#modern tools for project management

[cyber-soul-smartz]

Mastering Project Management Problem-Solving Techniques

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In today’s dynamic business world, the ability to solve problems effectively is not just a skill, it’s a superpower. Whether you’re leading a small team or a large-scale initiative, our guide is your key to mastering this superpower. It will equip you with the essential techniques, modern tools, and a proactive mindset to turn every challenge into an opportunity for growth and innovation. Let’s…

[hellenhighwater]

Hmm....how hard can large scale mosaic possibly be? I feel like my plans for the room I'm working on could use something really shiny and impactful and maybe I want to make a fold-down cutting table and maybe I want to do it out of mosaic, even though that will be ungodly heavy.

It's a fun idea. I'm not sure if it's a good idea.

I haven't done mosaic since a one-off high school art class but I feel like the component skills are ones I already have, sooooo....

I have been keeping to a blue and gold celestial theme for both my guest room and my art workspaces, because if and when I move those spaces are likely to be combined. Cutting table, even though it would be for a different room, falls in the same vein, so I'm thinking something with a nice dark night sky and maybe some branches or leaves...

[advaiya-solutions]

Today's workplace is witnessing more disruption than ever before. Employees desire the flexibility to work from anywhere on any device with tools that boost productivity and enhance their work experience. These issues have driven organizations to embrace modern workplace solutions to provide seamless data and app delivery across multiple locations while safeguarding their endpoint devices.

[empty-movement]

May I ask what scanners / equipment / software you're using in the utena art book project? I'm an artist and half the reason I rarely do traditional art is because I'm never happy with the artwork after it's scanned in. But the level of detail even in the blacks of Utena's uniform were all captured so beautifully! And even the very light colors are showing up so well! I'd love to know how you manage!

You know what's really fun? This used to be something you put in your site information section, the software and tools used! Not something that's as normal anymore, but let's give it a go, sorry it's long because I don't know what's new information and what's not! Herein: VANNA'S 'THIS IS AS SPECIFIC AS MY BREAK IS LONG' GUIDE/AIMLESS UNEDITED RAMBLE ABOUT SCANNING IMAGES

Scanning: Modern scanners, by and large, are shit for this. The audience for scanning has narrowed to business and work from home applications that favor text OCR, speed, and efficiency over archiving and scanning of photos and other such visual media. It makes sense--there was a time when scanning your family photographs and such was a popular expected use of a scanner, but these days, the presumption is anything like that is already digital--what would you need the scanner to do that for? The scanner I used for this project is the same one I have been using for *checks notes* a decade now. I use an Epson Perfection V500. Because it is explicitly intended to be a photo scanner, it does threebthings that at this point, you will pay a niche user premium for in a scanner: extremely high DPI (dots per inch), extremely wide color range, and true lossless raws (BMP/TIFF.) I scan low quality print media at 600dpi, high quality print media at 1200 dpi, and this artbook I scanned at 2400 dpi. This is obscene and results in files that are entire GB in size, but for my purposes and my approach, the largest, clearest, rawest copy of whatever I'm scanning is my goal. I don't rely on the scanner to do any post-processing. (At these sizes, the post-processing capacity of the scanner is rendered moot, anyway.) I will replace this scanner when it breaks by buying another identical one if I can find it. I have dropped, disassembled to clean, and abused this thing for a decade and I can't believe it still tolerates my shit. The trade off? Only a couple of my computers will run the ancient capture software right. LMAO. I spent a good week investigating scanners because of the insane Newtype project on my backburner, and the quality available to me now in a scanner is so depleted without spending over a thousand on one, that I'd probably just spin up a computer with Windows 7 on it just to use this one. That's how much of a difference the decade has made in what scanners do and why. (Enshittification attacks! Yes, there are multiple consumer computer products that have actually declined in quality over the last decade.)

Post-processing: Photoshop. Sorry. I have been using Photoshop for literally decades now, it's the demon I know. While CSP is absolutely probably the better piece of software for most uses (art,) Photoshop is...well it's in the name. In all likelihood though, CSP can do all these things, and is a better product to give money to. I just don't know how. NOTENOTENOTE: Anywhere I discuss descreening and print moire I am specifically talking about how to clean up *printed media.* If you are scanning your own painting, this will not be a problem, but everything else about this advice will stand! The first thing you do with a 2400 dpi scan of Utena and Anthy hugging? Well, you open it in Photoshop, which you may or may not have paid for. Then you use a third party developer's plug-in to Descreen the image. I use Sattva. Now this may or may not be what you want in archiving!!! If fidelity to the original scan is the point, you may pass on this part--you are trying to preserve the print screen, moire, half-tones, and other ways print media tricks the eye. If you're me, this tool helps translate the raw scan of the printed dots on the page into the smooth color image you see in person. From there, the vast majority of your efforts will boil down to the following Photoshop tools: Levels/Curves, Color Balance, and Selective Color. Dust and Scratches, Median, Blur, and Remove Noise will also be close friends of the printed page to digital format archiver. Once you're happy with the broad strokes, you can start cropping and sizing it down to something reasonable. If you are dealing with lots of images with the same needs, like when I've scanned doujinshi pages, you can often streamline a lot of this using Photoshop Actions.

My blacks and whites are coming out so vivid this time because I do all color post-processing in Photoshop after the fact, after a descreen tool has been used to translate the dot matrix colors to solids they're intended to portray--in my experience trying to color correct for dark and light colors is a hot mess until that process is done, because Photoshop sees the full range of the dots on the image and the colors they comprise, instead of actually blending them into their intended shades. I don't correct the levels until I've descreened to some extent.

As you can see, the print pattern contains the information of the original painting, but if you try to correct the blacks and whites, you'll get a janky mess. *Then* you change the Levels:

If you've ever edited audio, then dealing with photo Levels and Curves will be familiar to you! A well cut and cleaned piece of audio will not cut off the highs and lows, but also will make sure it uses the full range available to it. Modern scanners are trying to do this all for you, so they blow out the colors and increase the brightness and contrast significantly, because solid blacks and solid whites are often the entire thing you're aiming for--document scanning, basically. This is like when audio is made so loud details at the high and low get cut off. Boo.

What I get instead is as much detail as possible, but also at a volume that needs correcting:

Cutting off the unused color ranges (in this case it's all dark), you get the best chance of capturing the original black and white range:

In some cases, I edit beyond this--for doujinshi scans, I aim for solid blacks and whites, because I need the file sizes to be normal and can't spend gigs of space on dust. For accuracy though, this is where I'd generally stop.

