#older news but still relevant and ongoing

[reasonsforhope]

Determined to use her skills to fight inequality, South African computer scientist Raesetje Sefala set to work to build algorithms flagging poverty hotspots - developing datasets she hopes will help target aid, new housing, or clinics.

From crop analysis to medical diagnostics, artificial intelligence (AI) is already used in essential tasks worldwide, but Sefala and a growing number of fellow African developers are pioneering it to tackle their continent's particular challenges.

Local knowledge is vital for designing AI-driven solutions that work, Sefala said.

"If you don't have people with diverse experiences doing the research, it's easy to interpret the data in ways that will marginalise others," the 26-year old said from her home in Johannesburg.

Africa is the world's youngest and fastest-growing continent, and tech experts say young, home-grown AI developers have a vital role to play in designing applications to address local problems.

"For Africa to get out of poverty, it will take innovation and this can be revolutionary, because it's Africans doing things for Africa on their own," said Cina Lawson, Togo's minister of digital economy and transformation.

"We need to use cutting-edge solutions to our problems, because you don't solve problems in 2022 using methods of 20 years ago," Lawson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video interview from the West African country.

Digital rights groups warn about AI's use in surveillance and the risk of discrimination, but Sefala said it can also be used to "serve the people behind the data points". ...

'Delivering Health'

As COVID-19 spread around the world in early 2020, government officials in Togo realized urgent action was needed to support informal workers who account for about 80% of the country's workforce, Lawson said.

"If you decide that everybody stays home, it means that this particular person isn't going to eat that day, it's as simple as that," she said.

In 10 days, the government built a mobile payment platform - called Novissi - to distribute cash to the vulnerable.

The government paired up with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) think tank and the University of California, Berkeley, to build a poverty map of Togo using satellite imagery.

Using algorithms with the support of GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that uses AI to distribute cash transfers, the recipients earning less than $1.25 per day and living in the poorest districts were identified for a direct cash transfer.

"We texted them saying if you need financial help, please register," Lawson said, adding that beneficiaries' consent and data privacy had been prioritized.

The entire program reached 920,000 beneficiaries in need.

"Machine learning has the advantage of reaching so many people in a very short time and delivering help when people need it most," said Caroline Teti, a Kenya-based GiveDirectly director.

'Zero Representation'

Aiming to boost discussion about AI in Africa, computer scientists Benjamin Rosman and Ulrich Paquet co-founded the Deep Learning Indaba - a week-long gathering that started in South Africa - together with other colleagues in 2017.

"You used to get to the top AI conferences and there was zero representation from Africa, both in terms of papers and people, so we're all about finding cost effective ways to build a community," Paquet said in a video call.

In 2019, 27 smaller Indabas - called IndabaX - were rolled out across the continent, with some events hosting as many as 300 participants.

One of these offshoots was IndabaX Uganda, where founder Bruno Ssekiwere said participants shared information on using AI for social issues such as improving agriculture and treating malaria.

Another outcome from the South African Indaba was Masakhane - an organization that uses open-source, machine learning to translate African languages not typically found in online programs such as Google Translate.

On their site, the founders speak about the South African philosophy of "Ubuntu" - a term generally meaning "humanity" - as part of their organization's values.

"This philosophy calls for collaboration and participation and community," reads their site, a philosophy that Ssekiwere, Paquet, and Rosman said has now become the driving value for AI research in Africa.

Inclusion

Now that Sefala has built a dataset of South Africa's suburbs and townships, she plans to collaborate with domain experts and communities to refine it, deepen inequality research and improve the algorithms.

"Making datasets easily available opens the door for new mechanisms and techniques for policy-making around desegregation, housing, and access to economic opportunity," she said.

African AI leaders say building more complete datasets will also help tackle biases baked into algorithms.

"Imagine rolling out Novissi in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast ... then the algorithm will be trained with understanding poverty in West Africa," Lawson said.

"If there are ever ways to fight bias in tech, it's by increasing diverse datasets ... we need to contribute more," she said.

But contributing more will require increased funding for African projects and wider access to computer science education and technology in general, Sefala said.

Despite such obstacles, Lawson said "technology will be Africa's savior".

"Let's use what is cutting edge and apply it straight away or as a continent we will never get out of poverty," she said. "It's really as simple as that."

-via Good Good Good, February 16, 2022

[deadhands69]

Harder, Softer, Harder

MDNI

Dabi x gn/afab Reader

Dabi helps after you're hit with a sex quirk Contains: consensual sex/non consensual situation I wanted to keep these as consistent to the same story as possible, hence Dabi leaving with two girls even if this one is written as more canon/slightly broken introverted Dabi. (I’m still amused by the idea of him being an absolute slut in the Shigaraki fic though.)

Typically, I don’t assign jobs/quirks to the reader unless it’s relevant to the story. This isn’t a crucial part of the plot but a record store reader seemed like so much fun. After seeing High Fidelity too young to understand it, all I got out of that movie was that I wanted to work in a record store when I was older. For obvious reasons, my mom laughed at me and I never ended up with that job. But it seems sooo cooollll. So, record store reader. Maybe you’re there full time or just work there part time for fun or something.

This is part of an ongoing series: shigaraki version - bakugo version

It was supposed to be a quiet night. The wind lightly blew warm summer air over your skin as you walked through the shopping district with one of your best friends. You were leaving a small cafe and planned to visit a few shops next. Everything would have been fine, if not for - 

A sudden commotion draws your attention to the sidewalk as you’re walking out the door. Out of nowhere, you can’t see. Everything is dark and you would almost assume it’s in your head if not for the screaming and shoving surrounding you. Instinctively, you and your friend grab each other, ducking to the ground in an effort to find clear air. Ten seconds feels like an eternity but just as quickly as it came on, the darkness dissipates. 

A man rolls off the sidewalk in front of you and you immediately know it was him. Having never seen his face before, you connect the dots: he’s the sex quirk villain that's been all over the news lately. He has to be. He has the face of someone you’d imagine looking through the window of a locker room. He winks at you before running across the street towards some dumpsters in front of an alleyway. That brief interaction makes you sick to your stomach.

Sick isn’t all you feel.

Your insides twist in a familiar way, aching. Empty.

Fuck.

Before you can dwell on it, a familiar figure in the crowd catches your eye.

His hoodie blocks most of his face, but you’d recognize those eyes anywhere.

“Dab-” you begin to shout before he cuts you off.

“Hey, quiet,” he looks around, “I gave you that name in confidence. Not to yell in public.” His eyes continue shifting, but he sees that no one notices him in the chaos. 

“You doing alright?” he asks.

“We’re… fine,” you reply, “both of us got hit with that quirk though.” 

You stare up at him expectantly. He does know what that villain's quirk does, right?

“Your friend here have anywhere to go?”

“Yeah, she needs to get to her boyfriend’s apartment.” 

“Alright,” he says in a gravelly voice, putting an arm around each of you, “let’s get out of here before heroes anyone else shows up. Lead the way.”

The walk drags on forever, for how short it seemed earlier in the night. You can’t help but notice how much warmer Dabi feels against your body. It’s like every part of you is drawn to him. He only has an arm around you but you can’t help but want more. 

He follows the directions you give to get your friend to her destination. Her boyfriend is already waiting outside the building to take her in. Once you see that she’s safely taken care of, your mind begins to wonder. Dabi never said he’d help you, he’s just escorting you…somewhere?

“Where to next?” you ask.

“Don’t you need to…” he trails off, his intense eyes looking you up and down.

“Yeah,” you answer, trying to hide how flustered you are by quickly turning the direction of your own living space. 

He follows.

Honestly, you don’t know him all that well. You know his name is Dabi (or Touya, as he sometimes changes it up when putting in special orders) and he’s the cute regular at your work. You could list all of his favorite songs, but you have no clue where he lives. What he does throughout the day. 

Fortunately, you don’t live far. 

Unfortunately, it’s proving to be the longest four blocks you’ve ever walked in your life. With every step, you notice the way your pants brush against you. Turning you on even more than you thought possible for such a mundane situation. It doesn’t help having a hot guy close. And god, you can’t stop staring at him.

 Of course you always found him attractive, but today he’s irresistible. There’s something sweet in the way he smiles. How he looks at you like you’re the only person alive. The way he casually moves through the world as if he's unaware of how insanely attractive he is. It's effortless.

Dabi takes your arm, wrapping it around his to make sure you don’t lose your balance in the street. You look woozy, he’s decided.

The first time you ever talked to him, he was looking for a specific album, which happened to be your favorite band/musician. The two of you talked for half an hour about music before you offered to order the record for him to pick up later. Since then, he’s come in once a week like clockwork to look at the new arrivals and talk about music. Lately, he’d been bringing you coffees after you yawned once at work. When you brought it up, he brushed it off like it was no big deal and never spoke of it again.

All green flags so far though. He seems sweet so you don’t have many apprehensions about bringing him home with you. Besides, he’s your best option and you’ve secretly wanted this for a while anyways.

Before you know it, you’re walking through the door to your own home. Work crush in tow.

Good thing you cleaned up a bit earlier today.

“I like the space,” he says, as you hang your keys by the door.

“Thanks,” you reply awkwardly. It’s nice enough, you think to yourself. Not really noteworthy. He must just be making conversation. 

For how much you couldn’t keep your eyes off him and how painfully turned on you are, seeing him in your living room is still, well, nerve wracking. He seems too beautiful to actually be here, yet there he is. Staring at you with his hands in his pockets. Wearing a slight smirk while he waits for you to invite him into your bedroom. Or your couch.

Deep breath, he knows why he’s here.

“So,” he starts while walking closer to you, stopping less than a foot away. “Still feeling fine?”

Nope. Your face is flushed and you’re overwhelmed.

He knows that too, he can tell by the way you squeeze your legs together. How your breathing is different than usual. But he’s not just going to come out and say it. You never really asked for his help, as much as he’s willing to give it. He can be confident, to a point. But he’s waiting for you to approach him.

The coffee. Showing up every week, specifically during your shift. His arm around you while you walked here. Standing closer than friends typically do, but not fully closing the distance.

He’ll bring himself to you, knowing exactly what you need, but you’ll have to be the one to reach out for him if that’s what you want.

And you do.

You want him.

So, you reach for him.

He’s so close already, his face just above yours as he looks down at you. Gently, you run your fingers up his neck. 

He freezes at the touch.

It's what he wants, really. He’s been waiting for this moment since he walked into the record store and met you. But comfort is a feeling he can’t quite place. Your hand softly caressing over his jaw.  He can’t feel much on the scarred area, but it’s the meaning behind it that counts. He doesn't hate it, it's just a lot at once.

“Are you okay with this?” you ask, his face still blank as he stares at you. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

“Yeah, I’m fine” he smiles, shaking himself out of it, “can’t feel anything there anymore.”

“Oh,” your fingers trail over the soft skin of his cheek down to his upper lip, “how about here?”

“Yeah, that I can feel.”

You can’t help yourself, you have to ask…

“What about…” your eyes shift down.

“You trying to find out?” he laughs.

“I mean, you did come home with me after I got hit by a sex quirk.”

“Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes. "Come on. Which room is you?”

Since you met Dabi, you've dreamed of this. You could never have imagined it happening in real life, but it's finally happening. You haven't even had time to celebrate touching him, now he's in your room. Hands on your hips, guiding you to the bed. Pushing you playfully onto the mattress before climbing on top of you. He leans in closer, nose brushing against yours. You take it upon yourself to close the space between the two of you. Bringing your lips to his, focusing mostly on the parts you know he can feel.

He tenses, but kisses you back. It's interesting watching his typical nonchalance crack away. 

He continues kissing you, slightly awkwardly. Pausing slightly whenever your touch becomes too affectionate. He’s loosening up though.

His warm hands slide up your shirt, resting against your ribs. Occasionally squeezing as he becomes more comfortable with the closeness. Eventually, he takes your shirt off entirely. 

You do the same, pulling his hoodie off to grip his t-shirt underneath.

At this point, you’re so horny it’s painful and kissing him is only making it worse. In desperation, you grab his hips and slam them into you hard for any relief. 

His eyes light up. 

This, he can understand. He's comfortable with roughness. It's not like he spends every night fucking his hand thinking about it, but when he does he imagines it more like this. 

“Like that, [y/n]?” he huffs teasingly, pounding down into you, harder than you'd managed to earlier. 

You only manage to gasp in response. 

It’s like you opened Pandora’s box, giving him permission to live out his fantasy. This sparks his confidence again.

He pulls your bra strap down, flicking his tongue over your nipple. Eye contact never wavering while you melt into a puddle beneath him.

“Dabi, fuck,” you moan at his touch. 

The pressure in your gut builds as he continues to rub against you. Both of your pants begin feeling increasingly in the way. You yank his belt undone, shoving his tight jeans down with it. His dick springs forward, tenting his underwear. 

Looks like you’re not the only horny one. 

“Like what you see?” his husky voice asks. He sounds self-assured, but based on everything else you’ve seen this evening you know there’s a bit of a question in there.

“Mhmmm,” you reach out to grasp him through the fabric. 

Continuing to follow your lead, he pulls your pants off as well. Tossing them to the floor of your bedroom. His hand is softer than you expected when he slides into your underwear. Rubbing intensely against your clit while he kisses you deeply. You’re about to pull the last of his clothes off when his other hand grabs your wrists to pin them above your head. 

Everything in you wants as much of him as possible. 

