#presentation design company in USA

[garywalch]

Elevate Your Presentations with the Top PowerPoint Design Firm in the USA

In today's competitive business landscape, effective communication is paramount. Whether you're pitching a new product, presenting quarterly results, or delivering a keynote address, the design of your presentation plays a crucial role in capturing and retaining your audience's attention. Recognizing the significance of impactful presentations, businesses across the USA are turning to the expertise of top presentation design agencies to elevate their communication game.

One such standout in the field is INK PPT, a leading presentation design agency in the USA. Renowned for its innovative approach and commitment to delivering visually stunning and compelling presentations, INK PPT has carved a niche for itself in the dynamic world of professional communication.

Unparalleled Creativity

At the heart of INK PPTs success is its team of seasoned designers who bring unparalleled creativity to every project. They understand that each presentation is unique, tailored to the specific needs and goals of the client. Whether it's a corporate pitch, a sales presentation, or a conference keynote, INK PPT ensures that the visual elements not only align with the brand but also engage the audience effectively.

The agency employs a collaborative approach, working closely with clients to understand their vision, brand identity, and the message they want to convey. This attention to detail allows INK PPT to craft presentations that not only look visually stunning but also resonate with the target audience on a deeper level.

Cutting-Edge Technology

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, staying ahead is key. INK PPT recognizes this and employs cutting-edge technology to create presentations that are not only visually appealing but also technologically advanced. From interactive slides to immersive multimedia experiences, INK PPT leverages the latest tools and techniques to ensure that your presentations leave a lasting impression.

The use of advanced technology also allows for seamless integration of various media types, making presentations more dynamic and engaging. This forward-thinking approach sets INK PPT apart as a presentation design agency that is always at the forefront of industry trends.

Client-Centric Approach

INK PPT places the client at the center of its operations. The agency understands that effective communication is a collaborative process, and it strives to create presentations that not only meet but exceed client expectations. From the initial consultation to the final delivery, INK PPT maintains open lines of communication, ensuring that clients are involved in every step of the design process.

This client-centric approach has resulted in long-lasting partnerships and a satisfied clientele. The agency's commitment to delivering high-quality presentations has earned it a reputation as a trusted partner for businesses seeking to enhance their communication strategy.

Impactful Results

The ultimate measure of a presentation design agency's success lies in the impact of its work. INK PPT takes pride in the tangible results its clients achieve through the presentations it designs. Whether it's winning new clients, securing funding, or leaving a lasting impression at industry conferences, INK PPT has consistently delivered presentations that drive positive outcomes.

In conclusion, when it comes to elevating your presentations in the USA, INK PPT stands out as the top presentation design services USA. With its blend of creativity, technology, and a client-centric approach, INK PPT is well-positioned to help businesses communicate effectively and achieve success in today's competitive landscape. If you're looking to make a lasting impression with your presentations, INK PPT is the partner you can trust.

[wisecura]

Honey

mitsukuni haninozuka x reader

an: a request from not too long ago that sounded ✨perfect.✨. am thinking of an extended one-depending if people like it, but this scratches my itch for today

summary: you never understood what they saw in the overly, obnoxious 'cutie' known as Honey-senpai. he always seemed a little off to you...

warnings: yandere themes, suggestive content, forced kissing, implied stalking,

Were you the only one who saw it? 

The Host Club was buzzing with activity, the usual squeals and “oohs” and “ahhs” filling the lavishly decorated music room. Your friend had dragged you along once again, insisting that it would be “fun,” as if you hadn’t spent the last few visits awkwardly sitting at the table while they fawned over their favorite hosts.

Today was no different.

Across from you sat two other girls—probably friends of your friend—chatting animatedly about Tamaki-senpai’s latest antics.

You didn’t necessarily hate being here. But your friend—she definitely had her favorites. You’d even come to appreciate the moments spent with Mori-senpai, whose calm and stoic presence was a welcome contrast to the vibrant chaos that was the Host Club. Whether it was a quiet remark, a rare joke, or even just the simplicity of his company, there was a sense of comfort in those interactions.

But her favorite—Haninozuka, or Honey-senpai—was a different story.

It wasn’t that you disliked him. At least, not entirely. It was just...the way he acted. The cutesy, exaggerated persona, dripping with syrupy sweetness, felt far too calculated. Every giggle, every offer of cake, every affectionate mention of his beloved Usa-chan seemed so meticulously crafted, so blatantly designed to draw attention, that it set your nerves on edge.

No one else seemed to notice. To everyone around you, he was simply adorable, the perfect embodiment of charm and innocence. But to you, something about it felt... off.

You had been dazing off, thinking about the mountain of assignments waiting for you tonight. Across the table, the other girls giggled, their attention turning as Haninozuka approached with his ever-present bunny plushie tucked under one arm. His high-pitched voice floated above the hum of conversation, cheerful and bright, effortlessly drawing the room’s focus. Faces lit up around you, enchanted by his arrival as though he carried the light of the room with him.

You weren’t as enchanted.

The sound of your name broke through the chatter, jolting you from your thoughts. “I brought you something special today!” Haninozuka all but declared, his tone as dramatic as ever, yet still maintaining an edge of sweetness that felt so rehearsed...so practiced.

In his hand, he held a small plate of cake, a picture-perfect dessert adorned with pastel swirls of frosting and tiny, meticulously placed edible flowers. It was the kind of detail that would have drawn gasps of delight from anyone else at the table. Anyone else.

“Isn’t it the cutest?” he asked, tilting his head just slightly, his honey-brown eyes locking onto yours with an almost disarming intensity. The angle of his gaze, wide and expectant, felt like a silent demand for approval. Just what did this dude want from you?

Caught off guard, you forced a polite smile, nodding as you tried to mask the discomfort creeping into your expression. “T-thank you, Haninozuka-senpai,” you replied, the words stiff and formal in comparison to the casual, intimate tone he used.

Senpai. The word felt heavier than usual, a subtle reminder that despite his childlike demeanor, he was older than you.

He placed the plate carefully in front of you, lingering just a moment too long. His gaze stayed fixed on yours, expectant, his head tilting slightly as if to dissect every flicker of your reaction. When you didn’t respond the way he seemed to want, his head tilted further, a faint pout crossing his lips. “You don’t look very excited,” he said, his tone still candied and overly sweet, likely just as painfully aware of the eyes on you both. “You don’t look very excited,” he pouted.

Around you, the other girls giggled and leaned closer, completely enraptured by his charm, while even Mori shifted slightly to glance in your direction. The attention only brought a pink flush to your cheeks.

“Do you not like it?” Haninozuka’s words were innocent enough, but the way he asked them made your skin prickle. His fingers clutched Usa-chan a little tighter, the fabric straining under his grip, a small but unmistakable sign of tension. His wide, childlike smile seemed to stretch just a fraction too far, and an uneasiness spread in your stomach.

The question lingered awkwardly in the air, and the buzz of the room seemed to dim as you scrambled for a way to let him down gently without coming off as rude. You swallowed the lump in your throat and forced a polite smile, your words light but to the point. "It's beautiful, really. I just don't eat a lot of sweets."

For a moment, everything paused. His cheerful expression stayed put, but his eyes sharpened, a glint of something not quite right flickering behind the sugary facade. Then he giggled—a light, airy sound that somehow felt hollow.

“That’s okay,” he said, his voice as bright as ever, though his gaze didn’t soften. “I’ll just make something even better next time. Something you’ll have to like.”

He straightened and turned away, bouncing off to another group with his usual exuberance. The giggles and swooning around him resumed instantly, the moment passing as though it had never happened. But your unease remained. The way he had looked at you, as though studying something under a magnifying glass, replayed in your mind.

No one else seemed to notice the edge beneath his sweetness. His syrupy charm worked its magic on everyone else in the room, leaving you alone with the chilling suspicion that you were the only one who saw the cracks in his perfect mask.

And he couldn't understand it. 

He had done everything right, hadn’t he? The bright smile, the sweet voice, the perfectly crafted plate of cake adorned with delicate frosting swirls and tiny edible flowers. It was flawless—he was flawless. Everyone adored him. Everyone always adored him.

But you didn’t.

He noticed it, even if you thought you were being subtle. The way your smile didn’t quite reach your eyes when he approached. The slight stiffness in your posture when he placed the plate in front of you. You weren’t like the others, who leaned in with starry eyes and breathless giggles. You didn’t react the way you were supposed to—the way you should have.

It ate away at him.

As he walked away, the giggles of the other girls surrounded him like a cloud of adoration. Yet, his mind wasn’t on them. It wasn’t on the praises they showered him with or the way they clung to his every word. No, his thoughts were with you.

