#sales positioning statement

[salesmotivationideas]

Is Peer Coaching in Sales Beneficial?

When most people think of sales, they imagine a fiercely competitive environment. While that can be true to some extent, your reps don't have to adopt a solitary sales mindset. Collaboration and coaching can benefit the bottom line, allowing your sales agents to work together as they foster success for the entire team.

The Preferred Way of Learning

Did you know that most sales professionals prefer peer learning? It's not hard to see why.

When you invest in coaching, you turn your top sellers into educators. The high-performers get the recognition they deserve. Meanwhile, average sellers gain natural motivation, and underperformers can clearly understand where they need to improve. It benefits the entire team and fosters an encouraging environment.

With a sales learning platform, you can capture winning moments and turn them into teachable lessons. Your top sellers become role models for the rest of your agents, helping them reach the sale levels of success.

Building a Culture of Learning

Everybody wins when you transform a sales floor into a connected environment focused on improvement. Agents are naturally motivated to succeed but might not have the tools and know-how to get there. Peer coaching solves that problem, flipping the conventional ideas of individual selling.

A feature-rich sales learning platform can break down the barriers that separate your agents, keeping them connected. Top performers can share their tips, coach others on their strategies and become the go-to experts for new product launches or selling advice.

Creating an environment of learning is particularly beneficial if you have a remote team or have sales agents located in multiple branches. Traditionally, that separation leaves little room for collaboration. But by connecting everyone through a learning platform, everyone is on the same page and devoted to improving their performance.

A Cost-Effective Alternative

Another significant benefit of peer coaching is that it's cheaper and more effective. Using your top performers as a source of training reduces your overall investment. It cuts down on training costs and provides a preferred learning method. Plus, it's scalable. As your underperformers improve and become star sellers, they can become coaches for new hires.

Read a similar article about platform to share sales knowledge here at this page.

[andraxicated]

No Hard Feelings

Pairing: zayne x f! reader

tags: nsfw | mutual pining? | virgins in love | 69 | protected p in v | big dick zayne (cause he was my man before sylus and we love virgins who hide big packages) | small angst |

a/n: sitting pretty on my drafts since february. i love writing in this format it just lets your ideas flow | zayne is a harvard med alumni free from student debt cause he's rich and we all know it

inspired by one of my fav rom coms no hard feelings i swear its so funny

you are nothing but a broke college student looking for ways to make extra money. so what can you do when your friend shows you a totally suspicious ad?

"we are looking for a girl with experience to seduce our son and help him have a social life. preferably pretty. will be handsomely compensated"

you grab the opportunity after much thought and show up in the sluttiest dress to make sure you fit the 'girl with experience' part despite your v-card being intact.

and you never thought that you'd be sitting in a mansion's living room, listening to a rich mother yap about her worries for her beloved and only son's social life

"you see... it's because i'm deeply worried about our son! we are very proud he's doing well before going to medical school but it's summer and all his peers are going out on vacations, dating, and partying, but he doesn't seem to be interested in any of those since his time at university!"

let's say when you asked what he looked like and turned around to see a picture frame, you were instantly sold onto this 'fuck their son' plan

his parents said their beloved Zayne volunteers at the public park to tend to the flowers. he works under the hot son with his stoic face and meaty arms to which you space out a little.

imagine his surprise when his view got shadowed by your figure, looking up to see the expanse of your thighs, your boobs supported by a push-up bra. this was your best attempt at looking like a vixen

"heyyyy, can I touch your buds?" you giggle (cringing inwardly) and the rest is history.

Zayne didn't know what to fucking say but glare at you.

it was hard to get close to Zayne because that man was a brick wall. he was so reserved and quiet, always so serious despite your attempts at fun time. yet with every time you spent together, his walls break down bit by bit.

and when you saw a crack in his walls, you unknowingly tore it down along with yours.

because you are unexpectedly falling in love with him.

"I thought this was movie night" Both of you remove your tops amidst giggles and short kisses.

"Mhmm, you smell like Jasmines." Zayne pretends not to hear you as he rasps against your ear, kissing your neck as his fingers drag down to tug at your shorts and panty. You whine when he successfully removes it, cold air hitting your inner thighs as he shushes you through small, wet kisses.

"That perfume was on sale, I knew I had to buy it for you" You smile and Zayne mirrors it on his lips, making your heart skip out of your chest. He caresses your hips softly, dangerously inching closer to your core where you're positively throbbing.

"You know me so well. It's as if you were sent by someone for me."

You chuckle awkwardly, letting him trail down light kisses on your neck, all the way to your collarbones. His statement slaps you back to reality. That you were just a girl taking advantage of him and his parents' money. But with each kiss that matches with the beat of your heart, you feel that this acting of yours turned a little too real. You just wanted him between your thighs, lost in your body, drunk on your kisses, and never have him find out the truth.

Zayne looks up at you from an angle, wanting to ask for permission to dive in your pussy, but then he sees you spacing out, and it’s not the cockdrunk look he sees on porn videos. You looked sad and miserable while staring into nothing, he fears he might have bored you to death and he’s too much of a virgin to satisfy you. Zayne looked scared to snap you out of it, he lightly nudged your thigh, and your gaze finally shifted to him. You still haven’t gotten rid of that look yet. 

“Sorry, let’s not do this today if you aren’t feeling well” zayne speaks softly while sitting up, the care evident in his eyes, and you wanted nothing more than to jump in his arms. 

You shook your head, a smile on your face. “I’m sorry I killed the mood. Are you still hard?” 

“What?”

“I mean, is your dick hard?”

Zayne looks down for a moment and replies, “Yeah…I’m hard”

You giggle and reach over to give him a peck. “Let me suck you off. You’ll feel good, I promise” You say as if you sucked dick before. You were quite nervous to put something in your mouth for the first time, fearing for your throat and untrained gag reflex. Also, Zayne looks pretty big from the way he’s tenting from his shorts, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Your heart was beating from your chest as Zayne sat with his legs on both sides of your body, presenting you with his aching bulge. You tug down his shorts along with his underwear and you see his big cock that he’s been hiding all along. Zayne flushes red on his ears and neck as you stare at his size in awe. The tip was angry and leaking, twitching occasionally as the man before you winced. Its girth was impressively thicker than your wrist and length longer than what you’ve seen in videos, this guy was above average. But before you could try to touch him, Zayne coughs up to get your attention. 

You question him in your eyes and he blushes, struggling to get his words out. 

“I-I want to make you feel good too. Can we try that position?” 

“What position?” 

“...69” 

Zayne bites his lip, looking at your face for any sort of disgust but none came. A smile broke out on your face before you nodded, taking the initiative to adjust your positions accordingly. Zayne was taller than you so you had to be the one on top, your body tensing as you face his leaking cock staring at you. You wanted to put your mouth on it so bad but you knew you had to wait for Zayne to adjust at your bottom. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Zayne huffs out and you involuntarily clench, feeling his hot breath around your hole. You can’t help the heat that travels to your cheeks as you recognize yourself putting your ass up in the air for a man to gape at your hole. You could feel every bone in your body praying not to fuck this up.

“I’ll start,” You say, biting your lip and squinting your eyes before hurriedly starting the job. Your lips come into contact with the tip and Zayne moans, throwing his head back as you try to engulf him in your mouth. He feels you testing how your mouth glides up and down thanks to your saliva as lubricant. Zayne thinks he could burst right then and there in your mouth but he tries to at least save himself some dignity by not finishing through a 20-second blowjob. 

He leans forward and settles his palms on your ass, squeezing the soft flesh experimentally, making you moan at his touches. His lips press outside your pussy, shying away from the main course before steeling himself with the courage of a man. 

Choked moans left your mouth as Zayne suddenly parts your ass for a clear view and dives right in to fuck your hole with his tongue. He laps up like a man starved with eyes closed, executing toe-curling techniques that you didn’t know he could do. 

“Nghh! Mmhphh!” You’re drooling on his dick, taking what you can of his size and pumping what you couldn’t reach. He’s too much of a big fit in your mouth, struggling to hollow your cheeks since most of your wet cavern is occupied by his cock. You could only bob your head up and down, moaning to get him feeling some vibrations, and rubbing your pussy along his lips. 

On the other end, Zayne was having a very much-awaited make-out session with your cunt. He sloppily kisses your hole, circling his tongue as he tastes the softness of the flesh. His hands rubbing your ass in gentle motions causes you to clench and he groans, chasing the movement of your cunt. He does it like the boys do in those videos, he closes his eyes and imagines he’s doing a good job just like them, making their girl scream like it's the end of the world. 

“So pretty” he pulls away mesmerized by your glistening cunt. Zayne couldn’t help but be addicted to your pussy, and he gives it more attention by sucking and playing around with his tongue. To hear your muffled cries sends vibrations down his spine, making him even more hard as your eyes widen. 

You gasp for air as you fix your breathing. You wanted to complain about why he was getting bigger but you just couldn’t stop yourself from sinking deeper onto his cock. You’re positive you looked like a cockhungry slut with dick in her mouth, wiggling her ass as her man eats her out because that’s exactly what you’re doing, you could picture how dirty the position was and it makes you throb, edging you to your release.

No one was saying anything, too occupied with the job at hand as wet noises filled the room. Both of you were pushing each other at the brink of release. Zayne lightly thrusts to chase the feeling of a wet heat—challenging your gag reflex, not knowing it's your first time giving a blowjob. He suddenly hits the back of your throat as cum floods inside your mouth. You’re breathing through your nose, too full of erotic sensations, and you cum following his release. Wet spurts land on Zayne’s face as he drinks up your release, relishing in his first time making a girl cum. 