“Need you to fuck me,” you whine into his ear.

He smirks, pulling his dick out himself. It’s thick. Making you wonder how you’d never noticed it before in the tight pants he wears. How does he hide that?

Without letting go of your wrists, he lines himself up with one hand. Rubbing his tip between your lips before pressing into you. He’s certainly not being gentle, but you can tell he’s holding back.

He pauses.

Wide eyed, for a moment he looks more surprised than you that this is happening. Regaining composure, he begins to move his hips. 

It’s everything you’ve needed all evening and then some.

“Fuck, you’re taking me so good,” he groans down at you. 

Some combination of the heat building in you all night, the stretch of him, and his praising voice sends you over the edge. You’ve never cum so fast in your life but there’s a first for everything. Dabi looks pleased with himself.

He fucks you hard through your orgasm. Pressing your hands into the bed. Your head is spinning as the quirk wears off; you feel detached from everything but him. His eyes are nearly glowing as they stare down into yours.

His hands loosen around your wrists, sliding away from your arms onto the bed. You find yourself chasing them, slipping your fingers between his. His movements stiffen and he glances away. 

It’s interesting. He had no apprehensions around burying his dick in you but holding hands makes him nervous.  

You’ll save that one for another day.

Instead, you run your fingers over his arms. Feeling the smooth scars as you make your way to his shoulders. His movements become less constrained. He fucks into you hard and smooth, building the heat in your body once more.

Your pleasure crashes over you like a wave again, leaving you gasping while you grip his white t-shirt. Pulling him into you. Your hips angling to bring him as close as possible while you feel yourself squeeze around him.

“You feel amazing,” you whisper in his ear, “you’re so fucking perfect.”

At that, he can’t hold back any longer. 

His breathing becomes more erratic. Hips slamming harder into you until he gives one final thrust, filling you with cum. Head drooping as he groans into your neck.

You run your hands through his hair, letting him relax while you both catch your breath. 

The neck of his shirt hangs loosely over his shoulder, oops. You can’t help but kiss the area above his collar bone sweetly. Even if you know he can barely feel it. He tenses and you realize it was too much, pulling away.

“Don’t stop,” he whispers.

m.list

[ilanprofile]

ILAN_PROFILE'S COMEDY / SLICE OF LIFE CARTOON GUIDE

Looking for Cartoons to Watch? Need a Guide for Animated Shows? Are you a Beginner or a Pro in watching TV shows? THIS ARE ALL THE COMEDY / SLICE OF LIFE CARTOONS I RECOMMEND!

About Each Section:

WATCH THIS: Shows I think are a MUST Watch for anybody getting into cartoons

NEW CARTOONS: Ongoing shows premiered in the past 2-3 years

STILL RELEVANT: Older shows / Already finished shows that still get a lot of attention nowdays

BONUS MENTIONS: Other Shows I havent watched that much of or arent as widely known as the others above

STORYDRIVEN: Fully serialized shows with lot of conitnuity

SEMI-EPISODIC: Shows with an ongoing story but also have self contained arcs

EPISODIC: Shows with minimal continuity, you can watch basically any episode

DISCLAIMER: I tried to limit myself to only 1-2 shows of each IP, UNLESS each of them feels too different from one or another (Like The Looney Tunes Show vs the classic Looney Tunes Cartoons) or you need to watch all shows together to get the full narrative (Ben 10 -> Alien Force -> Ultimate Alien -> Omniverse)

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi there. If you have already answered questions about this I apologize for the repeated question. The question is what is your opinion on the interviews for the cast? In jacob’s recent podcast interview released yesterday he mentions that AMC ‘butt clenches’ (essentially stresses out/panics) when he has to be interviewed because he sort of says anything (whatever he feels. He stays engaged and on topic but he is tired of being asked the same questions in interviews repeatedly). It was also mentioned that Naomi (who ran the old podcast and had him on the one yesterday) was told by AMC people to not bring up race but Jacob mentioned he didn’t mind bringing that up because its important and it’s not a repeated simple interview question he’s had so many times before and it is relevant to his character Louis in the realm on the show. She has been in contact with Sam and Eric for a interviews with them as well. My point is to bring up the podcast interview style is that it appears there is a rift between fans on what they prefer interview style. It is not our call but I have seen various opinions. I have seen many fans say that the fan style of YouTube interviews with the cast and fans is insulting (because why do these specific fans get ‘chosen’ to interview the cast and they don’t even ask substantial or interesting questions- their words not mine) and severely disliked meanwhile Naomi’s podcast from AMC was dropped and they believe that she actually asks substantial thought provoking questions. There are petitions to bring back the podcast from season one because in many interviews the cast get asked the same questions and many fans did not like the fan style YouTube interviews with the cast. Again the promotion isn’t our call/decision but I’m curious your take on the repeated interview questions and opinions on different interview styles? I always enjoy any new interviews of the cast because we get to see their interpretations of the characters. But I would enjoy more promotion from AMC in general as well as diverse interview styles

So would I!!! Gimme all the promotion and in all the different styles!! I love to listen to podcasts:)))

I said it before, I had hoped the podcast would continue for the second season. The criticism I had - and that still stands - is that Naomi did not seem to have the background of the books. Which led to a lot of expectations for certain developments which... well. Didn't help, fandom-wise, let's put it that way^^

Anyways. Jacob has never been shy to address things. He has also always addressed racial issues when he felt like it, he has addressed the reinvention of Louis, repeatedly. I have those videos bookmarked:). And he and Sam have addressed the racial commentary the show does, repeatedly, too, there’s lot of interviews?! I just listened to the podcast and... well. Jacob being Jacob, in the bestest of ways :) He's blunt. He's warm and funny. He's... open. Jacob has been very blunt about the Loumand relationship, while it was still ongoing, for example. I can see AMC cringe a bit at that moment (which, coincidentally is why Assad stayed so "current" in his commentary).

But the thing about the questions and race was not about IWTV?! It was the instructions and “same questions“ and re race re Game of Thrones.

And Jacob said he is now older and it puts things into perspective. And it makes me feel as if his manager likely relayed this rule he used to have because of that experience on GoT. (That is a normal thing, just like “no personal questions“ rules some obviously have!)

He also says that AMC was a bit “butt clenched“ because he has run out of “self-censorship“ - and honestly, I love it, but I get why networks might not be too happy about it. Sam also has commented on gag orders they got re content?! (And as said, I bet some people would have preferred if Jacob hadn’t been as blunt about Loumand…)

The "same questions all the time" however is a usual thing every actor has to go through (as they say and comment on as well?!). It's a gauntlet run for promotion. It happens every season. And as much as I can understand it being exhausting... that's part of the job. There's some that manage different questions, and the cast has expressed their delight in those interviews.

Naomi asked questions that may have been more in-depth in some aspects, but as said before, some other questions were quite... well, canonically unfounded. She lacked - or intentionally seemed to lack (to represent the show-only audience?!) - the information background. She shared that with a lot of interviewers of other interviewers, who do not know the chronicles.

I think that is why people like Autumn Brown and Maven of the Eventide get interviews right now. And, to bring that back into people's minds - it was JACOB who recommended Autumn to Rolin... and so it was Jacob that started this development. It might be good to remember that when hating on these interviews.

I for one hope Naomi will continue to do interviews with them :) That would be lovely 🥰

For those who have not listened to the podcast yet!!!

[nerdieforpedro]

WIP Thursday

I’m unsure which WIPs to post snippets of. I’m always writing new stuff and working things that I’m planning to continuing and editing. The writing feels like a compulsion but is also therapeutic for me. It’s a curious conundrum 🤔

I was tagged by @avastrasposts and @frenchiereading I love you two ❤️

Anywho, this week, I’m just going to name ongoing or pending fics I have. It’s a long ass list but if you follow me, you should have an idea that I am a master of none and will write whatever idea sticks in my noggin. Behold!

Current ongoing fics (on Tumblr):

Nights in Coruscant - Din Djarin

Coasting through the Rainbow - Javier Peña

A Safe Place for Us - Dieter Bravo

Our Journey through the Star Ocean - Din Djarin

Weddings 101 with Dieter - Dieter Bravo

Fire and Fury - Pero Tovar (DDDE)

Security Logs - Frankie Morales

Therapy for the Well-Adjusted - Marcus Pike

Uncomplicated Mi Amor - Javier Peña

Come live with me Angel - Benny Miller

Current fics on AO3 (might be on Tumblr one day, you’ll also need to be a registered user to read them):

Front Office Adjunct - Dave York (Dark)

Foul Play - Javier Peña (kinda Dark)

Caught in the Magic of You - Marc Spector

Fifty-Six Wildflower Lane - Frankie Morales (Dark)

WIPs that are in Nerdie’s notes floating around:

Viridesicant Seduction - Ezra

The Green Shop of Memories - Marcus Moreno AU with magic (maybe Nerdie looked at her Harry Potter books too long, thought she was in the coven with the witches from “The Acolyte” and chose to pull a modern day fantasy out of thin air) 👀 Also @secretelephanttattoo ‘s glorious fic Afterword is to blame.

Common Tongue (Moment’s Silence) - Din Djarin

Drinks after Work - Tim Rockford (He’s gotten most of my horny vibes as of late, what’s a few more? Also coworkers to lovers? Also they’re in their mid-forties. The vibes say so, so it shall be written.)

Honey and Sugarplum - Jack Daniels (Him and that damn Stetson. The brim is wide like him.)

No title - Oberyn Martell as a sex worker? (All vibes. Could stay as is, could have an older virgin reader or just an older reader who wanted to explore some stuff)

No title - Poe Dameron talking you through giving yourself an orgasm. (Vibes and also Zoom?)

No title - Marcus Acacius fic (The plot? convoluted and doesn’t have Marcus in the orgy because he wasn’t invited. Frankly he doesn’t want to be there and it’s not hot without him. But is still plot relevant, sneaky stuff, plans and an assassination or two. It’s Rome baby, just a Tuesday evening before we hit up the bath house.)

No title - trying to rework an m/m fic I’ve been trying to write since January. Why did I need a time skip in there? Also don’t worry about feelings. It’s buns out. But also feelings because, we care kinda. Well about seeing tears and knowing we did that. This is why it needs to be reworked, maybe with different characters. Theme will stay the same though.

So you know, a few things. Just a couple. 🤭

Does anyone believe when I say it might be a problem? Who does all this at the same time? Ugh…😭

Peeps who might be interested: @inept-the-magnificent @megamindsecretlair @soft-persephone @soft-girl-musings @angelofsmalldeath-codeine

@maggiemayhemnj @magpiepills @morallyinept @lotusbxtch @bitchwitch1981

@mysterious-moonstruck-musings @for-a-longlongtime @lady-bess @westside-rot @fhatbhabiee

@sin-djarin @syd-djarin @julesonrecord @perotovar @djarinmuse

@alltheglitterandtheroar @rosecentaur1916 @pedroshotwifey

[vilevampire]

idk who those people are would u like to educate me...

GLADLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

just to preface this I'll explain what the fuck is going on in mairuma in general first just to provide context bc idk how much you've absorbed by osmosis (also I rmr I told u abt mairuma once on discord but . I don't rmr a single thing that was said in that convo, only that it happened)

buckle up bc this ended up getting pretty fucking long

"mairimashita! iruma-kun" is an ongoing manga and anime series that revolves around iruma, a human boy who got sold by his parents to a powerful demon and started living his life in the netherworld.

this is he. baby boy. his new demon found family enrolls him in demon school, and so while hiding the fact that he is human, iruma starts attending babyls demon school. his new grandpa (who happens to be the chairman of said demon school) puts him in a class for problem children, saying "that way your classmates will catch more attention than you, and you won't be found out (as human)!!!!"

makes sense ? no, of course not, but this is a comedy-focused series, so that's just how it is

iruma and his classmates. they're called the misfits class. I love all of them (except for … one …) dearly and could ramble abt each individual character for hours but for now I am only focusing on jazz and allocer. starting with jazzy my boy jazzy

baby son boy he is just a little guy just a little man he's just a son. jazzy is a character who is seen as cool, clever, unapproachable and mature to most other characters but is actually a huge softie inside.

he's also a kleptomaniac but he doesn't usually steal shit on purpose, it's just habit. if you ask me he's done nothing wrong in his life ever

(irrelevant tangent: jazzy actually has a specific animal theme. can you guess which animal it is ??????? I'm just fucking with you it's impossible to guess, but he's supposed to be snake-themed. the only thing that even suggests that in his design is his forked tongue, but it's. not visible most of the time so it didn't even occur to me that he was supposed to be snake themed until. embarrassingly recently. anyway)

jazz has a terrible older brother (named rock. their names r jazz and rock. like the moosic) who steals from him and belittles him constantly, but he can't fight back because his family values skill above all else, so they consider it his own fault for being vulnerable to stealing. basically "git gud lol"

because of this, jazz longs to be a better older brother than his own, despite not actually having any younger siblings. he becomes attached to cute, defenseless-looking things easily and is weak to people who look up to him and ask him for help. he likes beeing relied on and being there for others. he starts seeing most of his classmates as his younger siblings too

basically he is just a little guy and bc so much abt jazzy reminds me of myself (including his black and red color scheme) I am incredibly attached to him and he's my #2 fave character in the whole series (the first one is … well, you can probably guess)

now about allocer … where do I begin. probably by saying we know little to nothing about him, and not because the author particularly intended him to be mysterious, but just because he doesn't get much attention in the series as a whole. despite being one of the main side characters, he gets sidelined incredibly often. he's forgettable, rarely relevant and overall one of the characters we have least information on

look at him and his goofy lion face. there's no reason for him to be so ignored, it's furryphobia plain and simple.

