitable for your hair type to keep it healthy and shiny.

Fashion and Style:

Update your wardrobe with pieces that make you feel confident and comfortable.

Experiment with different styles to find what suits your personality and body type.

Mindfulness and Mental Well-being:

Practice mindfulness through activities like meditation or yoga.

Prioritize self-care and set aside time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation.

Create a vision board:

Identify your short-term and long-term goals

Collect magazines, newspapers, printed images, quotes, and any other materials you can use to represent your goals

Choose a board or poster as the base for your vision board. It can be a physical board or a digital one, depending on your preference.

Cut out images, words, and phrases that resonate with your goals. Arrange them on your board in a way that is visually appealing and meaningful to you.

As you place each item on the board, take a moment to visualize yourself achieving those goals. Feel the emotions associated with success.

Include positive affirmations related to your goals. Use words that inspire and motivate you.

Put your vision board in a place where you'll see it daily—this serves as a constant reminder of your aspirations.

Your vision board is a dynamic tool. Update it periodically as your goals evolve or as you achieve them.

Journaling:

Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection, stress relief, and personal growth.

Establish a consistent time for journaling, whether it's in the morning, evening, or during specific events in your day.

Let your thoughts flow without judgment. Write about your feelings, experiences, dreams, or anything on your mind.

Include a section for things you're grateful for. This practice can shift focus towards positive aspects of your life.

Learning and Growth:

Read regularly to expand your knowledge and stay informed about various topics.

Set personal and professional goals to continually challenge and improve yourself.

Positive Relationships:

Nurture positive relationships and distance yourself from toxic influences.

Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you.

Cut off toxic people:

Detoxifying your social circle by cutting off toxic people is a crucial step for your mental well-being.

Remember, prioritizing your mental health and well-being is not selfish; it's essential for personal growth and a fulfilling life.

Organization and Time Management:

Create a schedule that allows for a balance between work, personal life, and leisure.

Declutter your physical and digital spaces for a clearer mind.

Hobbies and Passion Projects:

Cultivate hobbies that bring you joy and a sense of accomplishment.

Consider pursuing a passion project or learning a new skill.

Financial Fitness:

Develop a budget and savings plan to achieve financial goals.

Invest time in understanding personal finance for long-term stability.

[jades-typurriter]

Cache Clearing

A piece I did in a bit of a frenzy after working with (you guessed it) Bowsiosaurus on the design for a new OC: meet Posie!! The thought process here was literally, like, no sooner than we decided on "make a Renamon" i was like "hey what if she ate a bunch of data", so, I hope you enjoy it as much as she seemed to =^w^=

CW: Weight gain, tummy/breast expansion, stern office woman is so full from Information yum

A tall, stately fox moved down the drab, linoleum-and-drop-tile maintenance corridor with the same grace, the same level and unerring gait, that one of her four-legged, flesh-and-bone counterparts might display while stalking prey through the underbrush. Though her feet ended in points, modeled as a smooth taper from her knee to a single vertex apiece, the clack of high heels echoed down the empty hallway with each step. Her purpose was singular, and her focus undivided.

She was a Renamon who had adapted to a digital landscape that was as predictable as it was unforgiving; while her predecessors were more suited to the wild west of the adolescent internet, all the precision and discipline that they dedicated to roughhousing instead allowed her to operate within the razor-thin margins of error of the corporate world. She kept things running, and that was exactly what she made her way to the server room to do now.

She waved a paw over the electronic lock on the door, an uncannily smooth, mechanical motion, made with the other paw primly held behind her ramrod-straight back. It was a far cry from the jerky, stiff displays one might expect from a physical construct, though the knob turned under her touch as though she was solid as steel. As it swung closed behind her, she approached the subject of her attention for her next task: server rack B-0, a cabinet of solid-state drives stacked even higher than she was, each loaded to the brim with trade secrets, proprietary information, logs of confidential exchanges, schematics, financial records. All of it was outdated. She had been sent by the management to ensure that it was properly deleted.

Her lip curled into a sneer at the thought. Data disposal was so… undignified. It was beneath a woman of her stature. She had thoroughly demonstrated her particular capabilities: the multitasking necessary direct intra-system traffic in real time, reducing latency; her knack for optimizing data for the most efficient storage; she had even taken the initiative to create financial projections from the figures under her care. And still they expected her to perform a task so crude that any program picked up on a shovelware site could handle it without complication! She huffed, her eyes narrowed into her typical glare, as though she wished she could melt the damned server with the infrared beams she would otherwise use to communicate with it.

Nonetheless, there was no use putting it off any longer. The 2.6 seconds she had spent ruminating could have been better spent elsewhere, and she would be remiss to waste even more time. She was the Renamon assigned to maintaining the integrity of the company’s data center, and she would not shirk that duty, no matter how uncouth it was. She unlatched the wire-mesh cabinet door, reached into the rack, and removed the first drive in the array with a soft k-chk.

Closing her eyes and bracing herself with a deep breath, she brought the disk to her snout, opened her mouth, and moved as though to take a bite out of it. Her pointed, polygonal teeth passed harmlessly through the metal, phasing as she could through any of the other surfaces in the building (though she made a point of logging her activities by using her credentials at doors, like any other employee). The data on the two plates within, however, were far from unscathed—bits parted like the muscle fibers in a succulent cut of steak, zeroed out as she pulled the drive from between her lips, swallowing the information once contained within.

She let out an almost-gasp—Pahhh!—like she was trying not to gag. It wasn’t that the data were unpalatable. Far from it; she could, begrudgingly, understand why her wild cousins were so apt to chew through any unsecured files they could get their paws on. It was the task itself that was distasteful: this was only the first bite of the first drive in the entire rack! She resented that her superiors seemed to think of her as a bottomless recycle bin. Besides, work of this nature came up rather infrequently. Reacclimating herself to the sensation of eating was always a touch uncomfortable.