You pull away from his dick, white semen landing on the bed from your mouth and Zayne’s eyes widen seeing you keeping his release inside your mouth. He thinks you probably didn’t want to swallow it so he grabs tissues, and places them below your chin. 

“Spit it out” 

You look at the tissue on his hand and swallow the cum, wincing as the taste hits you. You just wanted to do it like others do, swallowing because you worked hard for it. Zayne was flabbergasted to even move, his flaccid member unapologetically rising hard when he saw you swallow his seed. 

It made him want to put it inside you. 

“Why did you swallow?” 

You wipe the excess off your face, “I just wanted to try” You hoped he didn’t catch on that it was your first time. Both of you were tired but you wanted to keep going, driven by lust. Zayne was trying to hide his erection and you decided to just get on with it, you wanted him inside right now.

“Zayne, do you want to be on top?” Your question left him surprised. He blinks for a few seconds before nodding and positioning on top of you as you lay down. Then it hits you.

“Wait, do you have a condom?” 

He visibly freezes before reaching over to the bedside table, pulling out the drawer, grabbing a condom, and opening the package. While he puts it on, your eyes drift to the package and you notice the XL size and the ‘super ultra-thin’ inscription. You couldn’t help but be a little nervous after reading that. 

“It’s on,” he says awkwardly, the tip of his ears reddening by the minute. At this moment, the air was thick with nervousness radiating from you and Zayne. You exchange eye contact with him as his palm rests on your hip, drawing circles to coax you and relax your walls. 

“I’m ready, are you?” 

“Yeah,” he kisses your lip to distract you from the pain of your cunt breached open by his thick cockhead. You wince in discomfort, legs shaking as the thickness stops moving. Zayne panics over your pained expression, whispering sweet nothings that it will pass soon because fuck, you are incredibly tight and wet. He almost moans at the sight of your hole struggling to take all of him. 

You look down and let your head fall back onto his soft pillow. “Move”, you let out breathlessly. 

“I’m too big for you, you need to adjust”

“Zayne, just move! Let me adjust when you’re inside me” You whine, wanting to have him inside you as soon as possible. Zayne complies and pushes in slowly, all his worries about med school and sex are completely gone when he buries himself to the hilt. You moan in unison, the stretch being painfully good for your first time.

It was the kind of pain that you’d willingly take because the pleasure was too much to lose out on. He stretches you out nicely, feeling every vein inside you, especially the tip that kisses your g spot. How did he find it in one go?

“You're so tight!—Shit” Zayne picks up on his space, letting his dick rub inside you before starting to thrust full-on. His hips smoothly roll as he pistons his cock in and out of your hole. Your wetness and the condom's lubricant make him move easily inside.

“Ohhh! Zayne!” You jolt towards the headboard as his grunts fill the room, his cockhead repeatedly locking in on your sweet spot, making you clench in response. His hair falls over his face, masquerading on his eyes as his hips put in the work for your pussy. He looks so pretty like that, flushed red, breathless, as he stuffs you repeatedly with his cock.

“Ahhhh, so big~” You could only moan and clench around his member, the movements making your boobs jiggle, and Zayne couldn't help but grope one of them—giving attention to the other by going down on his mouth. You just looked so pretty under him, so messy and good at taking his cock.

“My pretty girl” he huffs while bucking his hips into you.

Then he remembers that you probably had sex before him, and you have experienced other guys. And something deep within him tears its ugly head. Zayne suddenly had a primal urge to claim you, to make sure from now on, you're showing this lewd face to him and only him. 

He was jealous and it wasn't a good feeling.

He pounds his cock faster, pouring all the anger he has into vigor. You scratch his back as Zayne goes feral at a fast pace fucking his cock back into your hole. You thrash in his arms from the pleasure, wanting to run away because the dick was too good. But his strong arms cage you in place as he ruts like an animal in heat. 

His hand suddenly flicks on your clit, pinching the bud to edge you closer to your orgasm. He wanted to make you finish first, to feel your cum coating his length before he releases. 

Your nerves were set on fire just as you think your brain is fried from too much dick. You wanted nothing but to cum and release the knot forming on your lower abdomen. He pumps exactly at a target in a frenzied state, balls swinging against your skin. Zayne continued to grunt, letting out the manliest sounds you've ever heard.

“Z-zayne I'm Cumming—Hahhh!!!” You scream as your eyes roll to the back of your head, cunt spasming and dripping around his girth, body shivering from how hard it was. You feel like floating on cloud nine as Zayne leans down to kiss your neck, leaving hickeys in his wake. 

“That's a good girl. Now take this.” 

His pace gradually falters and he slides in one last powerful thrust before exploding his cum and flooding the condom. You cried out as he did small jerks of his hips to ride out his high while cumming buckets. You fear some cum may have slipped out but you didn't care to voice it out.

Zayne learned that it wasn't good to make you oversensitive so as soon as he finished, he took out his softening cock and watched your abused cunt close. He thinks It might have been his favorite sight.

The night ends with you receiving aftercare, drinking water, and cleaning up in the bathroom to make yourselves clean for bed. You didn't even know Zayne changed the sheets, which explains why he left the tub faster. 

But as you lay in his bed with his arms wrapped around you, there wasn't any semblance of reprieve because of your anxiousness about the arrangement. 

Sooner or later he would find out and everything would come crashing down. You'd go back to your own life, paying expenses thanks to the money you received while Zayne would also go on and continue to med school, fuck a few girls since he already had a taste with a girl who duped him for money. 

Just thinking about that brings tears to your eyes. No, you don't wanna be separated from Zayne. You wanted whatever you had with him despite having no label. 

You tried to tell him the truth a few times but fear got the better of you and you find yourself backtracking, saying something else, and laughing it off. Every moment was precious with Zayne, you couldn't cut his smiles short—it would break your heart to wipe off the soft love on his face. 

So you did nothing but let time run its course.

Zayne soon expressed his want for you to meet his family. He feels like he's known you for a lifetime despite meeting just that summer. So you took his offer and had lunch with his parents who tried their best to act as if they first saw you that day. The food was delicious yet the whole dining experience was painful. You and his parents lying to his face made you unable to stomach the food very well. So you left the house and went to their garden, gazing at the flowers that you knew Zayne himself planted. 

He was looking around for you, sighing since you didn’t tell him where you ran off. He was about to ask his parents in the dining room when he accidentally eavesdropped on a conversation that made him stop in his tracks. 

“Well that was awkward, can you believe our son actually fell in love with her? I mean, she’s pretty skilled”

He wasn’t supposed to hear that.

“This isn’t what I was expecting when we hired her. I think we need to end this arrangement soon. I’ll give her the money before this situation blows up.”

He couldn’t fucking believe it. 

Skilled? Hired? Money? It didn’t take an intelligent man to connect the dots as the conversation went on. Every word that came out of their mouth froze his heart and shattered it like glass. Anger, hurt, and confusion overwhelmed him for the first time in his life. He found it hard to stabilize his breathing. He couldn’t help but let hatred cover his eyes as he stormed into the dining room.  

“Is what you’re saying true? You hired a girl to seduce me?” he demanded, voice shaking with emotion as his parents looked very much terrified to see him there. He didn’t want to believe it was true, but as the seconds went by it was all becoming clear that this was a big fat farce all along. Zayne didn’t know what hurt but he knew he’d been played by the people he loved. And that was all it took for him to break his promise of never raising his voice at his parents. 

“Is it true?!” he roared and to see his mother flinch hurt him but at that moment, Zayne was the victim. 

“Zayne, darling let me explain—”  

“Why?” 

His mother breathed out. “We thought it would be good for you. We wanted to let you have some fun since I feel like you’re constantly buried in books! You need to take some time to socialize too!”

He could only pinch the bridge of his nose as he steeled his mouth in case he said something he could not go back on.

“This conversation isn’t over yet” he uttered coldly, leaving his parents guiltily mulling over their actions.  

Overcome by the need to confront you, he walks in long strides to the garden. He honestly does not know what he wants to hear from you. Apologies? Explanation? He doesn’t know but his feet take him to you and destroy your peaceful moment. 

He sees your figure basking in rays of afternoon sun, checking on the flowers he planted. He stops and stares before storming and grabbing your wrist to make you face him. You meet his face in shock, body tensing from the dangerous aura he was emitting. His hazel eyes were swirling with hurt and you knew it was that time. Zayne knew how much you were playing him like a fool. 

“Is it true?" he pants “That my parents hired you to seduce me for the summer? So that I could get with a girl and have some fun?” 

Tears flowed from your eyes as you nodded shakily, accepting your fate. He was disgusted by how easily you admitted it. Was it that easy for you?  

“I want to hear it from you. Speak before I kick you out” he spat out with so much venom that it wrecked sobs from you. Zayne hated hearing you cry just as he hated how this was such a cruel game you played. 

“Zayne, it was all real. I swear! My feelings are real. It’s true that I accepted a deal with your parents for money but you have to know that I needed it!” You feel like ripping your hair out just to make him believe you. You were so desperate to not be a villain in his eyes. “And what I feel for you is real! I love you and I’m so sorry that I did this to you.” You sobbed, holding your face in your hands as you wiped the overflowing tears that clouded your vision. 

