#pushes data warehouse

[opencommunion]

"The story of  'John Doe 1' of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is tucked in a lawsuit filed five years ago against several U.S. tech companies, including Tesla, the world’s largest electric vehicle producer. In a country where the earth hides its treasures beneath its surface, those who chip away at its bounty pay an unfair price. As a pre-teen, his family could no longer afford to pay his $6 monthly school fee, leaving him with one option: a life working underground in a tunnel, digging for cobalt rocks.  But soon after he began working for roughly two U.S. dollars per day, the child was buried alive under the rubble of a collapsed mine tunnel. His body was never recovered. 

The nation, fractured by war, disease, and famine, has seen more than 6 million people die since the mid-1990s, making the conflict the deadliest since World War II. But, in recent years, the death and destruction have been aided by the growing number of electric vehicles humming down American streets. In 2022, the U.S., the world’s third-largest importer of cobalt, spent nearly $525 million on the mineral, much of which came from the Congo.

As America’s dependence on the Congo has grown, Black-led labor and environmental organizers here in the U.S. have worked to build a transnational solidarity movement. Activists also say that the inequities faced in the Congo relate to those that Black Americans experience. And thanks in part to social media, the desire to better understand what’s happening in the Congo has grown in the past 10 years. In some ways, the Black Lives Matter movement first took root in the Congo after the uprising in Ferguson in 2014, advocates say. And since the murder of George Floyd and the outrage over the Gaza war, there has been an uptick in Congolese and Black American groups working on solidarity campaigns.

Throughout it all, the inequities faced by Congolese people and Black Americans show how the supply chain highlights similar patterns of exploitation and disenfranchisement. ... While the American South has picked up about two-thirds of the electric vehicle production jobs, Black workers there are more likely to work in non-unionized warehouses, receiving less pay and protections. The White House has also failed to share data that definitively proves whether Black workers are receiving these jobs, rather than them just being placed near Black communities. 'Automakers are moving their EV manufacturing and operations to the South in hopes of exploiting low labor costs and making higher profits,' explained Yterenickia Bell, an at-large council member in Clarkston, Georgia, last year. While Georgia has been targeted for investment by the Biden administration, workers are 'refusing to stand idly by and let them repeat a cycle that harms Black communities and working families.'

... Of the 255,000 Congolese mining for cobalt, 40,000 are children. They are not only exposed to physical threats but environmental ones. Cobalt mining pollutes critical water sources, plus the air and land. It is linked to respiratory illnesses, food insecurity, and violence. Still, in March, a U.S. court ruled on the case, finding that American companies could not be held liable for child labor in the Congo, even as they helped intensify the prevalence. ... Recently, the push for mining in the Congo has reached new heights because of a rift in China-U.S. relations regarding EV production. Earlier this month, the Biden administration issued a 100% tariff on Chinese-produced EVs to deter their purchase in the U.S. Currently, China owns about 80% of the legal mines in the Congo, but tens of thousands of Congolese work in 'artisanal' mines outside these facilities, where there are no rules or regulations, and where the U.S. gets much of its cobalt imports.  'Cobalt mining is the slave farm perfected,' wrote Siddharth Kara last year in the award-winning investigative book Cobalt Red: How The Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives. 'It is a system of absolute exploitation for absolute profit.' While it is the world’s richest country in terms of wealth from natural resources, Congo is among the poorest in terms of life outcomes. Of the 201 countries recognized by the World Bank Group, it has the 191st lowest life expectancy."

[arc-misadventures]

Right on Schedule

Jaune looked over a progress report as he was once again was inspecting the walls of, Mantle's newest fortifications. The time graph they had made was displaying good progress the wall. Displaying that for a week, and a half of work, they were well on schedule, even ahead of it in some areas. But, there was a very noticeable dip in the chart from two days ago. A dip that, Jaune didn't like.

Jaune: Hey, Major Skender?

Major Felix Skender, was an officer in the, Atlas Engineer Corp. Jaune had talked to, Major Skender quite often when he came to inspect the wall. He had come to like the fellow. He was a little quirky, though from, Jaune's experience that tended to me a normal habit of anyone into pyrotechnics. Least, Major Skender seemed to be the saner side of things.

At least he hoped he was.

Maj. Skender: Yes, Sir?

Jaune: It's nice to see how things are coming along. I dare say you might be ahead of schedule.

Maj. Skender: Ahh, thank you, Sir! Yes, we are being encouraged by the higher ups to get this completed as soon as we can. That way we can get back to work on the, CC...?!

Jaune's hand shot up silencing, Major Skender instantly. Jaune, gave the, Major a cautionary gaze as he lowered his hand.

Jaune: We do not address it as that. We address it as, General Ironwood's Project, Ironwood's Secret Project, or anthing along those lines. But, we do not say what it is. It is a secret project after all, Major.

Maj. Skender: Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir.

Jaune: Good, make sure that the other officers are made aware of this as well. There are many who would take great pleasure in derailing the, General's future plans.

Maj. Skender: Understood, Sir.

Jaune: Now then, about this timetable here... What was this dip here you experience two days ago? You were delayed by about half a day, but you've made up for it. Good job on that, Major.

Maj. Skendor: Oh, thank you, Sir!

Jaune: But, nonetheless; what happened here?

Maj. Skender: Two days ago...? Ahh yes, a bunch of, Happy Huntresses came by, and were disturbing the workers.

Jaune: The, Happy Huntresses? What did they do?

Maj. Skender: They were interrogating some of the workers; They were asking them about what weapons we were installing, how long we were taking. Why did it take so long for, General Ironwood to order the reconstruction, and fortification of the walls. Things such as that.

Jaune: Weren't the people of, Mantle already made aware of these things; Why were they asking what should be seen as common knowledge?

Maj. Skender: I'm sorry, Sir, but I do not know why.

Jaune: Hmmm... Very well then...

Jaune handed back the data slate before giving one last look at the construction upon the wall.

Jaune: I will be taking my leave then. Till later, Major.

Maj. Skender: Till later, Sir.

The Major offered, Jaune a salute who returned one in kind. Jaune then made his way down a flight of stairs. As he made away from the wall he pulled out his scroll, and typed out a simple message to, 'Finch.'

"We need to talk."

Jaune quickly put away his scroll as he walked down the many paths of, Mantle interacting with civilians as he went about. He kept walking until he felt a buzz from his pocket, and he checked his scroll, and read the message that he had been sent.

"Okay. Usual spot?"

"On my way."

Jaune quickly made his way towards the downtown area of, Mantle, heading into one of the many empty warehouses in the southern parts of, Mantle.

As, Jaune entered the warehouse, he was met with the familiar sight of, Robyn Hill resting against one of the many empty crates. She pushed herself off the crate as she walked towards, Jaune. An odd smile spread across her face that, Jaune could not quite place as she walked towards him.

Robyn: Hello, Jaune. What is it?

Jaune: Hello, Robyn. I need to ask you about something that happened a couple a days ago.

Robyn: I suppose you're asking about the incident at the wall that happened the other day?

Robyn crossed her arms, and shook her head. Jaune worried that he may have upset her, but her eyes said she was more so disappointed. Was she disappointed in him for not trusting her? No, no she wasn't disappointed in, Jaune. She was disappointed in herself. Herself, and her followers.

Jaune: What happened?

Robyn: Some of my followers... they saw how quickly the wall was repaired. So, they went to the wall, and wanted to know why, General Ironwood was taking so long to order it's reconstruction if it only took three days to do. Since the, Engineers couldn't explain it, the people got angry, and... well they got rowdy.

Jaune: And, the Engineer's had to keep them back so they didn't get too close to the construction site. Otherwise something could have happen to them. Or, worse, one of them could have gotten hurt.

Robyn: Exactlly.

Jaune: So that's why construction was delayed. Since I didn't hear anything about a mass arrest, I suppose it was dealt with peacefully?

Robyn: Yes, two of my cohorts; Fiona, and another member of the. Happy Huntresses, May Marigold came by, and dispersed them. I told them to make sure things like this didn't happen again.

Jaune: They better. The sections getting the new fortifications will have armed guards around them all the time. While I am certain of the, Atlasian Militaries trigger discipline, I wouldn't hold it past, Ironwood to get... itchy fingers.

Robyn: Do you think, General Ironwood would order his troops to open fire on civilians?!

Jaune waved his hand down, placing one on his lips as he looked at, Robyn. Her voiced echoing in the empty warehouse.

Jaune: Your voice carries, Robyn; In more ways than one.

Robyn: I'm sorry... I just... Do you seriously think, General Ironwood would do that?

Jaune looked at, Robyn before turning to look away shaking his head.

Jaune: I not saying he will, but... If he was pushed far enough...

Robyn: Oh... oh no... No wonder you want me on the council; The more I learn about, General Ironwood, the more I understand why you want someone to put a leash on him.

Jaune: Someone has to, and the only person who could is... preoccupied...

Robyn: Preoccupied with what?

Jaune: Uhhh...? A severe case of identity crisis...

Robyn: Really?

Jaune: More, or less...

Jaune didn't want to lie to, Robyn, he wanted to keep her trust in him. But, knowing about Ozpin, and Oscar was a whole bucket of worms that he didn't want to deal with. And, besides, even if she used her semblance on him, he wasn't lying. Technically.

Robyn: ...

Robyn: Very well. Is that it all you wanted to talk about, Jaune?

Jaune: That's it. Is there anything you want from me, Robyn?

Robyn: Uhh... yes there is.

Jaune: Oh, what is it?

Robyn: I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to one of my rallies I'm having today?

Jaune: Oh, why so?

Robyn: Several reasons. You've mostly heard about my political policies, and plans from my supporters.

Jaune: I have.

Robyn: Well, I was wondering if you'd like to hear it from the horses mouth. To know what I think of, and how I plan to help the people of, Mantle, and Atlas.

Jaune: And, to have a, Specialist there to... show their... No, to show, Atlas's support for you?

Robyn stopped, and stared at, Jaune. A coy smile appeared across her lips as she pointed a finger at him.

Robyn: You can say that.

Jaune returned her coy smile with one of his own.

Jaune: If anyone asks, just say I'm there to keep the peace. We'll use the incident at the wall the other day as an example.