(side note: over the course of the series his character design becomes increasingly yassified and he lets his hair grow + dyes it so don't mind that he looks slightly different in almost every picture he's in)

regardless I'll do my best to tell what we know FOR SURE 100% CANON CONFIRMED about him and then I'll dwelve into theories and hc territory (all supported by canon info, but still pretty speculatory bc of how little info we have on him in general…)

first of all he is smart. second of all. he reads books. third of all. he scored #1 in all exams. fourth of all … he is smart. that's it. wish I was kidding, but that's what his character revolves around most of the time. he gets outshined by other characters all the fucking time and usually just shows up to spout a proverb or say something related to knowledge and wisdom.

aside from that, his characterization tends to be pretty inconsistent (because the author doesn't give a FUCK about him) but I'll report on his most consistent traits and ignore the . multiple . inconsistencies.

allocer is a reserved character who doesn't talk much about himself (this is intentional at least to some extent, evidenced by the picture above). he seems to be kind of awkward, the way he phrases things tends to be unnatural, too. compare these phrases:

(I'll get to what the fuck is going on in this scene in a second I just need to ramble about allocer first)

jazzy speaks in a much more natural, conversational way, saying "what are you saying…?", while allocer simply says "incomprehensible". when he's not speaking in proverbs and book quotes, he often drops weirdly-worded sentences like that.

there's a few different scenes that help us infer that he's not good at dealing with people and emotions. for example, his fanbook profile lists "women's feelings" as his weak subject. when he gets confessed to he also states it's "abstruse", aka confusing and hard to understand

basically what I'm saying is that he's arospec and autistic-coded and nobody can change my fucking mind ok if anybody wants to argue w/ me on this I hope you've spent at least half the time I have studying every major scene allocer is in like I have. I have lost my entire fucking mind trying to infer ANYTHING conclusive about his characterization out of the NEAR NONEXISTENT CRUMBS canon has given us.

with that out of the way I can finally start talking about jazz and allocer's dynamic ^_^

jazz and allocer first become close when they're assigned to train under the same mentor, general furfur — love this guy btw — before performing in the "harvest festival", a kind of practical exam every first year at babyls has to do.

yet, for some reason, instead of actually training the two, furfur takes them to a bar. jazz and allocer question this, but furfur shrugs it off saying that connecting with adults is part of their training.

spoiler alert: furfur is a little shit and he brought jazz and allocer here to sell them into child labor to pay for his debts with the bar (remember the pictures from a while ago that I used to compare their speech patterns? that was them realizing they were being sold. lol)

and so the two of them r stuck in hell together for the next 3 weeks

(side note #2: I love their matching outfits. they look so cute)

in this hostile environment, a weird partnership forms between them. they learn more about each other. jazz tells allocer about his evil fucked up brother and how frustrated he is that he couldn't see through furfur's bullshit, to which allocer replies he is actually just as upset.

allocer's face isn't very expressive and his voice is often monotone (again, autism…) so jazz is very surprised by this.

AOAOOGUGGGHG LOOKK AT HIS BLUSHY FACE … HE'S SO CUTEEE AGG89R9. I'M normal . I'm ok.

the two of them start working towards a common goal: HUMILIATING FURFUR AND SEEING HIM CRY.

anw long story short they come up with a plan using every dirty trick they learned from the adults at the bar, their plan doesn't fucking work, they get made fun of by furfur, and they're still stuck working for free. lol

but that's how their relationship forms. what I find so fascinating about them is that they have no reason to trust each other given the circumstances, but they still do. they form an unbreakable bond. they complement each other too, one being streets smart, while the other is books smart. the partners in crime ever.

also mairuma has these little after-credits side stories called sukimas and . I will let the video speak for itself bc watching this is what made me start shipping them in the first place. just watch

they have more interactions I could talk about in-depth, but their partnership during the harvest festival arc is the most major. still I'll briefly go over some other jazzllocer moments that make me insane

at some point during the harvest festival, jazz gets disqualified (long story). and though jazz and allocer were working together during it, they were never an official team, so allocer wasn't disqualified with him. still, near the end, allocer states that "there's no point in winning if it's not together (with jazz)" (thinking abt this makes me want to detonate myself like a bomb)

when they're second years, they're put in another exam and in this one each of the misfits is supposed to protect two first year students from the teachers hunting them. jazz's strategy? he entrusted his incredibly important protegees to allocer and confronted the teachers upfront as a diversion. in the end allocer couldn't protect his own first years, but he did protect jazzy's, which earned his buddy a rank up (once again I feel like exploding at this very moment)

3. mairuma has fanbooks and that includes character profiles with some trivia on them, including a "people they are currently paying attention to" section. in jazz's profile, allocer is the first one listed there (meaning he's the one he's paying the most attention to), followed by general furfur and his brother. in allocer's profile, jazz is the first one listed, followed by furfur again and then a teacher he bonded with in a diff arc (if you can't read japanese you'll just have to believe me on this one)

btw despite ALL OF THIS canon interaction, these two r a very rare rarepair. they don't have a romantic ao3 tag bc nobody has ever published a fic w/ this ship. the ONLY fic under their platonic tag isn't even about them, they're just side characters in it. every day this fact alone spirals me into further despair and insanity. I am so fucking unwell literally rotting I am deteriorating flesh and bones losing every ounce of my fucking mind I hope at least ONE person reads this deranged ass ramble and starts to at least consider this ship bc I can't take it anymore they ahve NOOOOO CONTENTTT AAAAOGIGGHHGGO SOMEBODY GET ME OUTTTTT G924488948 gets put down like a rabid animal

[manonamora-if]

Retrospective 2023 (3)

Haven't looked at numbers in a minute, and since my presence online has been super inconsistent (especially here) recently, I have no idea how this will end up looking. I've updated this sheet a couple of time during the year, but not in a way it tracks old numbers... Because Tumblr has a limit of 20 images per post, I won't include the graphs here, like I did last year, but in this doc (for those interested). Also, I realised I didn't even do celebration posts for milestones this year... And there were quite a few ;-; sorry

For the relevant projects, I've also included a more detailed recap of what's been done this year. All of it is under the cut.

The projects are ordered in date of release.

Forewarning, those stats are not a good representation of IF/Tumblr popularity. The numbers should not be taken as a baseline for comparison. There are many different factors that resulted in those, most of them being out of everyone’s control. I am only comparing myself to Past-Me.

2021 Releases

Status: Complete.

No major updates, since the game is complete. Only some maintenance fixes. The source code of older versions is also available on my GitHub.

Stats:

5.475 total plays (+1.7k-ish)

30 ratings (+5), with an average of 4.4/5 (+0.1)

Inside 316 collections (+108)

Almost 2.3 views/play (+0.1)

Unsurprisingly, the interest for MtP is going down. The game is complete, has not and will not have new updates. It would surprise me if it would gain any traction at this point. I expect the additional plays not to pass 600 by the end of 2024.

2023 Milestones:

5k plays

30 ratings

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Hiatus

I wanted to have an update for this project in 2023. It didn't happen. There is actually quite a bit of work to do in the code, which I had started but didn't complete.

Stats:

40.326 total plays (+12k-ish)

97 (+28), with an average of 4.6/5 (-0.1)

Inside 2.679 collections (+913)

About 2.0 view/play (+0.1)

For a year without any update, I am honestly surprised so many people still played the game this year (average of 30 plays/day). I'm very grateful about it, nonetheless. Hopefully, I'll have something to show for this year!

2023 Milestones:

30k + 40k plays

75 ratings

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Hiatus

This was another project I had planned to complete this year and... didn't. I managed to write a bit for the game, but nothing that would warrant an update.

Stats:

2.203 total plays (+760)

13 ratings (+2), with an average of 4.3/5 (+0.1)

Inside 126 collections (+38)

Went to 2.9 view/play (+0.2)

There were a few jumps in interest in Exquisite Cadaver this year, especially considering there were, once again, no updates (especially at the start of April). But nothing very substantial... I'm honestly pretty happy peeps still enjoy the game, because the whole thing is a bit strange xD

2023 Milestones:

2k plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

2022 Releases

Status: Completed

Absolutely nothing has been happening with this game, not even a bug fix or anything. When I get back to this project, it will be for a complete re-haul. Which won't happen in a long while.

Stats:

3.205 total plays (+790-ish)

19 ratings (+4), with an average of 4.3/5 (=)

Inside 293 collections (+90)

About to 2.2 view/play (+0.1)

2023 Milestones:

3k plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Completed

There was a plan to fix the issues in the game AND add new content. But, if you've followed me this year, you've seen... nothing happened! Honestly, a whole re-code of the game is needed at this point.

Stats:

1.458 total plays (+785)

16 ratings (+6), with an average of 4.5/5 (+0.3)

Inside 103 collections (+59)

About 2.1 view/play (=)

The lack of blowing up stands on two things: the game is not that good... and I don't really have an intro post peeps can share...

2023 Milestones:

1k plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Ongoing

Out of all the WIPs I have, this one got the most progress. It got two major updates during the first half of the year (one of which included a maze!). The second had been spent working especially on Chapter 5 (it's a chunker) and starting Chapter 6 (for MelS). We are trying to wrap up the project for 2024.

Stats:

9.379 total plays (+6.4k-ish) (so close…)

56 (+28) ratings, with an average of 4.8/5 (=)

Inside 783 collections (+444)

About 1.9 view/play (+0.1)

A pretty decent growth for the game, though it is not always consistent. Most interest in the project happens during updates (duh), with some dozen returning players weekly. I don't think it will ever reach the level of CRWL, but it is doing pretty well considering the genre.

2023 Milestones:

5k plays

50 ratings

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Completed(-ish)

Until the first anniversary of this project (coinciding with the EctoComp once more) this game was in French only. Since last October, it was re-written to include more rooms inside the house, and a proper ending beat. It was then translated into English, and the whole thing was recoded. There are still a few kinks I need to handle, but it is essentially complete.

Stats:

252 total plays (+181)

1 rating with 5 stars (=)

Inside 13 collections (+7)

About 4.9 view/play (-0.7)

Unsurprisingly, there was little to no interest in the game. The page was visited a bunch of times, but few people clicked (probably because it was in French. Since the translation, more users have checked out the game and played it. I don't really expect much more interest from players, unfortunately...

2023 Milestones:

100 + 250 plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW Oh... it doesn't have a page... omg.. stpid me.

Status: Completed

This year, the game was re-edited, translated to French, and recoded - a proper remaster including sound! And another game I can call complete and shelved!

Stats:

605 total plays (+270-ish)

10 ratings (+3), with an average of 4.8/5 (+0.1)

Inside 31 collections (+17)

About 3.2 view/play (+0.1)

I am not shocked to see this, honestly. It's a short meme game around a gimmick mechanic that gets old pretty quickly. Still, some interest made in late last June (somehow???) and when I published the remaster in autumn.

2023 Milestones:

500 plays

10 ratings

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Ongoing

At the start of the year, I updated this game to add a tiny bit of content (a few passages) and ensured it could be played on mobile. And published a template from this UI.

There was more content written for the game, as well as mechanics coded, but nothing is coherent enough (or devoid of bugs) to be playable.

Stats:

500 total plays (+333 !!!)

4 ratings (+4), with an average of 5.0

Inside 39 collections (+28)

About 3.0 view/play (+0.5)

Combined a tiny demo with a pre-set character, a not super popular genre, not much to do or little replayability... and you get this. I'll just check back when the game is actually complete :P Honestly, I'm just glad some peeps caught the inspiration for P-RIX.

2023 Milestones:

500 plays !!!!

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW (oh and it has both an intro post and an IFDB page now!)

2023 Releases

Now that we are going into the new releases, there is less comparing, and more putting down the base.

Status: Completed

Biggest high of this year! Released the game in January, won the comp in March, was interviewed shortly after, remastered the whole thing during the summer break (which included a total re-haul of the UI, an English translation, and increased content). Hands down my best game of the year.

Stats

967 total plays

7 ratings, with an average of 5.0

Inside 68 collections

About 3.1 view/play

Lots of views on the game page without plays for the longest time, because, up until the remaster, the game was only available in French. Things picked up then the remaster was uploaded (though it coincided with the IFComp). The game is also not available for mobile play due to its interface...

2023 Milestones:

Won the French Comp!

100 + 250 + 500 plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Hiatus

The first Act of the story was created for the SeedComp! (which didn't win anything because I organised it, and it would have been unfair :P ). There was a plan to complete the game after the SeedComp! was over, but that didn't pan out. I have notes for it, though a re-write of Act 1 may be necessary...

Stats:

633 total plays

5 ratings, with an average of 3.6

Inside 46 collections

About 2.6 view/plays

While bummed by the average, Not surprised. The game is incomplete and plays on the noir codes, which are... something (also the twist is silly). I'll pay a bit more attention to it when the game is actually complete :P Also... It never got an intro post....

2023 Milestones:

100 + 250 + 500 plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Complete

Released for the SpringThing in the Main Garden, this game was supposed to be updated by the end of last year and... it ended up needed a lot more work than expected. I am still working on it. This was my attempt in experimenting with Twine, creating a parser with a non-parser program. It... didn't work all that well as a conventional parser, but it worked pretty well for other peeps.

