#jurisdiction friction

[alianoralacanta]

[ID: image 1: tweet by David Sánchez Olmos (@DSORacing) - Se reporta que por ley en Nevada, las coladeras no podían ser soldadas como se habia venido haciendo en los demás circuitos callejeros donde corre la F1. Translated from Spanish by Google: It is reported that by law in Nevada, the drains could not be welded as had been done in the other street circuits where F1 races. Quote-tweet by Spanners (@SpannersReady) - I am desperately hoping this isn't true. If this is true it's really really bad. It can't be true. They didn't not weld it but just hope some sealant would hold it. It can't be. Image 2: Tweet by The Engineer (@Engineer_LXIX): I can understand why. There's been some notable casino fires with a lot of deaths over the years. Nevada doesn't want to add risk/reduce coverage of fire suppression, just for the f1 circus. /end ID] EDIT 23:15 UK time 17/11/2023 - There was an error in how this was reported. There are alternative means of fire suppression in Las Vegas, including the part where the F1 cars race, so the provided explanation is not true. Thanks to @vegasgrandprix for providing improved information.

They should not be fucking racing in the streets of Vegas im so tired of screaming the same thing over and over

[mariswxts]

amoralism | four

Summary: You and Dean Winchester are the top agents from Major Crimes. You’re also assigned as partners on the same case- a crime syndicate is running loose and buying out most of downtown New York. He hates you cause you hate him. You hate him cause you think he got in his position with his daddy’s influence. But this case is personal to one of you more than the other- and you may be getting too personal for comfort.

TW: So much sexual tension it’s illegal, Agent Dean Winchester (yes, he’s a warning in itself), mention of murder, Knights of Hell but they’re just murderous humans, fantasising, a mole in the FBI, thigh riding, Sam being the best friend everyone needed but no one asked for, failed professionalism, description of gore, torture and body desecration, inaccurate description of the FBI but we do it for the plot, Bela Talbot (she’s also a warning, yes), fantasies of seduction

Song Inspo: Liar by Camila Cabello

SERIES MASTERLIST

archaism

A knock on your door had you looking up from your desk, from the notes you were taking on the video found on the necklace’s hard drive. The only face you could see on that necklace was Abaddon’s, which did give you the warrant to put her in the Florence Supermax, which honestly didn’t feel like enough when your own body felt like it was being slashed and burned and disembowelled in tandem with this poor investment banker.

Didn’t help that she took a hatchet to the body even after the life left him.

“Come in.” You sighed, rubbing your eyes. And in came… “Ah.” Yet another tired rub of your forehead. “Trainee Agents Tran and Harvelle. Come in.” You gestured for them to enter, wishing you were also a trainee agent.

It was so much more simple back in those days. Just getting coffee for the superiors. Just some damn coffee. Not being caught in a web of sexual tension, organised crime and some really nasty crap.

“How can I help you?” You asked, feigning genuine interest when you actually wanted to hurl from the videos you’d been watching.

“We wanted to get an update on the Knights of Hell case.” Tran got out, fiddling with his fingers. Suck ups, great. “For, uh, Agent Nick Garrison.” You rolled your eyes.

Nick.

He’d come off fresh from the murder of his wife and baby, and it was bloody. He’d been trying to take cases, but Director Singer kept on insisting he take the desk job.

“Did he tell you he was working the case?” You clasped your hands in front of you, and you cut them off before they could start stammering. “No, I can’t give any information if you’re not working the case. It’s classified information, and Director Singer’s made that clear. I don’t wanna have to report to HR about breaching jurisdiction.”

“No, ma’am.” Harvelle bowed her head, then realised she wasn’t bowing to a queen and grabbed Tran’s hand, dragging him out. You groaned, closing your eyes and rubbing your forehead.

“That’s it. Take what you need.” Dean muttered, your back against his chest, legs spread and held in place by one hand gripping your thigh. Your head fell back against his shoulder, a myriad of sounds leaving your parted lips and slack jaw from his three fingers pumping in and out of your pussy. Stretching you. Breaking you. Wrecking you. Making you rock your hips in tandem with his movements and getting much needed friction on your clit from the rough palm of his hand. “Workin’ so hard, baby. I’m gonna release all your stress. Leave you so relaxed.”

God, you had half a mind to start touching yourself in the office to take the edge off. Right under your desk.

You’d do it. Damn the code of conduct.

“I need a change of panties.” You muttered, done with... “Everything else in my life, while I’m at it.”

“Five minutes, sweetheart. To take the edge off.”

Damn you for being an ass kisser. You could have taken the edge off with Dean Winchester.

Instead you’re here. At a desk. Watching someone be tortured to death and their corpse disembowelled.

”You were left alone? With a shirtless Dean Winchester?” Andréa gasped, sipping a tall glass of wine, her lips stained red from it. “Details. Now.”

You swallowed, clearing your throat. “Dré, I don’t think there’s anything to tell-”

“Yes. There is.” She raised her eyebrows pointedly at you. “Either he railed you nasty, or you pulled the usual professionalism card but you still banged and now you’re fearful for your job.”

“I’m still fearful for my job, railing or not.” You scoffed lightly, taking a long sip of your own wine and holding your glass out for another. “Sorry to disappoint, Dré, but… no. Nothing happened.”

“WHAT?!” Andréa slammed down her wine glass. Eyes wide, auburn hair only slightly out of place. Jesus, she’s shook.

“I know!” You raised your hands in surrender, wine slopping onto the floor. You carefully put it aside; you might be getting a little tipsy with how much you drank trying to recover from the memory. “Look, it happened like I told you; Dean pulled me in, told me to keep my eyes on him… and then his phone rang. His dad called him, and he took the call.”

“I want to bust John Winchester’s balls.” She muttered.

“Classy.”

“Do you think I care about class? I care about whether or not you can walk straight, and right now you should be wobbling from side to side, honey.” She took a very pointed sip of wine.

You sighed with a roll of your eyes, however affectionate it was. “That’s a very interesting notion.”

“It’s Dean Winchester!”

“I’m painfully aware that it is.”

You walked into Dean’s office to find him nursing a bloody temple with a sterilising cloth, which had you raising an eyebrow. You didn’t peg Dean for the working hard type, more like the hardly working. Unless you counted when he was in bed with a woman. Still hot.

And both of your minds switching back to the night where Dean had you in his arms, his whiskey-tainted breath fanning over your lips. Fingers that were tapping the desk were previously curled around your chin, gravelly voice telling- ordering you to keep your eyes on him and by God, you’d say yes sir if he hadn’t taken your ability to speak words with those piercing green eyes. And he wasn’t even your superior.

“Well, don’t you look super.” You drawled sarcastically, throwing down a file on his desk. Eyes moving down to the hands which had held you in place. Fingers that had gripped your chin in a way that almost made your knees buckle and hands fly to undo the drawstring of his sweatpants.

“Knock knock - come in - and yeah, I do look handsome.” Dean responded dryly, but gave you a smirk/grin, a click of his tongue and a wink that had no right giving you that large of a needy jolt through your cunt, soaking your panties instantly. Again.

You cursed yourself for being an ass kisser. Again. When there was a perfectly good cock there that you could be riding.

“I was trying to figure out information on the Abaddon case, see if we could get some of her buddies’ names.” Dean shrugged, swiping his bottom lip with his thumb. “Came out with nada and a cheap shot to the head.”

You cleared your throat, willing yourself to stop feeling so desperate. You were better than this. No you weren’t, but you weren’t gonna admit that aloud. “Director Singer wanted us to check this out. Probably after your failed, sorry ass attempt to find answers.” You watched him open the file, turning the page with a lick of his finger. Had it been anyone else, you would have internally cringed.

But no, it’s Dean Winchester. You wanted to be his index finger.

“Since we’re doing this off books, we have to arrange off book methods.” You rubbed your neck. “Bela Talbot, she’s a freelancer. Occasionally thieves - at least, that’s theory because we’ve never been able to prove it. But Director Singer’s booked us a five star room and an appointment so we can find out what she knows, how she knows it and follow that lead.”

“You’re more snappy than usual, sweetheart.” Dean smirked, mossy eyes trailing- no, roving down- not even that; he was undressing you with his eyes.

And he didn’t miss the way your jaw ticked.

Sign number one.

How your eyes darted from him to the files to the random objects like you wanted to throw something.

Sign number two.

How you occasionally prodded your cheek with your tongue as if you had a Spanish insult that would definitely condemn someone’s mother to hell on the tip of it.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was sign number three.

Dean Winchester had more than a GED and a give ‘em hell attitude. He had a college degree in criminology, a while spent in the academy and a penchant for figuring out when- “You’re stressed.” He muttered smoothly, and he had an inkling of why. He took hold of your wrist, and next thing you knew, you were pulled to his lap, straddling his thigh. Your heeled feet on either side. And clothed pussy right on powerful muscle.

Oh, boy.

“We haven’t talked about it.” Dean muttered, his eyes tracing your face (and dipping to check your blouse’s neckline, and it did not disappoint), calculating his next move, his hand splayed out on your lower back. “I know you better than you think. And you… are thinking about it.”

“I’m n-not.” You responded quickly and rather pathetically, especially as your words were negated by a whimper as his hand on your lower back slid down, down, down, cupping your ass, squeezing just right and using the purchase to pull you so your chest was flush against his. His nose bumping yours. The scent of a breath mint on your lips instead of whiskey.

Gee, the déjà vu was potent. When could you have possibly been in this situation before, hm? Totally not a few days ago. And five years before that.

“So, you don’t wanna talk about it.” He chuckled, tongue darting out to wet his lips as he looked you over- nope, banging you with his eyes this time. You could see it. He had you bent over the desk, railing the living daylights out of you with a hand over your mouth. “Let’s do about it.”

You swallowed, not protesting even as his fingers tangled in your hair. “That-That’s grammatically incorrect-”

His lips - god, his pillowy, sinful, criminal lips - crashed down onto yours, brow furrowed in concentration as the common sense went out of you.

Dean definitely had eaten a breath mint, and you could taste the coffee remnants on him. A kiss that was no less than filthy, needy and wanting. Smacking of lips on lips at a high frequency and temperature shooting far above the boiling point. Your hand threading in his hair. Other hand fisting the back of his shirt. His cologne your personally crafted aphrodisiac.

Dean was too far gone to care that anyone could walk in. His hand was gripping the soft strands of your hair in between his fingers, guiding your head how he liked it. Relishing your tinted, strawberry flavoured lip balm and how it flooded his tongue. Your perfume sending his hormones skyrocketing and making him zero in on you. Only you, always you. He’d missed out on his treasure all these goddamned five years.

Dean’s tongue licked at the seam of your swollen lips, demanding entrance, which you fought back and denied from him. Good that he’s skilled in getting what he wanted, because it didn’t take long to get you to allow him that access.

His hand came down in a sharp smack on your ass, which had a gasp falling from your lips which he caught with his own. Keeping both parted as his tongue tasted the jam and toast on yours, coaxing it into his mouth so he could suck on it and cloud your mind more than it already was fogged up.

“That’s it, open up for me.” Dean groaned into your mouth, pulling your kiss-swollen lips more apart with his thumb on your bottom lip. You felt his hand leave your ass, air hitting your previously skirt covered thighs and something sliding down your legs but you didn’t care when Dean was robbing you of professionalism.

Doing a thing with his tongue and teeth that had you throbbing and needy for him. Yeah, the Code of Conduct can go to hell.

