#us staffing solutions

[mightywarnersus]

Your Go-To Direct Hire Staffing Agency in the USA

Introduction: The Landscape of Staffing Agencies

In a world where the right talent can be the difference between success and stagnation, the role of staffing agencies has never been more critical. As businesses navigate the complexities of hiring in an increasingly competitive market, the demand for specialized staffing solutions has skyrocketed. Among these, Mighty Warners stands out as a beacon of innovation in the direct hire staffing space in the USA. But what makes them unique? Let’s explore their approach, methodologies, and the impact they are making.

Mighty Warners: A New Paradigm in Direct Hire Staffing

The Mighty Warners Difference

Mighty Warners is not just another staffing agency; they are redefining what it means to connect talent with opportunity. Their approach is rooted in understanding the intricate needs of businesses and the aspirations of candidates. Here’s how they stand out:

Personalized Talent Matching: While many agencies rely heavily on technology and algorithms, Mighty Warners takes a more personalized approach. Their team of seasoned recruiters invests time in understanding the unique culture, values, and goals of the companies they serve. This human-centered approach ensures that candidates are not just a fit on paper but are aligned with the company’s ethos.

Industry-Specific Expertise: Mighty Warners has carved out a niche in several key industries, including technology, healthcare, finance, and engineering. Their recruiters are not just staffing experts; they are industry insiders with a deep understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities within these sectors.

Comprehensive Vetting Process: The agency’s rigorous vetting process is designed to leave no stone unturned. From background checks and skill assessments to personality evaluations and cultural fit analysis, Mighty Warners ensures that only the best candidates make it through to the final stages.

Long-Term Partnership Focus: Unlike many agencies that operate on a transactional basis, Mighty Warners emphasizes building long-term partnerships with their clients. This means they are invested in the success of the placements they make, offering ongoing support and consultation even after the hire.

Innovative Practices in Direct Hire Staffing

Mighty Warners is at the forefront of several innovative practices that are transforming the direct hire staffing landscape:

1. Data-Driven Recruitment

While personalization is key, Mighty Warners also leverages the power of data. They use advanced analytics to track hiring trends, measure the success of placements, and refine their processes. This blend of human insight and data-driven decision-making ensures that their clients receive the best of both worlds.

2. Candidate Experience Optimization

In today’s candidate-driven market, providing an exceptional experience is crucial. Mighty Warners has developed a candidate experience framework that guides candidates through every step of the process, ensuring transparency, timely communication, and a positive overall experience. This not only enhances their reputation but also attracts top talent who value being treated with respect and care.

3. Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Mighty Warners is deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the organizations they serve. They actively seek out diverse talent and work closely with clients to create inclusive hiring practices. Their focus on D&I is not just a trend but a core value that drives their operations.

4. Customized Onboarding Programs

Understanding that the first few months are critical for any new hire, Mighty Warners offers customized onboarding programs that help new employees integrate smoothly into their roles. This includes everything from orientation sessions to mentorship programs, all tailored to the specific needs of the client and the employee.

Mighty Warmers’ Client Success Stories

One of the best ways to understand the impact of Mighty Warners is through their client success stories. Here are a few examples:

Tech Startup Transformation: A rapidly growing tech startup was struggling to find the right talent to scale their operations. Mighty Warners stepped in and provided a tailored hiring strategy that not only filled the critical roles but also helped the company refine its employer brand. As a result, the startup saw a 50% increase in employee retention and a 30% reduction in time-to-hire.

Healthcare Facility Revamp: A major healthcare facility faced challenges in finding specialized medical staff. Mighty Warmers’ industry-specific recruiters quickly identified and placed highly qualified candidates, leading to improved patient care and a significant boost in staff morale.

Financial Firm Expansion: A financial firm undergoing a major expansion needed top-tier talent to lead new initiatives. Mighty Warners delivered by sourcing candidates with not just the right skills but also the leadership qualities needed to drive the company forward. This strategic placement led to a 20% increase in revenue within the first year.

FAQs About Mighty Warners and Direct Hire Staffing

1. What is Direct Hire Staffing?

Direct hire staffing refers to the process where a staffing agency recruits and places candidates directly into permanent positions with their clients. Unlike temporary or contract staffing, direct hire positions are full-time roles with the client company.

2. How Does Mighty Warmers’ Direct Hire Process Work?

Mighty Warmers’ process begins with a thorough understanding of the client’s needs. They then use a combination of industry expertise, data analytics, and personalized recruitment strategies to identify and vet potential candidates. Once a candidate is selected, they are hired directly by the client company.

3. What Industries Does Mighty Warners Specialize In?

Mighty Warners specializes in several key industries, including technology, healthcare, finance, engineering, and more. Their recruiters are experts in these fields, ensuring that they can effectively match candidates with the right roles.

4. How Does Mighty Warners Ensure Cultural Fit?

Cultural fit is a critical component of Mighty Warners’ recruitment process. They take the time to understand the company’s values, culture, and working environment. This information is then used to assess candidates not just for their skills but also for how well they will integrate into the company culture.

5. What Sets Mighty Warners Apart from Other Staffing Agencies?

Several factors set Mighty Warners apart, including their personalized approach, industry-specific expertise, comprehensive vetting process, and commitment to long-term partnerships. They are not just focused on filling positions but on ensuring the long-term success of both the client and the candidate.

6. Can Mighty Warners Help with Diversity Hiring?

Absolutely. Mighty Warners is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. They actively seek out diverse talent and work with clients to create inclusive hiring practices. Their focus on diversity is a core value that influences every aspect of their operations.