You took a step forward and he took a step back, reflecting the hurt in your eyes. 

“How do I believe you now? How do I know this is still not an act?” 

“I don’t know…” You shook your head, mind at a loss for words. “I just know that it would kill me to be separated from you.”

Zayne could hear the desperation in your voice and it was constantly stabbing at his heart. He longed to believe and touch you, but the pain of deception stung deep. 

He took a deep breath and calmed himself. “Who are you? Do you have any other name?”

You whip your head in shock, shaking your head frantically. “No! (y/n) is my real name! Everything I told you is real!” 

He stood frozen so you took your chance to explain, fighting the cries that shook your body. 

“I love you. I-I wanted to give my body to the guy I love and it’s you. It was my first time having sex with you! I’m not some vixen who sleeps around. I’m just me!—a college student in need of money. Believe me, I beg you.”

It honestly didn’t matter to him if the girl he loved had his first time with him or not, he loved her regardless. But when you say it like that, he knew that trusting him with your virginity must have meant a great deal to you. That almost made him want to hug you but the rational part of his mind begged him to have some dignity. 

“You broke my trust” he exhaled, barely above a whisper. “You have no idea how much pain I’m feeling. But I love you…and it would kill me if you weren’t around.”

You take a step forward and grasp his hand to place on top of your heart, making him feel how much it beats for him. 

He’s entranced to feel your racing heart, a testament to your love. This gesture was enough to repair a piece of his shattered heart. 

He uses your interlocked hands to pull you into his arms, burying your face on his chest. You snuggled close as warm tears fell slowly on your cheeks.

“I don’t wanna leave” you cried softly. 

“You’re not leaving until you make me trust you again. And if I trust you again, I won’t let you leave.” 

You nod and ask, “What do you want me to do?”

Zayne cleared his thoughts even if his emotions were a mess. But he was an intelligent and rational man, he was able to think clearly in times of distress and he knew what needed to be done. He knows how you’ll pay for your sins. 

“From now on, I want you to be honest with me. No lies or secrets between us. Tell me everything you feel because I want your full transparency.”   

It was a light sentence and you were eternally grateful to the forgiveness he showed you. Because you'd die if he didn’t.   

“I will. So let’s start on a clean slate please.” you grip his shirt, signaling him your desperation. “I’ll be that girl you met in the park. And you have to believe me when I say I loved you every step of the way. I-I won’t even take the money if it means proving my feelings are real.”

Zayne shook his head as he caressed your hair. ‘Take the money and promise me you won’t leave me. Don’t put yourself in a situation like this just for some money. If you need some, then ask me.”

“What?”

“If you need support I’ll be there to help you in any way I can. All I ask is for you to do the same for me.” 

“Of course I will!” Your voice came out louder than intended and he smiled, yet not like he used to.  

“But you’ll move to Harvard soon for med school? How-how are we going to do this?”

Zayne’s face fell at the mention of his move at the end of his vacation. He hadn’t forgotten but it was a reminder that summer was nearing its end. He had to settle all affairs before treading on a new chapter in his life. 

He sighed, arms still around you. “Long distance isn’t easy, and I don’t know how we’ll do it.” 

Fear crept into you like a snake dampening your mood.    

“But,” he continued with a promising tone. “I’m not giving up on us. I won’t let a little distance come between us. We’ll make it work.”

‘We’ll make it” 

“We will” 

He whispers in your ears, kissing the top of your head, and bathing himself with the love that he receives from you. 

You feared a second chance wouldn’t last long but if anything were the testament to your unbreakable bond with Dr. Zayne, it would be the family photo with you and the kids, standing nicely on his office desk. 

[ralfmaximus]

“The sale of First We Feast and continued reduction of our convertible debt marks an important step in BuzzFeed, Inc.’s strategic transformation into a media company positioned to fully benefit from the ongoing [artificial intelligence] revolution,” Jonah Peretti, the CEO of BuzzFeed, said in a statement. “In the coming years, we will continue to invest in our most scalable and tech enabled services, launching new AI-powered interactive experiences, and delivering for our loyal audience and business partners.”

Good news! BuzzFeed says they are transitioning harder into AI driven bullshit, according to this ChatGPT sounding press release.

[lark-wren]

hey, hey. I don't know who needs to hear this, but--if you are a webcomic creator working with a publisher that tells you things like "your series is under preforming" as a reason why they can't meet certain, very basic requests you make, and leverages this vague statement against you as a way to position and request more from you--know that it is probably, definately, part of a script they use for every. single. creator. they work with.

If you are working hard, producing good work, meeting those deadlines, and communicating as well as you are able with the publisher, etc, you are a rockstar. Your series performance isn't YOUR job. It's their job to promote it and get those sales and numbers for you.

Don't let these companies get under your skin. They know you're working on something you are passionate about. They are banking on the assumption that you are trying to prove your own worth to yourself. They will say some extremely devaluing shit to you in their effort to squeeze as much out of you as possible.

When push comes to shove, if they can not provide what you need, then what you need is to walk away. You've got incredible skill and an incredible work ethic. If you didn't, they'd have never approached you in the first place. Know when a publisher is trying to tear you down for their own gain and leave 'em in the dirt. A publisher shouldn't be using language to make you feel like a disappointment. Nothing you've done for them is disappointing. They're not paying you enough.

[sayruq]

L3Harris’s factory in Home Farm Business Park, Brighton, will shut its doors when its current deal ends in three years’ time as landlords Paxton say they want to take over the site. It comes after protests from pro-Palestinian groups calling for the site to be shut down over the sale of parts made there for fighter jets used by the Israeli Defence Force. In a statement, a spokesman for Paxton said: “Palestinian solidarity protesters have called on us to take action as the landlords of the building that L3Harris are operating from. “We had already reached out to the protester groups involved to have a conversation with them this week. We feel it is important to share our position with those concerned about the association. “For clarity, there was a pre-existing long-term lease agreement in place with L3Harris when we purchased the property. “This agreement is legally binding and not something we can change. “At the time we purchased, we made it clear to L3Harris that we will not be renewing the agreement when it expires and intend to move into the building for our own needs as soon as possible. “We appreciate the right to peaceful protest and welcome the opportunity for an open discussion with the groups involved.” Paxton said L3Harris's lease on the Home Farm Business Park site ends in 2027. It confirmed it did not plan to renew this lease and would be taking the building over for its own operation.

[newsfromstolenland]

Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain is now officially owned by Toronto-based Postmedia Network Inc.

On Monday, Postmedia confirmed the closing of its $1-million purchase of SaltWire Network Inc. and the Halifax Herald Ltd. in a short statement on its website. The sale was approved by a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge on Aug. 8.

Andrew MacLeod, Postmedia's president and CEO, said his company is "delighted" to welcome the new media properties, saying the sale "preserves their vital role within the community."

Full article

Let's explore why this is a very bad thing.

Postmedia, the company that just bought a chain of over two dozen Atlantic canada newspapers, is known for many things- none of them good.

This is an incomplete list of harmful things that Postmedia and its executives have done/are known for:

Right-wing politics. "The National Post was founded in 1998 by Conrad Black, who has connections to conservative politics and sat as a Conservative Party member of the United Kingdom's House of Lords. The Post has always been aligned with the right side of the political spectrum. ..."Just in the past couple of years, Postmedia has issued an edict stating that they should move even farther to the right, so they're very reliably conservative," said [Media journalist Marc] Edge. "In fact, [they] endorse Conservative candidates often over the objections of their local editors.""

Union busting. "They employed a mix of cajoling (such as with buyouts and raises), entreaties to preserve the paper’s uniquely collegial newsroom culture, office-wide memos decrying the havoc a union would wreak, and, according to CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon, one-on-one meetings between staff and management."

Monopolization of canadian news media. "Postmedia Network’s purchase of Saltwire Network will extend its grip from coast to coast, as it already dominates Western Canada with eight of the nine largest dailies in the three westernmost provinces. This purchase will give Postmedia the largest dailies in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland to go along with the largest in New Brunswick, which it acquired from the Irving Oil family two years ago."

Cuts to pensions and benefits while giving large bonuses to executives. "...several top Postmedia executives had received enormous retention bonuses at a time of aggressive belt-tightening (after which many left regardless), and second, the March 2017 announcement that benefits and pensions would be curtailed significantly."

Already beginning to lay off staff from the Atlantic canada newspapers they now own. "...the long-term future of workers in departments like circulation, advertising, customer service, finance and production remains uncertain. "Staff believe maintaining local jobs in the community is critical to retaining both subscribers and clients," the union said. Last week, the union representing workers at The Telegram confirmed that four of the paper's 13 newsroom positions will be eliminated."

More reading: source 1, source 2

Tagging: @allthecanadianpolitics

[mariacallous]

The US Department of Justice has sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, for abusing their alleged monopoly in the ticketing market to trample competitors.

Filed on Thursday in the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit focuses on Ticketmaster’s long-term exclusivity contracts with many of the largest music venues, making it the predominant ticketing service available to concertgoers. The firm secures these deals in part by “threatening and retaliating against venues that work with rivals,” the DOJ alleges.

In the complaint, the DOJ accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which acts as a promoter for hundreds of high-profile artists, of exploiting their relationship to establish a “self-reinforcing flywheel” that blocks competitors from gaining a foothold. Live Nation parlays its exclusive promotion deals into exclusive ticketing deals with venues, the DOJ claims, which are left with no practical choice but to go with Ticketmaster, for fear of losing access to sought-after acts represented by its parent company. The DOJ is seeking to break up the joint organization.