For scanning artwork, the major factor here that may be fucking up your game? Yep. The scanner. Modern scanners are like cheap microphones that blow out the audio, when what you want is the ancient microphone that captures your cat farting in the next room over. While you can compensate A LOT in Photoshop and bring out blacks and whites that scanners fuck up, at the end of the day, what's probably stopping you up is that you want to use your scanner for something scanners are no longer designed to do well. If you aren't crazy like me and likely to get a vintage scanner for this purpose, keep in mind that what you are looking for is specifically *a photo scanner.* These are the ones designed to capture the most range, and at the highest DPI. It will be a flatbed. Don't waste your time with anything else.

Hot tip: if you aren't scanning often, look into your local library or photo processing store. They will have access to modern scanners that specialize in the same priorities I've listed here, and many will scan to your specifications (high dpi, lossless.)

Ahem. I hope that helps, and or was interesting to someone!!!

[fatehbaz]

"Industry" as a frame of meaning is [...] relevant from the beginning of [modern-era labor advocacy and the general practice of intentionally "taking it easy" or "slowing down" while at work in order to advocate for and take care of oneself] [...], a form of "working badly" [...]. This close link is understandable given the absolute focus on efficiency that marks management thinking - Taylorism [Frederick Taylor's time studies and his support for using stopwatches to micro-manage in the workplace], the Gilbreths' time and motion studies [...]. [W]e can feel that trace of disgust, a certain sneering affect [...]. The sneer gathers around the word "motionless," [...]. The promise of the “upstanding citizen” is posed against the figure of the cripple, etymologically bound to the one who creeps, who stays low, to the one who is not proud and erect and in public view. In this way, that figure - along with the hobbled, the mute, the blind, the mad, the deaf, the chronic, and, of course, the paralyzed - becomes the exemplary negative definition. [...] [T]he only culturally sanctioned options are to be hidden from public life or recuperated [...]. That [...] fantasy of [a] return to previous levels of mobility that aligns easily with ableist conceptions of normal function and health [...] is also grounded in the specific idea of a return to ["productivity"] [...].

We can find this dynamic in especially dramatic form in the influential work of early twentieth-century “scientific management” theorists Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, known both for their time and motion studies of labor processes [...]. [T]he Gilbreths are relentlessly devoted to the reduction of inefficiency in labor to save energy, reduce unnecessary fatigue, and, above all, neutralize the fundamental “waste” of effort and time hidden within every human movement, particularly when at work. According to Frank and Lillian, “there is no waste of any kind in the world that equals the waste from needless, ill-directed, and ineffective motions, and their resulting unnecessary fatigue.” The battle against this “waste” gets posed as a civilizational battle stretching back across human history, only now conquerable with modern means, yet theirs is also a project with explicitly nationalist overtones that can be strategically couched to suit a war economy and a desire for American imperial hegemony.

---

The solution they propose is a total analytical dissection of labor processes, breaking single tasks into discrete parts to detect the little gaps in time that could be closed. Such minute lags and “micromotions” will necessarily get missed without the tools the Gilbreths turn to, like moving picture cameras - turned to face workers with chronometers in front of the lens and reticular grids on the wall behind for scale - and a “chronocyclegraph,” which allowed them to zoom in on a single gesture to see its tiny deviations and wasted movements frame by frame. In their methodology, delays and breakdowns take a form almost directly counter to simple malingering or the kind of willful self-stasis that Spargo denounced. Rather, what causes the inefficiency that the Gilbreths target is too much movement, an excess of animacy and motions that need not be done to complete a task, resulting in unnecessary fatigue and wasted opportunities for profit.

Yet at the heart of this, there is one figure seen to most embody this “wasted” energy and time in full - not in a specific action, badly choreographed task, or laziness, but in their entire being. This is what they designated as the “cripple,” [...].

---

“What,” the Gilbreths ask, “is to be done with these millions of cripples, when their injuries have been remedied as far as possible, and when they are obliged to become again a part of the working community?” [...] The “cripple” therefore emblematizes the waste of America’s “human resources” for the Gilbreths. It manifests a physical limit - the body that is conventionally seen to be unable to do productive work - but also a political one that they cannot even fathom, or at least allow publicly: the idea that anyone might challenge either the supposed utility of this frenzy of streamlined work or the very category of what constitutes “waste” itself. For the Gilbreths, the “elimination of waste” is not merely a project of capital. It is a civilization-scale undertaking that benefits all involved in the process: “All workers are sharing in the savings made possible by the elimination of waste.” [...]

It is not mere surveillance, increased policing, or something that openly oppresses and invites a revolt. Instead, it is a mode of management and control that seeks to saturate every step of the process, all the while insisting that what’s good for profit is good for those whose stolen time generates that profit.

---

All text above by: Evan Calder Williams. "On Paralysis, Part 3". e-flux Journal Issue #147. September 2024. Published online at: e-flux dot com slash journal/147/624989/on-paralysis-part-3/. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Text within brackets added by me for clarity/context. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism.]

[songoftrillium]

The release of Werewolf: the Apocalypse 5th Edition has evoked a sense of urgent inspiration in me. I found the news inspiring because it marks the launch of a new product that rings so close to the original game in which its new premises instantly evoke a lost-world setting perfect for new players to uncover through revelation. And with it, a sense of urgency that a large chunk of the game’s horror pathos and cultural representation will be lost in lieu of chronicles centered around direct action, high entertainment, and transactional resolution.

First and foremost, I applaud the efforts of anyone wanting to excise Werewolf: the Apocalypse, and it’s fandom, of it’s toxic player base that has festered far too long. Anyone taking that on isn’t blind to something that is both wonderful and incredibly problematic, and it requires a collaborative effort to address meaningfully. It means being willing to internalize hard and profoundly uncomfortable truths. 

When I look at the prior editions, I consider its inherent value and feel that the things that made the original editions of Werewolf so special to me don’t entirely align with a large portion of it’s old player base. This is not for those players. In some ways my aim with this is small, with the understanding my target audience is also small, and this space exists for them. 