Conclusion: Why Mighty Warners is the Right Partner for Your Direct Hire Needs

In the ever-evolving landscape of talent acquisition, having the right partner can make all the difference. Mighty Warners has proven time and again that their innovative, personalized approach to direct hire staffing delivers results. Whether you’re a startup looking to scale, a healthcare facility in need of specialized talent, or a financial firm seeking top-tier leadership, Mighty Warners has the expertise, experience, and commitment to help you succeed.

Choosing Mighty Warners means choosing a partner who is invested in your success. They don’t just fill positions; they build teams, foster cultures, and drive growth. If you’re ready to take your hiring strategy to the next level, Mighty Warners is here to help you unlock the full potential of your workforce.

[cloudreachtechnology99]

Mastering Advanced Java for Web Development: Unleashing the Full Potential

The landscape of web development is always changing, and Java continues to play a significant role in fostering efficiency and creativity. The need for qualified Java developers who can maximize the language's potential increases as web application requirements become more complicated. This in-depth blog article explores an advanced Java course created especially for web development, covering a wide range of subjects that help programmers build reliable and dynamic web applications.

Adopting the Fundamentals of Java

An in-depth comprehension of Java's foundational principles is essential prior to delving into the intricate details of advanced Java concepts. Beginning at the very beginning, a well-crafted course will walk students through Java's grammar, data types, control structures, and object-oriented programming concepts. Classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation will all be used effectively by the students, providing the foundation for future programming difficulties that will be more complex.

JavaServlet Pages (JSP) and Java Servlets

Java Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) are the core components of Java-based web development. The fundamental units of web applications, servlets execute client requests and produce dynamic answers on the server. On the other side, JSP makes it easier for developers to create dynamic, data-driven web pages by allowing Java code to be seamlessly integrated within HTML. An advanced Java course will give students practical instruction in combining the strength of JSP and Servlets to create reliable web applications.

Understanding Spring Framework

The Spring Framework, which provides a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks that considerably ease the development process, has emerged as the industry leader in Java-based web development. The fundamental components of Spring, such as dependency injection, aspect-oriented programming (AOP), and the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, will be thoroughly covered in a thorough Java course. The skills needed to build modular, scalable, and maintainable web applications will be taught to the students.

Using Hibernate to Achieve Data Persistence

Hibernate, an object-relational mapping (ORM) framework, offers an efficient method for managing data between Java objects and relational databases. Data persistence is a crucial component of online applications. Hibernate should be thoroughly covered in an advanced Java course that teaches students how to conduct CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, handle complicated associations, and map Java entities to database tables. Students will also understand the value of caching and optimization methods for improving database performance.

Creating RESTful Web Services (5)

The popularity of web and mobile applications has increased the importance of RESTful web services as a way to facilitate system communication. With the use of tools like JAX-RS (Java API for RESTful Web Services) and Jersey, students will be guided through the process of creating, implementing, and utilizing RESTful APIs in a well-structured Java course. Students will also learn how to address issues with security, authentication, and authorisation when creating web services.

Thymeleaf Front-End Integration

Between the front end and the back end of modern online applications, there must be seamless integration. A potent templating engine called Thymeleaf enables Java developers to produce dynamic, data-driven HTML websites. Thymeleaf's capabilities will be introduced to students in an advanced Java course, which will show them how to create beautiful and adaptable user interfaces by embedding Java code right into HTML templates.

Ensuring the Security of Web Applications

Web application security is crucial in a time when cybersecurity threats abound. The best practices for securing Java online applications will be covered in a thorough Java course, including input validation, preventing widespread flaws like SQL injection and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and implementing user authentication and authorisation systems.

Investigating Complex Subjects

Java developers need to have a solid understanding of complex issues in order to succeed in the field of web development. These can include integrating cloud services and microservices architecture, using containerization technologies like Docker to speed up deployment procedures, and using Java Messaging Services (JMS) for asynchronous communication between application components.

Conclusion

The ability to create cutting-edge and scalable online apps is a powerful journey that developers may go on by mastering sophisticated Java for web development. Developers can fully utilize Java by taking a thorough course that covers its principles, Servlets, JSP, Spring Framework, Hibernate, RESTful web services, Thymeleaf, security, and advanced subjects. With this knowledge in hand, developers will be prepared to handle the demands of a dynamic and changing web development landscape, opening the door to intriguing opportunities and a rewarding career in the digital industry.

[maintec]

How do IT staffing agencies work?

IT staffing agencies play a crucial role in connecting IT professionals with companies seeking qualified talent. Here's a breakdown of how they operate:

For Companies:

Recruitment: Agencies actively source and screen IT candidates, saving companies time and resources. They leverage their talent pools, networks, and expertise to find the right fit for specific roles and skills.

Reduced Cost and Risk: Agencies can help companies avoid the costs and risks associated with traditional hiring. This includes things like advertising, screening, and onboarding.

Flexibility: Agencies offer various staffing solutions like temporary, contract, temp-to-hire, and permanent placements. This allows companies to scale their workforce up or down quickly based on project needs.

Expertise: Many agencies specialize in specific IT sectors, giving them in-depth knowledge of the market, hiring trends, and salary benchmarks.

For IT Professionals:

Job Opportunities: Agencies provide access to a wider range of IT job openings than candidates might find on their own. They often have exclusive listings and relationships with companies in high demand.

Career Guidance: Agencies offer career coaching and resume writing services to help candidates stand out in the competitive IT market.

Negotiation Support: Agencies can negotiate salary and benefits packages on behalf of candidates, ensuring they receive fair compensation.

Networking: Agencies connect candidates with industry professionals and potential employers, expanding their professional network.

Here's a typical workflow:

The company contacts the agency

Agency searches for candidates

Screening and interviews

Candidate submission

Placement

Overall, IT staffing solutions providers in the US can be a valuable resource for both companies and IT professionals, streamlining the hiring process and providing access to a wider range of opportunities and talent.