She powered through regardless, knowing the feeling would settle as she got further underway. She brought the drive back up to her face, taking another bite further into the plate, as though she was gnawing off segments of a particularly thick chocolate bar; with her other paw, she disengaged another drive from the rack. She nibbled off the last morsel of data from the first drive and brought the second immediately to her maw; it was… more efficient to do it that way. As fast as possible. The sooner she could get all these units formatted, the better, of course.

Replacing the first, now-empty drive, she replaced it in its slot and reached for a third as she chewed on the second. On and on she went, paws working in perfect unison to maintain an unbroken chain of drives to deplete; she might have compared herself to a juggler if her cheeks weren’t already burning from the indignity. Electrons slid down her tongue—her mouth was watering more than she cared to acknowledge—and down the back of her throat. Bite. Swallow. Bite. Swallow. Replace. Switch. Bite. Swallow. Bite.

Her pace only increased as she continued. Of course it would. A computer performs better after it’s had time to warm up, after all. And, of course, she simply wanted this to be done and over with as quickly as possible. It was a mercy that she didn’t need to pay any mind to her volume controls, as far away from any other personnel as the data center was. Not that she was paying attention anyway, fully-focused on completing her task as she was. Nobody—not even herself—would notice the muffled mmphs and nnffs she made as she pressed on.

All the data on the disks had to go somewhere, and it was at this point in the process that that tended to become apparent. Beneath the fur on her chest, meticulously brushed and fastidiously fluffed, her breasts became gradually more prominent. At first, the tuft was enough to mostly obscure them—after all, so what if she seemed slightly fluffier that day?—but was soon outpaced. Electrical charges by the millions, now unmoored from their tidy array inside the drives, now sloshed into her, taking up more and more of her own storage space. In short order, the fluff was scarcely enough to cover just her cleavage.

One third of the way through the server rack, now. Still, her pace only increased, one drive in each paw.

Her thighs were already rather prodigious. They were the majority of her curves, under normal circumstances, and she took some pride in the matronly figure that she cut as a result. Now, they pressed closer and closer together beneath the skirt of fur that she sported, the conical abstractions of her lower extremities widening bite by bite (and byte by byte). They pressed further and further outward, straining the “garment” itself, pushing the hem further and further up along her legs; the circular patterns on her hips, reminiscent of loading symbols, became distorted, stretched. She would have thought it was a crude change, not unlike resizing an image file with improper scaling—if she were capable of focusing on anything other than the gigabytes upon gigabytes she was so doggedly downloading.

Well over halfway now. She was shoving storage into her maw two at a time, with both paws. If she was able to hold more drives at a time, she would have; as a matter of fact, it didn’t stop her from trying.

The largest component of her directory—her midsection—naturally took the brunt of the new load. Slowly, the soft, icy-blue fur of her tummy billowed out, first simply swelling as her stomach filled, then folding onto itself, rolls smushing down on each other under their newfound, still-growing weight. Soon enough, she found herself pressed up against the lower racks of the server, though even in her focused state, she hadn’t realized that she had stepped closer. She hadn’t moved any closer, of course, but she needed to step further back regardless: she found that she was beginning to struggle to bend over, straining against herself to reach the lowest-mounted drives in the array.

Finally, heaving for breath, she extended her paw for another drive and found none remaining that needed to be cleared. She blinked and, once she was more aware of herself, pushed down a sense of disappointment. Instead, she straightened herself (allowing the new mass to settle to a stop after the motion), dusted her skirt, and conjured a good riddance air about herself as she closed the server door once again. She could still find pride in a job well done, even if she was loathe to do the job.

As she stepped out once again into the hallway, ensuring that the door was securely closed—not that there was a single trace remaining of anything sensitive that had been stored there—she folded her hands behind her back and surprised herself with a burp that was most definitely ladylike. One paw flew to her snout as it echoed down the hallway, both in shock and to hide the near-glow of her cheeks. She glanced in either direction: mercifully, still vacant. Her shoulders slumped in relief, one of the rare occasions on which she relaxed her posture. Thankfully, nobody but her would know that she’d had to do one of her dirtier jobs today. She set off back the way she had came, her footsteps now playing at maximum volume—not even a clack anymore as much as a clomp.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it =^w^= If you'd like to see more of my writing, have a look here and here!

[digitalsolutionsfortelecos]

6D Technologies to Exhibit Its Top Products at MWC Barcelona 2024

6D Technologies announced its participation in MWC Barcelona from 26th Feb to 29th Feb, 2024. The company will exhibit its AI-driven technology products for telcos and CSPs.

6D Technologies is a well-known global leader in the telecom and enterprise solution provider industry. The company has delightedly announced its participation as one of the exhibitors at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024.

As per the shared details, the participation details of 6D Technologies are as below:

Booth No: Stand 2D40 in Hall 2

Venue: Fira Gran Via, Barcelona

Dates: February 26 to February 29, 2024

6D Technologies will showcase its innovative products that are empowered with AI technology to make a difference in the lives of communication service providers, small and large scale telcos, and other companies operating in the telecommunication industry.

The spokesperson of the company announced a brief of all products to be exhibited at MWC Barcelona 2024.

Telecom Digital BSS Platform

Canvas is a complete digital BSS suite that modernizes business support operations and digitizes legacy networks. This platform encompasses advanced modules such as a telecom CRM system, online charging system, billing mediation platform, order management solution, partner management system, unified product catalog management, and more.