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” says attorney general Merrick Garland in a statement. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation–Ticketmaster.”

In a lengthy statement provided to WIRED, Live Nation disputes the DOJ's allegation that it and Ticketmaster wield monopoly power. “The DOJ's lawsuit won't solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows,” the company says. “Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin.”

The charges brought by the DOJ mirror allegations made previously against Ticketmaster in two ongoing private lawsuits.

In December 2022, Ticketmaster was sued by hundreds of Taylor Swift fans, who brought a case in response to a high-profile ticketing debacle that reportedly left them queuing for hours to pay for tickets that they had been assigned under an early access program, with many ultimately unable to claim their allocations. The incident led to a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee on consolidation in the ticketing industry and, reportedly, helped catalyze the investigation into Ticketmaster by the DOJ.

In their lawsuit, the Swift fans accused Ticketmaster of abusing its dominant position to impose “higher prices in the presale, sale, and resale market for concert tickets.” The company has “effectuated this anticompetitive scheme by forcing fans of musicians to use Ticketmaster exclusively to buy concert tickets,” the lawsuit alleged.

In the second case, a class action brought in 2022 on behalf of Ticketmaster customers in the US, Live Nation and Ticketmaster were accused of abusing the complementary relationship between their services to overcharge consumers and sustain their monopoly. “Live Nation controls the vast majority of the big national touring acts and, either explicitly or implicitly, coerces concert venues into selecting Ticketmaster as their ticketing service provider on pain of losing high-value acts,” claims Adam Wolfson, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, the law firm representing the plaintiffs.

This type of conduct, known as tying, was explicitly forbidden under the consent decree imposed upon Live Nation and Ticketmaster by the DOJ as a condition of their 2010 merger. “Our allegation is that they did it anyway,” says Wolfson. “Ticketmaster’s behavior is an open secret—everyone talks about it.”

In a corporate blog post published in March, Dan Wall, executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Live Nation, rejected allegations that Ticketmaster is driving up the price of tickets. The face value of a ticket is decided by the artist, he wrote, while the service charge—from which Ticketmaster draws its cut—is set by the venue.

In a call with reporters, a senior DOJ official described this line of defense as a “red herring” in the context of the alleged antitrust violations. “Our position is that removing the chokehold that Live Nation has at all levels of the ecosystem will be beneficial with respect to the way prices are set.”

A problem common to antitrust disputes, says Bradley Justus, an antitrust attorney at law firm Axinn, is the difficulty in distinguishing easily between practices that amount to anticompetitive behavior and those that might be considered sensible business strategy. The DOJ will argue that the exclusive deals entered into by Ticketmaster are categorically anticompetitive. “The antitrust question is: How extensive is the scope of those agreements? Are they truly so broad that another competitor couldn’t enter and scale?” says Justus.

The DOJ claims that the terms of the contracts mean that “venues cannot consider or choose rival ticketers or switch to better or more cost-effective ticketing technology.” The effect, it claims, is both to stifle competitors and minimize the pressure for Ticketmaster to improve its own product, to the detriment of concertgoers.

Although the DOJ has petitioned for Live Nation to be broken up, it has not outlined the specific structural changes it will go after, nor any injunctions it may try to impose with respect to the company’s exclusive contracts. “A breakup is absolutely on the table, but it’s important not to put the cart before the horse. In antitrust cases, any remedy has to be specifically tailored to the violation found,” a senior DOJ official told the press. “Based on the allegation that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have exerted control at every level of the ecosystem, aspects of the company need to be broken apart in order for competition to flourish in the live music industry.”

[marlboro00999]

MARLBORO SCHOOL

The massive invest in vapes and vaping technology by Philip Morris directed at the youth has been an enormous success over recent years. Social engineering on a global scale, where vaping is now totally normalised amongst school kids or all ages. It's cool, and peer pressure has resulted in more youngsters addicted to nicotine than at any other time in history.

With the vast profits from cheap disposable vape sales, the next stage is rolled out, in the building of Marlboro schools. Attracting the top level teachers tempted by large salaries, the new Marlboro schools are designed to produce society's high flyers who compete successfully for the top positions of influence in society.

Development into dedicated Marlboro exponents is a major part of the daily education of these deeply addicted former vapers. The advanced boys' classes are taught techniques of manipulation and hypnosis, and they are expected to ensure their siblings, parents and friends become Marlboro smokers as part of the practical implementation of their training.

Before the lessons begin, each day the boys declare the school statement of dedication and loyalty to Marlboro and to the Philip Morris Corporation.

Morality development is an important factor in their tuition and personal development at the Marlboro school, with the key values being Corporate greed, Corporation profits, and smoking recruitment. Recruitment of non-smokers and vapers into loyal Marlboro smokers is core to their values and sense of achievement.

[foldingfittedsheets]

Back when I sold jewelry I worked for a company that was genuinely really great. They had the most communicative and supportive management staff I’ve ever worked with, paid time off, benefits, and genuinely good company culture.

A coworker told me she thought it was a cult when she first started because of how positively everyone spoke about the company. She was certain there was no other reason for everyone to like working there so much.

The trade off was that the turnover was fairly high because not everyone could thrive in that environment. It wasn’t typical sales, it was cooperative. If someone came in that you weren’t a good match for then it was your job to help pair them with someone who would be a good match. If you couldn’t communicate well and take a lot of coaching and feedback it wasn’t gonna work. And a lot of sales people are the type to struggle with coaching, tending to view it as criticism.

When new hires came on we’d usually wait before getting too attached in case they didn’t work out. One of my favorite coworkers who came on board started with several others but was left standing after the other two were fired. I’d known her about a year before she admitted, “Yeah, one of my first interactions with you scared the shit out of me. I thought you were an asshole but later I realized you’re actually really lovely.”

I was shocked and said, “What?! I scared you? How?”

So what had happened was the two people hired with her had just gotten let go, both for not being able to gel with the team and being unable to adapt to feedback. This coworker had come up to me, still freshly minted and nervous about her place in the store and said, “Wow, it’s surprising they were just dismissed like that.”

Now what I wanted to convey to her in that moment was that this wasn’t a job you could coast in and that putting in the work to have positive relationships with your customers and coworkers was important. What I meant with my statement was that she was thriving and would be fine.

But what I said, in an off-handed manner was, “Yeah, we have very high standards. People get fired a lot.”

She still teases me about how cutthroat I sounded in that moment and I was mortified when she told reminded me about it but she’s still there going strong while others get the boot.

[askganon]

My lord, I am an actor who portrays you on stage, I have lately come into a conflict I would like advice on.

I have always done my best to accurately portray the characters but lately, my managers and the audience seem to be demanding a 'softer' take on you. This infuriates me as I am portraying a man representing power, I am portraying the scourge of Hyrule and a man with countless bodies to his name. Someone unashamed of his past. While the plays may give him sympathetic motivations it seems insulting to try and soften the character.

The conflict is that I may need to compromise on my performance to please the masses as their ticket sales allow me to eat.

It is a beyond irritating position to be in.

First, sympathetic motivations? They dare guess at my reasons? What lives have these fools lived to even begin to understand my plights?

Second, you cannot begin with such a statement and not expect a demand to witness. You will show me your portrayal, or else.

Third, I am indeed one of great power and drive, but I have played the fool more than once to ease my foes into a sense of false security.

If they demand a calm barbarian, give them one. However, do not forget why you are there, and what Ganondorf Dragmire has in store for the weak and foolish who would dare to tame their destruction.

[deancas-stabfest]

Property of Castiel

Artist: entropic_saudade Author: notreallyaroad Rating: E Word Count: 58,562 Pairing: Dean Winchester/Castiel

Tags: Office, enemies to lovers, pretend/fake relationship, mutual pining, drunk sex

Summary

Castiel, an overworked and underpaid sales rep for Sandover Bridge & Iron, is daily tortured by his cubicle-mate (read: mortal enemy), Dean. When Dean’s not actively making his life worse by using and abusing his office supplies, his picture at the top of the sales pyramid is taunting him. It’s a reminder to Cas of his own inadequacy always lurking in the corner of his eye that only further stokes the flames of his hatred for Dean, causing things to get a bit stabby. When the two are tapped for a special project about building positive relationships in the workplace, they’re forced to figure out a way to become friends so they can sell it. Amidst all the praise they receive for their workshop, a potential promotion is put on the table between them, threatening the delicate balance they maintain as they teeter on the tightrope of societal expectations, and neither is sure if their budding relationship can survive the impact with the ground below. The popularity of their workshop eventually sees the two men on a national stage and the more time they spend together, the closer they ultimately get until neither man can recognize the relationship they began with, and things once again get a bit stabby.

Artistic Statement

So many non-traditional forms of art involve the stabbing of a tool into something else. Thinking of the brand Cas left on Dean when they first met, I thought turning it into a literal stamp would be funny.

Link to Fic | Link to Art

Stickers:

[womanfredvonkarma]

what's happening in argentina?

I don't fault you for the broad question because I'd ask too, but I need you to know that as a non-smoker I've never felt so strongly the need for a cigarette as I did just now thinking about answering this question. But I'll do my best.