[ansrposolutions]

Top RPO service provider top agency

ANS RPO Solutions, a leading RPO company in USA and UK, offers top-notch RPO solutions across the USA and UK. As one of the fastest-growing top rpo companies, we are renowned for delivering result-oriented rpo services to a global clientele.

[robertreich]

Think Tipping Is Out of Control? Watch This.

TWO DOLLARS AND THIRTEEN CENTS AN HOUR.

That’s how much millions of American workers are paid under the federal subminimum wage — which was set all the way back in 1991.

While many think tipping for services has gotten out of control, arguing over who deserves a tip and how much they should get distracts from what we should really be angry about: business models that depend on not paying workers a living wage.

It’s bad enough that the federal minimum wage is a measly $7.25 an hour. But employers are allowed to pay tipped workers just $2.13 an hour because supposedly the workers will be able to make up for it in tips.

Saru Jayaraman of One Fair Wage has been advocating to change this absurd and exploitative law. I asked her to share with us FOUR big reasons why we need to get rid of the subminimum wage and pay service workers a full living wage with tips on top.

Number 1: Workers who earn a subminimum wage often end up making less than the minimum wage

43 states currently allow certain workers to be paid a subminimum wage. Employers in these states are legally required to make up the difference if a worker’s combined wage and tips don’t reach the full minimum wage. But over a third of tipped workers report that their bosses regularly fail to do this.

That’s because enforcement of wage laws is lax, and it makes it easier for employers to get away with shortchanging staff.

Number 2: The subminimum wage perpetuates gender discrimination and harassment on the job

More than two-thirds of tipped workers — 70% — in the U.S. are women. And one in six women that work a tipped job are living in poverty — that’s nearly 2.5 times the rate for workers overall.

Since workers earning the subminimum wage are so dependent on tips to make a living, they are put in situations where they have to tolerate inappropriate customer behavior. A staggering 76 percent — that’s more than three-quarters of tipped workers — have reported experiencing sexual harassment on the job. And that only got worse during the pandemic.

Number 3: Tipping is actually a relic of slavery

Tipped workers are disproportionately people of color. And Black service workers in particular consistently earn less, including tips, than their white counterparts for doing the same job.

Look, this inequity of the subminimum wage is tied to America’s history of structural racism.

Following the Civil War, tipping was used as a racist solution by employers who didn’t want to pay formerly enslaved Black workers. So by allowing them to pay their workers just in tips rather than a wage, employers were able to avoid directly paying these workers.

Number 4: Paying workers a living wage plus tips is actually better for business — and our economy.

Corporate lobbyists, particularly for the restaurant industry, warn that paying workers a full minimum wage with tips on top will be devastating to businesses. But research shows these fears are completely overblown.

So far, seven states have replaced their subminimum wage for tipped workers with a higher minimum wage that still allows for tips on top. These seven states are actually faring better than the 43 states with subminimum wages for tipped workers — both in the number of restaurants and number of people employed by restaurants. And take home pay for restaurant servers and bartenders in these states was 24% higher than in states with a wage of just $2.13 an hour.

Workers at restaurants that have scrapped their subminimum wages in favor of higher minimum wages with tips on top are more productive, happier, and less likely to quit their jobs. This alone helps business owners cut employee turnover nearly in half. This is especially important following the pandemic, when restaurants are facing historic staffing shortages because over 1 million workers have left the industry due to low pay.

So not only have higher wage states been able to maintain their industries, but workers are more productive, getting paid more, and less likely to live in poverty.  

And when workers have more money, they spend more money — stimulating their local economies in the process.

And for the first time in 30 years, workers are winning on this issue, like in DC and Chicago and a dozen other states.

The bottom line is that ending the subminimum wage for tipped workers is better for workers, it’s better for business, it’s better for our economy — and it’s the right thing to do.

[fearfulfertility]

PATERNITY COMPOUND FINANCIAL SAVINGS

DRC, Facility Operations Command, Compound Oversight Unit

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Paternity Compound 124 Creative Cost-Saving Efforts

Executive Summary

Paternity Compound 124 in [REDACTED], Idaho, has demonstrated exceptional productivity and cost efficiency this quarter, primarily due to implementing creative new budget policies to optimize management. The data indicates significant savings and output increases, positioning Compound 124 as a model for future compounds.

Total revenue saved this quarter: $[REDACTED]

I. Implemented Cost-Saving Measures

Clothing Elimination Initiative

After an exhaustive review of material costs, the decision was made to eliminate medical gowns and paternity clothing for surrogates. This measure, dubbed the "Bare Necessity Protocol," is based on the premise that clothing offers no functional benefit to surrogates who are perpetually growing or confined to medical beds due to mobility issues.

Rationale: Eliminates clothing costs entirely and simplifies laundry operations.

Savings: Reduced laundry, textile, and replacement costs by 98%.

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"Honestly, it’s just practical. They’re swelling up fast, and we’d need new gowns every other day. It simplifies things for us." - Staff Feedback

“They’ve taken everything—my freedom, my body, my dignity���and now they’ve taken my fucking underwear too. It's embarrassing! Thank god this belly is a furnace!” - Surrogate Feedback

"One Size Fits All" Feeding Solution

The compound replaced most surrogate food options with a cost-efficient pudding substitute nicknamed "Big Berry Bliss." Each serving contains a carefully calibrated mix of high-calorie nutrients, tranquilizers, appetite stimulants, and growth hormones to promote fetal growth and docility.

Rationale: Simplifies meal prep, reduces dishwashing needs, and ensures surrogates receive consistent nutrition. Eliminate the need for personalized meals or cafeteria staff while ensuring continuous weight gain and docility. Minimize pharmacy visits by delivering hormonal therapy directly in the food.

