#like the whole is not always more valuable than its components

[communistkenobi]

I don’t like when people ask how many books you plan to read/have read this year one because I think that’s a weird relationship to have to books and two because I think even reading a chapter or a portion of something is valuable. this is especially true with non-fiction but even with fiction I think any amount you read, even if you don’t read the entire thing, is not a failure or ‘incomplete’

[him-12345678]

What Makes a Junk Car Valuable? Key Factors That Impact Price

If you have a junk car, it might surprise you to learn that it still has value. Whether it's seen better days or doesn’t run anymore, your junk car could be worth more than you think. Various factors determine how much a junk car is worth, from its make and model to the demand for its parts. Here, we'll explore the key factors that impact the value of junk cars and how selling its components—like the engine—can offer a profitable alternative.

1. Condition of the Engine and Other Parts

The engine is often the most valuable part of any vehicle, even one that’s no longer roadworthy. Engines that are still functional or can be refurbished can be especially valuable. Companies like Engine Xperts specialize in high-quality used engines, showing the demand for reliable replacement parts. If your car’s engine is in good shape, you might consider selling it separately to maximize your return.

2. Make, Model, and Year

The make, model, and year of your car can significantly impact its value. Certain brands are in higher demand for parts, especially if the model is rare or has a reputation for reliability. For instance, engines from popular brands like Toyota, Ford, and Honda are often sought after due to their reputation for durability. On the other hand, newer vehicles often have parts that are worth more because they align with current technology and safety standards.

3. Market Demand for Parts

The market for used auto parts is dynamic, with certain parts more in demand depending on the season or industry trends. For example, if there’s a shortage of certain car parts, this can drive up prices. Junk cars with parts that fit many vehicle models or are difficult to find are generally more valuable. High-demand parts include transmissions, alternators, and, of course, engines.

4. Weight and Metal Value

Even if a junk car has no functioning parts, its scrap metal value can add up. Steel, aluminum, and other metals are always in demand, and the value of these metals fluctuates with the market. Junkyards pay by weight, so a larger vehicle like an SUV or truck will typically fetch a higher price.

5. Location and Transport

Location can affect a junk car’s value. For instance, some buyers might offer more if the car is close to them to reduce transport costs. If you’re willing to deliver the car to a junkyard or a buyer, this can sometimes increase your offer.

6. Current Scrap Market Prices

The scrap metal market constantly fluctuates, meaning the value of your junk car can vary depending on when you decide to sell. Keeping an eye on scrap metal prices can help you determine the best time to sell if you’re looking to maximize your profit from a car that’s mostly valuable as scrap.

Selling Parts Separately vs. Selling the Whole Car

If you’re looking to make the most out of a junk car, consider selling its individual parts. Engines, transmissions, and other essential components are often more valuable sold separately than as part of a whole car. This approach may take more time, but it can offer a better return.

For those interested in quality engines or looking for used car engines, Engine Xperts offers an extensive range of inspected, certified engines that meet high standards of performance and reliability.

Conclusion

While it might be tempting to sell a junk car as a whole for convenience, understanding the factors that impact its value can help you make a more informed decision. Whether through selling parts like the engine or scrapping it entirely, even the most rundown vehicle can still offer value.

[akhenvs3000f24]

Unit 06 Blog Post

"There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it." (Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

This quote suggests that integrity, as a form of completeness, means bringing together different parts of a whole—much like assembling the pieces of a puzzle to reveal a full picture. The concept of integrity applies not only to history, but also to our relationship with nature. Just as historical events must be woven together to form a complete narrative, interpreting nature requires acknowledging its past. The delicate integrity of ecological systems mirrors this, where the health of ecosystems depends on the preservation of all their components -- plants, animals, and habitats come together to form a complete system. This matches how ancient artifacts, stories, or perspectives are important to maintaining historical accuracy. In nature, the loss of biodiversity is akin to losing stories -- both create gaps in our collective understanding of the past and present.

I believe a core idea presented by this quote is that ancient things are not necessarily valuable unless they contribute to a larger whole, or to preserving a broader historical narrative. Ancient artifacts are not inherently valuable because they are hundreds or thousands of years old, but because they connect the present to the past.

What I personally gathered from the railway metaphor in this quote is that if we treat the past as irrelevant, we are robbing ourselves from a complete understanding of the journey we're on. Without a clear understanding of where we've come from or where we started, we are more likely to repeat our mistakes, and not learn from or build upon our past. This concept personally reminded me of something I learned a couple of weeks ago in a different course here at Guelph in BIOL 4350 (Limnology of Natural and Polluted Waters). I learned about the "shifting baseline syndrome" in which people's personal perceptions of how bad an environmental issue is can be heavily influenced by their age. For example, with worsening eutrophication of Lake Erie, someone 80 years old who remembers the lake as crystal clear in their youth, would consider the problem to be much worse than a child today who grew up with the lake always having been murky and green. The shifting baseline syndrome essentially describes a gradual change in society's accepted norms for the natural environment, and is very dangerous for environmental conservation. Interpreters can play an important part in ensuring more people are aware of the constant changes (good or bad!) in our environment!

A similar phenomenon occurs when we compare satellite images of forests over time. Clearcutting and deforestation have drastically altered landscapes, but without the ‘before’ images, we might not realize how severe the damage is today. I've provided a couple of examples below.

Therefore, having a better understanding of the past means more informed environmental stewardship. Nature interpretation plays an important role in acknowledging the history of environmental degradation, and without it, we would have a more fragmented understanding of current environmental crises.

There are many ways humans have sought to preserve history, with writing being a permanent medium that allows for the preservation of events and ideas. As nature interpreters using writing, it is important to relate to your reader and encourage them to care about the subject matter. Not only that, but relating one's writing to a historical artifact or cultural and natural sites encourages a reader to form emotional connections. It is important for interpreters to consider both their audience and whose story they are telling, and interpreters should always aim to integrate diverse perspectives in nature!

It is extremely important to consider how privilege impacts whose stories are amplified and whose are silenced. Those with the influence and resources to write history often have the power to control how natural resources and land will be developed or conserved. Therefore, I think a vital part to maintaining integrity when interpreting history in nature is to actively seek out and include voices that are often marginalized or forgotten, ensuring that the information is inclusive and holistic. As interpreters, by prioritizing inclusive narratives, we ensure that stories historically left out—often due to privilege—are given the attention they deserve.

In Western societies, writing holds significant legal and contractual weight, often viewed as binding. This contrasts with oral traditions in Indigenous cultures, which, though considered less "permanent" by Western standards, are equally valuable in maintaining cultural wholeness and historical integrity. How we choose to preserve the past deeply shapes our identity and worldview. In Western cultures, writing is often seen as more powerful or credible than oral storytelling, leading to a skewed or incomplete interpretation of history and nature.

At the end of the day, environmental interpretation isn’t just about preserving natural sites—it’s about protecting the history that comes with them, and maintaining integrity is a large part of that. To do so effectively, interpreters should consider not only the audiences they share with, but also whose stories they are telling. Privilege impacts whose stories are amplified and whose are silenced, and so interpreters should work to understand nature through a multi-faceted and diverse lens, where many different perspectives are integrated to make a more complete whole!

Thanks for reading!

[soul-our-punk]

What are we even doing here?

The more people who understand there are ways to meet your needs, and not at the cost of someone else's needs, the better. Particularly if they don't hold bigoted views which lead to silly things like going out of your way to prevent someone else from having their needs met. Making the world worse for someone because you don't know how to make it better for yourself. Life's hard enough without wasting your precious time, energy, and creative force on how to afflict your neighbor.

For my part, I like to think there are more people in the world who like the concept of mutual aid and are merely making do with the current capitalistic-zero-sum game until something better crystalizes--in spite of the system shouting so loud about itself, good or ill, in an effort to make it difficult to hear alternatives. Which is why I believe "solidarity over charity" is such an approachable proposition, regardless of the generation to which you have been ascribed by whomever does the sorting. I mean, Peter Singer was talking about this in the 70's. You have an obligation as a member of society to take measures to preserve wellness and uplift the vulnerable--give until giving any more would cause you harm. You get to decide where that dividing line is based on your finances, energy levels, social support network, available time, mobility, etc. As long as you set that line earnestly, then you are fulfilling the obligation which entitles you to the benefits of other member's solidarity.

The thing is, we're cornered. Restricted in analyses of all the options we could use to compose more humane systems. Isolated from what we could become, by a constant stream of shock doctrines induced by manufactured-disasters. So, mutual aid remains considered a coping strategy, rather than a cultural driving force for fundamental change, for the time being. Though, there's the rub, in that if there is always a new disaster, there is always a perceived need of relief prioritized over sustainable growth, which means the mutual aid has to become a political driving force to get ahead of the source of constructed woes.