There you were, sitting at that table, your expression carefully polite but utterly unconvincing.

Why? Why didn’t you light up when he smiled at you? Why didn’t you melt when he offered you his perfectly crafted cake? Why didn’t you look at him the way everyone else did? He couldn’t stop the questions from swirling in his mind, each more frenzied than the last.

You didn’t dislike him.

He had watched you closely, carefully, reading the subtle cues in your posture, the polite smile you offered when he spoke to you, even during class times, or when he'd see you passing him in the hall. Sometimes, he'd subtly follow you, observing how naturally your interactions with everyone else seemed to flow.

No, he concluded, you didn’t dislike him. He was sure of that.

But you didn’t adore him either, and that was the problem. That was the part he couldn’t accept.

He tilted his head, feigning interest in another guest’s chatter, nodding in all the right places. But his attention wasn’t on them. His gaze kept darting back to you, like a moth drawn to a flame. There you were, sitting at the table, now fully engaged with Mori. You were talking to him, your expression lighter, more relaxed, your smile genuine in a way it never seemed to be when directed at Haninozuka.

And that smile—it ignited something sharp and bitter inside him. Jealousy. He recognized the feeling instantly, even as he tried to suppress it. It twisted in his chest, coiling tightly, growing stronger with every laugh you shared with Mori. Why was it so easy for you to smile like that with someone else? Why wasn’t it him who could draw that kind of warmth from you?

You were different, that much was clear. You weren’t swayed by the thick charm or the carefully crafted persona he had perfected over the years. His sweetness didn’t disarm you, his innocence didn’t lull you. It worked on everyone else—everyone but you.

His grip on Usa-chan tightened, his fingers digging into the soft fabric. The familiar texture grounded him as his thoughts threatened to spiral. He needed to fix this. He needed to understand.

Why didn’t you look at him the way everyone else did? What was missing? What did Mori have that he didn’t? The questions swirled in his mind, each one sharper than the last.

He couldn’t let it stay this way. If his usual appeal wasn’t enough to break down your walls, then he would find another way. There was always a way. He just needed to figure out what would work. What would make you look at him the way you looked at Mori. What would make you adore him, the way you were supposed to.

He watched you again, his gaze lingering as you leaned slightly toward Mori, laughing softly at something he said. It wasn’t fair. That smile, that warmth—it should have been his. You should have been his.

You didn’t adore him. Yet.

But you would. He would make sure of it. No matter what it took.

The day started innocently enough. Classes passed without incident, and the plan was to spend the afternoon catching up on assignments in the library.

But as the building’s doors swung open, the heavy clouds that had been gathering all morning burst open in a torrential downpour. Groaning, the only choice was to pull your cardigan over your head and sprint for the nearest cover.

The garden gazebo provided a quick refuge—ornate, quiet, and usually deserted. Ducking inside, the rain’s relentless hammering against the roof drowned out the world beyond. Alone at last, or so it seemed.

“Hiding from the rain too?” The bright voice startled you. Turning quickly, there was Haninozuka, sitting on a stone stool, completely dry. It was as though he had been waiting there, untouched by the storm. “I didn’t think I’d see anyone here. Are you okay?”

A quick nod followed, brushing off the rain as much as the question. “Just trying to stay dry.”

His gaze lingered, eyes scanning your soaked cardigan and dampened shirt. You blushed a bit, realizing the fabric might be a bit see-through. Concern laced his tone as he stood, removing his blazer in one fluid motion. “You’ll catch a cold like that.” Before you could protest, he stepped closer, draping it over your shoulders.

It might have seemed like a kind gesture—thoughtful and considerate—but the way his hands stayed on the fabric just a moment too long made your skin crawl.

His fingers brushed your shoulders lightly, lingering as if testing your reaction. His gaze held yours with an intensity that was impossible to ignore, unsettling in its focus. The smile that followed, soft and unassuming, didn’t match the tension thickening in the air.

Your breath hitched. “I—I’m fine,” you stammered, stepping back slightly, though the weight of his presence left little room to breathe. “I was going to try running home—”

Before you could finish, his hand gently but firmly gripped your arm, stopping you in place. His expression didn’t falter, his smile still in place, but there was something biting beneath it now. Something unfaltering and grim.

“Running? In this storm?” his voice still light but carrying an undertone of something far less...innocent. “You’ll get hurt.”

“It’s not that bad,” your voice faltering as you tried to pull away, but his grip tightened ever so slightly, keeping you rooted where you stood. Damn he sure was strong.

“I can’t let you do that,” softly, his eyes boring into yours. “What kind of person would I be if I let you get soaked—or worse, slip and fall?” His other hand rose to adjust the blazer draped over your shoulders, his movements slow and deliberate, as though claiming the space around you.

“Really, I’ll be fine,” you tried again, your heart pounding against your ribs. But he took a step closer, closing the distance between you with alarming ease, his presence overwhelming in the confined space of the gazebo.

“What’s your problem with me?” His voice cut through the pounding of the rain, sharper than you’d ever heard it. The sugary sweetness, gone, replaced by something darker, and much colder. “You don’t seem to like me very much, and I’m wondering if it’s something I did.”

The shift in his tone sent a chill down your spine. His eyes locked onto yours, unblinking, as if daring you to deny his words. This wasn't the senpai you knew-

“N-no, that’s not it,” you stammered, stepping back instinctively, only for your back to meet the edge of the gazebo. The rain continued to hammer against the roof, trapping you both in an atmosphere that felt suffocating.

He tilted his head slightly, studying you. “Really?” he asked, his voice quieter now, but no less cutting. “Because it sure feels like you don’t.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but no words came out. His gaze pinned you in place, the weight of it making it impossible to look away. He took another step closer, and the space between you shrank until there was nowhere left to retreat.

“I try to be nice,” his tone measured, deliberate. “I go out of my way to make you feel welcome, to make things easier for you. But you don’t even smile at me like you do with the others. Like you do with Mori.”

The mention of Mori sent another spike of unease through you, but before you could respond, his hand reached out, brushing a strand of wet hair from your face. The gesture might have seemed gentle if not for the possessive edge in his eyes. The giddy look at having you this close to him.

“What is it?” his voice softening, not comforting you in the slightest. It was low, almost a whisper, drawing your focus solely on him, all consuming. “What am I doing wrong?”

“You’re not doing anything wrong,” you managed, your voice matching his whisper, though your heart was screaming otherwise. “I just—”

“Just what?” he interrupted, his hand lingering at the side of your face, his fingers brushing your jaw. His smile returned, faint and strained, more a show of teeth than warmth. “You can tell me. I want to understand.”

The rain was deafening, the sound pressing down on you as he leaned closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. His proximity left no room for escape, his hand still resting lightly against your face. The tension in the air was suffocating, every nerve in your body screaming for you to move, to do something, but you couldn’t.

“Y’know, I’ve always liked you,” he said suddenly, catching you off guard. You suppose you felt flustered by his confession, but the nerves from his proximity took over. His voice was softer now, less controlled, as if letting something slip he’d been holding back. His eyes darted down to your lips, and you held your breath, refusing to visibly react much more than that.

“I watch you, you know,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, intimate and unsettling. “You’re not like everyone else. I really, really like you.”

His hand tilted your chin slightly, forcing you to lock his gaze. The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming. “But you’re so hard to reach,” he murmured, his thumb circling your cheek. “And it’s driving me insane.”

“Haninozuka-senpai,” you managed to whisper, your voice trembling—whether from fear or disbelief, you couldn’t tell. His eyes were close to deranged now, and you swear you caught a flicker of something akin to hunger as his gaze dropped briefly to your lips.

“Call me Mitsukuni,” his voice dripping with an almost disarming charm, but the tension in his grip betrayed him. His eyes held yours, making escape feel impossible. “We’re closer than that now, don’t you think?”

You tried to pull back, but his hold shifted, slotting in right up against your pinned body. Rain tickled your back, ricocheting off the stone below, battering the gazebo as the world beyond blurred into gray. You couldn't focus on anything but his warmth, the way his eyes flicked down to your lips again, and his smile twitched, as if he was barely restraining himself from crossing a line right then and there.

“You’ll see,” leaning in now, almost threateningly, “You’re going to like me as much as I like you. I’ll make sure of it.”

Before you could move, before you could even think, his lips crashed against yours. The kiss was forceful, teeth clashing, as his hands gripped you tightly, almost painfully. His hold didn’t just restrict-it bruised, pressing you back against the cold, wet wood.