Stats:

650 total plays

5 ratings, with an average of 5.0

Inside 56 collections

About 2.8 view/plays

Honestly, not bad considering this is a weird parser, that worked eh and still has some issues. I won't ever expect it to blow up, honestly, but it's nice to see a play or two popup on my screen sometimes.

2023 Milestones

100 + 250 + 500 plays

PLAY | INTRO POST | RATE | REVIEW

Status: Complete-ish

Created for a French Jam where I could not choose the program, the game was then upgraded and translated into English for the Text Adventure Literacy Jam a few weeks later. It was my first proper parser game (and made with Adventuron). I still need to fix some issues and typos with the English version, and retranslate back into French...

Stats: The game has currently two pages: French and English

160 (58+88) total plays

4 ratings, with an average of 5.0 and 4.0

Inside 4 collections

About 2.8 view/plays

No surprise here. Parsers are not popular on itch. (I should maybe add it to the textadventure.co.uk website....)

PLAY FR - EN | INTRO POST | RATE FR - EN | REVIEW

Assets and Other Tiny Games

Loads happened with this sections this year, with the addition of 5 new templates, and a whole Guide for SugarCube.

In January, the Setting Template was added - with the Space-Tech UI one following at the end of March, the VN-lite UI one in July, the Character Creator in November, and the Title Page UI in December.

The Guide was released in two periods, with a pre-release before the summer, and a complete one mid-december (which included a download point).

As of last month, all templates are also available on Github, and the Guides are all "playable" on itch.

CScript to SugarCube Guide/Folder

105 downloads (114 plays)

4 rating at 5 stars

Inside 36 collections

Get it here.

Tweego Ready to Use Guide

425 downloads (51 plays)

1 rating at 5 stars

Inside 6 collections

Get it here

Note: this guide got its own page in November of this year, despite being available since 2022

SugarCube Guide

1.300 "plays" (76 download)

11 ratings at 5 stars

Inside 102 collections

Get it here

Templates

2105 downloads

25 ratings, with an average of 5.0

Inside 274 collections

Get them here

After the release of Le Jeu de la Dévotion in late December 2022, I've been participating in other game jams with tiny entries. While one did get a bit more interaction than even my larger piece (Collision, wtf), little really happened to warrant a proper section (they are really tiny!).

And so these were released:

April 2023: À la Campagne [English]

June 2023: Clarence Street, 14, Collision, Intersigne [English + French]

Aug 2023: Le Diner [English]

Oct 2023: In the Blink of an Eye [English + French]

Nov 2023: Tower of Sleep [English] <- BINKSI :D

Dec 2023: Dévoiement [French]

2023 Overall Graph

Ok I lied, one graph:

Compared to last year, the graph is less very high peaks and very low down time (with a slow increase), but a more consistent base (higher than last year) with some moderate peaks for releases (namely Harcourt's and DOL-OS). The downloads have boomed, but that's because of the templates...

The increase of overall small releases (with jam/comp entries) probably helped in this staying a bit consistent (though I could do a better job at hyping up releases before and after they happen here and in other places). It would probably have looked much different if my release focus was somewhere else (like CRWL).

And that's it for stats (I'm skipping the follower/note counts)! The 2024-plan is next!

[halfseoulco]

Industry Babies: They’re not who you think they are

Published Saturday, April 8th, 2023 — When it comes to almost any industry, nepotism is something that the general public tends to look down upon. Whether it’s real estate, politics, or entertainment, there are the types of families in which children follow in their parents’ footsteps; and while that should in no way demean an individual person’s efforts, there is no denying that people who have a little help in the form of generational wealth and connections usually can go a little further than the average person.

Introduction: What is an industry baby?

Nepotism is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs”. It is still a common practice today but while the term “nepotism baby” exists, it’s not nearly as prevalent as the term “industry baby”.

So what is an industry baby?

An industry baby is, quite literally, a product of the industry, particularly the music industry. Any artist today who has parents with successful careers is considered an industry baby—and you would probably recognize most or all of them. Miley Cyrus. Blue Ivy Carter. Enrique Iglesias. Nancy Sinatra. Ziggy Marley. Lily Allen.

The list goes on and on for miles—but these are all relevant to the Western music industry. The question that this particular essay will strive to answer is whether or not the KPOP industry, which is different from the Western music industry in various ways, has these so-called industry babies.

KPOP, “The Big 3″, & Reputation: Pros vs. Cons

Candidly speaking, you’d be hard-pressed to find an industry baby in KPOP today but as is the case with nepotism, being a group debuting under a successful company has its advantages. Otherwise known as “The Big 3″, JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and YG Entertainment are three of the biggest Korean music entertainment companies in the business.* Any group debuting under these three companies has a leg up when it comes to promotions thanks to industry connections, financial power, and general status and influence—let alone the public knowledge that certain companies have a history of paying for positive press, chart manipulation, and award rigging.

However, new groups debuting into the industry under those companies also have something else to contend with—and I use the term “contend” because what I’m about to discuss can be either a good thing or a bad thing—and that is the success of an older, more established group.

On the one hand, as mentioned previously, coming from a large company with a roster of already-successful artists has its perks. New groups that debut have the benefit of name recognition and the general public’s willingness to give them a chance based on the company and artists’ reputations alone—and this is not the case for only The Big 3. Other smaller yet still well-known companies also capitalize on this advantage. However, the downside is that people can and have discredited groups’ achievements as being due to the company or other artists’ popularity rather than their own talents; and downplayed the role that the groups themselves have played in their own success.

Korean culture revolves around a social hierarchy based on age and experience, which is where the terms sunbae/seonbae (선배) and hoobae/hubae (후배) come from. the former meaning “senior” and the latter meaning “junior”. Juniors go through their trainee days and every day of their careers thereafter looking up to and respecting their seniors and often cover their songs as a sign of their admiration. Companies sometimes also assign covers as challenges for trainees, who more likely than not go into their training periods already big fans of many well-established KPOP artists and should therefore be familiar with the lyrics and choreography. Why bring this up at all? The reason is that the current ongoing narrative is usually in favor of the seniors and the emerging trend of slandering juniors for who their seniors are has created a discourse that unfairly affects their abilities to build a genuine fanbase.

This, of course, disproportionately affects certain groups from certain companies more than others; and those being incorrectly labeled as “industry babies” are really anything but, which brings us to our next topic: Big Hit Music (formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment) and KQ Entertainment.

BTS & ATEEZ: A Tale of Two Companies

One cannot really discuss the misnamed industry babies without discussing their predecessors—so let’s talk about BTS and ATEEZ.

By now, everyone knows the story of how HYBE Corporation came to be. When now chairman Bang Si-hyuk founded Big Hit Entertainment in 2005, the small company had one three-member group called 8Eight; and when Kim Namjoon/RM was signed in 2010, a contract had just been signed with JYP Entertainment to jointly manage the boy group 2AM. BTS then debuted in 2013; and following a string of projects that didn’t quite pan out and financial struggle, Big Hit Entertainment began to experience immense success thanks to the septet. Together with CJ E&M (now known as CJ ENM Entertainment), they later founded the agency known as BELIFT LAB and debuted ENHYPEN in 2020 as a result of the survival show I-LAND. From there, Big Hit Entertainment began a series of acquisitions, including Source Music in 2019 and Pledis Entertainment and KOZ Entertainment in 2020; as well as a partnership with Universal Music Group’s flagship label Geffen Records in 2021. On March 31st, 2021, Big Hit Entertainment became HYBE Corporation, with Big Hit Music becoming its own label that functions independently and—most importantly—privately. All seven members of BTS were given significantly large shares in the company—millions of U.S. dollars’ worth, in fact; and HYBE itself has a long list of subsidiaries and joint projects running under its umbrella, including the label ADOR, which manages the girl group NEWJEANS.

Rags to riches story aside, BTS is widely credited for making all of this possible. It’s no secret that Big Hit Entertainment was previously on the brink of bankruptcy and while 8Eight enjoyed some success, BTS’s long and difficult road to fame is what propelled the company to such great heights. Without the influence of a Big 3 company to back them, the group was cut from broadcasts, insulted by variety show hosts, played free concerts, and shared one dorm room. These types of hardships have made ARMYs fiercely protective of the group; and to this day, the fanbase is still wary of anyone who may try to take advantage of their impact for their own gain.

In the meantime, while BTS was gaining traction, a new company emerged. KQ Entertainment, founded in 2016 by Kim Kyu Wook, was initially best known for the boy group Block B under their subsidiary Seven Seasons. The small company also has its own team of in-house producers, some of whom are also solo artists under its other subsidiary KQ Produce.

KQ Entertainment quickly proved to be extremely unique, starting with its training program. Trainees begin their time at the company in a pre-debut group called KQ Fellaz and then graduate from the program when they debut under a new name. The first group of trainees started in 2016 and debuted as ATEEZ in 2018. In what proved to be an extremely smart move on the company’s part, KQ Fellaz released a series of performance videos (I, II, and III) showcasing the group’s dance abilities as well as a solo performance video for Yunho, who has been well-established as ATEEZ’s main dancer, and a cover of EXO’s “으르렁(Growl)”. The group also had a reality show chronicling their time spent training in the United States, during which they had a ninth member who ended up not debuting with the rest of them; and they also released a music video for their song “From”, which they made for the show.

While most KPOP groups move from concept to concept throughout their career, ATEEZ debuted with an original ongoing concept that was introduced in their debut singles “Pirate King” and “Treasure”; and a complex storyline that, according to the members themselves, still has much left to be revealed, and involves multiple timelines.

ATEEZ have admitted that they are aware that they are more popular outside of Korea than they are within their home country. This, coupled with the fact that KQ Entertainment is still a relatively small player in the game, means that the group has been snubbed by the rest of the KPOP industry in many ways, especially at award shows, despite the quality of their performances and content and their high album sales. In fact, their EP TREASURE EPILOGUE : Action To Answer (2020) was the number one album on Gaon Chart until IZ*ONE’s Bloom*Iz and then BTS’s MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 were released not long after.

Despite their popularity overseas, KQ Entertainment still is not anywhere near The Big 3 or HYBE in terms of its financial resources. ATEEZ fans, called ATINYs, have complained about the number of fan sign/fan call events hosted by various stores and online distributors—and, by extension, the number of pre-order benefits—making it more difficult and more expensive for those who collect the group’s merchandise, particularly photocards. It’s not difficult to assume that the reasoning behind this is that the company needs the money from the sales. Prior to March 30th of this year, ATEEZ was KQ Entertainment’s only group, as Block B is no longer active. (Interestingly enough, though, member ZICO is currently enjoying his solo career under KOZ Entertainment, which was, as revealed earlier, acquired by HYBE.) However, there has been a noticeable increase in the production quality of ATEEZ’s most recent content. From having people visible in the background of their debut music videos to practically making movies with “Guerrilla” and “HALAZIA”, it’s clear that the money is being put to good use rather than being spent frivolously.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about all of this is that BTS and ATEEZ have traveled similar paths throughout their careers—born from small companies, dismissed by the rest of the industry, unique music and concepts, hugely responsible for putting their companies on the map—and yet ARMYs and ATINYs find themselves engaged in fan wars constantly. People who are fans of both groups are also shunned by both fanbases, which has led to many unwilling to publicly claim their love for one group or the other for fear of being ostracized. ATEEZ themselves are big fans of BTS and have great respect for them, especially Wooyoung, who was once upset about being unable to attend one of BTS’s concerts in Seoul because of his own group’s obligations; and BTS in turn have responded favorably to ATEEZ, particularly during their cover of “피 땀 눈물(Blood Sweat & Tears)” at the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). Additionally, Wooyoung and Yeosang were trainees at Big Hit Music with the members of TXT before moving to KQ Entertainment and Wooyoung still maintains a close friendship with fellow 99 liner Yeonjun.

The Tale of TOMORROW X TOGETHER

On March 4th, 2019, Big Hit Music debuted their second [boy] group, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, also known by the acronym TXT. Their debut track, “어느 날 머리에서 뿔이 자랐다 (CROWN)”, was generally well-received and the five boys were praised as “monster rookies”. However, there was—and still is—a significant portion of the overarching KPOP fandom that sees TXT as a group who rose to fame on the coattails of their world-famous sunbaes, BTS.

It’s difficult to escape the shadow of someone as big as BTS; and while TXT has great love and respect for their seniors, it’s hard to not feel the pressure of such an enormous reputation. In fact, it wasn’t even known that the two groups shared such a close relationship until earlier this year when TXT started sharing that they had visited some of the BTS members’ homes. RM has even worked on TXT’s “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)" and the members revealed that he was very influential while working on the title track.

As the five young men enter their fifth year as a group, looking back at “어느 날 머리에서 뿔이 자랐다 (CROWN)”, it’s easy to see that it was extremely well-polished and high-quality for a debut, not just in terms of the music video’s production but the complexity of the choreography and the refreshing nature of the concept. “어느 날 머리에서 뿔이 자랐다 (CROWN)” is, truthfully, less of a debut song and more of a second or third comeback song but people just easily accepted it as the group’s starting point—because they were expected to be that good from the beginning.

In an interview with Variety in 2019, Bang Si-hyuk said, “People may think that TXT got really lucky and have an easy path, but they have the burden of meeting expectations that have been set. Rookies have a chance to grow and shine when they are still rookies, but TXT started on a higher level so it’s harder to showcase growth.”