I say that while also being painfully aware that discussion of any ideology beyond the current paradigm is defined by capitalistic expectations. Alternatives are invariably framed as monstrous inevitabilities in the supposed disastrous event of dismantlement, at least until they're cut open and adapted to fulfill a material component requisite to quell dissenting voices. "We can have social programs, yes, but it's not socialism, socialism is bad. Capitalism is good, which is why you have these social programs. Ignore other countries that have been providing more of these benefits for much longer, and devote more relative resources." Every other ideology is either fodder to be exploited for some new way to market what we have, or is dismissed/reviled for significant lack of traits that we already have in the devil we know. Which is very convenient for finding more fodder. Why would we want any system we make from here on anything like capitalism? We have to keep in mind that we are not looking for a better release appeal to make before an intractable captor. We are looking for the strategy that will attract enough confidence from fellow captives. To disenchant the captivated of the all consuming capitalist notion that virtue is derived from the free market's advertised high proficiency value generation.

What value? It definitely lets select groups pool resources, making their coffers more "valuable" in a fiscal sense, but where is the Value in that for a society? If its only claim to fame is that it can move numbers around faster and wont judge you for neglecting people's needs, then what does it actually do for us collectively that another system can't? Capitalism's whole premise relies on you not having enough, on you believing that there is not enough out there, that the only way you can have enough is to get there before someone else gets it and you're left with The Zero-Sum. But why would we take that on blind faith? What if there is a way to play the Positive-Sum game and we're just sitting on that because we assume its a fantasy?

How tragic to realize that the whole time you were suffering an obscene Sallie Mae loan, there could have been a non-tuition option. How mortifying to learn the medical bills that were artificially inflated by the relationship between the hospital and your insurance could have been handled by the taxes you already pay. The rent that serves as your proof of earning the right to live, assuaged with universal basic income. The chronic anxiety, stress, and aggression born from a machine of impersonal jobs that can leverage social class and basic needs to claim a third of your life for the least possible compensation possible; replaced with all the possibilities of a well rested mind and body.

Why would we as a collective people ever opt-in to the gamified social hierarchy?

What are we even still doing here?

[emmabirb8]

Okaaaaaayyy, so I went ahead and checked out Helluva Boss. Couldn't resist the siren call of Richard Horvitz forever I guess. (I still can't believe they got him for this series - he's a bit of a LEGEND in my book. In fact, I'm kinda baffled by a lot of people they managed to secure for the voice cast, but that's a whole other can of worms, lol.)

It's... not terrible. Not super great, but not terrible. I dig the concept, I think the series as a whole truly shines in its dramatic moments (it handles trauma surprisingly well, which shocked me), and it does succeed at being deep, emotional, and wholesome at times, but... tbh, there's MUCH more to criticize than there is to genuinely enjoy. Like, there're good bits and pieces; the ideas and valuable components are there, it's just that they're not utilized or executed in a satisfying way for the most part. Plus, a large portion of the comedy (esp the crude, sex-based stuff) just makes me roll my eyes and/or cringe so bad. Ugh. Why does "adult animation" always fall into the trap of thinking it needs to check that box?

And just to be clear: I am WELL aware of the controversy surrounding the creator. It's unfortunate that so far, I haven't seen very many people talking about that whole situation bc I personally think it needs to be more widely known, especially among the fanbase. That was mostly the reason I had been trying to avoid the show as much as I could up till now, knowing that I might find things to like about it; I didn't want to inadvertently show support for something that is clearly a product of a toxic and abusive environment if it meant putting the creator on a pedestal and sidelining the victims in any way. Helluva Boss is obviously (just like any other show) the result of a collaborative effort of a whole team of people, and anyone who enjoys the show even a moderate amount should think critically and give recognition to that hardworking team instead of only attributing everything to and directing all the praise at the creator (as some people have a tendency to do).

Anyway, rambling aside, I'm prob gonna reblog a few things here 'n there. I love Richard to death and, like I said, there are a few crumbs that I actually do like. I'm just... also gonna try to be conscientious and critical in my consumption of it too.

Blacklist "helluva boss" if you wanna avoid seeing any posts related to the show. I always tag pretty diligently.

[wirenail]

Maintenance Tips for Wire Nail Machine in Delhi

Maintenance of wire nail-making machines is extremely important to ensure longevity and effectiveness, especially in a busy market like Delhi. An iron nail-making machine, an automatic wire nail-making machine, or whatever variation one may have keeping it in good condition can boost your productivity while reducing downtime considerably. Here's how one can effectively maintain their wire nail making machine in Delhi with some practical tips on its maintenance.

Regular Cleaning

One of the most simple yet effective practices for maintenance is regular cleaning. Choking of dust, dirt, and debris may build up on machine parts, especially in a city like Delhi, where pollution levels always seem to reach new highs. Regular cleaning will prevent these particles from entering the internal components that generally contribute to wear and tear over some time with your wire nail-making machine. Use a soft cloth or brush to wipe down the exterior and ensure all accessible parts are free from dust.

Lubrication is Key

The proper lubrication of the moving parts is another important thing deeply required by any wire nail-making machine for its smooth function. In this respect, lubrication lessens friction that otherwise results in excessive wear and tear of the machine components. Depending on the machine's type- whether it is an iron nail-making machine or an automatic wire nail-making machine parts will require certain kinds of lubrication. It is important to note here that a customer should get into the habit of following the guidelines provided by the manufacturer regarding the type and frequency of lubrication required for one's particular machine.

Periodic Inspections

Periodic inspections are intended to identify minor problems before they become major ones. Inspect your wire nail-making machine regularly for any sign of wear, damage, or misalignment. Be keen on the cutting tools since they tend to wear faster than any other part. In case some strange noises or vibrations are unusual, that could indicate something is not right. This helps you in the early detection of problems you can address in time before they go out of hand. Reduce your downtime and minimize repair costs.

Replace Worn-out Parts

No matter how well you take care of your wire nail making machine, some parts are bound to wear out. The cutting blades, gears, and bearings are surely the ones that wear and tear easily because they work incessantly. These parts should be changed the moment one starts seeing any signs of wear because further neglect might damage the entire machine. Utilize only top-of-the-line replacement parts from the best suppliers, like Asvrmachine. You get to enjoy a well-functioning machine with continuous reliability in performance.

Maintenance Log

Long-term maintenance log: A reason can be provided as to how much good it will serve to maintain a detailed log of all maintenance activities that are going to be carried on for the wire nail-making machine. Record every cleaning, lubrication, inspection, and replacement of parts done on your wire nail making machine. It will help track when routine maintenance is to be done and meanwhile, develop valuable long-term knowledge about the performance of this machine. Through this blog, the pattern or persistent problems can easily be spotted.

Train Your Staff

The longevity of wire nail-making machines will depend mainly on how your staff is trained for operations and maintenance. Training minimizes errors humans might make while operating that could lead to machine damage or accidents. Let your team know the frequency of maintenance and how basic jobs like cleaning and lubrication should be done. For more complex maintenance, you may organize training with the machine manufacturer or any trustworthy supplier like Asvrmachine.

Quality raw materials are used.

The quality of the raw material you use within your wire nail-making machines makes a whole lot of difference in functionality and at the same time in the service life of your machines. The low-quality wire results in jams, increased abrasion of parts of the machine, and poor-quality nails. High-quality raw materials ensure smooth functioning and put less stress on the machine, therefore increasing its lifespan. Make sure you buy raw materials from top-rated suppliers in Delhi who provide you with the same quality every time.

Routine Calibration

Due to continuous usage and friction, your wire nail-making machine will slowly drift away from the set points. This might result in uneven nail sizes or even shapes. In other words, regular calibration keeps the machine in a continuous circle of producing nails within the desired specification. You shall do the calibrations according to the suggestion of the manufacturer or when you observe unevenness in the results. This not only keeps up the quality of your products but also reduces mechanical issues related to the machine.

Voltage Fluctuation Protection Voltage fluctuations pose a big nuisance in the larger part of Delhi and may cause major damage to the electrical parts of a wire nail-making machine. It will thus be prudent that either a voltage stabilizer or a surge protector be installed to keep your machine safe from these voltage fluctuations and all electrical components safe and operational. This can save you a lot of money because it's one of those easy precautions that help increase the working life of the machine.

Plan Professional Maintenance

While routine in-house maintenance is critical, planning professional maintenance checks with either a supplier or a reliable service provider such as Asvrmachine will give that extra bit of confidence. Professional technicians know where and how to perform thorough checks for problems that may elude an average operator. They can also advise on measures that will achieve optimum performance and longevity for your machine.