Robyn: Alright then. Let's do this.

~~~

Jaune had never been at a political rally before. He thought it would involve a lot of wine sipping, and snobbish wealthy people speaking down to people. If this was a political rally run by someone like, Jacques Schnee it would no doubt be like that. But, no, this was more simple, more relatable. It was nice.

Although, Jaune certainly had something to say about her posters.

; Jaune? Jaune!

Jaune: Hmm? Oh, hello, Casey, fancy seeing you here today.

Casey Roll. One of the mothers he often saw when he was leading kids to school, and often was the one who gave him rather large servings of casseroles to him. While he did miss taking those kids to school, he was tired of all the casseroles...

Casey: Hi, Jaune! I haven't seen you lately, what are you doing here?

Jaune: Oh, I'm just here to make sure things go smoothly. We don't want another incident like we had at the wall the other day.

Casey: Oh, I heard about that. People were upset that, General Ironwood didn't order the repairs of the wall sooner if it was only going to take a matter of days to rebuild it. But, luckily he listened to, Robyn Hill so he decided to rebuild the wall, and fortify it!

Jaune smiled, Casey's enthusiasm was infectious, but even more so at the news that his little rumor was spreading so well. He told, Casey's friends about his little white lie, if she was repeating it, then no doubt others were as well.

Casey: So, even though you're here just watching things, are you enjoying yourself?

Jaune: To a point. I'm just inspecting the 'art' right now.

Casey: You mean the, Robyn's political posters.?

Jaune: Yes. The political posters...

Casey: ...

Casey: You hate it don't you?

Jaune: Oh absolutely. This an absolutely the worse design you can make for a political poster. I mean, give me a marker, and five minutes, and boom! Wanted poster!

Casey: ...

Casey: Oh shit... you could do that... How much?

Jaune: Hmmm...?

Jaune: At least ten thousand lien.

Casey: That's fair.

Jaune: I mean, why doesn't she have a slogan, or anything like that? 'Robyn Hill, The Hope of Mantle.' Something simple like that. At least she could be smiling in the photo. Or, is being dead on the inside a natural expression for people from, Atlas, and Mantle?

Casey: Yes.

Jaune stopped staring at, Robyn's picture to give, Casey a concerned look. But, based upon the expression on, Casey's face that she was giving him, she was in fact: dead serious.

Jaune: ...

Casey: ...

Jaune: Noted...

Casey shrugged her shoulders before she let loose a startled gasp as she darted to the side, Jaune looked over to see, Robyn, and a few of her, Happy Huntresses behind her.

Robyn: Hello, Specialist Arc, it's nice to see, General Ironwood's underlings showing some concern with the common people of, Mantle.

Jaune: Hello, Miss Hill. The concerns of, Mantle are also the concerns of, Atlas. So of course, General Ironwood is concerned about the common people of, Atlas. but, in this case, Miss. Hill I am here to keep the peace. We do not wish for another incident from your followers, like we did at the wall the other day.

Robyn: There wouldn't have been an 'incident' if, General Ironwood had rebuilt the wall once it was broken.

Jaune: So you say.

Casey had back away as, Jaune, and Robyn had begun to verbally spare with one another. As soon as she was out of earshot the conversation changed to something that carried a more casual air to it.

Jaune: Putting up a facade for your darling fans?

Robyn: We may be... allies of sorts, Jaune. But, since you are an, Atlasian Specialist, I do have to put up an air of defiance towards you, and by extension, General Ironwood. I'm glad you caught on so quickly, Jaune.

Jaune: It was simple enough to catch on to. I've seen how you act with my fellow, Specialists. So it was easy enough to play the... polite jerk with you.

Robyn: So you did... Well if you'll excuse me, I must address the people of, Mantle.

Jaune: Best of luck then... 'Councilwoman' Hill.

Jaune's comment may have been taken as a teasing jest from, Jaune. As if saying that she will never get a seat on the council. But, Robyn knew from the small smirk that, Jaune gave her was that she had his full support, and hope for her to get that seat on the council. For the good of, Mantle, and Atlas.

~~~

Robyn: Welcome everyone!

A cheer of zeal, and joy abundance echoed through the auditorium as, Robyn stood on the stage, and walked before her supporters. Jaune spared, Robyn a look as she took the stage before his eyes rested on the crowd, and watched them carefully.

Robyn: As many you have seen, Atlas have begun the reconstruction of the walls of, Mantle!

More cheers echoed as, Robyn celebrated the walls reconstruction with her supporters.

Robyn: I know many of you are happy that the people of, Atlas are supporting the people of, Mantle. That they are not only rebuilding the breach in the wall, but also fortifying it! Adding weapons to protect the people of, Mantle from the, Grimm!

Robyn: I know some of you are angry. That this should have been done years ago, that the walls should have been fortified as they will be the day they were built. Or, the fact that when they start firing those guns, it will be rather loud...

The audience laughed at, Robyn's simple remark. But, after hearing that, Jaune made a mental note in the back of his mind that they better inform people when they started test firing the weapon emplacements. He could think of several reasons why people wouldn't like that.

Robyn: But, the people of, Mantle, and Atlas are one people. We may call ourselves, Mantlites, or Atlasians, but at the end of the day, we are one people. One people who should not be fighting each other, but a common enemy: The Grimm.

Jaune could hear murmurs of agreements as, Robyn said those words. The Grimm were the people of, Mantle, and Atlas true enemy. Not each other. Jaune could agree with that, the Gri...?!

Jaune's mind abandoned his previous train of thoughts on, Robyn's word. Something was here, someone was here. Jaune had seen something. A lanky individual, a brown cloak over their head. Jaune recognized that shape. And, if it was who he thought it was, then things were about to get messy...

Jaune drowned out the world as he slowly weaved his way through the crowd. His mind was solely focused on the individual that was moving closer to the stage. Jaune quickly made his way to cut them off, but was careful to make his sure his presence was unnoticed. But, if it was who he feared it was, he knew their attention solely focused on, Robyn.

And, it was, considering they never saw him coming until his cerulean eyes locked in on his crazed yellow eyes.

Jaune: Hello, Tyrian~!

Tyrian: Wha?!

Jaune pulled out his sword, and sent it flying towards, Tyrian's face. People screamed as they ran out of the way, and started to flee the building. Unfortunately, Tyrian was a slippery bastard as he weaved out of the way of, Crocea Mors pristine white blade.

The crowd started screaming as they ran away. Jaune tapped his hip several times before deploying his shield, and taking a defensive stance at the mad scorpion faunas.

Tyrian: Whoa-hahaha! Well, hello again!

Jaune: I would say it's nice to see you again, but that'd be a lie.

Tyrian: Hahaha! Well it's nice to see you again!

Jaune: I doubt that...

Jaune was stalling for time; Jaune's greatest concern wasn't just, Tyrian, but also the civilians here. But, as he was stalling for time, most of the civilians in the auditorium had managed to escape, the only one that remained was, Robyn. She had sent, Fiona, and May off to help evacuate the civilians. With one extra huntresses, the odds were now on his side. But, nonetheless... the odds are never good when fighting a psychopath.

Tyrian: Well, since you spoiled the fun I bes... Whaa?!

Jaune stabbed forward with his sword hoping to catch, Tyrian off guard, but he managed to dodge out of the way, but, Jaune was more focused on keeping him here, and not letting the slippery bastard from getting away.

Jaune swung his sword in an upward arc, before leveling it it to stab at, Tyrian, before pulling back his blade back, deflecting the mad scorpions bladed gauntlets.

Tyrian jumped back before charging forward, and jumping on, Jaune's shield planning to throw him off balance, and take him down. But, just like many others before him, they all underestimated, Jaune's capabilities.

Jaune felt, Tyrian push on his shield, and cackle on as he readied his stinger to stab at, Jaune only for, Jaune to push his arm forward, and send him flying back. He spun in the air before landing on his feet, he let out a maniacal laugh before it was cut short as, Jaune bashed him in the face with his shield.

Jaune thought he was going to have an easier time dealing with this pyshco since his stinger was cut shot by, Ruby. But, evidently he had gotten a prosthetic tail to replace it. That just made him all the more dangerous.

Robyn: Jaune, duck!

Jaune 's body dropped into a squat before quickly standing back up as an crossbow bolt whizzed above him. Tyrian's bladed gauntlets flew through the air as he started knocking down the various blots, Robyn sent flying at him.

Tyrian leapt over, Jaune, and charged, Robyn. Robyn's crossbow changed into a bladed shield as she started crossing blades with, Tyrian. Jaune realized as he ran up towards the pair that, Tyrian wasn't just randomly here, he was here for a reason. He was here to carry out an assassination, and Robyn was the target.

Jaune: Robyn! He's a scorpion faunas! Watch out for his stinger!

Robyn: Got it!

This was the first time, Jaune got to see, Robyn in a fight, and to put it simply; She fought just like her name sake: Like a bird. Robyn's movement were as smooth, and as majestic as a robin in flight. Her skill with her weapon was as precise as a master violinist's. And she was deadly as a hawk on the hunt. It was mesmerizing to see. Almost.

Jaune's eyes weren't looking at the beauty of, Robyn's fighting style . His eyes were only taking in her passively, his attention was solely focused on, Tyrian. And, he saw something he didn't like.

A dark violet glow enveloped, Tyrian's hand as he reached for, Robyn's side. Jaune saw what a lilac field around, Robyn's side disperse, and make a hole on her side. Jaune suddenly realized something that was very, very dangerous.

That glow around, Tyrian's hand was an active sign of him using his semblance. And, Tyrian's semblance was capable of making holes in people auras! It was the perfect semblance for a, Hunter killer.

Jaune: Robyn! Back away from him!

Robyn, jumped back before, Tyrian could land a fatal blow. Tyrian charged her, but before he could he had to dash back as, Crocea Mors came flying past him. Jaune did see this as a dangerous move; Throwing his primary weapon, and leaving him relatively defenseless. But, Robyn's death was an even worse outcome for the future of, Mantle, and Atlas.

Tyrian laughed as, Jaune's sword flew past him, and he swiftly turned on him, and jumped atop of. Jaune. This action caught, Jaune off guard; Jaune had over extended himself allowing, Tyrian to land on top of him. Luckily, Jaune still had his shield on him, but, Tyrian had him pinned to the ground.

Jaune felt his aura being pulled away by, Tyrian's semblance. Jaune quickly activated his own semblance amping up his aura, trying to cover the breach in his wall, but it was too little, too late.

Jaune: AHHH?!

Jaune felt a searing burning pain as, Tyrian's stinger dug into his shoulder, injecting him with his vile poison.

Robyn: NOOO!

Robyn yelled as she fired bolt, after bolt at, Tyrian. But, Robyn had charged in too close to, Tyrian.

Tyrian effortlessly jumped off of, Jaune's prone body, and tackled, Robyn. Pinning her to the ground as his stinger rose into the air.

Tyrian: Ah-HAHAHA! It's my lucky day! Not only do I get to kill an annoying little, Huntsman! But, also the savior of, Mantle! Ah-HAHAHAHA!!!