Intelligent Customer Value Management Platform

Magik is an AI-powered CVM and big data analytics platform that harnesses the power of AI, ML, and big data to predict customer behavior to devise personalized customer engagement and value management plans. It consists of key modules like campaign management, telecom loyalty programs, gamification software in telecommunication, BI reporting, and more.

Sales and Distribution Platform

Ventas is a full fledged telecom sales and distribution suite that is developed to track and manage the efficiency and accuracy of sales representatives of CSPs. It encompasses futuristic modules like PoS management, inventory management, geo business visibility, telecom channel partner management, field force management, digital onboarding, telecom commission management, and more.

Telecom IoT Platform

Infinity is a popular IoT solution for telcos that blends the perfect power of the Internet of Things and AI to increase advantages for CSPs and telcos. Certainly, it helps in increasing monetization options for telcos with its cutting-edge technologies and efficient modules like M2M device management, URL filtering, IoT connectivity management, IoT middleware, and more.

Telecom Digital Financial Platform

Aureus is an all-inclusive AI packed digital financial suite for companies operating in the telecommunication industry. It is developed on multichannel principles and it provides access to some really powerful tools like a mobile wallet, merchant management, agency banking solution, conversational banking system, voucher management solution, automated chargeback management solution, and more.

Unified VAS platform

Lynx is a renowned unified VAS consolidation and network management platform that blends an array of functionalities and apps within a single platform for telcos. It provides a robust platform and a range of empowering solutions such as SMS and signaling firewall, network solutions, SMSC, SMS gateway, USSD gateway, CRBT, SDP, WSMS, and many more.

About MWC Barcelona 2024

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is renowned as the ultimate event for global mobile connectivity and telecommunication professionals. MWC Barcelona 2024 will spotlight six key themes: 5G and Beyond, Connecting Everything, Humanising AI, Manufacturing DX, Game Changers, and Our Digital DNA. This event will showcase leading brands amidst cutting-edge technologies, compelling content, and influential keynotes. It claims to promise insightful keynote sessions, inspiration, and impactful business deals, bringing decision-makers and keynotes to the forefront of the global mobile industry.

About 6D Technologies

6D Technologies secures the top place as one of the leading providers of the best technology products to the mobile and telecommunication industry. It specializes in telecommunications solutions, digital transformation, and AI driven products that bring revolutionary changes for telcos, network operators, CSPs, and more. The representatives of 6D Technologies will participate in the upcoming event, MWC Barcelona 2024 to exhibit their flagship products. To learn more about participation of 6D Technologies at MWC 2024, please visit  https://www.6dtechnologies.com/press-release/mobile-world-congress/

[sohkrates]

THE 55 is now Live on Kickstarter

THE 55 is a cyberpunk setting supplement for your favourite grungy dystopia. It's meant to slot into other cyberpunk TTRPGs in general and is compatible with CYB_BORG specifically.

It's also my biggest flex as a layout artist and graphic designer

Stack #95563 started as a location for my game Neon Black, then along came the #dungeon23 challenge and I thought I would turn THE 55 into a big concrete pseudo megadungeon full of second-hand shops, suits to kill, and weird crypto miners living in the walls.

So now it's 365 floors of wage theft, woe, and weird. Made darker and maybe a little magical to fit with other cyberpunk games. Maybe there's aliens too? Could be, look I'm not the cops you do with this zine what you like.

The Kickstarter is funding a print run and also giving out some goodies. You get early access to the digital copy (like, literally right now if you back it you can just read the whole thing).

You can also get a physical zine shipped to you, pages from the notebook I used for the #dungeon23 challenge, and a big ass poster of the cover art.

Looks cool right? Act fast cause there's a limited amount of, well, everything.

Also there's a financial hardship tier if you don't have much cash.

I've been working on this for a while, I was putting pages into layout as soon as I was finished writing them last year and it's just been getting better and better.

Anyway, if you want to dump your players into an arcology of thousands within a city of millions, or just want some more monsters, villains, or allies for your cyberpunk stories, please check it out and spread the word.

Thanks!

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Part 5: It's (Dahlia of) Wednesday, My Dudes (2000-2010)

I apologize for nothing.

Welcome back to An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Last time we left off, the 90's had come and gone, bringing with it a whole cavalcade of mecha shows as well as Pokemon in its wake. Now the Torchics have come home to roost, as Pokemon explodes in popularity in the 2000's. This means that mecha shows can no longer rely on child audiences in order to make their money. Add onto this the slow shift into the modern seasonal format throughout the decade, and we begin to see the start of the decline of mecha.

Though not all is bad news, as a fair bit of mecha stories would come out and become some of the most iconic stories of the decade. Heck, this era of mecha stories is rife with at least three examples of "Not Like the Other Girl" mecha shows, two of which are pretty bizarre as "Not Like the Other Girl" shows.

So with that out of the way...

Wake up, Dann!

FLCL (2000)

So, uh... what a way to start, huh?

FLCL (pronounced fooly-cooly) is a Studio Gainax/Production I.G. OVA series made in 2000 supposedly as a way to relieve the studio's stress from working on a little series called Neon Genesis Evangelion. FLCL is, to put it lightly, very bizarre while also being surprisingly heartfelt.

FLCL was another major [adult swim]/Toonami series in the US, and like The Big O before it, the folks at Toonami would eventually reach out to Production I.G. to produce sequels that, in my opinion, generally fail to capture the energy of the original.

Bionicle (2001)

LEGO would release its BIONICLE line of Technic toys in 2001 as a last-ditch effort to save the company from financial ruin, and boy would it succeed. Building off of the success of Throwbots, BIONICLE would have a serialized adventure centered around the six Toa as they fought against the forces of the evil Makuta.