Conclusion

Maintaining your wire nail-making machine in Delhi need not be a nightmare. By observing these simple yet effective maintenance tips, you can keep your machine in a running condition with enhanced efficiency for many years. Be it an iron nail-making machine or an automatic wire nail-making machine; constant maintenance is the only secret towards ensuring complete productivity without resulting in any downtime. That means a small amount of time taken for maintenance today saves a lot of time and money in the future. For all kinds of wire nail-making machines, Asvrmachine is always here to provide you with the best products and service31

[sumit001]

Godrej Yeshwanthpur Bangalore | Buy Quality Living Spaces

Godrej Yeshwanthpur Bangalore is a residential project that offers luxury residential project offering apartments. Located inside the vibrant neighborhood of Yeshwanthpur, this development offers a range of apartments, designed to cater to the needs of modern urban living. Let's discover what makes a standout desire for those in search of a premium way of lifestyle in the city.

Prime Location

Yeshwanthpur has emerged as one of Bangalore most sought-after localities and for the accurate motive. The place boasts first-rate connectivity to important commercial hubs, educational institutions and entertainment centers. Takes full advantage of this high location, presenting citizens with easy admission to the whole lot the town has to provide. Whether you are commuting to work or exploring Bangalore many points of interest, you'll find yourself perfectly located to make the maximum of city lifestyles.

Luxurious Apartments

At Godrej Yeshwanthpur, luxury is more than just a word, it is a way of life. The project functions superbly designed 2, 3 and 4 BHK apartments that integrate style, consolation and functionality. Each home is crafted with attention to elements, the use of remarkable materials and modern aesthetics. Spacious layouts make certain that you have lots of room to work, entertain and entertain, at the same time as huge home windows flood the interiors with natural mild and offer lovely perspectives of the cityscape.

World-Class Amenities

One of its hallmarks is its impressive array of services. A gym that is ideal for maintaining a healthy lifestyle is available to residents. In addition to offering a cool respite from the intense heat of Bangalore, the beautifully designed gardens also offer peaceful spaces for contemplation and rest. The clubhouse is the centre of community sports and social events for people who like being among people.

Safety and Security

Your peace of mind is paramount at Godrej Yeshwanthpur In Bangalore. The improvement capabilities advanced safety structures, together with 24/7 surveillance and skilled personnel, making sure that you and your loved ones are safe and protected always. The gated network format provides an additional layer of privacy and exclusivity on your living experience.

Sustainable Living

In today's world, environmental focus is more important than ever. The embraces this ethos with eco-friendly layout functions and sustainable practices. From power-efficient lighting to water conservation structures, the project demonstrates a dedication to decreasing its environmental footprint without compromising on luxury or comfort.

The Godrej Advantage

The project developer, Godrej Group, gives Godrej Yeshwanthpur many years of enjoyment and stellar recognition for excellence. Known for their commitment to quality and consumer satisfaction, make sure that everything in the development meets the highest standards. When you select a home, you are no longer just shopping for a rental you're investing in a legacy of consideration and reliability.

A Vibrant Community

Perhaps the maximum valuable component is the sense of community it fosters. Here, you'll find yourself surrounded by like-minded those who admire the finer things in life. The improvement of common areas and everyday events offers adequate opportunities to satisfy your neighbors and form lasting friendships.

About The Project

More than just a place to stay, Godrej Yeshwanthpur is a lifestyle option. With its perfect blend of luxury, convenience and community, this improvement offers the entirety you need to live your nice existence in Bangalore. Whether you are a young professional, a developing family, or someone looking to experience their golden years in style, an appropriate home for you. Don't leave out this opportunity to be a part of something really special in certainly one of Bangalore most exneighborhoods.

[kognozconsult]

Leadership Development: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

In the rapidly evolving business landscape, leadership development has become more than just a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative. Organizations that invest in nurturing and growing their leaders not only secure their future success but also create a resilient, adaptable workforce ready to tackle new challenges. This blog explores the importance of leadership development, the key components of an effective program, and the benefits it brings to both individuals and organizations.

Why Leadership Development Matters

Leadership is the backbone of any successful organization. It’s the driving force that inspires teams, navigates challenges, and steers the company toward its goals. However, effective leadership doesn’t happen by chance. It requires intentional development, ongoing education, and practical experience. Investing in leadership development ensures that your organization is equipped with capable leaders who can drive innovation, manage change, and inspire others to achieve their best.

Key Components of an Effective Leadership Development Program

Personalized Learning Paths

Leadership development is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each leader has unique strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth. An effective program tailors learning experiences to individual needs, ensuring that each participant receives the training and support they require to excel.

Skill Building and Competency Development

Leaders must possess a broad range of skills, from strategic thinking to emotional intelligence. A comprehensive leadership development program focuses on building these competencies through a mix of theoretical learning and practical application. This ensures that leaders are well-rounded and prepared for the multifaceted challenges of leadership.

Mentorship and Coaching

One of the most valuable components of leadership development is mentorship. Pairing emerging leaders with experienced mentors provides invaluable insights, guidance, and feedback. Additionally, coaching helps leaders refine their skills, set achievable goals, and stay accountable in their development journey.

Real-World Application

Theory is important, but real growth happens when leaders apply what they’ve learned in real-world situations. Effective leadership development programs include opportunities for leaders to take on new challenges, lead projects, and make decisions that impact the organization. This hands-on experience is crucial for building confidence and competence.

Continuous Feedback and Assessment

Leadership development is an ongoing process. Regular feedback and assessments help leaders understand their progress, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments. This continuous cycle of learning and development ensures that leaders are always evolving and improving.

The Benefits of Leadership Development

Investing in leadership development offers numerous benefits for both the individual leaders and the organization as a whole.

Enhanced Organizational Performance

Strong leadership is directly linked to improved organizational performance. Leaders who are well-trained and equipped with the right skills can make better decisions, inspire their teams, and drive the company toward its strategic objectives.

Increased Employee Engagement and Retention

Employees are more likely to stay with an organization that invests in their growth and development. Leadership development programs signal to employees that they are valued and that there are opportunities for advancement within the company. This boosts morale, increases engagement, and reduces turnover.

Adaptability and Resilience

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations need leaders who can adapt to change and remain resilient in the face of challenges. Leadership development programs equip leaders with the tools and mindset they need to navigate uncertainty, embrace change, and lead their teams through difficult times.

Succession Planning

Developing a pipeline of capable leaders ensures that your organization is prepared for the future. When leadership roles become available, you’ll have a pool of trained, experienced candidates ready to step in and take the helm. This continuity is crucial for maintaining stability and achieving long-term success.

Conclusion

Leadership development is not just an investment in your leaders; it’s an investment in the future of your organization. By cultivating strong, capable leaders today, you’re setting your company up for continued success, no matter what challenges lie ahead. Whether you’re looking to develop emerging talent or enhance the skills of your current leadership team, a well-structured leadership development program is the key to unlocking your organization’s full potential. Start investing in your leaders today, and watch as they lead your company to new heights.

[spacebutnotfar]

The most valuable part of any space vessel is its crew. According to every officer I’ve spoken to, this is the golden rule of space combat. No matter how critical the mission is, bringing back everyone alive is always the top priority of the vessels. The proliferation of unmanned vehicles has then allowed these dangerous fleet expeditions to the orbit of Mars to be carried out.

The space forces branch out into three bodies. The near planetary forces, the far planetary forces, and logistics because the mighty wooden pallet can still win wars even in space. Captain Aragos, at the helm of a Carter-class destroyer, explained the doctrine as a unicellular organism.

“The fleet acts as a cell; it maintains a strong cell wall at all times, which should never be pierced, lest the contents begin to pour out and be damaged.”

The PDC, Point Defense Constellation system is the latest doctrinal approach of the earth forces. It envisions a fleet of ships where its slower TWR, thrust-to-weight ratio, ships are equipped with external PDC modules.

Inside these modules, the inhabitants are small, though still big when compared to a person, drones. Tethered to the host ship, the drones, called Point Defense Agents (PDAs), extend to nearly a kilometer away from the ship. The tether allows for the transmission of information and energy, both critical components of the PDC.

Armed with LASERs, short and long-wave radiation weaponry, and a slew of sensors, their drones float in space, observing the universe around them and exchanging their findings between not just other PDAs in the constellation but PDAs in the Fleet-wide constellation.

Once a target is observed to be near, like a munition or a missile, the constellation quickly reacts and begins to disrupt the target. Burning its sensors and cameras, using radiation to damage its electronics, everything it can.

And if what it can do is not enough, each is equipped with small but powerful chemical boosters that allow it to attempt interception of targets. It won’t be just one either, but a line of drones that trace the path of the projectile and attempt to shield the larger ships.

I was present when they did a field test of this system on a high earth orbit with 3 Carter-Class Destroyers, 2 Taiwan-class Engineering vessels, 1 Azores-Class Carrier, and 1 Dallas-Class Troop transport. In total, the exercise produced 567 PDAs, all in harmony as I watched from the deck of one of the destroyers.