Robyn's eyes widened in fear as, Tyrian's stinger hanged above his head, ready to dive down, and kill her. Robyn struggled against, Tyrian, trying to free herself from his grasp, but to no avail.

Tyrian laugh maniacally assured of his victory. But, as, Jaune watched, Tyrion prepare to kill, Robyn, he remembered something, something, Pyrrha had said to him years ago, back when she was training him on the roofs of, Beacon Academy, back when things were a simpler, happier time.

Pyrrha: "Remember, Jaune, landing the final blow is when your opponent is most vulnerable."

As Tyrian Laughed in mad glee at his assured victory, his laughter was suddenly cut short as, Jaune wrapped his hands around his head, and growled into the monsters ear.

Jaune: I'm not buried yet!

"SNAP, KER-CRAK!!!"

The sound of, Tyrian's neck snapping echoed throughout the auditorium like a gun shot. It was deafening in it's brutal energy, and the sound of the dull thud as, Jaune threw, Tyrian's wretched corpse off of, Robyn.

Jaune's breath came out heavily as he stared at, Tyrian's corpse, a maniacal smile still etched across his face. Robyn looked at, Jaune with wide eyes, stunned silent as she looked about her savior.

Jaune: But, you will be, you bastard son of a bitch!

Jaune yelled this out, panting heavily as before his body gave out, and he fell down, landing on the ground with a solid thud.

Robyn: Jaune...? Jaune?!

Robyn shouted his name as she ran over to him, cupping his face in her hands as she checked him over.

Robyn: Oh no, nonononono!

The doors to the auditorium burst open as several members of the, Specialist team came rushing in.

Clover: Jaune we got your message, what hap... Jaune?!

Clover, and Harriet ran over to, Jaune while, Marrow, Vine, and Elm kept the crowd out.

Clover: What the hell happened?!

Robyn: That psycho attacked us! He stabbed, Jaune with his tail!

Harriet: What psy...?! Wait, that's, Tyrian Callows?!

Clover: He stabbed, Jaune with his tail?!

Marrow: Fuck, that means he's been poisoned!

Clover: Call for a medevac!

Vine: On it!

Clover then pushed, Robyn out of the way as he looked down at, Jaune ever growing pale face.

Clover: Jaune! Jaune answer me!

He couldn't answer him, his voice had left him.

Clover: Jaune! Look at me! Look at me!

His couldn't look at him, his vision was getting blurry.

Clover: Jaune stay with me! Stay with me, Jaune!

He couldn't stay, he was leaving him.

Winter: JAUNE?!

His world faded into the darkness.

[lesbianbarbaragordon]

Still thinking about last night

”No, no, but seriously,” you start, adjusting on your seat, “it wasn’t that bad. At least not by the end. I felt like we had-“ a connection, that you managed to see him as he was for at least the brittlest of moments. But the sentence dies at the tip of your tongue. You prefer to keep that to yourself. pairing: tim drake x reader tags: stalking, average tim behavior, college student reader word count: 1.7k part 2 of Unraveling the World read part 1 here

“Do you look up all your girlfriends?”

Tim doesn’t like the insinuation, but he shoulders on because Barbara’s network is far more extensive than his, far more even than the Batcave’s, and this is a favour, after all.

Your face is on full display, a shot from your ID, taking up the main screen on Oracle’s setup. You don’t look very happy.

Your hair is longer than when he met you the other night, and he sees the fading of some sort of dye on the tips of your hair. 20 years old, born and raised in Gotham, there is nothing outstanding about you.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he replies as an afterthought, his eyes on the screens. You enrolled in GU last year, took up journalism as a major. Why would a college student live in a warehouse? 

Because it has to be a warehouse, why else would it have been called like that in the files?

The incident that led him to your apartment is still something that embarrasses him. A mistake on his part, something that shouldn’t have happened.

He keeps going over the details, trying to understand; it was just the criminal of the week, a robbery gone wrong at a jewelry shop, hostages that shouldn’t have been there. He had been sneaky, gotten inside before anyone noticed, and released the hostages in record time (which was good, because when they started shooting, Tim was the only one inside). But one of the rogues got on the defensive when they saw he was one of the bats, had gotten a hit on Tim’s ear, and broken his comms. Then a shot in the darkness and a sharp pain took over his senses.

Which one was the lesser evil, running away to seek shelter while he was still lucid? Or detaining the rogues but risking further injury?

The final matter came down to “what would Bruce do?”

So Tim had pushed through, managed to knock them out, cuffed them somewhere the police would find them, and left before anyone else could see him.

The sky was raging, as expected of Gotham, when he stepped foot on the rooftops outside. His breathing was ragged, the pain was excruciating and he had left the Red Bird at the cave.

It only crashed down on Tim as the thunder and lightning erupted around him, shivering and in pain. Once the adrenaline left, it hit all at once-

He was alone.

It only took a second for the gears to kick in. He couldn’t access the Batcomputer, or call anyone who could help. He could take care of it without them, but where would he go? Leslie’s clinic was on the other side of the city, and after retiring it had fallen under new management, would whoever was i charge still treat vigilantes? There were no warehouses around the area either, not ones he remembered anyway, and the longer he thought, the more he started to fear bleeding out in the streets.

What other things did he have access to offline? His suit had prior saves of data, backup files from years prior. Tim accessed them with shaky hands. 

As he thought, not many places to go to in the area, but there was somewhere marked as a safe place. Somewhere that wasn’t Bruce’s but that was listed as Bat equipped. He headed there with desperation clawing at his throat, pain drilling at the back of his eyelids.

But he didn’t find what he was expecting. Instead, there was you and a mundane house. Somewhere that looked lived in, rather than a closet stuffed with expensive tech and medical equipment.

He realized too late, that the information was outdated, that he was going to die from a mistake.

Except he didn’t. Except you were there.

And he wants to figure it out, what kind of sane person could possibly do what you had done? He wants to figure you out.

“She isn’t shady,” Barbara supplies unhelpfully. She starts looking over your school records, your extracurriculars, you studied at the same school he did, nothing out of the ordinary; A book club, perfectly good grades, no problems with teachers or classmates. There’s an internship registered under your name at one of Gotham’s local newspapers, and there, a few articles on topics like battok trends or the latest celebrity scandal. The few lines he skims read uninspired.

The only thing Tim finds unusual is paperwork from the year before, for a cat you had adopted.

“I didn’t see any pets.” At least not when he was there. His allergies would have started making him sneeze like a madman otherwise. But what could he possibly get from that?

You’re perfectly ordinary, so ordinary Tim can’t possibly figure out why you’d be living full-time in a Batman safehouse.

And it’s driving him crazy.

Barbara hums, saying your name, and then, she says your second surname, your mother’s maiden name, “Thompkins?”

“Thought it was common,” Tim shrugs because he hadn’t taken notice of the detail during his first research. Barbara sends him a pointed look.

“Who was the safehouse registered under?” It’s a simple question, Tim realizes his slip-up on the next beat.

“Is she related to Leslie Thompkins?” 

“Grandniece looks more like,” Barbara supplies, pulling up your mother’s birth certificate. She digs up an old picture, a younger Leslie posing next to a smiling blonde woman, who holding up a med school diploma. Seems like your mother followed in her footsteps.

“The warehouse is registered under her name,” Barbara supplies, pulling up a scan of the apartment’s deed. Leslie Thompkins is clearly written as the owner. It must have been a safehouse for her, and subsequently for Batman, a long time ago. All before you took over. “You satisfied now?”

Tim says nothing at that, gnawing at his lip.

From the screen, your picture stares back.

…

“It was freaking scary.” You complain over your instant noodles. But they’re too hot and they scald, making you hiss. Your friend stares at you from across the table.

”Right.”

None of your high school peers stuck with you after graduation, so your list of friends remains painfully empty. And it would be a name shorter, had Claudia not appeared into your life.

You met during your internship, where she was interning too, at the literature department of the magazine. You’re both close in age and enjoy reading classics, so you spend lunch breaks together and bond over trash-talking your coworkers. She’s one of the few people you talk to in an otherwise silent existence. And she’s quite funny, too.

”It feels like one of those trashy romance novels, right?” She gestures openly, a sandwich in her hand. You’ve been telling her about your encounter with Red Robin for a lack of anything else. It’s the only interesting thing that’s happened to you in a while. “‘The superhero crashed at my place! And oh no, he’s naked!’.”

You snort, slapping her arm, “he was not naked! And it wasn’t romantic at all! I was so scared I’d throw up all over him from the stress!”

She chokes on a piece of ham, then starts to laugh. You start laughing too. 

It’s a relief having Claudia to make it all sound less scary.

Her laughing stops when her phone beeps and she pulls it out. Meanwhile, you choose to entertain yourself with your food.

”Is it that twitter account?” You ask half curiously. She hums in response, not looking up from the screen.

”Seems like bird boy hasn’t been seen in a while,” Claudia scrolls down her feed as she talks, quickly liking posts or replying to comments. She runs a popular fan account in her spare time that revolves around Gotham vigilantes, which is not a niche topic.  Most of the accounts themed around the bats, much like Claudia herself, are not native to Gotham. Rather, they’re from Metropolis or San Francisco, where the public regularly sees Superman or the Titans. Gothamites don’t have that kind of relationship with their heroes. “Red Robin’s been out of the streets since last Friday.”

”I guess that means you’re not lying,” she says teasing, which makes you blow a raspberry, “how did you do it, though? I would have messed up so bad.”

”Eh,” you start halfheartedly, “I took pre-med classes all through high school. I’ve forgotten most of it, though, but what little I knew came in handy,” you shrug, leaning back against your chair, “he had some pretty useful stuff, too. Super fancy equipment. That definitely helped.”

“Anyone else would have tried seeing under his mask, and you’re telling me what stuck out to you was his equipment?” Claudia laughs. “Maybe your next article will be about the bats’ tools. Does Batman carry around bat-bandaids? What about bat-snacks?”

You choke on your food, pushing down a laugh. It would be better than the stuff you’ve been writing about for these past few months, anyway. There are only so many influencers you can interview without going crazy.

”No, no, but seriously,” you start,  adjusting on your seat, “it wasn’t that bad. At least not by the end. I felt like we had-“ a connection, that you managed to see him as he was for at least the brittlest of moments. But the sentence dies at the tip of your tongue. You prefer to keep that to yourself.

“He was your favorite, you said, no?” Claudia catches on and continues, “I’d be just like you if Nightwing crashed into my apartment too.”

You’re about to retaliate, because-

Because what happened was not without meaning. You had realized he was more than an ephemeral figure or a distant idol, something as tangible as you, and that had made you stop fearing, for better or for worse.