TXT have put out a dynamic and versatile discography over the past four years, experimenting with a wide variety of genres and styles to push the boundaries of music and showcase new sides of themselves and their abilities as artists. At Bang Si-hyuk’s encouragement, they also started participating more in songwriting; and objectively speaking, the quality of their performances have always and continue to set them apart from other groups who debuted around the same time, something that fans of other fourth generation groups are loathe to admit. In spite of the way that others have downplayed their achievements, TXT is currently enjoying their second world tour, ACT : SWEET MIRAGE following a short showcase tour in the U.S. in 2019 and their first world tour, ACT : LOVE SICK in 2022.

It’s clear to anyone with a discerning eye and ear that BTS and TXT are two distinct groups; and while TXT has paid homage to their seniors in the past with perfectly executed covers—including this epic rendition of “불타오르네 (Burning Up (Fire))” at the 2021 KBS Song Festival with ENHYPEN—the type of music that they make is unique to them.

So why slander TXT at all?

There are a few possible reasons. One, a lot of people—other entertainment agencies, fans of other groups—resent BTS and HYBE’s success and are counting down the days until BTS is no longer active. Everyone is desperately looking for “the next BTS” in order to replicate their global impact; and while the purpose of TXT is definitely not to fill that spot once their fellow artists eventually depart the scene, no one wants to believe that Big Hit Music is capable of producing more than one successful group, especially one with the same kind of universal appeal.

Two, the market for KPOP groups is severely over capacity. There was a time when no one wanted to schedule a comeback during the same time as BTS for fear of failing to grasp the public’s attention; and now with TXT really coming into their own, it is likely that other companies will take their comebacks into consideration when planning their own. New groups are debuting on a regular basis throughout the year, which means that too many artists are fighting for the public’s attention at any given time. Timing a debut or comeback incorrectly can cause major setbacks for groups trying to get their names out there; and many older groups are still recovering from years of BTS sweeping charts and award shows, let alone preparing for the possibility of a repeat with TXT.

Three, although BTS have taken a step back from making music together due to upcoming military enlistments and their own individual projects, TXT is starting to hit numbers that are making other companies nervous. Their most recent album, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, landed atop seven different Billboard Charts, becoming their first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It also took the No. 1 spot on the Top Album Sales, Top Current Album Sales, and the World Albums charts; entered the Tastemaker Albums chart at No. 3; and had all its songs place in the top 15 of both the World Digital Song Sales and Hot Trending Songs charts. It also sent them back onto the Artist 100 at No. 1, making them the sixth KPOP act to ever top the chart.

Four, it is a goal for most, if not all, KPOP groups to break into the U.S. market. While PSY gained popularity abroad for “강남스타일 (Gangnam Style)” in 2012, BTS is largely credited with opening the doors for KPOP in the states, with more groups touring all over the country—and some returning to larger and larger venues every time. Now, on their second world tour in less than a year, TXT are making big moves that some older, more established groups can only dream of. Aside from racking up achievements at Korean award shows, the quintet has spent quite some time in the U.S., having performed “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” and “Good Boy Gone Bad” at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve earlier this year. They were also invited back to The Late Late Show with James Corden to perform “Sugar Rush Ride” at the end of February after performing “Magic” in 2021; and now, after playing at Lollapalooza last summer along with labelmate j-hope, they are the first KPOP group ever to headline the festival.

At this point, I think it’s safe to say that TXT are not relying on BTS’s image for anything, having fully taken ownership of their own artistry and their own identities as leaders of fourth generation KPOP. Many of the same people who complained about the favoritism shown towards Big 3 artists are now complaining about the favoritism shown towards HYBE artists—which, in its own way, is completely unfounded. HYBE Corporation may be the biggest KPOP company in the industry but the fact of the matter is that they don’t sit at the same table as The Big 3 and never will, not because they don’t deserve to but because in spite of all they have achieved, The Big 3 will always see them as outsiders. BTS have never been able to shed that image either, so what advantages do TXT really even have that others don’t? Sure, money helps but in this case, it’s not being used to put TXT at a dishonest advantage. As Jin said at MAMA 2019, “There are methods of cheating but wouldn’t it be better to make music with more honest ways? I hope the time will come when everyone makes good music and listens to good music.”

Prior to heading off on their first world tour, TXT released their EP minisode 2: Thursday’s Child consisting of five songs, including “Trust Fund Baby”. The overall soundscape of the song is on the melancholy side and while the lyrics open themselves to be interpreted in more than one way, “Trust Fund Baby” smooths over pointed remarks directed at those who would accuse them of having been born with silver spoons in their mouths and hides them in plain sight under the disguise of a song about heartbreak. Moreover, trust fund babies are usually seen as children born to rich parents who have never had to work for anything they have but we already know that TXT has worked harder than anyone else to prove themselves. Truthfully, it’s hard to hear lyrics such as “The shining spoon to me is someone else's story” and “Yeah, I know, I know I'm not like them/It doesn't work even if you add and multiply” and not understand them as plainly as they are said: TXT will never be trust fund—or industry—babies.

xikers: A New Generation of KQ Fellaz

On March 30th, 2023, KQ Entertainment debuted their second [boy] group called xikers. Formerly known as KQ Fellaz 2, the ten trainees went through much of the same process as their sunbaes ATEEZ did before them. They released one performance video prior to debut, called “Iffy”, as well as a music video for “Geek”, which the group made for their reality show documenting their time training in the U.S. The video begins with the words “RESPECT TO ‘ATEEZ - FROM’” right underneath the title of the song as a sign of their admiration for their seniors and the acknowledgement of their having walked the same path before them.

KQ Entertainment, having learned from ATEEZ’s debut journey, did make some changes this time around; and took the opportunity of having an older, more experienced group to try something new. During their time as KQ Fellaz 2, the ten members also went out busking and accompanied ATEEZ on their most recent world tour, The Fellowship Tour: Break the Wall, where they opened for their sunbaes and gained some live concert performance experience. They also were invited as performers for KCON Japan and Thailand; and starred on The Player: KPOP Quest, a show on SBS Entertainment’s KPOP platform Inkigayo, where they competed against each other on missions as well as together in front of a panel of judges who provided feedback on their performances. Songs covered during the show included The Wonder Girls’ “Like this”, Kara’s “루팡 (Lupin)”, NCT DREAM’s “맛 (Hot Sauce)”, THE BOYZ’s “THRILL RIDE”, and ATEEZ’s “멋 (The Real)”, as well as their pre-debut single “도깨비집 (TRICKY HOUSE)” and a dance cover of Lil Nas X’s song with Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”.

Now, the dance cover of “Industry Baby” is quite possibly the most interesting little tidbit about xikers’ pre-debut and debut. The song makes plenty of pointed references aimed at the Western music industry with lyrics like “You was never really rootin' for me anyway”, “Funny how you said it was the end, yeah”, and “They couldn't wait to just bash me”. Featured on Lil Nas X’s album, MONTERO (2021), “Industry Baby” was nominated for a large collection of awards, of which it won several. It is likely that xikers chose this particular song to cover not only for its popularity but as a way to indicate that they are aware of what people are saying about them and to respond by using irony—because they are maybe the furthest from being industry babies as one could possibly get. However, they’ve decided that if that’s what people are going to think of them, they might as well lean into it because there’s little they can do to change people’s minds. All they can do is continue to show their best efforts.

What this also goes to show is that people have been prepared to hate xikers before they’d even debuted, if for no other reason than the fact that they are their own unique kind of group, just like ATEEZ. They don’t follow the traditional models for KPOP, they don’t keep up with the trends, they’re making the music that they want to make and blurring the lines between genres along the way—and that kind of artistic freedom is something that makes others envious.

xikers debuted with their EP HOUSE OF TRICKY : Doorbell Ringing, which consists of seven tracks. KQ’s usual producing team worked their magic but it was a very pleasant surprise to see that after having a hand in his own group’s music, ATEEZ’s Hongjoong also participated in writing and producing all seven tracks. Their debut showcase was hosted and initially distributed by SBS Entertainment’s channel, THE K-POP, which also streams the show for which ATEEZ’s Yeosang has been an MC these past two years, THE SHOW and THE SHOW CHOICE! KQ Entertainment uploaded the showcase themselves two days later. Some people might misinterpret this possible use of industry connections as a way to further argue that xikers are taking advantage of a way in that others don’t have but if you look at well-established groups from larger companies, you’ll see that they don’t stream their showcases via Korean mainstream broadcasting channels. TXT and SEVENTEEN, for example, streamed their most recent comeback showcases via their own official YouTube channels and the HYBE LABELS YouTube channel; and SM Entertainment is known for hosting their annual SMTOWN events such as KWANGYA on their own channel. With the UNIVERSE platform having officially closed in February, which is where ATEEZ previously held their showcases prior to streaming them via Mnet’s digital studio channel, M2, xikers needed the viewership of SBS Entertainment’s channel to increase their chances of building a fanbase among the general public who may have no previous knowledge of them in connection to ATEEZ or KQ Entertainment.

xikers have officially been a group for just over a week. It’s a little early to really gauge how they are being received within the industry and amongst fans but they have been promoting pretty heavily, focusing on “도깨비집 (TRICKY HOUSE)” and “XIKEY” during their circuit of the various music shows as well as giving cute performances via 1theK’s GAP CRUSH, M2′s RELAY DANCE, and blip’s Harry Potter version of “도깨비집 (TRICKY HOUSE)”. They have also released a couple of videos via hello82′s channel, which has produced and continues to produce content with ATEEZ, including one where they interact with children and one where they try to make tortillas. Promotional period aside, the group is also making the rounds of the same distribution channels as ATEEZ for fan sign and fan call events, which means that KQ Entertainment is still counting on dedicated fans and collectors to participate for the pre-order benefits and for the chance to speak to their favorite idols.

Conclusion

In the history of KPOP as an industry, there is much to cover. From the first generation to the current generation, trends have evolved, concepts have changed, and companies are learning and trying new things with their groups all the time. However, in my opinion, the biggest takeaway from all of this information that I have compiled for the purposes of this essay is that big companies have a way of manipulating public perception and a tendency to abuse that ability. Redirecting attention towards a potential distraction is one way to keep fans invested in the things they want you to focus on; and if they can make their enemy your enemy, then that leaves very little work for them in terms of filtering out competition. Those companies are counting on fans to continue to ostracize TXT and xikers—and, by extension, BTS and ATEEZ—because the foundation for it is already in place. And while I said at the beginning of this essay that there really are no industry babies in KPOP, there is indeed a thing called privilege; and the ones who have it want you to not notice that they do.

The truth is that no one likes outsiders—not really—and regardless of how far HYBE Corporation and KQ Entertainment and their artists go with their achievements and their ability to break boundaries and set records, they will always be treated as though they don’t belong. Nevertheless, these four groups have so much to be proud of and it is expected that they will continue to live outside the limitations of the industry for years to come. Whether their fan bases can learn to get along is another thing entirely but that is a story for a different time.

Notes:

*Personally, I don’t believe in “The Big 4″ (HYBE/JYP/SM/YG). HYBE is in a category of their own.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Leor Sapir and Lisa Littman

Published: Dec 23, 2023

Rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) is one of the most controversial issues in the ongoing debate about transgender identity and medical sex trait modification in youth. In a new Letter to the Editor in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, we (and co-author Michael Biggs) criticize an article by Jack Turban et al., “Age of Realization and Disclosure of Gender Identity Among Transgender Adults,” which argues against ROGD.

We were heartened to see even vocal opponents of the ROGD hypothesis say that our Letter is “a reasonable critique of Turban’s methods.” Critics of ROGD who are scientific and open-minded should at least be able to recognize poor attempts to criticize the hypothesis. We also appreciate the criticisms our Letter has received since it came out, even if some of these criticisms were enveloped in ad hominem fallacies.

In this article, we respond to five points raised by critics.

Given that ROGD is a new and important area of research, and that the health and wellbeing of youth is on the line, we believe thoughtful scientific debate is essential.

1: The place of USTS-15 in the ROGD debate

We did not argue and do not think that the U.S. Transgender Survey of 2015 is the most valuable data source for evaluating the ROGD hypothesis. USTS-15 surveyed adults only, and at a time when adolescent-onset gender dysphoria was still on the rise. As such, it is not the ideal resource for exploring the ROGD hypothesis. We point this out in our Letter. What we did argue is: even if you agree with Turban et al. that the USTS-15 is a good resource for exploring ROGD, the USTS-15 data actually provides more evidence for than against it.

2: Evidence for ROGD in USTS-15

As we point out in the Letter, the USTS-15 asks three questions:

3.1 At about what age did you begin to feel that your gender was “different” from your assigned birth sex?

3.2 At about what age did you start to think you were trans (even if you did not know the word for it)?

3.3 At about what age did you first start to tell others that you were trans (even if you did not use that word)? [Or] I have not told others that I am trans.

Turban et al. measure time from “realization” of a transgender identity to disclosing that identity to others using Q3.1 as their proxy for “realization” of a transgender identity. Moreover, they do so only for adults who said they realized their trans identity before age 10. We questioned both of these choices (more on using Q3.1 later). Measuring time to disclosure among those who said they realized at age 11 or older (meaning, ROGD relevant experiences), we found that the mode was 1 year and the median 3 years.

