#hire developer at low cost

[mindcrewtechnologies]

Hire Dedicated Developers

Looking to amplify your team's capabilities? Mindcrew Technologies provides a seamless solution with our 'Hire Dedicated Developers' service. Our skilled professionals are handpicked to align with your project requirements, ensuring a tailored approach to your development needs. Whether it's web, mobile, or software development, our dedicated developers work exclusively for you, becoming an extension of your in-house team. With expertise in diverse technologies and a commitment to quality, we streamline the development process, delivering innovative solutions that meet your objectives. Partner with us to access top-tier talent and elevate your project to new heights, all while maintaining full control and flexibility over the development process.

[dotwebinnovation]

Web Design Company in Faridabad - Dotweb Innovation

Dotweb Innovation has established itself as the leading web design company in Faridabad, renowned for its exceptional WordPress website development services. Here’s why Dotweb Innovation should be your go-to choice for web design and development.

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Exceptional Customer Support

Our commitment to customer satisfaction sets us apart. From the initial consultation to the final launch, and even post-launch support, Dotweb Innovation provides exceptional customer service. Our team is always available to address any concerns or questions you may have, ensuring a seamless experience throughout the development process.

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With a proven track record of successful projects, Dotweb Innovation has earned the trust of numerous clients across various industries. Our innovative approach to web design ensures that your website stays ahead of the competition, utilizing the latest trends and technologies to deliver an engaging user experience.

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[technovation]

Hire Remote Software Developers - Protonshub Technologies

Find out why you should hire a remote software developers for your startup. Protonshub provides dedicated and hourly based software developers. Contact: digital@protonshub.com to get the details now!

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #37

Oct 4-11 2024

President Biden announced a new EPA rule that will require all lead pipes in America's drinking water systems to be replace with-in 10 years. This builds on the $15 billion the Biden-Harris Administration has already invested in replacing lead pipes nation wide. The administration's focus on this issue has allowed local governments to greatly execrate their lead pipe replacement plans, before Biden took office the city of Milwaukee's timeline for replacing its lead pipes was 60 years, they're now on track to do it in 10. The EPA says there's no safe level of lead in the human body.

Vice President Harris announced she plans to expand Medicare to cover home health care. Currently those who need long term care, are covered by Medicaid, the health program for the poor so have to spend all their savings before they can qualify. This change would allow more seniors to stay in their homes and offer support to caregiving family members. Medicare also covers the disabled thus proving a game changer for the disabled Americans and their families. The Vice President also endorsed expanding Medicare to cover the costs of hearing and vision care.

Medicare released a preliminary list of 101 generic drugs which it would cover that would cost no more than $2 for a month for enrollees. People have long lobbied to allow Medicare to pay for generic drugs which has been resisted by drug companies. Thanks to President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, and in line with a Biden Executive Order Medicare is now working on bring low cost generic drugs to seniors. The list targets some of the most common prescriptions thus will bring savings to the most people.

Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden announced that the Biden-Harris Administration had blown past its goal of hiring 250,000 student support staff for 2024. The joint effort by the Department of Education, AmeriCorps and Everyone Graduates Center managed to hire 320,000 tutors, mentors, student success coaches, postsecondary transition coaches, and student support coordinators nationwide, its goal for the end of 2025.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $420 million to help get rid of lead paint and other lead hazards from homes. HUD estimates that over 3 million households that have children under the age of 6 live with lead hazards. HUDs grants will go to all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico with particular focus on low income housing.

[cakelitter]

Sugar Rush Sugar daddy! Leon x fem! reader

warnings: NSFW, sugardaddy! Leon, fem! reader, oral (f receiving), praise kink, age gap

summary: broke reader looks for a sugar daddy which happens to be Leon S. Kennedy

words: 4.1k

“A week? How am I expected to find the money for rent by then?”

“I’ve given you 2 months to figure that out. This is the last straw, if rent is not paid by then, I’m afraid I’ll have to kick you out.”

“But I don’t even have a job I-”

The asshole hung up. Yet another door slamming right in your face. You throw your phone down on your couch as you sit next to it and contemplate what to do next. You can’t find enough money to pay in the span of a week, that’s impossible. You’ve been eating instant ramen for almost 3 weeks straight to cut down on costs, you’re starting to forget what real food tastes like.

You sigh and think about how you ended up in this situation in the first place, once being a hopeful college student who just graduated, full of energy, life, and so much optimist it’s nauseating. Found a new apartment in the capital and moved in a week later to find a job with nothing other than 3 cents to your name and a dream. You anticipated that finding a job with your degree won’t be such a difficult task, sure, your GPA wasn’t the best, but surely it won’t be that hard to secure a job.

If only you knew how naïve you were.

You’ve spent the past 4 months looking for a job left and right. Are people seriously not hiring these days? Either that or someone is praying on your downfall, or perhaps both. You’re way past the state of rock bottom at this point, if you looked through a dictionary for the word “fucked” a picture of your face would be there instead, smiling proudly with a medal around your neck. Your fingers claw at your life-long dreams as they try to slip away from your grasp.

Picking the skin off your lips, you start thinking about how you might have to move back to your home town, live with your parents again while they give you the ‘I told you so’ look, have to deal with people’s comments on why you came back and then have explain like a low life loser why. You start racking your brain for ways to find money, you need cash, and you need it fast.

How about you start selling drugs? Nah, you’d never survive in a field like that. Become a stripper perhaps? You’d fall off that pole and break your neck before you would’ve made a single penny. Your brain is filtering through the possible options you have at hand so quickly, your positive that smoke is coming out your ears at this rate. And that’s when you get it, the answer you were looking for.

A sugar daddy.

Bingo. The picture in your head features a white light with the silhouette of a smoking hot man in a suit leaning on a Porshe in the distance as dollar bills fall like flower petals angelically behind him. You do find older men a little hot, not that you tried dating any, but you’re not opposed to the idea of doing so. You’re no stranger to developing crushes on some older celebrities and video game characters, so this shouldn’t be any different…right? Look, you didn’t want it to reach this point, but desperate times call for desperate measures and in a week from now, you’re going to be homeless if you don’t start searching for someone’s dad to date right now. And apparently that’s all it took to convince you, as you find yourself downloading the app already.

Once the download is complete you open it, and you’re starting setting up your account. You pick the nicest picture you have of yourself, and it doesn’t take long before your account is good to go. Your eyes scan the matches that pop up on the screen, seeing the different faces in front of you that could be your new ticket of getting out of the predicament you’re in. And as you look, you read some of the disgusting bios that these men have, and soon enough a wave of self-awareness comes crashing down on you making you feel utterly disgusted with yourself. Are you seriously willing to go on dates with these dirty old men whose intentions are most definitely filthy, and for what? A hundred or two? You’re better than that, you’re an inspiring young woman with so mu-

Ding!

The device in your hand vibrates, grabbing your attention as you get sent a message request from someone on the app.  You open the message, the username is L.S.Kennedy and his message says

“Are all girls usually this pretty? Or is it just you?”.

You stare at the message in front of you for a good minute, that might’ve been the cheesiest thing you’ve ever read since middle school. The account that sent it doesn’t have a profile picture and the bio just mentions his age. He is in his early forties, and aside from that you know nothing about the man. Your survival instincts start kicking in telling you that it’s a bad idea, talking to strangers especially men, online is how most people end up murdered only for their bodies to be found in a ditch. In addition, this man is cringy as fuck, there is no way he thought that would actually work. Those fifty dollars are not worth the years these jokes of his are going to take off your life span. No way, won’t work, you’d rather be homeless.

Ding!

“Sorry if I came on too strong, I want to get to know you. How about 500$ for a first date? I’m willing to go higher.”

Your eyes go wide as you reread the number on your screen over, and over again. 500$. One date.

You love cringy and sappy shit, always had. They are in fact your favorite, love you a man with some cheesy pick-up lines. Call it love, call it fate, but this L.S.Kennedy guy is actually starting to grow on you.

“Hi! No not at all, I’d like to know you as well.”

Okay, that’s a lie. Being a slut and a liar is too much. You couldn’t care less about getting to know him, but alas rent won’t pay itself. The two of you then start talking for around an hour or two, he seems like a really nice guy. His name is apparently Leon and actually lives not too far away. His jokes are well… interesting. Epitome of dad jokes but again the man is the same age as your dad so that’s no surprise. On the bright side, he’s respectful and shockingly hasn’t said anything sexual or made you feel uncomfortable, so that’s a good start. Maybe this whole idea isn’t so bad after all.

The date was set for tomorrow at 7pm. He offered to pick you up but you refused. Listen, you’re dumb enough to go on a date with a man you knew for less than two hours for some quick cash, but not dumb enough to send him your address. The date will be at a nearby restaurant, one of the fanciest restaurants in Washington DC. You even heard that some celebrities and governmental officials actually go there.

Truth be told, you’re starting to get excited, this is by far the nicest thing a man has ever done to you. Albeit, the voice at the back of your head keeps reminding you that he could be dangerous, a stalker, a criminal, or worse, likes banana flavored stuff. A man with this much money is either in a higher up position, or simply working with the wrong people. Now that you think about it, perhaps asking him what he does for a living would’ve been a wise choice. But you didn’t want to sound like you were going after his money! Well, you are but at the end of the day, you still have manners.

The next day eventually rolls around and you start getting ready. You pick the best dress you have that hugs your body perfectly. Wanted to go for something which screams classy and elegant yet still hot. Just because you’re in debt, doesn’t mean you need to look like it as well.

Your friend agrees to drops you off at the location, she knows you’re going on a date with some guy you met on a dating app. She was almost as excited as you were when you found out where this “gentleman” was treating you. Little does she know this said “gentleman” is twice your age… let’s just hope you’re not going out on a date with someone’s husband.

Walking into the restaurant, you shoot him a text informing him that you arrived. Your phone vibrates a couple seconds later with a text that says.

“Waiting for you on the table near the second window.”

You start making your way to the table, and when you eventually find it, you’re greeted by the hottest man you’ve ever seen in your entire life standing near the table. He smiles softly and compliments you, you brain still didn’t register what he said though, as you’re still in awe with how good he looks.