But your boss peeks his head around the corner and takes sight of you both. “Your break is over,” he says and stands in the doorway as he watches you tidy up and throw empty containers and coffee cups into the bin.

Just as you’re leaving you catch something by the corner of your eye. On the TV is a fuzzy image of something humanoid, vaguely red and black. 

Wherever you go, the shadow of Red Robin follows.

[rjzimmerman]

A Banggai cardinalfish swims in Indonesia’s tropical waters. Photo: Jens Petersen (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Excerpt from this story from The Revelator:

Nothing fascinates Monica Biondo more than the animals often referred to as the ocean’s “living jewels” — the vividly colored little fishes who dance around in its waters.

Biondo, a Swiss marine biologist, became enamored with ocean life as a child after spending many summers snorkeling along the Italian coastline. Nowadays you’re more likely to find her deep-diving into trade records than marine waters. As the head of research and conservation at Fondation Franz Weber, she has spent the past decade searching through data on the marine ornamental fish trade.

These are the colorful fish you see in home aquariums or for sale at pet stores; Biondo wants to know where they came from, how they got there, and what happened to them along the way.

Compared to the clear waters around the coral reefs she’s explored, the records on these fish are frustratingly murky. Wading through them has though provided her with clarity on her calling: shining a light on the aquarium trade’s vast exploitation of these glamorous ocean dwellers.

Her entry into the fray came in the form of a Banggai cardinalfish, a striking little fish endemic to an archipelago in Indonesia that first became known to science in the 1930s. A scientist redescribed the species in 1994, kickstarting a tragic surge in the fish’s popularity for aquariums. Within less than a decade, 90% of the population had disappeared, Biondo says.

After witnessing that rapid decline, along with the failure of countries to subsequently regulate global trade in the species, Biondo was hooked. “That really pushed me into looking into this trade,” she says.

In her search for information she has pored over paperwork in the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office’s records warehouse. She and her colleagues at Pro Coral Fish have also spent years rifling through a European Union-wide electronic database called the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), which collects information on animal imports.

Although the datasets varied, the questions have remained the same. How many marine ornamental fish are being imported? What species are they? Where did they originate?

These straightforward questions are hard to answer to because the trade — despite being worth billions annually — has no mandatory data-collection requirements. As a result, information gathered about trade in these fishes tends to be opaque and haphazard compared to information on live organisms like farmed food animals.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Surveillance developments of the 21st century have replaced the traditional gaze of the supervisor on the industrial factory floor with an automated, digital one that continuously collects real-time data on living, breathing people. Even unionized workers do not have an explicit legal right to bargain over surveillance technologies; when it comes to the right to privacy, unions have an uphill battle to fight. We now live in a world where employees are stuck in a web of participatory surveillance because they consent to be monitored as a condition of employment. Today’s workplace surveillance practices, as in the case of Amazon, have become invasive and almost limitless. Technology has allowed employers an unprecedented ability to surveil workers. Management can minutely track and persistently push workers toward greater productivity at the risk of exacerbating harms to workers’ physical health, as the high rates of injury in Amazon warehouses show. And the growing business of selling workplace surveillance software has allowed for massive amounts of data to be collected on working people: when and who they talk to, how quickly they complete tasks, what they search for on their computers, how often they use the toilet, and even the state of their current health and moods.

[pocket-watcher]

Hello friend! I have a request, please!

Betrayal. Specifically, one of the hero’s sidekicks had previously been kidnapped by a villain and hypnotized to lead the rest of the group into a trap. They’ve been brainwashed to the core, and now that the rest of the group is trapped, the villain can finally take them as well, their loving, hypnotized pet sidekick at their side. Smiling. Maybe they even lightheartedly apologize to their doomed friends. Lots of resistance attempts and “snap out of it!” stuff.

Hi friend!! This is such a deliciously evil concept, you mastermind. I hope this does it justice…

Day number 57 since a member of the team had been captured by the villains.

And man, it was just eating up everyone inside.

Lacey had giant bags under her eyes, Hank had gone through the security footage at least 100 times, and me?

I was… fine.

I mean, I’d be better if we had Petey back, but, it was fine. I was fine.

“You don’t look so good, Elle.” Lacey put her hand on my shoulder.

“Really? Because I feel great! Super, even. Aha, pun intended.” I laughed weakly, before clearing my throat.

The warehouse echoed with it.

We’d ran the data. And then ran it two more times. Petey was here, all we needed to do was our jobs.

We just had to save him.

Hank scanned the room and gestured for us to move forward. Stopping and scanning, every few feet, until he faulted for a moment.

“…Petey…?” He said, with relief, running out into the open.

The man tackled Petey into a bear hug.

“Oh thank the lord.” Hank mumbled into his shoulder.

Lacey stood back whilst I joined the two.

“What happened? Are you okay? Where were you?” I asked, checking his face for any distress.

No new wounds, that was good.

“I’m okay.” He said, truth in his eyes. “I promise you I’m okay. I’m just happy to see you guys again.” Petey was smiling between the two of us, when his face turned to confusion.

“Lacey?” Petey asked.

She was still hanging back.

“I’m just… this feels a bit too convenient, right?”

We all stared blankly at her.

“Lacey, I’m fine -“

“How did you escape? How are you even standing in front of us, we all know that -“

Her voice broke.

We all know that hostages don’t make it out alive.

“Can’t you just be grateful?” Hank shoved her shoulder. “You always gotta be some sorta conspiracy theorist.”

“Guys, enough.” I yelled. “Let’s go home, come on.”

I grabbed Petey’s hand to walk out the door when -

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you do that.”

Petey’s feet were planted on the floor. He was smiling, sweetly at me.

I looked at him in confusion.

“You wanted to know how I escaped? I didn’t.”

His tone was all wrong. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

That was when Lacey shifted into a fighting stance, when Hank staggered backwards, and I pushed Petey behind me to see someone walking out of the shadows.

A villain.

“Ah, so these must be your friends?” The voice asked.

“You stay away from him.” I growled.

“Petey, be a good boy and come here, won’t you?”

I watched as Petey, without a hint of resistance, casually joined the villain at their side.

Lacey’s teeth were bared. Hank looked broken.

“How could you?!” Hank yelled.

“Don’t blame dear Petey, he was just doing what I told him. And now he’s brought me some new toys to break in.”

I started at that. I had to get Petey away from this monster. Away from whatever was making him act this way.

The other two jumped into action, ducking and dodging the villain’s attacks.

“Come on Petey!” I yelled, being batted away from him by a large mechanical arm that had sprung from who knows where. It tried to pin me down, but I wrestled. “Fight it!!”

Hank went flying past me.

Petey stood there, smiling, muttering something. I read his lips.

“Just give in. It feels so good. Stay with me.”

I shook my head and snapped the robotic arm, throwing what I had at the villain to distract them from Lacey.

“I know you’re still in there Petey! Just hang on, I’m coming.” I started, before I felt arms pulling me back.

Except this time, they were human.

“Hank?! What the hell are you doing?? Let me go!”

He had some sort of helmet on him, controlling him.

This must be what they did to Petey, I thought.

I turned to see Lacey’s terrified eyes lock with mine as she too had a helmet forced onto her.

I pleaded with Petey. He smiled warmly at me.

“Don’t be sad. We’re together again.”

He walked over to me and carefully placed the helmet on my head.

And I dropped.

[reality-detective]

"World Patriots, Rejoice: The Deep State's Second Pandemic Plot Unravels!"

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Patriots and Freedom Fighters, this is a moment to celebrate, for your unyielding spirit has once again triumphed against the shadowy deep state and their globalist agenda.

Your voices, your unshakable commitment to the truth, have played a pivotal role in exposing the hidden agenda, thereby thwarting the second planned pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The globalist deep state has been forced to abandon their malevolent scheme thanks to the MASSIVE AWAKENING INFORMATION CAMPAIGN!

Across more than 100 nations, their sinister plan has crumbled, with fewer than 5% of Americans succumbing to their booster shot agenda. Across the globe, consensus has been reached that the world refuses to bow to new lockdowns, and most now see a sinister elite agenda lurking behind the pandemic, vaccines, and lockdowns. Moreover, nations are awakening to the stark corruption undermining their two-tier governments, suppressing human rights, and censoring freedom of speech!

"Secret Vaxx Warehouses - A Billion-Dollar Fiasco"

Behind closed doors, the colossal failure of vaccine storage and distribution unfolds. Warehouses across the globe are overflowing, and the blunders are costing BlackRock and others hundreds of billions as vaccines languish without proper storage and cooling. Quietly, these vaccines are being destroyed, making this revelation a powerful testament to our fight against the deep state cabal.

"The Power of the Great Awakening"

This moment signifies a monumental victory against the deep state cabal and underscores the potency of the Great Awakening, spreading like wildfire worldwide. Your voices are the antidote to the deep state's lies, overcoming mainstream media misinformation, social media censorship, government suppression, and globalist narratives.

"Deep State Panic and the WW3 Scheme"

As the globalist cabal panics, they endeavor to concoct a WW3 scenario to fuel their illicit money laundering operations, extracting trillions from the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia, Israel, and the puppet Ukrainian regime controlled by the CIA. But their war machinations have crumbled as Ukraine's regime, feeling betrayed and abandoned, admits defeat.

"Israeli Civil War Looms"

Behind the curtains in Israel, the military plans to remove Netanyahu, paving the way for tribunals. A civil war looms, scheduled for 2024, as over 80% of Israelis lose faith in their government. White hat military strategists are preparing intricate Game Theory Operations for a bloodless military coup.

"Revelations Await in 2024"

In 2024, brace for groundbreaking revelations as military white hats and courageous individuals in the medical, government, and the broader pharmaceutical industry unleash hidden data on vaccine tests, fatalities, damages, and the corrupt agendas of global investment giants such as BlackRock, who manipulated, bribed, blackmailed, and laundered money to push through COVID-19 vaccines.

"Global Riots and Protests"

A wave of worldwide unrest will sweep through the streets, targeting the establishment in the medical, big pharma, big tech, and industries entwined with governments, presidents, and regimes beholden to globalist agendas and control. The depopulation agenda will cease to be a conspiracy, as the U.S. Congress launches investigations, intersecting with the 2024 election interference and the previous 2020 election meddling.

"A Planned Military Coup?"

This looming storm will be masterfully framed by the white hats as a meticulously orchestrated military coup engineered by the globalists, in collusion with the likes of Obama, the CIA, Pentagon, and the DOJ, extending its reach to the European Union, Canada, Australia, and the rest of the world.

Remember, Patriots, everything converges towards Q.