In November of last year, the country elected Javier Milei as president. He would swear into office the next month. Javier Milei is a self-identified anarcho-capitalist and libertarian, although he states he is a minarchist in the short term (meaning he thinks the only functions the State should serve are those of law enforcement: no public education, social development, market regulations, etc etc). Some of his most controversial campaign statements included projects to legalise the free and unregulated sale of organs, and, along with his vice-president Victoria Villarruel (who in her youth organised visits to Jorge Rafael Videla in prison), apologia for the 1976 military dictatorship by revindicating the theory of the two demons (fair warning that from what I skimmed that article is biased in favour of the theory) and casting into doubt the estimated 30.000 victims of state terrorism (torture, disappearance followed by death) (also warning that that article uses the name the military junta gave this process) during its duration.

Since he took over six months ago, the population's purchasing power has dropped by 38%, plunging millions of people below the line of poverty. In stark contrast to this, Milei has been travelling around the world using public funds to visit his ultraright idols; most notably, Trump, who is not the political leader of any country at the moment (making his trip to see him a personal visit and not a diplomatic one, thus invalidating his arguments for using our money to go there).

On the subject of diplomacy, his government has been swinging quite a lot of bats at hornets' nests, accusing China and Brazil of communism and insulting the wife of the president of Spain. All of this is an international relations nightmare that will take endless apologies to undo.

Another interesting resolution deregulates the operations of foreign companies, SPVs, and offshore companies (article in Spanish), with the stated goal of attracting investments. Those types of companies have historically been used to conceal illicit activity, so resolutions in that vein pave the way to effectively turn Argentina into a fiscal paradise. This isn't the only problem they pose (offshore companies don't pay taxes, so there'd be a loss in the public sector, for example), but it is the most worrying to me because they also eliminated restrictions for Sociedades de Acciones Simplificadas (simplified stock companies), most of which have historically been used to commit crimes among which is the drug trade. Once you have narcos in your country, there's no taking it back--Argentina would be at real risk of ceasing to exist as we know it.

This administration is also slashing public spending, resulting in some universities suspending their activities temporarily. They also failed to deliver oncological medicine, depriving cancer patients of assistance the state is obligated to provide. As a result of this, several people have died already. In this climate of extreme poverty, soup kitchens have been shutting down en masse due to the withdrawal of state funding, and laws that protected tenants' rights and regulated rent prices have been severely modified to the detriment of the tenants.

The violent decrease in public spending also resulted in thousands of state workers being fired overnight. The attack is especially centred on state organisations that promote the arts or whose purpose is to fight discrimination. On this subject, 10% of the transgender and travesti workers who had their positions guaranteed by the law were fired illegally, and government members are outspoken about their opposition to this law--which isn't surprising. Diana Mondino, the current chancellor, has compared same-sex marriage to "the right to having lice" while she held a position in Congress. Ricardo Bussi, a current legislator, compared homosexuality to disability in October 2023. Coming to this year, Francisco Sánchez, the Secretary of Religion, said that the laws protecting the right to abortions, divorce, and same-sex marriage "seek to pervert our children and damage society". Milei is also on record describing abortion as "homicide aggravated by the bond".

Also recently, Milei's biographer, Nicolás Márquez, gave a one-hour interview in which he characterised homosexuality as a disease, claiming that when the State "promotes homosexuality" (as it allegedly did before Milei came to power), it is aiding a "self-destructive" conduct, supporting these claims with unfounded statistics about the correlation between STIs and homosexuality; he also denied the existence of homophobia and described lesbians and gays as being "against nature". For the sake of full disclosure, I will say he explicitly freed Milei and his government of responsibility for his declarations--but I think it's really important to point out the kind of people and rhetorics this government is giving a platform to; after all, nobody knew Nicolás Márquez before he started writing for Milei. In approximately the same time frame, and in response to a horrific hate crime that resulted in the death of three lesbians, Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesman, said that he "doesn't like" to talk about a hate crime because men suffer violence too--and he said this in a press conference.

I'm probably forgetting something important--so much has happened in the past months--but I hope this is enough to give you an impression of the changes our society is undergoing. Please let me know if you have follow-up questions. <3

[daisiesonafield-blog]

By  HALELUYA HADERO

January 19, 2025

tldr: tiktok is back in the US as Trump promised to grant them a 90 day extension to find a US buyer in hopes that ByteDance, Tiktok's parent company, will sell 50% ownership to an American company.

TikTok said Sunday it was restoring service to users in the United States after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban that President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.

Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent U.S.ban. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.

Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with the law, which required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. The law, which passed with wide bipartisan support in April, allowed for steep fines for non-compliance.

The company that runs TikTok said in a post on X that Trump’s post had provided “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans.”

Some users reported soon after TikTok’s statement that the app was working again, and TikTok’s website appeared to be functioning for at least some users. Even as TikTok was flickering back on, it remained unavailable for download in Apple and Google’s app stores.

The law that took effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform’s U.S. operations due to national security concerns posed by the app’s Chinese roots. However, the statute gave the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale is underway.

Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. In his post on Sunday, Trump said he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” but it was not immediately clear if he was referring to the government or an American company.

Trump said his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.

Excerpt from AP News.

Full article from AP News here.

[castielmd]

Heaven can't wait. | S9EP06 |

I anticipated this episode with a lot of excitement (?) before I knew all the context of it. I knew Castiel was human and I was curious to see him in a different light. But oh man, I did not know what I was signing up for. This episode is (almost) nothing but sad — and whilst I forgot a lot of what happened previously due to my sporadic watching, I cannot not talk about it.

Disclaimer: It won't be Dean friendly.

Usage of tone tags.

/s - sarcastic/satire

/pos - positive

————

Setting the scene: Castiel, told by Dean that he cannot stay at the bunker, after finally having reached this safe place, managed to land a job at a Gas'n'Sip. He notices a series of deaths as he unpacks the newspaper and calls Dean to let him know. Dean goes to investigate the case — and after some initial exploration of his own, goes to find Castiel at his job. He shows up behind a lady in line.

Scene proceeds.

Dean [smiling wide]: I'll have some beef jerky and a pack of menthols.

Castiel [taken aback]: What are you doing here?

Dean: Gee, it's nice to see you, too, Cas.

I'm seriously stunned that Dean looks surprised and a bit irritated at Castiel's question. Dean has kicked him out of the safe place that he offered to Castiel before - I can imagine without much of an explanation. Now, Dean shows up at Castiel's work casually, as if he'd stop by to visit a normal friend on a normal day. I'd go as far as to say that paired with Dean's irritation, he might feel a little offended in this scene. It gives off the vibe "I am happy to see you, why does it seem like you aren't?" What Dean expected here, to me, isn't reasoned at all since they haven't particularly parted on good terms. Nor is the situation Castiel finds himself in one that implies perfect normalcy.

An assumed explanation would be that Dean is hoping/thinking Castiel would simply gloss over the fact that he has been dumped. If so - upon seeing that this wasn't the case, an apology or explanation would've been due. Instead, Dean tosses the ball back to Castiel and denies him the expression of his confusion and perhaps resentment. Now, Castiel has to reason his - understandable - behavior and explain himself to Dean.

Castiel: It's Steve now. And, uh, yeah you surprised me.

Dean: Well, the feeling is mutual. I mean, I knew you had to lay low from the angel threat, but uh, wow this is some cover.

Firstly, Dean agrees that the surprise is mutual — so factually I can assume he hasn't kept tabs on Castiel whatsoever. That's not a lot of concern for your friend that is hunted by his family, previously homeless and having been killed due to everyone's neglect of the situation.

Additionally, what caught my attention here, is Dean's usage of the word "cover", when referring to Castiel's work. To me, a derogatory note swings with the statement — if it isn't clear here, it'll become obvious later.

He's admitting that Castiel needed to disappear from the angels radar and in the process acknowledges the active threat looming over his friends head. At the same time, his rather demeaning way of talking about Castiel's job gives the impression that Dean deems this work beneath his level [even for a "cover" - hence this job isn't even good enough to serve as a superficial hiding space]. That's a rather high horse to sit on for someone who uses/used credit card tricks to pay his daily meals.

The usage of "cover" also implies that he doesn't recognize Castiel's blatant need for a job. He has expenses to pay now — food, clothing, water, a place to sleep.

Castiel: My grace is gone. What did you expect? Do you have any idea how hard it was? When I fell to earth, I didn't just lose my powers. I-" [looks aside, then back to Dean]

Castiel: I had nothing. Now, I'm a sales associate.

Dean: A sales associate?

Castiel: [while signing the paper]: I'm responsible for inventory, sales, customer service. I keep this place — thank you — clean and presentable. And when my manager is busy, I even prepare the food.

Dean: Wow. So you went from fighting heavenly battles, to nuking taquitos?

Castiel [nods]: Nachos, too.

Castiel picks up on the apparent image Dean seems to harbor: He takes away Dean's illusion of this being a cover by reinstating that losing his grace does not just involve losing his powers but everything else too. In my opinion, by asking Dean what he expected, he voices his disdain about Dean's blantantly ignorant behavior.

It's sad, but the thought that Castiel needs food, water, clean clothes and real money seems to have barely crossed Dean's mind. Add all of the emotional components to it: the loss of one's family, being hunted by it — and having death threats (!) on one's head + the guilt Castiel carries for being the one who caused their suffering.

In this scene, he has quickly assessed (by Dean's behavior and what he's said) that his friend hadn't spared his situation any thought below surface level. He expresses that he's faced hardships — and ultimately shatters the "cover" illusion by stating the obvious. Falling means having nothing. It means having a body to nourish at the same time. Essentially, he's lost a fundamental part of his identity.