Light brown hair, stormy blue eyes, a slight stubble decorating his chin and crow’s feet forming on the corner of his eyes as he smiles. His body, is in such a good form. Broad shoulders and massive biceps making the white button up shirt that he’s wearing tight in some areas. The chest, oh the chest, surprised how he’s not wearing a bra with those pillows glued to his chest, enough milk supply to feed a whole village.

The hidden cameras better come out now cause you’re definitely getting set up. This man is paying you to go out with him, while you’d pay a kidney and sell your friend for him to even step near you. He definitely has the sugar and daddy part checked off. You spent all this time searching for a job with no success, and you bag him first try? Maybe you should consider switching domains.

The two of you sit down at your table. The view from the window next to you is breath taking, the sun is setting and as she does, the rays reflect on the glass windows of the building below you creating a masterpiece of orange and red hues. The breeze up here is so refreshing, as the faint sound of by-passing cars honk below you. Your eyes move back to the man in front of you.

“This place is nice.”

“Glad you like it sweetheart.”

You’re already fighting the urge to sit on his lap and all he did was call you a stupid pet name. If you were a dog, your tail would definitely be wagging right now. The waiter eventually walks over to your table and you both place your meals before he walks away leaving the two of you alone once more.

“Can I ask you a question?” you say and he raises an eyebrow in return followed by a polite smile.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Why do you not have your name or your face on your profile?”

Understandable question, he’s hot as fuck and would have woman fighting over him on that app if he showed his face. He chuckles at your question, the kind of laugh that sounds like a yacht and a mansion in the Maldives.

“Well, my field of work requires me to keep a low profile, not that I’m complaining anyway. Plus I don’t think my face is really important in these kinds of dates anyways. I know that probably looked really suspicious but I can assure you, I’m not trying to kill you.” He says the last part as he raises his hands defensively.

You nod gently in return. While that did answer some of the questions you had, you were still intrigued to learn more about him. What field does he work in anyway? How can he afford all this? Curiosity was getting the best of you, and so you ask.

“What do you do for a living?”

He grins, and looks at you for a few moments before answering.

“Hmm I get it. Nothing illegal, so that pretty head of yours can stop worrying.” You’re honestly a bit embarrassed now, it’s a date not an interview. But you needed to make sure that you’re safe okay! Better safe than sorry.

He then starts asking questions about your interests, past, favorite movies, etc. And soon enough your food arrives, you continue chatting as you take some bites out of your dish. He’s genuinely interesting, and very attentive. You notice how he watches your expression, body language, and the tone of your voice. Throughout the conversation you learn a bit more about him as well, learned how he went to police academy, hated wearing ties, and thinks that reading books is boring. Last one is a bit problematic, but sure.

Time passes and maybe it’s your brain playing tricks on you, or maybe it’s the wine you keep on sipping, but he seems to get flirtier by the minute. You notice the way his eyes drop down to your lips shamelessly as you speak, and how they linger for a little too long on your chest. You’re not completely innocent however, you are guilty of tilting your head to the side every now and then, batting your pretty mascara covered lashes at him causing a smirk to rise on his face. You manage to get away with it a couple of times before he decides to comment about it.

“Need something sweetheart? I’d like to hear some of those thoughts of yours.”

“I think you’re hot.” That was bold, but he asked for it. Your words don’t even take him by surprise, he knew what you were thinking about, its written all over your face but he just needed you to say it out loud.

“Feelings mutual. How about we get out of here yeah?”

He orders the bill which he pays while leaving a generous tip. The two of you get up, head out the restaurant’s door, and walk over to his car. He opens the door for you in true gentleman fashion and gets in himself. The car smells clean, almost like its brand new. The inside is plain with not much decoration but pretty neat. The windows are tinted blocking out anyone from spying in. He twists the car keys and the engine roars to life and soon enough you start heading towards his place.

Sometime during the ride home, his hand rests on the inside of your thigh and starts slowly moving up to your center before stopping. You bite your lip as heat starts pooling between your legs. His hand then begins caressing your thigh, running his thumb up and down, so close yet so far from where you actually want him to be. The whole time his eyes are fixated on the road ahead of him, simply toying with you for his own fun. Things remain the same for a while before his hands snake up our dress even further, thumb making contact with your cunt. His strokes are lazy and weak, almost as if his fingers are ghosting over your bundle of nerves.  Your hips squirm at the sensation and you attempt to move your hips closer to his hand to get more friction. But as you do that moves his hand away from you and repositions itself back on your thigh causing you to whine in protest.

“Almost there baby, can you wait a few minutes more for me? Promise I will make it worth it.”

He looks over to you and you nod a little too enthusiastically. His lips upturn into a smile at your eagerness.

“Such a good girl.” He says, his knuckle brushing against your cheek.

The car then parks at an apartment building, the type that is 16 stories high and the oxygen alone, feels more high quality. He gets out of the car and opens the door for you, before taking your hand in his and making his way to the entrance. The sound of your heels clacking on the tile floor of the reception as you follow his lead to the double doored elevator. You both walk in and he presses the button to the last floor which is followed by the elevator doors closing.

As soon as the two of you are alone in the space, his hand grabs your wrist pinning you onto one of the walls as his other hand grabs your hip before crashing his lips onto yours. You kiss him back, your free hand touching the exposed part of his neck before going up into his hair. He groans at the sensation and grinds his hips into yours, feeling his hardened cock through his pants causing you back to arch. His tongues coax its way into your mouth and you reciprocate. Both of your lips disconnect for a moment as he decides to move to your neck next, sucking and biting on the open skin leaving red and purple marks to blossom in the places where his mouth once was. A soft whine escapes you at the feeling of his hot mouth on the sensitive skin of the crook of your neck.

The elevator dings announcing your arrival, which is followed by the door opening revealing the stupendous penthouse in front of you. The windows are ceiling high and have a wondrous view of the capital, the apartment is dimly lit with only a few lamps illuminating the black and gray living room furniture. The house that you see getting sold for millions of dollars.

“I’ll give you a tour later.”

He says as he picks you up and throws you over his shoulder, giving your now exposed behind a smack, and your legs kick in return. He makes his way up the stairs and into what you can only assume is his bedroom before tossing you down on your back and caging you in with his arms. Your hands reach out locking behind his neck pulling him into another kiss, as his hand reaches out for your breast, fondling it through the fabric of your dress.

The stickiness between your legs is starting to get uncomfortable as the sensations of pleasure start taking over you. His hips which are now situated between your legs start rutting against you and open your legs further in return. You feel a hand unzip your dress as you shift slightly allowing him to take the article of clothing off which is then followed by your bra. As soon as your top naked, he wastes no times latching his mouth to one of your stiff peaks, while the other hand flicks the other. He switches between sucking on your nipple and leaving some bite marks of the delicate flesh.

Moments later the removes his mouth with a resounding pop, and starts kissing his way down from the valley between your breasts till the waistband of your panties. He gets off of you for a moment to unbutton his shirt and unbuckle his belt removing it and tossing it somewhere behind him, his pants following a second later. Your eyes travel over his body, unsure where to look at first. Chiseled chest muscles with some trimmed chest hair, defined abs and an unremarkable V line leading to his covered crotch area with few scars scattered all over his body like stars.

“Staring is rude y’know. But you’re cute so I’ll let it pass.” He jokes and moves positioning himself between your legs, he gives your clothed cunt an open-mouthed kiss, his hot breath making you squirm at the feeling.

“Been wanting to taste you all night.”

His fingers grab the hem of your panties pulling them off, revealing your glistening core to him. You feel the familiar sensation of his thumb on your clit once again moving in firm circular motions as his eyes remain glued to your center. The same thumb then moves down to your entrance collecting some of your dripping arousal before going back to its original position.

“Damn baby, all of that for me?”

You nod, your eyes feeling heavy and brain fuzzy from his skilled fingers.

“What you get your clit rubbed a few times and now you can no longer speak? Use your words, I know you can.”

“Yeah, for you. All for you.”

“Atta girl”

He speaks before replacing his thumb with his mouth, your head falls back against the plush mattress as a moan escapes your lips. His hands grab your hips keeping them in place as he eats you like a man starved. He shifts between sucking on your bundle of nerves and dipping his tongue into your entrance, as the prickly feeling of his stubble somehow makes the whole experience much hotter.

Your completely fucked out at this point and he hasn’t even fucked you yet. This is probably the best head you’ve ever gotten in your life. Maybe going after older men was the right call after all. Your hand reaches out and grips his soft hair tugging on it, earning a groan from him which vibrates through you, only intensifying the feeling bubbling inside of you. The view in front of you is now practically burn in the back of your mind till the day you die. The knot in your stomach only seems to get tighter and tighter as his tongue laps over your cunt over and over again.

“Gonna cum.”

“On my face baby, show me how good it feels.”

He opts to focusing on sucking on your clit as two of his fingers penetrate you, and begin to move at the perfect pace and that was enough to send you over the edge. Stars explode behind your eyes as your whole-body shakes. The feeling of his tongue on you that was once causing you pleasure, has now turned into the uncomfortable feeling of overstimulation. You whimper and tug on his hair once again. His face detaches from your core, chin shiny and coated with your arousal as he sucks off the remaining fluid on his fingers and he moves back up removing his underwear. His dick springs free, tip red leaky with precum as he strokes it a few times. Dropping down to your level, he gives your lips a soft kiss while he teases your entrance with his dick for a few moments before he bullies it into you with ease thanks to how wet you’ve gotten. He sucks in a breath of air as your heat envelops him. The tip almost kisses the opening of your cervix as pain and pleasure start to become undifferentiable. You feel full, the fullest you’ve ever been.

“Fuck, tightest fucking pussy I’ve ever had”

Both of you are now face to face with each other, as he gives your furrowed brow a quick peck. His hips then start to move back before going in once more. He grabs your hip with both of his hands as he starts picking up the pace. The look on your face says it all, completely and utterly cock drunk. Eyes droopy, mouth drooling, and babbling pure none sense.

“You still with me sweetheart?” he chuckles as he continues his rocking motion.