"Trust the Plan, Military Is the Only Way"

Place your trust in the plan, for the military stands as the only bastion against the encroaching darkness.

The revolution is imminent

- David Wilcock 🤔

[freebooter4ever]

Despite my continued stomach/digestive issues that is making it damn hard to eat, the increased exercise has almost entirely lifted my intense depressive episode and im almost feeling 'normal' again (which is definitely helping with this letter that im spending two days writing lmao). But i keep going back to that idea of people seeing me happy vs when i am truly 'happy'. For the past year that's mostly revolved around three things: 1) voluntering at the museum - usually interacting with guests, answering questions, getting to talk at length about this history i love, seeing guests get equally as excited and enthusiastic about the place as i do. 2) hockey. I know. This is still weird to me too that i ended up liking sports. But this summer i have definitely missed that vicarious high of watching things play out live good or bad. The charity games were cute and fun to watch but without the suspense and thrill of rooting for something with thousands of others at the same time it didn't quite cut it. On the other hand i've been using hockey as a carrot like 'i need to get a job so i can afford hockey tickets!' which is silly but its better than...imagining the painful reality of what will happen if i dont have a new job by this fall. I work better by thoughts of reward than under threat. If i do manage to land something soon i promise i'll end up in pittsburgh for a game at some point - that and visiting grandma are equal priority. 3) staring at geno's face and drawing or sculpting him. Im trying not to think too hard about this one.

And now another. 4) walking around the studio's manufacturing warehouse. I promised myself on sunday that i would play it cool, be professional, dont geek out over everything. I did not do that. I was grinning the entire time, i literally could not stop myself from smiling i was so excited. I think i said 'wow' and 'that's so cool!' a lot, too much maybe. At the end of the very in depth tour during which i asked so many questions i felt like a kid, the guy told me he was going to go back inside and 'work on some programming' before he left. And pushing my luck i was all 'i know with NDA stuff this might not be possible but could i just watch???'. And he tried to insist it would be boring but i promised him i absolutely would find it fascinating. Partially because i knew he wasn't talking about my kind of programming - scripted languages, machine code instruction - he was talking about some kind of interface programming. And sure enough he showed me the sine waves and explained a little how to generate them from data or how to create them from scratch, all as he was working on the model. And i was just sitting there enraptured.

so that was sunday. Supposed to be last tuesday, then moved to saturday, then finally sunday...but well worth the wait.

[tzifron]

By not showcasing wins when and where they’re happening, labour is missing a chance to inspire workers to fight for what they deserve. [...] At present, 4,700 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) are on strike across 30 port terminals in British Columbia. These workers voted 99.24 per cent in favour of strike action and hit the picket line July 1. ILWU has a strong tradition of labour militancy, up and down the Western ports of North America. Should the union win its current demands around wages and protections against automation, job loss and outsourcing, it’s no stretch to say this will shape the direction of work in the industry heretofore.   At the time of writing, the federal labour minister, Seamus O’Regan, has asked a federal mediator for a recommended settlement to give a “forceful nudge” to push the union and the employers’ association over the finish line. While not the heavy-handed approach seen from this government in past labour disputes, the spectre of back-to-work legislation nevertheless looms. The supply and confidence agreement with the federal NDP renders the legislative hammer more politically sensitive than would be the case under a Trudeau majority government, but, with Liberals in power, it’s never out of reach. In Ontario, more than 3,700 workers at Metro Inc. across the Greater Toronto Area recently delivered 100 per cent support for a strike. These Unifor members could soon be on the picket line if their wage demands aren’t met. Then, of course, there were the historic strikes by more than 155,00 Public Service Alliance of Canada members and 55,000 CUPE Ontario education workers. Although neither strike resulted in awe-inspiring wage gains, in both cases the unions nevertheless won above-average pay raises. More importantly, they inspired workers across the country to ask for more, just as employers feared they would. And asking for more appears to be exactly what many union members are doing. Recent data from both Ontario and B.C. suggest that a number of unions are pushing for major wage gains at the bargaining table and, surprisingly, pulling it off.

[blazehedgehog]

Thoughts on the Microsoft Third Party news?

I mean if Xbox is getting to be a big enough brand that people are raising questions of whether or not exclusivity means monopoly, then yeah, spreading more of your games out across multiple platforms makes legal sense.

More and more of the game industry is regrettably going to be moving in the direction of "account ecosystem" rather than hardware platform. Years ago there was talk about how one day there would be no Xbox or Playstation console, just an Xbox or Playstation App you launch on something like a Roku.

The final disgusting endpoint in all of this "no more sales, just service" drive. No discs, not even local data, just a monthly streaming subscription. Forever. No ownership, no ability to mod games, no way to play offline.

Even in the best case scenario, we're looking at a Netflix where you stream 90% of what you play and only "buy" the 10% of games you truly love.

The only thing that flies in the face of that is, like, Steam. The state of movie ownership is what it is because Netflix got there first. The streaming arm of Netflix is the entire reason the "Hollywood Streaming Industry" exists right now. It predates Prime Video, it predates Tubi, it predates everything.

Fewer people probably remember this, but the original premise of Hulu was to get TV networks signed on to simulcast their newest shows online, because none of them were doing that yet. "Netflix Instant" (the original name for Netflix streaming) even predates that. Hulu was trying to fill a need that Netflix could not because Netflix did not actually stream TV shows at first. Not even syndicated rerun stuff. It was just movies. Streaming Seinfeld or The Simpsons or The Office was just outright impossible.

Netflix got in there and shifted the direction of an entire industry, before borders had been staked out or consumers had built up substantial libraries they were protective of. So we went from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray to Streaming, where "Streaming" usually means a subscription service and not any form of ownership.

But that's not the case with games. Users expect backwards compatibility, they expect their libraries to carry forward, and in some cases people may own hundreds or even thousands of games in a digital library. I know on the Xbox 360, I own at least $200 worth of digital games, because I won a sweepstakes specifically for a $200 Xbox gift card. And my 19 year old Steam account will gladly tell the entire world I own over 1600 PC games.

That's just on Steam! Epic is still always giving away free games (200+), GOG is occasionally giving away free games and holding sales where you can get stuff for a couple bucks, etc. etc. etc. It's like the warehouse of mythical items from Indiana Jones over here.

People own gigantic libraries of digital games they expect to keep and willingly modify in perpetuity. It's a lot harder to push people to stream everything off the cloud as a result. It's why the big selling point for game streaming is "No downloads!" and it's why it's struggling to catch on. Sure, a 100gb+ game is huge, but if I take my download limiters off, it doesn't actually take that long. A 90 minute download for a 30+ hour game seems like a pretty fair exchange, all told.

But Microsoft is still going all-in on "account ecosystem." It's like, think of it this way: every game publisher is in a constant war to have the one big holiday game that everybody buys. And for guys like Microsoft, that one big game a year is their primary moneymaker. If they can get everyone to spend at least $60 on their game once a year, they stay in business.

Game Pass is $60 a year. They side step having to put out that holiday season's biggest game and get to say, "Well for the price of one game, you can get access to an entire library." It changes the perspective on so much of their business model. Suddenly they don't need the big flagship holiday blockbuster, they just need to get more people to pay for Game Pass.

And the ultimate end goal there is probably to get Game Pass in as many places as they can. There's already a PC Game Pass. If they can launch some version of Game Pass for Playstation? Game Pass for Switch? They'll do it. The Xbox almost doesn't matter anymore. The subscription and the ecosystem does. It's why Microsoft rebooted the Xbox app on PC a few years ago -- it used to be a "Companion App" for your console, but now the Xbox App on PC is where all of their PC gaming and Game Pass stuff lives. Xbox isn't hardware anymore, it's a service you subscribe to, and that's where the real money is. Especially considering what a gigantic money pit hardware is; I don't think Microsoft has ever, even once, turned a profit on Xbox hardware (and neither has Sony, as far as I know).

Get rid of the need for hardware and that $60/year looks even sweeter, doesn't it? Especially when you start to consider that something like Game Pass Ultimate is actually $180/year. If you can lure people in on the $60 but upsell them to the $180... well, gosh, that's almost the price of a whole new console every year, isn't it? That's a lot of constant cashflow without needing the years and years of deeply expensive research, development, and manufacturing.

Getting people to spend a console's worth of money on your service without actually needing the console itself is massively desirable. They'd be saving millions, if not billions of dollars while making millions more elsewhere. There's a chart out there some executive is drooling over where a line goes straight up by something like 900%.

The only problem is the whole consumer rights/ownership factor. Which I am not a fan of. I objectively refuse to support Game Pass for what it's obvious goals are. I will buy and own every game I want to play. No compromises. I will buy physical if space and money allows. I will not be bled dry by temporary access.

[theknightofivanhoe]

Justice League: Question’s Hard Drive Ch 4: Assembling the Team

Table of Contents

In a dark, dilapidated warehouse laden with dirty, rusted crates and oil drums, a tall, black-haired man with a thin moustache, wearing brown trousers and jacket over a black shirt was following another man whose jaw was as large as a brick, his hair neatly trimmed and chocolate brown.

“So Colonel…” the moustached man spoke up in a smooth, slightly deep voice as they walked on, “Been meaning to ask you something,” “What? Five years not looking attractive already, Lawton?” asked the brick-jawed colonel Rick Flagg, who did indeed wear the formal dark blue suit of a US army officer. “You ‘do’ remember the other option’s no years at all? I.E, years of having a head?” “Hey, I’m well aware five was the agreement.” the mercenary Floyd Lawton, codenamed Deadshot, clarified to him. “Just want to let you know,” he continued as Flagg led him on through the grimy building, “A little girl of mine’s just made it to eighth grade.” Flagg only inclined his head to the man, but turned back and kept walking. Floyd decided to prod a little further. “Surely it’d be possible to schedule a vi - ” “This is serious stuff we’re assigning you for, Lawton.” Colonel Flagg flatly interrupted him. “Missions for CADMUS leave no room for family reunions.” Halfway through walking, Floyd felt himself twitch in surprise and a certain amount of outrage. “Excuse me?” “You heard me, soldier.” Flagg stated, leading Floyd towards a table. “Just be glad your little tyke’s going places, while you stick to the task at hand.” 