His hand found home on your ass again, and just experimentally dragged you down and forward, drawn out and hard on the taut, deliciously clad muscle of his thigh.

Clit. Friction. Uh- pussy. Dripping.

Mind. Blown.

You had to actively pull him to you, lips more in a collision than a kiss to muffle the drawn out moan that came from your lips and those that spilled after while he simply hummed, grinding you on his thigh again and again until you were kissing him silly as well as rutting on his thigh like a desperate, horny teenager.

Not that either of you minded.

“Look so pretty, ridin’ my thigh.” Dean chuckled between hungry, heavenly kisses, now taking handfuls of your tit from shoving his hand (in a hot way) down the neckline of your blouse and rubbing your nipple over your bra with precise circles designed to make you go mad all while groping the flesh. “Makes a guy wonder how you’ll ride his co-o-oh, Jesus Christ, baby.”

For context, in retaliation, you’d started palming him over his slacks, grinding the heel of your palm in a way that had him rolling his hips forward so his cock could meet your hand for the first time ever through two thin barriers.

The slow movement of your hand and your hips that were dragging over his slacks a personified oxymoron of the way your lips would devour Dean’s and vice versa over and over again.

Every movement of yours synced to the way he’d toy with your tits and his hand would knead your ass under skilled goddamn fingers.

Swallowing every moan like second nature.

He definitely had some kind of qualification in the female body.

“Woah.” And both of you pulling away to see Sam at the door. Which incited pure chaos.

You jumping up. Fixing your skirt, your hair (your kiss-swollen lips were a gone case) as Dean manoeuvred his leg so you couldn’t see the obvious wet patch on his slacks.

Wet patches, if you count the pre-come stain that leaked through.

Ah, well, at least he’d pocketed your soaked panties. For… research purposes.

“Nothing’s happened.” Dean shrugged, trying to signal to Sam as if to say no, he did not want the news of him making out with his case co-head in his office, in FBI headquarters in DC.

Your mind was in a tizzy, especially as you hurried off before you could shake hands with embarrassment.

“I don’t know whether to say ‘finally’, ‘what the hell’ or bleach my eyes out.” Sam said to Dean with a light chuckle, folding his arms.

“How about you shut your mouth?” He scoffed back.

“I can’t just unsee that-”

“You were told to shut your mouth, not your eyes.” Dean grinned as if nothing was wrong, because nothing was wrong. That could just be one of his fantasies.

You were thinking the same thing. It could just be a vivid daydream. Or even a dream that you’ll wake up from at any moment.

But then Dean saw the wet patch on his slacks again. The soaked panties that he’d stolen off you and you’d let him. His lips were swollen and still buzzing from the heated sensations, ego on an all time high from how many moans he’d ripped from you even though he’d done so little. If this is what he’d waited for all this time - for five years - the wait was damn worth it.

You could still feel Dean’s hands groping at you as if he had a degree in your body. His harsh breath against yours. Lips bruising as they met over and over again— his thigh pressed between yours.

Your thighs rubbed together and- god damn, he’d stolen your panties. You weren’t even mad at him for it.

You were reeling from the - ahem - make out session display of professionalism. And Dean wasn’t making it any degree better.

“So, we’re not gonna talk about it?” He scoffed, folding his arms and quirking an eyebrow. “Five years, the time we actually break the Code of Conduct and we’re not gonna say a word of what went down?”

You gestured to him. “My point. We broke the Code of Conduct. Hell, we torched it!”

“It was just making out.”

“In your office.”

“Look,” Dean chuckled and ran his hand through his hair, “it ain’t my fault that your gorgeous ass is attracted to me. And it ain’t your fault that my handsome ass… is attracted to you. It’s a sexual thing.”

“It’s a sexual thing.” You repeated quietly, which didn’t help things, but hey- it’s the best he can do. “You have no regard for your job’s integrity.”

“You’re so uptight all the time.”

“And it’s better to be really damn loose?” Dean Winchester made your pussy drip leg bounce on the ball of your foot. It was a nervous tick. Or an angry tick. But you knew that you wanted to curse his bloodline in Spanish.

He could only offer you a scoff. “You know, this tough girl act is really unbecoming.”

“This tough boy act doesn’t cut you any favours.”

“Some may say it’s sexy.” A brunette slid into the seat next to him. Hair pulled up into a ponytail and threaded through a baseball cap that was pulled low over her brow- no doubt for disguise. Poorly orchestrated disguise, and Director Singer said she was a professional. Smug smile and manicured nails painted an eyebrow raising shade of rouge while she smelled strongly of Chanel.

Extending said manicured hand daintily towards Dean. “Bela Talbot.” She purred, playing up a sultry smile. “I’m your freelancer.”

“That Chanel or is it just me?” Dean shot back with a raise of his eyebrow. How did he know? He knew the notes of that perfume collection cause you’d worn it when you… made out with him and rode his thigh. Ahem.

“I’m a freelancer, but I’m not a savage. I indulge.” Bela replied before turning back to you and sliding a paper. “Knights of Hell. Hard bunch to track down, but I can tell you who they are and what they do. They’re like mercenaries. A secret service for an underground mafia ring. If you want a bloody death, the big boss will ring them up and then it’s bye-bye within a few hours. They play it like a game too. Whoever’s skill set meets the quota, that’s who they send out.”

“Abaddon.” You frowned, clasping your hands on the table. “Why was she sent out to that bank?”

“She plays with her food before she eats it.” Bela sighed, shaking her head. “Invades the mind of her enemy. If you don’t catch on quick enough, she doesn’t sing your tune, you sing hers. Like she’s Bach and you’re just his orchestra.”

“That’s colourful.” Dean muttered, sipping his coffee. “Who is this guy we’re about to talk to, by the way?” He was watching Bela carefully for any signs of deception.

Any at all and he had cuffs attached to his belt.

“His codename’s Cain.” Bela checked her nails with a pout. “But he was previously known as William Abernathy. He was the first Knight of Hell. For initiation he was made to kill his brother Cole Abernathy and had been trying to exit the gang since. Only got out a few months ago.”

‘Cain’ himself was a grumpy-ass man who seemed to lounge with bottles of beer on the best days and hard vodka on the worst. He had pictures of who seemed to be Neil, his brother, and another woman. Young. Beautiful, with an innocent smile on her face.

You wondered if she had known what William had done.

You watched Cain sit down with a gruff grunt, and

“Being a Knight of Hell makes you bitter.” He swept a thumb over his bottom lip, scoffing and shaking his head slowly. “You do horrible things. To innocent people, too. Most of us enjoyed it. I didn’t. That’s why I ran.”

You rubbed your cheek, sharing a look with Dean, who looked both incredibly concerned and curious. Not only was this syndicate dangerous, they took inspiration off Bible lore, which was how they contracted their code names.

“And your code name was Cain?” You asked, gesturing to him with a raise of your eyebrow. “As in… Cain and Abel? And your real name is William Abernathy?”

“Abel was my brother’s supposed ‘codename’.” William, previously ‘Cain’, deadpanned, sipping some bourbon with a blank expression. “Gave it after his death. Thought it was funny. They thought the same for my beautiful Collette too.”

“Collette?” Dean pointed to a photo, of a smiling woman in Cain’s arms. In a wedding dress, looking as if all the problems were gone. “This her?”

“That’s her.” Cain nodded, his voice wavering a bit. “She looked every bit as beautiful on our wedding day even when she died. Bloody, but so beautiful. She still smiled even then.”

“I’m sorry, Mr Abernathy.” You gave him a look of sympathy, taking a deep breath. “For your loss. Could you give us the names of the other Knights?”

Cain nodded. “I’ll do it. I’ve give you them all.”

“You run the risk of being hunted down.” Dean added quickly. “We can place you under witness protection.”

“Witness protection can’t do crap.” Cain scoffed, a cynical bark of laughter leaving him. “It'll end how it always does. A blaze of glory and no survivors."

You could easily see the truth. You saw it in his body language; he wasn't defeated, he was tired. Tired of fighting rather than losing. Cain was a shell. Empty.

"You want them to find you." You murmured, running a hand through your hair in partial disbelief. "You want to die."

Cain nodded, pointing a gnarled finger at you with a nod, writing a list of names down on a sheet of paper before handing them to you. "You're good, Agent." He sniffed, averting his eyes, which welled up. "First they took Neil. Then my darling Collette. That Hell took everything from me. Might as well let them finish the job."

"No, hold on." Dean stepped in with a wave of his hand. "We have to take you into witness protection, to testify."

A violent shaking of your head put him off and made him worry that you were having an aneurism. "We can't. Code of Conduct, Article 53, Section A, Subsection Alpha, line 5, written in '79 after the assassination of Jakob Brierkevald on his transportation to unwillingly testify against Russia. Unless given autonomous permission, law enforcement and/or federal authorities do not have the jurisdiction to detain the subject to testify in court, which directly relates to the Treaty for Human rights... even if it concerns national safety."

Dean stared at you as if you'd grown three heads. "Did you swallow the textbook?!"

"You didn't?"

“A spot of advice.” Cain spoke up gruffly, looking between the two of you. “Have angry sex. That could solve everything.”

“No!” You threw your hands up, then turned to Dean. “He basically signed a DNR for himself by saying that. We can’t do anything.”

“Isn’t there some kind of overrule clause?” Dean asked, folding his arms. “Rack that pretty head.”

“Not that I know of.” You shrugged. “It could be in some weird ass phrasing but if the subject decides, that’s final.”

“Son of a-”

“We’re federal agents, keep it together!”

“Hey, Bela.” You sighed, pacing slowly as you talked. “Thanks for the tip. We got a lot more to go off now, and turns out you weren’t as slimy as the FBI warned us you were.”

“Charming.” Bela quipped, hands in her jacket pocket with a smile, then she chuckled. “Happy to help. The Knights of Hell should be taken down a peg or two. Who better than the Fed’s finest agents?” Her eyes travelled to Dean tap dancing for fun a little way away, then back to you in amusement. “Or finest.”

“Yeah, he’s not the most professional one out there.” You chuckled, shaking your head.

"I didn't catch the traditionalist aspect from him." She shook her head, then caught how you were looking at Dean.

That was the most potent and obvious eye bang she'd ever seen.

"No, he's- ay, dios mío." The reason for your speech cutting off was Dean's succumbing to the heat and pouring a whole damn water bottle's contents over his face, making his shirt cling to his chest and wavering your focus.

One word. Muscle.

"Word of advice." Bela whispered in your ear. "You two really should have angry sex."

NEXT UP:

“Mom.” You painfully kept your voice level. Not wanting to raise your voice at your own mother, because even if she was a nasty piece of work - in your eyes - she still carried you for nine months. “This is unreasonable.”

Understatement of the Year award goes to you. Hopefully, also the Daughter and Sister of the Year awards too.

“What I do in my household is none of your business, niña!” Eleanor snapped back, her fingers too for emphasis. You felt familiar anger bubbling, but you told it not today.

You scoffed at the notion, though, rubbing Cassie’s shoulder. “You’re practically starving her!” Still shoving down unadulterated fury. “And pressuring her to have kids. Hell, I haven’t. I’m not even married.”

“You should be!” She responded quickly. Does this lady not get the point? “You should be married, bringing honour to your family.”

“You’re delusional.”