When he finally pulled back, a long string of saliva trailed from your mouth to his, his breath panting, mingled with yours. His eyes were delirious, locked on your face, absorbing every flicker of emotion. His smile returned, soft and unsettling, as you trembled against him. “See?” he whispered. “You don’t have to run. You’re safe with me.”

The rain continued to fall, but it felt like nothing compared to the weight of his presence. Your heart pounded in your chest, not from the storm outside, but from the storm he had stirred up inside you.

Leaving you feeling anything but safe.

come home

[useless-catalanfacts]

Did you know that the Catalan vault can be found in many buildings of the United States of America?

Here's some examples:

Grand Central Terminal, New York City. Photo from Getty.

Boston Public Library. Photo by Michael Freeman/Boston Public Library.

Ellis Island Registry Room, New York. Photo by Mike Ward on Flickr.

City Hall station of the New York subway. Photo by Michael Freeman.

The Catalan vault is a brick arch that is widely used in traditional Catalan architecture. It's also present in other parts of the Mediterranean, but not as common. Its main characteristic is that it's built with the longest side of the brick facing down (usually, ceilings are made with the shortest side facing down) and with a very gentle curve, resulting in a strong self-supporting vault that allows covering a whole room without needing columns or pillars in a way that would be impossible with other kinds of masonry, and also makes it possible to build it quickly and without needing centering (the wooden structure used to support the vault or arch while it's being built, and which is removed once it's made).

So how did it make its way to the USA?

It was brought by the Valencian architect Rafael Guastavino i Moreno (1842-1908). He had already designed important industrial buildings in Catalonia, including the factory that later became the Industrial School in Barcelona and La Massa theatre in Vilassar de Dalt, among others. At the time, in Catalonia, the Catalan vault was being widely used to cover ceilings in factories.

In 1881, Guastavino moved to New York City (USA), where he used the Catalan vault to cover big ceilings, which made him gain some fame for it. He patented the vault in the USA with the name "Guastavino system".

At the time, Americans were very worried about buildings catching fire, because it often happened and had caused a huge destruction in the Chicago 1871 fire. As a response, in 1883 Guastavino bought a patch of land in Connecticut, built two houses in it using the Catalan vault, and set them on fire. He took photos of the whole process to document it and prove how this architecture style is efficient in the case of fire. He wrote about it in the magazine Decorator and Furnisher and soon won the contest to design the Progress Club's building in New York City, which made him famous among architects in the area.

He created his own company (Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company) which was focused on building the Catalan vault. He was hired for many buildings and this architectural element spread. Most churches with stone vaults built between 1890 and 1940 in the USA were designed by Guastavino's firm, as well as many other buildings across the country, particularly New York and Massachusetts.

He's buried in the St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville (North Carolina, USA), a building he designed.

[ranchstoryblog]

PRESS RELEASE: Second Annual ‘Marvelous Game Showcase’ Delivers Exciting Updates on Fan-favorite STORY OF SEASONS and Rune Factory Series; Reveals NARUTO: Arcade Battle for North America, and More

Second Annual ‘Marvelous Game Showcase’ Delivers Exciting Updates on Fan-favorite STORY OF SEASONS and Rune Factory Series; Reveals NARUTO: Arcade Battle for

North America, and More

New Looks for Additional Titles in Development Include Opening Animation for

Monster Farming / Action Title Farmagia and Striking New Teaser for DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion

TORRANCE, Calif., — May 30, 2024 — Marvelous USA, Inc. and XSEED Games today shared a localized version of parent company Marvelous Inc.’s second annual ‘Marvelous Game Showcase,’ which debuted today at 3:00pm PT. President Suminobu Sato hosted the showcase and was joined by key members of development teams to provide updates on titles announced in last year's event, and announce new regional and global initiatives for the Marvelous family of companies.

Farmagia (formerly Project Magia): Product Manager Takehiro Ishida revealed the official title of the project, Farmagia, and presented the game’s opening animation, giving gamers an action-packed look at the cast of characters and powers they wield. Ishida-san also shared details on key characters in the game, designed by popular artist Hiro Mashima, including Ten, the protagonist who often acts before thinking; Arche, his childhood friend who balances both kindness and a competitive nature; Chica, another childhood friend with a more reserved demeanor; and Lookie-Loo, Ten’s sidekick and de-facto mascot. The title is planned for a global release in 2024.

STORY OF SEASONS: The next, as-yet-untitled entry in the beloved franchise continues its development as the team focuses on improvements to the visual presentation and natural environments. Series Manager Hikaru Nakano joined to debut a fresh look at the results of their efforts, highlighting how aspects such as updated natural lighting and festival fireworks have been improved to enhance immersion and atmosphere. The project remains in active development and will be fully revealed at a later date. In the meantime, Nakano-san confirmed new gameplay features including a player-controlled glider and the return of fan-favorite pets.

Amusement Section: Marvelous Inc. supports more than just PC and console entertainment and announced a number of new arcade initiatives including NARUTO: Arcade Battle, which will be available in North America this summer. Players will experience the world of NARUTO on a massive 50” screen, where they’ll engage in intense ninjutsu battles and collect plates to reach the highest rank they can! Arcade titles for Japan release only were also presented.

Indie Partner Lineup: The Marvelous family continues to invest in helping creative and exciting visions from smaller indie developers become a reality with global support for titles! Titles introduced for worldwide release include Bitsummit 2023 Grand Prize winner Death the Guitar, where players become an electric guitar fighting with the power of death metal to avenge their owner, planned for a 2025 release; and Moonlight Peaks, the supernatural-themed vampire farming/life sim title from Dutch developer Little Chicken, scheduled for 2026 release. One additional title, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, was also presented for release in Asia and Japan by Marvelous on July 28, 2024.

Rune Factory: Following a brief history on the evolution of the Rune Factory series and how it has grown across nine titles released over 18 years, Rune Factory series Director Shiro Maekawa joined the stream to reveal a new video for Rune Factory: PROJECT DRAGON sharing a look at the title’s protagonists. Players can choose to play as either Subaru or Kaguya, two new Earthmates with a twist; they will use the power of dance, rather than farming, to communicate and interact with the world around them. This new approach to interacting with the world comes with non-combat tools, including parasols and drums; series staple weapons like swords; and brand-new weapon types to experiment with, including bows and talismans.

DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion: First revealed during last year’s Marvelous Game Showcase, DAEMON X MACHINA: Titanic Scion once again closed out the show, where President Sato-san shared an evocative look at Marvelous’ First Studio’s mech-action sequel.  Additional details including platforms and a release window will be announced at a later date.

To celebrate the Showcase, select STORY OF SEASONS and Rune Factory titles will be on sale for up to 60% off on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch™ through June 7, 2024.

More information about XSEED Games’ products can be found at www.xseedgames.com Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, X, Instagram, Twitch, Threads, get in depth info from their developer blog, and join the discussion on their Discord server at: http://discord.gg/XSEEDGames.

About XSEED Games

XSEED Games is the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., which is a publicly traded company listed in the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Formed in 2004 by a small group of industry veterans, XSEED Games is headquartered in Torrance, California and publishes video games on PC and consoles in North America. The publisher's diverse portfolio of over 100 titles includes releases from Marvelous Inc. including STORY OF SEASONS (Bokujo Monogatari), Rune Factory, and DAEMON X MACHINA, titles from third-party partners including AKIBA��S TRIP, Corpse Party, and Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and titles from independent developers including Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, Potionomics and Cuisineer. XSEED Games has grown its reputation among global gamers with its critically acclaimed localizations and commitment to fans, remaining ever dedicated to its “indie spirit, player-first” approach for quality games.

[floramadness]

My designs for the Emilys (Schmidts in this case)

Henry Schmidt, a Puertorican American born on March 27, 1944, in Puerto Rico. He's a robotic genius, which led to creating successful establishments with animatronics as main attractions. He’s the co-owner/founder of Fazbear Entertainment Inc. and its chain of many locations.

Personality: Dedicated workaholic, driven by his intelligence and meticulous attention to detail. He presents himself as polite and composed in social situations, but beneath the surface, he can be careless, stern, distant, and secretive, keeping his thoughts and emotions closely guarded. He becomes more erratic and paranoid, as he slips into madness.

Charlotte “Charlie” Schmidt, a Hispanic American born on August 5, 1977 in Utah, USA. She’s an only child and daughter of Henry and Melissa Schmidt. She’s the second in line to inherit the Fazbear Entertainment Inc. company.

Personality: Kind and selfless, always putting others first. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, and is confident and optimistic. Though she prefers being alone with friends close to her, she still tries hard to make others happy, often putting others' needs above her own.