It was both awe-inspiring and utterly terrifying. As a war correspondent, I’ve spent more time in space than most humans. This latest stint has lasted four years. The officers in this ship with me will spend at most 270 days in space, station work included, before being ordered back to earth for 90 days.

In all my years, I had never truly grasped the concept of space as three-dimensional and the freedom of movement it afforded. It always seemed as if I could reach out and grab a star, no matter how far. Always In isolation. Even when surrounded by big ships, it always felt like these were detached from me, never in danger of touching one another.

But here, this net of drones, the overwhelming sense of them being all around me, of seeing the tethers surround the whole fleet and even cast shadows over them, the fact that they were so stationary, even as ships drifted around and interceptors from the Azores began to pour out and weave their way through the web of cables that now surrounded all of us. I felt we had all become one.

It was not until the captain showed me a video feed from one of their satellites a bit further out that I finally understood the cell analogy. we looked like bacteria under a microscope.

In three weeks' time, this fleet will depart for Mars, where the Liberation forces had begun to amass a dangerous number of small unmanned suicide crafts meant to crash into Earth’s forces, destroying them. Most of these were previously service vehicles for the two stations that orbit the red planet. But they also started to produce their own missiles and, in some rare cases, interceptors.

This will be the real test of the PDC. The coalition has promised to bring peace to Mars within 5 years; it has now been 15. As space combat doctrine continues to evolve and advance, becoming more efficient and safer, my mind wonders if the cost of war will be outpaced by weaponized human ingenuity and make peace all the harder to achieve.

[thatmcgwords]

80/20 Principle

what exactly does the 80/20 principle mean? Simply put, a minority of efforts accounts for most of the output. In other words, only a few things are responsible for the vast results we see around us. Just as only a few people control most of the world's wealth, only a few students come out top in their class. If you take the time to observe, you'll see the Pareto principle.

There is an imbalance in life; causes and effects are not always — if ever — in the 50/50 ratio. ~ Richard Koch

“The 80/20 principle doesn't necessarily imply that precisely 80% of results come from 20% of actions. The percentages are not always consistent. What's consistent is that a few steps are essential in the whole scheme of things. Understanding this will help you prioritize the things that matter.”

“What will the company do to make more sales when a fifth of its customers make the most purchases? A reasonable approach is to find creative ways to satisfy the 20% that matter. They could also develop new strategies to market the bottom 80%. But they won't know all these if they don't take the time to see how the 80/20 phenomenon applies to their organization.”

It's not difficult, but a bit analytical. Here's a simplified way to go about it: Take the out time (or hire an analyst, if you can) to study the following three components of your business: your products, your customers, and your market position.

How many products or product lines do you produce in a month, six months, or a year (choose the most reliable stats), and what are the sales and profit for these products?

“You will understand what customers patronize you the most and how often, as well as those that do not contribute significantly to your sales. You will likely find an imbalance — only a few percent of your total customers contribute to the bulk of your business profit.

Go deeper to understand the reason for the trend. Is it that the top 20% of customers have more capital than the others? Why do your products not appeal much to the bottom 80%? Is it a cost problem or something else? Note all these down.”

Your market share is determined by the number of people who love and consistently patronize your products. ~ Richard Koch

So, the above analysis should reveal your position in the market. Now, what are creative ways to maximize your products, boost sales, and increase profits? One great way to do this is to focus on serving the top 20% and make efforts to reduce losses coming from the bottom 80%.

Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. ~ Richard Koch

You may be producing the same products, but your competitors are more valuable in the eyes of the people. Understand why and what you can do to grab a better market share.

Knowing your top customers should also influence your marketing strategy and the quality of business decisions you make from time to time. Target your marketing at the top 20%, and you won't need to bother much about the marketing resources you put in because you know your efforts will surely pay off

“Sales is like the twin brother of marketing. One can’t function without the other. As such, make it a point to encourage peak performance among your sales force. Any business with a weak sales force will eventually crash, no matter how good its products or services are.”

You can also apply the 80/20 rule to your sales team. Research shows that less than 50% of the sales team in a company accounts for most of the sales. Identify this minority in your sales force, and don't joke with them.

You can even figure out what the most performing salespeople in your business have in common and use this to set standards for the rest of the sales team. It may be a specific strategy that works well, or they may have soft skills like communication and persuasion. Could these skills be taught to the underperforming majority?

“Business is business. Your goal is to maximize profit using elite resources, not keep paying people that can't produce the results you're paying them for.”

“The 80/20 thinking for practical time usage is about brainstorming creative ways to leverage time. Approximately 80% of our results come from 20% of the time. Ask the most productive people, and they'll tell you they could be more productive 24 hours a day. There are specific times when each of us is highly productive.”

“Think about the last time you felt productive. Go over at least two more productive days, too. This is just so that the conclusion you arrive at can be certain to work predictably.

After identifying at least three productive days in the past, the next step is to find why and when you were productive on those days. Did you work at night? In the early hours of the day? What happened the day before that could have contributed to your productivity? How did you handle distractions on those days? Document your thoughts. Use recurring points as pointers to your productivity.”

You can also use a similar exercise to improve your happiness level. Richard Koch recommends having two blank sheets of paper. Label them happiness and achievement islands, respectively.

On the first piece labeled “happiness island,” identify the things you did that made you happy on such happy occasions. Do the same for the “achievement island.” It may be a mental activity, as you may have to do some deep thinking. But it's all okay because you'll find gems that will become your productivity tools.

A word of caution. As you carry out this exercise, try as much as possible not to blame others for making you unhappy or unproductive. Blaming people won't help you make progress.

You can’t choose your family members, but you have the power to choose every other person you hang around. It's in your power to choose your significant other, best friends, professional allies, neighbors, and so on. Make it count.

You might be wondering how 80/20 applies to relationships. Here's how. Study upon study has shown that we have limited space for close relationships. You can be friends with as many people as you want, but you can only be close friends with very few people. These few people account for 20% or so of your overall relationships, but they make for more or less 80% of the value you get from relationships.

For example, most people fall in love only once in a lifetime and have two childhood friends and two adult friends. The trend continues even in professional relationships. People may look up to tens of seniors, but only one to three will truly be their mentors. It is just how we're wired. Since we have limited capacities for close and meaningful relationships, wisdom demands that you fill your spaces. Take time to vet people.

Aside from choosing your significant other and best friends, Robert recommends developing six or seven professional relationships as follows:

One or two with someone you admire

Up to three relationships with reliable peers

One or two relationships with mentees you'll pour your life into

For every relationship you form, five attributes determine if the relationship will work or not. They include mutual enjoyment of each other’s company, respect, shared experience, reciprocity, and trust.

To live the life of your dreams, you need to know exactly what it looks like. Pick a pen and paper, or use a digital notepad to write down everything you want out of your life. Make a list as exhaustive as possible. Next, who do you know that is living such a life? What did they do to get there, and what are they doing that you're not? Success always has a blueprint.

It's hard to discuss success and “having it all” without discussing careers. The reality is most — if not all — of us will have to work. At least as adults. And it's not wrong to work; what's terrible is fitting square pegs in round holes. Many people are doing just that. You will find them in careers that don't suit their lives, and they won't leave.

Don't be stuck in a career you don't like without an escape plan. ~ Richard Koch

As important as work and career are, it's still important that you live a balanced life. You should be happy on all fronts. If you're not, it shows that something is missing, and you may need to apply 80/20 thinking to bring balance to your life. If you're making progress at work but failing maritally, then you need to address that quickly. If it's your health that's suffering, pause and focus on it. The point is, don't live a lopsided life. Let each area of your life be healthy. That's how to be a happy person truly, and if it's possible for others, it's also possible for you.

“The 80/20 principle advocates focusing on the top 20% that brings the most results while neglecting — or paying less attention to — the bottom 80%. Doing this will not cause the bottom 80% to be entirely ignored; the 80/20 principle is nature's way of balancing itself. What you neglect as the bottom 80% is the top 20% for other people. So, you ignoring it means allowing someone else to maximize their life and business.”

“Apply 80/20 to time management. Take a piece of paper and pen down how your most productive days went. Note the things you did differently that helped you tick off your to-do list. Did you begin work earlier? Did you rest well the day before? What did you do about social media distraction? Note all the things you did differently. Use the list as your unique productivity and time management template.”

[carswreckersau]

How To Find the Best Car Wreckers in Brisbane

Finding a dependable automotive supplier or service provider may be a significant difficulty, mainly if it is your first time doing so. It is especially true for those doing it for the first time. No matter how valuable an automobile may be, there comes a time in every vehicle’s lifespan when it is render entirely pointless and must be store away in the garage.

Then deciding to scrap it or sell it to the most reputable Auto Wreckers Brisbane is a smart option to make money. It is possible to get the maximum cash out of an old vehicle by selling it to an auto wrecker, regardless of whether it is trash or use. However, the only people who can pay you the most significant potential sum for your old automobile are car wreckers or a reliable trash removal firm with a strong reputation.