“Feels good.”

“And what do you say?”

“Thank you Leon, thank you so much.”

In return, his pace quickens. The sounds of skin smacking and both of your moans fill the quiet room. You don’t know where that came from, never in your life you ever said something like this. This man puts his dick in you once and he’s already rearranging all of your brain chemistry… and your organs. You’re already starting to feel your orgasm creeping up on you once more as your moans only seem to get louder. The pace that Leon is fucking you in, in addition to the praises that are spilling out of his mouth in tandem force another orgasm out of you as you claw at his forearms in attempts to stay grounded.

The spasming sensation of your heat around him causes him to moan as his peak approaches. He pulls out of you, gives himself a few strokes before finishing all over your stomach and collapsing next to you. After his breathing regulates again, gets up, grabs a towel and cleans the mess he made before tucking you in and placing a kiss at the crown of your head.

“Leon” your voice softly calls out to him.

“Yeah?”

“Are all middle-aged men usually this pretty, or is it just you?”

banner by:@anitalenia

[askagamedev]

So how much $ (in general) does it cost to produce a fully animated/rigged, fully voiced 1-3 minute cutscene in a game that’s in ongoing development (something like SWTOR, where they have a lot of prebuilt assets)? Like just a general low range and high range?

I’m seeing a lot of people complaining about prioritizing content they want, and don’t know enough about the behind the scenes costs to properly communicate they’re being unrealistic with their complaints.

The cost of any content in game dev is directly proportional to how much new stuff needs to be created for that content. In order to create a basic conversation cutscene to put into a game, we would need:

A narrative designer to write the script for the cutscene

A cinematic designer to script out the cinematic - which characters speak, in which order, with what timing, in which location, and what other actions they would take over the course of the cutscene

Animations for the characters to play in those positions

A rig for those characters to play those animations

Character models for the characters involved

Voice recordings for the characters to speak

A tool with which to set all of these parameters and organize the cutscene

A game system that can parse the tool data and assets and construct the cutscene from them

A script system to start playing the cutscene when the proper conditions are met

This doesn't include extra stuff like VFX, music, lighting, environments, props, etc. that might need to be created for certain specific cutscenes. In an ongoing game like SWTOR, element numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were already built long ago and already exist. As long as the designers can create the characters with the in-game character creator and reuse the existing rigs, no new resources need be expended to create them. If you need a completely new custom character model, that takes time from a character artist and a texture artist. If the character needs to animate differently than everyone else (i.e. needs its own rig), that's time from a rigger to create. If the cutscene needs new animations we need to bring on an animator to spend time building the new animations needed for the cutscene.

Using some napkin math, let's consider costs. We usually use the $10,000 per month figure to pay for a developer (salary, benefits, rent, utilities, software licenses, etc.) or approximately $2,500 per development week per person. Let's assume that each task takes a developer a week to complete.

Write the script (Narrative designer)

Script the cinematic (Cinematic Designer)

Record audio (Sound Designer + Voice Actor + studio time)

Rig one new character (Rigger) x however many new characters

Animate one animation (Animator) x however many new animations

Model one new character (Character Artist + Texture Artist) x however many new characters

Track all tasks and keep everyone on schedule (Production)

Test and validate that the cutscene works (QA)

At the very minimum, we need the script, the cinematic, production, and the QA tester, so a very bare bones cutscene that reuses all assets and has no new VO (say it only reuses the alien language) would cost 4x$2,500 = $10,000. If we add voice recording and keep it to one voice actor (let's say she voices both characters in the cutscene), then the cost jumps to 7x$2,500 = $17,500 because we need the sound designer, the voice actor, and the recording studio time. Adding in two new animations (e.g. one character throwing a punch and the second character reacting to getting punched) would add another two weeks of animator time, raising the cost to 9x$2,500 = $22,500. And so on and so forth. Those costs add up very quickly.

There are ways to get a "bulk" discount of course - we hire voice actors for blocks of four or eight hours, so we can record multiple cutscenes during that session and share some of those costs. We can create one new character and reuse her across multiple cutscenes so that we get more value out of her. Things get cheaper if we reuse stuff more, but they still cost a lot up front. The bulk discounts only really work if the things we're paying for can be reused multiple times though - the more specific an asset is (e.g. a kissing animation), the harder it is to reuse and the more expensive it tends to be relative to other assets.

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[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - January 09, 2023

1. Top British universities offer Afghan women free courses until Taliban lift learning ban

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban announced last month that women would no longer be able to study at universities and higher education establishments. Institutions were told to implement the ban as soon as possible.

Now, a number of British universities have teamed up through FutureLearn to offer the women in Afghanistan free access to digital learning platforms. Girls and women with internet access will be able to study more than 1,200 courses from top institutions at no cost to themselves.

2. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs extends protections to LGBTQ+ state employees and contractors

Arizona’s newly elected Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed an executive order extending employment protections to state employees and contractors who are LGBTQ+.

As the Human Rights Campaign reports, the executive order, signed on Hobbs’s first day in office Tuesday, directs the state’s Department of Administration to update hiring, promotion, and compensation policies for all state agencies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and include provisions in all new state contracts to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

3. EU Carbon Emissions Drop To 30-Year Lows

It was supposed to be a dirty autumn and winter, with European nations scrambling to replace Russian gas with high-polluting coal. But according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, the cold seasons so far have been the cleanest in more than 30 years.

4. Critically endangered rhinoceros gives birth to calf at Kansas City Zoo on New Year's Eve

The Kansas City Zoo got a special start to the new year: A critically endangered subspecies of rhinoceros gave birth to a calf on Dec. 31, officials announced. The calf is walking, nursing and even playing with its mother, Zuri, animal specialists said.

5. Cancer Vaccine to Simultaneously Kill and Prevent Brain Cancer Developed

Scientists are harnessing a new way to turn cancer cells into potent, anti-cancer agents. A new stem cell therapy approach eliminates established brain tumors and provides long-term immunity, training the immune system to prevent cancer from returning.

link to the paper …

6. The US has approved use of the world's first vaccine for honey bees.

It was engineered to prevent fatalities from American foulbrood disease, a bacterial condition known to weaken colonies by attacking bee larvae. As pollinators, bees play a critical role in many aspects of the ecosystem.

The vaccine could serve as a "breakthrough in protecting honey bees", Dalan Animal Health CEO Annette Kleiser said in a statement. It works by introducing an inactive version of the bacteria into the royal jelly fed to the queen, whose larvae then gain immunity.

7. Cat missing for nearly 6 years reunited with owner thanks to microchip

West Sacramento woman got the surprise of a lifetime Saturday when she was reunited with her missing cat after nearly 6 years thanks to microchip. 

- - -

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[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

William Faulkner, "Never be afraid" :: [(From a speech delivered May 28, 1951 at Fulton Chapel, University of Mississippi)]

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 25, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 26, 2024

In 2004 a senior advisor to President George W. Bush famously told journalist Ron Suskind that people like Suskind lived in “the reality-based community.” They believed people could find solutions to problems through careful study of discernible reality. But, the aide continued, Suskind’s worldview was obsolete. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” the aide said. “We are an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality— judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.” 

We appear to be in a moment when the reality-based community is challenging the ability of the MAGA Republicans to create their own reality. 

Central to the worldview of MAGA Republicans is that Democrats are socialists who have destroyed the American economy. Trump calls Harris a “radical-left. Marxist, communist, fascist” and insists the economy is failing. 

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, today, Harris laid out her three-pillar plan for an “opportunity economy.” She explained that she would lower costs by cutting taxes for the middle class, cutting the red tape that stops housing construction, take on corporate landlords who are hiking rental prices, work with builders and developers to construct 3 million new homes and rentals, and help first-time homebuyers with $25,000 down payment assistance. She also promised to enact a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries and to cap prescription drug prices by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies. 

Harris said she plans to invest in innovation by raising the deduction for startup businesses from its current $5,000 to $50,000 and providing low- or no-interest loans to small businesses that want to expand. Her goal is to open the way for 25 million new small businesses in her first four years, noting that small businesses create nearly 50% of private sector jobs in the U.S. 

Harris plans to create manufacturing jobs of the future by investing in biomanufacturing and aerospace, remaining “dominant in AI, quantum computing, blockchain, and other emerging technologies, and expand[ing] our lead in clean energy innovation and manufacturing.” She vowed to see that the next generation of breakthroughs—“from advanced batteries to geothermal to advanced nuclear—are not just invented, but built here in America by American workers.” Investing in these industries means strengthening factory towns, retooling existing factories, hiring locally, and working with unions. She vowed to make jobs available for skilled workers without college degrees and to cut red tape to reform permitting for innovation.

“I am a capitalist,” she said. “I believe in free and fair markets. I believe in consistent and transparent rules of the road to create a stable business environment. And I know the power of American innovation.” She said she would be pragmatic in her approach to the economy, seeking practical solutions to problems and taking good ideas from wherever they come. 

“Kamala Harris, Reagan Democrat!” conservative pundit Bill Kristol posted on social media after her speech. 

For his part, Trump has promised an across-the-board tariff of 10% to 20% that billionaire Mark Cuban on the Fox News Channel called “insane” and Quin Hillyer of the Washington Examiner warned “would almost certainly cause immense price hikes domestically, goad other countries into retaliating, and perhaps set off an international trade war” that could “wreck the economy.” Cuban then told Jake Tapper of CNN that Trump’s promise to impose 10% price controls on credit card interest rates and price caps is “Socialism 101.” 

Yesterday, more than 400 economists and high-ranking U.S. policymakers endorsed Harris, and today, the members of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s presidential leadership teams in Michigan, Iowa, and Vermont announced they would be supporting Harris, in part because of Trump’s economic policies.

While Trump insisted yet again today that “the economy is doing really, really badly,” the stock market closed at a record high today for the fourth day in a row. 

In other economic news, for nine years, Trump has said he will find a cheaper and better way to provide healthcare to Americans than the Affordable Care Act, although on September 10 he admitted he has only the “concepts of a plan.” Today the Treasury Department released statistics showing that 4.2 million small business owners have coverage through the ACA. Losing that protection would impact 618,590 small business owners in Florida, 450,010 in California, 423,790 in Texas, and 168,070 in Georgia.