(They my husband and daughter btw ùvú)

[demifiendrsa]

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH - PC ANNOUNCE TRAILER

Japanese version

The PC version of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will launch for Steam and Epic Games Store on January 23, 2025.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth first launched for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.

Screenshots

PC Features

The PC version introduces new features and customizations to take full advantage of the platform:

Lighting – Lighting has been adjusted, and the game’s overall rendering of light is significantly improved. The updated areas and cutscenes present with even greater beauty and clarity than before.

Frame Rate and Resolution – NVIDIA DLSS support means that frame rates can be enhanced and image quality upscaled. There is now also support for variable refresh rate (VRR).

Textures – The Level of Detail (LoD) for background models and MIP maps for background textures can both be freely configured in the options settings. With this background polygon density and texture density can be set higher than was previously possible, allowing for gameplay with higher-quality graphics.

Controller Input Support

Connecting a DualSense® controller with a PC allows players to use the same controls as the PS5 version. Keyboard and mouse support has also been added, alongside the option to freely customize the controls between world exploration and combat or mini-games.

Steam Deck

The Steam version is planned to be playable on Steam Deck as well.

Pre-Orders

Players can pre-order Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PC via Steam or the Epic Games Store and take advantage of an Early Bird discount of up to 30 percent off across all editions for a limited time. Additionally, those who pre-order will receive the Moogle Trio Summoning Materia, giving access to a powerful summon for their first steps into the unknown journey. The preorder bonus also includes a Shinra Bangle Mk: II and a Midgar Bangle Mk: II. The Posh Chocobo Summoning Materia will also be offered to all players who purchase the PC version of the game regardless of their purchase timing.

A full list of digital editions available for pre-order is as follows:

Standard Edition (limited time price: $48.99)

Digital Deluxe Edition (limited time price: $62.99) – Includes digital Mini-soundtrack, digital artbook, and digital DLC items including the Magic Pot Summoning Materia, Reclaimant Choker accessory and the Orchid Bracelet armor.

Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack (limited time price: $69.99) – Offering great value during the pre-order phase, the Twin Pack includes FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, available at launch, and the full game download of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade which will be available to play as soon as the Twin Pack is pre-ordered.

Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Digital Deluxe Twin Pack (limited time price: $89.99) – Includes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade full game download plus all Digital Deluxe Edition contents.

Accolades

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was named Game of the Year by USA Today, and was also awarded the Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2024 show. The company’s highly acclaimed hit, which earned over 110 perfect review scores from global critics, was also nominated at The Game Awards 2024 for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best RPG, Best Performance (Briana White as Aerith), and Best Audio Design.

About the Game

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a new, standalone adventure set across a vast and vibrant planet. The game sees Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith and Red XIII escape from the dystopian city of Midgar into the wide world beyond. To hunt down Sephiroth, a haunting figure from Cloud’s past bent on ruling the planet, these unlikely heroes join forces with new companions like the spirited ninja operative Yuffie and the wisecracking, feline-shaped robot Cait Sith. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth delivers an unforgettable experience to players filled with unexpected twists, memorable characters and jaw-dropping set pieces that longtime fans and newcomers can both enjoy.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth follows the previous installment, Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was released in 2020 to universal acclaim from players and critics around the globe. Final Fantasy VII Remake became the highest-selling digital release on the PlayStation platform in Square Enix’s History, exceeding more than seven million shipments and digital sales worldwide since its release.

[julietasgf]

Hello, I'm just curious but do you hate the tbosas movie?

hello anon, thanks for the ask!! ^^

well, I wouldn't say I hate the movie, but I have complicated feelings towards it. I think that as a standalone piece of work, it's very solid and I had a lot of fun watching it. I also think that there are some interesting things that it adds; I enjoyed that it gave more personality to some tributes (like coral for example), the costume design was amazing as always and it was an overall enjoyable movie.

however.

I don't like it as an adaptation of the book and I personally think it fails as such. in my opinion, I feel like the movie tried too hard to make coriolanus a more sympathetic protagonist, and as a consequence, the political core and message of the book got lost. coriolanus' journey seemed to me more like some sort of corruption arc instead of the tale that was presented in the book of a young, power hungry and bigoted white boy that could've changed his thoughts, had every possible chance to change his thoughts, and still didn't. and ofc I know that unreliable narrators are hard to adapt, but I don't think that happened only because we as an audience didn't get to hear his disgusting thoughts, but also because the script chose to change some characters around him to make him seem better, in my opinion. and I'm not talking only about sejanus (which is the character that, imo, the script failed the most to adapt and frustrated me the most regarding the movie to the point I feel like book!sejanus and movie!sejanus are COMPLETELY different characters), I'm talking about clemensia and about lysistrata, I'm talking about some mentors like festus who are presented as straight up terrible people in the movie but are average bigoted teenagers in the book.

I also have some problems regarding some visual choices that end up being political in some way. for example, they went for a visual for the capitol that reminded me a lot of brutalism and some architecture choices that can easily remind some of the old ussr aesthetics (I watched the movie with my father and he made the point of how the visual of the capitol reminded him of it). I don't think it was an innocent choice to have a clearly vile government, that's clearly presented as wrong and cruel, to have that direct visual link, and it irks me even more considering that panem is meant to criticize the usa more than once. there are also some other choices that turns a very political book, published in 2020 in the year of an extremely tense moment for the usa, into an apolitical movie.

overall, I feel like these are most problems that comes with adaptating a political book into a maisntream type of media with a big company behind it. I wasn't surprised and neither disappointed, because these are things that already happened in the previous movies of the hunger games books (and even on a worse degree considering that the movies erased the poc-coding and the fact that peeta was disabled) :')

sorry if I talked too much, anon!!! and once again, most of these are solely based on my opinions and takes regarding the book

[sprites4ever]

Why 9/11 was cleary not an Inside Job

To understand why it is not only wrong but also extremely dangerous to think that 9/11 was an inside job, one only needs to look at the last century of geopolitics.

Over the last century, every political power that has any issue with the United States of America has blamed everything bad happening in the world on the USA.

And whenever something bad happened to the USA, due to their anti-Americanism, they have said that the USA only has itself to blame.

This is why the idea that 9/11 was an inside job exists.

It was not invented by American conspiracy theorists, but by anti-American propagandists who designed and disseminated this narrative until American conspiracy theorists picked up on it.

They also used the fact that the wars, which George W. Bush started, using 9/11 as a pretext, ended disastrously for the USA, against them, by exploiting the extreme unpopularity of George W. Bush. Very quickly after the USA's invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, these wars became so costly that those responsible became extremely unpopular with the American populace. So, of course, the idea, that the event which served as the casus belli to these wars was engineered by those same people responsible for those wars, became a comfortable thing for Americans to think. This way, it was easier for the anti-American designers of said narrative to disseminate it amongst Americans.

I personally believe that Bush and his adminisration did not engineer 9/11.

No, the Twin Towers did not require explosive charges, in order to collapse symmetrically, as they were an incredibly cheap construction by Trump Co. (yes, THAT Trump), who themselves had hired the New York mob for it.

If you know the way American mobsters run their business, you know that they often use construction companies as fronts. (Hence concrete feet being a popular method of execution among American mobsters, as they have a lot of concrete.) You will also know that, while they run construction companies, they cheap out everywhere they can and in the Twin Towers' case, it was that they cheaped out on the rebar. The Twin Towers had hardly any support structure, so when the top section was blown off by the fuel explosion of the airplane, the rest of the structure quite simply collapsed under the weight of the falling top section, losing its structural integrity and collapsing in on itself before the top section even reached the ground.

However, I do believe that Bush was aware of these plans by Al-Quaeda.

9/11 served as the perfect pretext for Bush to invade Iraq and Afghanistan and steal their oil, and also increase military production at the same time. If you know what kind of politician Bush was, you know that he was the type of Republican who uses large industries (such as petrol and arms) to bag a lot of their profits.

So, he let it happen. While thousands died that day, the amount of people present in the Twin Towers was far lower than usual. So, I believe that Bush got the CIA to do a bunch of fake calls to the grand majority of the staff members of the companies that worked in the Twin Towers, in order to announce renovations or some other reason as to why they couldn't come to work that day.

Especially, if you see the video of Bush receiving the news of the attack (he was on TV at the time, reading books to children), you'll see that Bush's expression, when a staff member runs in to whisper in his ear, is not one of shock, but one of guilty acknowledgement. Like he's thinking "Well, there it is. And I am to blame."

Still though, his greed apparently exceeded his empathy, as he would not have let it happen otherwise.

[a-birdhorse]

Hey! Everyone should support the writers strike! It’s incredibly important! If you love theatre as well as television, I would like to draw your attention to another group of writers in this country (the USA, unfortunately) that desperately need help.