Results: Food service costs were reduced by 82%, pharmacy staffing by 65%, and food waste by 20%. Staff food options will be maintained. With revenue saved, high-quality options can now be considered.

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"Big Berry Bliss is so easy—just scoop, serve, and go. Hell, we just hand them a tub of the stuff, and they choke it down, then ask for more." - Staff Feedback

“This stuff tastes like sugar mixed with cream. A few of us complained, but they told us we didn't have to eat it. But we need so many calories for these pregnancies... most of us lasted until dinner.” - Surrogate Feedback

Wheel-In Baby Showers

To reduce the need for consoling services and bolster surrogate morale with cost-effective activities, staff introduced a celebratory “babies shower” where surrogates are wheeled out of the paternity ward before being removed for childbirth. Activities include:

Rationale: Boosts surrogate morale and reduces the need for psychological services. Staff wearing party hats and blowing noisemakers (repeat usage). Playing uplifting music like "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa and "Baby Got Back."

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"The baby showers are kind of fun. A little music, some confetti, and you’re done. Their pregnancy brain is so bad they are more confused and distracted than anything, which makes rolling them out all the easier." - Staff Feedback

“They roll me out in front of everyone, playing stupid songs and yelling, ‘Congratulations!’ like I’ve won some prize. All I feel is pain and exhaustion. It’s not a celebration—it’s a mockery.” - Surrogate Feedback

Open-Air Hygiene Zones

Replace bathrooms with “communal hygiene areas,” which repurpose the fire suppression systems to allow for high-capacity showering. Now, entire paternity wards of surrogates can be cleaned en-mass, reducing the need for staff to move surrogates for cleaning and reducing personal toiletries requirements.

Rationale: Centralized hygiene reduces staff requirements and water waste.

Revenue Saved: $[REDACTED]

"The open-air hygiene zones are genius. Just hose everyone down at once, and you’re done. It saves so much time, and I don't spend entire days scrubbing them down. And honestly, it’s kind of fun to watch. Like a pregnant car wash." - Staff Feedback

“They never warn us when they're going to shower us! One minute, you're watching TV... the next, they blast us with water like we’re livestock. No privacy, no warmth, nothing!.” - Surrogate Feedback

II. Efficiency Metrics

Cost Per Surrogate: $[REDACTED] (down 23%).

Medical: $[REDACTED] (down 19%)

Nutrition Services: $[REDACTED] (down 30%)

Housing: $[REDACTED]

Security: $[REDACTED]

Psychological Support: $[REDACTED] (up 18%)

Maintenance & Facility Upkeep: $[REDACTED] (down 16%)

Logistics: $[REDACTED]

Entertainment: $[REDACTED]

Administrative: $[REDACTED] (down 14%)

Conclusion

Paternity Compound 124 has demonstrated exceptional efficiency in meeting and lowering costs. While surrogate morale remains an area for improvement, the cost savings and output gains achieved through innovative strategies set a benchmark for other compounds.

"Efficiency is the cornerstone of progress. At Compound 124, we’ve shown that we can achieve extraordinary results with a little creativity and focus. While some may view these changes as unconventional, the numbers speak for themselves—every dollar saved is another step toward securing our future."

Report Submitted By: [REDACTED], Administrator, Paternity Compound 124

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To: Chief Operating Officer, Internal Affairs

From: Director [REDACTED]

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Investigation into Administrator [REDACTED] and Misappropriation of Funds at Paternity Compound 124

Chief [REDACTED],

It has come to my attention that while Administrator [REDACTED] has implemented a series of operational changes at Paternity Compound 124 that have resulted in documented cost savings of $[REDACTED], evidence has surfaced indicating the potential misappropriation or embezzlement of these funds.

Emerging discrepancies in financial records suggest that a significant portion of the funds saved through these initiatives has not been reinvested into compound operations or returned to the DRC’s central budget.

Effective immediately, Administrator [REDACTED] is to be placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation.

Internal Affairs will oversee a comprehensive audit of his financial transactions, operational decisions, and any personal accounts associated with him.

Administrator [REDACTED]’s measures to reduce operational costs have yielded undeniable financial benefits, and these measures should not be dismissed out of hand. I am directing that the relevant improvements he initiated be thoroughly assessed and, if appropriate, rolled out on a trial basis at other compounds.

Internal Affairs will take care of this quickly and without bias. If Administrator [REDACTED] is found to have misappropriated DRC funds for personal gain, I expect full disciplinary action.

Regards,

Director [REDACTED]

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Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Zoo hails birth of 'one of world's rarest animals'

“[Jasper] the Persian onager was born to mum Azita after a year-long pregnancy. […] Conservationists at the zoo said there are less than 600 surviving wild onagers[, … which] only survive in two small, protected areas in Iran, a Chester Zoo spokesman said. […] Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at Chester Zoo, […] said Jasper is "doing very well" and added that "mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge". "He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat", Mr Jordan added.”

2. Charity creates 50 community orchards in city

“Community orchards are returning to Birmingham, with the aim of teaching people how to grow their own food and be part of the solution to climate change. […] Once established, the long-term aim is to distribute the produce to those most in need, but local people are also invited to pick the odd bit of fruit. […] By planting trees and plants and encouraging biodiversity back to these areas the charity is also doing its bit to help climate change. They even use locally sourced wood chip which helps to put carbon back into the soil. […T]he hope is that these edible landscapes can also be enjoyed by local people for years to come.”