The Most Effective Methods for Finding a Car Wrecker

No matter its current state, whether it is fully operational or not, the fact that your vehicle still has some value is the only thing that counts. On the other hand, choosing the first vehicle wrecker you come across at random is not acceptable. Therefore, when selecting Brisbane Car Wreckers, keep these guidelines in mind.

Verify That The Service Is Of High Quality

Pick a corporation that has a history of accomplishments that can be verified. In many different types of Brisbane Car Wreckers activities, quantity is prioritise above quality. They look for drivers capable of fast hauling a car and hauling as many vehicles in a single day as possible. As a direct result, the likelihood of getting hit by a car has increased.

When working on a car that already has damage, you need to take a significant amount of caution since there is a higher risk of injury. In this sense, considerable maintenance is necessary to prevent any more damage from occurring to your vehicle. In addition to this, it is essential to confirm that the Auto Wreckers Brisbane drivers have been adequately traine and licensed.

Compare Price Estimates

There will be significant variations in the value each auto wrecker places on your vehicle. Find out an average estimate of the car’s worth by considering its present value, which is based on its condition, the various valuable components, and the total price. There are likely better courses of action than obtaining an estimate for an automobile that has suffer substantial damage in this particular scenario. It would be best if you didn’t jump at the first deal present to you. Always look at several options. Getting a car in satisfactory condition for a small sum of money is impossible.

Attempt to negotiate the most affordable pricing for the automobile wrecking services while requesting information on the full scope of the business’s offerings. Excellent results may be achieve by selecting Car Wreckers Brisbane company that offers a diverse variety of services. If, for instance, a wrecker shop provides this service, you may bring in your old car to be sold, and you can also have another vehicle repair, all inside the exact location.

Pick from the Available Cash-Based Payment Options

Refuse the request made by the corporation to either postpone payment or pay just a fraction of the whole amount that is due. You should verify the payment details twice before altering the title. When the procedure has already started, you will no longer be able to halt it. If this is not an option for you, consider alternative options if they need you to sign legally binding estimates.

The process should be simple and straightforward when selling a car to Car Wreckers Brisbane since some companies offer cash for junk autos and other vehicles. On the other hand, reliable Car Wreckers Brisbane and respectable automobile removal businesses pay in cash when the transaction has been completed. Therefore, you should only do business with a company that provides a type of cash payment guarantee as security.

Free Pickup and Disposal of Old Automobiles

The most challenging part of the job will be towing away the damage and ancient automobile that won’t start. Unfortunately, when it comes to selling such trash automobiles, this is one of the primary challenges that must be overcome.

In your best interest, sell your automobile to a junkyard since these businesses have dedicated areas to disassemble and recycle vehicles using specialize equipment and well-define procedures.

However, to serve this role, the owner must carry it there first, which is a challenging task. On the other hand, several Car Wreckers Brisbane like Cars Wreckers that remove junk cars provide free removal services for vehicles.

Therefore, it is recommend that you choose a business that offers free Auto Wreckers Brisbane like Cars Wreckers since they will help you save money and make the procedure much less stressful.

Closing Remarks

No matter how valuable an automobile may be, there comes a time in every vehicle’s lifespan when it is render entirely pointless and must be store away in the garage. Then deciding to scrap it or sell it to the most reputable Brisbane Car Wreckers like Cars Wreckers is a smart option to make money. It is possible to get the maximum cash out of an old vehicle by selling it to an auto wrecker, regardless of whether it is trash or used. However, the only people who can pay you the most significant potential sum for your old automobile are car wreckers or a reliable trash removal firm with a strong reputation.

source link: https://www.carswreckers.com.au/how-to-find-the-best-car-wreckers-in-brisbane/

[emptymanuscript]

So at its core, what is The Child Thieves about?

Back before I intended to do anything publishing or readership wise with Knights of Day, The Child Thieves adventure was a rip off of the 2004 movie The Forgotten.

Instead of the movie's antagonist, I had the Knights up against a Witch, never actually named in the zero draft, who was abducting children to steal their youth so she would stay immortal. She was able to get away with it most of the time because she would enchant the children's toys so they would dispose of the evidence and poison the adults into forgetting the children existed.

This relatively simple mystery (find the missing kids and why people forget them) got expanded in The Lights of Other Lives in a few ways.

First, the Witch, who was barely in the zero draft, I think she was in one scene, became a major character, Helgapel, with an extensive background and motivation. As Editor Prime put it, I was more interested in telling Helgapel's story than the original mystery.

Helgapel's essential motivation changed. While she still stole children's youth, she was stealing specific children in order to work a greater spell, making her the setup for the anticipated book 3: Operation Golden Abortion, because she got the spell off before the Knights stopped her.

Instead of Helgapel simply enchanting toys, she was stuffing parts of the children's souls into her defenders and the structure of the soul in Knights of Day became a major component of the story

The playing with the soul structure invoked the memories of James' and Zephyr's past lives so there was a whole bunch of that, that didn't always make sense. This, I think, was the biggest mistake I made in The Lights of Other Lives, it really just didn't work. And I don't think it is really workable.

I hung the mystery on the effects of access to their memories of past lives. Which made the mystery almost seem besides the point. The Knights didn't really investigate as much as they followed along with what they remembered. And bleh.

I muddied the ending, making the Knights beat Helgapel (as they did in the zero draft) but also letting her succeed in her spell (to set up the next adventure) and it just ended up... yeah, muddy.

So, the original Zero Draft essence was: The Knights have to figure out who is stealing children and erasing their parents memories before they strike again.

It got changed in Lights of Other Lives to: The Knights have to remember information from their past lives in order to figure out who is stealing children and why before they do something far worse than killing the occasional child.

Original is much simpler and much more usable. But I still think it is valuable to have the connection between Helgapel and Operation Golden Abortion. So there could be the mix of The Knights have to figure out who is stealing children and erasing their parents memories before they use the kids to do something far worse.

Which provides three options off the top of my head. The Knights win and stop Helgapel. Direct. Simple. The Knights lose and Helgapel wins. Direct. Simple. Disheartening. Or we do the Hitchcock answer, (what I tried to do with Lights of Other Lives but with a change in structural placement) Where they fail to stop Helgapel but have a chance to stop The First Mother. Essentially the midpoint would be the switchover.

That third option would be a restating of the essence. The Knights have to stop a child stealing witch from using them to resurrect her ancient goddess.

And I'm looking at that... and I think it is too complicated. I think one or the other needs to be the focus. Is it Helgapel stealing children or is it Helgapel resurrecting The First Mother? I think those foci lead to two different stories.

Well, which is more likely to do what we actually NEED it do and fulfill the WHY? Which will make TCT feel like a small, episodic, character driven conflict that is easing the audience in a slow burn toward a greater eruption of feelings and the wider universe of Knights of Day?

Small and episodic is going to be a return to the original, not the raising of The First Mother. She can be hinted at. She can be set up. But she's metaplot, she's accumulated detail. So Operation Golden Abortion does just have to be its own book, whenever and however that hits.

Ok, so that means the essence is: The Knights have to figure out who is stealing children and erasing their parents memories to get away with it before they strike again.

Or is it :/ Is that the most effective statement?

So this cheat comes from the first chapter of Save the Cat! Strikes Back by Blake Snyder. It's a form for how to make a logline.

On the verge of a Stasis = Death moment, a flawed protagonist Breaks into Two; but when the Midpoint happens, he/she must learn the Theme Stated, before All Is Lost.

In this case the "On the verge of a Stasis = Death moment, a flawed protagonist" isn't necessary. That's what I'll develop later. Right now, "The Knights" are a sufficient shorthand. In this case I also don't know the theme yet so that is going to have to stay as if for now.

So what we're really doing here is: The Knights Breaks into Two; but when the Midpoint happens, they have to Solve the Problem, before All is Lost.

Breaks into Two is really just being attacked directly by (or directly attacking) the antagonistic force of the story.

The Antagonistic force is the Witch's power. The Knights don't just have to solve a mystery, they have to solve a metaphysical mystery where the magic is working against them.

The Midpoint happening is when the characters are driven as far away from being able to solve the problem of the story as possible. It is an extreme setback or false victory which makes it look like they should give up.

If I'm keeping the memory issue, then the obvious midpoint is the witch succeeding against the client. The witch erases the client's memory so there is no longer an official case.

Solve the Problem is basically how the characters solve the problem, what it is that they need to learn or how they need to change, or whatever they're missing at the start of the story that they need to acquire in the course of the story in order to obtain the win condition of the story. If it's a tragedy and they don't get the win condition, this is what, in spite of all their effort, they fail to acquire or lose.