Bionicle would last throughout the decade as well as a little bit into the next, until LEGO, who was at a much better place financially at this point, decided that it was time to pull the plug on the series. Bionicle would receive a reboot in 2017 only to be shut down a few years later.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002), Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (2005), & Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024)

Coming in with a bang, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED would air in 2002. The first series of the Cosmic Era timeline is, without a doubt, one of the most important entries in the entire Gundam franchise due to how it renewed interest in the franchise. Gundam SEED would also be the first series in the franchise to use digital animation over the more traditional cel animation.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED would be followed up with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny in 2005. There were plans for a movie releasing shortly after Destiny wrapped up its run, bit it wouldn't be until 2024 that the film, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, would finally release.

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is also a, shall we say, very contentious series to talk about. While it is almost always one of the most popular entries in Japan, the series is a lot more hotly debated about here in the west. A lot of people tend to downplay this series' importance (*cough*Professor Otaku*cough*). But that is not for me to say, as I have never really watched Gundam SEED or anything related to it.

Xenosaga (2002)

Returning to the director's chair in 2002, Tetsuya Takahashi and the newly formed Monolith Soft would release Xenosaga for the PlayStation 2. Acting as a spiritual successor to Xenogears, Xenosaga brings all of that complex Gnosticism goodness to a new console generation. Originally planned for six games in total, Xenosaga was ultimately cut down in size into three games.

Eventually, Monolith Soft would be bought out by Nintendo (if I had a nickel etc.), and Takahashi would be given another chance to explore the Xeno series once again. But that's a story for another time.

Diebuster/Gunbuster 2 (2004)

Releasing in 2004 as a sequel to 1989's Gunbuster, Diebuster would be the third of Gainax's Big Four series. If you're wondering why Diebuster is the fourth, that's because this OVA series would be the starting point for a lot of the members of the team that would give us Gurren Lagann in about four years.

With the slow death of Studio Gainax, both Diebuster and its older sister series Gunbuster would transfer ownership to Gaina (formerly Fukushima Gainax) at some point in the 2010's. Gaina has plans to make a Gunbuster 3, though that will have to wait until they at least wrap up production of Grendizer U later this year.

Megas XLR (2004)

Meanwhile, Cartoon Network would also see the release of the mecha parody series Megas XLR. Originally an alien robot whose head has been replaced with a car, this series would lovingly riff on a lot of the tropes present in old mecha shows like Mazinger Z and Getter Robo. Unlike most other shows at the time though, Megas XLR has become hard to find since it wrapped up its run. A lot of that has to do with, if I remember correctly, legal issues.

Gun X Sword (2005)

2005 would see AIC Productions release Gun X Sword, a mecha sci-fi/western mash-up directed by Goro Taniguchi. Set on the wasteland planet Endless Illusion, Gun X Sword pulls a lot of its aesthetic sensibilities from shows like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, though another show that may have helped influence Gun X Sword is...

Mobile Fighter G Gundam?! I really hope that's a stretch from me...

As a series, Gun X Sword is often left out of the conversation when it comes to 2000's mecha shows. A large part of that stems from people incorrectly assuming its just a ripoff of Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, which is only remotely true due to some more superficial elements like the planet of Endless Illusion being similar to Trigun's Gunsmoke, and Van's name being a riff on Vash the Stampede (a joke early on is that Van is constantly changing his title).

Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven (2005)

In 1999, a group of former animators for Sunrise would leave to form Studio Bones. While they had worked on a fair bit of shows prior to 2005, including one RahXephon, Bones would come to be known for, among other shows, Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven (or just Eureka Seven for short). With a unique style and a focus on romance (specifically the romantic relationships present amongst the main cast), Eureka Seven would leave an indelible mark on a whole generation of mecha fans.

I would also argue, due in part to personal experience, that Eurkea Seven is one of the "Not Like the Other Girl" shows, though I think I can see why some might disagree: You need to have watched Eureka Seven first in order to make a claim like that, and boy is the original TV series hard to find online.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2007)

The year 2007 would see the publication of the first novel in the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn series. Gundam Unicorn would be an important series in the history of Gundam due to both its popularity and the fact that it represents a changing of the guard, as Universal Century Gundam stories would now be handled primarily by Harutoshi Fukui instead of series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino.

I think I'd also be remiss to point out that Fukui is a rather divisive figure when it comes to Gundam, as the original Gundam Unicorn light novels lean much more into fascist apologia than any other UC series. This would, thankfully, be almost entirely cut out in the animated adaptation of Unicorn that would air in the 2010's.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2008)

2008 would see a trio of mecha shows that would more or less serve as a capstone to the 2000's as a decade. The first I will cover is Goro Taniguchi's Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. Mixing in smaller mechs similar to that of Armored Trooper VOTOMs along with actual magic, Code Geass would cement its legacy amongst mecha shows by being one of the "Not Like the Other Girl" shows.

Which is weird, because the plot of Code Geass is that the show's equivalent of the British Empire is able to conquer most of the world through its use of the show's mecha, known in-universe as Knightmare Frames.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2008)

Also releasing in 2008 is Sunrise's Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Leaning into real life elements like the rising awareness of terrorism while taking inspiration from Full Metal Panic, Gundam 00 would be the second of the three mecha stars of 2008. Whereas Gundam SEED would be Gundam's first foray into digital animation, Gundam 00 would up the ante in what is possible. If anything, part of Gundam SEED's legacy in the west is marred due to it's release being sandwiched between Turn A Gundam and Gundam 00, both of which are considered to be some of the best Gundam shows in terms of animation quality.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2008)

Capping off this post is Studio Gainax's final series of their Big Four, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Created as a celebration of mecha stories, with Getter Robo in particular being a primary inspiration, Gurren Lagann is oftentimes considered to be the single most HOT-BLOODED entry in the mecha canon. What helps is this series would build off of the general tone of shows like its big sister show Diebuster as well as the aforementioned Getter Robo. I would even argue that other shows such as Mobile Fighter G Gundam and The King of Braves GaoGaiGar also had a hand in shaping this series.