A more intuitive proxy for “realization” would be Q3.2, “started to think you were trans.” When we use Q3.2 as the proxy, the results are extremely supportive of the ROGD hypothesis, as the tables below demonstrate:

The median time from realization to disclosure is one year or less. Approximately two thirds of respondents (n = 3,685) said that they went from “starting to think I am trans” to disclosing a trans identity to others within a time frame no reasonable person can deny is “rapid.”

However, in our Letter we wanted to be generous to Turban et al.’s ROGD-antagonistic approach, which is why our analysis in the Letter (Table 1) uses Q3.1 (Turban et al.’s choice) as the proxy for “realization.” Using that proxy, we found a mode of 1 year and a median of 3 years. Some critics claimed that 3 years is not “rapid” (we address this question below). For now, we thought it might be useful to provide the full data on time from realization to disclosure using Q3.1:

These data show that out of 5,880 age-relevant respondents, 1,310 went from “first feeling gender was different from sex” to disclosing their trans identity within 1 year, and 817 did it in less than a year. This makes for a total of 2,127, or approximate one-third of the group, who, by Turban et al.’s restrictive assumptions, developed and disclosed a trans identity to others in a very short time frame.

In sum, between 1/3 and 2/3 of respondents reported a timeline that supports the ROGD hypothesis. (Note: Littman never suggested that ROGD describes all adolescents and young adults who identity as transgender. She proposed it as a pathway to GD in a subset of this demographic.) Even critics of ROGD must admit that the USTS-15 shows some evidence of the phenomenon.

3: Is Q3.1 a reliable proxy?

Should we measure time to disclosure from when respondents first “started to feel their gender is different from their sex” (Q3.1) or from when they “first started to think they are trans even if they didn’t have words to express it at the time” (Q3.2)? Critics of ROGD choose the first option because it produces a longer (i.e., less “rapid”) trajectory of development. As we’ve seen, however, even with this approach, one-third of respondents in the relevant group still went from not having a problem with their sex to rejecting it in the space of one year or less.

One problem here is recall bias. As we point out in the Letter, USTS-15 recruited respondents through advocacy networks, and contemporary trans advocacy relies on unsubstantiated theories of innate, even biological, gender identity (due to the political potency of these theories and their relevance in American constitutional litigation). The combination of a psychological inclination (need?) to believe one was “born this way” and sampling bias means that we shouldn’t take respondents’ answers to Q3.1 at face value. Turban et al. do, however, and we think that leaves their study with a high risk of bias.

Let us demonstrate this bias with a common scenario. Imagine an autistic girl who, at age 10, starts to realize she doesn’t fit in socially. Two years later, at age 12, she is introduced to gender identity theory and starts consuming YouTube content by transgender influencers. She begins to use transgender identity as a lens through which to interpret her life experiences and specifically her social maladjustment. Ah ha! she thinks. This is why I’ve been feeling that I don’t fit in! At age 13, she tells her parents that she is trans. Five years later, she participates in USTS-15 and recalls feeling her “gender was different from her sex” at age 10.

This girl, who fits the ROGD profile perfectly, is retrospectively interpreting her experiences from age 10 to 12 to meet her current psychological needs. She didn’t spend ages 10 to 12 thinking about her “gender.” Instead, she convinced herself in hindsight that that was the problem all along.  Recall bias means that USTS-15 has no way of telling apart respondents like our hypothetical autistic girl and respondents who really did start thinking about “their gender being different from their sex” three years before disclosing a trans identity to others. Neither Turban et al. nor we can do more than speculate about what went on in the minds of respondents during the 2 years between the time points captured in Q3.1 and Q3.2. In fact, we can’t even know that they did start “feeling different” (whatever that means) at a median of 3 years before disclosure.

Unlike Turban et al., we acknowledge this uncertainty in USTS-15. We argue that Q3.2 is the more the natural choice for measuring identity development because it contains less ambiguity (it asks about first realization of trans identity explicitly). By contrast, Turban et al. assume, without any evidence and while ignoring the problems of recall and sampling bias, that if a respondent said “I start feeling my gender was different” at age 10, then there is no question the respondent first “realized” a “transgender or gender diverse” identity at age 10.

4: What counts as “rapid”?

Here we get to what appears to be the main criticism of our Letter, which is that 3 years—the median time from realization to disclosure using Q3.1—is not “rapid” at all. Others said we were moving the goal posts for what counts as rapid in order to keep the ROGD theory alive.

What “rapid” means is a good question. We do not address it in our Letter, and to our knowledge it has never really been discussed in the academic literature. Before we offer some thoughts, we wanted to emphasize, again, that even if we use Turban’s method but restrict it to the relevant age group (18-24), the USTS-15 shows evidence of 2,127 respondents who have onset of gender dysphoria or trans identity within one year or less.

Critics of ROGD will naturally want to define “rapid” as narrowly as possible so as to minimize the incidence of ROGD. Thus, for instance, Assigned Media’s Evan Urquhart writes: “In 2018, Lisa Littman estimated that youth with ROGD declared their trans identity between one week and three months after displaying signs of gender dysphoria. When the data failed to back this up, she and other proponents did away with the rapidity.”

Actually, only 26 percent of Littman’s 2018 sample went from non-dysphoric to dysphoric in three months or less. The times from non-dysphoria to dysphoria in the remainder of the sample were:

4-6 months: 12.4%

7-9 months: 4%

10-12 months: 11.6%

More than 12 months: 8%

Don’t know: 5.6%

Did not seem at all gender dysphoric when they announced a trans identity: 32.4%

Littman did not define what counts as “rapid.” She merely presented the findings from her survey. What Urquhart is doing here is setting up a straw man. By misrepresenting Littman’s findings, and then mischaracterizing those findings as a definition, Urquhart is leading readers to believe that Littman (along with Sapir and Biggs) are now redefining “rapid” due to inconvenient findings in USTS-15. Littman no doubt considers three months or less to be “rapid,” but it hardly follows that her original hypothesis considers anything beyond three months to be non-rapid.

Let us, once again, try to be as charitable as we can to critics of ROGD. Let’s suppose that Q3.1 is the correct proxy for “realization.” Let’s assume that the median is 3 years from realization to disclosure. And let’s forget, for a moment, that even under these assumptions, 2,127 respondents still said that they went from no issues with their sex to trans-identified within a year or less.

Is 3 years “rapid”? Rapid is a relative term. Turban et al. report that the median time from realization to disclosure (in the “early realization”) cohort is 14 years. Three years is rapid compared to 14.

More importantly, until recently the two recognized subtypes of gender dysphoria were adult-onset (almost all middle-aged males) and childhood-onset. The latter was observed to manifest from very early in life through gender nonconformity and confusion. The Dutch protocol, which started the pediatric transition experiment, recommended only adolescents who had childhood-onset of symptoms. By the time they emerged into puberty and were eligible for puberty blockers, candidates would have had to be dysphoric for quite a few years.

Thus, a possible definition of “rapid” is: dysphoria that arises in the context of puberty as opposed dysphoria that begins much earlier in life and persists into adolescence. The first sentence of Littman’s 2018 article abstract reads: “In on-line forums, parents have reported that their children seemed to experience a sudden or rapid onset of gender dysphoria, appearing for the first time during puberty or even after its completion” (our emphasis).

Littman might have spared us the headache of quibbling over the exact meaning of “rapid” by choosing another term—say, “adolescent-onset gender dysphoria with novel and unknown etiology.” As we’ll discuss in a moment, the hypothesis about rapidity, though important, is not more important than the hypothesis about trans identity being a maladaptive coping mechanism or arising due to social/peer influence or internalized homophobia. If trans identity is secondary to these other issues, that has massive implications for clinical care. The precise speed at which a teenager comes to use a trans identity as a way to cope with, say, internalized homophobia and a history of sexual trauma, is less important than recognizing the trans identity as a coping mechanism and not letting it get in the way of a more productive therapeutic approach.

Some critics might argue that 3 years cannot be rapid, period. But this claim depends on context. Is a 1-month period from spraining one’s ankle to full recovery rapid? That depends on whether we’re talking about an 80-year-old with multiple health problems or a 15-year-old athlete.

There is a tendency among gender clinicians and researchers to treat “gender” as an exceptional aspect of human identity. Thus, when considering what counts as “rapid,” it’s worth thinking about the pace at which other aspects of human identity develop—for instance, patriotic attachment, religious identity, relationships with family members, realizing our vocation in life, and so on. These aspects typically take far longer than 3 years. Sometimes they never end.

Take the example of finding your vocation. It’s common these days for people to finally figure out what they want to do in life in their mid- or late-thirties, after more than a decade of trying things out, experiencing disappointment, going through periods of feeling everything is pointless and nothing is fulfilling, and so on. Some people go through life never figuring out what their calling is. Now, imagine we were to come across a teenager who, in the space of 3 years between age 12 and 15, figured out, definitively, that her calling in life is to be a biochemical engineer. Could we not reasonably say that this teenager had a rapid-onset of vocational identity?

Going from not even thinking about one’s sex as a problem to “feeling uncomfortable being a girl” to “knowing I’m a boy who was assigned the wrong sex at birth” is, to put it mildly, a dramatic change. To go through such a change in the space of even 3 years can reasonably be described as “rapid.”

5: Can children identify as transgender in secret?

According to Turban et al.’s interpretation of USTS-15 data:

The median age at which those in the childhood realization group first told someone about their gender identity was 20 years and the median number of years between realizing their TGD identities and telling another person was 14 years. With survey weights applied, the childhood realization group had a median of 17 years between realizing their identities and first telling someone, with a median of age 22 for the latter.

Thus, individuals who “realized” a transgender identity in childhood did so at a very early age and somehow managed to conceal it from their caregivers for many years.

In our Letter, we question Turban et al.’s assumption that young children can hide their confusion about or discomfort with their sex from their parents. Four-year-olds are not particularly good at hiding information about their favorite color, let alone about “being transgender.” Turban and his coauthors might have avoided this credibility-destroying claim by taking USTS-15 respondents’ recollections about identity development with a grain of salt (which they do, readily and happily, when it comes to the experiences of detransitioners).

One critic of our paper took to X to point out that, in fact, “parents being unaware of their children's gender incongruence/dysphoria is pretty commonplace.” The critic linked to a 2021 study from the Toronto gender clinic, which she says shows that “about half of caregivers didn’t realize their children were trans until they came out, despite the children realizing that on average years before.”

It’s misleading, however, to say that the study corroborates Turban et al.’s conclusions. The finding in the 2021 study pertains to young adolescents who recalled having first “recognition of gender incongruence” at median age 11.3. Adolescents are definitely more capable than children of withholding information from their parents. Does that mean parents won’t detect that something is going on with their kid? Of course not. But the inner lives of 12- or even 10-year-olds are typically harder for parents to understand than the inner lives of 4-year-olds.

Importantly, the authors of the 2021 study noted a crucial limitation: “As a retrospective study, it is subject to recall bias.” In other words, there’s no way to know whether, say, a respondent who recalled first realizing her gender incongruence at age 9 really had that experience. Even so, the study found that among those who became “gender incongruent” in adolescence, time from development of this incongruence to its disclosure to caregivers was a median of two years.

As Littman explicitly stated in her 2018 article, “The argument to surface from this study is not that the insider perspectives of [adolescents and young adults] presenting with signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria should be set aside by clinicians, but that the insights of parents are a pre-requisite for robust triangulation of evidence and fully informed diagnosis.” We emphasize a similar point in our Letter when we say that “both ‘internal processes’ (which are more subjective) and parental reports (which are more objective) are relevant to the question of identity development and disclosure.” We reject the assumption of Turban et al. that the only thing that counts is “internal identity processes.”

Children are not islands. They are not dark and mysterious secrets to those who care for them on a daily basis.

Conclusion

We are thankful to all those who offered criticisms of our Letter, even if some of criticisms could have been more substantive and expressed in good faith. We emerged from this process more convinced than before that ROGD needs more research, and that there is evidence in support of ROGD that even the most ardent of anti-ROGD critics must concede. In the end, we owe it to children and their families to have rational, evidence-based debate on why so many kids are identifying as transgender and seeking various forms of body modification.

==

What's funny is that the people who insist that parents can't possibly know what's going on, are the exact same people who insist that parents really do know that their 3-year-old who likes the "wrong" toys is "trans."

Chronic, pathological dishonesty seems to be a trait of those who push gender woo.

[reasonsforhope]

Note: Reasons to Be Cheerful has had weirdly huge formatting issues for the past six or so months, so if that version is a mess, this link should work better.

"Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the Sunshine State’s largest power utility, employs all the people you might expect: electricians, lineworkers, mechanical engineers — and a few you might not. For over 40 years, the company has kept a team of wildlife biologists on staff. Their task? Monitoring the giant carnivorous reptiles that reside in one of the state’s nuclear power plants. 

Saving the American Crocodile

What sounds like a low-budget creature feature is actually a wildly successful conservation story. It goes like this: In 1975, the shy and reclusive American crocodile was facing extinction. Over-hunting and habitat decline caused by encroaching development had pushed its numbers to a record low. By 1975, when it was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, there were only 200 to 300 left. 

Three years later, in 1978, workers at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant in Homestead, Florida happened upon something that must have made them gasp: a crocodile nest along one of the plant’s 5,900-acre “cooling canals.” Rather than drive the crocs away — perhaps the easiest solution — FPL hired a team of biologists and implemented a Crocodile Management Plan. Its goal was unconventional: provide a suitable habitat for the crocs within the workings of the nuclear power plant, allowing both to coexist.  