We know how the Knights solve the problem. They stop the Witch from ever hurting someone again. They solve the mystery and take her power. The question remains how but we can solve that later.

All is lost is the fail condition. What happens if the antagonistic forces win. This is the tragic outcome of the story.

We know the fail condition is that the witch wins and kills the kids so she lives forever to prey forever on yet more children. Made simpler: she sacrifices the children to stay young and powerful forever. Even if it isn't literally forever, it is FUNCTIONALLY forever from the point of view of my characters because they would be out of the count.

So: The Knights are hired to solve a kidnapping by a witch and her servants attack them; but when the client's memory is erased by the witch they'll have to stop the witch from sacrificing the child to stay young and powerful forever without support.

Like any madlib, this is messy, so we can clean it up.

When a Witch kidnaps children, the Knights are hired to find them but when the Witch sends her servants to erase everyone's memories, they'll have to stop her child sacrifice without a job to back them up.

And you don't even need young and powerful forever. The child sacrifice is immediate and consequential enough and it keeps it simpler.

Now, why is all this useful? Because if a scene doesn't fall under the idea laid out in the log line, it has to profoundly justify its existence or get cut as off topic.

BUT

All that stuff I left out of this: Stasis = Death, flawed protagonist, Theme Stated. Those are the other portion of scenes that belong. If the above sections are about plot, these sections are about character. They're the ones that are going to have to create the character driven slow burn.

[itrecyclingnewburys]

User Guide On IT Recycling Service

Technology is constantly evolving, and everyone can agree on that fact. People are always searching for ways to stay current with the latest gadgets. Many people are quick to buy new computers or electronic devices when they become available. In this way, they discard their old devices in the process. Unfortunately, many old devices end-up in landfills. It can take hundreds of decades for them to decay and release dangerous chemicals into the environment. Computer recycling is a better solution.Computer recycling involves the collection and processing used and unneeded computers and their components in order to recover valuable materials, and to reduce the environmental impact of electronic garbage. Recycling an old computer will allow it to be broken into its individual parts. It can also be reused valuable components, like metals and plastics. The process of computer recycling begins with collection. There are many ways to collect old computers, including drop-off locations, mail-in programs, and recycling events. Are you looking about it recycling newbury? Visit the previously talked about website.

Once computers are collected they are taken to a recycle facility, where they are sorted.To process computers that are older than 10 years old, it is important to get rid all hazardous materials. The materials are then sent to specialist facilities where they can be properly disposed of. Next, disassemble the computers and separate valuable components like copper wiring and aluminum from non-valuable materials such as plastic casings. Once the valuable parts have been removed, they are sent off to specialist facilities for refinement and transformation into new products. For instance, metals can be melted down and used to make new computer parts or other consumer products, while plastic can be recycled and turned into new plastic products. Computer recycling is crucial for various reasons. First, it decreases the amount that electronic waste ends up in landfills. Many electronic waste contains dangerous materials like lead, mercury, and/or cadmium, which can seep into soil and groundwater and pose a serious environmental risk.Recycling your old computer can help reduce this threat. Second, computer recycling helps conserve valuable resources. Computers are made from non-renewable resources, like metals and plastics. By recycling these materials, we can reduce the need for new resources and conserve our planet's natural resources. Computer recycling can also create jobs and stimulate the economy. For recycling facilities to work, they need skilled workers.

Additionally, the whole industry of recycling creates employment in areas such as transportation, collection, and processing. Moreover, by supporting computer recycling, we can help create a more sustainable economy. It is possible to recycle your computer using computer recycling services. Many recycle services offer pick-up and drop off options. This makes it very easy to recycle an old computer, without needing to travel far. The smartest and most responsible way to recycle your computer is to use computer recycling services.Computer recycling is a vital process that helps to reduce electronic garbage, conserve precious resources, and creates new jobs. By recycling your old computer, you're doing your part to protect the environment and support a more sustainable future. So, the next time you replace your computer, consider recycling it instead of throwing it away. Together, we can make a difference!

[oceanspray5]

honest question but certain bb fans (bbrae shippers and non shippers) always act like raven holds him/his story back whenever they are portrayed as being together… it’s a very common complaint from them but like what stories does he even have that are his in the first place? him not having anything solo has nothing to do with raven. they act so jealous of her and it’s not warranted at all. why can’t they just blame the writers. especially so called bbrae shippers…like just say you hate raven and use her as a self insert in the ship and go.

Okay wow, this is an interesting ask to get.

Tbh Anon I hadn't really seen this before you brought it to my attention just now. I've definitely seen antis use this excuse but not any bbrae shippers but then again I do stay in specific circles so it makes sense I'd be oblivious to certain going-ons in other parts of the fandom.

As far as Raven holding BB back goes, you're right that it's utter bullshit. Beast Boy sadly hasn't had as much solo spotlight as the other Titans (although someone with more knowledge about the comics would be able to help you more on that front, my knowledge on the comics is sporadic at best) but that doesn't mean he hasn't had character development or his own arcs. Beast Boy's role in the team is an important one. He's the one who's always supporting everyone but that doesn't mean he's not wrestling with his own inner demons in the process.

Take the 2003 show for example. Beast Boy centric episodes definitely seemed fewer or at least more lighthearted but they were important. BB was very central to Terra's arc and while some would say it was her arc and not BB's then that's a lie too. During S2 Beast Boy grew up a lot due to that experience. He was betrayed and heartbroken and definitely grew wiser from the experience but he also never let go of what made him himself which is why he saw the good in Terra until the end.

The Beast Within is self explanatory. It gave Beast Boy a power up in the form of the Beast but also the conflict that arises from having it. Coincidentally Raven is the one who shows him its not all that bad despite how somber he's feeling about the whole ordeal. This episode highlights his heart as well. His troubles arise from the worry that he'll hurt someone with his powers, that he hurt Raven already. He wasn't worried about himself or his unstable DNA and what transforming into the Beast would mean for him during this episode but he was absolutely worried about anything he might have done to hurt others.

Season 5 starts with Beast Boy and his connection to the Doom Patrol. How he's important and valuable to the Titans but also how big his heart is once more. His inability to leave his friends, his team, behind is what makes him who he is. Beast Boy is the kind of character who's greatest strength is not his powers but how much he loves and cares for others. You'll notice it's a recurring theme in all the episodes I've highlighted because it's just a core characteristic of who he is.

Season 5 doesn't focus much on Beast Boy despite being the season with his arc but that's okay because in the final episodes we see plenty. Beast Boy is capable and a leader within his own right. He knows how to get others to take him seriously and he does not give up when responsibility falls to him. He's dependable in more ways than just one.

The thing about Beast Boy is: he doesn't mind sharing the spotlight. His character is so intertwined with the others that he has a connection with, that his best facets are highlighted when he's with them. His core components, what makes him so endearing to the viewers, is all visible in that way.

It just so happens that one of the best characters to highlight that is Raven.

Now as fans, yeah we want to see more of Gar's own struggles. It really is unfair he's delegated to funny guy like 99% of the time and we only get 1% of focus on his own trauma and issues individually. That is something DC should work on but doesn't because (un)fortunately Gar did not have the opportunity to be delegated a Bat (and thank god for that too) and who is DC if they dare care about characters who aren't bats? But anywhoo- back to Raven.

Raven doesn't hold Beast Boy back. And Beast Boy doesn't hold Raven back. They're probably the characters that do that the least for each other because their complimentary push and pull relationship is one where they're forcing each other out of their comfort zones and learning how to better themselves constantly. Yes, we see Gar help Raven a lot through her own struggles more than we see her help him but that doesn't mean he plays second fiddle to her. It's not a thing in the show and it's definitely not a thing in the comics because I remember reading different panels where it's Raven telling Beast Boy to be the leader he is and to pull himself together because he is capable of the things he's afraid he can't do.

Raven gets a lot of spotlight from DC but unfortunately it happens because they see her as disposable or one size fits all. They age her up or down and inject her anywhere they need a spare character which means she ends up getting a variety of storylines depending on which iteration of Teen Titans she's in but she's come to lack consistency in the DC universe (like most other DC characters tbh. It's a trademark of theirs by now).

Antis will say that Raven is holding Gar back because previously they used the "Gar is holding Raven back" argument and BBRae fans beat that one to death with a stick. They know they can't use it anymore because it's been refuted through all forms of canon through the years (altho they do still try). But since nuance is a thing they can't understand, they've now taken to saying "Raven is holding Gar back" as if any of them care for Beast Boy at all. The majority of BBRae antis hate BB for utter bullshit reasons so it's impossible for me to believe any majority of them have Gar's best interests as a character at heart. They'd sooner he no longer exist in DC canon than get a solid storyline. They just found it an easy pathway to negate BBRae and are utilizing it, hoping there's less proof to refute them than they had luck doing with the other way around.