Werewolf: the Essentials is a project culminating my 25 years of entertaining and horrifying players. This is a carefully curated gaming experience tailored to Queer tabletop audiences primarily, although I am confident it will resonate with many others as well. This started as something I was working on alone but quickly has grown to include a pack of other avid Players and Storytellers who have felt left behind by the current direction of the gameline. I am laying out every little trick, twist, and ounce of Storytelling experience I have acquired over the years. In many ways, this is the quintessence of my inclusive World of Darkness, and a passion project that I hope those who read this may too come to appreciate.

In the first and second editions of the various splats published across the World of Darkness, the Storytellers Handbook gave Storytellers the raw narrative tools to convey the world to their troupe of players. As time has progressed, the sourcebooks to follow have greatly expanded to include Garou society, their relationship to Gaia, and to each other. As the editions expanded what they made available to Storytellers and Players, some of the original content of earlier editions was left out. By the time the 20th Anniversary Edition was being written, many of the edits were made to cut back a bit on the roughage and “get to the meat and potatoes” of mechanics crunch. In that way, the edits were a complete success, but something important was lost.

The earlier ST guides laid out explicitly that the World of Darkness is first and foremost a horror game. Essays within their pages provide advice on using textural descriptions and different modes of storytelling to lure in players and make the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end. These remarkable essays are now lost to those who don’t possess the older editions. They serve as a toolset that could be applied across any RPG, and not just Werewolf alone.

W20 fell short of delivering a fully serviceable RPG to it’s Storytellers, however well-intentioned. It had all of the main bones of the setting and stats but no guidance on how to turn it into a game for one’s players. Taking it a step further, some of the writing in this new edition only managed to alienate modern audiences. 

The use of in-character narration to express setting information in prior editions seems an attempt to convey the horror and pathos of the world that would be difficult to get across in stats alone. The information contained in that first-person text is among the most important parts of the setting, but it often fails to convey the true horror of the world of Garou. In many ways the World of Darkness was intended by those who created it to be a place of genuine terror and horror, and not merely “savagery” for its own sake. Horror is a very complex basal guttural emotion that sits in the ganglia, ready to tug the emergency brakes on your body in the presence of what it believes to be a tangible threat. There are many complex higher emotions, but when it comes to the lizard brain, it takes considerable effort to trick it into getting spooked. Invoking a sense of horror in a horror chronicle is a complex enough endeavor that, by and large, these efforts fell short of delivering that experience. 

Werewolf: the Essentials is to serve as a masterclass in using those old tools to introduce new players not just to Werewolf and the World of Darkness on the whole. It gives these important storytelling tools to new and future storytellers in any game, that they might continue genuinely terrifying their players for many more years to come. The passages found in this series can add narrative value to not just Werewolf, or even Vampire and other World of Darkness tables, but also horror writing on the whole. Furthermore, this project aims to streamline the availability of that information and provide guidelines for Storytellers wishing to conduct research using the labyrinthian older editions.

Every sourcebook in this series will grow with your tables, providing increasingly more powerful stats, guidelines for making more powerful NPCs and PCs, and serve as a continuation of the legacy games’ metaplot. Some elements you’ll be reading will, for older players, be surprising at times. Some historical events are shifted further in the past, and others eliminated entirely. This project aims to make the presentation of the game a little more timeless, so it’ll hold relevance to tables now, as much as it will 20 or 40 years from now.  The World of Darkness is now something far too large for any one person to fully comprehend while providing enough tools for one to explore deep lore that holds the most relevance to their tables.

Werewolf: the Apocalypse has a long history of problematic and exclusionary elements, both in it’s fandom and, sadly, often in it’s published work. Despite this, I see more value in this game than the literature would have you believe at face value. This project is an attempt to increase the inclusivity in this game I love while also helping introduce new players and Storytellers to this world. This is a glimpse of something absolutely beautiful, horrifying, and unique, contributed to by a group of equally passionate artists and writers. Even if the best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the next best time is today. If you can listen critically, and take the lessons between these pages, then maybe you too can come to find the Glory, Honor, and Wisdom within the depths of our darkest fears.

Book 1: Cliath launches October 31st, 2024 on Storyteller's Vault

[bliow]

AGARTHA Aİ - DEVASA+ (2)

In today’s digital landscape, a captivating and functional website is crucial for any business looking to thrive online. Full service web design encompasses a comprehensive approach, ensuring every aspect of your site is tailored to meet your unique needs. From the initial concept to the final launch, this service provides an array of offerings, including website service, responsive web design, and custom design services. Whether you’re a startup seeking to establish your brand or an established enterprise aiming to enhance your online presence, understanding the elements of full service web design is essential. 

Full service web design

Full service web design encompasses all aspects of creating a website, from initial conceptualization to ongoing maintenance. This approach ensures that every detail is carefully considered to meet the specific needs of a business or individual. With a team of experienced designers and developers, full service web design offers a seamless experience that integrates aesthetics, functionality, and user experience.

One of the key advantages of opting for a full service web design is the cohesion of the website elements. Since all parts of the project are managed by a single team, there is less chance for miscommunication or inconsistency in design. This results in a more polished final product that reflects the brand’s identity while providing an engaging experience for visitors.

Additionally, full service web design allows for customized solutions tailored to unique requirements. Whether you need an e-commerce platform, a portfolio site, or a blog, a full service provider will offer dedicated support and expert advice throughout the entire process, ensuring your vision comes to life exactly as you imagined.

Website service

In today's digital landscape, website service is essential for businesses to thrive and maintain an online presence. A well-structured website serves as a powerful tool that encourages customer engagement and drives sales. By investing in a comprehensive website service, businesses can ensure that their website not only looks great but also functions seamlessly across all devices.

A key aspect of website service is the ability to optimize for search engines. By implementing SEO best practices, businesses can enhance their visibility and attract more organic traffic. This is where a reliable website service provider plays a crucial role, as they possess the expertise and techniques necessary to elevate your search engine rankings.

Furthermore, ongoing support and maintenance are vital components of a reliable website service. As technology evolves and user needs change, having a team that can promptly address issues or updates will keep your website relevant and effective in reaching target audiences. This ongoing relationship is instrumental in achieving long-term success in the digital realm.

Responsive web design

Responsive web design is an essential aspect of modern web development that ensures a seamless user experience across a variety of devices. With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, having a website that adapts to different screen sizes is not just a luxury but a necessity.