Playwrights only make on average ten-thousand dollars for each show they produce. This is accounting for royalties, although with incredible luck or a really nice commission those can bring it up to around twenty-thousand. To make matters worse, the average playwright can only produce one show per year. To put that into perspective, in order to make the average American yearly wage of thirty-thousand dollars, a playwright would need to write and produce two to four plays every year in high-end regional theatres. That’s a feature-length original play every three to six months. Most plays take over a year to fully develop.

On top of that, unlike screenwriters who are often employees of a company, playwrights are considered to be owners of capital, as we own the exclusive rights to produce their show. Because of that, we are not allowed to unionize. This means that our only form of protection, the Playwrights Guild of America, can’t do much other than help playwrights avoid bad contracts. This is an extremely valuable service to be sure, but it can’t solve the problem that only the luckiest playwrights in the country can make a living on this art form.

There are a lot of other issues that compound this problem. Most plays only ever receive one run, which means that playwrights don’t usually earn residuals. Many theaters will contract staged readings of a play for which they do not pay the author. While theaters expect playwrights to be present during the development of a new play, they won’t pay them for their time during early production meetings, auditions, or rehearsals. It all combines to make kind of a perfect storm.

If you like live theatre, this should concern you! If you feel like modern theatre is stale and repetitive, it’s because people who are truly passionate about play writing are forced to split their time between multiple forms. Without enough dedicated theatre writers, we lose access to the originality and novelty that set the stage apart from the screen. Don’t get me wrong, there are some extremely talented and devoted playwrights out there who are able to make things work. But how can people expect great work from us when we can’t even do this work full-time?

So what can you do to help? The first thing you can do is SUPPORT THE WRITER’S STRIKE. Because most playwrights can’t make a living writing plays, they often supplement work in the theatre with work on TV or in other spaces. Helping out Hollywood writers will help put a lot of playwrights in better positions.

You can also support theaters like Playwrights Horizons in Washington DC who provide playwrights with full fellowships in exchange for their plays. These are valuable as they allow a playwright to spend all of their time on their chosen medium rather than needing to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Other than this, it’s hard to say what normal people can actually do here. It would be nice if there could be a union for playwrights like there is for actors, but as long as playwrights own the means of production this would probably only shift the problem from our backs onto the backs of actors, directors, and designers. And budgets for new shows are already tight enough as things stand, it seems like a lot to ask to carve more of that money out for writers when things are already difficult.

Here’s an excellent article about the situation from American Theatre that goes over a lot of the information I did here in more detail (without the pro-union editorialization.) https://www.americantheatre.org/2014/12/10/paying-playwrights-more-than-play-money/

TLDR; Helping screenwriters helps playwrights too, but a lot more needs to be done before we’re out of the woods. The average playwright can’t make a living play writing, and the only writers in the industry who can are extremely lucky. Trying to solve this problem is critical for the future of theatre.

[theholmwoodfoundation]

THE HOLMWOOD FOUNDATION PILOT EPISODE CAST/CREW - PART THREE

GEORGIA COOK - CO-WRITER AND CO-PRODUCER

Georgia Cook is an illustrator and scribe-award nominated writer from London. She has written for publications such as Baffling, Vastarien Lit, and Flame Tree press, as well as the Doctor Who range with Big Finish. Her Doctor Who Novel, Ruby Red, is currently available from Penguin books. She frequently writes and narrates for various horror anthology podcasts such as 'Creepy', 'The Other Stories', and 'The Night's End'. She can be found on twitter at @georgiacooked and on her website at https://www.georgiacookwriter.com/

FIO TRETHEWEY - CO-WRITER AND CO-PRODUCER

Fio Trethewey is a writer and artist known for their love of Doctor Who, Arthurian Legend and 80s cult classics. Alongside working for the Lancet as a Deputy Operations Manager he has written a variety of audio dramas and short stories for Big Finish Productions for their Doctor Who box sets, most recently writing for the Gallifrey War Room Series both ‘The Last Days of Phaidon” (2022), “Transference��� (2023) and The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles finale "You Only Die Twice.' Fio has also contributed their prose work to various anthologies including Overdue: Mystery, Adventure, and the World’s Lost Books, Shadows Over Avalon Volume 2 and Sockhops and Seances for 18thWall Productions. Lastly, as a writer and artist to charity anthologies and raised money on a charity drawing stream for FareShare UK back in October 2020 raising $4,762.

KATHARINE ARMITAGE - SCRIPT EDITOR

Katharine is a writer, script editor and director in drama and comedy. Most recently she directed new Radio 4 sitcom 'Tom and Lauren Are Going OOT!' and wrote scripts including 'The Beautiful Game' and 'Nowhere, Never' for Big Finish's Doctor Who audio dramas.  She also wrote and directed an adaptation of 'Dracula', back in 2017, so was delighted to return to the Count's world in working on 'The Holmwood Foundation'.

BENJI CLIFFORD - SOUND DESIGNER/ ENGINEER

Benji is a sound designer, musician, and presenter from the UK who specialises in post-production audio design. Whether creating cinematic multi-cast productions or intimate storytelling through audiobooks, Benji ensures that you get the highest quality, professional-sounding production. Throughout his time as a sound designer, Benji has worked on many famous properties such as BBC's Doctor Who and Torchwood, ITV's iconic Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Stingray, as well as cult tv revivals such as Terry Nation's Survivors, Space 1999, Adam Adamant Lives and Blake's 7, to name a few. Using the latest industry-standard equipment, software, and a fully loaded sound effects library consisting of thousands of recordings, Benji delivers a clean and contemporary sound regardless of your budgetary requirements. In addition to working in his own studio, Benji has extensive experience engineering in some of London's busiest recording studios. He has also helped many companies and productions continue working during remote working restrictions, ensuring high quality can be achieved even in less-than-ideal environments. Since 2017, Benji has co-hosted the weekly Big Finish Podcast alongside Nicholas Briggs. This podcast has a worldwide reach with thousands of listeners, and he has also performed it live across the UK and in the USA.

PART ONE: HERE

PART TWO: HERE

[ladyjaneasherr]

Jane Asher and Gawn Grainger as Juliet Capulet and Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” presentation while being on tour in the USA, 1967. Part 2. 🩶

Previously posted pictures with my old username, updating it with the new one.

Old Vic Brings First Spoken Drama to The Music Center. By Cecil Smith. Los Angeles times— March 5th, 1967.

It seems a curious bit of scheduling to have the Bristol Old Vic in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of The Music Center, opening a three-week season of Shakespeare Tuesday night.The company is doing the first spoken drama ever performed in the new complex and it arrives on the threshold, the very eve, of the twin openings of the new theaters designed primarily for drama next month. Not that the spoken word is a stranger to the Pavilion. Some of the more interesting musical plays produced there, notably "Fiddler on the Roof," have been as dependent on their dramatic as on their musical structure. And if the Pavilion is fundamentally a music hall, still the verbal music of Shakespeare can be as stirring and compelling as any instrumental or vocal music ever devised. No one plays this music better than a British ensemble and among the great companies of England the Bristol Old Vic is considered one of the best. No less an authority than Sir Tyrone Guthrie says it is among the world's finest acting companies and that its managing director, Val May, is an immensely vital force in the English-speaking theater.

Suited the Action

Sir Tyrone suited the action to the word by staging the production of "Measure for Measure" that opens the BOV season here. May directed the production of "Hamlet" that enters the repertory Thursday and the "Romeo and Juliet" that will open next week. The three plays will rotate through March 25. The Bristol Old Vic was initially formed in 1946 as an offshoot, a sort of farm club for London's justly celebrated Old Vic. When the latter was melded into the British National Theater three years ago, the BOV became an independent entity.

It is supported by an annual grant of 40,000 pounds from the Federal Arts Council, plus a grant from the city of Bristol and its thriving box offices in two theaters-the legendary Theater Royal and its new Little Theater. But even in its days as m the outpost of the London company, the Bristol Old Vic had an individuality and a spirit all its own. I remember when the parent organization was in the Philharmonic on one of its tours some years ago, I asked John Neville, who was playing Hamlet, what his plans were after the tour, and he said he was leaving the London company to return to Bristol. I asked him why. "It's more adventurous, more experimental, more daring and," he smiled, "more fun."