3. Farmer-led badger vaccination could revolutionize mission to tackle bovine TB

“[… T]he results of a four-year pilot badger vaccination program co-managed between farmers, scientists, and conservationists […] show the percentage of badgers testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the study area dropped from 16% to 0%[….] While most bTB incidents in cattle are caused by transmission between herds, transmission from wild badgers plays a role in the persistence of the disease. […] Blood sampling showed that the proportion of badgers with bTB fell even though overall badger numbers remained high[….]”

4. Every Colorado Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Fails To Collect Enough Signatures

“Anti-transgender politics are becoming increasingly unpopular in polls. […] A recent LA Times/NORC poll found that 77% of voters believe elected officials use transgender debates to divert attention from more pressing issues. The poll also showed significant opposition to forced outing policies. […] A Gallup poll published in June revealed that while Americans have mixed views on the morality of transitioning, the majority oppose bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth. […] “The fact that they could not get enough signatures, barely half, to be placed on the ballot shows they lack support from everyday voters.”

5. In a fight to save a rare bird, Indigenous communities in Guyana are winning

“The partnership [between Indigenous communities and Smithsonian researchers] sparked a decades-long community-led conservation movement that has protected the red siskin and helped locals reconnect with nature. [… T]he South Rupununi Conservation Society […] established one of the country’s first conservation zones to protect the species, covering 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) of Indigenous land. […] To plant the seeds of conservation, they’ve implemented an after-school program in more than 16 communities, [introducing children] to ecological research and surveying, and also [teaching] about Indigenous culture and tradition, including fire management skills.”

6. North Adams hospital gets federal designation which pays for health care in rural areas

“[The hospital] received a federal designation on Wednesday that is key to its long-term financial stability. […] The designation pays for staffing regardless of the number of patients[… and] “works to resolve stark inequities in rural and underserved communities as it relates to our nation’s health system."”

7. Andrea Vidaurre: Leading the clean transportation revolution

“Thanks to Vidaurre’s relentless advocacy and strong community support, these regulations introduced the first national standards for train emissions and set a groundbreaking goal for all freight trucks to be zero-emission by 2036. This initiative promises cleaner air for Californians and paves the way for a zero-emission vehicle future across the country. Studies predict these measures will prevent thousands of respiratory illnesses and save countless lives in the coming decades.”

8. Boston announces a new climate resilience office

“Through its Climate Ready Boston initiative, the city has worked to […] design creative adaptation plans with community input[, …] includ[ing] everything from redesigning waterfront parks and planting more trees, to modernizing the city’s underground sewer system[….] The Office of Climate Resilience will be in charge of coordinating work across city departments and with community groups[….]”

9. Combining Green Thumbs and Sustainable Fashion in a Swap Event

“This unique plant and clothing swap event in NSW is championing both environmental and fashion sustainability through native plants and preloved clothing. […] To participate in the plant swap, attendees brought their environmental weeds in a bag to the Council stall and exchanged them for free native plants. […] The event sparked valuable community conversations about the benefits of plant and clothes swaps, the impact of textile waste[, …] support a circular economy and combine a love for nature with practical, eco-friendly practices.”

10. Growing Green Spaces to Protect the Endangered Regent Parrot

“On Schools Tree Day, celebrated on 26 July, students from a local NSW school planted trees and shrubs to create crucial forage habitat for the endangered Regent Parrot, enhancing local biodiversity. […] Approximately 50 [… plants of] native species were chosen for their ecological benefits, helping to attract native birds, bees and butterflies while providing essential habitat and food. […] They [also] raise awareness about the regent parrot, encourage conservation efforts and emphasise the importance of protecting local wildlife. Additionally, conserving [the regent parrot] supports the health of their ecosystem by helping with in [sic] seed dispersal and maintaining plant diversity.”

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

[kallie-den]

Lifestyle Takeover Ch. 1

Mel is tasked with taking down mean, domineering business rival Vivienne Gilbert - who, as it just so happens, is a secret superfan of Mel’s journalist best friend turned pet bimbo, Emma

This is a commission from Neana, and a sequel to Lifestyle Journalism!

If you enjoy my work and are looking for more, or you want to support me, I strongly encourage you to check out my Patreon! I  write erotica full-time, which means I need your patronage to keep creating, and my Patrons also get benefits like early access to my stories, extra stories, and the ability to vote on what I write next! So, if that sounds good to you, head over and join the couple hundred patrons I already have :)

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As she sat outside the CEO of Valeyard Solutions’s office, Mel Adams checked the time on her phone once more and sighed. Supposedly, her host was running five minutes late - this, from a woman who had never been tardy for anything in her life. Making Mel wait was the most transparent power play in the book, and worst of all, it was proving entirely effective at pissing her off.

Really, the whole situation was setting her on edge. An unfamiliar office in an unfamiliar building, opulent yet spartan, and Mel was about to meet one of the most formidable rising stars of the hypnogarch world. A woman who, like Mel, hailed from a social and economic elite who used mind control to leverage and reinforce their power. Only, unlike Mel, this woman had notches on her belt and a fearsome reputation. They were meeting on her turf, too. In hostile territory. Mel was out of her depth.

Which was, of course, the point. This was a test. Mel’s trial by fire, given to her by her parents. To become a fully-fledged hypnogarch, you had to be strong. If you weren’t, your peers would eat your lunch and make you thank them for it while your brains drooled out of your ears.

“Ms. Adams?” said a secretary, approaching and offering a polite little bow. “Thank you for waiting. The CEO will see you now.”

Mel rose from her seat and followed as the secretary led her into the office. She didn’t bother to reply. There was no point, and, like all the others, she gave Mel the creeps. The entire floor was staffed with near-identical women, all of whom wore identical outfits: tiny pencil skirts and tight, white blouses, open to expose cleavage - and all of them had suitable bodies to make the clothes distracting. But more to the point, each one of them had a certain telltale, glazed look in their wide, guileless eyes.