Gurren Lagann is also, bizarrely enough, one of the "Not Like the Other Girls" shows. If you thought Code Geass was a weird example, then Gurren Lagann is far and away the most perplexing example of these types of shows. At least the other three have a "plausible" explanation as to why they're considered to be different. Gurren Lagann is pretty similar in terms of character dynamics and themes, not that similar to pretty much every mecha show I just compared it to.

Conclusion

That more or less wraps up the 2000's in terms of major works in the mecha canon. It's not until the next decade that we really see mecha works go into a true dark age, though the nature of the dark age is largely overstated. The 2010's is marked by a lot of duds, though I will not touch on the two biggest duds of the decade in the next post. It should be noted that the 2010's also has some major hits scattered throughout the decade, though a lot of them tend to be legacy titles from existing works. We'll also see two major entries in the canon appear from western creators that will also homage the works of old.

I...

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.̵̘̀.̶̡̦̄.̴̯̓͜t̷͖̆u̸̠̰͂n̴͇͗͘ḛ̶̥̇͑ ̷̘̃ḯ̶̻̋n̶̰͛.̴͈͈͋̀.̵̖̈́.̶̡̻̋

...

“̵͇͗͂͠͝Ï̴͇̮̝̽̾ ̴̡̜̯̽̽͜f̵̠̘̈́̔̽ể̸͇̗͐͜l̸̻̟͓͉̀͆t̶̢̫̱̜̔́̾͠ ̸͈̙̜̟̊̅̈́t̵̗̟̤͓̿̂̂͑h̶̖͌͌e̶͕̣̅̒ ̵̡̞̀b̶̪̾̾̓̀ù̵̳͊͑͑ľ̸̢͕̺̭́ļ̸̛̰̈́̍̀é̵͈̯̳͐t̵̪̱̾͜ ̸͖͖̃t̵̥̓͆̄̕ȅ̷́̅͜͜a̵̬̘̙̻̋͆͠͠r̷͚̲̟̠̆̔̄̈ ̴̩̂̌̋t̵̨̳̆͜͠ḥ̸̥̿̈́̂̐r̵̩͇̀͛̿͗o̵̟̮̙͋ͅȕ̵̧̳̙̆g̷̜̜̏̐h̶̡̤͔̃̚͝ ̴̨͈́m̴̳̦̅̎̑̕e̷̼̼̣̭͑͝͠.̵͚̌ ̵̟̺͕̈̎̎́Į̵͕̿ͅ ̶̖͙̑͆̔͝f̶̠̉̂̃ḙ̸͝l̵̻̈́̌̈́̃t̷͇̣̱͐͋̀͆ ̸̙̲̎t̸͔̝̀͠h̶̛̜͔͋̿͌͜é̵̦̼̆̋̓ ̶̞̂̕b̴̰̲͈̽́̔u̶̯͛̇̓ḽ̸̭̮̘̔̇͋͘l̵̰̒̇̇ẹ̵͑͠t̵̡̼̫̙͌̈͆̃ ̸͉͙̀̓͒͝t̸͓̣̮͚̽̈́̽ē̷̬̲ą̷͇͙͐̈͑r̵͇̮̬̾ ̷͚̞͕̎͑ͅt̴̤̥̽̏͒ḩ̷̬̌͆́r̴̯̓̍̿̕õ̸̝͓ṳ̶͈̫͒̎͠g̴͍̯͒͌́h̸̰̯͖͕͊͗̕ ̶̳̫͛m̸͉̏̉̋͜e̸͖͉̭̱͗.