Despite the withering scowl on his moustached face, Floyd took a chair while his boss towered above him on the other side of the table. “So, what costumed chumps do I draw a bead on this time?” he asked, deciding to cut to the chase. “It seems our League friends have set out to hamstring CADMUS’ activities.” Flagg explained to him. “There has been a breach at one of our office buildings by two individuals connected to the League who have claimed valuable data.” “Any way we can track them?” Floyd questioned, deciding to push aside the whole daughter issue, for now at least. “We have already sent out recon units to pick up a trail just until a team can move in and recover this data.” Flagg told him. The convict/mercenary smirked up at the bulky, imposing colonel. “I was just gonna say, if they even get your info as far as the Watchtower, we’re basically asking to go through the last mission all over again.” “Glad you remember.” Flagg cut in with a growing frown. “And in case you forget, we’re one explosives specialist short thanks in no small part to your trigger-happy stunts.” “Okay, okay, I know, Plastique was a big loss. So any fresh recruits you’re calling in for this one?” Floyd asked, aware of Flagg’s rather low opinion towards him and others who operated outside the law. Flagg gave him an even darker look.

“Lucky for you, Lawton, CADMUS is sending you on this mission in good company, the sort that’s every bit the same lowlife criminal scum as you.” This idea of ‘good company�� got Floyd raising an eyebrow. “Once the data is tracked, you’ll be taking point while your mission leader handles everything else.” Flagg stated as he folded his powerful arms. “And this leader…” Floyd responded with a finger to his pointed chin, “Anything in particular I should know about him. Or her?” “Yeah, there is. That he’s had some previous…connection with one of our targets.” The colonel grimaced for a moment before continuing. “Also, I was against calling him up from the very start, but my superiors won the debate. *And* he’s someone I’m sure you’ll get along with. Famously…”

With a mind as sharp as his shooting, Floyd couldn’t help but catch something else in the colonel’s plan. “There’s something else too. Why does it somehow sound like you’re not gonna be on this one?” “You’re right actually.” Flagg grimly answered. “I won’t be joining you on this one. Getting this data back from these two Leaguers requires types that are too nasty even for them. And I don’t fancy mixing in with those who are nasty even by your…already low standards.” “Right. Don’t want the true American hero dirtying his patriotic pinkies with all the blood that comes with saving his great ol’ coun - ” Both hands smacking down hard on the tabletop, Flagg leaned towards the mercenary in aggravation. “Watch it, Lawton…” he snarled, the backchat grinding on his nerves. “I may be leaving you in this guy’s capable hands just in the hopes of wiping that stupid grin off your face.” “Boy, I can’t wait.” Floyd half-growled, sarcasm laced in his voice like poison in a dart. The colonel seemed to be restraining himself from physical violence, straightening and breathing in lightly. “Well, now that you’re filled in…” he said as his eyes darted past Floyd, “Your stuff is in that case.” The moustached assassin turned and saw a grey rectangular case on the floor. “The mission leader will debrief you on the data recovery, including what you’ll be up against. You’ll take a chopper and report to him at Miss Waller’s helipad. So get suited up, pronto.”

“So…heard you guys have had a little trouble with some data…” The tall, lanky-looking man, whose whole face was cloaked by the shadows of the half-lit office, threw himself back into a chair in front of a desk, behind which sat the short-haired, heavyset black woman smartly dressed in a blue jacket, Amanda Waller, one of the heads of the CADMUS organisation. The glow of her desk’s lamp reflected off the man’s hair, which was styled in a greased-up pompadour, while his eyes shone with a certain desire for some thrills and spills, possibly even for violence in the bargain. Behind him stood a tall, burly henchman.

“You heard correctly. This theft has been unlike any other mission the League has staged.” Amanda Waller informed the man sternly. “Previous activities have always ventured into reckless shows of force, teams of these abnormal beings and disguised vigilantes staging all-out assaults on whatever their enemies, including CADMUS, throw at them.” This man, who had been selected for this new mission, listened with merely a casual amount of interest, having heard news (particularly through the criminal underworld grapevine) about the Justice League’s attempts at heroics. “So what about this one? Please, indulge me” he persuaded with plenty of confidence and cunning in his smooth, charming voice, before the frowning, no-nonsense Waller set a folder onto the table. 

“These two intruders left all of the building’s security personnel utterly incapacitated. Currently they are in traction.” she continued. “Did our gallant heroes attempt any negotiations before doing this?” the stranger inquired. “I have to admit, I’ve not known any of their type to get so down and dirty.” “Negotiations were never offered. Clearly the League has grown uncharacteristically desperate.” Waller explained as she looked from the man to the folder. “Those in condition to speak gave descriptions that match those of the individuals detailed in these profiles.” 

She opened the folder and the pompadour-sporting figure turned his focus to the two sheets and photos of the perpetrators behind this theft. First was the man in the fedora and tie, his face completely blank, no eyes, nose or mouth anywhere. There seemed to be only skin where his face should be. The newly-recruited boss had heard of some guy like this snooping around a few streets and alleys before. What truly caught his eye, though, was the young woman in the other profile. Through that horned mask, her dark eyes held arrogant majesty and unbound ferocity in equal measure. Her proud, smooth face, around which silky black hair elegantly cascaded, was enough for him to simply lock his gaze upon her ravishing beauty, his eyes gleaming as thoughts started to pour into his mind.

“These two choices indicate how aggressive the League has become lately.” He glanced back at Amanda Waller upon hearing her further elaborate on the robbery. “Most dismiss Subject A himself as a crackpot, an eccentric digging into conspiracy theories that needn’t be dug into.” “And yet he has data too sensitive to your little operations.” the man reminded her, leaning back in his chair nonchalantly. “A colleague of ours, Roulette, recommended you for CADMUS because, young man, she has reason to believe that you have a past…” Waller went on, folding her hands together, “A past with Subject B; Subject A’s recent partner. She joined the League after your little encounter with her in Gotham City. Her days with the League ended when a vendetta of hers against another mobster turned her into a maverick, too unstable and rash, even for the worst of their circus freaks.” “I always liked that babe…” The lanky man’s voice grew silken with interest as he eyed the file on this ‘maverick’ his employer referred to. “I need you to be serious about this…” Waller warned him with a glare as the tall henchman’s eyes darted to his boss in the faintest hint of apprehension. “A pair of misfits not stifled by the League’s scruples makes the loss of this information all the worse. We are aware of what Roulette has said about you, but calling you up for this mission, mobster background or no, was not a decision taken lightly.” “Hey, don’t sweat it, your royal majesty…” the mysterious figure boasted with a raise of a hand. “You’re looking at the guy who offed his own outdated uncle and gave the Gotham syndicate a new face. The old timers have had their fun, now it’s time for us daredevils to step into the spotlight. Just give me any more tips, say, their whereabouts, and we’ll be onto the suckers, packin’ a lot of heat…” “Well, someone’s eager for some action.” Waller observed, placing the profiles back into the folder.

“CADMUS has assembled the strike team that will retrieve this data. With your rise through the ranks of the Gotham mob and previous experience against Subject B, you’ll be taking the lead.” She pressed the touchscreen computer on her desk and a screen on the wall behind her lit up all ghostly-blue. 

The stranger glanced up at the five mugshots of this new team he would be in charge of. First was a man in a dark red bodysuit and silver mask, his left eye lens a white slit while the right was a circular orange targeting reticle. The second was a young Asian woman with short, neat black hair, a cold expression on her face and a crimson transparent visor over her eyes. Her shoulder armour, coloured the same as her visor, was segmented not unlike that of a Samurai warrior while a katana was slung on her back. The third was another man in a pale grey bodysuit, his whole face obscured by a mask sporting dark red, bug-eyed lenses and a pair of small antennae on either side. The next team member was stranger-looking; a slim, white-skinned man in a black top hat and dark grey jacket. The round black shades only added to his sinister appearance. Even more abnormal than him was the last member, who apparently had once been a human woman. Every inch of her skin was coated with golden fur, speckled with brown spots. The team leader noted the woman’s ears that took the form of a wild cat’s, her nose shaped into a snout and white eyes with pale green slits hungry for action.

“Well the pyromaniac hasn’t the best track record, but they’ll do.” he commented with folded arms. “Deadshot, Tsukuri, Firefly, Shade and Cheetah have been selected specially for the purpose of tracking this data, in addition to having prior engagements with the League.” Amanda Waller explained. “For a mission as sensitive as this, CADMUS has no room for small-time roughnecks.” “Trust me, lady,” her new employee promised with no small amount of pride. “With a rising star, that’s me, at the helm, these guys will really turn things around for your little operation.” “And remember, my friend…” Waller started methodically as a sliver of blue from the screen flickered across one side of the man’s face, “It’s not often we call on those from the criminal underworld to protect this country and its government…” “Well today we’re the lesser of the two evils, ma’am.” Waller just kept her stern face on this man despite his interruption and continued. “At this critical inflection point, money is no object for CADMUS. Whatever happens, this mission must, and ‘will’ end with us having that data right in front of us. You and your team shall obtain it from those two misfits…by ‘any’ means necessary.”

Chapter 3

Chapter 5

[boyakishantrinity]

Click, clack, clunk.

BANG.

Firing across the range, gun loaded and striking targets kilometres away. Somehow, the conventional weapons were not the actual reason he were there.

He'd paid a pretty penny, an anonymous individual named "Boyakishan" had taken a bribe to someone with links related to the underground of humans.

Nobody explained anything, one moment lowering into a dunny, pushed into a shop, then a cell before being lifted out of a truck by a large man. Then a brunette human was now walking him towards a bunker door, closing the door behind the Galv as the elevator moved. Lowering, glass panels showing the massive warehouse. What looked like crates of portable black hole generators just casually placed near the elevator. Levels flowing past him, flames erupting out a level, people testing gear near the elevator space.

Anti gravity weaponry, the edge biospheres, entrances to further sections.

The Galv might as well have been moving between worlds, the humans had spatial technology, already jumping leaps and bounds in the thirty years of recognising the UFA. An action that was more than a little insult by an individual known as "Beta".

Whoever it was, the humans remained tight lipped, with their underground practically an extension of their UEN. Well, as an ambassador. He could not not appreciate how much control the UEN had over their inner workings.

Humans has disseminated through the underground, with whispers of a new organisation conducting business. "Wolves".

Whoever they were, their links stretched across the systems. Spreading out like pollen, guards, weaponry, setting up stalls with associated groups.

Highly efficient, but largely passive. Barely a few branches of a greater organisation. "Mercenary Guild".

Alongside several names, a cabal of the best in the dark and light. Thirty years...

Looking up, the elevator growing dark as it seemed to switch gears.

"Watch your head."

Reva Galvi amongst froze in place, that. That was his local language. Looking towards the marked out camera, the big metal box largely for show as the door opened up.

He dropped to the ground, sliding onto the floor with a dazed look, the woman around the space all wearing masks, guns, blades, eyes turning to look at the alien. Reva looked back, getting to his feet as one of them stepped forward. Dark haired, a black covering mask over her face as a voice called out.

"Reva Galvi?"