Trump has made a claim that crime has risen dramatically under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris central to his campaign rhetoric. The opposite is true. Two days ago, on September 23, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its official report on crime statistics from 2023 compared with 2022. Those statistics showed that murder and non-negligent manslaughter fell by 11.6%. Rape fell by 9.4%. Aggravated assault fell by 2.8%. Robbery fell by 0.3%. Hate crimes fell by 0.6%. 

Central to the worldview of MAGA Republicans is that immigration weakens a nation and that immigrants increase crime and disease. First Republican vice presidential nominee Ohio senator J.D. Vance and then Trump himself repeatedly advanced the lie that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating their neighbors’ pets and bringing disease. 

Clergy members from multiple faiths have asked politicians to stop their lies about Haitian immigrants, and today the leader of Haitian Bridge Alliance, a nonprofit organization that represents the Haitian community, filed a charges against Trump and Vance for disrupting public services, making false alarms, telecommunications harassment, and aggravated menacing and complicity.  

Immediately, Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA), who in the past supported Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and filmed a selfie inside a gas chamber at Auschwitz, posted on social media: “Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters…but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their *ss out of our country before January 20th.” 

After an outcry, Higgins took the post down. According to House speaker and fellow Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, who called Higgins a “very principled man,” Higgins took it down after he “prayed about it.” Johnson seemed unconcerned about his colleague’s racism, saying, “we believe in redemption around here.” 

But in a statement, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called Higgins’s statement “vile, racist and beneath the dignity of the United States House of Representatives. He must be held accountable for dishonorable conduct that is unbecoming of a Member of Congress. Clay Higgins is an election-denying, conspiracy-peddling racial arsonist who is a disgrace to the People’s House. This is who they have become. Republicans are the party of Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Clay Higgins and Project 2025. The extreme MAGA Republicans in the House are unfit to govern.” 

On Monday, Dan Gooding of Newsweek reported that although Trump said on September 18 he would go to Springfield, he will not. Republican Ohio governor Mike DeWine had warned that the local community would not welcome a visit from the former president. 

Republican politicians and candidates, including Trump, embraced North Carolina gubernatorial candidate and current lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, who trumpeted the extremists’ MAGA narrative. The September 19 revelation by CNN reporters Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck that Robinson had boasted on a pornography website that he considers himself a “black NAZI!”, would like to reinstate slavery, and would like to own some people himself, and shared the sexual kinks in which he engaged with his wife’s sister prompted most of his campaign staff to resign. 

Andrew Egger of The Bulwark reported today that on a different online forum, Robinson called for a political assassination as well as making racist attacks on entertainer Oprah Winfrey and former president Barack Obama. Robinson has called all the information released about him “false smears” and has said “[n]ow is not the time for intra-party squabbling and nonsense,” but declined help tracking down those he claims falsified his online comments. Today, multiple media outlets reported that top staff in Robinson’s government office are stepping down.  

Reality hit hard this week in Texas, too, where U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez yesterday approved the auctioning off of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s media business, the aptly-named InfoWars. Jones insisted that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting  was a “hoax” designed to whip up support for gun restrictions, and that the grieving parents were played by “crisis actors.” Juries found Jones guilty of defaming the families of the murdered children and causing them emotional distress. 

The auction of his property will enable the families to begin to collect on the more than $1 billion the jurors determined Jones owed them for his reprehensible and harmful behavior. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Season 2 Chapter 59 Translation [Lucien’s Route (1/3)]

⚠️  SPOILER ALERT  ⚠️

This post contains a VERY HEAVY SPOILER for the chapter that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

I turn around and see Lucien standing behind me, the fine mist enveloping his expression in a haze.

"Would my little lady lie to me?"

A brief silence flows through the air as the pool continues to steam, making every breath sound incredibly distinct.

For a moment, I almost think that Lucien had already discovered my identity before the first night even began.

Translation under the cut!

[Previous Chapter-> Click Here]

—[Prologue]—

Before the summer heat sweeps across Loveland City, the Loveland City Digital Technology Summit, jointly organized by the City Hall and Infinite, officially opens.

This summit is the first online summit held in virtual reality in the history of Loveland City.

The stage is at the center, with audience seats arranged in a circular formation around it. Floating holographic screens are positioned between the stage and the audience.

I look around, and the thousand-seat venue is fully occupied. On the stage, Aether is speaking calmly about the prospects of digital technology and virtual reality applications.

[T/N: just to fill in y’all, Aether is representative of Infinite, the company that develops Odyssey]

Aether: Infinite's scientific and technological capabilities will lead society to new heights in medical care, education, culture, and other fields.

Aether: "Odyssey" is one of our greatest challenges in presenting virtual reality.

Aether: In the future, it might not be the pinnacle of the field, but it will undoubtedly be an important starting point. We are also challenging different technological updates…

As he speaks, some scenes and objects from the Odyssey occasionally appear in the audience.

The life-like presentation catches the eyes of many, and the low murmurs of other attending entrepreneurs can be heard.

??: Indeed, it's pretty impressive. No technology company currently on the market can match this level of technical capability and R&D.

??: It's just that we don't know the development costs…

Taking in these bits and pieces, I poke the chibi black swan "flying around" beside me.

The black swan spins around and pops out a line chart, showing the trend of Infinite's tech product coverage in Loveland City over recent years.

The black line representing Infinite shoots straight up into the sky, leaving a vast and unattainable gap between it and other technology companies.

Looking at such a straightforward image, my thoughts drift far away along with my memories…

From the launch of the Golden Apple 2 capsule pod to the official release of Odyssey, Infinite's technological development has left others far behind.

Even now, other companies are hiring "protection shields" in a desperate attempt to catch up.

I know their ambition has never been just a globally popular game but rather broader and more significant fields.

After the representatives from the relevant fields finish speaking, the host announces on the spot-

Long story short, an announcement is made of a beta test for the new "Carnival Night" gameplay of "Odyssey”, “Carnival Night” is based on the popular board game Werewolf (commonly known in the West as “Mafia”). Participants are transported to a virtual ballroom, and as MC navigates the crowd, she gets a message from Kiro, that has entered the game and encounters some familiar faces, like Gavin and Victor. Each male lead participates in the beta test and chooses a different scenario.

I put away this brochure and picked up several others, planning to study them all. The staff at the service desk smiles and hands me a form.

Staff: Hello, we are conducting an interest survey within the game. Could you please sign under the scenario you're interested in on the registration form?

MC: Sure.

I sign under several scenarios, and when I get to the last one, “Seaside Mansion",  I see a familiar signature — Lucien.

He messaged me the day before yesterday, saying that Infinite sent beta test invitations to the top three players on the in-game achievement leaderboard.

[Yes, Lucien is one of the top players; the chapter before this reveals that due to his deteriorating condition, he spends more time in the Odyssey to free himself from the pain:". The R&S that accompany the chapter shows how he spends his time in the game besides experimenting, which is observing the game, and from this observation, he finds many hidden mechanisms and achieves many hidden achievements along the way. A game world is full of puzzles after all and he's the greatest puzzle solver~]

I look around the crowd but don't see him.

MC: Has he already entered the game?

Thinking this, I also plan to study the brochures I just picked up.

Which one should I look at?

-Choose “Seaside Mansion”

Surrounded by the blue ocean, a seaside mansion with a luxurious design rises from the island.

A group of people from around the world are invited by the mansion's owner to the island, unaware that danger is silently approaching in the shadows…

Players will take on the role of guests arriving at the "Seaside Mansion," tasked with finding the werewolves responsible for the killings on this secluded island.

This scenario is designed for 13 players, with the following roles: Hunter, Guardian, Seer, Gravekeeper, and Hidden Werewolf, each one player; two Outsiders; three Werewolves; and three Mansiongers.

After reading the scenario introduction, I turned to the standard game rules at the end of the brochure:

This time, eight game scenarios are available, and players can select the one they are interested in by clicking to enter.

In all scenarios, everyone must return to their rooms and close the doors by 23:30. The werewolves and unique roles must go out within the system-specified times.

The action times are as follows:

- 23:30-23:59 - Guardian

- 0:00-0:29 - Werewolves

- 0:30-0:59 - Seer

- 1:00-1:29 - Witch

- 1:30-1:59 - Hunter

The werewolves win if the number of good players (human and unique roles) reaches zero. In contrast, the human and unique roles win if the number of werewolves (including the hidden werewolf) reaches zero.

Additionally, each scenario will have designated areas equipped with live-streaming cameras. A prompt will appear on the user panel when entering a live-streaming area, so please be aware.

MC: The introduction is relatively straightforward...

Closing the brochure, I opened the selection interface. Looking at the various scenarios before me, I felt a bit overwhelmed…

[T/N: Before we jump to the next part, here is a quick explanation about the roles!

- Villagers: Their goal is to identify and eliminate the werewolf.

-Werewolves: Their goal is to deceive the villagers and eliminate them.

-Witch: Has two potions, one to save a player from being killed and one to kill another player.

-Hunter: Once they die, they can kill the one player by their choice (usually kills who they believe to be their killer).

-Gravekeeper: can check the roles of the player that has already been killed.

-Seer: each night, the Seer can choose one player to identify their role.

-Guardian: each night, the Guardian can choose one player to protect from being killed.

-Hidden Werewolf: Werewolf that appears as a normal villager when investigated by the Seer or other investigative roles]

✂———————–

—[Lucien's Route - 1: Raging Sea Storm]—

Without hesitation, I pressed the confirm button for "Seaside Mansion."

White light envelops my vision, and when I open my eyes again, the sunlight pierces through the thin mist, falling on the gray-black low cliff beneath my feet.

The deep blue sea water tirelessly crashes against the steep cliffs as if trying to engulf the entire island.

MC: So high…!

I shiver in fear at the cliff beneath my feet and take a few steps back. Turning around, a modern mansion fills my entire view.

The seaside mansion boasts a luxurious design, rising with opulent grandeur and resembling the safest fortress perched on the cliff.