As for BBRae fans themselves, I have no idea why they would say that. I am aware that there are some toxic breed of Raven stans that are very weird when it comes to shipping so I absolutely believe that there are Gar stans who are weird about shipping too (why is this something I can see live action Titans fans doing altho tbh they'd be the only ones lowkey justified in doing so cuz that's probably the only place in canon media I can think of where it's true but again that's the writers and DC's fault for pushing Gar and the other poc characters into the bg in favor of the whites)

I think you basically answered your question yourself tho. If these so called fans like to hollow out Raven to make room for a self insert in the name of shipping BBRae then it's likely they just aren't looking forward to be ostracized from TT fan communities so they claim they ship one thing to have an in with the rest of the fans and then argue against it as well.

It could also be insecurity imo. BBRae fans have been getting a lot of flack for our ship in recent years because it's the new "cringe" ship or the one that's trendy to dunk on. So it's possible that some bbrae fans, especially younger or less confrontational ones, ship it but like to be "cool" with multi shippers or other fans of Titans media who are antis by pointing out all its (made up in this case) flaws. Sort of like saying "Oh I ship it sometimes but ofc I hate that it has xyz flaws" which, don't get me wrong, is not a bad thing. Being critical of the media you consume and are entertained by is never a bad thing. But if you're making shit up just to try and fit in with other people instead of actually being critical then that sucks.

This got really long and I feel like I may have lost the point I was trying to make somewhere along the way...

Bottom line is: BB does have his arcs. They're fewer and far between and they're just not as overarching because he's sadly an underrated character usually reduced to a stereotype but they're there and actual Gar fans can spot them from a mile away. You're 100% correct in saying that it's bad writing but also DC is very much to blame for not exploring Gar's character as much as they could.

Raven is the last person to blame as a character for Gar not having any arcs because well... as we've seen above: Gar's best parts and his growth always comes from his connection to those he loves and cares about. Raven is probably on the top of the list for who he loves and cares about and this isn't just me being a BBRae shipper. Their friendship is beautiful and has a lot of depth too so I don't think I'd be wrong in saying Gar and Raven care about each other the most out of the rest of the team. So there is no way for Raven to be holding Gar back because she facilitates his growth by manner of her connection rather than hinders it. Because most of Gar's conflict and inner demons in canon arise from his fear of being incapable of helping or saving his loved ones, and so having Raven in his life is something that would force Gar to evaluate those fears and fight them instead of bury them away.

And as far as non-canon goes? Aka the type of storylines fans would like to see Gar have but he doesn't? Well Raven doesn't exist in them because those storylines don't exist to begin with because of DC's lack of care about him so Raven can hardly be put to blame for that.

Thanks for sending in the ask Anon! I'm sorry, I hope this was coherent. I lowkey have a headache so idk if it made complete sense but yeah, that's my take on this.

[sillyguyhotline]

How YTTD Challenges Conventional Norms of Emotional Strength

Hello! I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how emotional vulnerability is present throughout YTTD’s characters, particularly how Nankidai contrasts more feminine coping mechanisms with more traditionally masculine coping mechanisms. I’ve touched on this topic before (albeit less directly) when I’ve discussed why I think Nao and Kanna are criminally underrated by the fandom, but I’ve never really talked about it in detail. However, when I was talking about the misogyny in Danganronpa last night, there was always a thought in the back of my mind that YTTD was different, fundamentally better in its portrayal of female characters and femininity as a whole. And as I thought about it more, I realized that the reason I think this way is because of how well it portrays and handles emotional vulnerability of its characters.

I think, first, that it’s most important to establish how emotional vulnerability in the context of gender is most commonly portrayed. Men are typically not allowed to show emotion or to cry, and their strength is determined by their lack of emotion. Conversely, the perception that women are the weaker gender is often characterized by their increased freedom to show emotion, and any “strong female character” is simply an excessively masculine woman who’s cruel and emotionless. In fact, the version of Reko we see as a doll, the Reko before Alice’s death, is actually a perfect example of the common “strong female character.” She barely cares about her brother, she’s rude, she exhibits little to no compassion, and she lashes out at the people around her. But this is not the Reko we know and love, and in fact it is the Reko whose cruelty is exhibited by her willingness to kill a version of herself. She isn’t introduced as a good character, she’s introduced as the person Reko no longer is, the person Reko has grown past, and that is a good thing.

I also find it very interesting that the two men who are physically the strongest (Keiji and Q-taro) and who assert themselves as the most masculine leaders from the beginning actually turn out to be some of the most weak and cowardly characters in the game. Q-taro has a lot of confidence in himself and his abilities; in Russian Roulette he is proud and boastful, claiming that he is strong and experienced enough to shoot the gun. However, in the first Main Game he is scared enough of dying that he nominates the children to be killed off so he doesn’t die, he has an ending where his cowardice gets the best of him and he sacrifices everyone else in order to escape, and in one of the endings to the arbitration room attraction he is too scared to push the button. His character arc doesn’t come about because he becomes stronger or more resilient, it comes about because he realizes that his life is not the only valuable one and that compassion to the rest of the group is crucial. Keiji, too, suffers from incredible emotional weakness. Though he is incredibly muscular and centers himself as one of the group’s leaders immediately, one of his biggest flaws is his inability to deal with his own emotions. Though he’s aware of how atrocious his actions have been, he’s far more willing to hide from his problems, avoid confrontation, and take advantage of his selfishness than he is to actually make steps towards change. And this undoubtedly a flaw of his! 

Then, on the other hand, you take the third “buff” character, but the one who doesn’t immediately aim to set himself up as a strong leader. While Keiji’s first goal is to take charge of the group and Q-taro’s first goal is to establish himself as the strong one, Alice is immediately set up as a coward. Sure, when we first meet him in the locker he’s sort of intimidating, but as soon as we interview him we realize that he’s sort of an idiot and doesn’t pose much of a threat. The interesting thing, though, is that Alice is really the most emotionally mature out of all of the buff men in the game. Like Keiji, he has committed a terrible crime and has come to terms with the consequences for what he’s done, but unlike Keiji, he’s willing to take actions and make reparations. He lets himself be a more compassionate person, becoming a protector over Kanna of sorts, and he never prioritizes his own well-being over that of the people he cares for. He is a fully-fledged, unapologetically emotional character who doesn’t try to bury his problems in the hopes that they won’t come back to haunt him. Out of all of the “strong” male characters, his approach to his issues is a rather feminine one, but it ends up being the one that cements him as a better person than the others.

Now, I set this up while talking about Keiji’s lack of emotional vulnerability, but I believe that one of the biggest components playing into it is how trust is such a huge factor in the game. And this begins to involve Shin, too. It becomes clear throughout the course of the game that one of the only reasons Sara has made it this far is because she harbors the ability to put her trust in others and because they put their trust in her. We see, then, that Shin becomes an enemy to the group because he refuses to trust any of them and mocks all of them for being so willing to trust the others. Our biggest point of contention with Keiji, as well, is when he refuses to share his Me-Tokens with us out of fear that we could learn something about his backstory. Both men have terrible experiences with vulnerability, and they loathe the prospect of putting their trust into anyone else for fear of what could happen with it. However… the game sets this up as a very bad thing. Lack of vulnerability turns Shin into a villain, and the only way that he manages to redeem himself is by utilizing his compassion for Kanna and sacrificing himself. Keiji, similarly, loses his credibility as a person because he refuses to be vulnerable, and his distrust of himself and avoidance of his problems are what make Midori’s attacks hit so hard in 3-1A. Our villain characters exist because they cannot trust anyone, because they cannot be vulnerable, and in the same way we see Sara turning into a villain as she loses her trust in the rest of the group.

To tie this all together, I think that this is why Nao and Kanna are undoubtedly the strongest characters in the game- because they are female characters who are allowed to show emotion, because they are allowed to show their trauma, and they’re allowed to grow past that. When we’re introduced to Nao, she’s already someone who appears very weak in a feminine sense, panicking and freaking out in response to the situation. Kanna is the same; her sister is dead, and this has left her as a weeping, emotional mess. Nao’s condition only gets worse as the game goes on; she loses the mentor who’s most important to her, and in a blind panic she ends up causing a lot of harm and concern to her fellow participants. In any other game, this would probably have been where the characters of these two would have stopped, or even how they would have ended. They’re women, they’re not supposed to be strong, they already have weak and emotional coping mechanisms for their problems. However, Nankidai lets the two of them grow past this point while still letting them retain their more emotional components. Nao lets herself retain her memory and affection for Mishima, but she makes the conscious decision to abandon the AI and work with Shin to combat the evil one. Kanna retains her friendship with Shin, but she does so carefully, displaying enough kindness to him to make him change his heart. Even when she tearfully pleads for Sara to let her die, it comes from a point of what she considers emotional wisdom and her own evaluation of her usefulness to the group. If she’s left alive, her character comes full-circle and she realizes that she does, in fact, have value to the group, which gives her the will to live on. Both of these women have well-developed character arcs that allow them to feel vulnerability and emotion. They become stronger and wiser people without fundamentally changing who they are, and their femininity doesn’t have to be compromised or belittled for them to become better people. Though they are physically the weakest characters and have some of the biggest low points of the game, they are in fact well-developed and emotionally mature. Their vulnerability is what gives them this opportunity, and it truly wraps together how well Nankidai portrays femininity and vulnerability in his story. 