The core principle of responsive web design is fluidity. This means that the layout of your website adjusts dynamically based on the screen width, ensuring that content remains accessible and visually appealing regardless of the device used. This approach improves usability and can significantly boost conversion rates.

Incorporating responsive web design techniques involves using flexible grids, images, and CSS media queries. These elements work together to create a layout that responds gracefully to changes in screen size, making your website not only functional but also competitive in the digital marketplace.

Custom design services

In today's digital landscape, custom design services have emerged as a vital component of creating a strong online presence. Businesses understand that a one-size-fits-all approach does not cater to their unique needs and branding. Therefore, opting for custom design services allows them to differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

These services offer tailored solutions that resonate with a company's specifics, from colors to typography and layout. By leveraging custom design services, businesses can ensure that their websites not only reflect their brand identity but also provide an intuitive user experience. This is crucial for keeping visitors engaged and encouraging them to take the desired actions.

Investing in custom design services ultimately contributes to better customer satisfaction and improved conversion rates. With a website designed specifically for their target audience, businesses can more effectively communicate their message and achieve their goals. This bespoke approach is invaluable in today's competitive environment.

[kpd-zero]

I woke up one morning with the thought of “what if tf2 mercs models were made in 2024 with modern tools and PBR and stuff” and since then I've been torturing myself with trying to recreate sniper's model in zbrush. So far I've been weirdly proud of how I managed to sculpt his knees, I'm even tempted to dress him in shorts. Sculpting the shoes was a joy. The face wasn't, that's why I'm not going to show it yet. Hope he's not going to get buried in the graveyard of my unfinished projects.

[cyber-soul-smartz]

Evolution of Project Management Tools: A Historical Journey

Explore the evolution of project management tools from handwritten notes to AI-driven platforms! Read our latest article for valuable insights and stay ahead in your career. Click to read the full article and subscribe for more updates!

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - July 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Footage reveals 'miracle eagle chick' in flight

“In an unprecedented display of extended eagle parenting, the two white-tailed parents skipped this year's breeding season to continue to tend to their year-old offspring. The youngster's wing was broken when the nest fell to the ground during unseasonably wild weather last year. […] The fully-grown chick was being fed fish by its parents, caring behaviour that the eagle expert described as “unprecedented” for the birds. […] “If an immature bird was to reappear near its nesting parents or any other pair the following year [after dispersing], it would likely be aggressively chased away. That’s why this is so exceptional.””

2. Rare wild horses back on Kazakhstan’s Golden Steppe after being saved from extinction

“For the first time in at least 200 years, wild Przewalski's horses have returned to Kazakhstan’s Golden Steppe. [...] Przewalski's horses are considered the last truly wild horse left on the planet as other species like the American Mustang are descended from domesticated animals. The species were once common across the vast steppes of Central Asia. [...] The zoo will also be sending some Przewalski’s to Mongolia in 2026 where a reintroduction programme has seen their population boom to well over 850 animals.”

3. For one Austin summer camp, public transit is part of the adventure

“[... “O]ver 90% of the kids will tell you that their favorite part of ATX Kids Club is riding the bus.” That’s the program’s goal: getting kids to have fun on public transit so they’ll grow up using it. The nonprofit’s summer camp, which takes kids ages 4 to 12 on field trip “adventures” around the city, uses Capital Metro buses as its main form of transportation. [...] Before camp, [the field trip leader] said, he believed in stereotypes about transit being dirty and “scary” — but his experience with Austin’s bus system has been the opposite so far.”

4. Brazil Prevents Meta from Using People to Power Its AI

“[…P]ersonal photos of Brazilian children are used to build powerful AI tools without their knowledge or consent. In turn, others use these tools to create malicious deepfakes, putting even more children at risk of harm. […] The Brazilian government’s decision is a powerful, proactive move to protect people’s data privacy in the face of swiftly evolving uses and misuses of AI. Yesterday’s action especially helps to protect children from worrying that their personal data, shared with friends and family on Meta’s platforms, might be used to harm them in ways that are impossible to anticipate or guard against.”

5. Ambitious Living Shoreline Project Combats Coastal Land Loss in South Carolina

“Living shorelines stabilize coastlines by reducing the impacts of waves and rising sea levels. They are made of materials that promote the growth of marsh grasses and commercially important species like oysters and crabs. […C]oastal sites could offset almost 80 percent of tidal habitat loss with careful conservation and management. […] Young people in this AmeriCorps program receive training, a living stipend, an education award, and connections to potential employers.”

6. Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge announces proposal to modernize water infrastructure

“Under the refuge’s proposal, the Service would improve 4,400 feet of an earthen water delivery ditch, rehabilitate 1,200 feet of Upper Lake Dam, develop 100 feet of new diversion channel into critical nesting habit for federally endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, modernize current water monitoring stations and improve 640 feet of the Pahranagat Ditch Drain. […] The improvements will result in significant habitat improvements for multiple bird species, [… and] also enhance flood control holding capabilities of the Upper Lake for the Pahranagat Valley.”

7. New chemical process separates textile fibers for easier recycling

“A combined team of chemical and biomolecular engineers [... have] developed a way to chemically separate fibers in textiles, allowing them to be recycled more quickly and cheaply than conventional methods. [... T]hey found they could break apart the textiles in as little as 15 minutes. They also noted that the process [breaks down polyester and spandex into] organic compound[s] that could conceivably be used to create more polyester. [... T]he material integrity of both the nylon and the cotton were retained, suggesting they could be used to make new batches of clothes.”

8. Pongamia trees grow where citrus once flourished, offering renewable energy and plant-based protein

“[Some Floridian] farmers are turning to the pongamia tree, a climate-resilient tree with the potential to produce plant-based proteins and a sustainable biofuel. […] Pongamia trees also don't need fertilizer or pesticides. They flourish in drought or rainy conditions. And they don't require teams of workers to pick the beans. […] The legume is now being used to produce several products, including Panova table oil, Kona protein bars and protein flour. The legumes also produce oil that can be used as a biofuel, largely for aviation, which leaves a very low carbon footprint[….]”

9. Trans candidate celebrates receiving more votes than anti-trans campaigner Posie Parker

“An independent trans candidate says that she hopes receiving more total votes than anti-trans campaigner Posie Parker at the general election will show trans children that they are loved. […] Bristol Central was won by Green Party’s out bisexual co-leader Carla Denyer, while Parker received just 196 votes, equal to 0.5 per cent[….] Elsewhere, trans candidate Sophie Molly secured 225 votes standing as an independent at the other end of the country, in Aberdeen South[….]”