I rush towards the door. As soon as I arrive, the door opens for me, and a butler dressed in a pitch-black suit steps out from behind the door to greet me.

Butler: Welcome home, madam*.

[T/N: fun fact: the Butler calls her with the same title (夫人, read: fu ren) as the one in Lucien's latest Halloween Date 🤧; this title used to refer to a married woman. Interesting that both this chapter and that date have similar kind of ending-]

MC: Ah…?

Although I know the "Carnival Night" mode assigns roles to players, I am still a bit confused when such an address suddenly comes up.

Butler: Madam, you are the owner of this mansion.

The butler hands me a letter as he speaks. I break the wax seal on the letter, and the crimson handwriting catches my eye — “Werewolf”.

MC: …!

Butler: Once all the guests have arrived, you need to conceal your identity as the host and choose one guest each night to be thrown into the pool—

Butler: End their life and offer it to the sea.

I didn't expect to be the werewolf... My initially steady heartbeat skips a beat, and I take two deep breaths to calm myself.

It seems that no other guests have arrived at the mansion yet. With such a "villainous" role, it's better not to be the "first to arrive" and draw attention…

So, I paused my step into the mansion, quickly ran back outside, and planned to hide behind the wall to observe secretly first.

I wait until most players have entered before I pretend to be entering the game myself, lifting my skirt as I step through the door.

Suddenly, my gaze meets a pair of familiar eyes.

Lucien walks through the crowd in white clothes. The sea breeze tousles the strands of hair on his forehead. His silent eyes spot me through the crowd and curve into a smile.

The raging sound of the waves in my ears seems to have instantly dissipated by that silence, and my rapid heartbeat from a few minutes ago gradually stabilizes.

I take a few quick steps to his side, and Lucien naturally takes my hand.

MC: Mr. X, are you good at playing this kind of game?

Lucien: [chuckle] I can only say I'm average; perhaps I might need your help, Miss MC.

If it really is "help," then that would be nice…

Perhaps it's the werewolf identity at work; the game hasn't officially started, but I've already begun scheming in my mind.

I wonder what Lucien's identity will be... Will he be a werewolf like me?

I absentmindedly ponder this while casually chatting with Lucien, and we enter the mansion together.

The butler leads us to the banquet hall, surrounded by a circle of exquisitely designed luxurious pools.

The clear pool water shows a faint aquamarine hue, reflecting off the gilded walls and casting a cold-colored light on us.

A long table divides the banquet hall in half, with a name tag displaying an ID in front of each seat.

Lucien and I sit down according to the name tags. I quietly count the name tags on the long table; there are thirteen in total.

Suddenly, three clear, rhythmic sounds emerge on the bustling long table, interrupting our cautious scrutiny of each other.

Lucien lowers his hand after lightly tapping the dinner bell and stands up from the long table. The light, fragmented into countless tiny ripples by the water's surface, penetrates his deep eyes.

Lucien: As a member of the human faction with a divine duty, I think it’s not too presumptuous for me to start the game abruptly. So…

Lucien's face unfolds into a calm, confident smile, and his unhurried voice clearly resonates throughout the banquet hall.

Lucien: I am the hunter in this game.

MC: ?!

The originally somewhat dull atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly simmers like boiling water.

Everyone seems somewhat surprised by Lucien's decision to reveal his identity at this moment, while I have no interest in participating in the discussion.

It's over. It seems I will have to spend the following nights alone and be forced to keep my distance from Lucien during the day so he doesn't see through my identity…

Although "engaging in a battle of wits and valor" with him is quite interesting, I still prefer being together with him.

I am immersed in my "thoughts" when someone nearby suddenly lets out a disdainful snort.

Player: Huh? Do you even know how to play?

I look up and see a young man with the name tag "Brother Genius" on the table, who is the first to speak against Lucien.

Brother Genius: Revealing your role on the first day? The werewolves will “kill” you tonight, and at most, you can only take one person down with your shot.

He tilts his chin up and shakes his head.

Brother Genius: The human faction is really out of luck, starting without a hunter. Learn from me; only someone with my role can reveal their identity openly.

He gestures with his chin towards the farthest corner.

Brother Genius: Look at us, the two outsiders.

Brother Genius: We arrived at this Mansion only after the werewolves appeared, so we can't be werewolves. We don't have any skills, but we are definitely good people. Do you understand?

The person in the corner, whose identity was suddenly exposed, stands up coldly and abruptly, causing the chair to slide backward with his movement.

The ear-piercing scraping sound makes everyone's scalp tingle, and almost everyone frowns in unison.

??: Idiot.

He had been sitting silently in the corner, and I hadn't noticed him before. Now that I look closer, I see his dark green hair and hollow dark gray eyes...

MC: ...Joker?!

✂———————–

[Some fun fact: Lucien's route is the only one where MC and the ML belong to opposite factions (they're truly Lovepro’s star-crossed lovers ahah🥹); other ML's (and MC) roles in their respective split routes are:

BQ/Gavin: Werewolf MC, "Hidden Werewolf" BQ

LZY/Victor: Guardian MC, "Witch" LZY

XM/Lucien: Werewolf MC, Hunter XM

ZQL/Kiro: Seer MC, Gravekeeper ZQL]

[Also, if it's not predictable already, Lucien already knows that MC is Werewolf; man can read her like an open book after all 😂 I think this is what leads to his decision to reveal his role as Hunter so early because doing so, he can gain others’ trust and have more ‘’control and power” for the sake of protecting her. There's also (spoiler) reason, but you all will know about it eventually~]

✂———————–

—[Lucien's Route - 2: Humid Airflow]—

Past experiences flood my mind, making my scalp tingle instinctively. How did this terribly nefarious person also end up in this game!

He hasn't appeared for so long, and his mind is always full of the lighthouse. How does he even have the time to "waste" here?

If I remember correctly, he's still wanted. How does he come out without changing his appearance?

As if in response to my question, the ID "Joker" above his head flickers glaringly a few times.

I instinctively glance at Lucien. He only casts a fleeting look in Joker's direction before shifting his gaze away.

Hearing what Joker said, Brother Genius seems a bit incredulous.

Brother Genius: ...What did you say?

Joker ignores him, shifts his gaze to Lucien, and speaks in a cold tone.

Joker: Fortunately, this game is at least worth participating in.

After saying that, he turns around and leaves the banquet hall without looking back despite everyone's gazes.

Lucien does not respond to his words at all, simply watching everything unfold calmly.

I quietly watch Joker's back, mentally drawing a big X over it.

Arrogant bastard, I will kill you tonight!

After the scene quiets down, Lucien speaks gently.

Lucien: Since three players have already revealed their identities, I suggest we start the election for the sheriff early.

Lucien: The sheriff has 1.5 votes, and they can also guide and organize thoughts…

At the long table, Lucien explains the necessity of the sheriff in a clear and understandable manner to those who are still confused.

And for those who raised objections to the sheriff system, he accommodates their opinions and adopts a compromise approach.

The more I listen, the more I feel that this Mr. Hunter beside me is like a "kind-hearted God” who calmly accepts and gently gives.

And the weaker players on the field seem to share my sentiment, their faces showing apparent trust.

Ultimately, Lucien is elected sheriff without any suspense due to his revealed hunter identity and charismatic personality. I can't help but sigh.

MC: It'll be difficult for the werewolves…

Lucien: What are you talking about?

I shudder all over, realizing that Lucien has finished the discussion and is now looking at me gently.

I give him a guilty smile, but a dangerous thought arises within me.

If Lucien is willing to "favor" me just a little... Maybe him being the sheriff could actually be a good thing?

With this in mind, I discreetly wink at Lucien.

MC: I was thinking, this mansion looks so big, I have a feeling I might get lost if I'm not careful.

MC: [smiles] Would the newly elected Sheriff X accompany me for a walk?

The clear water surface reflects a faint glow as if whispering unknown secrets.

I did not expect such pools to occupy this mansion's corridor and every room.

No matter where we go, the sound of flowing water never ceases.

The heavy and silent humid air wraps around us from head to toe, causing a wave of discomfort to surge within my heart.

MC: I thought a seaside mansion would be a beautiful, fresh-air vacation spot.

MC: Lucien, don't you feel like we've been swallowed by a giant monster, all sticky and slimy…?

Lucien is observing at the direction of the pool not far away. Hearing my words, an inscrutable smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

Lucien: Based on the current findings, it is likely that these pools are connected underground, forming some sort of waterway...

Lucien: If these waterways are like circulating blood vessels, then the pools are the organs that transport the blood. In that sense, we do seem to be inside some kind of giant monster...

The hairs on my body instantly stand on end, and I turn and throw myself into Lucien's arms. He catches me as if he had planned it, then gently pats my back.

MC: ...I was already scared enough, and now you're scaring me even more!

Lucien: [coaxing by whispering softly] I just wanted to agree with this imaginative girl's metaphor. Is that not allowed?

Seeing his cunning, squinting eyes, I can't help but let out a huffy little hum.

MC: Let's not talk about this anymore and change the subject!

MC: For example... weren't you worried about being targeted by the werewolves on the first day when you revealed your identity today?

I glance around and ask the premeditated question, only to see Lucien's eyelashes flutter slightly as he responds in an innocent tone.

Lucien: Huh... was I supposed to keep my identity hidden?

MC: Hmph, Professor Lucien, don't play innocent. I know you're a master at these kinds of games.

Lucien: I just don't want to lie in front of you.

He speaks frankly, with no intention of hiding anything. Being gazed at like this makes my heart skip a beat, and I almost want to confide my own secrets to him.

I quickly suppress the impulse, turn away to escape from his gentle allure, and hold his hand to lead him forward.

MC: Alright, alright, it seems you already have your own strategy. You're so intelligent. You definitely don't need a fool like me to worry needlessly.

I speak in a listless tone, with a little wistful expression, when I suddenly hear Lucien's voice.

Lucien: And what about you?

MC: What?

I turn around and see Lucien standing behind me, the fine mist enveloping his expression in a haze.

Lucien: [softly] Would my little lady lie to me?

A brief silence flows through the air as the pool continues to steam, making every breath sound incredibly distinct.