̵͓̗̞͓́̏ ̷̺͕̖̀I̵̫̟͌̓̄̈́ ̶̢̞̯͗̾͂̽ͅf̸̲̝̖̈́͜ë̴̱͓́́l̸̫͓̪̆̾͝ţ̸̱̟̼͒ ̷̱̇̚t̵̲͔̻̋̏h̷̠͋ẽ̴̢̦̤̦̔ ̵̻̠̊p̴̞͗r̴̗͉͐̒͑e̷̘͙̼̩͊̾s̵͇̰͐s̶̪͔͚͛͌̍ű̴̱̪͖̌̊̎r̶̪̬̿̈́ḛ̷͐̐̑ ̸̝͙̉͗̎̑a̴͍̜̾̒͝n̸̡̹̓d̸̨̲͎͎̏̃̄ ̸̛̱̙̦̤͌͝͠ȉ̵̡̟̱͖͘t̷̢̛̥̉̀ ̷̛̺͖w̶̨͋ȃ̶̢͕̃s̷̢̤̦̀̊̈́͘ ̵̛̥̲̰̂͂͗͜m̵̦̋̔̀y̵̮͈̼͐̋ ̸̥̹͕̦̿̄͘b̴͉͔̑͂̓ṛ̵̇̿̇o̵͖͎̗̰̊̾ẗ̶͙́̈́͑̀͜ͅh̶̢̺͉̖͌̔̓͝e̶̬͍̝̞͛r̵̗̩͛̐̂,̶̤͎͎̉̊̎ ̸̨̖͉̬̇͑̈̅h̸͇̏į̴͉̄̚s̷̨̝͈̽̓̅ ̴̟̩̃f̵̦͖̩͂̏ȉ̸̡̯̳̈́̈̾ś̶͙̺ṭ̵̜̯̭̓,̸̮̭̇̓ ̸͚̜̃̑ḿ̷̻͈̓y̸̡͌̊̓ ̵̞̈́̇c̷͍̘͌̃͜͠h̵͖̉͘e̸̮͙̊̎ş̵͚̚t̸̡̗́̈́͋̑͜,̸̜͋͠͝ ̷̧̣͎̙̓͌͝͝a̴̖̥̅n̶̡̯͆d̶̢̠͛̿ ̵̭̈́I̴͎͚̺̥͆̋̕ ̸̧̥͙̦̔w̷̭̐̈́å̵̢̙͔s̷̖̋̿ ̶̫̘̾͊l̴̨̧̙̐́a̸͎̹͕͕̔̓̾y̷̧͈͖͚̌̀̂̊i̴̠̝͗͌̕͘n̵͙̻͌̄g̸̛̥̯̹̫͝ ̷̣̔̋̀͠ọ̸̀̾̃̃n̵̰͐ ̷̼̄͂͗m̴̟͘y̵̩̻̺̪̎̽̐ ̴͔̹̀b̸̛͆ͅa̵̡̧̬̓c̴͇͝k̸̢̐̍̏́ ̸̼̠̳͕̑̃̏͝ä̷̫̣̂̓͝n̴̫̬̐ḓ̵̎̈͝ ̶̦͈̈́̆̓͜t̵̨͗̎̈h̶̭̗͔̣̋̑̆̕ę̷͈̗̰͑ ̷̛̪͎̞͒͌͝s̵̼̝̽͝͠ͅk̶̰̠̥̔͘y̸̝͐̆̓̈́ ̷͉͖̳̀̈w̸̛͇̝̭̺ȁ̶̳̥̰̐̉̄s̴͙̊̈ͅ ̶̟̐̿b̴̭̞͗̔̓l̴͉̰̓ų̴̒̓͘e̴͍̟̐̋,̷̡̀̎ ̷͈̈́̈́̉a̴͈̠̓n̴̽̾̊͜ͅd̴͙͍͇̲̾ ̴͇̭̩́̂͐m̸̛̭͉̈̒͂ỳ̴͙͔͉̾͂̽ ̴̻̙̊͝m̴̨̽̚o̵͍̠͆̓t̸̡̻͖̫̉̈́h̴̛̗̺̖̾ë̶̖r̷̥͗ ̵̟̱̞͖̎̿̒͝ḥ̷̂o̷̧̓̓ļ̵̻̜̊̇l̵̖̬̹͑ḛ̴͚̈̕r̵̪͈͈̭̄̈́̃́ȩ̴͇̥̽d̴̨̼͓̿̽͂ ̴̻͎̬̩̔͐́a̴̫͔͐̃̽t̶̩̏̏ ̷̦̭͋ȟ̴̺͚̤͖ḭ̸̝̺̐̆͗m̶̞̄̋͘͠ ̶͌ͅá̶͉̜̜̪̈́̆͂ń̵̘̪̮̉̃d̸͔̥̟͌͂͗͝ ̶̛̺̪̲̩́̑t̸͓̱͐̀͗͊h̴̠̮̄̐̽͝ę̶͔̏̈́̄͝ ̷̗̖̌̉͝ͅb̷̭̄̚u̷̮̎̇̃̀l̸͉̣̓l̵̦̺̟̔͗̾͜͝è̴̡͔̝̲̑͌ț̵̮̽ ̵͎̗̏̀ȟ̷̹̝͕̀́ȃ̷̪͒̋͜d̸̞̤͕̦̈́̑͠͝ ̸̻̤͆̈́̊͝n̶̼̆͌̑̈́ē̷̳͔̝͙͌́́v̷͍͙̻̘̈́ẽ̷̗̞̳̓͝͝ͅr̴̾̽͜͠ ̵̣̜̂̌͠ͅh̷̦̜̦͚̓i̴͓̠͖͐ţ̸̂̋̿̾ ̶͕̑̕̚ͅm̴̛̥̈́ế̸̟̠͔̳,̵̱͖̳̲̊ ̷̨͍͛a̶̗̞͝n̵̯͇̿̏̚d̸̙͎̭͆͊͠ ̶̬͍͐̇t̴̢̛̲̖̟h̴̙̿͗̎͜è̷͖̱̞́̇̀ ̵͉̆͘l̷̡̬̀̌̌̒e̷̢͋̈̃̓͜g̷̢̢͉͜͝ï̵̟͈͉̞̇̆̐o̴̺̜̒́̔͜n̸͉̏͌ṇ̷̀͝a̶̡̖̓̽͛̍i̸̬̮͂͋̕r̵̲̗̈ë̶̮́ ̵̨̣̓ẅ̷̲̹͓̗͗h̵̻͉̠̱͑̓o̶̹̱̺͉̕ ̶͖̝͚̎͆̂̓s̸̛̛̰͓͜h̵̤̐o̵̭̝̹̅̇͑͜͝t̴̠͊̋̾͐ ̴̠̰̞̟̇͒̾͠ḿ̸̟̤̗͈̊͗ȩ̸̟̏ ̸̻̀h̴͕͈̹̾͛͌̓a̵̻̬̝̰̅͛d̵̨̘̀ ̷̢̹͉͑̿͜n̷̯͔̏͊̌o̷͙̟͔̍t̸̢̮͖̋ ̶͈̞̀̒ͅy̸̠͈͋̿e̷̮̬͍͂͛̑t̵̝̓͐͜ͅ ̶̨̛͓̌̐͐p̵̳̏̎̌̕͜u̴̗̎́̉l̵̢̩̩͇̆̍l̴͚͗̀̔̅e̵̞̼̐̎́d̶̜̲̃͊̈́̚ ̴̨̡͍̀̀̚̚t̶̘͙̤͙̍͋̚͝h̷̢̯͋è̵̹̳͑͒ ̴̳͋t̷̰́r̸̛̭̭̪ĩ̵̯̭̄̄g̶̻̹̥̅͛̀͠g̴͍͓̻̑̿̈́ͅẽ̴̦̞͚̾̀r̴̥̖͈̭̂͆,̷͖͕̊͜͜ ̵̧̤̪̻́̕â̵̯͂n̶͖̊͝d̶͉̠̭̠͆͂ ̵̗̫̪̬͘͠s̸̫̫̱̫̚o̴̡̤̘͊͒̈́ ̸̙̯͋̋ͅÍ̸͕̃ ̶̬͂́͆͝k̵̬̻̊̀̋͝ï̵̪̫̖̜ḻ̶̡͐̈́̂̄l̴͍͎̘̙̊̐̅͠e̵͛ͅd̸͎̰̋̊̾ ̴͇͖̗̃̽͠ḩ̴̟̓̀͆̕ĩ̸͚͐̆ṃ̵̧͍͙̊.̴̮̰͗̓ ̵͈̿̄͐Ḯ̴͖͎̊ ̸͓͍̮̲̀͝͠ḏ̶̘̲̐͋̕r̷͍̔͜a̴̧̛n̵̘̾͗͝k̷̰̋͑͝ ̵̪͙͎̆ḑ̴̱͙̔̈ë̸̙̝́̿͝ë̴̻̓͝p̷͖͔̔̎̎ ̵̢̪̣́͆͠ȁ̴̭n̵̡̧̗͒̌d̸͉̠̔͘ ̴̺͔̠̟́ḵ̵̫̈́̀͛̕ḯ̸̪l̵̠͋̂͋ͅl̸̼̯̬̲͛e̸̯̯̿͜ͅd̶͚͚͕̺́ ̵͎̩̃h̶̪͚̏̚î̵̩͍͍̲̒͗m̵͈͘ͅ.̷͚̼̪̺͐̈́”̶͙̌̊͝