Although the BOV is only doing Shakespeare on this first American tour under the sponsorship of S. Hurok, the Bard is not its primary product in England. The company is known as an innovator, launching new plays and new playwrights, trying new areas of stagecraft, new methods and new approaches. It was in the vanguard of the new wave of British drama that spawned Pinter, Shaffer, Osborne, Arden, Wesker, and others. It was the first company to produce an English version of Erwin Piscator's "War and Peace" (later staged with immense success in this country by the APA) and it first provided a stage for such plays as "A Severed Head" and "The Killing of Sister George." ⠀⠀⠀

The company has a vigorous acting school and training program that has a spawned a legendary crop of stars, among them Rosemary Harris, Peter O'Toole, Dorothy Tutin and Paul Rogers. m Although the concentration is on youth, many an established star has played at Bristol, including Wendy Hiller, Moira Shearer, Pamela Brown and Neville.

The Hamlet of the current company is one of England's brightest young stars, Richard Pasco. He's little known in this country, though he was in the movie "Room at the Top" and played Broadway with Laurence Olivier in

"The Entertainer." Pasco, who also plays the key role of Angelo in "Measure for Measure," told a Times correspondent in Bristol recently that he sees Hamlet as "a fish out of water." "He's plunked right in the middle of all this political intrigue and violence and that's what he hates most— violence," Pasco said.

He approves director May's decision to set the play in the Napoleonic era-"lots of conspiracy and blood around in those days." Pasco said his first West End job as an actor was in "Hamlet"-playing Fortinbras to the prince of Paul Scofield. He feels Scofield saw the character as "an angry young man." "Yet," said Pasco, "he's really pretty cool. He likes to think about things-in a world that likes to act. Not that he's unable to take care of himself—he learned that as a soldier. But he's a scholar who knows that violence only leads to more violence. It's not in his nature to do the things that have to be done.

That's the terrible part." Pasco was the original angry young man—he played Jimmy Porter in the English Stage Company's famous production of "Look Back in Anger" in 1956, which launched the new wave of British drama. Most of his career has been in classical repertory though he's also starred in British television and movies. He joined the Bristol Old Vic in 1964 for its first tour of Europe, which extended as far as Israel.

Famous member⠀⠀⠀

Actually, the most famous member of the current troupe is its Juliet, 20-year old Jane Asher-particularly with the miniskirt set. The fame that preceded her had nothing to do with her acting but her fan magazine reputation as the girl friend of Beatle Paul McCartney, which has brought out swarms of teenagers on the cross-country tour. In proper repertory fashion, she balances Juliet with the tiny role of Julietta in "Measure for Measure." There are other players quite celebrated in Britain among them, John Franklyn Robbins, Frank Barrie, Madge Ryan, Frank Middlemass, Gwan Granger, Barbara Leigh-Hunt. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

But as in the National Theater, the Comedie Francaise, the Moscow Art Theater, one goes to see an ensemble, not an individual. This is a new wrinkle in this country but with the success of such ensembles as the APA, ACT and others, it's gaining momentum. There's an immense sense of pride in the Bristol company and in its homebase theater, the 200-year-old Theater Royal in cred Eritain on a heater where Sarah Siddons played and Edmund Kean, William Charles Macready, Jenny Lind, Henry Irving and Ellen, Terry-the ghost of Mrs. Siddons is said to stalk its stage.

Some feel it prophetic that the Blitz, which levered much of Bristol, spared the theater. Val May accompanied his players to this country and stayed with them through their highly acclaimed New York openings, then returned to Bristol to prepare his spring season, which includes such varied offerings as "The Hostage," "The Taming of the Shrew," Galsworthy's "Strife" and Pinter's "The Homecoming."

Among three new plays to be produced is one by American author Robert Rich, "Message from the Grassroots," a play about Malcolm X with an all-white cast.

Dr. Guthrie met the troupe in Philadelphia to brush up his initial staging of "Measure for Measure," that blackest of black comedies, which was much condemned in Victorian England for its outspoken attitudes on sex and morals and its cynicism. Dr. Guthrie told me later he was quite pleased with the production and it was greeted in Philadelphia, Boston and New York with warmth and a goodly share of critical hosannas.

The play is out of Shakespeare's middle period when he was at the height of his powers, written at about the time he wrote "Othello," after "Hamlet" and prior to "Lear." Although labeled a comedy, it is quite a serious work and tragedy is narrowly averted and then only through good fortune. It's easy to see how it shocked the Victorians, dealing with the stern enforcer of a Viennese law holding fornication illegal and punishable by death.

When a young man gets his girl with child, he is sentenced to die, and his sister, a novice in a nunnery, offers her own chastity in exchange for her brother's life. What particularly upset the Victorians was Shakespeare's straightforward appraisal of humanity, as when he has the wry Pompey ask the young governor if, to enforce the law, he plans "to geld and spay all the youth of the city?" Eras change. The candor that delights one age shocks another and can delight a third. But what endures is the essential truth in the poet in his evaluation of man for all his vice and folly.

When he has Angelo say: "They say best men are moulded out of faults, and, for the most part, become much the better for being a little bad," it's downright comforting.

[egyaneknowledge07]

overview Of IELTS #Egyaneknowledge

Overview of IELTS # Egyaneknowledge The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, is a standardized test for non-native English speakers who want to study, work, or live in English-speaking countries. Recognized by over 10,000 institutions worldwide, IELTS is often a prerequisite for university admission, job opportunities, and immigration. This article covers everything you need to know about the IELTS exam, its structure, preparation tips, and how it can be your gateway to studying abroad.

What is IELTS?

IELTS is a test that assesses the English language skills of non-native speakers. It’s jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English.

The exam is available in two formats:

1. Academic IELTS – Designed for those applying to universities or higher education institutions in English-speaking countries.

2. General Training IELTS – Intended for individuals planning to migrate to English-speaking countries or enroll in non-academic training programs.

Each version tests your ability to communicate in real-life situations and ensures you have the skills needed to succeed in an English-speaking environment.

Why Take the IELTS?

For students and professionals, IELTS is often a critical step in their journey to studying, working, or settling abroad.

Here are a few reasons why taking IELTS can open up new opportunities:

1. Global Recognition – Over 140 countries and 10,000 institutions accept IELTS as proof of English proficiency.

2. University Admission – Many universities in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand require IELTS scores for admission.

3. Visa and Immigration – Many countries require IELTS scores for immigration and visa processing.

4. Employment Opportunities – Multinational companies often require IELTS scores from candidates for international job roles.

Structure of the IELTS Exam

IELTS assesses four key language skills – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Here’s a breakdown of each section:

1.Listening (30 minutes) : This section has four parts, each with ten questions, totaling 40 questions. You’ll hear recordings of native English speakers in a variety of contexts, from conversations to monologues, and answer questions based on what you hear.

2. Reading (60 minutes) : This section consists of three reading passages and a total of 40 questions. The passages range from descriptive and factual to analytical and critical, testing comprehension, main ideas, and details.

3. Writing (60 minutes): The writing test includes two tasks:

- Task 1 (150 words) for Academic IELTS: Describes data, charts, or diagrams.

- Task 2 (250 words): Essay writing that presents an argument or viewpoint. In General IELTS, Task 1 involves writing a letter, while Task 2 is a more general essay

4. Speaking (11–14 minutes): The speaking section is a face-to-face interview with an examiner, divided into three parts: an introduction, a short talk, and a discussion on abstract topics. The section evaluates your fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and coherence.

IELTS Scoring System

IELTS is scored on a scale of 0 to 9, with each skill receiving a band score. The overall score is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half-point.

Here’s a breakdown of the score levels:

- Band 9 – Expert User

- Band 7 – Good User

- Band 5 – Modest User

- Band 3 – Extremely Limited User

- Band 1 – Non-user

Each university or country may have a minimum score requirement for admission or immigration, typically between 6.0 and 7.5.

Tips for IELTS Preparation

1. Understand the Format – Familiarize yourself with the test format by reviewing sample questions and practicing past papers.

2. Develop Strong Vocabulary – A strong vocabulary is essential, especially for the Reading and Writing sections.

3. Practice Time Management – Each section has strict time limits, so practicing under timed conditions is essential.

4. Take Practice Tests – Practice tests can highlight areas that need improvement and help build confidence.

5. Seek Professional Guidance – If possible, consider enrolling in an IELTS preparation course or hiring a tutor for personalized feedback.

Test Dates and Registration

IELTS is available multiple times throughout the year in test centres across the globe. Registration is typically done through the official IELTS website or authorized centres.

To register:

1. Choose a test date and location that suits your schedule and apply early to secure a spot.

2. Pay the test fee (typically between $200–USD 250, but it varies by location).

3. Prepare the required documents for registration and bring them on the test day.

Studying Abroad with IELTS

With a good IELTS score, students can apply to universities in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Here are some of the top destinations:

- United Kingdom – Requires IELTS for student visas and is home to universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London.