For a moment, I almost think that Lucien had already discovered my identity before the first night even began.

...No, I can't lose my composure first! I secretly pinch my palm, look straight into his eyes, and smile.

MC: Professor Lucien is so smart; how could my little tricks ever fool you?

MC: Why not take a guess?

After all, more than winning, I want to enjoy this game with you in a "special way".

✂———————–

[Dang, the way he said, “would my little lady lie to me?” 🤧🤧🤧, you can almost hear his insecurity and sense of feeling wronged(?). 😂 This is one of many instances in this chapter that show, under his calm and composed demeanor and how he acts as if everything is under control, he isn't as in ease as he appears to be🤧 there's still a possibility and choice that the MC might want to win and abandon him to achieve that, and her not answering his question definitely doesn't put his heart at ease. He will respect her choice, whatever it may be, yet selfishly, he wants her to choose to trust him and 'be with him' instead of winning]

✂———————–

—[Lucien's Route - 3: Sneaks through the night]—

As night falls, I quietly leave the door and see a bald man and a slim young man standing in the corridor from afar.

MC: You must be my teammates, the Ferocious and Superior Baldhead* and... Super Mousy*, right?

[T/N: not sure if it's deliberate, but the name… I'm going to scream lmao. The bald man's complete ID is 邪魅狂狷的光头. While "光头" (guang tao) literally means "bald head," it's also a term that lovepro players use to refer to the neighboring game 光与夜之恋 (guang yu ye zhi lian), also known as Light and Night. The slim man's ID is 超人鼠鼠; in Chinese slang, "鼠" (shǔ) is often used to describe someone timid, cowardly, or passive. It's like a person behaving like a mouse, often in the context of being overly cautious or submissive. Anyway, after this, I'll refer to the mouse guy as Mousy and the bald guy as Baldhead]

The bald guy responded with a grunt through his nose, and the slim guy timidly greeted me.

I remember these two; the bald guy is indeed "ferocious and acts superior" as his ID suggests, while the slim guy seems socially anxious and introverted, barely speaking during the day.

Baldhead: Stop wasting time discussing. Let's find someone who talks a lot and kill them first!

The bald guy speaks up domineeringly, leaving no room for doubt, while the young man timidly opens his lips but says nothing.

I can't help but sigh inwardly; how are we supposed to defeat Lucien and Joker with teammates like this….

However, they don't seem good at logical games, so maybe I can try to induce them.

Not giving them time to think and possibly connect the dots to Lucien, I quickly nod, showing a look of agreement.

MC: I agree. And I already have someone in mind.

Both of them look at me, and I try my best to put an air of authority.

MC: I suggest taking out Joker first. I've played other games with him before... and he's a very tricky player.

MC: You can also sense his attitude today, right? He's very dangerous. Eliminating the smart ones first will increase our chances of winning.

I deliberately mention Joker's attitude during the luncheon; sure enough, both the bald guy and the slim young man frown.

Baldhead: It'll be him then! D*mn it, daring to act arrogant in front of me, he won't live through the night!

I can't help but feel a secret delight inside. Joker, oh Joker, you never thought there would be a day when you'd be "at someone else's mercy," did you?

We hit it off and head towards Joker's bedroom together.

The lights in the mansion are dim at night, making the pool seem even more unfathomable. I nervously swallow hard.

At this moment, Baldhead, who was walking in front of me, suddenly stopped. Mousy and I almost bumped into him but managed to steady ourselves.

Before I can ask, I see from beside him that a bedroom door, which should have been tightly closed, is wide open about three meters away, with someone standing in the doorway.

At this time, only werewolves are supposed to be out and about. How can there be someone else outside?! My heart jumps to my throat as I hear that person speak.

Brother Genius: Oh, finally, you're here. I've been waiting for you wolves for quite a while.

...it's the Brother Genius who was mocked by Joker in the banquet hall earlier today.

Brother Genius: I have discovered the biggest loophole in this game. Now... just watch and see!

A brass candlestick is suddenly pulled out from behind him, and in the blink of an eye, it is plunged into his own body.

MC: ….?!

Everything happens so suddenly that we don't have time to react, and Brother Genius falls right in front of us.

Still in shock, we step forward to check, and he is indeed motionless.

Mousy: How... isn't it true that only the wolf can commit suicide in "Carnival Night"? How did he manage it? Did he find a bug in the game?

Like the blood, an uneasy atmosphere spreads from the still soft corpse before us. Just then, the three of us simultaneously receive a private message.

Butler: There are 10 minutes left until the werewolf activity time ends.

Mousy: What... What should we do... The system doesn't seem to show any issues. Should we still follow the plan to kill someone?

Baldhead grits his teeth, seemingly making up his mind.

Baldhead: We're already here, let's go!

Even though I am still slightly confused, I follow them, stiffly walking towards Joker's room.

I input the werewolf's fingerprint and press down on the door handle, but the door remains firmly shut.

Seeing that I am not taking further action, Baldhead shoves me aside and forcefully presses the handle, but the door still won't open.

Could it be another bug, or...? I ponder momentarily, then suddenly think of a possibility, and my heart sinks instantly.

MC: ....Could it be that he is being guarded? Since the werewolf's fingerprint can unlock it, the Guardian might be able to add another lock...

Baldhead curses and, still unwilling to give up, tries other doors, but none of them open.

Eventually, the werewolf's activity time ends, and we can only return to our respective rooms in defeat.

I lie down on the bed with a headache. The werewolf's action failed, and Brother Genius inexplicably "committed suicide"......

Trouble keeps piling up, and I feel like my brain is about to burn out.

The pool inside the room reflects a cold, icy light. I toss and turn, not knowing when I finally manage to fall asleep.

When the rapid knocking sounds for the third time, I groggily wake up and open the door.

Lucien walks straight in, the worry in his expression not yet completely gone. He relaxes only after seeing me.

Lucien: Did you sleep uncomfortably?

I look at his slightly disheveled cuffs, clearly showing he hurriedly threw on his coat to rush over, and I can't help but open my arms to hug him.

MC: I was a bit nervous and didn't sleep well... but now that I see you, all those feelings have vanished.

Lucien wraps his arms around my waist, allowing me to hold him tighter.

His clean and pleasant scent wraps around my tense nerves, making me unable to resist nuzzling closer.

Although the tension wasn't due to fear of being killed, last night was really too frightening.

Just at that moment, a scream comes from the other end of the hallway.

??: Brother Genius is dead!

I shudder all over, pretending to have just relaxed only to be scared again, and bury my head in Lucien's shoulder.

Lucien's hand moves up to my chin, and he looks me in the eyes. I can clearly see my own unease reflected in his eyes.

Lucien: [in a gentle tone] Were you scared?

MC: Mm...

——Not because of them, but because I have to walk through a night without Lucien. I purse my lips and hold Lucien tighter, yet I seem to hear his barely audible chuckle.

When Lucien and I arrive at the banquet hall, I notice that everyone's faces look rather pale, and there is little discussion.

Although it is just a game, the solemn atmosphere brought by "death" grows even more chilling with the constant sound of running water.

I sit down with an uneasy expression, my heart filled with doubts.

Before coming to the banquet hall, Lucien and I went to see the crime scene.

To my shock, Brother Genius, who was dead by the door last night, is now found inside the room.

The butler claims that Brother Genius fell victim to a werewolf last night, but this is clearly not the truth.

...Could it be that he really exploited some loophole in the game, and the game's rules tacitly allowed his actions?

Just when I am puzzled and unable to figure it out, someone nearby breaks the silence.

Red Nose: It's almost time to vote. Why is no one talking? I'll go first.

A guy wearing a clown nose accessory anxiously taps the dinner plate with a spoon.

Red Nose: Could it be that the wolf targeted "Brother Genius" because he exposed his identity as an outsider…

The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table hears this and slowly shakes his head.

Uncle: "A gentleman does not deceive in the dark." I suggest we all play openly; that would make the game much simpler…

[T/N: basically, the uncle would rather have everyone reveal the role, while the red-nosed guy is afraid that if anyone reveals their role, they will get targeted. Hmm, I wonder why-]

The two begin to discuss it heatedly, and soon, Red Nose's increasingly sharp voice turns it into a one-sided argument.

Watching the human faction fall into disarray, I wish they would argue even more fiercely. However, when I look up, I see Lucien's thoughtful expression.

Lucien: Based on your discussion, I believe that Brother Genius's death is not the worst situation.

Lucien: Please don't forget that his identity was that of an outsider, and the seer is still among us.

Red Nose: So what, are you suggesting that the seer should reveal themselves like you?

Red Nose: Seer, I don't know who you are, but if you didn't identify a werewolf last night, don't reveal your identity!

Facing Red Nose's targeting, Lucien merely shows a gentle smile.

Lucien: I can't control the seer's actions, but since we currently lack sufficient clues, I have a suggestion for everyone to consider.

Lucien: Tonight, I hope the seer can verify the identity of whoever is willing to prove themselves first.

✂———————–

—[Lucien's Route - 4: Banquet Social Season (Non-story/a.k.a Stage part)]—

Every banquet is an encounter.

✂———————–

—[Lucien's Route - 5: Misty Water Mirror]—

Whoever is willing to prove themselves first...?

What does that mean? I pause slightly and then hear the uncle burst into hearty laughter.

Uncle: Good! Great idea. With so many people present, the seer does indeed need some "hints!"

Lucien: So, who is willing to be verified by the seer tonight?

Lucien's lips curve into a relaxed smile as if he is merely making a casual suggestion.

However, alarm bells go off in my mind, and the fork in my hand unconsciously scrapes the plate twice.

Could he really just be signaling the seer hidden in the crowd to start working? No, based on what I know about Lucien, there's definitely more to it than that…

I instinctively want to stay silent; we still don't know who the seer is. What if I'm the only one who raises their hand, and the seer really investigates me? But…

My heart is beating faster and faster, and my mind is whirling.

Until an almost terrifying thought suddenly flashes through my mind, exploding within me.

——Could Lucien be setting up a trap? This trap targets not only the wolves but also the humans.