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[missmagooglie]

So I just reblogged a very thoughtful Hen and Karen character meta. And it got me thinking about Hen's arc this season. And the teasers have all kind of stressed Gerrard as being a central plot focus for Buck, stressing that Hen has bigger concerns at home and she has to toe the line with Gerrard so she doesn't lose Mara for good, but here's the thing. Here's the thing. I think THAT is the point of Gerrard. Hen has to find a way to serve under this odious man in a way that will prove she can handle the political pressures of leadership after failing to do so during her last stint as interim captain of the 118.

This got long, so under a cut it goes.

If you look at Hen across the past few seasons, and in particular if you look at last season, one of Hen's character traits that tends to cause her the most friction is that she does not compromise when she thinks (or knows) she's right. And this has historically been a huge source of strength for her. It's what allowed her to withstand Gerrard's captaincy the first time around. It's a huge part of what makes her an exemplary firefighter and paramedic.

It has also, in season 7 especially, been a huge hurdle for her when it comes to leadership. Hen is smart, she is driven, she is confident in herself and her decisions, and she absolutely does not know how to take "no" for an answer. And not once but TWICE in season 7, we saw Hen's conviction in her own assessment get her into trouble. The first was with Councilwoman Ortiz' son. As a paramedic, she absolutely made the right call. She correctly identified his inebriated state, and reallocated on site resources when he was belligerent toward Chimney and offered clear refusal of care. What Hen didn't do was think beyond the immediate facts of the scene and consider ways to limit liability if her assessment was wrong or there were facts she was unaware of (which, spoiler alert, there were. Of both the medical and political variety).

When Hen was being investigated, she did not respond the way an LAFD captain should have. She reacted personally, defensively. She correctly identified that the source of her trouble was political rather than personal, but she still defended herself on a personal basis rather than working with Chief Simpson to find a way to appease the grieving Councilwoman. She reacted as an individual facing a personal attack rather than a leader navigating a sticky political situation, and in the process made the investigation about her (lack of) wrongdoing. She thought that being vindicated would mark the end of her troubles, but instead she ended up making herself a target for a woman looking to blame someone for her grief. A savvy captain would have found a way to deflect attention and smooth things over with the Councilwoman to avoid long term repercussions with a powerful member of the city government, even if that meant accepting a carefully calculated token acknowledgement of blame (perhaps a vague and unspecified blame of the department overall rather than a specific individual, to reduce opportunities for reprisal) to appease the Councilwoman's pride.

Then, even after she was cleared of wrongdoing and reinstated within the span of a single shift, Hen was motivated BOTH by her love and loyalty to Bobby and Athena, but ALSO her own need to prove herself and her own instincts correct when she decides that instead of reporting back to the station to resume her post she was instead going to go against orders to comandeer a helicopter and fly into a hurricane well out of LAFD jurisdiction to try and rescue a cruise ship of unconfirmed status. And she did this with three of her direct reports in tow. Did she ask them to be there? Did she order them to follow her into that helicopter? No. But given that she was technically their commanding officer at the time, their actions were technically her responsibility.

Now again, Hen felt vindicated by the fact that she was RIGHT, the Uno was in dire distress, her blatant insubordination did save lives. But while her actions showed extraordinary individual heroism, they did NOT show the sort of steady, level-headed leadership Hen would need to earn a permanent promotion to Captain. She showed a willingness to do whatever needed to be done to solve the problem in front of her, but not an ability to think beyond the current problem and consider how to best serve the LAFD beyond the current emergency.

So how does all that relate to Gerrard? Well, first of all Hen made herself all but unpromotable in the eyes of Chief Simpson and undoubtedly the rest of the LADF brass, creating a leadership vacuum when Bobby retired unexpectedly. That gives the OPPORTUNITY for Gerrard to step in. But why Gerrard, specifically? Why not some new jackass to terrorize the 118?

Because everything Hen did to survive the first time she served under Gerrard leaned on her value as an individual. In order to grow into the leader the 118 needs, she'll have to survive Gerrard this go-round using completely different methods. And to make absolutely sure she experiences that growth, the show has conveniently given Hen PERSONAL STAKES that render her old methods of survival unusable. Everything Hen did to prove herself in the past involved bucking Gerrard's leadership, showing how capable she was even if it meant undermining him. Now, with Mara on the line, Hen has no choice but to toe the line and keep her nose clean. So how is she going to change tactics and work WITHIN the system? How is she going to show that she can follow regulations and orders she disagrees with, without sacrificing her dedication to doing her job to the utmost of her ability? How is Hen going to prove that she can make decisions that benefit the station and the department long-term while still giving the problem in front of her everything she's got? How can she balance the right thing to do RIGHT NOW with doing what's needed to serve the bigger picture?

If Hen meets Gerrard head-on with defiance and disdain, it will be proof that she has not grown in the intervening years any more than he has. Instead, Gerrard is going to be a test of Hen's ability to show genuine and meaningful leadership without recklessly flouting orders she may not agree with in favor of her own priorities.

Or at least, that's my hope.

[cuckuo]

what makes mimi an undercover wildcard is that she is developing her own plan to use the anastasian organization (and tatiana wells) in means of solidifying her position as the ace of aces. she is the ace of diamonds (a boss of her respective gang), but she does not yet have total jurisdiction over the decisions other aces make with their own suits. her goal is to be the boss of the other bosses, and to oversee all operations. it’s an all or nothing gamble bred from ambition.

when mimi first began to ascend to power, her brothers resented their father for his favoritism. to them, she was too much of a hazard to both herself and others. the accident she got herself into was often used as a way for them to show that she was too reckless, impulsive, and unpredictable. contrary to their belief, kuang believed that his daughter was the only one that could pull the trigger if needed without hesitation. his sons didn’t have that fuse in them, and so he aimed to teach her ways of how to harness herself. when mimi is at her best, she is a reliable leader, when she is at her worst, she looks at everyone — loyal or not — with an intent to harm.

the other aces/bosses do not know with certainty that this is where she is heading, and because of her shifty persona it’s difficult at times to know when she is telling the truth or lying to their face. the four suits of the deck, as well as their aces, are extremely territorial, yet organized. what makes mimi a threat is that she does not operate within the bounds of this structure most of the time, which has caused friction between the other suits. this may frame her as an obvious choice for someone planning to gain control over them, but her strategy lies in taking advantage of one’s competive nature, which is the underlying factor that nobody wants to address because of the need to be “orderly”. every suit wants to be better than the other, be more powerful than the other, and by playing to people’s inner desire to do so mimi is given the opportunity to slip between the cracks. while people are arguing, killing each other, plotting their next move, she is already ahead. if she secures the anastasian organization, or rather, develops a secure “partnership”, she will also secure a position at the very top of the deck.

the position where mimi is currently at is a secure one. many within the crime world aspire to reach the same heights and would be satisfied with the wealth she has. however, mimi doesn’t run on complacency. she runs on the need to be stimulated, to to be challenged. if she is not challenged, she will grow bored. when she is bored, her mental state begins to spiral and she grows increasingly violent out of frustration. she doesn’t like when she doesn’t feel anything, and if she’s constantly stagnant for too long, then she begins to unravel.

[dailyanarchistposts]

An anarchist case for social transformation and answers to questions about anarchism

“The State is a condition, a certain relationship between human beings, a mode of human behavior; we destroy it by contracting other relationships, by behaving differently.” Gustav Landauer

Anarchism is the belief that people can voluntarily cooperate to meet everyone’s needs, without bosses or rulers, and without sacrificing individual liberties. A common misunderstanding is that anarchism is the total absence of order; that it is chaos, or nihilism. There are even people who call themselves “anarchists” who have this misperception. Anarchists are opposed to order arbitrarily imposed and maintained through armed force or other forms of coercion. They struggle for the order that results from the consensual interaction of individuals, from voluntary association. If there is a need, anarchists believe that people are capable of organizing themselves to see that it is met.

J. A. Andrews used the example of a group of friends going on a camping trip. They plan their trip, and each person brings useful skills and tools to share. They work together to set up tents, fish, cook, clean up, with no one in a position of authority over anyone else. The group organizes itself, chores are done, and everyone passes the time as they please, alone or in groups with others. People discuss their concerns and possible solutions are proposed. No one is bound to go along with the group, but choosing to spend time together implies a willingness to at least try to work out constructive solutions to the problems and frictions that will inevitably arise. If no resolution is possible, the dissenting individuals can form another grouping or leave without fear of persecution by the rest of the group.

Compare this to the way most organizations function. A few individuals make the important decisions, with or without the approval or input of the rest of the group. Rules and bylaws are passed in the hope of preventing undesirable activities on the part of members. The leadership starts out by addressing legitimate concerns, but is soon corrupted by power. It begins doing what it thinks is best, for itself and the organization, even if it involves concealing its activities from the other members or using deception. The elite attempts to entrench itself by making it difficult for the members to oust it, and constantly works to increase its power. The elite may ban criticism of its leadership and policies, or it may attribute superhuman qualities to itself, far surpassing those of “mere” members. Eventually the elite is no longer under the control of the members, and cannot be challenged. It can run amok with all of the power and resources of the organization, punishing those who dare to defy it. Membership is no longer voluntary, but is imposed on whoever falls within whatever the organization decides is its jurisdiction. Laws and authority which were originally aimed at preventing harm are turned into tools for inflicting harm on whoever is targeted by the elite.

Another problem with laws and rules is that if you do not have voluntary compliance, the unlawful behavior will still take place, whether or not there is a law against it. The outlawed activity will be driven underground or will be protected by the imprecise wording of the laws. Having failed to win people’s voluntary cooperation, through education or persuasion, the government passes volumes and volumes of laws, in a hopeless attempt to address and control every possible situation. Sometimes the law is observed as if it were carved in stone, even when the results are clearly ridiculous. An example is the case of the female motorist who was stopped for speeding, and lectured by a police officer at length as she sat there suffering labor pains. The officer thought she was faking the pain of childbirth to escape a traffic ticket! Sometimes the police fabricate charges against people they wish to punish, or they simply beat people as an “attitude adjustment” (if you are not sufficiently terrorized by the police, they consider it an attitude problem). It is also not uncommon for the laws to be overly vague, or to be misapplied. In my town, in obvious violation of their own laws, the police set up roadblocks to stop all motorists, check their sobriety, and search their vehicles for contraband if there is suspicion of any illegal activity after questioning them. This is done under the guise of checking for valid driver’s licenses, which is clearly a ruse since there is no indication of any wrongdoing when the people are stopped. But if anyone would refuse to submit to such a search, they would likely be charged with interfering with the duties of a police officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest, plus whatever other charges the district attorney could dream up. If you were to challenge the roadblocks in court, the judge would probably say that the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, does not really mean what it obviously says when it forbids unreasonable searches and seizures, but that it has been interpreted to mean something entirely different. It now means that the government has the power to decide what is or is not reasonable, entirely voiding the purpose of the law. The law means whatever those in power say it means. The courts have ruled, for example, that conscription is not involuntary servitude, and that the government can force you to choose between a military uniform and a prison uniform. And the laws gradually become more and more restrictive, so that people gradually become accustomed to having less and less freedom. Children are assigned identification numbers at birth. Photos on driver’s licenses are stored electronically in computers, where they can be accessed at will by law enforcement personnel. Employees must present specified forms of identification to be eligible for employment. Residents of public housing can have their apartments searched without a search warrant. What seems outrageously intrusive today is tomorrow’s legislation.