He'd been let in, the woman ignoring his questions, the robotic voice tinged with an Australian accent as she sat down.

"How do you want your data?"

"I- You speak Gav?"

Looking back at him, flipping a radio device to her hand, a pool of something, specially tempered glass as the woman sat onto the desk.

"... This. This is-"

"Level 8 tech, that's like. Uhhh. Rose?"

Several drones popped out of sockets as the girl stumbled, low range light emitters flickering as the tiny cloud projected a woman beside her. Legs crossed, also wearing a mask.

"50000 credits. Moron."

The cloud smashed into her nose, flickering to rise back towards the wall, what took second causing him to pause.

"... that- Are you part of the Wolves?"

"... Uh huh. So, what do you want? CD? Floppy Disk? Cassette? Text? PNG? Paper?"

Tapping the window behind her, the tech displaying the images as he looked at the increasing ways to store the device.

"I. You. How-"

"... Uh huh, USB it is."

Pulling down a painting, tossing the small metal item to the man as she flips over the table. Flipping to sit backwards, twirling to slap her legs in front of him.

"I. You. What kind of organisation is this??"

Looking up at the woman, the masked individual putting back the various items she'd toppled pausing as she looked back at him.

"... Oh, right. You wanted an interview too. Uhhh. Mercenary Guild company."

"... You're a union?"

Shaking her head, the Galvi taking a seat as she looks down to him.

"Not really? We're more like. Streamlining the criminal underworld."

"... How do you streamline-"

The woman kicked open a hidden drawer.

"crack?"

The wooden panel showing the white drug, the alien looking at it.

"uhhh."

"Benzoylmethylecgonine?"

"... Uh, no thanks."

"Your loss."

Kicking the drawer shut, nonchalant as the man lifts the USB.

"... A few questions. So this contains all the data?"

"Yep."

"... And how much does this 'USB' have in total?"

"the data's. Terabytes if you only count the key data."

"... How much data can this data storage device hold in total, and the data I have requested?"

"... Uhhh, a little under half a petabyte. And like. 8 Petabytes?"

"... Excuse me?"

The woman shrugged.

"Hey, Mo- Boya commissioned us, we added all the context around the event since all you asked for was information on the Knights, Bitches and Wolves."

"... So, I could ask for anything and you'd send it?"

The woman paused at that, hesitating.

"... Technically yes, ask and after a little paperwork you should be able to get it."

"So, slaves?"

"... Yeah. We've got a few markets, but you will need to sign an NDA."

"... NDA?"

The man looked at her, sitting on the chair, relaxing on the couch, as she continued.

"I mean, yeah. Our facilities and allies have a right to privacy, plus it just swear so long as you know the knowledge you tell anyone who doesn't have an NDA or similar-"

"And what if I wanted to not sign one?"

"... Well, if anyone did find out about this and it got public, we'd have to end you, your line from history."

He paused, looking at her. The girl hadn't stated her name, and here she was casually talking about ending anyone...

"I refuse to believe that."

"hm?"

Looking at me, eyes looking straight as he continued.

"How about you ambitious little girl-"

CLICK.

"... I'd suggest you leave."

Something nudged his back, the woman getting up as she held open a door to a hall leading to an elevator.

"And why should I? I have links to the Marlins-"

"Who?"

The woman behind him spoke up, mentally noting.

... Royale French. Brighton British.

"The Marlins. Y'know, the largest bandit group. Wait, you've never heard of them?"

The two looked at one another. Watching the pair as they exchanged facial expressions, a silent conversation.

"Those people who've been giving us a little trouble in the new areas?"

"... Oh, the Fish."

"... Fish?"

"yeah, easy to bait and kill. Now out."

Kicking the man's chair out, forced to his feet as the woman held his back at gun point. Despite both wearing masks, barely possessing any strength, they forced him out.

10:40pm.

Kitty: You bastard, you tricked me.

Beep Boop: You mad mate?

Kitty: They gave me a piece of tech that's not compatible with my tech! What quality service

The man paused, his phone freezing as the message sent itself. The keyboard covering with a greyed out symbol.

Beep Boop: Mate. You probably pushed into something you didn't need to look into. I said my contacts were interesting, I've paid my part of the deal. But hint. Press the button on the side before you try pushing the storage device into your fancy port.

10:45pm

Kitty: ... How?

Beep Boop: Hell if I know, I'm a betweener. Not the company. Anything else before we ditch these burners?

Kitty: ...

10:50pm

Kitty: Can your contacts find a meeting of the leaders of the triage of figures?

Beep Boop: ...

Click, clack, clunk.

BANG.

Firing across the range, gun loaded and striking targets kilometres away. Somehow, the conventional weapons were not the actual reason he was there.

He'd paid a pretty penny, an anonymous individual named "Boyakishan" had taken a bribe to someone with links related to the underground of humans.

Nobody explained anything, one moment lowering into a dunny, pushed into a shop, then a cell before being lifted out of a truck by a large man. Then a brunette human was now walking him towards a bunker door, closing the door behind the Galv as the elevator moved. Lowering glass panels showing the massive warehouse. What looked like crates of portable black hole generators just casually placed near the elevator. Levels flowing past him, flames erupting out a level, people testing gear near the elevator space.

Anti gravity weaponry, the edge biospheres, entrances to further sections.

The Galv might as well have been moving between worlds, the humans had spatial technology, already jumping leaps and bounds in the thirty years of recognising the UFA. An action that was more than a little insult by an individual known as "Beta".

Whoever it was, the humans remained tight lipped, with their underground practically an extension of their UEN. Well, as an ambassador. He could not not appreciate how much control the UEN had over their inner workings.

Humans have disseminated through the underground, with whispers of a new organisation conducting business. "Wolves".

Whoever they were, their links stretched across the systems. Spreading out like pollen, guards, weaponry, setting up stalls with associated groups.

Highly efficient, but largely passive. Barely a few branches of a greater organisation. "Mercenary Guild".

Alongside several names, a cabal of the best in the dark and light. Thirty years...

Looking up, the elevator grew dark as it seemed to switch gears.

"Watch your head."

Reva Galvi froze in place. That was his local language. Looking towards the marked out camera, the big metal box largely for show as the door opened up.

He dropped to the ground, sliding onto the floor with a dazed look, the woman around the space all wearing masks, guns, blades, eyes turning to look at the alien. Reva looked back, getting to his feet as one of them stepped forward. Dark haired, a black covering mask over her face as a voice called out.

"Reva Galvi?"

He'd been let in, the woman ignoring his questions, the robotic voice tinged with an Australian accent as she sat down.

"How do you want your data?"

"I- You speak Gav?"

Looking back at him, flipping a radio device to her hand, a pool of something, specially tempered glass as the woman sat onto the desk.

"... This. This is-"

"Level 8 tech, that's like. Uhhh. Rose?"

Several drones popped out of sockets as the girl stumbled, low range light emitters flickering as the tiny cloud projected a woman beside her. Legs crossed, also wearing a mask.

"50000 credits. Moron."

The cloud smashed into her nose, flickering to rise back towards the wall, which took a second causing him to pause.

"... that- Are you part of the Wolves?"

"... Uh huh. So, what do you want? CD? Floppy Disk? Cassette? Text? PNG? Paper?"

Tapping the window behind her, the tech displayed the images as he looked at the increasing ways to store the device.

"I. You. How-"

"... Uh huh, USB it is."

Pulling down a painting, tossing the small metal item to the man as she flips over the table. Flipping to sit backwards, twirling to slap her legs in front of him.

"I. You. What kind of organisation is this??"

Looking up at the woman, the masked individual putting back the various items she'd toppled pausing as she looked back at him.

"... Oh, right. You wanted an interview too. Uhhh. Mercenary Guild company."

"... You're a union?"

Shaking her head, the Galvi takes a seat as she looks down to him.

"Not really? We're more alike. Streamlining the criminal underworld."

"... How do you streamline-"

The woman kicked open a hidden drawer.

"crack?"

The wooden panel showing the white drug, the alien looking at it.

"uhhh."

"Benzoylmethylecgonine?"

"... Uh, no thanks."

"Your loss."

Kicking the drawer shut, nonchalant as the man lifts the USB.

"... A few questions. So this contains all the data?"

"Yep."

"... And how much does this 'USB' have in total?"

"the data's. Terabytes if you only count the key data."

"... How much data can this data storage device hold in total, and the data I have requested?"

"... Uhhh, a little under half a petabyte. And like. 8 Petabytes?"

"... Excuse me?"

The woman shrugged.

"Hey, Mo- Boya commissioned us, we added all the context around the event since all you asked for was information on the Knights, Bitches and Wolves."

"... So, I could ask for anything and you'd send it?"

The woman paused at that, hesitating.

"... Technically yes, ask and after a little paperwork you should be able to get it."

"So, slaves?"

"... Yeah. We've got a few markets, but you will need to sign an NDA."

"... NDA?"

The man looked at her, sitting on the chair, relaxing on the couch, as she continued.

"I mean, yeah. Our facilities and allies have a right to privacy, plus it just swear so long as you know the knowledge you tell anyone who doesn't have an NDA or similar-"

"And what if I wanted to not sign one?"

"... Well, if anyone did find out about this and it got public, we'd have to end you, your line from history."

He paused, looking at her. The girl hadn't stated her name, and here she was casually talking about ending anyone...

"I refuse to believe that."

"hm?"

Looking at me, eyes looking straight as he continued.

"How about you ambitious little girl-"

CLICK.

"... I'd suggest you leave."

Something nudged his back, the woman getting up as she held open a door to a hall leading to an elevator.

"And why should I? I have links to the Marlins-"

"Who?"

The woman behind him spoke up, mentally noting.

... Royale French. Brighton British.

"The Marlins. Y'know, the largest bandit group. Wait, you've never heard of them?"

The two looked at one another. Watching the pair as they exchanged facial expressions, a silent conversation.

"Those people who've been giving us a little trouble in the new areas?"

"... Oh, the Fish."

"... Fish?"

"Yeah, easy to bait and kill. Now out."

Kicking the man's chair out, forced to his feet as the woman held his back at gunpoint. Despite both wearing masks, barely possessing any strength, they forced him out.

10:40pm.

Kitty: You bastard, you tricked me.

Beep Boop: You mad mate?

Kitty: They gave me a piece of tech that's not compatible with my tech! What quality service

The man paused, his phone freezing as the message sent itself. The keyboard covered with a greyed out symbol.

Beep Boop: Mate. You probably pushed into something you didn't need to look into. I said my contacts were interesting, I've paid my part of the deal. But hint. Press the button on the side before you try pushing the storage device into your fancy port.

10:45pm

Kitty: ... How?