If I think outside the perspective of a wolf and view it from a human's standpoint, only the wolves wouldn't want to be verified by the seer...

With this thought, I impulsively raise my hand, cold sweat running down my back.

Whatever, I'll take the gamble!

MC: I am human. If the seer doesn't have a suitable candidate, they can verify me tonight.

It seems my action also encouraged others, and soon, more people raised their hands.

As the first to raise my hand, I openly look at their faces, only to notice that the uncle is also observing in secret.

He was so supportive of Lucien's suggestion, yet he didn't raise his hand... Doesn't he want to prove his identity first?

As I ponder this, Red Nose suddenly stands up from his seat and almost shouts from his throat.

Red Nose: Stop doing foolish things! How can you be manipulated by a few fancy words and consider exposing yourself?

Exposing...? In a flash, I suddenly realize Lucien's trap for the humans—the seer, who isn't good at scheming, risks being exposed because of this!

Unfortunately, such shallow and aggressive rhetoric would only enlighten someone with ulterior motives like me. Who else would want to listen?

Joker: Ridiculous.

Leaning against the wall, Joker speaks coldly, casting a glance at everyone present as if looking at a group of monkeys in a zoo.

Finally, his gaze falls on Red Nose.

Joker: Your stupidity makes you useless in information sharing, only capable of creating arguments and stirring emotions.

Joker: Even if you are not a wolf, your voice is redundant for the human faction.

After speaking, Joker ignores the discussions and Red Nose's curses that follow, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as if to sleep.

.......even though the situation is favorable to me, I still feel that he is more of a "shit-stirrer" than the werewolves.

The interruption leaves everyone a little unsure for a moment, and Lucien takes the opportunity to speak up.

Lucien: In deduction and confrontation games, good people always hope to prove their innocence regardless of skill level.

Lucien: Therefore, those who actively seek to have a voice are naturally more eager to prove their identity first, thus leading the direction of the voting.

The cold, shimmering light blurs his expression, drawing more attention to his firm words.

Lucien: Actively seizing the right to speak while not wanting to be checked... If there is still no reasonable explanation, then it's very likely a wolf trying to confuse the humans.

Immediately, everyone’s hands shot up in unison as if driven by a death warrant.

I watch as Lucien steers the situation, effortlessly controlling everyone's emotions, making me feel both proud and nervous.

Then, everyone's eyes converged on the one person who had yet to raise their hand.

Red Nose breathes heavily, his bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Lucien, his face full of unwilling rage.

Red Nose: If you're going to vote, then vote!

As expected, Red Nose is unanimously voted out. The attendants take him to the edge of the banquet hall's pool and push him in.

Like the empty stomach of a giant monster finally capturing its nutrients, the calm water surface surges and engulfs his body violently, a striking crimson color spreading across the water.

The pool becomes very bright instantly, but just as quickly, it calms down again. The vivid red water reverts to a pale aquamarine, just as it was before.

Obviously, such a display in the game doesn't relax anyone. People start to leave one after another, unwilling to stay any longer.

I walk to the edge of the long table and turn back to take another look at the uncle, who remains in place.

He sits at the table enjoying his dessert, his brow relaxed, and he seems much more at ease than before the luncheon.

I go over his behavior today in my mind, and an answer becomes apparent to me.

Lucien: [gently] Are you feeling better?

Lucien walks toward me, naturally taking my hand, and I instinctively avert my gaze from the uncle.

MC: Hmm, much better~ Maybe because I ate something, I feel more energized!

My palms are still sweaty from the luncheon, and although I let Lucien hold my fingertips, I never dared to fully open my hand and interlock fingers with him.

Lucien's long fingers gently squeeze my fingertips, seemingly unaware of my little thoughts.

It's just that the time he spends gazing at my face seems... a bit longer?

Lucien: But your complexion is still a bit pale. Have some more sugar.

Lucien picks up a glass of juice from the table and hands it to me. I happily take it and drink a sip, then immediately frown.

...Why does it taste so strange? It's not good at all.

Lucien: Don't like it?

MC: ...No, of course I like anything Professor Lucien gives me!

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel a bit regretful. There was no need to explain something so trivial; I'm being overly cautious…

Lucien just smiles slightly, his eyes as gentle and profound as always.

But perhaps due to the mindset of a werewolf, I have the feeling that he is subtly punishing me for lying.

...With him by my side, I have to be even more careful with every move I make.

[When she doesn't answer last night, he understands why. He understands her choice, hesitation, and pain. So, he still comforts her with so much care. However, he can't help but still feel a bit wronged that MC doesn't trust him enough to tell him the truth and chooses to endure everything alone, so that not-so-palatable drink was his small retaliation.... this fox can be a bit petty sometimes skskks]

[Next Part-> Click Here]

[commandtower-solring-go]

So my mum has been a failed entrepreneur my entire life. I don't have a meaningful memory where she hadn't been trying to build a business no one wanted along side it. And while she isn't a Boomer, she is Gen X, I feel like a lot of Gen X'ers are also being thrown into the convo with Boomers. And good. They ought to be. They're not better.

But listening to her talk about finding staff was repulsive. Like, the idea of hiring actual, minimum wage labour, wasn't even on the table.

The two options were

1) outsourcing the labour to Bali because, as she saw, the cost of living there was so low, that she didn't feel the need to pay more than extremely little. And she believe that folk working there would be grateful to earn that much.

Or 2) Making her kids do it, and relying on good natured helping out as the basis for actual labour.

My insight from this is that there is absolutely no empathy going on behind those motivations because the business owner see themselves as worthy of other people's empathy first and foremost.

They are the disgruntled shift employee trying to turn it big. They are the underdog fighting against the system and paving their own way. They are the business owner, taking on all the risk, and they are willing to give someone special the chance to earn something of a wage, and get them in on the ground floor of their exciting business.

There is no sense of developing an internal community; looking out for staff so that the staff will return the favour. The expectation is that the staff deliver up front because the business owner, on a much broader level, deserves it.

[theambitiouswoman]

Heyy

Do you have any advice on starting a real estate business as in just buying and renting out property?

Thanks 🤍

Yes!

**For the record, I have personally done a few flips/rehabs. Apart from that, I knew/know most of the realtors in this city and relating companies as I worked with most real estate/mortgage and title companies here when I had an agency.

First you need to be able to learn the market and research comparables. When looking to buy properties there are important factors to consider to make sure you are not paying overprice for a property as well as that the are is on demand, ensuring it will be easier to rent out the property.

The location of the property and its proximity to amenities like schools, shopping centers, grocery stores, transportation etc. Also that the area is safe.

You also want to look for areas that has future development plans, this will raise the value of your property.

If you have worked with investment companies, you will quickly learn that buying a property that is not in the best condition, a rehab property, could be a very smart play. You want to make sure of course to check the comparables and ensure that the property is underpriced compared to the other homes in the area. Once you rehab the property, it could raise or even surpass the value of the other homes in the area.

Any home that you would look into to buy for renting out should have elements that you intend to upgrade on. There are a lot of reasons for this but the most important one is how it raises your price and potential earnings. Redoing a kitchen or a bathroom can immediately raise the value of your home anywhere from 5-50k. A project that will cost you anywhere from 3-10k on average for a standards nice kitchen depending on your area.

Overall you still want to look at the comps to make sure you are getting a fair deal. Calculate the potential annual rent as a percentage of the properties price. This will give you an idea of the return on your investment. Also make sure that the potential rental income exceeds the monthly expenses. If not it does not make sense.

Check the vacancy rates in the area you want to purchase in, if its high there may be a low demand and not a good area to invest in.

Also you want to think about how easy it would be to sell the property if you need to. In demand areas tend to be more liquid.

So important, to understand the landlord/ tenant laws in your state. Including their rights and eviction process etc. Nothing worst than having a horrible tenant and not being legally able to remove them.

There are a lot of rate plans depending on your specific situation and mortgage rates also vary significantly by state. Make sure to get the best deal for you. Some states a first time can give as little as 1-5% down depending if you are a first time/ entrepreneur etc.

Property insurance is another cost factor to consider when working out your numbers as this varies by area.

Managing a few properties on your own is easy, but after a handful, you may want to consider hiring a property management company to handle these things for you.

I would strongly urge you to get a lawyer to draw up renter contracts.

To grow this business what you want to do, and this is a general overview: down payment for house, fix, rent out, refinance, use refinance to purchase another property and have enough to put into upgrades/repairs on the second purchase and repeat.

I can get into taxes on this too if you want.

[mesetacadre]

Re: flexibility, I've been wondering - what is there to say about the impact of remote work on productivity and profit, inasmuch as it can be measured?

I can only comment on the IT sector, and only superficially: multiple employers have cited the transition to remote/hybrid work as the primary cause of the not-insignificant decrease in efficiency currently observed in companies worldwide. On the managers' end, it's being portrayed as e.g. a shift in priorities, with younger people especially being more willing to change jobs frequently and not feeling tethered to a single employer - at least according to recent Microsoft Work Trend Index reports that I (unfortunately) had to analyze LOL. Does flexibilization yield tangible profits in the "white collar"* department, too, or is it primarily and exclusively a tool of exploitation of "unskilled"* laborers, migrants, et cetera?

Asking this because the surge in popularity of remote work is certainly an unprecedented development, I'm trying to find the correct framework within which to assess its importance. (Unless this is outside your area of interest/expertise...)

Hi Adam, first I would be cautious of what some employers attribute to be the cause of lost productivity, they can lie as much as they want. It is well known how, for example, retailers in the US state of California assign loss from imagined future profits as well as actual losses from other causes to shoplifting when actual lost sales from shoplifting is as significant as a small accounting error. Taking them at face value still, I'd argue that the context of remote work is far from neutral, having been instituted rashly during the economic slowdown that the pandemic forced. I've also heard the complete opposite from other employers, such as my mother's, which has instituted a hybrid work regime *after already having established the required infrastructure and protocols* and it seems to increase productivity by the same mechanism that a shortened work week increases productivity, worker morale.