But Castiel doesn't only stick to that resentment, grief and bitterness. No, he goes on and explains the upside. He takes away the demeaning aspect Dean has brought into the conversation by contrasting his past situation with his current standing. He has managed to land a job as a sales associate.

To him, it seems even more than that. He's lost everything - but now, he is making something of himself again. He states that he is a sales associate - it is a step towards building up his identity again - renewed. He's trying, and managing(!), to find himself again. [Note: I don't think Castiel wants to be a human/doesn't want to be an angel; but I am convinced after effectively being exiled from your home and your own species/family, you'll need to try and adapt to not fall into a dark pit. Castiel, imo, is coming to terms for now and trying to make the best of it.]

Dean, of course, can't believe it. He repeats what Castiel has said back to him — either in disbelief or in doubt. It seems as if Dean is questioning the worth Castiel is assigning his position. He seems to be questioning whether the title of a sales associate really is something Castiel is proud of — or if his job is being worth that high title. He's just a Gas'n'Sip employee after all (/s). But that's only the mean interpretation. Best case, Dean just used it to keep the conversation going.

Castiel, however, doesn't let himself be deterred. He continues to explain and list all his responsibilities: selling, tending to customers, and over all keeping this shop tidy and something customers enjoy going into. For him, to be in charge of the food whenever his manager is busy, even seems like a cherry on top. It is important to him — and really why shouldn't it be? He has achieved a structure, he is trusted in a position of power: to take care of the shop and its visitors.

Despite his attempts to show Dean that he has built something for himself, that he dragged himself out of what was essentially hell, Dean shoves the opposite in his face. Dean contrasts Castiel's past achievements to his achievements now, which are in stark contrast to one another. This is also an unnecessary reminder of what Castiel lost.

Why was there no "Wow, that's a lotta tasks. How long did it take you to learn them?" or "Nice job at landing this job."

No. The list of Castiels achievements gets torn apart in the air and replaced with underlying contempt: "You've been great, look at what you've become."

And yet Castiel persists on the importance of his tasks by not paying the comment much mind and instead adding onto it.

[Note; I am biased and reaching but: Making food, running a store - are both tasks that help us as a society and are needed. In a sense, Castiel is still helping others. Yet, this way doesn't align with what Dean deems a worthy cause. Therefore, it is a downgrade.]

Next scene.

Dean: This is not you, man. You're above this, come on!

Castiel: No, Dean. I'm not. I failed at being an angel. Everything I ever attempted came out wrong. But here, at least I have a shot at getting things right. I guess you can't see it, but there's a real dignity in what I do. A human dignity.

Here what I mentioned earlier comes into play: Deans derogatory note on Castiels job. What exactly would Castiel be above? Working? Or just working this job in particular, that doesn't suit Dean's taste because it isn't a high-end job?

For once, Dean mentions something that is partially right: that this isn't Castiel. He surely means it different than I do when I say I agree. It is, in fact, Castiel, but he's lost an integral part of his identity. He's experienced unimaginable loss, grief, and guilt. What he's doing now is what I mentioned earlier: adapt as much as he can and this way - find himself again. [However, the work (what Dean is referring to), rather speaks of who Castiel is /pos. That's where Dean would be wrong to say this isn't Castiel.]

Castiel himself corrects Dean on the second part — he isn't above this. Not this job, not this life, nothing. He's hit rock bottom and now makes do with what he can, successfully so. It is so heartbreaking that all Castiel can see are his failures. Not the kindness that sparked action — even if said actions had dire consequences. He also picked up on Dean's attitude towards his job; and denies that vision. This is work. This has dignity. What he does here matters.

I also think he's trying to come to terms with the loss of his angel identity (at least for the time being) by adding the last statement about this dignity being human. But that's just personal speculation.

Nora: Hate to interrupt you guys, but Steve, a customer had an accident in the men's room.

Castiel: I'm on it.

Nora: Oh- and, tonight, 7 at my place work for you?

Castiel: Great.

Nora: [smiles] You're the best.

Dean: [turns] That's what this is about.

Castiel: What?

Dean: The girl.

Castiel: No Dean, it's not.

Dean completely misses the point of anything Castiel has said before: losing everything, having responsibilities here, having hope to do good things here — and focuses only on the woman. Likely this is his attempt at making sense of why Castiel would be working such a job (he needs to) - but that doesn't make sense given Castiel has provided a detailed explanation. Dean's outright refusal to merge his perception of Castiel with reality. I have no clue why he is that deep in denial - I appreciate any theories.

Anyway scene goes on.

Castiel: Nora, she's a very nice woman. I'm pretty sure she's not a reaper intent on killing me, and she's asked me out. Going on dates, that's something humans do, right?

Dean: Yeah, I mean, my dates usually end when I run out of singles but eh, yeah, yeah that's something that humans do.

Not much to say on this except Castiel trying so hard to fit in, to make things work. He keeps reassuring himself — this job has /human/ dignity, going on dates is human, and so on. I think he's trying to come to terms with the fact that this is how it is for now. Maybe he is trying to make some positive experiences.

Next scene.

[Phone rings.]

Dean: This is Agent Lee Ermey. I'll be right there. [hangs up.] There was another kill, over at the highschool. You coming?

Castiel: I wouldn't be much use. I don't have my powers.

Dean: So? I've never had powers.

Castiel: You are a hunter.

Dean: And you are a hunter in training, remember?

Castiel: Yeah, I remember. And you said I sucked.

Dean: I didn't say that. I said that there was- uh- you know- room for improvement. Come on!

Castiel: [sighs] Alright, my shift's over in 5 minutes, and my date's not until later so-

Dean: Attaboy; I'll go get the car.

Castiel: Not just yet. I have to clean the bathroom.

Two things. It's so heartbreaking that it has come to the point where Castiel assigns his value only to the powers he possesses. And now that they are gone, he cannot see what contributions he could possibly make. Hm, I wonder how that came. ["He's fried.", *left in a mental health clinic with a demon neither brother trusted after becoming "a broken angel"*, "Call in another halo.", "Without your powers you're just a baby in a trenchcoat!" and so on.]

It is very important to me personally, that in this scene Castiel is shown to harbor resentment. He is perceptive and notices when someone's being mean to him. He rightfully reminded Dean that Dean said he sucked. ["You were bad everything."] Dean, best case jokingly (worst case seriously doesn't pay Castiel's grief any mind) denies that and shifts it into a more harmless version. This effectively invalidates Castiel's memories and feelings. Now he might've done so because he knew Castiel was right in his claim and he is put into an awkward position of having to admit it [which implies an apology would have to come too.] But Dean cannot face his mistake. He pushes it aside, giving the claim a "funny" twist and puts the blame on Castiel. Message sent "You're exaggerating." Message received.

Lastly: Dean is not listening to a word Castiel says unless it is agreeing with him. Castiel says his work finishes in 5 minutes — Dean immediately wants to leave.

Yes, I'll admit, in casual talk this can be interpreted as Castiel saying it's only five minutes left, so I might as well leave with you now. But given the context of the scenes:

Castiel told Dean he has responsibility in this job.

By highlighting that this job has dignity, that he wants to get things right, Castiel shows that this is important to him.

Castiel told Nora, in front of Dean, that he will clean up the mess.

The logical conclusion is to assume Castiel wants to finish his work and then leave.

Well, this is whatever. Miscommunication happens. [too often in their case.]

————

TL;DR: Castiel can explain himself however he wants to, it'll never be received.

I was going to analyze the whole episode but this has gotten too long and I don't want it to rot in my drafts forever. So I'm finishing it up and I'll get to take apart Castiel's and Ephraim's scenes later. Maybe I'll also look into Dean and Castiel's phone call at the start of the episode.

See you in a few months.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Just a totally normal headline for a society that's "back to normal" after "beating a pandemic" :)

By Jennifer Yoon

Montreal pharmacist Aleck Brodeur just got a shipment of COVID-19 rapid tests. Ever since the temperature has been dropping, more people have wanted to buy them, he says.

"They go out so fast. We always have to order some every day, and we keep increasing the supply that we order, but they're still all going," he said.

He expects this shipment — 13 kits in total — to be gone by the end of the day. In Quebec, there were 3,882 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 between Sept. 15 and Sept. 21.

Unlike last fall, Brodeur doesn't have free rapid tests to hand out. The federal government stopped providing free COVID rapid tests to provinces and territories in May.

In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Health Canada said it is no longer procuring rapid tests en-masse. The agency also says there are no plans to replenish the federal inventory after it is depleted.

That means pharmacies have been purchasing the tests from suppliers and selling them, like any other over-the-counter merchandise. Pharmacists say the supply is sometimes thin.

"We kind of hunt them down and make sure they're Health Canada approved," said Kyro Maseh, a Toronto-area pharmacist.

Artron Laboratories Inc., which manufactures COVID test kits, said in an email it has increased test production in the past few months, and is expecting to ramp it up even more for the upcoming winter season.

Where can you get your hands on COVID tests? You might need to visit several pharmacies before you're able to find one that carries rapid tests — free or for sale.

While some pharmacies in Quebec and Ontario have run out of free tests, the situation is different elsewhere. Alberta public health says they're still handing out free tests from the federal stockpile at participating pharmacies until the supply runs out.

While Quebec pharmacies may not have any more free rapid tests, the province is handing out free rapid tests at certain clinics or service centres.