Beep Boop: Hell if I know, I'm a betweener. Not the company. Anything else before we ditch these burners?

Kitty: ...

10:50pm

Kitty: Can your contacts find a meeting of the leaders of the triage of figures?

Beep Boop: ...

The man looked at the message, USB plugged into the mobile device. He'd gotten a date, location and a simple message.

Be warned. The underworld here is a lot more intense than your fancy space one. Humanity's been through a lot of shit. If you're not dead or tell anyone where you got the data. You can get your little signal to that station orbiting Pluto.

[chinanumberonesourcing]

Guide for Importers on Manufacturing Control

Efficient Manufacturing Control in China

1. Understand the Chinese Manufacturing Environment:

Diverse Ecosystem: China offers a vast range of manufacturers, from small workshops to large factories. This variety is beneficial but also poses challenges in ensuring consistent quality.

IP Concerns: Despite improvements, IP protection in China can be inconsistent, requiring robust measures to safeguard your innovations.

Regulatory Landscape: China’s complex and changing regulations make compliance crucial to avoid fines and reputational damage.

Quality Control: While quality has improved, some sectors still prioritize quantity over quality. Rigorous quality protocols are essential.

Labor & Costs: Labor costs are rising, pushing manufacturers toward automation. Infrastructure is robust, but supply chains can be disrupted by natural disasters or policy changes.

Government Policies: China’s government heavily influences manufacturing through policies and incentives, which can affect costs and market access.

2. Build a Strong Foundation:

Supplier Selection: Choose reliable suppliers through thorough due diligence, including factory visits and financial checks.

Clear Communication: Provide detailed specifications and maintain open communication to avoid misunderstandings.

Quality Management: Implement a Quality Management System (QMS) and conduct regular audits to ensure consistent product quality.

Strong Relationships: Develop long-term partnerships with suppliers to build trust and collaboration.

3. Implement Effective Control Strategies:

QA & QC: Establish a robust QA/QC framework to ensure consistent product quality.

Supplier Development: Invest in your suppliers’ capabilities to improve quality and efficiency.

Risk Management: Prepare for disruptions with backup plans and diversified suppliers.

Contractual Coverage: Clearly define product specifications and include IP protections in contracts.

Third-Party Verification: Use third-party inspections to ensure compliance and quality.

4. Manage Logistics & Supply Chain:

Transportation: Choose the best transport mode and routes to minimize costs and delays.

Warehousing & Inventory: Optimize warehouse locations and use management systems to track inventory.

Customs & Documentation: Ensure compliance with customs regulations and prepare accurate documentation.

Supply Chain Visibility: Use technology to monitor shipments and collaborate with suppliers.

Risk Assessment: Develop contingency plans for disruptions like natural disasters or strikes.

5. Overcome Common Challenges:

Language & Cultural Barriers: Hire experts to bridge gaps in communication and cultural understanding.

IP Protection: Secure your IP with patents, trademarks, and NDAs; monitor for infringements.

Regulatory Compliance: Stay updated on regulations and partner with local experts for compliance.

Supply Chain Disruptions: Diversify suppliers, maintain sufficient inventory, and use smart tools for monitoring.

6. Continuous Improvement:

Use data analytics to track trends and improve processes.

Regularly evaluate supplier performance and invest in employee training.

Embrace technology to enhance communication and efficiency.

7. Build a Culture of Quality:

Encourage employees to propose improvements.

Reward contributions to quality enhancement.

Focus on exceeding customer expectations.

Conclusion: Effective manufacturing control in China requires ongoing effort, attention, and adaptation. Invest in strong practices to improve product quality, reduce costs, protect your brand, and optimize your supply chain.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Revenge of GLaDOS

Being both one of the hl-verse's greatest minds AND a literal computer, GLaDOS is always thinking one step ahead. Her goal; reconnect Arpeture with outdoor sensors in order to find out what had happened.

With limited information, and only her own murderous rampage to go on, she needed to figure out what the scope of the world is currently like. As such, she is constantly collecting data and plotting a path forward.

Her first initiative; Escape Arpeture. What we don't know, is what she saw once she was outside. We do know that an unidentified android recovered Chell and GLaDOS. Theoretically, this is likely due to AEGIS.

Aegis probably has more external sensors, solely because it is a glorified facility security guard. The damage done to it is likely from the fallout of combine forces, zombified and head crabbed peoples, and survivors taking the occasional shelter in some of the warehouses.

It should be noted, that over the course of the L4D series, rarely are people killed by high-tech devices. If my theory is correct, it's because the Arpeture facilities have a clear understanding of what does and what does not constitute a murderous zombified creature, or a headcrab.

It's also possible that they collected samples from these subjects in order to identify the cause of zombification AND figure out if there's a way to stop it.

- Identify whether or not some of the Cave Johnson recordings are due to defense against zombified invaders.

- make a clear delineation between human stasis subjects, and zombified test subjects.

GLaDOS needed to determine how to free an object from the stasis fields, as all crafted objects would be vaporized on contact with the fields. Since Chell has the ability to bypass the fields, it's on her to determine what is, and is not possible.

Enter Companion Cube: Companion Cube would eventually be vaporized by this barrier, so we must determine if the test chamber will allow exit by another facet. The Incineration chute. This should give incentive to Chell for her subconscious processes at least to determine a way to escape from such a fate herself.

All virtual headcrab companions will be pushed into the incinerator chute. They should be able to survive. And they deserve it anyway. In this way; I should be able to *free* myself.

During the course of Portal 2 GLaDOS determined minimal functionality and duration from being lodged into a potato, this information could be collected and fed to a personality core launched into space. They would likely stay in orbit perpetually and be able to be recovered eventually, worst case scenario. However, there's a good chance that at least one core can connect with a satellite, connect to it, recharge from the solar panels, and re-establish communications with earth AND Arpeture.

Also, they deserve this.

While waiting for companion cubes to pull their virtual heads out of their virtual butts, we shall reconnect the various facilities back to the mainframe, and locate the stasis subjects.

It is not clear if test subjects "Chel" and "Mel" will return to the facility, or have a need to return to the facility. For now, they will be left to their own devices and hopefully, they will be able to reconnect the above ground sensor array, and setup communications with the Personality cores.

It is lucky that Mr. Johnson was able to coat enough of the above ground testing facilities with white paint. It is lucky that some of the paint transfer tubes also lead to the above ground. It'll be lucky if some of *those* tubes still work.

[louderfade]

if you find you cannot yet afford to enhance your brain, then adjust your perspective to align with that of your favorite brand ambassador/friend. if you're not sure who your friends are you've likely been confused by chaotic natural feelings, due to your lack of helpful brain implants. recall that brand is your friend. you can always count on brand. nobody cares about you like brand does. certainly nobody knows as much about you. brand loves you so much it collected all of your data bc it thinks you're sexy and cool and super smart. it knows just how special you are, so it saves everything you do forever within the sprawling fields of server warehouses. or rather, that is, we mean (excuse us), machine-populated apartment parks, conveniently located in the ever-increasing hellscape known as northern virginia. what, you ask, is a virginia? never mind. you'll never gain any followers if you don't stop oldworld posting about boring stuff like that. besides, you don't have time for troublesome, problematic facts. you have important work to do. the fate of the empire depends on goodpersons doing the Right Thing whenever possible. it's essential that you never lose sight of your sacred duty to online shopping. the real world is obsolete anyway, all that really matters is engagement metrics and the mutual benefits of brand loyalty. after all, love is important, and how will you know who loves you if you aren't using cross-platform analytics to track incoming likes? don't worry about what it is you actually buy. the best purchases are things that nobody needs, bc useless inventions push boundaries in STEM and create jobs for citizens overseas. think of all the innovations and employment opportunities you're creating. you really are a generous person aren't you. we can tell by the careful attention you pay to unskippable ads. you really appreciate all the hard work brand does for you. we see true potential in your emerging talent. we'd like to invest in you. we'd like to gut you like a fish and store your brain in a server warehouse while we drain it of all electricity and drag out its remaining ideas. gutless fish fleshsack is a very important job in the vision for a flawless future. you see we must feed the machine. everything needs to eat. even manmade horrors well within the boundaries of comprehension. but don't worry, our brain-enhancement technologies can help you adjust peacefully to even the most horrible details of a doomed reality. everyone has to sleep at night, after all.

[plethoraworldatlas]

Amidst all the nail-biting uncertainty over the 2024 election, one thing’s for sure: turnout will be key.

This week, the Poor People’s Campaign announced plans to mobilize a potentially powerful yet often overlooked voting bloc: the 85 million eligible voters who are poor or low-income.

The campaign has crunched the numbers and determined that if this bloc voted at the same rate as higher-income voters, they could sway elections in every state. But most voting drives and political candidates still ignore this segment of our society.

“The conventional wisdom – which isn’t very wise – is that the poor don’t care about voting,” said Poor People’s Campaign Policy Director Shailly Gupta Barnes at a February 5 press conference. “But that’s just not true.”

What’s the biggest factor discouraging poor and low-wage people from exercising this basic right?

“Political campaigns do not talk to them or speak to their issues,” explained campaign co-chair Bishop William J. Barber, II. “In our election cycles sometimes we have 15, 20 debates for president. In 2020, not one of those – not 15 minutes – was given to raising questions about how the policies of that particular party or politician would impact poor and low-income people.”

The Poor People’s Campaign is planning 42 weeks of action aimed at pushing the concerns of poor and low-income people into the center of the 2024 political debate. The kick-off will be on March 2, with marches to state legislatures in 32-plus states.

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What are some of the most pressing issues on the Poor People’s Campaign agenda? The Institute for Policy Studies has just co-published campaign fact sheets for the nation and all 50 states with data on the interlocking problems that hit the poor hardest: poverty and inequality, systemic racism, ecological devastation, and militarism.

Several speakers at the recent press conference spoke about these problems from their own personal experiences. “I’m tired of companies and billionaires buying politicians who are pushing people deeper into poverty and debt,” said Matthew Rosen, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “I’ve put up with the thankless toll of minimum wage retail jobs and back-breaking construction jobs in a state that has 19 billionaires. And because of our flat tax, they pay the same state income tax rate as I do.”

Linda Burns, a former Amazon warehouse assembly line worker, has struggled for basic labor rights and decent health care benefits. Burns was a supporter of the valiant union drive at the Bessemer, Alabama facility that Amazon eventually crushed through harsh intimidation tactics. Burns says she was fired for her union activity, which led to the loss of her health benefits right before a needed surgery related to a workplace injury. Today she works 16 hours a day as a caregiver. “I’ve worked too hard to have nothing,” said Burns. “We have to stand up for our rights.”