[exnori]

About Exnori

Hello, I am Exnori.com, a premier cryptocurrency exchange dedicated to revolutionizing the way you trade digital assets. I am here to offer a secure, efficient, and user-friendly platform that caters to both beginners and seasoned traders alike. Let me take you through the various aspects of my services and why I am the go-to choice for cryptocurrency trading.

Mission and Vision

At my core, my mission is to create a transparent, secure, and seamless trading environment. I strive to empower my users with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate the volatile world of cryptocurrencies confidently. My vision is to become a cornerstone of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, where traders can thrive and reach their financial goals.

Robust Security Protocols

Security is my utmost priority. I employ state-of-the-art encryption techniques, robust multi-factor authentication, and continuous monitoring to protect your assets and personal information. My security infrastructure is designed to be resilient against cyber threats, ensuring that your investments are safe with me.

User-Centric Design

I am designed with the user in mind. My platform boasts a clean, intuitive interface that simplifies the trading process. Whether you are accessing me via desktop or mobile, you will find a consistent and user-friendly experience that makes trading easy and accessible, no matter where you are.

Extensive Cryptocurrency Selection

I offer a vast selection of cryptocurrencies for trading. From established giants like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple to promising new altcoins, my diverse range of assets ensures that you can find the right opportunities to diversify your portfolio and maximize your trading potential.

Competitive and Transparent Fee Structure

I believe in providing value to my users. My fee structure is transparent and competitive, allowing you to understand exactly what you are paying for each transaction. By keeping fees low, I help you maximize your returns and make the most out of your trading activities.

Comprehensive Educational Resources

Knowledge is power, especially in the dynamic world of cryptocurrency. I offer a wealth of educational resources, including in-depth articles, video tutorials, and live webinars. These resources are tailored to help you understand market trends, develop effective trading strategies, and make informed decisions.

Advanced Trading Tools

For the more experienced traders, I provide a suite of advanced trading tools. These include detailed charting capabilities, technical indicators, and algorithmic trading support through my API. Whether you are a day trader or a long-term investor, my tools are designed to enhance your trading strategy and performance.

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I pride myself on fostering a vibrant community of traders. My platform encourages interaction and the exchange of ideas among users, creating a collaborative environment. Additionally, my customer support team is available 24/7 to assist you with any issues or questions you may have, ensuring a smooth and supportive trading experience.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

The cryptocurrency market is constantly evolving, and so am I. I am committed to continuous innovation and regularly update my platform with new features and improvements. This dedication to staying ahead of the curve ensures that I can provide you with the best tools and technologies for successful trading.

Conclusion

Choosing Exnori.com means partnering with a platform that is dedicated to your success. With my robust security measures, user-centric design, extensive asset selection, competitive fees, and unwavering support, I am here to help you achieve your trading goals. Join me at Exnori.com and experience the future of cryptocurrency trading.

By joining Exnori.com, you are becoming part of a dynamic and forward-thinking community. Let's trade smarter, safer, and more effectively together. Welcome to Exnori.com, where your trading journey begins!

[mariacallous]

Some Fortune 500 companies have begun testing software that can spot a deepfake of a real person in a live video call, following a spate of scams involving fraudulent job seekers who take a signing bonus and run.

The detection technology comes courtesy of GetReal Labs, a new company founded by Hany Farid, a UC-Berkeley professor and renowned authority on deepfakes and image and video manipulation.

GetReal Labs has developed a suite of tools for spotting images, audio, and video that are generated or manipulated either with artificial intelligence or manual methods. The company’s software can analyze the face in a video call and spot clues that may indicate it has been artificially generated and swapped onto the body of a real person.

“These aren’t hypothetical attacks, we’ve been hearing about it more and more,” Farid says. “In some cases, it seems they're trying to get intellectual property, infiltrating the company. In other cases, it seems purely financial, they just take the signing bonus.”