Anarchists do not wish to see traffic fatalities, rapes, or murders. Quite the contrary. They feel the current combination of tyranny and social chaos are responsible for much of the suffering in the world. What anarchists fear is the corrupting influence of power and the inevitable abuse of power. An individual can only do so much damage, but the same person in a position of authority, or worse yet, an organized, systematic application of corrupted power, can wreak horrible damage. Governments have sent millions upon millions of people to their deaths, through wars and persecutions, and have taken away the freedoms of billions of others. And note that the police only prevent crimes in rare situations, such as when a police officer just happens to be at the scene of a crime in progress. The police almost always show up after the crime has been committed. Most crimes go unsolved. Attempting to punish offenders after they have committed their crimes is not a very effective way to protect people. This false “cure” is just an attack on the symptoms without treating the underlying problem — a society that is losing its social consciousness. In other words, the individuals who make up the society have stopped thinking of themselves as being members of a society. If your neighbors are all strangers, and you feel powerless to improve anything, you are not likely to feel that you have a relationship with those around you. The police are not very effective against criminals, but they are extremely effective at controlling the general public. A lone individual has little hope of resisting the depredations of these heavily armed paramilitary organizations. Even if a benign and uncorrupted government was possible, many of us would prefer our freedom, with all of its responsibilities, to being forced to live according to volumes of well intentioned dictates written by others. Care to wear a crash helmet when you drive your car? How about banning bare feet on beaches so no one steps on a sharp rock? And absolutely no walking in remote areas or doing work outside of your profession.

Fred Woodworth has pointed out that the claims of legitimacy made by governments, the justifications used by those in power as to why they have the right to order us about, would be laughable if the results were not so tragic. Any claims to power made by a monarchy, constitutional democracy, theocracy, nationalist fatherland or people’s republic are totally bogus since they govern without the consent of the governed. Any constitution, contract or agreement that claims to bind everyone living in the same geographic area, unborn generations, or anyone other that the actual parties to it, are despicable falsehoods. Some governments rule through fear and brute force, while others, as a result of intense pressure from their subjects, have become dependent on winning the support of large sectors of the public in elections in order to stay in power. Bourgeois democracy, democracy controlled by the elite, is preferable to dictatorship, but these republics also rely on coercion to achieve their goals. The political party which wins, with the help of big money, restrictive ballot access, and winner-take-all election laws, does not have the right to inflict its will on those who do not support it. The state machinery uses coercion to compel obedience from its subjects, regardless of which party is at the controls. Democracy is often equated with tolerance, but Hitler was a product of democracy, and slavery and apartheid existed in the U.S. under democracy. Even in an ideal democracy, unwarped by elite control, the majority may actually support the persecution of people with unorthodox ideas.

The public is constantly bombarded with propaganda justifying the existence of the government and explaining the necessity of the current social system, in the schools, the media, and in its own propaganda. But less than half of the eligible voters participate in elections in the U.S. The government loudly proclaims its mandate anyway.

Most of the objections people have to anarchism as a social system are based on the assumption that people are unreasonable and irresponsible. If this were the case, no amount of police, judges and jails could conjure order out of chaos. People would be routinely killing and robbing one another, and taking advantage of any perceived weakness on the part of others. We would all be certain we were much too clever to be caught. But truly anti-social behavior on the part of individuals is the exception, rather than the rule. Most of us are very well behaved. Much of the destructive behavior we suffer from is committed by individuals who have been raised in the most dire conditions, and who face very limited personal choices due to the material and cultural poverty they were raised in. This occurs across all ethnic groups and in all countries, but some societies are wise enough to attack the conditions that foster destructive behavior instead of merely punishing offenders after the acts have been committed. This is a social problem which needs to be dealt with, not a given fact of human nature. Human beings, and even animals, which are raised in an environment of love, respect and security tend to be good natured and well adjusted. But any creature raised in an environment of fear, cruelty or deprivation will tend to exhibit anti-social behavior. Each society spawns its own predatory individuals. In general, the more atomized and alienated individuals are from their society, the more likely they are to engage in destructive behavior, against others and against themselves. And people cannot be blamed for not identifying with an unsympathetic, and even predatory, society. Some anarchists argue that it is precisely because people have become so maladjusted that no one can be trusted with power over others.

A distinction must be made between socially destructive behavior and behavior which is not coercive, but which is banned by the government for other reasons. Besides the obvious examples of tax and draft evasion, governments, by passing laws, create entire classes of criminals by outlawing certain victimless or vice crimes. Certain activities may be distasteful to some of us, but if they are not predatory or coercive in nature then they are only crimes because the government says they are. But once an activity is outlawed, professional criminals become involved because these activities become highly profitable. This is why criminals were active in the alcohol and gambling trades when they were outlawed, and why they are still active in drugs, prostitution and immigration today. If guns are outlawed, organized crime will have another lucrative trade to pursue. The taxation of alcohol, cigarettes and gasoline has spawned entire bootleg industries.

The for-profit nature of capitalism encourages other forms of anti-social behavior, such as taking advantage of the disorganization of workers by hiring them for as little as possible, working them as hard as possible (sometimes until they break, physically or mentally), and making them pay as much as possible for what they consume. Another example is “externalization of costs”, which means getting society to pay the costs while private businesses get the profits, such as the education of workers at public expense; mining, fishing, grazing and lumbering on public land for token payments; government bailouts; strike breaking; and toxic waste clean up. This officially protected form of destructive behavior, known as corporate capitalism, creates a competitive, dog-eat-dog mentality that is extremely disruptive to human solidarity. Some anarchists believe capitalism is malignant by its very nature. Others argue that it is government interference which has made capitalism malignant, by favoring larger, established businesses and creating barriers for small businesses and self-employed people.

Anarchists believe that people should be free to organize themselves as they see fit, but are divided as to which methods are the most just or desirable. Some anarchists claim that everyone has a right to an equal share of the wealth, since it has been produced primarily by generations of wage slaves living under the threat of dire poverty. They see the functioning of society as a team effort. How could a small fraction of the population have honestly gained such disproportion-al control of the existing assets while the majority has become so totally dependent? They simply couldn’t have. As the saying goes, “it takes money to make money,” and most of our families did not start us off with large sums of money. What business owners had was money to invest, and/or a willingness to go deeply into debt, while most of us make our living selling our labor power. Employees are treated like just another input into the production process: their labor is “bought” when needed, at the market price, and no longer “purchased” when the need has passed. But since employees need to provide for themselves and their families, regardless of the condition of the labor market or the treatment they receive at the hands of their employers, they live in constant insecurity. This insecurity is why employees form labor unions, or turn to laws and government for protection. So most socialist anarchists argue that the most just way to organize an economy is to treat it like one huge cooperative, shared and operated by all, in the interests of all. Anarchists favor a confederal form of organization, so that each locality or industry would be autonomous, but would be closely coordinated with the other units which make up a society. They believe that each unit will act responsibly in relation to the other units, because cooperation and good faith are in everyone’s interest.

The other general category includes anarchists who feel that people should be able to be independent of any organization if they so choose, including economic organizations. They fear socialization of the economy for the same reason they fear the government, because it puts the individual at the mercy of others. They also feel that some individuals are willing to work harder to achieve a higher standard of living than others might be willing to work, and that the more industrious should not be dragged down to the same level as those who choose to work less intensively and live at a more basic standard of living. They feel that the use to which one puts one’s earnings is not the business of the rest of society, as long as it does not cause obvious harm to others, and that they should be free to pass their wealth on to others if they so choose. Individuals should be free to be self-employed, or to employ or be employed by others, as long as the arrangement is voluntarily. These anarcho-capitalists argue that the best way to organize the economy is through voluntary economic transactions of whatever type that people choose to make, with everyone taking responsibility for their own well-being. They claim that in a truly free market system, consumers would be able to control the socially destructive activities of business owners by boycotting their products and by buying from more socially conscious competitors.

As different as these views are, it is possible to have an economy that includes both options, plus others not mentioned or even thought of, and to leave people free to choose whichever type of organization they prefer. The economy would function through the voluntary interaction of a multitude of differently organized groupings, each working out for itself the best methods of organization. The socialistically inclined groups could produce goods for their own consumption, and avoid market relationships to whatever extent they feel necessary. Gustav Landauer wrote, “We can establish a great number of crafts and industries to produce goods for our own consumption. We can go much further in this than the cooperatives have gone until now, for they still cannot get rid of the idea of competing with capitalist managed enterprise.”[1] What is important is that people have a choice, which most of us currently do not have. The various groupings could interact whenever they chose to do so. One serious barrier to cooperation among anarchists is the issue of property rights. At one extreme are those with an almost feudalistic attachment to private, for-profit ownership of the necessities of life, while at the other extreme even the ownership of personal property is seen to be anti-social and elitist. There is quite a bit of room to maneuver between these two extremes, but the question of expropriation of the workplace is the major issue dividing the movement. A communitarian approach would sidestep this issue entirely. These intentional, self-organized communities could not replace the existing system overnight, but eventually they could greatly reduce our dependence on it. Many of the goods currently produced are either unnecessary or are produced in excessive quantities. The use of automobiles, for example, could be greatly reduced through the use of mass transit, bike paths and better urban planning (and this would be a partial solution to the problem of traffic fatalities). And what would anarcho-socialists do with an expropriated cash register factory or mink ranch anyway? If we can’t get people to choose to meet their needs cooperatively, buy buying or using cooperatively produced goods, they are probably not sufficiently interested in radical social change.

What about those who argue “abolish work”? Like a perpetual motion machine, or cold fusion, there is no scheme currently known that can provide everyone with what they need which does not require anyone to perform tasks which they find unpleasant. If everyone does only what they enjoy, we would have a huge oversupply of performing artists and athletes, and a serious shortage of dental hygienists and plumbers. Through job sharing and the elimination of unproductive activities, the amount of unpleasant work can be fairly shared and reduced to a minimum. Those who wish to abstain from the consumption of work enhanced products could not reasonably be expected to work. But it seems just as reasonable for those who do a share of the work to deny access to those who voluntarily choose not to work, in the absence of barriers to productive activity such as unemployment, or harsh or dangerous working conditions.

At the present time, since there is not widespread agreement that anarchism is the best form of social organization, it is up to us to spread these ideas and to implement them as best we can among ourselves. It would be impossible to compel people to participate in an anarchist project, since anarchism relies on voluntary cooperation and self discipline to make it work. Once large numbers of people agree that this is the way things should be organized, not even a tyrant can stop them from reorganizing themselves. As Elisee Reclus wrote, “When the miserable and disinherited of the earth shall unite in their own interest, trade with trade, nation with nation, race with race; when they shall fully awake to their sufferings and their purpose... powerful as may be the Master of those days, he will be weak before the starving masses leagued against him.”[2]

[byrdstrolls]

KETOSN INTRO

Your name is Ketosn Hustle, and yes, Matise did name you that because he thought it was a marketable name for a baseball player. You have the older jade blocked on every possible social media since 2 sweeps ago, when you were forcibly acquired as a fleet sponsored athlete and removed from his clutches into new jurisdiction. Something you feel equal parts horror and relief regarding, despite you having no choice in the matter. Out of the frying pan into another frying pan. Why was the fleet so gung ho to have you in their commercials? Where did Matise, the soul sucking parasite without a creative bone in his body, get the idea for your name? Why is someone of your size and build even succeeding in a notoriously violent blood sport like Alternian Baseball?

These questions all have the same answer.