- Australia – Most universities in Australia accept IELTS scores, and it’s a requirement for a student visa.

- Canada – Canadian universities accept IELTS, and it’s commonly required for study and work visas.

- United States – While TOEFL is popular, many U.S. universities accept IELTS as proof of English proficiency.

IELTS is more than just an English test; it’s a stepping stone to achieving your dream of studying abroad. By preparing strategically, understanding the test format, and practising regularly, you can achieve a high score and open the doors to numerous global opportunities. Whether you’re aiming to study at a prestigious university, start a career, or explore new cultures, IELTS is your pathway to an exciting future.

For more information on IELTS, study tips, and preparing for your journey abroad, visit website www.Egyaneknowledge.com – your guide to educational success!

Contact: 9311499886, 9599277403

Mail I’d: Egyaneknowledge@gmail.com

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[his-heart-hymns]

Benjamin Netanyahu and israeli defense forces and hamas are scum and did to Palestines

You are entitled to have your own opinion.But let me give you a background story and then you decide who is wrong and who is not.I won't defend anyone,I'll just provide you some well established facts that are easily available on the internet,you can cross-check.

After the end of world war 1 ottoman empire(islamic caliphate and present day Turkiye) collapsed at the hands of British Empire.Some arab countries were formed and the rest of the land was colonized by French and British Empire.The same British Empire that was notorious for colonizing and killing native populations of the indian subcontinent, Australia,canada,egypt,Solomon islands, huge parts of Africa.............The British empire ruled the British mandate of palestine for some years then after making deal with zionists from Europe they gave palestine to the zionist jews.After killing lakhs of Palestinians destroying their homes and burning their farms,a new state of israel was found in 1948.With the help of USA, israel defeated every arab country that tried to take back palestine.Israel continued to kill Palestinians for making space for more and more settlers.

I may have ideological differences with hamas but what they did on 7th of october is what resistance groups are doing throughout the world.Hamas got an Intel that Israel is planning to kick out Palestinians from gaza because they have found oil and gas worth hundreds of billions of dollar near gaza strip.And now it is available in public domain that Israel has awarded oil extraction contracts to oil companies.

Most of the Israeli settlers that died on 7th october were mostly dual american/European citizenship holders.A native Palestinian cannot have a citizenship/passport,basic commodities like food and house but a settler from Europe/America has the right to have rave parties on stolen land.What kind of Justice is this???

80% of hamas Fighter are orphans,their parents were killed by Israeli military.Chalo let's assume that hamas is evil then what about the Palestinians who are killed and kicked out of their homes in west bank.There is no hamas or any so-called 'terrorist group'in west bank.Israeli violence became so much in west bank that even america requested israel to stop its new settlements in the west bank.

Armed rebellion is permissible according to the international law.Only America and Europe(I think excluding norway and switzerland) have designated hamas as terror group.Major powers like India,Russia and China do not recognize hamas as terror group.After this october attack Israel urged India,Russia and China to declare hamas as terror group.Russia and China have clearly declined and India has not responded to Israel's request,so you can take that as no.

[coffinup]

"Why shouldn't I just get a casket from Costco?"

This is a question that comes up a lot when faced with casket prices. You go into a funeral home to make arrangements for a loved one, you're confronted with the high price points of caskets and coffins, and think to yourself, "well, these are just the ones the funeral home is selling. I could probably find one cheaper elsewhere."

Part of the rules and regulations set to us by the FTC is that we can't dissuade families from buying things from outside the funeral home, with very few exceptions. If someone said they were going to buy a casket from Amazon, I legally couldn't dissuade them from doing that. I could, however, explain to them the benefits to buying a casket from a funeral home or casket manufacturer if I wanted to.

Now that being said, I'm going to briefly give my honest opinion of alternative containers and caskets from other sources. Since this is an informal setting, I'll give my two cents.

I'm sure everyone has, at some point in their life, bought something at a cheaper price from somewhere and had it not be super great. You run the risk of a cheaper solution not being as well-made, and the same can be said of caskets. Caskets are, at the end of the day, a manufactured product. That means you could very well find a good alternative, or you could get something that didn't exactly match what you thought you were getting. The other risk is shipping; casket companies and funeral homes use very specific carriers, or even dedicated employees, that are trained in proper handling and delivery of caskets. Batesville has specialized delivery trucks that are designed for overnight shipping and are specifically designed to HOLD caskets. A common carrier or an Amazon carrier probably aren't going to have these specialized trucks, and would ship a casket like they would ship anything else. Now that might work just fine, but there's more liability involved. When a family orders a casket from an outside source, we explain to them that they have to be present when that casket is delivered. So when it arrives, we have the delivery person unload it and we don't touch it until the next of kin arrives, and then they have to watch us open it. That way, we can prove that any damage or mistakes were part of the seller/carrier, and not inflicted by us. When a family buys a casket from us, we don't have to do this. It's logistically easier for the funeral home AND the family.

Funeral homes legally have to be extremely upfront about the quality of their caskets, if you go to a funeral home that has physical examples of the caskets they provide, that's a good sign. It means that what you're seeing is what you're getting.

Something to keep in mind with online retailers is that at best, you have a couple images of the item you're purchasing and the item you get is extremely similar to the one in the picture. At worst, you get a retailer using an image from another seller and shipping you a similar item that may not be exactly the same, but is close enough. Actually, there was someone I heard of in recent years that thought they were ordering a full-sized casket and instead got a child-sized plastic prop instead. Whoops! Always check the product dimensions I guess!

USA based casket manufacturers have to hold to a certain set of safety standards and manufacturing expectations. For instance, you would reasonably expect that when pallbearers lift a casket, the bottom of the casket isn't going to fall out like in that clip from I Think You Should Leave. You probably would also expect the handles to not rip off, the lid to close all the way, etc. Funeral homes and casket manufacturers are always ensuring that a casket will function as intended and is built to high-quality. A massive online retailer or big box store MIGHT not have the same quality standards.

The primary problem we see with caskets ordered from third party sources is damage during shipping, and delayed shipping. The main problem with this is that if we have to order a new one, that might be a cost that we either have to eat, or gets put onto the family (who was trying to save money in the first place!), and it might push any scheduled services back, or cut it close. Which is just adding more stress onto an already stressful situation. Just like with a car-seat, we can't guarantee that what looks like a superficial scratch might not go deeper and be worse than it looks like on the surface.

The third and last point I will make is about the price: A lot of the time when you add up the item cost and overnight or rushed shipping cost, the final price may not actually be all that much less than if you bought it from a funeral home or manufacturer. Now when I say this, I'm mostly referring to what you would think as a traditional casket, like this one. (Fun fact: when I searched for images of caskets, Amazon was one of the first results to come up.)

There are a TON of options for what is referred to as "alternative containers" that come from reputable sources that do sell their products online. like wicker caskets. I have absolutely nothing against people using a non-casket container, in fact, I would encourage it if it makes the experience more personalized and meaningful. The main thing I would ask the family to consider is, if there is any doubt about how sturdy the container is, that it be just used for viewing and not have pallbearers. But even if they do want pallbearers, we can easily use a church truck or a bier to move the container with the person inside of it, so as long as the container can withstand that, then we're good.

The main point I'm trying to make is this: when you order a product from a massive retailer that doesn't specialize in caskets, you run the risk of the manufacturing standards not being up to the same standards, and you run the risk of spending more money than you originally thought. Funeral homes HAVE to be up-front about the exact costs of everything. I'm sure everyone's familiar with the fact that online retailers especially can tack on a lot of hidden fees. Because big-box and online retailers aren't subject to the Funeral Rule (because they aren't selling services AND merchandise, just merchandise) they can hide things in fine print and tack extra costs under a "service fee" label.

That being said, there is nothing stopping you from using an alternate container. And often funeral homes have a running list of alternate containers that they can help provide to. Many people are surprised to hear that yes, you actually CAN just have a cheap plain pine box, and the funeral home can have it shipped same-day or overnight.

If you have something specific in mind, it can't hurt to ask the funeral director if they have a source for what you're looking for. You might be surprised! A good funeral home will keep an up-to-date and running list of a lot of options when it comes to containers, service venues, officiants, etc. Even if someone hasn't ordered a six-sided wood coffin in years, we still always know exactly where to get one if someone asks. If someone wants their loved one laid into their old canoe, I'd allow that and inform them and my staff about how we'll go about handling that. You also should never be embarrassed to just straight up say "what's the cheapest option?". There's a WIDE range for prices for caskets that are still beautiful. You also do not HAVE to have a casket to have a burial!