10. Ohio zoo celebrates birth of critically endangered western lowland gorilla

“The Columbus Zoo said the gorilla was born June 29 and first-time mother Sue is "very attentive and providing excellent care to her little one, who she nuzzles and cradles closely." […] “With tiny hands and beautiful big brown eyes that melt our hearts, this baby is absolutely precious—in regard to both the cuteness factor and what the baby represents for this species’ future. We are proud of the dedication of our care teams who diligently work to provide the gorillas with top quality care and wellbeing while continuing the legacy of the Columbus Zoo’s renowned gorilla program,” said Audra Meinelt, curator of the Columbus Zoo’s Congo Expedition region.”

June 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2024-09-09

It was Bandcamp Friday last friday so those go up front:

Listening: First up God's Country by Chat Pile which I cannot remember why I found it but is extremely noisy metal. Blunt, to the point.

A Dog A Deer A Seal by Hit Bargain has featured on a Monday before but now I actually bought the album, here's the title track. Very modern-style rock.

The Envoy by Gavlina Rayna Russom, her first solo album after leaving LCD Soundsystem, soundscape electronic and voice based on The Left Hand of Darkness.

Cyberspace Database by Fornax Void, sort of the evil mirror dimension version of Businessfunk which now that I think about it has never come up on here? Incredible. Anyway a sort of fantasy soundscape for a cyberspace environment. Huge album too, like 50 songs.

Alright back to our regularly scheduled programming

Watching: New! Dynamo! Dreams! from Ian Hubert,

This is the first time we're back at what was started in Ep1 so there is in fact some kind of plot, although the series remains supremely vibes-based. Excellent extensive rampaging robotaxi sequence. Dynamo Dreams is mostly about the props and atmosphere.

Reading: Finished The Tyrant Baru Cormorant after a brief lapse in reading. It's got problems! I really like a lot of it but it keeps on pausing the book to tell us about the blogs and wikipedia pages Seth Dickinson has been reading. Have you heard of Euler's Formula? What about the evolutionary argument for homosexuality? Yo did you hear about plants that avert scurvy? I am going to tell you about these in a boringly straightforward didactic way for the next 200 pages while occasionally progressing the plot.

Things I like: There is a very real sense of trying to balance everyone's schemes. Despite the fantasy communication techniques there's a lot of hidden information that gets used well, and the vibe of Baru's person-blindness is felt heavily but by anyone trying to make a plan run smoothly. Baru gets so messed up over the course of these books and it works to demonstrate how she's taking herself to pieces to make this work.

When Baru is actually doing her thing you can ignore the sort of awkward frankensteined nature of the world around her, but when explicit attention is drawn to it it quickly starts to fall apart, and the introduction of the Lightning Cult has me worried that this will only get more severe. Seth Dickinson seemingly cannot do Greg Egan, but they can do the rest of the Baru Cormorant pretty solidly.

Also more Skin Horse. Only to about 2012 so far.

Making: Some abortive soldering projects, hampered by my lack of good quality solder, I only have pure tin/copper blend in pretty coarse gauge, you want something finer and with a little silver for this.

Started working through some Control Theory lectures to brush up on that because I'm also working through some ROS tutorials, I want to make my robotics projects more broadly useful and integrating ROS/microROS might go a long way to helping that.

Playing: Ash and Adam's Gobsmacked, an early access roguelite arena combat goblin game that came out recently. Big focus on mobility, you can run and jump and glide around levels while taking out a bunch of robots. Still pretty finicky, controls are on the slippier side so on the plus side "high skill ceiling" but also "uncontrollable".

A touch of Minecraft, poking at Modrinth mod manager rather than my usual manual mod installation because I was unwilling to spend time figuring out how some of the new mods interact. I really do want to stick with a world long enough to do something interesting sometime.

Tools and Equipment: I set up Tailscale to link my server with my devices when they're in the field, using a headscale node running on my cloud server. It's really nice once you have all the basics sorted out, works smoothly. Worth a look if you want to securely access your home network while on the go.

[theresattrpgforthat]

do you have any recommendations for crunchy games with good magic item / crafting systems? Or anything that has a between clouds or salvage union esque home base / transport design system?

Theme: Crafting/Journey Crunch

Hello friend, I did a little bit of digging and I've got a few games that hit one or the other of your requirements, and possibly a few that do both. I hope something here tickles your fancy!

SCRAPS, by Cezar Capacle.

Ayera is a hopeful world built among the ruins of a long lost ancient civilization. It is a place of harmony and symbiosis, in which unimaginable flora and fauna is to be found by anyone who leaves their settlements and travels unexplored paths. You are a Scrapper, an adventurer who devotes their life to exploring the land, finding special ingredients, bringing them back to their workshops, and crafting their wondrous personal and community projects.

Scraps is a feel-good game about sharing, about harmony with nature, about bewilderment and curiosity.

This game uses polyominoes and d6s to help design things that you’ll be crafting throughout play. The entire game loop revolves around crafting - you draft a plan, gather materials in the wilderness, and then come home and craft. The game is also non-violent: your obstacles don’t require combat to bypass. It is both solo and multi-player friendly, so if you want to play this game and don’t have a good group for it, lack of other players is not an obstacle. This was the winner of the Best Solarpunk DIY game in the Applied Hope: Solarpunk & Utopias Jam, and I can see why.

Mectors, by Chubby Crow Games.

In Mectors, players take on the role of a farmer, miner, fisher, carpenter, or some other worker in a labor intensive field. Mector Owners come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some own a Mector that’s been in their family for generations. Others came across theirs recently, through purchase or luck. And a rare few have managed to piece their own together using scraps from decommissioned Mectors, but this is even harder than it sounds. No matter how they got it, they now have a powerful tool with a long history.

This game has a few elements that might fall into what you’re looking for. First is the creation of your community. This is a fairly simple process in which you decide what kinds of guilds and political forces might affect your community, the names of specific NPCs who live there, and points of interest connected to your character playbooks. The second element is the use of Scrap, a resource that can be used to improve your community or improve your Mechs. There’s not really a lot of picklists or option sets - much of what you decide will either be determined by the pre-written setting or created wholesale by your crew.

Buried Treasures, by iotsov.