All of the secretaries were completely hypnotized.

It was another typical flex from a powerful hypnogarch. But just like making Mel wait, it was unnerving.

“Melanie Adams,” said the woman behind the CEO’s desk, as they reached her. She smiled a thin smile. “My. I suppose I should be honored.”

It was her. Vivienne Yvette Gilbert. Mel would have recognized her anywhere from all the magazine covers and fawning interviews. She looked just the way she always did in her photos: tall, professional, and classically beautiful, but modest, with her long, tailored suit only just tight enough to hint at the well-honed body underneath. Her auburn hair was tucked back in a neat, disciplined ponytail, and her eyes reflected a keen, vicious intelligence.

Vivienne Gilbert was a business savant, combining old money wisdom with new money ambition, and was, by all accounts, an extremely skilled hypnotist. Her company was taking the corporate world by storm, and the small army of brainwashed secretaries outside attested to her ability to get whatever she wanted from people, by any means necessary.

This was Mel’s test. This was the woman she had to destroy.

“Mel, please,” she offered. “And really, I’m the one who’s honored. Your time is valuable.”

Vivienne nodded graciously, and indicated for Mel to take a seat opposite her. The secretary who had led Mel inside stood at attention to one side, against a nearby wall.

“So,” Vivienne began. Her confidence was supreme. “To what do I owe this pleasure - a visit from the profligate faildaughter of two of high society’s most prominent elite?”

Mel bristled a little, but didn’t let it show in her face. “Curiosity, really. I thought that the two of us might want to get to know each other a little. After all, we’re both from the same generation, right? Just like mine, your parents were-“

“Cut the crap,” Vivienne interrupted with a slicing wave of her hand. She leaned forward. “My time is valuable - more valuable than yours, at any rate - so let’s not waste it. Despite your wasted youth, I’m told that you’ve recently taken a position as executive vice president at one of the family businesses. And recently, shell companies attached to your family have been making aggressive offers to buy out my stake in Valeyard - offers I have declined.”

Mel simply nodded. She wasn’t surprised to learn that Vivienne had figured this much out. Anything less would have been a disappointment.

“You’re here,” Vivienne surmised, “because your mothers asked you to make in-person overtures. They want my Valeyard, and they’ve sent you to persuade me to sell.” She let out a brief, quiet laugh. “Amusing.”

Mel spread her arms. “You’re correct, of course,” she replied. “So far, you’ve rejected all offers. That’s your right. But everybody has their price, even if it’s not monetary. Assurances, perhaps. A position in one of our conglomerates? With Valeyard in the family, we could achieve new levels of market dominance and integration. You could be part of that. You could reap the rewards. Power, prestige - you name it.”

It wasn’t a bad offer - but just as Mel had expected, Vivienne rolled her eyes.

“Sophistry,” the CEO dismissed. “You and your parents simply want to take what’s rightfully mine. You want control - and you want it because you’re afraid. My Valeyard’s quarterly numbers put all of yours to shame. For now, I’m just a good story. A new, rising star. But in a few years, I’ll be knocking at your family’s doors. Challenging your mothers. I’ll be a competitor. A rival. A threat.”

Mel said nothing. She wasn’t wrong.

“Let me make this very clear.” Vivienne smiled a shark’s smile. “I am a threat. You and your mothers are right to be afraid. I’m not willing to be a partner or a pawn, or a… vice president.” She sneered the last two words. “I intend to come out on top. Understand?”

“With respect,” Mel replied, after a moment’s consideration. “Valeyard isn’t exactly rightfully yours, is it? You’ve already shown a willingness to jump ship, given the right opportunity. After all, you didn’t found this company. You simply acquired it. You took advantage of someone else’s capital and someone else’s ideas. Perhaps we aren’t so different.”

Vivienne simply laughed at the provocation. “You really are new to this world, aren’t you?” she mocked. “Yes, I acquired Valeyard. I took it from the original owner. Do you understand what that means? It’s mine. Not hers. Mine. She lacked the strength to hold on to what she’d built, and I had the strength to take it. That’s the very definition of rightful ownership.”

“I understand,” Mel retorted. “And you’ve guided the company all the way to the top of the stock market. Some would say you’ve already proven yourself.”

“Some would say?” Vivienne echoed derisively. “Ridiculous. You’ll have to do much better than that if you expect to convince me. Especially since I suspect that your mothers would prefer I end up much like the original founder.”

“And how’s that?” Mel asked.

Vivienne’s smile grew wider than ever, and she gestured off to one side. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”

Hairs stood at attention on the back of Mel’s neck as she realized Vivienne was indicating the brainwashed, identity-scrubbed secretary who’d led her into the office.

At first, it seemed absurd to believe that such a sharp, entrepreneurial mind could have been so completely blunted. But Mel knew all too well just how far someone could fall given the right kind of treatment, and besides, now that she was looking closely, there was a certain, unmistakably resemblance between the woman standing at attention before her and the woman she’d seen in old photographs when she’d been researching Valeyard’s history.

How long must she have been a mind-controlled thrall by now? Years? It was terrible to imagine - but the worst part was that, even as they were talking about her, the woman’s eyes registered absolutely nothing but blank, blissful, helpless compliance.

For the first time, Mel felt truly intimidated by the task her mothers had presented her with.

“By the time she signed over her company to me, she couldn’t even remember what she was losing.” Mel turned back to Vivienne and saw that she was turning over a pocket watch between her fingers. It was, by all accounts, her preferred instrument of control. “Still, I suppose she’s happy enough - serving me. It’s right where she belongs. Don’t you think?”

Mel just sighed. “I don’t think you intend to seriously entertain any offer I make you.”