TLDR; buying a casket online might seem like a tempting prospect, but you have to be warry because massive online retailers don't have the same standards. If money is the issue, you do not have to have a casket; ask your funeral director about alternative options!

As always,

Memento Mori

[satoshi-mochida]

EDEN.schemata(); launches in 2024, published by PLAYISM

Gematsu Source

PLAYISM will publish illuCalab-developed and WSS playground-produced science-fiction mystery adventure game EDEN.schemata(); when it launches for PC via Steam in 2024, the company announced. It will support English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese language options.

Get the details below.

About

EDEN.schemata(); is a science-fiction mystery adventure game produced by WSS playground, also known for games such as Needy Streamer Overload. You start the game in a locked laboratory, where an android named Eve talks to you and you both notice the headless corpse called the “Professor” at your feet. You don’t remember anything, and Eve is the prime suspect for the murder, but you’ll have to work together to solve the case. The beginning sounds like any orthodox adventure game, but the more you play, the more you’ll learn about the truth, and the game’s user interface and game design changes as you progress, until you reach one of multiple endings.

The team behind this game consists of:

The developer EIKI’ from illuCalab., known for many other games such as GENSOU Skydrift, Living in the Ending World, and Takkoman.

The writer Van Madoy, known for the Revoir novel series and “Murder at Kogetsukan” (Fate/Grand Order).

The character designer and animator Yutaro, known for creating hand-drawn Touhou Project fan animations for over a decade.

The sound producer RD, known for “Sacrament” (Vatican Miracle Examiner ending theme) and Touhou Project arrangements.

PLAYISM will be cooperating with Why so serious to publish this title globally, and its release is scheduled for 2024. Please add EDEN.schemata(); to your Steam wishlist while you wait!

The Story

“Nice to meet you… again?” An android named Eve speaks to you, in front of a headless corpse apparently known as “the Professor.” Completely devoid of any sort of memory, you and Eve—an android and the Professor’s apparent killer—must uncover the truth of what really happened here. Use your powers of deduction to unravel the mystery of this locked laboratory, revealing one truth after another. We hope you enjoy this all-new type of mystery—the kind that’s only possible in a video game.

Ever-Changing User Interface Design

At first, it’s a simple point-and-click adventure game where you use keywords to progress the story, but the user interface and game design in general will actually change in accordance with your game progress. The story and user interface work together as the general game design gradually transforms, providing a brand new, almost magic trick-like game experience.

A Story that Unfolds through Multiple Playthroughs

This game has a “skip” function, but not a “save” function. The story loops and branches off constantly with every playthrough, and there are multiple endings for you to uncover.

Entirely Hand-Drawn Original Animation

The steampunk-style artwork and the character animations present throughout the game are entirely hand-drawn by a single animator, Yutaro. Simply observing the animations and watching Eve come to life is a breathtaking experience in of itself.

Word from the Developer

Even us developers are facing all sorts of new experiences and challenges every day making this game, but we’re having a lot of fun. Please wait a little longer until it’s finished!

Playable Demo at gamescom and PAX West 2023!

EDEN.schemata(); will be showcased at gamescom in Cologne, Germany (from August 23 to 28) and also at PAX West in Seattle, USA (from September 1 to 4). If you can, do stop by and try out the playable demo! Those who play the demo at these events will receive an original keychain

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Publisher Announce Trailer

[opera-ghosts]

 Here a portrait of Florence Austral, from 1929.

One of the world’s great Wagnerian sopranos was born Florence Mary Wilson in the humble Melbourne suburb of Richmond on 16 April 1892. From 1903, when her mother remarried, she took the name Florence Fawaz. After some basic voice training she won several prizes in the 1913 Ballarat South Street competitions and was accepted as a pupil of the respected Elise Wiedermann, first at Fritz Hart’s Albert Street Conservatorium, and later at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. By 1919 she was ready to undertake further studies in New York, but not before she had been engaged by J.C. Williamson Filmsto sing between silent movie presentations at the Paramount Theatre in Bourke Street. Her associate artist was New Zealand born flautist John Amadio.

New York proved professionally disappointing, so the young soprano tried her luck among the many Australian singers in London. There, in September 1920, she made her professional debut singing at a fashionable restaurant. Adopting the stage name ‘Florence Austral’ in tribute to her homeland, she made her operatic debut as Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Die Walküre with the British National Opera Company at Covent Garden on 16 May 1922. Later in the season she also sang Brünnhilde in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. She made the first of her many recordings in September, and then toured Britain with the BNOC, singing the Wagner repertoire and the title role in Aida. She sang in concerts and continued her studies at the London School of Opera.

Parts of her performance in Siegfried at Covent Garden on 11 January 1923, conducted by Eugene Goossens, were broadcast ‘live’ by the BBC. On 20 January she shared the stage with Melba in a gala finale to the BNOC’s season and in June she sang Tristan and Isolde for the first time.

In 1925 Austral sang in the United States, but her auditions for the Metropolitan Opera were unsuccessful, probably because of her increasing weight. She returned to London, where she and John Amadio married. During their honeymoon in the USA, Austral made her New York debut at Carnegie Hall on 2 January 1926.

She visited America again in 1927, 1928 and 1929, singing in concert and in Aida, Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company. She joined tenor Richard Crooks in an all-Wagner concert at the Metropolitan Opera House on 27 January 1929. Back in London she sang another Walküre at Covent Garden. In 1930 she and Amadio made a triumphant ‘homecoming’ concert tour of Australia under the management of E.J. Carroll. That year she also toured South Africa, sang Wagner with the Städtische Opera in Berlin – an engagement that was curtailed because of her imperfect German – and commenced another American tour. In 1932 she sang in the Netherlands and returned to Covent Garden in Tristan and Isolde. In New York in January 1933 she was one of 1,800 performers in a bizarre presentation of Beethoven’s Choral Symphony in the vastness of Madison Square Garden.

In 1934 Austral and Amadio returned to Australia for a concert tour under the direction of a budding local entrepreneur, A.D.M. ‘Archy’ Longden. His advance manager, Madeleine Clarke, was said to be ‘the only female concert manager operating in the Commonwealth’. The beautifully designed and printed souvenir programmes were available with a range of coloured covers to harmonise with lady patrons’ gowns, and were bound with transparent glassine wrappers ‘to prevent any damage to white evening gloves.’

Austral, Amadio and their pianist, Raymond Lambert, attracted publicity wherever they went. Unfortunately their visit to Albury coincided with the grisly discovery of the mutilated corpse of a young woman. This was the start of the notorious ‘Pyjama Girl’ mystery, and flights of fancy tried to link the Austral party to the crime, even suggesting that Longden or Lambert may have been the murderer.

Austral then took her place as the star of Sir Benjamin Fuller’s noblest venture, his Royal Grand Opera Company, which was designed to complement the excitement generated by Melbourne’s centenary. The company debuted at the refurbished Apollo Theatre in Bourke Street on 29 September 1934 with Austral in the title role of Aida – her first appearance in opera in her homeland. Over the next months, in Sydney and Melbourne, she sang in Walküre, Tristan and Isolde and, for the first time, Tosca, The Flying Dutchman and The Pearl Fishers (its Australian premiere). Austral later undertook a series of recitals and opera broadcasts for the ABC. In 1936-37 she made her final United States tour.

Austral returned to Britain, but the musical landscape had altered: broadcasting had eroded concert audiences, and other dramatic sopranos had usurped her place at Covent Garden. Her voice had also lost much of its lustre and her technique had started to deteriorate. In 1938 she sang in Walküre and Cavalleria Rusticana for Sadler’s Wells and Il Trovatore and Der Freischutz for the Dublin Operatic Society at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. She sang Lohengrin there in 1939; it was her last appearance in opera. British concert engagements dwindled alarmingly; in 1945 she and Amadio returned to Australia.

When Austral sang at the 1946 Carols by Candlelight concert in Melbourne, her performance revealed the sorry state of her voice. She did not sing in public again. She taught at the University of Melbourne and helped with Gertrude Johnson’s 1948 National Theatre Opera seasons. In 1952 she accepted Eugene Goossens’ offer of a position at the new Newcastle Conservatorium. She resigned in 1959 and taught privately for a while, but by then she was in straightened circumstances and suffering from multiple sclerosis. Friends such as actor Max Oldaker rallied round and EMI reissued some of her greatest recordings. She died in virtual obscurity on 15 May 1968. Her husband, from whom she was estranged, had died in 1964 during rehearsals for a Melbourne concert.

The Newcastle Conservatorium has awarded an annual Florence Austral Memorial Scholarship since 1970.