Buried Treasures takes place in a dangerous setting without modern-day tech. It contains two suggested settings: Whitewater, a town surrounded by danger, and “Let Me Out” a post-apocalypse.

At the core of this Renaissance-inspired TTRPG is its recipe system. Recipes are non-magical spells, and can be anything from combat maneuvers through invention schematics to actual cooking recipes. Players are slowly eased into creating and upgrading recipes, allowing them to design unique characters. Recipes also typically become the source of greatest power – in the unlikely event that the characters survive that far into the game.

I’m not a big fan of the Whitewater setting, and I’d recommend taking some time to write a bit of your own history and world instead, if you want something more similar to fantasy. The “Let Me Out” setting includes the idea that you have a bunker from which your characters have merged, with some questions you can answer as you create your colony. From there you will adventure into a landscape that references the SCP website for encounters.

What this game does have, however, is an interesting advancement system. All of your skills are based on “recipes”, which require research and various ingredients if you are to level up your skill. These skills can be magical or non-magical, and while they affect your character’s abilities, the in-game conceit is that these abilities are granted through crafted items. Some of the details of those items are left to the character’s imagination, but if you want a game with meticulous inventory and record-keeping required, you might want to check out Buried Treasures.

Cast Away, by Afterthought Committee.

Cast Away is the definitive tabletop survival RPG. Its Diminishing Dice mechanics reflect the ever-worsening condition of survivors in the aftermath of a disaster—without tracking Hit Points or burdensome injury tables. Death is permanent, therefore, we've created a Haunting system that keeps players engaged long after their characters pass away. Cast Away contains a modular set of guidelines and is easily adapted to any setting, environment, or circumstance. 

Survival games will either necessitate travel or a home base to keep yourself safe. Cast Away contains recommendations on how to facilitate role-play in hostile environments, and also makes passing reference to building shelters. If your characters are stranded, I can imagine much of the game will revolve around how they use their resources around them to stay alive. There’s very little to no mechanics for combat here - instead you have skills related to crafting, cooking, hiking, navigation and more.

The rules themselves are very simple, but I think including a pre-generated setting may help with the sensation of discovery and danger. One such setting might be Backwoods Cartography, by Backwoods Cartographer, which includes plenty of dangerous flora and fauna - although the NPC encounters might be best left for a different style of game.

Cosmos, by Neoth Games.

As a resident of the Belt you’ve seen exploitation, you’ve seen struggle, you’ve watched those around you be slowly ground into shells of their former selves. Now you’ve had enough. Its time for someone to do something.

Your crew has set out to make a difference, to be the fly striking back at the giant corporation that has seemingly set out to single-handedly ruin life in this sector of space. Struggle will not be easy, but any difference you can make counts for something.

But just remember, Oracle is watching.

Cosmos features all you need to play a game of resistance within the corporate controlled asteroid belt. Inside are all the rules, advancements, example journeys, locations, and adversaries.

In Cosmos, you’ll have a spaceship that carries you from place to place, and if you like the idea of improving a home base, this game has options for you. You can increase available space, as well as add medicine and weapons. You’ll have to maintain the hull if it sustains damage, and running out of fuel sounds like a possible problem as well. There’s also different size ships, which don’t just play into what’s available to your crew - it also shows you what kinds of craft you could end up fighting as well.

Cosmos also has Journey rules. Each Journey has an origin, a destination, linked encounters, difficulty levels, how stressful it may be, and example obstacles or events that may occur as you travel. As rebels and renegades, travel is fraught and dangerous, and it looks like the journey rules are meant to reflect that.

Games I've Recommended in the Past

Reclaim the Wild

The Wildsea, by Felix Isaacs.

Numenera, by Monte Cook Games (Especially the Destiny book and the Building Tomorrow supplement.)

[fatehbaz]

A devastating rail crash that left almost 300 people dead has refocused international attention on the importance of railways in the lives of Indians.

Indeed, to many Western observers, images of men and women crammed into overcrowded cars serve as a metaphor for modern India. Take, for example, a report by German newspaper Der Spiegel on India’s population surpassing China’s. Published just weeks before the accident in Odisha province on June 2, the now much-criticized cartoon depicted a shabby Indian train crammed with passengers rushing past a streamlined Chinese train with only two people in it.

Where does this enduring image in the West of Indian railways – and of India – come from? As a scholar of Indian history and author of 2015 book “Tracks of Change: Railways and Everyday Life in Colonial India,” I believe the answers lie in the gigantic infrastructure projects of the 19th century – forged at the intersection of colonial dictates and capitalist demands.

---

A carrier of freight, not people

Railways remain the backbone of passenger traffic in India, transporting some 23 million people daily. In the pre-pandemic 2018-19 financial year, 7.7 billion passenger journeys in India. [...] Yet, when first planned in the 1840s, India’s railways were intended to primarily transport freight and livestock, not people. Indians were thought unlikely to become railway passengers by directors of the English East India Co., a merchant monopoly that gradually annexed and administered large parts of India under U.K. crown control. [...] However, early colonial railway policy was driven by pervasive Orientalist imaginings of a people rendered immobile by poverty, living in isolated villages [...]. The trope interlocked with colonial thinking that railways would foster greater industrialization which in turn would further a capitalist economy. They also aligned with the practical needs of a colonial trading monopoly which needed raw materials for English industries, such as cotton, to be moved swiftly and efficiently from India’s interiors to port towns [...].

---

Despite the doubters, the new Indian railways attracted an increasing number of passengers. The half-million passengers recorded in 1854 when tracks became operational increased to 26 million in 1875. By 1900, annual passenger figures stood at 175 million and then almost trebled to 520 million by 1919-20. By the time of the partition of India in 1947 it had risen to more than 1 billion passenger journeys annually. Indeed, images of overcrowded trains came to epitomize the upheaval of partition, with the rail system used to carry swaths of uprooted peoples across the soon-to-be Pakistan-India border. Third-class passengers, overwhelmingly Indians, comprised almost 90% of this traffic. These escalating figures did not, however, generate a lowering of fares. Nor did they result in any substantial improvements in the conditions of [...] travel. [...]