PCR testing is also available in some provinces for those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The results just take a bit longer to come in: at least 24 hours.

If you have expired tests, experts say most work for a few months after the expiry date, but they also warn false negatives are a risk: if you test negative on an expired test, but you're still experiencing symptoms, it's possible you may still have COVID — even if the expired test didn't detect it.

"If it's positive, you're definitely positive. If it's negative with symptoms, that's when you need to worry about using expired tests," said Dr. Dawn Bowdish, a professor of immunology at McMaster University and the executive director at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, in Hamilton.

Should we even be testing for COVID anymore? If you're otherwise healthy and young, chances are, whether you test positive for COVID or you have the common cold, you'll be given the same advice: don't go to work or school, stay at home.

But for those who are more vulnerable to severe illness, an early positive test can change the treatment options — and possibly, health outcomes.

"Older adults and the immunocompromised who are at high risk of hospitalization should get antiviral drugs within a day or no more than two of becoming ill," Bowdish said.

"If they don't know they have COVID, they can't get the drugs that might keep them out of hospital."

Latest numbers from select public health and hospital laboratories across Canada suggest COVID-19 levels are holding steady nation-wide, but Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the McGill University Health Centre, thinks the numbers don't reflect what's actually going on in the community.

"What we know is that this is an underestimate of what's going on," he said.

There's no doubt in his mind about whether widespread testing is still worthwhile. COVID, he says, can have serious impacts on vulnerable populations — and there are also treatments available.

"Instead of saying, well, we're four years out, do we still need tests for SARS-CoV-2? I would say we, in fact, should be having broad availability of tests for pathogens which have high impact in high-risk populations and for which we can give therapy," said Vinh.

In the U.S., the federal government has re-opened a program that allows any household to receive up to four free COVID test kits by mail. American public health authorities are urging the public to take a quick test before visiting with friends and family during the holiday season.

Bowdish, the immunologist, says she would like to see something similar in Canada.

"People do change their behaviours and decisions if they know they have an infection that might cause an older adult or someone who's vulnerable to get seriously ill."

[mephistopheleswasrobbed]

On the similarities and differences between Ossan's Love (2018) and Ossan's Love Thailand

(disclaimer: I have watched all of the Haruta + Maki version of OL [Ossan's Love, Ossan's Love: LOVE or DEAD, Ossan's Love Returns] except for the specials which I haven't gotten around to, and I've watched the airport AU season Ossan's Love: In the Sky. I haven't watched the original one shot episode and the Hong Kong version.)

(disclaimer #2: This is just for fun. I'm not intending to make any statements over which version is superior or anything like that in this post. If you noticed something I missed please let me know so I can add it! I only rewatched ep 1 of the Japanese version for this post.)

For the sake of my lazieness I will use Tv for Thai version and Jv for Japanese Version.

Okay I don't really know how to structure this so I'll just go scene by scene of the Tv (with Jv scenes that happen later/not at all in the Tv in italics):

Intro Office (Dream):

The first scenes of both versions are quite similar down to the way they are shot as a one-take and the order the characters are introduced. The music was also clearly chosen/written as an homage to the Jv which also has character cards for all of the main characters introduced (name, age, position) that the Tv left out. The Jv is not a dream though, so while Haruta appears quite cool walking down the hallway, his abysmal sales record is already shown here.

Intro Mother:

The Tv introduces Heng's mother a little earlier, this scene does not exist in the Jv although her complaints about H's inability to take care of himself at his age also appear in her introduction scene in the Jv. (small difference: Heng is 30, Haruta 33)

Intro Office (Reality):

This scene still maps onto the first of the Jv but there are some new things added. The Boss doesn't scold Haruta in the Jv and the office proposal/Irene as a character are inventions by the Tv.

Intro Restaurant Siblings:

Another new scene, no Irene in the Jv -> no need to mope over her engagement. Instead of this scene the Jv has a mixer scene that was apparently entirely cut from the Tv (though did appear in the pilot trailer) and we see the Boss celebrating his 30th anniversary with his wife at the same restaurant. Of note for the Jv are: (1) Maro(New Year) sabotages Haruta by telling him the women are flight attendants when they aren't, then joins in making fun of him. (2) This is the first meeting of Haruta and Maki in the Jv

The Morning After:

H is woken up by his mother in both versions though Haruta at least made it inside the house. The monk is obviously an addition from the Tv. For the Jv this is the first introduction of the mother so we get a little more complaints from her, otherwise it plays out pretty similarly.

Train Ride:

The Jv takes place in a bus instead and theres a false accusation of sexual harrassment leveled at Haruta that the Tv chose to leave out. The 'Boss giving H another chance to prove himself' conversation already happened in the intro office scene in the Jv. The screen discovery happens pretty much the same way, but the Boss getting off at the wrong stop was a new addition from the Tv.

"You saw":

This scene happens a little later in the Jv, after Haruta saw the pictures on his pc so it's mostly in reference to those pics. Also this scene happens in the toilet in the Jv.

Intro Momo:

Instead of the "You saw" scene we get some office action (of note: Maro blames Haruta for his mistake) before Maki is introduced to the whole team in the Jv. The Tv only has the main three present for this introduction. The meet cute bumping into each other is an addition from the Tv. Both Hs are excited to be working with a familiar face though the familiarity is different. Haruta and Maki only having met at the mixer the night before while Heng and Momo worked together during their probation period eight years previously. The Jv has Maki move from a different department (different office but still Tokyo) while Momo in the Tv transferrs from a different city (Chiang Mai). Both M's are shown to be successful at their job, Boss says this about Maki in this scene in the Jv, while we learn it for Momo in a flash back later.

(

Picture discovery:

This is when Haruta discovers his pictures in the Jv. It's only Haruta who sees them in this version. (There is a play on his name here: Haruta -> haru (spring in Japanese) -> folder named "Spring", he was told to get the data for the spring quater. I don't know any Thai so I can't say if there was a similar thing in the Tv though the subtitles didn't hint at anything)

"You saw":

This is when the previously discussed "You saw" scene happens in the Jv.

)

Out with Momo:

Instead of handing out snacks to staff/clients of the Tv, they are distributing flyers in the Jv. Both versions have H give M useful tips though. Namwan is quite different from her Japanese counterpart. In the Jv the building manager is a middle-aged lady who tries to set Haruta up on a blind date with a big woman only for Haruta to correct her that he wants a woman with big boobs, not one that's generally big. Heng's belief that Namwan has a crush on him is potentially inspired by a later line from the Jv where he drunkenly claims to Maki that Chizu(Chicha) is in love with him. Namwan trying to get Momos number is an addition from the Tv. Taweep the cleaning lady is an addition from the Tv/ the Jv building manager (+ some passerbys on the street) was split into Namwan and her. In both versions this is where H is shown to be quite kind and generally getting along with people. Momo's allusions to the past are, of course, exclusive to the Tv.

Called Away:

In the Jv Haruta gets called to a clients house where Maro has made a mess by being rude. Meanwhile Maki keeps distributing the flyers. In the Tv they both head to the office because New Year is too busy to make his own presentation.

Office After Hours:

In the Jv Haruta heads to the office alone after cleaning up Maro's mess. He discovers Boss leaving him long comments in his reviews which he doesn't do for others. In the Tv both Heng and Momo are in the office together and this is where they both discover the pictures on Boss's notebook. Then Boss arrives, and sends away Momo in the Tv. Both Bosses take of their jackets though the Jv Boss also closes the blinds and takes some pills. H runs away and Boss follows shouting his name in both versions, both end with H in the elevator and Boss texting him his real intentions. (Tv: to give him the file, Jv: to make him aware of the cleaning tag on his suit) Momo in the elevator and everything that comes with it is an invention of the Tv.

Mother left:

The Jv mother only leaves a single note to explain her absence (she plans to open a store with a guy Haruta doesn't know about) instead of Heng searching for her in the Tv, the Jv shows a small montage of Haruta being unable to do anything in the house (he doesn't even know where the toilet paper is).

Back at the Reastaurant:

This is the first introduction to the restaurant and the siblings in the Jv. In the Jv we learn that Chizu quit her job after she was told to apologize for hitting a client that harrassed her (neither Haruta nor her brother Teppei take this particularily seriously). This was cut from the Tv. Heng stealing tissues is a new addition in the Tv. In both, the brother brings up marriage but only in the Tv mentions a childhood marriage promise, in the Jv Haruta suggests Chizu marry him. Chizu in the Jv shuts him down because she wants to marry a butler who will do all of the house work. Chicha in the Tv because she's not been single since grade 2. Instead Heng is the one who says he doesn't want to marry her because he wants a perfect housewife. In the Jv Haruta tries to order some food but Teppei already closed the kitchen. In the Tv Thua-ngok presents them with his latest meal creation. The creative food combinations of the brother do also appear in the Jv but not yet in the first episode.

Inviting Momo:

In the Tv Momo waits in front of Heng's house to help him with the presentation, in the Jv Haruta just runs into Maki on the street who had been distributing the rest of the flyers until then. Momo asks Heng about affordable accomodation while Maki just mentions that he hasn't found anything so far (Maki living in a weekly rental for now, Momo with his aunt). In the Tv Momo brought some home-cooked food for Heng which leads to Heng finding out he can cook while Maki in the Jv just carries some fresh groceries with him which leads to the same discovery. Both H's offer M to move in, though Maki in the Jv doesn't take it as a joke, Haruta also explains more (like his mother moving out). Maki says he'll think about it and then we see him move in a few days later while the Tv doesn't show any details after Heng's proposal.