“At least you’re smart enough to have figured that out,” Vivienne remarked. She closed her pocket watch and slipped it back into her jacket pocket. “No, I don’t. I just wanted to get your measure. And if you’re the best your mothers can send, well… I’m not impressed.”

“I see,” Mel said stiffly. She stood. “In that case, I won’t take up any more of your precious time.”

“Very gracious.” Vivienne replied contemptuously. She stood too, and indicated the door. “I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of showing yourself out.”

Mel turned, ready to leave. Vivienne didn’t seem to have figured out that Mel had been sent to brainwash her, not persuade her. That was, perhaps, a tiny advantage - but she couldn’t imagine how she might possibly leverage it. She’d seen no hint of any chink in Vivienne’s armor, and given that Mel’s skills as a hypnotist were still developing, she couldn’t see herself winning out in a fair fight. She needed an angle, but there was none.

What did that leave? How was she possibly supposed to win?

At that moment, as Mel was taking her first step towards the door, something happened that caught her attention: her and Vivienne’s phones both buzzed and lit up at exactly the same moment.

Vivienne’s phone buzzed all the time, of course. But for it to happen at precisely the same instant was a little weird. It was as if they had just received the exact same notification. Mel had to assume it was nothing more than a coincidence, but all the same, she found herself glancing at her phone to check.

It was a notification from her girlfriend Emma’s OnlyFans.

Mel didn’t really need to sign up for it - after all, Emma was not only her girlfriend, she was brainwashed to adoringly follow every one of Mel’s wishes. But Mel stayed signed up all the same, both to be supportive and because Emma regularly posted some very, very high-quality content. Despite all the brainpower she’d lost, she was quickly developing her talents as both a model and a photographer. The image set Emma had just posted was particularly alluring: she was dressed, as usual, in pink, skimpy exercise gear, and was in a series of unbelievable poses that perfectly showcased her sluttiness, her flexibility, and her curves all at once. Mel was lucky enough to be able to enjoy that body every night, but even so, it got her just a little hot and bothered.

Quickly, Mel slipped her phone away and chalked the simultaneous notifications up to coincidence. After all, there was no way that Vivienne Gilbert, of all people, was signed up to Emma’s OnlyFans.

Or so she thought, until she looked over and saw Vivienne staring at her screen with a faint but distinct blush in her cheeks.

It still seemed impossible. But suddenly Mel found herself wondering.

“Vivienne?” Mel voiced cautiously. “Is something up?”

“Hm?” Abruptly, Vivienne realized that she was still in the presence of her guest. “No. No, of course not,” she said, a touch too sharply. “But as you can see, I’m very, very busy. Please leave.”

Her tone was off - and more to the point, Mel caught a glimpse of something damning as Vivienne slipped her phone into her pocket.

The OnlyFans logo.

“Of course,” Mel said. “Goodbye.”

She left the Valeyard headquarters with a fresh spring in her step. It had come from the unlikeliest of places, and she still wasn’t sure of her next move, but suddenly Mel had something to work with.

She’d just found her angle.

***

“Hey, Emma? I’m back!”

As soon as Mel stepped into their penthouse apartment and called out to her girlfriend, Emma Park started bouncing toward her with the energy of a golden retriever.

“Babe!” she gushed, as she leapt into Mel’s arms. “Ohmigosh, you’re like, so early!”

Mel couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Bouncing’ really was the most appropriate term. On top, Emma was wearing nothing but a pink sports bra that was specifically intended to look tight and press her cleavage together while doing absolutely nothing to keep her assets from jiggling up and down as she exercised vigorously for her audience.

Emma Park, exercise bimbo. It was her brand, and she worked it marvelously.

“I just couldn’t stay away,” Mel said brightly. “I love you, Em.”

Emma’s whole face lit up. “I love you too!” she exclaimed, delighted, and started giggling.

As it often did, even after six months, seeing Emma like that did hit Mel with a certain pang. After all, Mel had made her girlfriend this way. Unbeknownst to Emma, Mel had transformed her from a brave, smart muckraker to an airheaded, giggly bimbo. It had been done out of love, because it had seemed like the surest way to save Emma from herself, and from the clutches of the kind of mind controllers she was investigating - but still, it troubled Mel that she’d needed to take from Emma so much of the sharpness and activist passion that she’d always loved about it.

She’d tried to preserve, though, the kernel of all that. Emma’s passion; her energy and drive, her enthusiasm for her work, and her talent for connecting with an audience. It just so happened that, now, all of that was directed differently, at her OnlyFans career instead of investigative journalism. Emma was flourishing in her life: she was hot, successful, popular, healthier than ever - and most importantly of all, happy.

Mel had her pangs of guilt, but making sure the girl she loved was happy and safe was something she would never be sorry for.

“Actually,” Mel said, pushing down on her reflections. “I have an ulterior motive. I’m here because I need to talk to you. I was hoping you could help me out with… with a work thing.”

“Oh, woah,” Emma tittered, dragging Mel over to their couch. “I dunno, I’m not good with all that, like, smart corporate stuff.”

“True,” Mel conceded. “But in this case… look, what if I wanted to track down someone on OnlyFans? Someone who I knew was one of your patrons on there?”

“Oh!” Emma seemed surprised at the question, but her eagerness shone through. “Well, um… do you know, like their username or anything?”

“I’m afraid not,” Mel replied. “I know who they are in real life, and I know - or, at least, I’m hoping - that they’re signed up to support you. I just need to try and dig into that a little more.”

“Hmm.” Emma stood up and started pacing circles around their apartment. It was a huge space - an open-plan penthouse that Mel had lived in alone for years. There had been plenty of room for Emma, and now part of it had been converted to serve as a dedicated exercise area and set. “I dunno… I mean, most people are pretty, like… what’s the word… anonymous?”