---

The generally British railway managers seemed disinclined to remedy systematic overcrowding, which included transporting passengers in wagons meant for livestock. Rather, they insisted that such overcrowding was caused by the peculiar habits and inclinations of Indian passengers: their alleged [...] inclination to follow one another “like sheep” into crowded carriages. These attributes were soon rendered into a more public narrative, especially among Western mindsets. Journalist H. Sutherland Stark, writing for the industry publication Indian State Railways Magazine in 1929, stated that though “unversed” in railway administration and traffic control, he knew railway facilities were not the problem. Rather, Indian passengers lacked the mental preparedness, “self-possession” and “method” necessary to travel like “sane human beings.” Stark suggested passenger education as a solution to the perceived problem, making railway travel a tool for “self-composure and mass orderliness.” [...]

---

More than a century later, this depiction endures, though, ironically, it now serves as a foil to understanding contemporary India. In a piece published in The New York Times on March 12, 2005, the author lauded the then-new Delhi metro, emphasizing that it had “none of the chaotic squalor of hawkers and beggars that characterizes mainline railroads in India, nor do desperate travelers hang from the sides of the trains.” As the debate rages on whether safety has taken a back seat to “glossy modernization projects” in India – early analyses suggest signaling failure might have caused June 2, 2023, accident – railways continue to represent India’s history.

In the heyday of empire, they were deemed the technology through which Britain would drag India into capitalist modernity. In 1947, they became a leitmotif for the trauma of the partition that accompanied the independence of India and Pakistan. As the coverage of Odisha accident reminds us, it continues to be a metaphor in the West for evaluating contemporary India.

---

Headline, image, caption, and all text above by: Ritika Prasa. “Overcrowded trains serve as metaphor for India in Western eyes -- but they are a relic of colonialism and capitalism.” The Conversation. 9 June 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[priderock-inc]

Shenzi's Den

Lost in busily regretting every life choice that has led him here, Zazu nearly misses the building.

The skies open up just as he enters the upscale apartment building; pouring bucket after bucket of rain onto the pavement outside as he glances around the foyer, trying to find the elevators without making eye contact with anyone. 

It’s a nice place. A very nice one, all cool grays and muted accents and paneled walls. There aren’t any signs, which Zazu could really make use of, but he manages to locate the elevators after a surreptitious bout of glancing around. 

Stepping into an unoccupied lift, he consults his phone for the fifth time.

4th floor suite B, 2nd door after you turn left

Thanks a lot, Sarabi. 

He reaches the fourth floor without incident, turns left, and there’s the door. Zazu listens carefully, hoping for a clue as to what he might find inside, and then sighs deeply.

He knocks.

Silence.

He waits ten seconds and knocks again.

The door swings open, and Zazu nearly drops his file.

Skull-shaped clips is the first thing he registers, hot pink and thoroughly incongruous, nestled in Scar’s hair and pinning the long locks back from his face. Open-collar white shirt is next, followed by fang necklace and-

“Zazu?” Scar's usual drawl is slightly nonplussed, effectively jolting the advisor back into the present. He blinks. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

Oh. Right. Zazu holds out the file, hoping his hands aren’t shaking. “I’m just here to drop this off.”

Scar makes no move to take the papers. “On a weekend? Do you ever stop working?”

“I- y-" With a monumental effort, Zazu gathers his shredded composure. “I will have you know that I wasn’t doing anything else today anyway and Sarabi asked me to give you these. Which, I might add, she says you left in the office last week.”

Scar’s lips form a thoughtful moue. Zazu fixes his attention very firmly on a particularly fascinating section of doorpost.

“Never mind. Well, come in. I’ve got company at the moment, so what’s one more?”

“I’ve got to get going.”

“You just said you weren’t doing anything else today.”

And with that, he saunters back into the apartment, not bothering to look and see if Zazu is following him. 

Zazu follows anyway. 

The place isn’t decorated in as modern a style as downstairs, but it’s certainly no less elegant. Zazu tries not to peer too obviously about. Deep green carpeting, clawed furniture in a luxurious dark wood, several rare-looking volumes on the bookshelf near the window against the far wall. An expensive-looking camera on a tripod in the middle of the room, standing a few feet away from a salon chair and a small, high worktable heaped with what looks like cosmetics and makeup tools. Shenzi’s puttering around these last three; Ed is on the floor tinkering with some black plastic strips and wires and a small remote.

“You’ll have to excuse the mess,” Scar says, gesturing at his other two visitors and then, somewhat ruefully, at his head. “And these clips. I’m just helping Shenzi with a little project.”

Zazu coughs. “I… see.”

“You know, it was only yesterday that Mufasa was encouraging me to ‘stop spending so much time cooped up all by yourself’. Here I am, hosting not two but three workmates in a single day. I can just imagine how proud he’s going to be.”

“Scar, whattaya doin’- hey!”

A weak greeting is all Zazu can manage before a bolt of lightning streaks across the window, its intensity matched only by the glare of sheer annoyance that Shenzi levels at him. Ed looks up and waves. 

“What’s he doin’ here?” Shenzi whines.

“The poor thing is being worked to the bone,” Scar replies briskly, sauntering over to the salon chair and perching himself on one of the armrests. “And to think it’s begun to rain- we can’t possibly let him out in such a downpour. Make yourself at home, Zazu.”

“I really need to get going.”

“But Scaaar, we were doin’ a video,” Shenzi complains. “My viewers are countin' on me! Do you know-“ she turns to Zazu- “how long I’ve been workin’ on gettin’ him to agree to be in this makeup demo?!”

“I really can’t imagine, but-”

“You can stand here.” She steers Zazu behind the tripod with a surprising amount of force. “Make sure nothin’ weird gets on camera, okay? Like if somethin’ happens in the background or out the window or whatever. Then we can stop and do a retake.”

“I’m hardly qualified to babysit a cosmetics tutorial,” Zazu says tartly and, if he’s being honest, just a little desperately.

“Yeah, well, neither is Banzai, not that he showed up to help. So it’s gotta be you. Aren’t you, like, super good at catchin’ mistakes? C’mon! Don’tcha wanna watch me turn Scar into a-“

“No, I most decidedly do not!”

Scar pouts. “Zazu, you wound me.”

Shenzi grabs the back of the chair, shoves Scar into it, and spins it around so Scar’s facing away from the camera. “Less chatter and more makeup-in’, guys. Scar, no movin’ till I say, remember? Hey, Zaz, we’re already rollin’, right?”

“What- live? Shenzi, I did not agree to-"

“Nah, we’re gonna edit it all together at the end. Ya don’t even have to be in it, so can you please chill out already? Okidoke, Ed, hit it!”