Office Bragging + "New Mom" Montage:

The framing device for the montage as Heng telling it to his coworkers is unique to the Tv. In the Jv it just happens after Maki moves in. The montage itself contains some scolding on Maki's part while Momo just smiles happily at Heng's antics (though he's also not quite as disgustingly messy as Haruta). Haruta also doesn't call Maki his "new mom" in the Jv. The bragging to coworkers and all that comes with it like Heng's impromptu marriage proposal are inventions of the Tv. In the Jv only Haruta and Maki sit at a table together eating their homemade lunch while Haruta tries to convince Maki to go halfsies on a VR set (to watch porn). In the Jv Haruta catches the Boss watching them through the blinds in his office while in the Tv everyone is busy with each other while the Boss stands off to the side and spills his coffee all over his hand in jealousy.

Boss is Married

In both versions H finds out about Boss being married from Maika/Meow although in the Jv there is only one cutaway to Boss and his wife out on a date she witnessed while in the Tv we cut twice to Boss and his daughter visiting the late wife's grave. The Boss's wife being dead and him having a daughter instead are not inventions by the Tv though, the same thing was the case in the airport AU season of the Jv. Both Hs take this information to mean that they must have been mistaken about Boss's feelings.

(

Boss's Confession:

In the Jv Boss confesses here already, he does so after telling Haruta to meet him at a park.

Telling Chizu:

Then there follows a scene where Haruta tells Chizu about it. She teases him, tells him he should be happy anyone loves him at all and that she's rooting for his boss. The Tv counterpart to this scene will probably happen in EP2 judging by the preview.

Chizu + Maki First Meeting:

Chizu dumps off a drunk Haruta at his Home. She introduces herself to Maki (this is where the aforementioned line from Haruta about her being in love with him happens) and tells him that Haruta is confused because of an unexpected confession then leaves. Maki drags drunk Haruta to the sofa who tells him to get something from his bag. It's a multiple page manual he made for Maki with handwritten/-drawn notes about customers etc. Maki is touched by this.

)

Poster Mistake:

In the Jv Haruta makes the mistake himself (wrong map), again Maro is quite mean about it. In the Tv New Year makes the mistake (wrong QR code) Heng just didn't check it properly. Takegawa/Ten is mad at H in both versions. In the Jv Boss comes in to make an encouraging speech and divide tasks, while in the Tv only Ten, New Year, Meow and Heng are present for this discussion and decide the course of action themselves. New Year offering to resign is an invention by the Tv although possibly insired by an offhand remark in the Maki intro scene where Maika tells Haruta to be nice to Maro lest he quit to which Maro agrees.

Poster Correction:

In the Tv Momo helps Heng put the correct sticker over the posters, in the Jv Boss helps him (he sent everyone else off on other tasks). Haruta is awkward alone with Boss and tells him he can finish the rest by himself, Boss leaves. In the Tv this reminds Momo of the past which leads to:

Probation Period Flashback:

Since Jv Haruta and Maki don't have history the entire flashback is a new invention by the Tv. It serves to remind the audience of Heng's kindness and intuitive understanding of other people and to show why/when Momo first developed feelings for Heng. We also learn that Momo has an accent/dialect that slips out sometimes which people made fun of him for, and gets tipsy easily.

Mascot trouble:

In the Tv another problem emerges on site of the company event when the mascot actor can't be contacted, again this was kind of New Years mistake which gets blamed on Heng because he delegated too difficult tasks to the newbie, again New Year offers to resign. Boss makes an inspiring speech, Heng offers to wear the costume himself. None of this happens in the Jv as Haruta was supposed to wear the costume from the beginning. Boss still gives a bit of a speech though because his coworkers are bitching about Haruta.

Boss's Rescue:

The mascot dancing and then trying to warn Boss through the medium of mime are inventions by the Tv. The rescue itself happens pretty much the same way in both versions though.

In the Hospital:

Both versions have Boss and M overhearing the nurses talking about "him being so young" and coming to the wrong conclusion although in the Jv there's also a doctor who assures Boss he "did all he could". In the Jv Maki finds Heng first and is the only one present for the cognitive function test reveal (Tv: IQ like middle schooler, Jv: brain like 85yo). Both Ms shove their Hs for worrying them, though Maki is a little bit more emotional about it. At that point in the Tv Boss sends Momo away, saying he wants to talk to Heng alone and Momo leaves. In the Jv Boss comes in and is clearly very emotionally affected so Haruta asks Maki to give them a moment alone and Maki leaves. Both Bosses proceed to fall to their knees in front of H and hug him. In the Jv all of this happens in a private room so Haruta is worried about someone walking in on them like this while in the Tv it happens in a common ward in full view of everyone anyway. Both Hs pet Boss to calm him though Jv on the head and Tv on the back, both contemplative.

Momo Remembers Jealousy:

In the Tv we see Momo at home drinking a beer which turns into a flashback of their probation passing celebration at Chicha's restaurant. We learn here that Momo was best in class and got recruited to Chiang Mai, which he accepted because he thought there was something between Heng and Chicha and he wanted distance. Then we cut back to present Momo being annoyed at the memory. All of this is Tv original material however we do get in the Jv: (1) Maki going through the notes Boss left Haruta in his reviews while Haruta is in the shower and being annoyed (2) Boss at home asking his wife to divorce him and her being completely shocked and then thinking there is another woman.

Boss's Confession:

In the Tv Boss drives Heng home and then confesses to him outside his house, spurred on by almost losing Heng that day. In the Jv this confession already happened earlier as mentioned before. Aside from the circumstances the confessions are pretty similar including Boss stating that he wanted to take this to the grave originally (mind changed because Jv: Haruta found pictures Tv: Heng almost died), H protesting about Boss being married and Boss asking H to give him some time to sort things out on his end and thanking H while H is stunned speechless. Differences: Jv: Boss planned this so he brought a big bouquet of roses, he bows 90° in front of Haruta and runs away afterwards Tv: no roses because spontaneous, Boss tells Heng his wife died 10 years ago (to which Heng reacts with the stupidest little awkward asshole shrug in what has become the funniest moment of the episode to me since I was made aware of it by a twitter user), Boss clutches Heng's hands in his, Boss runs away by car instead of foot. H's reactions after Boss has left are basically opposite. Jv's Haruta does his usual over the top reaction silently screaming in the middle of the park while Tv's Heng is more stunned into stillness, looking like he almost faints and clinging to his inhaler like it's the only thing keeping him upright.

Momo's Shower Confession:

In the Tv Momo catches Heng coming in looking pale. Momo is even more annoyed and keeps drinking his beer. He comes into the bathroom while Heng is still in the shower but stays to brush his teeth anyway. He saw a bit of the end of Boss's confession, asks Heng about Boss. Heng eventually tells him Boss confessed, Momo plays it cool, learns that Heng is single and his issue with Boss's confession is that Boss is a guy. Momo remembers their moment 8 years prior, gets mad and decides to throw caution to the wind. All of this is Tv original. In the Jv Haruta only asks Maki to bring him a towel. Then both Ms burst into the shower, confess their feelings and kiss H. Differences: Jv: Maki starts with he likes Haruta, then tells him he knows Haruta likes big boobs but what about a big cock before kissing him. Haruta pushes him away pretty quickly, the shower runs the whole time. We end on them looking at each other. Tv: Momo starts by asking why men can't date each other, Heng thinks he likes Boss, Momo corrects he likes Heng, tells Heng he wont lose him to anyone this time and kisses him. Heng doesn't push Momo away but is equally stunned. The shower turned off when Momo first came in, Heng turns it back on as he's getting kissed (and kind of blows bubbles against Momo's lips). We end on the kiss.

General thoughts:

both versions have voice over internal monologue from H, but Jv does it a little more especially towards the beginning

if Heng exists in day to day at an 11 Haruta does at a 35, Heng falls a little more toward cute in his childishness compared to Haruta falling more towards annoying/infuriating

Boss appears somewhat more creepy in the Jv before his confession compared to the Tv

Jv's Maki is a lot less smitten with Haruta than Tv's Momo

Jv's Maro was kind of an asshole at the beginning while Tv's New Year seems relatively sweet so far

both versions are over the top physical comedy but the Jv is a way more extreme example while the Tv adjusted it down a bit to suit the more typical Thai style of comedy, in the Jv we get intercut imagery like a waterbottle spilling while Haruta finds the photos on Boss's computer, in the Tv we get a whole smorgasbord of sound effects. Both are edited with many quick cuts, again the Jv dialed up to 100.

Tv is a lot more bright and colourful than the more muted colours of the Jv

most actors appear slightly younger than their Jv counterparts (because gmmtv obviously has their own actors and they are mostly not that old) most noteworthy: Boss (55 in the Jv, no number for the Tv but Shahkrit is 46 currently) and Takegawa/Ten (44 in Jv, Thor is currently 28)

Momo gets more screentime/character exploration from the beginning compared to Maki. In the Jv the distribution leaned more heavily towards Haruta and Boss (the only constant characters/actors through all iterations of the Jv) with Maki feeling more like the third in this regard. The Tv increased Momo's presence and exploration, pushing the Boss into position of the third lead in this regard.

Biggest story changes so far: - Boss's wife is dead (like In the Sky) - Boss has a daughter (like In the Sky) - Momo and Heng knew each other previously, Momo has preexisting feelings for Heng