[maydaymadier]

Time

[Disclaimer: I’m currently slightly more than halfway through the c2 finale and I’m going to try and avoid spoilers since well, there’s still like 3hrs of content to get spoiled on.  Will likely crosspost to my ao3]

“Time, it takes time, not days or weeks or years.  Time.”

Caleb Widogast was right, though to be precise it takes 100 consecutive days of inscribing a teleportation circle in the same place to make it permanent.  Nicodranas was the first teleportation circle Essek Thelyss finished.  100 days of pounding sun and coastal heat felt fitting to start his time.  He had his trepidations about better acquainting himself with Yussa, less so with Ms. Lavorre.  The Nein asked why he needed to make a teleportation circle in Nicodranas, they already had access to Tidepeak Tower’s.  ‘Yes, however, we will not have to give anyone advance notice to use our own.’  

Jester made something of a habit of bringing him a new parasol or sunhat each time she visited, even brought him tinted glasses she found once.  If he knew she was coming he’d make sure to wear one of them.  

Each time he ran out of chalk he’d wrap himself in illusion and teleport himself to Zadash.  Meanwhile, the stores in his towers grew dust-laden, his absence from the Dynasty more suspicious, and he bought his chalk from Enchanter Sol.  The Mighty Nein were a family, regardless of any distance, and he had the means to make distance mean nothing.  So Essek Thelyss carried on.  And on the hundredth day, he stepped into a circle in Nicodranas and stepped out in the Blooming Grove.

He was invited in for tea, as expected, and accepted as was polite.  The next day he found the spot behind the temple where the grass had been flattened by the circle delivering him and started his next hundred days.  He ‘compensated’ for his intrusion with his floating meditative guard each night.  Caduceus seemed to pick up on what he was doing faster than Jester had, by a thin margin.  The remaining Clay children would poke their noses in once and a while, curious about their drow visitor they’d only met briefly before but they remembered him helping garden after Ikithon set the temple ablaze.  They would offer him a plate at meals, he insisted on using his own rations in a strange dance of hospitality and being a polite guest.  

At one point, after finishing the day’s circle he considered venturing through the Savalirwood to Glory Run Road, find Mollymauk’s grave.  But it felt disrespectful to Kingsley somehow in a way he couldn’t articulate.  If he were to be more dramatic it felt like an invasion of privacy to the rest of the Nein as a whole, intruding on a moment on a place where they were unknowing adversaries.  So he kept inscribing circles in the grass and sometimes he found fresh chalk in his component pouch.  On occasion, Caduceus found saplings and cuttings of Xorhasian plants on his windowsill.

On the hundredth day he stepped into the circle in the Blooming Grove and came out under Caduceus’s tree in the Xorhaus.  He was far more careful with this one.  The Xorhaus was sparsely used, bordering on abandoned at this point, more than ready for the Nein to inhabit it once again.  Beauregard, oft accompanied by Yasha, used it the most for when they visited Rosohna on Cobalt Soul business.  The Bright Queen had been more than amenable to working with the Soul once she knew they were dismantling the organization that had stolen the beacons.  

Though it took three days before Beau realized he was working on making a circle on the roof, pruning away his extra time by trying to tame the garden, clad in his rose-patterned gardening gloves, what with his lackluster previous experience.  She offered to go bring him chalk from his towers, anything else he might need that he’d left behind when he was posted in Eiselcross.  He accepted the offer, to eschew suspicion, asking for some simple components that filled any wizard’s pouch.  Sooner than later, soon enough Beau couldn’t knock the truth out of him (not that she needed to do that or would, he was growing increasingly susceptible to disappointed stares from his friends) he stepped into the circle in Rosohna and stepped out in Rexxentrum.

His skin crawled and felt like it would slough off with each passing day.  He wasn’t so bold at this point to attempt and make a circle on Soltryce’s grounds but he did take pleasure in chipping away the next hundred days in the courtyard of Trent Ikithon’s now abandoned tower.  It was a joy, absolutely cathartic tearing apart what little remained hidden away of the bastard’s stores.  The most valuable and precious artifacts and components were hidden in ways only an archmage would even know about or know how to unlock.  Malicious clumsiness might have gotten him to break an important, now inert, magical tool or two as he rummaged through the tower for chalk.  

Though one day, he noticed an owl perched in a tree, watch him for an hour, disappear for a few minutes, reappear, so on and so forth for the whole day.  He had a good idea who the owl was but she never watched him again after that.  If she wanted to know what he was doing here, fine.  It wasn’t like either could rat out the other without drawing unwanted attention to them both.  So on the hundredth day, what little remained of Trent Ikithon’s personal study even more thoroughly destroyed, he stepped into the circle in Rosohna and stepped out.

Essek chipped away at the for now final circle under the watchful light of Pelor.  Passively, the part of him that absorbed every ounce of knowledge, regardless if he cared or not, wondered what the connection may be between whatever the Luxon is and the Dawnfather.  Just a fun little thought experiment to occupy him while he worked through the next hundred days.

By the end of Brussendar, with Highsummer fast approaching, he’d decided that he ought to have brought at least one of Jester’s hats.  Though more importantly he’d decided that the thought was silly and any connection between the two deities must be entirely aesthetic.  Nothing he didn’t already know but what else can a wizard do but overthink?

It wasn’t the same level of festivities he’d heard about with Harvest’s Close but Highsummer seemed to be the close second in Blumenthal.  He sat, disguised in the shade of an oak probably as old as he was and simply watched from afar.  Somewhere in the crowd, he saw a flash of copper.  Tried not to think to much of it.  Red hair seemed slightly more common in this corner of the empire.  He caught the sweeping arc of a long, striped scarf being tossed over a shoulder.  A leather coat dusting at the ground (though he had looked so good in purple).

Caleb Widogast stepped out of the crowd and sat under the oak with him, “I suppose a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.” “I suppose I have,” Essek stared at his feet. Caleb offered him some sort of sweet roll wrapped in paper, “I was not talking about you.” He ignored the comment, “How long has it been?  Since we last spoke.” “Four hundred and eighty-six days.  About a year and a half to be informal,” he just set down the roll next to his hand when he didn’t move to take it. “I keep thinking one day it will have been enough time.” “Looking for the specific number will drive you mad.  Are you just going to keep making circles across Wildemount until you feel that you’ve atoned?” Essek took the roll but only held it,  “I know that I cannot make up for everything.  What are you doing here, anyways?” “I have been trying to convince myself to visit.  Maybe try to pay my respects if I can stomach it.  The others had already told me what you were doing, but Astrid told me where you were going.  Figured now was good a time as any,” his expression darkened, the reality beyond the afterglow of a hard-won victory whispering into both their ears. “I-,” Essek started. “Did you know I was from here before you picked it or did you just want to taunt Rexxentrum by hiding in their breadbasket for a while?” Caleb stared him down. “I knew.” “Alright then.” “I hope I have not intruded in some way by coming here.” “I suppose we were both curious about the echo.  It’s right up your alley, prodigious dunamancer and whatnot,” Caleb glanced back up at the revelers before turning his attention back to him “I would not discount your own skill, you’ve picked up dunamancy quite quickly and with a level of skill I have rarely seen.”  Maybe they can just talk about magic. “Danke.” There was an uncomfortable pause in the conversation.

“When do you think-?” Essek tried asking. “I don’t.  I will not pretend to know when enough time will have passed for the past not to hurt us anymore, Essek.  And counting it in teleportation circles will not make it go any faster,” he said, though with the crushing sadness to his eyes of a man who wished he were wrong. “I am trying to make it easier for us to see each other,” he said with easy authority. “It is much easier to see each other when we don’t run off to the four corners,” Caleb added on with a tired chuckle. “What are you implying?”  Something caught between excitement and unease hit him. “I can stay.  Help you finish the circle here, we can leave, make another.  As many circles as we want.  We can have the continent at our fingertips.  Maybe even go back to what remains of Aeor in Eiselcross.  Devexian couldn’t have been the only mechanical inhabitant.  For all we know there is a city of automatons underneath the ice now,” Caleb got more excited and dreamy as he went on, the unbridled excitement of a mage faced with knowledge. “That sounds...nice...,” Essek trailed off, trying to sound as neutral as he could manage. “Do you want that, Essek?”

It felt like the word was tearing its way out of him, “Yes.”