Ed presses a button on his remote, and neon-green smoke spirals forth from the black strips on the floor. 

“Hey hey heyyy, whassup and welcome back to Shenzi’s Den! It’s ya girl, the fierce, the fabulous, the bone-afide beauty Shenzi Marie, coming at’cha again with some hot new stylin’ tips on this rainy Sunday. As you might’a noticed, we’re not actually in my den today... and that’s ‘cause I’ve got a suuuuuuper special surprise for my favorite viewers! Well, not so much a surprise if you read the video title. Can you say... guest! Of! Honor?!”

Ed hits the fog machine again. Zazu has to admit the overall effect is impressive.

“Yeah, that’s right! We got a brand-new canvas to play with today. Wanna say hi, Scar?”

Scar spins around to face the camera, raising one hand and wiggling his fingers in a leisurely wave. “Hello, YouTube.”

He winks at the camera, making eye contact with Zazu, and smirks. 

“So remember that lewk y’all have been beggin’ me to try out?" Shenzi grins into the camera and begins ticking off on her fingers. "Dramatic, edgy, bone-chillin’ fierce? I’ve just been waitin’ for this guy-" she thumps both hands onto Scar’s shoulders- “to finally let me show him off a little. We’re talking smoky, sultry, angles, color, the whooooole shebang! So it’s everyone’s lucky day, especially his-" she claps Scar on the shoulders again- “because this look is gonna knock your socks off!”

“Explains where all my laundry has been going,” Scar drawls, and Shenzi cackles. 

“Yeah, yeah. Personally I think the dryer’s out to get me, and Banzai has this whole conspiracy about aliens. Okidoke! So first we’re gonna do some moisturizin’. We’ve got the same sponge as last time, link in the description below, but always make sure ya clean it off well in between uses...”

She reaches for one of the innumerable pots on the little table and begins smearing white stuff onto Scar’s face. 

Much of what follows flies entirely over Zazu’s head. He has no idea what ‘priming’ and ‘foundation’ are, or why ‘matte’ versus ‘gloss’ matters, but he certainly gets some of it; Shenzi’s delighted exclamations about her favorite Outlander Eyeliner that she’s planning to use (“ We’re talkin’ black as my soul on a Monday mornin’, people!”), and as for “these cheekbones could cut glass! ”, well. 

“Now onto my favorite part! We’re really gonna make these peepers pop. Gonna be using this palette here for that olive-gold royal vibe with a little emerald smoke for flavor, and of course, we’re gonna highlight that signature scar."

“Ah, yes, my pièce de résistance.” Scar lets his eyes fall shut. “Smoke away.”

Blacks, browns, golds, and greens fly from Shenzi’s brushes. Zazu sincerely hopes nothing has been happening in the window that he’s supposed to be catching, because he hasn’t been watching the window at all.

“Villainous!” Shenzi cheers. “I mean, I am magic! Okidoke, guys, we’re gonna craft some wings now, these babies are gonna cut through steel-”

“Or mountains of paperwork, perhaps,” Scar adds lazily, winking again. He tilts his chin slowly upward to give Shenzi a better angle. “If only.”

Zazu exhales. It’s going to be a long afternoon. 

[theaichronicle]

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[dearinglovebot]

there's a common criticism of the jurassic world movies that goes like "trying to weaponize raptors is such a stupid idea. the military would never do that". but my main criticism of that particular plot, from a third worldist perspective, would actually be that it doesn't go far enough.

"it's a crazy idea to even suggest--" in the 1950s CIA operatives attempted psychological warfare on a filipino village by spreading rumors that aswang (vampire-esc creatures) were hunting down rebels. they'd kidnap rebels, create dual puncture wounds in the neck, drain the body of blood, and leave the body for the community to find. they've done crazier.

"it's a stupid idea--" so were most of the ways they plotted (or failed) to assassinate fidel castro. exploding shellfish he'd pick up while scuba diving, tuberculosis-causing-fungi in a scuba mask, exploding cigar, ballpoint pen with secret syringe full of poison, just exploding places, etc. like the vast majority of declassified programs would make you look crazy if you told someone about them, despite the evidence of them existing. in the 1960s they put a tiny microphone + radio transmitter in a cat and tried to use it to spy on the soviets. it was called "acoustic kitty".

"animals just aren't efficient--" drug sniffing dogs can have inaccuracy ranges from 1/3-½ of the time. studies have determined that they can pick up on their trainer's racism and target minorities without any illicit substances because the trainer suspects them to have them. there's also a long history of trying to use intelligent animals as spies (crows, ravens, dolphins, pigeons, dogs, etc). most of these aren't actually more efficient than drones in the end, but they still try it just to see if it would work.

"raptors wouldn't be effective against enemy tanks--" most of the people these raptors would be deployed against wouldn't actually have tanks. they'd be guerrilla fighters who rely on hit and run tactics. or if they do have tanks, they'd be relatively old ones from the soviet era without the same modern capabilities. the USA does not wage war (or, proxy war in most cases) with actual military nations. the better question would be how bullet resistant are their scales which has a scene answering it in the first movie (you'll be dead before you manage a hit).

"but raptors are wild animals that might hurt the troops--" the army gave their own troops cancer and denies many healthcare for it to this day. bases would have these things called "burn pits" where you burn all your trash including ones that produce toxic gas like plastic and electronics. toxic gas, as the name implies, can give you anything from asthma to cancer. yes, they knew it did that. yes, they still use them.

the question of "if" training raptors for war is a good idea or smart idea falls flat when we consider that based on historical context, neither of these things are necessarily required for military projects. if someone can think of it, they will try it. the better question to ask is "would the military believe they have something to gain from it?" because that is the only truly relevant one in this situation.

the answer is "yes". it would be a niche that has not been explored. whether or not the raptors specifically work in war would be irrelevant because part of military operation on animals is understanding if an animal is capable of collaboration. take acoustic cat: the mission was ultimately abandoned, but was considered a "win" because they realized the limitations of cats as tools of war. they were deemed incapable of long-term espionage ability due to trainability, but were not completely ruled out for future short term espionage ability, were a niche to arise.

when we apply all of this understanding to the world movies, we get a firmer grasp on why the semantics don't particularly matter as much as the intended message: "just because we can do things doesn't mean we should". which is in line with the themes of jurassic park as a film.