Over the course of the next 30 years, FPL’s wildlife biologists monitored nests, tagged hatchlings and generally created a hospitable environment for the reptiles. As it turned out, the plant’s cooling canals provided an ideal habitat: drained earth that never floods on which to lay eggs directly adjacent to water. Over the years, more and more crocs made the cooling canals home. By 1985, the nests at Turkey Point were responsible for 10 percent of American crocodile hatchlings in South Florida. In 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downgraded the American crocodile’s status from endangered to threatened, singling out FPL for its efforts. 

The program continues to this day. To date, biologists have tagged some 7,000 babies born at the plant. In 2021, there were a record-setting 565 crocodile hatchlings at the Turkey Point facility. 

"Reconciliation Ecology"

Turkey Point’s efforts are an example of what is known in the conservation world as “reconciliation ecology.” Rather than create separate areas where nature or animals can thrive in isolation from humans, reconciliation ecology suggests that we can blend the rich natural world with the world of human activity. Michael Rosenzweig, an emeritus professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, was a leading force in establishing this concept. The author of Win-Win Ecology: How the Earth’s Species can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise, Rosenzweig has pointed out that although human encroachment has typically been considered a threat to biodiversity, the notion that the world must be either “holy” or “profane,” ecologically speaking, is simply not true.  

“In addition to its primary value as a conservation tool, reconciliation ecology offers a valuable social byproduct,” writes Rosenzweig in his first chapter. “It promises to reduce the endless bickering and legal wrangling that characterize environmental issues today.”

-via Reasons to Be Cheerful, May 5, 2022. Article continues below. All headings added by me for added readability.

Dr. Madhusudan Katti, an associate professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, was inspired by Rosenzweig when he did his postdoc at Arizona State. Katti has now been in the field of reconciliation ecology for two decades and teaches classes on the subject. “To me it’s finding solutions to reconciling human development with biodiversity conservation,” Katti says.

This common ground between development and conservation can be consciously planned, like FPL managing a crocodile habitat at a nuclear power plant or the state-sponsored vertical gardens and commercial farms on high-rise buildings in Singapore. Other examples include the restoration of the coral reef around an undersea restaurant in Eilat, Israel, or recent legislation in New York City requiring patterned glass on high-rise buildings, making windows more visible to migratory birds. Other planned examples of reconciliation ecology can be more individually scaled: a rooftop garden in an urban setting, modifying your garden to earn a “backyard bird habitat” certification from the Audubon Society, or even just mowing your lawn less often...

Reconciliation Ecology: Nature's Already Doing It Without Us

But there are countless examples of “accidental” incidents of reconciliation ecology, as well. One of Katti’s favorites is the kit fox of California’s San Joaquin Valley. “The kit fox was one of the very first species listed on the Endangered Species Act,” Katti says. Its decline was caused by habitat loss through agricultural and industrial development, as well as the extermination of the gray wolf population, which led to an increase in coyotes. So kit foxes adapted and moved to new habitats. One of these was the city of Bakersfield, California.

“Bakersfield, surrounded by oil pumps, would be the last place you’d expect to find an endangered species,” Katti says. But researchers think kit foxes have migrated to Bakersfield because they actually have more protection there from predators like coyotes and bobcats. “The kit foxes have figured out that if they can tolerate the human disturbance and live with people, then they are safer from all these other predators,” he says. 

Living in the city has led to some interesting behavioral changes. In the wild, for instance, a female kit fox gives birth to her young and raises them by herself in a den. But in the city, researchers have observed multiple females raising their litters together in the same den. “It’s like a form of cooperative breeding,” Katti says. “That wouldn’t happen in the wild.” ...

The Big Picture: How We Think about Conservation

Reconciliation Ecology isn’t just we humans welcoming animals like crocodiles and foxes into our environments, though. It’s also living with nature in a way that most Western societies haven’t done since the Enlightenment. “In recent years, there’s been a recognition that the ‘fortress conservation’ model — keeping nature separated from humans and not thinking of or valuing human-inhabited landscapes — those ideas are outdated,” says Katti.

In fact, in Katti’s classes on reconciliation ecology, he embraces the notion of reconnecting people with their land if they have been unjustly separated from it. “The term reconciliation also applies to all the colonial legacies where both nature and people have been harmed,” Katti says. “For Indigenous communities, the harm done to ecosystems, it’s happened together. So you can talk about addressing both. That’s where a lot of my thinking is at the moment.” 

A hopeful version of this sort of reconciliation is happening in California where colleagues of Katti’s who are tribal members are re-introducing “tribal burns” in some areas. Controlled burns have been a part of many Indigenous cultures for millenia, both as a way to prevent devastating forest fires, but also to encourage the growth of certain plants like hazel that are used for basket-weaving and other crafts. 

“The notion that people don’t belong there and ‘let nature take care of itself’ doesn’t really work,” Katti says. “That’s the legacy of Western European Enlightenment thinking — a divide between human and nature. That is a real faulty view of nature. People have been part of the ecosystem forever.”

-via Reasons to Be Cheerful, May 5, 2022

[ilanprofile]

ILAN_PROFILE'S ACTION / SUPERHEROES CARTOON GUIDE

Looking for Cartoons to Watch? Need a Guide for Animated Shows? Are you a Beginner or a Pro in watching TV shows? THIS ARE ALL THE ACTION / SUPERHERO CARTOONS I RECOMMEND!

About Each Section:

WATCH THIS: Shows I think are a MUST Watch for anybody getting into cartoons

NEW CARTOONS: Ongoing shows premiered in the past 2-3 years

STILL RELEVANT: Older shows / Already finished shows that still get a lot of attention nowdays

BONUS MENTIONS: Other Shows I havent watched that much of or arent as widely known as the others above

STORYDRIVEN: Fully serialized shows with lot of conitnuity

SEMI-EPISODIC: Shows with an ongoing story but also have self contained arcs

EPISODIC: Shows with minimal continuity, you can watch basically any episode

DISCLAIMER: I tried to limit myself to only 1-2 shows of each IP, UNLESS each of them feels too different from one or another (Like The Looney Tunes Show vs the classic Looney Tunes Cartoons) or you need to watch all shows together to get the full narrative (Ben 10 -> Alien Force -> Ultimate Alien -> Omniverse)

[ctom3835-blog]

Exploring Windows 7 Versions and the Upgrade Path to Windows 10

Windows 7, despite being an older operating system, continues to be a popular choice for users who prefer its simple and efficient interface. However, with the release of newer Windows versions, many users have considered upgrading to Windows 10 to access modern features and security updates. In this article, we will explore the different versions of Windows 7, the advantages of upgrading to Windows 10, and how you can seamlessly transition between the two.

Windows 7 Home Premium: A Trusted Choice for Home Users

Windows 7 Home Premium was one of the most widely used versions of Windows 7, particularly popular among home users. It provided a user-friendly interface, making it ideal for everyday computing tasks like browsing, media playback, and light productivity work.

This version of Windows 7 offered key features like improved taskbar functionality, support for home networking, and the ability to run multiple applications smoothly. Even though it lacked some advanced features found in higher editions like Windows 7 Ultimate, Home Premium was designed to meet the needs of most casual users.

With its reliability and ease of use, Windows 7 Home Premium remains a solid choice for basic computing tasks, though its support has ended, leaving users vulnerable to security threats unless they upgrade.

Windows 7 to Windows 10 Upgrade: Why You Should Consider It

As technology evolves, upgrading your operating system becomes essential for security and functionality. For those still using Windows 7, upgrading to Windows 10 is the best way to ensure your system stays secure and up-to-date. The Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrade process is straightforward, and doing so unlocks a variety of new features designed to improve your overall computing experience.

Windows 10 offers significant improvements in performance, security, and compatibility. With features like Cortana, improved virtual desktops, and Windows Defender, upgrading is highly recommended, especially as Microsoft has ceased support for Windows 7. The Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrade ensures that your system can handle modern software and protect against emerging security threats.

Transitioning from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is smooth, with most data and settings preserved during the process, making it a hassle-free upgrade for users who want to modernize their systems.

Windows 7 Ultimate: The Power User’s Edition

Windows 7 Ultimate was designed for power users and businesses that required advanced functionality. This edition offered all the features of Home Premium and added powerful tools like BitLocker encryption, multilingual support, and enhanced security features.

Users who needed more control over their operating system, such as developers or business professionals, often opted for Windows 7 Ultimate. It also included advanced networking features and the ability to run multiple versions of Windows on the same machine via virtualization.

While Windows 7 Ultimate was the go-to choice for high-end users, its relevance has diminished over time due to the increasing popularity of Windows 10. However, for those who still rely on it, getting a Windows 7 Ultimate key may be necessary if they need to reinstall or reactivate their operating system.

Benefits of Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10

Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 offers several benefits beyond security updates. Windows 10 introduces a more streamlined user interface, better performance, and additional features like the Start Menu’s return, which combines the best of Windows 7’s layout with modern design.

One of the standout advantages of Windows 10 is its improved support for new hardware. Whether you’re using the latest graphics card, SSD, or peripherals, Windows 10 provides better optimization, ensuring a faster, smoother experience compared to Windows 7.

Moreover, Windows 10 has ongoing support from Microsoft, meaning it receives regular updates that enhance security, performance, and compatibility. Upgrading ensures that your system is equipped to handle modern software, especially in a world where cybersecurity is more important than ever.

Conclusion

While Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Ultimate served their purpose well during their time, upgrading to Windows 10 is crucial to maintain security and access modern features. The Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrade process is straightforward, providing a seamless transition to a more advanced operating system.

If you’re still using Windows 7, consider upgrading today to enjoy the latest improvements in security, performance, and functionality that Windows 10 offers. Whether you're a casual user or a professional, making the switch ensures your system is ready for the future.

[hemagirp]

Fueling Innovation: Exploring the Automotive Carburetors Market in 2024 and Beyond

The Automotive Carburetors market has been a vital part of vehicle engine systems for decades, playing a key role in controlling the air-fuel mixture necessary for combustion in internal combustion engines. Despite the growing adoption of fuel injection systems in modern vehicles, carburetors continue to be used in a range of applications, particularly in older vehicle models, motorcycles, and small-engine equipment. As the automotive industry evolves, the demand for automotive carburetors is shaped by both legacy needs and niche applications. In this blog, we will explore the key trends, growth drivers, challenges, and future outlook of the automotive carburetors market.

Read the Full Report Here: https://www.reportprime.com/automotive-carburetors-r11721

Market Overview and Size

The global Automotive Carburetors market was valued at approximately $1.3 billion in 2023, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% from 2024 to 2030. By 2030, the market is expected to reach around $1.7 billion, driven by the ongoing demand for carburetors in legacy vehicle markets, small-engine applications, and regions where fuel injection systems have not been widely adopted.

Key Drivers of Market Growth

Legacy Vehicle Market and Aftermarket Demand: Many older vehicles, including classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still rely on carburetor systems. As these vehicles continue to be maintained and restored, there is a steady demand for carburetor replacements and parts in the aftermarket. This trend is especially prominent among enthusiasts and collectors who prefer the simplicity and performance characteristics of carburetor engines.

Continued Use in Motorcycles and Small Engines: Carburetors remain the primary fuel delivery system for motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, and small-engine equipment such as lawnmowers, generators, and chainsaws. The relatively low cost and simplicity of carburetor systems make them a preferred choice in these applications, contributing to ongoing market demand.

Low-Cost Alternative for Developing Regions: In many developing regions, carburetors are still widely used due to their lower cost compared to modern fuel injection systems. In countries where vehicles are often older and emissions standards are less stringent, carburetors remain a viable and cost-effective solution, particularly for low-income consumers.

Customization and Tuning Potential: Carburetors offer a level of customization and tuning flexibility that is appealing to automotive enthusiasts, particularly in motorsports and performance applications. The ability to manually adjust air-fuel mixtures for optimal performance in different conditions makes carburetors a popular choice in racing and high-performance vehicles.

Challenges Facing the Market

Shift Toward Fuel Injection Systems: The automotive industry has increasingly moved toward fuel injection systems due to their superior fuel efficiency, precision, and emissions control. Modern vehicles are predominantly equipped with fuel injection systems, which have significantly reduced the use of carburetors in new vehicle production. This shift presents a long-term challenge for the automotive carburetors market.

Environmental Regulations and Emissions Standards: Stricter emissions regulations globally are pushing automakers and engine manufacturers to adopt more environmentally friendly technologies, such as fuel injection systems, which offer better control over fuel consumption and emissions. As governments enforce tighter emissions standards, particularly in developed regions, the use of carburetors in vehicles may face regulatory hurdles.

Technological Advancements in Engine Systems: Advancements in engine technology, including electronic control systems, turbocharging, and hybrid powertrains, are further reducing the relevance of carburetors in modern vehicles. These advancements offer superior performance, efficiency, and emissions control, which is leading to the gradual decline of carburetors in the automotive industry.

Future Outlook

The Automotive Carburetors market is expected to experience modest growth, primarily driven by demand in the aftermarket, legacy vehicle maintenance, and niche applications like motorcycles and small engines. The market will continue to serve enthusiasts and regions where carburetors remain a practical and cost-effective option. However, as fuel injection systems and other advanced technologies dominate the market for new vehicles, the long-term outlook for automotive carburetors will likely involve a gradual decline in mainstream automotive applications.