You did not pupate properly. You have been missing one arm since you came out of the cocoon. And along with regular run of the mill yellowblood pssionics, you were born with a unique hypothalamic skin and blood vessel disorder that makes your body able to rid itself of excess heat at unprecedented rates. This superior thermoregulation does two things- makes you incredibly vulnerable to hypothermia, and increased your body's ability to tolerate friction a hundred fold. Paired with the average yellowblood's capabilities of storing energy and acting as a battery, you are able to do something many pssionics can't without burning themselves up. You can conduct your own pssionic energy directly into your own intramuscular system, giving you the power you need to move your friction resistant body at very high speeds. That was a lot of words for something your baseball trading cards summarize in your listed abilities much more succinctly- 'Super Speed'

That stupid fucking vampire. He might as well have called Rollyn Ms. Pretty Beautiful and Nyghte Singy McSongface. But it's too late to change it, Ketosn Hustle is already on all the merch and ID and baseball cards

[dalliansss]

❛ worship me. until i tell you to stop. - BITM? ❤️

darker vibes

This is how Mairon finds Finrod Felagund: sitting in his quarters, holding a hand mirror and observing with grisly fascination how his burned face repaired itself: the flesh crawling, the sinews of muscle and tissue having its own life, stitching itself back together, preventing a blue-iris eyeball from falling out of the socket completely. The burned part of the head and scalp displays the same activity: burnt skin renewing itself, crawling in a hurry to cover the exposed part of the skull, covering it with a fresh blanket of flesh. Strands of platinum hair, previously golden blond, growing out of renewed follicles, creeping like the vines of Yavanna.

Mairon stands before the Elda-turned-vampire -- the culmination of his and Thûringwethil's years of study and research. Mairon thought dimly that it was a shame Thûri did not live long enough to see this masterpiece of a vampire -- but his mind swallows that thought; better that Thûri was dead, buried under the ruins of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, than entertaining thoughts of her own regarding Finrod Felagund.

There shall only be one overlord over Finrod Felagund here in Angband -- and it is Mairon. Not Melkor, not Thûri, not Gothmog.

"What happened to you?" Mairon demanded, grasping Felagund by the jaw with his gauntleted hand.

"That Gothmog," says Finrod, lifting fell blue eyes to meet his Maker's gaze. "Tried to pick a fight."

"Why?"

"I know not. I was minding my own business, looking for lunch amongst the stone quarries. He saw me, and then asked me what I was doing there. I said I was looking for lunch. He told me to look elsewhere, and I told him he does not command me."

"And?"

"His whip."

Mairon lets out a curse in Valarin. Lately, Kosmoko, formerly a Great Hunter of Oromë, has been grating his nerves more and more. It was only because Kosmoko be the strongest valaraukar under Mbelekhoruz's direct jurisdiction that Mairon has not allowed his precious, his maksima, to feed on him.

"Heal me," says Finrod. His face, still repairing itself, presents a ghastly sight. His eyeball, at least, has resettled back in its socket. "Lick mine wounds, so it heals faster."

Mairon turned his fire-iris eyes to the vampire. His temper flares. "Who are you, that suddenly you turn this tone to me? Have you forgot who commands you here, precious?"

What Finrod does next takes Mairon by surprise. The vampire's right hand -- decorated with oxidized gold rings and bracelets, darts forward and grasps him by his unarmored crotch. Grips him there.

"Lick mine wounds," Finrod repeats. "And so heal me faster. Mairon."

Mairon shuddered. He exhales, and the temperature in the vampire's quarters increases with speed. If an orc was to wander in there now, they would be burnt where they stood. Úmaia blood, thick in Mairon's veins, runs hot, hot, hotter. He hisses, grasps Finrod Felagund by the cheeks, tips his head back -- and Mairon thinks to twist that lovely neck, pull the head off completely, see how he likes the feeling of decapitation, and see how long it takes for him to heal from it. But that hand by his crotch, by his groin, forestalls his thoughts, and he shakes.

A long, serpentine tongue, blood-red, darts from Mairon's mouth, and he licks at the boiling flesh of the vampire, his greatest creation yet. Where his saliva trails the flesh triples its efforts, healing near instantaneously. So Mairon keeps at it, licking, licking, licking--

"Worship me," Finrod murmurs, and the hand by the úmaia's crotch tightens its grip. Vampiric talons snare into the fine chain mail, promising delicious friction. "Until I tell you to stop."

Mairon feels whatever heart he possesses leap; straining against his fana. He snarls, a wolf barely holding back its temper, and he licks across the damaged area holding the previously-dangling eyeball, and where his red tongue trails, the flesh is made new, as if it had not suffered any harm at all.

With inhuman strength Finrod gives him a shove, and Mairon crashes onto his back on the floor, armor and chainmail, all. The vampire quickly straddles him, and Mairon's pupils dilate, near consuming his irises, as he eagerly grasps Finrod by the hips.

"Worship me," Finrod whispers, and in his fell blue eyes, there is glee, and something else more sinister.

Mairon's blood boils.

@skaelds

[gaphic]

apparently there's a bit of friction about 'legos' being an incorrect plural but i think that's dumb as hell. 'legos' is a counted, plural noun. 'lego' is an adjective and a measured noun. you have less lego but fewer legos. you can have two legos or two lego bricks, but 'two lego' is stupid

i don't really care what the lego company has to say about this because they are danish and therefore i have seniority in this jurisdiction

[ncisfranchise-source]

“I loved it. I got to do some big cable work, explosion pullbacks, landing on the ground, concussion stuff. It was awesome. I mean, that’s why people tune in!” actor Todd Lasance says of NCIS: Sydney.

He’s not wrong. NCIS, now at 20 US seasons, has been a ratings blockbuster for CBS, spawning offshoots NCIS: LA, NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS: Hawaii.

Time for a little perspective from the other side of the Pacific which, according to Lasance, splashes Sydney Harbour across the screen.

“Our HQ is literally on Sydney Harbour… we open the doors and look to the right and the Harbour Bridge is above us.

“I know people say it’s priceless but you can’t put a price tag on that kind of view. Then we’re shooting with the Australian Navy on their bases, on the aircraft carriers. We were in the Seahawk helicopters, on the battleships, on the base with Navy personnel.”

Indeed the new series by Endemol Shine Australia lets the boys and girls play with big toys all in the name of naval investigation and security down under.

“We used the Rural Fire Fire Brigade HQ command (which they use for) a statewide bushfire operational command. It looks like a war room and we had 150 Naval crew in there,” Lasance continues.

“Stepping onto these bases, we all had to get clearances and go through the security checks. It was next level!

“This is actually happening!”

“I remember one shot in particular. Mackey (Olivia Swann) and I are flying the chopper and we’re on the deck of this gi-normous aircraft carrier. We’re in a Seahawk helicopter and we look over to the left and there’s the Harbour Bridge in the distance and we’re like, ‘This is actually happening!’ A chopper roars in on top of the carrier, everyone’s got their gear on, helmets for sound protection. Standing under the helicopter when it was 20 metres above the ground and the blades are nearly knocking you on your face… it’s awesome. They haven’t held back.”

Lasance, whose credits include Without Remorse, Spartacus: War of the Damned, True Spirit, Rescue: Special Ops, The Secrets She Keeps and Bite Club, plays AFP sergean Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey, thrown together with Former Marine Corps Captain turned NCIS Special Agent Mackey (Olivia Swann) when an American Submariner dies during a ceremony, marking the AUKUS agreement.

“We’ve got two sides clashing and that creates the friction”

But it’s not a welcome partnering, which differs from the unity that often exists in procedural investigation teams.

“Usually it’s ‘here’s your family and we’re gonna go on the journey’, whereas we’ve got two sides clashing and that creates the friction,” he continues.

“We’ve got those elements where we butt heads and keep each other on our toes. There’s also these beautiful, vulnerable moments and emotional elements peppered throughout the series. We get a bit of an insight into why they are the way they are. They save each other’s lives and rely on each other as well. So it’s the best dynamic, and the cast, I swear to you, is one of the greatest casts I have ever worked with. It’s like I have extended my own family.”

The crew also comprises AFP Constable Evie Cooper (Tuuli Narkle), Special Agent DeShawn Jackson (Sean Sagar), Forensic Pathologist Doctor Roy Penrose (William McInnes) and young Forensic Scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson (Mavournee Hazel).

“He’s always paying her out, talking about ‘my jurisdiction'”

“JD is a dream role. He’s a country boy, the larrikin of the show. He’s kind of the comedic relief and the clash with Mackey, who comes in all business-like. She’s the maverick of the series and JD is breaking down her walls, and he ribs her all the time. He’s always paying her out, talking about ‘my jurisdiction,'” he explains.

“There’s cultural clashes between the Australianisms and the Americanisms and all that sort of stuff. But he grew up as a school teacher, and then ends up joining the AFP. He’s the head negotiator so he’s the leader. But obviously, the NCIS team is having to work side by side, to form a new kind of unit, which is a unique part of the show.”

Lasance also tackled all but one stunt in character.

“All the Spartacus training and the SEAL training I got to deal for Without Remorse and Black Site, comes into play. But I also like to do the stunts, because they get to use the shots. They don’t have to cut around those intense reactions. And then Liv who played Mackey kicks arse. She’s a weapon. She was stunt training, fire training, doing extracurricular stuff. She would finish on set, go straight to the stunt gym, do her fight training. We’re all hitting the gym, making sure we’re physically on point!”

“The enemy could be within”

In addition to the weekly crimes, creator Morgan O’Neill has woven in a further threat, if somewhat shrouded in mystery, across the 8 episodes.

“There’s an overarching enemy that could be embedded. So the enemy could be within. But there’s also an enemy that’s operating on a far bigger scale than what we realise. That’s the core of where our series goes and the finale episode heavily relates to my character too. It comes to a real head and the threat is on a huge scale,” he warns.

“If you’re really paying attention and you watch each episode, they start layering it in, and you start putting the dots together.”

After its World Premiere in Australia, NCIS: Sydney is fortunate enough to win a network screening on CBS next week. Are the writer / actor strikes to thank for this profile scheduling? Lasance isn’t sure but grateful for the exposure.

“All of our contracts are obviously local through MEAA, a local production company, through Paramount+ here. There was nothing relayed to us, initially, in the process. All of our deals are local and obviously, that’s why we had the SAG clearance when the strike happened,” he continues.

“The strike… in a weird way, it’s kind of helped NCIS: Sydney”

“The strike has reduced how much content is being put out, particularly on a global scale. So in a weird way, it’s kind of helped NCIS: Sydney and the franchise itself, because they’ve created an entire series that’s been allowed to shoot and continue production. I think it was us and the Game of Thrones spin-off in London.”

A second season will obviously depend on its performance in Australia and abroad, but Lasance is hopeful Australians will feel a sense of pride in having a local series elevated onto US network television. That may lead to more episodes and ultimately, more casting opportunities.

“It opens up those opportunities that you would never normally have access to. It allows you to pick and choose a little bit more and go after the roles that you really want to go for… it’s all about the heat…. but when you don’t have the heat, it’s a bit of politics that goes into the castings. You can miss out on jobs because you don’t have the profile at the time,” he says.

“I feel the pressure”

Lasance adds, “There’s such a massive following for NCIS, but I feel the pressure. I hope that they love the new series but the Australian audience is tough to win over sometimes. So I hope they’ve got a sense of pride to it. It’s shot here… local production, all local crews, Australian directors. Olivia and Shaun are from the UK, but everyone else’s Aussie on board.

“So we’re hoping that Australia then gets behind it.”