A well-implemented hybrid or completely remote work regime does increase productivity, not only because of better employee performance in some cases, but also because it can allow the capitalist to cut down on costs, a very intuitive example of this could be having to afford less physical space for an office, since not everyone has to be present to work, and there could not even be an office. Flexibilization, when done well for the employer, always increases profit margins because it makes the worker more subservient to the needs of the capitalist, it allows them to choose when and for how long the worker works, for example, or to never have to pay the salary corresponding to a full work week.

I'd also tell you not to confuse the general trend for what a subset of workers want. The trend towards flexibilization and the higher mobility of young workers between jobs is imposed on them by this trend, by shortening average contracts (Taking again Spain as an example, the average contract for people younger than 30 got as low as 17 days last year, and nowadays 0-day contracts are becoming more common). Nobody wants to work for less than a week for a salary lower than the minimum wage, it is being imposed in the name of "flexicurity", as they call it. Look it up, the European Commission avows it.

Perhaps traditional office jobs can benefit less from this very rapid hiring-firing process because of the needed education for some positions, but as long as there is a reserve labor pool of people who have worked at multiple of these places, and as long as they can continue to play with work schedules and regimes, they very much still benefit from flexibilization.

If things like the 4 day work week or remote work are popular within the general working population it still doesn't change that the class who ultimately benefits from it is not our own, and our efforts should be directed to educating workers so they understand that no benefit can be gained within capitalism that does not benefit the bourgeois class 10 times as much, and that it still does not change the immutable exploitative nature of salary work.

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[ryuichirou]

Hey ryuichi, as an artist, how do you feel about Ai art? Do you think that Ai is going to replace artists? Do you think that Ai artists are real artists?

I'm curious to know your opinion on this matter.

Sorry for the late reply, Anon! I wanted to give you a more or less nuanced reply, so it took me some time to think about this topic.

I’ll start with the easy one: no, AI art isn’t going to replace all artists and it’s not going to completely eradicate art as we know it, because art doesn’t exist solely for the practical purposes. As long as people enjoy and feel passionate about making art, art is going to exist in one form or another. But that’s just stating the obvious.

And while there are people who are better or worse at coming up with prompts for the AI, as long as they don’t do any additional work based on the AI-generated image, I don’t consider it being art. I think art is about skill, taste and personality, and this simply isn’t it.

Are people going to lose jobs because of AI art? Unfortunately, it already happens, but it also doesn’t mean that artists are doomed and this is some kind of apocalypse. It’s very important to consider the scale of things, the possible developments, etc. Here are some points to consider…

First of all, if we’re talking about personal commissions and clients that opt to use AI instead of commissioning an artist for their project (or personal use), I wouldn’t say that it’s too much of a loss. I feel like this is exactly the type of clients who don’t tend to appreciate artists’ work and pay them fairly anyway, otherwise they wouldn’t even consider AI as an option. Many of these “clients” would never commission an artist anyway, so they’re not even a part of this client pool. I know that money is money, and some artists would gladly take even a low-paying job from a customer that often doesn’t treat them well (I’ve been there and speak from my personal experience back when I started to offer my commission services), but I am an idealist and think that we shouldn’t spend our time and energy on someone who doesn’t see any value in our work anyway. Not everyone has the luxury of throwing away people who pay you at least something, of course, these artists still need to eat, so that last statement remains an idealistic take from me, keep that in mind.

And if we’re talking about corporations that use AI instead of hiring artists, while it is a problem, I also feel like it’s going to backfire somehow – it kinda does already. Not necessarily in terms of the company getting backlash, but in terms of the lack of quality control over the AI art (if you don’t have any actual artists on board, how are you going to know if the art works or not?) and some other unexpected reasons that are definitely going to pop up.

AI is definitely going to transform the way we think about art and art-related jobs in general. Some jobs might get lost forever, but it happens all the time – there are other brand-new types of art-jobs that are going to start emerging out of thin air. Just like photography and Photoshop influenced the market and art in general, AI is going to do just that.

I’ll note that I don’t think companies are going to stop using AI altogether at any point of the near future though; it’s a very powerful and cost-effective tool, there is no way they are letting it go. AI is absolutely here to stay, and it’s going to evolve and become better and better, scarily better. But this is how I think we should approach it:

People whose work is used for the AI’s learning pool should abso-fucking-lutely give their consent to their work being used, or even better, be compensated for their participation. If there is a new AI that makes a point out of the participation in the learning process being voluntary and well-paid, I think it’d change the dynamic between artists and AI – so far it’s just stealing from them.

Ideally, AI should be used as a base and not the final product. Actual artists could get inspired by it during the brainstorming stage or work over it.

Whoever posts, produces or distributes content that was created with the help of an AI, should absolutely mark it accordingly. In my perfect world, there’re going to be laws about this lol In general, the whole thing needs to be reflected in law, so far it’s way too easy to abuse.

Not only marked, AI generated images should be banned from being sold lol You can press that button and type all the key words all you want, but the result is just a free image that anyone can use and cannot be monetized. I believe this final point would make the majority of AI users just abandon their desire to use it in general – if there’s no profit for them, they’ll drop out, and AI art can be used as a tool like it’s supposed to be.

As you can see, I have avoided saying that people who use AI art are “artists” because I don’t consider them artists. If they don’t transform anything and don’t bring anything new to the table, I, the most important person on this planet, will refuse to give them that title lol

As far as I know, actors and writers have achieved some guarantees against the use of AI during their strike..? I haven’t looked into it, so I don’t know. Also please, keep in mind that I’m mostly talking about illustrations, because this is what I do. AI affects other types of art too, and there might be nuance there that I’m not mentioning here.

In general, I don’t want to demonize AI, because I feel like it’s not a problem on itself, it’s the way people use it that’s brings problems for all of us. This is a very new technology, and we don’t know how to handle it just yet mostly because for the lack of the law system regulating it, this is why there are so many opportunities to abuse it.

Also also, when the novelty of the AI art wears off, we might end up with the resurgence of appreciation for “real human art” or something. We are waaaaay too prone to nostalgia not to go “god I miss it when actual people designed logos” one day, and believe me, whenever it happens, the companies are going to market their stuff as the REAL HUMAN ART by the REAL HUMAN PEOPLE so much that we’re going to get sick of it in 5 minutes lol. But hey, maybe it’ll end up being a reason to pay artists more.

Thank you for reading such a long reply! I don’t want for my blog to turn into a discussion board, so sorry in advance if you address this topic in future asks to give me links or examples and I won’t reply to you, but it depends on the number of asks. I’ll look through everything on my own.

[millerflintstone]

One year ago today I put in my notice at the last corporate job I held, which was a large auto manufacturing company. It was a mess. I got hired in as a support database developer working on special projects and then on my 78th day they had a reorganization that changed my job function.

I specifically asked in my interview if there were other database developers because I didn't want to be the only one (yes) and if I would have to be on call for anything (no). That changed. I went from having 2 other people to help to no one. I hadn't even been there a full 3 months. Barely knew the code base and was expected to be able to solve any database related code issues for 3 separate internal web applications related to dealers that were a big deal. My boss asked another department if they could loan out their database developer as needed since he "had to work of three database developers and just one database developer". That manager said sure, but he owed her an ice cream sundae.

I was so fucking disgusted, among other things.

While the pay was nice, it wasn't 3 database developers worth of pay. Not even on a low end of 75K per developer, and it wasn't like they were going to revise my pay. I was also expected to be in charge of a whole nother application and be on call for it / be the Subject Matter Expert and I was also supposed to train the junior JAVA developers on how to be database developers to "help me out"

In my last one on one with my boss, I mentioned that this was no longer the job I interviewed for and he kind of laughed and said, "Yeah". I had also mentioned that I had some type of work PTSD from my past job and at first that also struck him as funny but he regrouped and attempted to be empathetic. This sounds like he was malicious but he seemed more completely clueless and awkward. Though I did get the sense that he was passive aggressive and held grudges based on some other things I observed. It was not good.

So, after talking with Unfriendly about it and our finances, I quit. Whatever fucked up cost cutting that was going to get higher ups a nice bonus surely did not affect me in the slightest. It went from being a nice place to land and get my bearings after healthcare health plan hell to just more shit.

I was disappointed because the gal who referred me really loved working there. She had wanted me to work there but at the time, their only office was in the heart of Atlanta. Later on that changed and she had gotten promoted to management herself. She was either too blind / part of the problem or she knew the shit show that was coming. We weren't close or anything. Just LinkedIn friends at that point, though we had bonded over the crap job we worked at together my first year in GA.

Today I learned that my supervisor on the team I was supporting in AZ got affected as part of layoffs that affected everyone who worked in that location. She was really nice and I could tell from her facial expressions in meetings that she was not on board with how their reorg negatively affected me. She and her team were really gracious about me leaving and they all gave me compliments and online rewards which I cashed out when I left. I hope she finds something that doesn't stress her out like this company did.

I re-read the day to day journal that's in my drafts that started the day I decided I was going to quit through my last day and I do not regret my decision at all.

[the-adventures-of-dave]

What's your opinion on barn cats/mousers? Are they an acceptable subset of "outdoor cat"?

Certainly barn cats pose the same problem as pets that live in more urban environments. They still hunt birds, spread disease, out-compete native wildlife— all that bad stuff. In an ideal world barn cats wouldn't exist so those things would all stop happening. I don't think harmful, invasive species are in any way "acceptable" and I definitely wouldn't encourage it.

At the same time though I do think sometimes the barn cat solutions proposed on tumblr (hiring ratting terriers among some other ideas) also seem a little... unrealistic. At least given my personal experience with farms and farmers, particularly in places far less populated and more remote than the USA. Asking people to get rid of their barn cats cold-turkey is an approach I think would see more pushback than progress.

Working towards better welfare for barn cats and restricting their impact on the environment through education, low cost spay/neuter/vaccine programs and limiting cats' range to the barn buildings only seem like more attainable goals right now. Barn cats are not good for the environment or the cat, but I think we need to take a more gradual approach to the issue than a rip-off-the-bandaid solution in order to make progress. As animal welfare laws continue to develop and indoor cats become the norm in urban areas I think that will also encourage the transition from rural outdoor cats to indoor ones as well.