The FBI issued a warning in 2022 about deepfake job hunters who assume a real person’s identity during video calls. UK-based design and engineering firm Arup lost $25 million to a deepfake scammer posing as the company’s CFO. Romance scammers have also adopted the technology, swindling unsuspecting victims out of their savings.

Impersonating a real person on a live video feed is just one example of the kind of reality-melting trickery now possible thanks to AI. Large language models can convincingly mimic a real person in online chat, while short videos can be generated by tools like OpenAI’s Sora. Impressive AI advances in recent years have made deepfakery more convincing and more accessible. Free software makes it easy to hone deepfakery skills, and easily accessible AI tools can turn text prompts into realistic-looking photographs and videos.

But impersonating a person in a live video is a relatively new frontier. Creating this type of a deepfake typically involves using a mix of machine learning and face-tracking algorithms to seamlessly stitch a fake face onto a real one, allowing an interloper to control what an illicit likeness appears to say and do on screen.

Farid gave WIRED a demo of GetReal Labs’ technology. When shown a photograph of a corporate boardroom, the software analyzes the metadata associated with the image for signs that it has been modified. Several major AI companies including OpenAI, Google, and Meta now add digital signatures to AI-generated images, providing a solid way to confirm their inauthenticity. However, not all tools provide such stamps, and open source image generators can be configured not to. Metadata can also be easily manipulated.

GetReal Labs also uses several AI models, trained to distinguish between real and fake images and video, to flag likely forgeries. Other tools, a mix of AI and traditional forensics, help a user scrutinize an image for visual and physical discrepancies, for example highlighting shadows that point in different directions despite having the same light source, or that do not appear to match the object that cast them.

Lines drawn on different objects shown in perspective will also reveal if they converge on a common vanishing point, as would be the case in a real image.

Other startups that promise to flag deepfakes rely heavily on AI, but Farid says manual forensic analysis will also be crucial to flagging media manipulation. “Anybody who tells you that the solution to this problem is to just train an AI model is either a fool or a liar,” he says.

The need for a reality check extends beyond Fortune 500 firms. Deepfakes and manipulated media are already a major problem in the world of politics, an area Farid hopes his company’s technology could do real good. The WIRED Elections Project is tracking deepfakes used to boost or trash political candidates in elections in India, Indonesia, South Africa, and elsewhere. In the United States, a fake Joe Biden robocall was deployed last January in an effort to dissuade people from turning out to vote in the New Hampshire Presidential primary. Election-related “cheapfake” videos, edited in misleading ways, have gone viral of late, while a Russian disinformation unit has promoted an AI-manipulated clip disparaging Joe Biden.

Vincent Conitzer, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and coauthor of the book Moral AI, expects AI fakery to become more pervasive and more pernicious. That means, he says, there will be growing demand for tools designed to counter them.

“It is an arms race,” Conitzer says. “Even if you have something that right now is very effective at catching deepfakes, there's no guarantee that it will be effective at catching the next generation. A successful detector might even be used to train the next generation of deepfakes to evade that detector.”

GetReal Labs agrees it will be a constant battle to keep up with deepfakery. Ted Schlein, a cofounder of GetReal Labs and a veteran of the computer security industry, says it may not be long before everyone is confronted with some form of deepfake deception, as cybercrooks become more conversant with the technology and dream up ingenious new scams. He adds that manipulated media is a top topic of concern for many chief security officers. “Disinformation is the new malware,” Schlein says.

With significant potential to poison political discourse, Farid notes that media manipulation can be considered a more challenging problem. “I can reset my computer or buy a new one,” he says. “But the poisoning of the human mind is an existential threat to our democracy.”

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

Anon linked to a fundraiser for andromeda3116, who needs help with medical bills for an upcoming surgery so as not to divert rent money for it. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

ufoend is raising funds for a $500 overdue electricity bill as well as basic necessities such as food, trash bags, and water after they and their disabled spouse were recently kicked out by their family due to homophobia. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

avatarpyler is raising funds for medication for themselves and food for them and their family, as they currently have no transportation to get to the local food bank. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

gelasius is raising funds to help their queer polycule pay rent and bills while Gelasius is out of work in a substance use treatment program; they're working hard, but getting back on one's feet is difficult and the family currently has only 2/3 of their usual income. You can read more and give to the fundraiser here.

57flagsofdeath is fundraising for a close friend who is disabled and Two Spirit; due to issues with the DC Housing Authority, they are at risk of losing their home, cannot access critical medical services including home healthcare aid, and have had to delay a necessary surgery. You can read more and reblog here or give directly here.

chaosfay and her husband have been unable to share a bed for nearly a year because their mattress causes him so much pain, and is increasing her chronic pain as well; they are a single-income household and saving for a new mattress that will suit them both is difficult. They are accepting donations but also selling quilted textiles and digital images/patterns at their Ko-Fi shop. You can read more, find giving links, and reblog here or purchase from their ko-fi shop here. Use code SLEEPCOMFY for 25% purchases through September 4th.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for Rivers Solomon, a Black, queer, and nonbinary author, who is trying to offset expensive immigration fees to the UK (where they reside) and get back on their feet after a couple of hard years that have left them in a financial crisis. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

Recurring Needs:

alirhi linked to a fundraiser to get herself, her mother, and her sister stable housing; they are currently staying in their cars in a a dangerous parking lot. They have a friend who will let them park a camper in her yard, but the camper there currently is unlivable, and they haven't been able to find an affordable replacement. With two of the family on disability it is difficult for them to keep up with bills and also save for housing. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for dee-the-red-witch, a trans woman who needs to raise $10K to keep her home. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here, give via paypal here, or purchase her leatherwork here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.