NCIS: Sydney premieres Friday on Paramount+

[onceafanalwaysshallbeafan]

I'm assuming that nobody has considered that the requirement to curate your own experience IS FUNDAMENTALLY THE REASON WHY THIS SITE STILL EXISTS.

Businesses put a premium on growth for growth's sake, without realizing that the friction is the fundamental reason that the people who are bad for any social media site are weeded out. Trolls don't like having to put effort into being able to do their mischief. They are fundamentally lazy. This has protected users of sites like Tumblr more effectively than any other measure that's ever been introduced by those who seek growth (because the imposition of policies to discourage trolling act to inhibit growth, and punting the issues by creating tools for users to protect themselves is... nothing more than adding additional fronts upon which users must curate their own experiences).

Frankly, it's exhausting trying to protect ourselves and our content from trolls who want to smear all over it and get brigades of users to do the same thing. That's why we're here, and not on e.g. Twitter.

But the other issue is this: You want to empower the world's creators, by giving them exposure, thus forcing them into the feeds of other people who are not their target audiences (even if you think they -are- their target audiences, because you cannot take the time to understand the nuances that differentiate their targets from non-targets)?

No.

I DON'T WANT THAT.

I want my audience to be small. I want my audience to grow by word of mouth. I want my audience to be something I can curate. I want to find friends through my content. I want the ways to find my content to be small, because I don't have media training, and I'm not sanding my edges down until whatI create is so bland and inoffensive I might as well not create. I don't want my art's rough edges to be exposed to the people who will cut their own minds and feelings on it, and who will then complain that I create art that is too unsafe and must be prevented from making my art available until I'm willing to adhere to their ideas of memetic safety.

Put simply: I want to opt out of your content pushing. But because any quality content that I create on your platform increases the value of your platform, we have a situation that can best be called "a conflict of interest". You want to show it off as a gem that can be found in the mines of your site.

And so, I must remind you of the legal regime we live under, that we've all been conditioned to understand: Under copyright, it's not your gem to show off. It's *mine*. And I'm the one who gets to decide on its public display, and how it is publicly presented. Display, distribute, duplicate, derive, and do (aka, perform): The 5 D's of copyright. I simply don't want my creations distributed or displayed by your algorithm, unless and until I choose -- for each individual creation.

So, please don't make "we can, at our sole discretion, feature content you create and give us a license to display" a part of your unilateral contract (aka AUP/EULA). I would view such as an unconscionable contractual clause, and would do my best to convince a judge that it is such. (If you want to know what these words mean in the legal context, I suggest you talk with your legal counsel for contract law. Here's a hint: an unconscionable unilateral contract can be rendered void, or an unconscionable clause in a severable unilateral contract can be severed, by a court of competent jurisdiction.)

So, perhaps you might consider doing something almost completely unprecedented: Why don't you talk with your existing users to understand their concerns? Why don't you involve them in your product design processes? Trust me, we understand the value that you offer, and we absolutely don't want to lose the last bastion of sanity we have in the social media sphere (which has, ironically, been maintained basically through the apparent insanity of its creation and lack of meddling for dozens of years). We know that you need revenue. We know that inflation means you need to grow.

But we truly don't want to lose what has made this platform uniquely tolerable and survivable.

So, if you want to listen at all to a rando user:

1) Stop worrying about "industry standards". The existing crop of industry standards (which have all been standardized by companies which want to do nothing but grow, regardless of the impact to their userbases) have, quite frankly, created a mass of completely unacceptable and unusable social media shit sites. If you want to retain your existing creator base, YOU MUST NOT FOLLOW INDUSTRY RUTS THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR SITE'S VALUE TO YOUR EXISTING CREATORS.

2) Bring users (preferably users who have social community experience, security expertise, web design, and perhaps some legal knowledge) in on your product design processes -- not just as surveys with percentages of pre-defined responses to work toward, but as actual voices who can create effective advocacy for and against particular direction decisions. Your users, because they've lived with this site for 15 years, are in a unique position to be able to tell you what they actually want, and be a lot more accurate about it than a middle or senior manager who is used to sheer metrics that don't take into account the number of existing accounts that have been driven away because they've shoved "I know better than you what you'll like" product strategies down their now-former users' throats. (To see why doing the latter is a bad thing, look at the exodus from Facebook and Twitter.)

3) Listen to the concerns of users who will actually be harmed by your initiatives -- listen to *why* they are worried, and either change the targeting of those features to not be so harmful and/or provide a means for them to opt out of the features entirely if they can't be effectively retargeted.

4) Regarding your principle 4: Give creators actual control over the exposure of their creations. You don't have to be Patreon, gatekeeping for contentgeld (like weregeld, but for content), but you do have to let us limit our displays, or else you are taking the inch we give of being able to display our creations and running a mile of deciding to harm us with too much exposure.

5) Let users create shadow accounts via their other social media accounts (like Google, or Facebook, or something they're already used to using). Don't force them through a full account sign-up flow when you can already perform the first leg of Authentication/Authorization just from their existing relationships. I mean, If they want to create a blog for themselves later, *you already have the flow written* for creating pseudonymous blogs-- just use their external authentication until you can say "hey, you should set up a way to get back into your blog just in case you lose access to your existing account provider, so why not set up a direct way to log in here for the same email address you've been logging in with through your other provider?" or something.

6) Doing the suggestion for #5 would also make your Principle 3 easier to implement, because there wouldn't be anywhere near as much account-creation friction just to participate in a discussion. (and then you could have them create a blog to reblog onto, if they wanted to.)

7) My personal tolerance for push notifications per day is *one*. I have all but given up on my email as anything useful because of the sheer number of companies and sites that are already doing the last bullet point on your principle 5. Don't make me consign your notifications to being filtered directly to Trash, as well. (If something I do manages to go viral, a *SINGLE* notification for each that it's doing so in addition to my standard summary notification would be tolerable.) Also, the one summary notification I get should go to a page in your app that actually presents all the numbers and links for the stuff it's reporting on, and not just disappear without necessarily giving me a chance to read it.

I recognize that I'm an older curmudgeon -- I'm in my mid-40s, have been using computers since I was 3, have been using the internet since I was 18, yadda yadda yadda -- but there is absolutely NO excuse for the bullshit that users have had shoved down their throats by other social media sites. You own something that is currently unrefined gold. Unfortunately, your management has the alchemical ability to turn it into lead. I'd prefer you not make it more of a hassle for your existing creator base to use than they find it worth, or else you'll end up destroying the fragile community ecosystem that's been able to thrive here, and making your investment more worthless than Yahoo made it.

Thank you for your time, attention, and consideration. I appreciate that you have made it this far through my wall of text.

Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy

Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on reorganizing how we work in a bid to gain more users. A larger user base means a more sustainable company, and means we get to stick around and do this thing with you all a bit longer. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. The @labs group has published a bit already, but this is bigger. We’re publishing it publicly for the first time, in an effort to work more transparently with all of you in the Tumblr community. This strategy provides guidance amid limited resources, allowing our teams to focus on specific key areas to ensure Tumblr’s future.

The Diagnosis

In order for Tumblr to grow, we need to fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users. The underlying problem is that Tumblr is not easy to use. Historically, we have expected users to curate their feeds and lean into curating their experience. But this expectation introduces friction to the user experience and only serves a small portion of our audience. 

Tumblr’s competitive advantage lies in its unique content and vibrant communities. As the forerunner of internet culture, Tumblr encompasses a wide range of interests, such as entertainment, art, gaming, fandom, fashion, and music. People come to Tumblr to immerse themselves in this culture, making it essential for us to ensure a seamless connection between people and content. 

To guarantee Tumblr’s continued success, we’ve got to prioritize fostering that seamless connection between people and content. This involves attracting and retaining new users and creators, nurturing their growth, and encouraging frequent engagement with the platform.

Our Guiding Principles

To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.

Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Retain and grow our creator base.

Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.

Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.

Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Tumblr has a “top of the funnel” issue in converting non-users into engaged logged-in users. We also have not invested in industry standard SEO practices to ensure a robust top of the funnel. The referral traffic that we do get from external sources is dispersed across different pages with inconsistent user experiences, which results in a missed opportunity to convert these users into regular Tumblr users. For example, users from search engines often land on pages within the blog network and blog view—where there isn’t much of a reason to sign up. 

We need to experiment with logged-out tumblr.com to ensure we are capturing the highest potential conversion rate for visitors into sign-ups and log-ins. We might want to explore showing the potential future user the full breadth of content that Tumblr has to offer on our logged-out pages. We want people to be able to easily understand the potential behind Tumblr without having to navigate multiple tabs and pages to figure it out. Our current logged-out explore page does very little to help users understand “what is Tumblr.” which is a missed opportunity to get people excited about joining the site.

Actions & Next Steps

Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.

Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.

Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

We need to ensure the highest quality user experience by presenting fresh and relevant content tailored to the user’s diverse interests during each session. If the user has a bad content experience, the fault lies with the product.

The default position should always be that the user does not know how to navigate the application. Additionally, we need to ensure that when people search for content related to their interests, it is easily accessible without any confusing limitations or unexpected roadblocks in their journey.

Being a 15-year-old brand is tough because the brand carries the baggage of a person’s preconceived impressions of Tumblr. On average, a user only sees 25 posts per session, so the first 25 posts have to convey the value of Tumblr: it is a vibrant community with lots of untapped potential. We never want to leave the user believing that Tumblr is a place that is stale and not relevant. 

Actions & Next Steps

Deliver great content each time the app is opened.

Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are. 

Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds. 

Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Part of Tumblr’s charm lies in its capacity to showcase the evolution of conversations and the clever remarks found within reblog chains and replies. Engaging in these discussions should be enjoyable and effortless.

Unfortunately, the current way that conversations work on Tumblr across replies and reblogs is confusing for new users. The limitations around engaging with individual reblogs, replies only applying to the original post, and the inability to easily follow threaded conversations make it difficult for users to join the conversation.

Actions & Next Steps

Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.

Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs. 

Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.

Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread. 

Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads. 

Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed. 

Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.

Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.  

Being a new creator on Tumblr can be intimidating, with a high likelihood of leaving or disappointment upon sharing creations without receiving engagement or feedback. We need to ensure that we have the expected creator tools and foster the rewarding feedback loops that keep creators around and enable them to thrive.

The lack of feedback stems from the outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs on the main dashboard feed (“Following”), perpetuating a cycle where popular blogs continue to gain more visibility at the expense of helping new creators. To address this, we need to prioritize supporting and nurturing the growth of new creators on the platform.

It is also imperative that creators, like everyone on Tumblr, feel safe and in control of their experience. Whether it be an ask from the community or engagement on a post, being successful on Tumblr should never feel like a punishing experience.

Actions & Next Steps

Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it. 

Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.

Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.

Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.

Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Push notifications and emails are essential tools to increase user engagement, improve user retention, and facilitate content discovery. Our strategy of reaching out to you, the user, should be well-coordinated across product, commercial, and marketing teams.

Our messaging strategy needs to be personalized and adapt to a user’s shifting interests. Our messages should keep users in the know on the latest activity in their community, as well as keeping Tumblr top of mind as the place to go for witty takes and remixes of the latest shows and real-life events.  

Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.  

Actions & Next Steps

Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.

Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.  

Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages. 

Test what the right daily push notification limit is. 

Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.

Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.

The stability and performance of our mobile apps have declined. There is a large backlog of production issues, with more bugs created than resolved over the last 300 days. If this continues, roughly one new unresolved production issue will be created every two days. Apps and backend systems that work well and don't crash are the foundation of a great Tumblr experience. Improving performance, stability, and quality will help us achieve sustainable operations for Tumblr.

Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.

Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users. 

Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.

Conclusion

Our mission has always been to empower the world’s creators. We are wholly committed to ensuring Tumblr evolves in a way that supports our current users while improving areas that attract new creators, artists, and users. You deserve a digital home that works for you. You deserve the best tools and features to connect with your communities on a platform that prioritizes the easy discoverability of high-quality content. This is an invigorating time for Tumblr, and we couldn’t be more excited about our current strategy.

[amansalve]

Innovation Meets Governance: Fintech’s Balancing Act

How Fintech Can Balance Innovation with Compliance

The fintech industry thrives on pushing technological boundaries, but the speed of innovation often clashes with the demands of regulatory compliance. As fintech companies strive to disrupt traditional financial models, they must also remain vigilant in adhering to rules that ensure consumer protection, data privacy, and financial stability. The key question is: how can fintech firms innovate freely while staying within the bounds of compliance?

Understanding the Compliance-Innovation Conflict

Innovation in fintech typically involves rapid prototyping, agile development, and scalable deployment. On the other hand, regulatory compliance demands predictability, thorough documentation, and cautious risk management. These opposing needs often create friction. But rather than viewing compliance as a constraint, forward-thinking companies are finding ways to embed it into their innovation frameworks.

Key Challenges in Striking a Balance

1. Constantly Shifting Regulations

Fintechs must keep up with evolving local and global laws. From data protection acts to anti-money laundering protocols, the rules are numerous and complex.

2. Resource Allocation Struggles

Many startups and scale-ups face the dilemma of where to allocate resources—toward compliance infrastructure or product development. Missteps in either direction can be costly.

3. Risk of Regulatory Penalties

Innovation that overlooks compliance may lead to fines, operational halts, or reputation damage. Fintechs must innovate responsibly, considering both technical feasibility and regulatory implications.

4. Fragmented Global Landscape

Operating across borders? Every region comes with its own compliance codes. Harmonizing product innovation with multi-jurisdictional requirements can be daunting.

Practical Strategies for Achieving Harmony

Embed Compliance in Product Design

Build with compliance in mind from the start. Involve legal and risk teams during product ideation, not just post-launch.

Use RegTech Tools

Leverage regulatory technology solutions that automate risk checks, monitor transactions in real time, and flag non-compliant behavior before it becomes a liability.

Create Agile Governance Models

Adopt internal policies that allow swift response to regulatory updates. Agile compliance teams can help the business pivot without slowing innovation.

Build Modular Infrastructure

Design systems where components handling sensitive data or financial transactions are modular and can be independently audited or updated as needed.

Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration

Encourage cooperation between developers, compliance officers, and operations teams. This ensures everyone speaks a common language around innovation and regulation.

Future Outlook for Fintech Evolution

As the fintech sector matures, more firms will recognize that innovation and compliance aren't opposing forces—they're partners. Regulatory bodies are also evolving, offering guidance and sandboxes for experimentation. The future belongs to fintechs that view compliance not as a burden but as a catalyst for trust and scalability.

For More Info: https://bi-journal.com/fintech-balance-innovation-with-compliance/

Conclusion

Fintech companies are uniquely positioned to drive the future of finance, but they must tread carefully. Balancing innovation with compliance isn't a one-time achievement—it’s a continuous process that demands foresight, flexibility, and collaboration. By embracing compliance as a strategic enabler rather than an obstacle, fintechs can unlock sustainable innovation and remain trusted players in a tightly regulated world.

[downupti]

Leveraging Shopify Tax for CRO: A Strategy for Streamlined Sales and Enhanced Conversion

Optimize your Shopify store with tax automation for better conversions and customer trust.

Source: https://cro.media/insights/strategies/cro-boosting-shopify-stores-inventory-efficiency/

As the eCommerce landscape continues to evolve, merchants face increasing complexity around sales tax collection, particularly in the United States. With over 11,000 jurisdictions and shifting regulations, managing tax compliance can become a burden, impacting both operational efficiency and the customer experience. Shopify’s introduction of Shopify Tax presents an innovative solution that not only streamlines tax management but also plays a significant role in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). By simplifying tax compliance, Shopify empowers merchants to focus on improving key aspects of their business, from customer satisfaction to revenue generation.

Optimizing the Checkout Experience

One of the most significant friction points in eCommerce is the checkout process, where unexpected costs like sales tax can lead to cart abandonment. Shopify Tax addresses this challenge directly by ensuring that tax calculation is seamless and transparent. The platform uses "rooftop accuracy" to calculate the exact sales tax based on the customer’s delivery address, even down to the district level. This eliminates the uncertainty often associated with tax at checkout, improving customer trust and minimizing cart abandonment due to surprise fees.

From a CRO perspective, this streamlined, accurate tax calculation is critical. By reducing ambiguity and providing clear, upfront pricing, Shopify Tax enhances the customer journey. Customers are more likely to complete their purchases when they see a consistent, predictable price at checkout, which can significantly increase conversion rates. Furthermore, this approach helps merchants avoid costly miscalculations that could lead to disputes or penalties—factors that could negatively affect customer trust and long-term retention.

Smart Categorization: Reducing Cognitive Load

Another challenge that merchants face in the tax realm is product categorization, which can vary widely by state. Shopify Tax’s "smart categorization" feature helps solve this issue by recommending appropriate tax categories for products based on their descriptions. When merchants add a new product to their store, Shopify automatically assigns the correct tax rate based on the product's category and local tax rules. This automated process not only saves time but also reduces errors that could lead to overcharging or undercharging customers.

For CRO, reducing the cognitive load for merchants is key to enhancing efficiency and focus. By automating the complex task of tax categorization, Shopify Tax allows merchants to concentrate on growing their businesses and optimizing other conversion-driving factors such as product pages, promotions, and customer support. With fewer manual processes to manage, merchants can implement more targeted CRO strategies to improve customer retention and lifetime value.

Enhanced Reporting for Streamlined Operations

Sales tax reporting can be an arduous and time-consuming process for merchants, often requiring hours of work to reconcile data and fill out state-specific forms. Shopify Tax’s enhanced reporting features simplify this task by providing easy-to-read reports that break down taxable sales by state, county, and local jurisdiction. Merchants can quickly view net sales, taxable sales, and transaction details, allowing them to file their taxes accurately and efficiently.

From a CRO standpoint, this ease of tax reporting frees up valuable time for merchants to focus on high-priority conversion strategies. Instead of spending countless hours on manual tax reconciliation, merchants can allocate resources to refine their website's user experience, test new sales funnels, and optimize their marketing campaigns—efforts that can have a direct impact on conversion rates.

Reducing Friction and Enhancing Customer Trust

The integration of Shopify Tax into the Shopify platform also strengthens trust with customers. Transparency in pricing is one of the cornerstones of a positive customer experience. With the system’s real-time tax calculations and reporting, customers can have confidence in the pricing they see at checkout. This transparency reduces friction and minimizes cart abandonment, which is essential for maintaining high conversion rates.

Moreover, by automating tax collection and remittance, Shopify Tax helps merchants maintain compliance with ever-changing state tax laws. This reduces the risk of penalties or legal issues, ensuring that merchants can focus on growing their business without being distracted by tax-related concerns. The ability to confidently manage tax requirements can improve a brand's reputation, fostering customer loyalty and repeat business.

Facilitating Business Growth

For merchants scaling their businesses across multiple states, Shopify Tax offers significant advantages. The platform helps businesses track sales tax liabilities in various states, providing insights into nexus conditions and thresholds that determine when a business must begin collecting tax. As a business grows and expands into new markets, Shopify Tax ensures that tax compliance remains manageable, without the need for additional manual intervention.

By automating these tasks, Shopify Tax helps merchants streamline operations, avoid costly errors, and ultimately focus on growth opportunities. For CRO, this ability to scale tax operations efficiently means that businesses can focus on high-impact activities such as expanding their product offerings, optimizing user experience, and refining conversion tactics to drive higher revenue per visitor.

Shopify Tax as a Key CRO Tool

Sales tax is often viewed as a back-end operational task, but when integrated with a merchant's overall strategy, it plays a crucial role in enhancing conversion rates. Shopify Tax helps merchants address one of the most common pain points in eCommerce—tax complexity—while simultaneously providing tools to improve customer experience, reduce friction, and ensure compliance. By reducing the cognitive load on merchants and providing accurate, real-time tax calculations, Shopify Tax enables businesses to focus on refining their sales process and optimizing their conversion strategies.

In today’s competitive eCommerce environment, tools that simplify operations and enhance customer trust are vital for maintaining a strong conversion rate. Shopify Tax offers exactly that—empowering merchants to handle sales tax efficiently and giving them more time to concentrate on what matters most: converting visitors into loyal customers.

[dankusner]

Crockett offers advice to Dems

POLITICS

‘We have to be comfortable with being rightfully outraged,’ she says

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is urging Democrats to be more ferocious in their fight to resist President Donald Trump’s policies.

“You’ve just got to be honest, and you’ve got to be blunt,” Crockett said during a recording for Sunday’s edition of Lone Star Politics , a show produced by KXAS-TV (NBC5) and The Dallas Morning News .

“The old way of doing politics has always been to find the perfect way to say it and to make sure that you say it diplomatically. The reality is that we’re dealing with an administration that is lawless and disrespectful.”

Crockett, a Dallas Democrat, said it was a mistake to be “nice, friendly and kind” or “looking for a sense of normalcy, when we literally are living in a time that is anything but normal.”

“We’ve got to get comfortable with letting our hair down a little bit,” Crockett said.

Crockett’s remarks reflect the growing debate in the Democratic Party on how to best counter Trump and rebound from the 2024 political season that featured Republicans winning control of the White House and both branches of Congress.

Democrats, who polls show are unpopular with most Americans, are grappling not only with Trump but also with how to better craft a message and agenda that will lead to winning elections.

Viral feuds

Crockett, known for her biting criticism and viral feuds with Republicans, contends that Americans want fighters, not status quo politicians. Since she took office in 2023, Crockett has had viral clashes with Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Elon Musk, who is heading the Department of Government Efficiency.

“We have to be comfortable with being rightfully outraged in this moment, and I think that there are so many that are not OK with being rightfully outraged, because we are the representatives and so we are supposed to carry ourselves in a different way,” Crockett said.

“I won’t necessarily disagree with that, but what I will say is that it is hard for people to believe you if they feel like you can’t feel them. And I think that what they get from me is that they always feel like, ‘Oh, she understands and she feels our pain.’”

Crockett added, “It’s just a matter of leaning into your authenticity and not trying to be who people imagine you to be but being who you honestly are.”

Republicans are not fans of Crockett and say her approach isn’t going to improve Democrats’ political standing.

“It’s easy for her to take that approach because she’s in what’s described as a safe district,” said Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George.

“Democrats need to learn real lessons from the past election. They should not pick fights just because it’s President Trump. There are probably people — even in her district — that say ‘We like the drama Jasmine brings, but we don’t like her policies.’”

Spending bill fight

Friction inside the Democratic Party intensified last week when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and eight other Democratic senators voted with Republicans on a six-month spending bill that narrowly averted a government shutdown and gave Trump a victory.

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, also voted to advance the bill.

Progressives, including Crockett, urged Senate Democrats to push for a 30-day extension and oppose the spending bill.

A 30-day extension, Crockett said, would have kept funding levels in place and protected veterans and other Americans in need from “draconian cuts.”

House Democrats also would have preferred Schumer block the spending bill than vote in favor of it.