Nonetheless, opportunities remain for manufacturers that specialize in high-performance carburetors, especially in motorsports, classic vehicle restoration, and small-engine markets. Additionally, carburetor manufacturers may look to innovate with more efficient and environmentally friendly designs to extend the lifecycle of carburetors in specific applications.

Conclusion

The Automotive Carburetors market remains an important segment in the global automotive industry, particularly in the aftermarket, motorcycles, and small-engine sectors. While the transition to fuel injection systems and stricter emissions regulations pose challenges for the market, there are still niche opportunities for growth. Manufacturers that focus on high-quality, customizable carburetor solutions will continue to find a place in the market as enthusiasts and legacy vehicle owners seek reliable and tunable options for their engines.

Explore similar Reports for valuable insights:

https://www.reportprime.com/jet-refueler-r11716

https://www.reportprime.com/aircraft-weighing-system-r11708

https://www.reportprime.com/aviation-refueler-r11717

https://www.reportprime.com/automotive-artificial-leather-r11718

https://www.reportprime.com/automotive-castings-r11719

https://www.reportprime.com/automotive-stampings-r11720

https://www.reportprime.com/automotive-repair-and-maintenance-services-r11722

https://www.reportprime.com/gasoline-fuel-pumps-r11723

https://www.reportprime.com/diesel-fuel-pumps-r11724

https://www.reportprime.com/cast-iron-brake-disc-r11725

[andriod-apps-downloader]

The Evolution and Impact of GTA V: Exploring Old Versions

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), developed by Rockstar Games, has become one of the most iconic video games of all time. Since its release in September 2013, it has captivated millions of players worldwide with its immersive open-world experience, compelling storylines, and extensive online multiplayer mode. Over the years, various updates and versions have been released, enhancing the game and keeping it relevant. This blog explores the significance of old versions of GTA V, their impact on the gaming community, and why some players still seek these versions today.

The Legacy of GTA V

GTA V set a new benchmark in the gaming industry upon its release. The game was praised for its expansive and detailed open world, set in the fictional state of San Andreas, which includes the bustling city of Los Santos. The narrative follows three protagonists—Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips—each with their unique backgrounds and story arcs. The interwoven stories of these characters, combined with the freedom to explore the world and engage in various activities, made GTA V a groundbreaking title.

The game also introduced GTA Online, a multiplayer mode that allowed players to connect, compete, and cooperate in a shared world. GTA Online has continued to evolve with frequent updates, adding new content such as heists, missions, vehicles, and customization options. This continuous support has kept the player base engaged and contributed to the game's long-lasting popularity.

Why Old Versions Matter

Despite the continuous updates and improvements, some players prefer older versions of GTA V. This preference can be attributed to several factors:

Nostalgia: For many players, old versions of GTA V hold sentimental value. These versions remind them of their initial experiences with the game and the sense of wonder and excitement they felt exploring Los Santos for the first time.

Performance and Compatibility: As games receive updates, they often become more demanding in terms of hardware requirements. Older versions of GTA V may run more smoothly on less powerful systems, making them a viable option for players with older hardware.

Mod Compatibility: The GTA V modding community is vibrant and active, creating modifications that enhance or alter the game in various ways. Some mods are designed specifically for older versions of the game and may not be compatible with the latest updates. Players interested in using these mods may seek out older versions to ensure compatibility.

Gameplay Differences: Over the years, various patches and updates have changed gameplay mechanics, balancing, and other elements. Some players may prefer the gameplay of an earlier version, whether it's due to different mechanics, the absence of certain features, or personal preference.

The Challenges of Accessing Old Versions

Finding and installing old versions of GTA V can be challenging. Official platforms like Steam and the Rockstar Launcher typically only offer the latest version of the game. As a result, players looking for older versions often turn to third-party websites and forums. However, this comes with risks, including potential security threats from unverified sources.

Websites like modversionapk.com provide access to old versions of GTA V, offering a solution for players seeking these specific versions. It's crucial to exercise caution when downloading from such sites, ensuring the source is reputable to avoid malware or other security issues.

The Impact of GTA V's Evolution

The continuous evolution of GTA V through updates and new content has had a significant impact on the gaming community. Here are some key aspects:

Community Engagement: The regular release of new content has kept the community engaged and active. New missions, heists, and events provide fresh experiences, encouraging players to return to the game.

Economic Success: GTA V's ongoing success has translated into substantial financial gains for Rockstar Games. The revenue generated from game sales, in-game purchases, and GTA Online has supported further development and the creation of new projects.

Innovation in Gaming: The success of GTA V has set a precedent for other games, highlighting the importance of post-launch support and updates. Many modern games now follow a similar model, providing continuous content updates to maintain player interest.

Cultural Impact: GTA V has left a lasting mark on popular culture. Its characters, storyline, and iconic locations have become part of the broader cultural landscape, influencing other media and entertainment forms.

Conclusion

The journey of GTA V from its initial release to its current state is a testament to its enduring appeal and the dedication of its developers and community. While the latest versions of the game offer the most up-to-date content and features, older versions hold a special place in the hearts of many players. Whether for nostalgia, performance reasons, or mod compatibility, the desire to revisit old versions of GTA V highlights the game's lasting impact and the diverse ways players experience it. As GTA V continues to evolve, its legacy as one of the greatest video games of all time remains firmly intact.

[mike-willson]

Catalog Printing: Is It Still Worth It in the Digital Age?

In the age of online shopping giants and social media advertising, the question of catalog printing's relevance might seem fair. After all, convenience reigns supreme, and consumers can find practically anything with a few clicks. However, the answer isn't as straightforward as it appears. Catalog printing, when used strategically, can still be a powerful tool for retail branding and driving sales in the digital age.

This blog post will delve into the ongoing debate of catalog printing's effectiveness. We'll explore the advantages and disadvantages of this marketing method, discuss scenarios where catalogs excel, and offer tips to maximize their impact.

The Enduring Appeal of Printed Catalogs

While digital marketing dominates the landscape, printed catalogs offer unique advantages that shouldn't be overlooked. Here's a closer look at why catalogs remain a valuable asset for some businesses:

Tangible Brand Experience: In a world saturated with digital noise, a well-designed catalog provides a tangible brand experience. High-quality photographs, curated product arrangements, and captivating visuals can create a lasting impression on potential customers.

Focused Browsing: Unlike websites with endless distractions, catalogs offer a focused browsing experience. Customers can leisurely explore product ranges, compare options, and discover new items without the constant bombardment of pop-ups and ads.

Targeted Audience Reach: Catalogs allow for targeted marketing. By using customer data and demographics, businesses can send catalogs to specific audiences most likely to be interested in their products. This eliminates unnecessary waste and increases the return on investment (ROI).

Emotional Connection: The tactile experience of flipping through a beautifully designed catalog can foster a sense of connection with the brand. This emotional engagement can lead to a more positive brand perception and buying decisions fueled by desire, not just convenience.

Curated Inspiration: Catalogs excel at showcasing products in a curated and inspiring way. They can present product pairings, suggest uses for specific items, and create a sense of discovery for potential customers.

Catalog Printing: Weighing the Considerations

While catalogs offer undeniable benefits, there are also factors to consider before investing in commercial printing:

Cost: Catalog printing can be expensive, especially for high-quality, full-color publications. Postage and distribution also add to the overall cost.

Environmental Impact: Paper production raises environmental concerns. Businesses committed to sustainability may find digital alternatives more appealing.

Limited Reach: Compared to the global reach of online platforms, catalogs have a more limited geographic reach.

Timeliness: Updating printed catalogs requires time and resources, which can be a disadvantage in fast-paced industries.

When Does Catalog Printing Shine?

Despite the digital revolution, catalogs remain a valuable marketing tool in specific scenarios:

Luxury and High-End Products: For luxury brands and products with intricate details or a focus on craftsmanship, high-quality photographs in a printed catalog can create a more immersive and luxurious buying experience.

Target Audience: If your target audience includes demographics less likely to engage with online shopping (e.g., older generations), catalogs can be a highly effective way to reach them.

Niche Markets: For businesses catering to niche markets, catalogs allow for targeted marketing and product discovery within a specific community.

Complementary Marketing Strategy: Catalogs can be a powerful complement to a digital marketing strategy. They can be used as lead generation tools, driving traffic to a website or online store.

Maximizing the Impact of Catalog Printing

If you've decided that catalog printing aligns with your brand strategy, here are some tips to maximize its impact:

Invest in High-Quality Design: A visually appealing catalog with high-quality photographs, clear product descriptions, and a user-friendly layout is crucial.

Targeted Audience: Ensure your catalogs reach the right audience by utilizing targeted mailing lists and strategic distribution.

Track and Analyze Results: Monitor response rates and sales generated by your catalogs to gauge their effectiveness and refine your strategy for future editions.

Integrate with Digital Marketing: Use QR codes or website addresses in your catalogs to seamlessly integrate your print and online marketing efforts.

Consider Eco-Friendly Options: Explore sustainable printing options using recycled paper and eco-friendly inks to reduce your environmental impact.

In the digital age, catalog printing isn't a relic of the past; it's a strategic marketing tool that, when used effectively, can enhance brand perception, drive sales, and foster an emotional connection with customers.

DNA Marketing: Your Partner for Effective Catalog Printing

DNA Marketing, a full-service commercial branding and printing company serving South Florida businesses, can be your trusted partner for high-quality catalog printing. We utilize top-tier equipment, advanced technology, and a committed team of professionals to bring your vision to life. From concept and design to printing and distribution, we handle every step of the process, ensuring your catalogs are not only visually stunning but also strategically targeted to maximize your ROI.

Here's what sets DNA Marketing apart:

Collaborative Design Process: We work closely with you to understand your brand, target audience, and marketing goals. Our experienced designers will create a catalog that resonates with your customers and effectively communicates your brand message.

Superior Printing Quality: We utilize state-of-the-art printing technology to deliver exceptional print quality with vibrant colors and crisp details. Your products will be showcased in their best light, leaving a lasting impression on potential buyers.

Targeted Distribution: Leveraging our expertise and data analysis, we'll help you identify and reach your target audience with laser focus. This ensures your catalogs are reaching the right people, maximizing the impact of your marketing investment.

Sustainable Printing Options: We understand the importance of environmental responsibility. We offer sustainable printing options using recycled paper and eco-friendly inks, allowing you to promote your brand while minimizing your environmental footprint.

Seamless Integration: We can seamlessly integrate your catalog printing with your broader digital marketing strategy. We can incorporate QR codes or website addresses in your catalogs, driving traffic to your online store and fostering a cohesive brand experience across all platforms.

Ready to Leverage the Power of Catalog Printing?

Contact DNA Marketing today for a free consultation. Let's discuss your brand goals and explore how strategically designed, high-quality catalogs can elevate your brand image, drive sales, and position your business for success in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

[jcmarchi]

What Other Country Could Provide Abrams Tanks to Ukraine? - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/what-other-country-could-provide-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-technology-org/

What Other Country Could Provide Abrams Tanks to Ukraine? - Technology Org

Ukraine already has some Abrams tanks from the US. But the defenders of Ukraine would like to have more of these machines. The Abrams is one of the most capable main battle tanks in the world and Ukraine still has a major armour disadvantage in this ongoing Russian invasion. But what country could help Ukraine with at least a handful more Abrams tanks?

M1A1 Abrams in Australian service. Image credit: Sgt. James Gulliver via Wikimedia

Ukrainian politicians have sent a request to the Australian government for further military assistance. Ukraine wants Australia to transfer Abrams tanks and MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. Ukraine may not get the latter, because Australia wrote them off some time ago and started dismantling them for parts. However, the Abrams from Australia is a more interesting request. Ukraine does need more armoured combat vehicles and Abrams is a highly capable machine.

To date, 31 Abrams tanks have been delivered to Ukraine from the United States. There is no doubt that the US will deliver more of these machines in the future. Ukraine received M1A1 version tanks, but is also waiting for M1A2 Abrams.

Originally, the US pledged to deliver M1A2 Abrams to Ukraine, but switched to older M1A1, which previously served with the Marine Corps, because they were available sooner. If the US politicians will come to an agreement about funding the military aid for Ukraine, newer M1A2 Abrams may be on the menu.

In the meantime, Australia has 59 M1A1 tanks with Situational Awareness packages. They have better thermal imagers, better sights, and slightly reinforced armour. Australia itself is transitioning to M1A2 Abrams, so those older M1A1s could be potentially transferred to Ukraine.

Since the Abrams tank is made in the US, the US would have to give a blessing to such military aid and would probably have to help in the transfer process. These are very heavy tanks, Australia is far away and the Abrams likes to be spoiled with high-quality parts and maintenance.

Prospects for the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters to go to Ukraine are much slimmer. While there are those who are calling for Australia to provide Ukraine with these decommissioned aircraft, they have already begun to be scrapped. Australia was simply not happy with the reliability, quality and the operating costs of these helicopters.

A few veterans of the Australian Air Force have volunteered to fix up at least a few of these helicopters, but it may just be an irrational effort. Better and safer helicopters are available elsewhere and Ukraine itself needs good reliable tools, not some salvaged scrapyard treasure.

Ukraine would also like the Australian F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, but the acquisition of these fighters would take time, so it is definitely not in the immediate plans. Meanwhile, the Abrams tanks from Australia could certainly travel to Ukraine quite soon, if only such a decision was made and Australia could do that without compromising its own security.

Source: Tech.wp.pl

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