Schumer framed the debate in the context of a government shutdown, saying it would have allowed the Musk-led DOGE to “shift into overdrive.”

Crockett sits on a subcommittee with jurisdiction over DOGE.

“Chuck is on his cleanup tour right now,” Crockett said, adding that Schumer is “not being completely honest” when telling Americans the only two options were to allow a government shutdown or vote for the six-month spending bill.

“It wasn’t a matter of these are the only two options.”

Crockett didn’t give an opinion on whether Schumer should remain the Democrats’ Senate leader.

“That’s a fight for the Senate Democrats to have, because I don’t get a vote,” she said.

During the segment, Crockett also discussed ways for Democrats to win back working Americans.

“We need to show that we have always been the party that will fight for what’s right for all people,” Crockett said.

“Working class people may have went to the wrong side, the dark side,” she added.

“These were people that were completely unaware of the policies that we have been fighting for, because Democrats love to keep our heads down and just do the work.”

[technology-transfer-in-india]

Unlocking the Potential of Your IP Portfolio: A Guide to Optimization with IP Bazzaar

In the dynamic landscape of innovation, managing an intellectual property (IP) portfolio effectively can be the linchpin to success for innovators, investors, and academic institutions alike. At IP Bazzaar Technology Consultants Pvt. Ltd., we specialize in technology transfer and IP commercialization, bridging the gap between groundbreaking ideas and market-ready solutions. This blog explores the challenges in IP portfolio optimization and how we address them to foster growth and innovation.

Understanding IP Portfolio Optimization

IP portfolio optimization involves strategically managing patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other forms of IP to maximize their value and utility. However, this process is fraught with complexities:

Complexity of IP Laws: Navigating the labyrinthine legal frameworks across different jurisdictions can be daunting. Each country has its own IP laws, which can significantly affect the strategy for filing and maintaining IP rights.

Resource Allocation: Deciding where to invest in terms of IP protection is a critical challenge. Resources are often limited, and there's a constant need to balance cost against potential returns.

Technology Transfer Barriers: Transferring technology from academia or inventors to the market involves overcoming cultural, legal, and financial barriers. Misalignment of goals between inventors and investors often leads to stalled projects.

Market Alignment: Ensuring that your IP aligns with market needs and trends requires foresight and flexibility, areas where many innovators struggle due to their focus on creation rather than commercialization.

Solutions Provided by IP Bazzaar

IP Bazzaar Technology Consultants Pvt. Ltd. has developed a robust framework to tackle these issues:

Strategic IP Counseling: We provide comprehensive advice tailored to each client's unique situation, helping them navigate the complex IP landscape. Our experts analyze the legal environments of target markets to guide filing strategies that protect your IP while being cost-effective.

Resource Optimization: We assist in prioritizing IP assets, and deciding which patents to maintain, license, or abandon based on market dynamics and financial analysis. Our consultants use data-driven approaches to ensure that every dollar spent on IP management yields a maximum return.

Facilitating Technology Transfer: Through our events and networking, like the Inventors and Investors Meet, we create platforms where academia, inventors, and investors can interact directly. This not only speeds up the technology transfer process but also aligns the visions of all parties involved, reducing friction and enhancing commercialization prospects.

Market Analysis and IP Alignment: Our team conducts thorough market research to ensure that your IP portfolio is not just legally protected but also commercially viable. We help in pivoting or adapting your IP strategy to meet current and future market demands.

The Impact of Our Work

By optimizing your IP portfolio with IP Bazzaar, you can:

Reduce Costs: Efficiently manage your IP to minimize unnecessary expenses on non-strategic assets.

Increase Revenue: Enhance the monetization of your IP through strategic licensing, partnerships, or direct market entry.

Accelerate Innovation to Market: Shorten the technology transfer timeline, getting your innovations into the hands of consumers faster.

Conclusion

IP portfolio optimization isn't just about legal protection; it's about strategic growth. At IP Bazzaar Technology Consultants Pvt. Ltd., we understand the nuances of technology transfer and IP commercialization. We're committed to transforming your IP into marketable, profitable assets, helping you navigate the challenges with tailored solutions. Join us at our next event, or reach out for a consultation, and let's unlock the full potential of your innovations together.

[daobox654]

Simplifying DAO Governance with Legal Wrappers

Introduction to DAOs and Their Governance Challenges Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) are reshaping the future of collaboration and innovation. However, effective management for DAO legal wrappers and governance services remains a crucial challenge for these organizations. Ensuring compliance and streamlining decision-making processes are essential to unlocking the full potential of DAOs while maintaining trust within their communities.

Understanding DAO Legal Wrappers DAO legal wrappers are essential tools that enable DAOs to interact with the traditional legal and regulatory frameworks. These wrappers provide a legal identity, allowing DAOs to sign contracts, manage liabilities, and operate in jurisdictions with clear legal recognition.

Proper management for DAO legal wrappers is vital to mitigate risks and maintain operational efficiency. By ensuring the legal foundation of a DAO is sound, organizations can focus on their core missions without worrying about compliance hurdles. This management process often involves creating frameworks that align with local laws while still respecting the decentralized nature of the DAO.

Importance of DAO Governance Services Governance is the backbone of any DAO. The decentralized nature of these organizations demands a governance structure that is both transparent and adaptable. DAO governance services offer a way to establish rules, protocols, and voting mechanisms that ensure smooth decision-making and accountability within the organization.

These services can range from designing voting systems to setting up dispute resolution mechanisms. A well-defined governance structure fosters member trust and enhances the DAO’s ability to achieve its goals without unnecessary friction or mismanagement.

Key Considerations for DAO Success To ensure a DAO thrives, it’s essential to address the interplay between governance and legal frameworks. Combining DAO governance services with a robust legal wrapper provides a balanced approach, safeguarding the DAO’s operations while ensuring compliance. This alignment allows DAOs to operate seamlessly in both decentralized and traditional environments.

Another critical aspect is flexibility. DAOs must adapt to evolving regulations and community needs. Choosing governance and legal solutions that accommodate these changes can help DAOs remain competitive and sustainable.

Conclusion As DAOs continue to grow in popularity, their governance and legal requirements become increasingly significant. Effective management for DAO legal wrappers and the implementation of reliable DAO governance services are essential for creating sustainable, compliant, and efficient organizations. By addressing these areas, DAOs can achieve their mission while navigating the complexities of decentralized operations and traditional legal systems.

[xettle-technologies]

A Guide to Choosing the Best KYC Solution for Your Business

As businesses embrace the digital age, ensuring secure and seamless interactions with customers has become paramount. KYC and identity verification processes are at the forefront of this transformation, serving as critical safeguards against fraud while enabling compliance with stringent regulatory standards. For businesses operating in sectors such as e-commerce, financial services, and fintech, selecting the right KYC solution is more than just a compliance measure—it’s a key factor in enhancing customer trust and experience.

In this guide, we’ll explore the essential considerations for choosing the best KYC solution for your business, with a focus on leveraging software fintech innovations to optimize identity verification processes.

Why KYC and Identity Verification Matter

KYC (Know Your Customer) is a regulatory requirement designed to verify customer identities and ensure that they are legitimate. These processes are indispensable for businesses to:

Mitigate risks: Prevent identity theft, money laundering, and fraud.

Ensure compliance: Meet legal obligations such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) laws.

Enhance customer trust: Secure and reliable systems build confidence among users.

With increasing digital transactions and a growing emphasis on data security, robust KYC systems powered by software fintech solutions have become essential for businesses across all industries.

Key Features to Look for in a KYC Solution

Choosing the best KYC solution requires careful evaluation of its features and capabilities. Below are the critical aspects to consider:

1. Automation and Scalability

Modern KYC solutions must be able to handle large volumes of data quickly and efficiently. Look for tools that offer:

Automated Verification: AI and machine learning can verify documents and identities in real-time, reducing manual intervention.

Scalability: As your business grows, the solution should accommodate an increasing number of users without compromising performance.

2. Global Compliance

For businesses with a global customer base, compliance with regional and international regulations is critical. The best KYC solutions:

Support multi-language and multi-jurisdiction compliance.

Automatically update to reflect changing regulatory requirements.

3. User-Friendly Interface

Customers expect smooth onboarding experiences. A user-friendly KYC platform should:

Simplify document uploads and biometric authentication.

Minimize friction while maintaining security.

4. Integration with Existing Systems

Your KYC solution should integrate seamlessly with your existing CRM, payment gateways, or other fintech software. This ensures:

Efficient Data Management: Unified access to customer data across platforms.

Reduced Operational Costs: Avoiding the need for entirely new systems.

5. Data Security and Privacy

Given the sensitive nature of identity verification, robust data protection measures are non-negotiable. Ensure that the solution:

Adheres to GDPR, CCPA, or other relevant data protection regulations.

Employs encryption and secure data storage protocols.

How Software Fintech is Revolutionizing KYC

The rise of software fintech solutions has redefined KYC processes, making them faster, more accurate, and customer-centric. Here’s how fintech innovations are transforming identity verification:

Biometric Authentication: Fintech software incorporates fingerprint, facial recognition, and even voice-based authentication, offering unmatched security and ease of use.

AI-Driven Analytics: Artificial intelligence analyzes customer data to identify patterns and anomalies, enhancing fraud detection capabilities.

Blockchain Integration: Some KYC solutions leverage blockchain technology for secure and transparent data sharing across networks.

By adopting these advancements, businesses can not only improve compliance but also deliver a superior user experience.

Steps to Choose the Right KYC Solution

Selecting the best KYC and identity verification platform involves several steps:

Step 1: Assess Your Business Needs

Identify your primary objectives. Are you focused on fraud prevention, regulatory compliance, or improving user onboarding? Consider factors such as:

The size of your customer base.

Your industry-specific compliance requirements.

Expected growth in user numbers.

Step 2: Research and Shortlist Vendors

Evaluate potential KYC providers based on their track record and expertise in your industry. Key considerations include:

Reputation and reviews from similar businesses.

Their use of cutting-edge technologies such as AI and machine learning.

Step 3: Request a Demonstration

Before committing, request a live demo to understand how the solution functions. Focus on:

Ease of integration with your current systems.

The customer experience during onboarding.

Step 4: Compare Costs and ROI

While cost is a factor, prioritize long-term value over short-term savings. A reliable KYC solution should offer:

Reduction in manual verification efforts.

Lower risk of regulatory fines.

Enhanced customer satisfaction leading to higher retention rates.

Step 5: Ensure Ongoing Support and Updates

Regulations and customer expectations evolve. Choose a vendor that offers:

Regular software updates to reflect regulatory changes.

Comprehensive customer support and troubleshooting.

Benefits of a Robust KYC Solution

Implementing the right KYC solution offers numerous advantages:

Improved Efficiency: Automated processes speed up customer onboarding.

Reduced Fraud: Advanced verification methods minimize fraudulent activities.

Global Reach: Compliance with international regulations allows seamless expansion into new markets.

Enhanced Reputation: Secure and transparent practices build customer trust.

Conclusion

Selecting the best KYC solution is a strategic decision that directly impacts your business's security, compliance, and customer experience. By leveraging innovations in software fintech, businesses can streamline KYC and identity verification processes, ensuring they are efficient, secure, and customer-friendly.

Investing in the right KYC platform not only safeguards your operations but also positions your business as a trusted player in today’s competitive digital landscape. With a focus on automation, compliance, and user-centric design, the ideal KYC solution can drive long-term growth and success.