“Yeah.” Mel slumped. “Damn. I should have figured.”

“Sooo.” Emma leaned over and peered at Mel. “Who is it, anyway?”

“Vivienne Gilbert,” Mel said. “She’s a big-time CEO,” she added, when Mel gave her a blank look. “It’s for my folks. They want me to… well, to brainwash her somehow.”

She hesitated to mention it to Emma at first. The old Emma wouldn’t have approved. In truth, the old Mel might not have either. She’d always kept hypnogarch power games at arm’s length, but masterminding Emma’s transformation had given her a certain taste for it - a taste her mothers had been eager to help develop. Now, Mel was coming into her own as both a business leader and a mind controller. She was steadily becoming the kind of heir her mothers could be proud of.

But Vivienne Gilbert, it seemed, stood in her way.

“Hmm,” Emma pondered for a long moment. “Well, um… if she’s, like, super-rich, then maybe she’ll be, like… one of the real big spenders?”

Mel’s eyes went wide. Clearly, some of Emma’s old journalistic instincts were still in there - and she’d never been more glad.

“Oh my god!” she cried. “Emma, you’re a genius.”

At that, her girlfriend just giggled.

“Can you show me a list?” Mel asked urgently. “Maybe something will jump out.”

“Sure!”

Emma perched back down on the couch, brought up her OnlyFans on her phone, and, with Mel peering over her shoulder, navigated to a list of her supporters and sorted them by total financial contribution.

The top name immediately stood out. A ludicrously huge tipper - anonymous, but with the email address ‘anon-of@valeyard.com’.

Gotcha. Mel could have danced a jig.

Instead, she reached over Emma’s shoulder and took the phone from her girlfriend’s hands. With manic energy, Mel navigated to what had to be Vivienne’s profile and started looking over her activity history. Not only was she a big spender, she had also left long, enthusiastic comments on every single one of Emma’s posts, including the one Emma had put up during their meeting.

‘Emma!’ it read, ‘my goodness, you NEED to stop distracting me while I’m in meetings… I’m going crazy, this is your best set of pics yet! I know I always say that, but WOW. I’m SOOOO jealous of your mysterious mistress for getting to put her hands all over you all night long. What I wouldn’t do to take her place… she must be quite the woman, I can see that she’s left you with nothing to worry about except pumping reps, draining your brain, and showing yourself off. No worries, no cares, no stresses, just perfect, bimbo bliss. Honestly, I’m a little jealous… but mostly I’m so glad I get to be your no. 1 fan!’

Mel wasn’t one to judge, but she couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. She was having a hard time picturing the icy, vicious CEO she’d just met with saying something like that. The message was gushy, to say the least, but the detail about the meeting all but confirmed Mel’s suspicion about this being Vivienne. More importantly than anything - even her obsession with Emma - Mel detected something crucial in Vivienne’s message. A kind of confused longing, as the CEO described Emma’s ‘bimbo bliss.’ It was enough to make Mel wonder which of them, exactly, the woman was truly jealous of.

Maybe, just maybe, Vivienne Gilbert’s armor wasn’t so impenetrable after all.

And maybe Mel had the perfect weapon sitting right by her side, giggling happily.

“Hey, Emma,” Mel said slowly, as a plan started to form in her head. “What do you say to making a special little thank you video for your number one fan?”

***

As soon as Vivienne Gilbert closed the door to her family’s mansion behind her and felt herself safe from prying eyes, she let her shoulders slump and permitted herself to release a deep, weary sigh. It had been a long day - but then, weren’t they all? - and by the time the last of Vivienne’s engagements had concluded, the sun was long since set. Her staff had retired to their quarters for the night, leaving Vivienne alone to rest for the night.

For five hours - six, if she was really lucky - before she would have to wake up and do it all over again.

When Vivienne had first set her sights on the very pinnacle of social, economic, and mental dominance, she hadn’t quite appreciated how bone-weary the struggle would leave her, day after day. There was no end to it: to the challengers, rivals, competitors and schemers, each one of whom needed to be managed, defeated or subverted as Vivienne climbed her way to the top.

It was a good thing, then, that being in her family’s old home always reignited the flame of Vivienne’s ambition. She remembered it as it had been in her youth: grand, yes, but dark, faded, outdated. Now, thanks to the fortune she had amassed, it had been reborn in splendor. Thanks to her tireless efforts, the name ‘Vivienne Gilbert’ echoed through the corridors of power.

Yes. For this, it was all worth it.

The corners of Vivienne’s lips turned upward in a faint sneer as she remembered how, in their meeting earlier that day, Melanie Adams had tried to draw some kind of comparison between their upbringings. Ridiculous. What would she know? Melanie Adams was the daughter of two prominent, rich, successful hypnogarchs at the top of their game. She couldn’t possibly fathom the kind of scorn that was piled on the daughter of a fading, old-money family being overtaken by a new generation of power-hungry leaders. She had been allowed to laze about for years and take an interest in business and hypnosis when it pleased her, while Vivienne had been orphaned as she’d left business school, and forced to fight alone in the hungry power games that dominated their society in order to secure her position and rebuild her family name.

Melanie Adams couldn’t fathom that kind of drive. She was just another trust fund brat, underestimating her.

But that was OK. It would just make it all the more satisfying when Vivienne ate her mothers’ companies alive and made them beg to lick her shoes clean.

Vivienne smiled ruefully to herself as she let down her long, wavy, auburn hair. Spite was as good a motivator as any. Getting to crush irritating little bugs like Melanie Adams was one of the many pleasures of success. That was, admittedly, a few years away. With her at the helm, Valeyard had taken the corporate world by storm, and was well on its way to becoming a major player, but rapid expansion took time and careful management. For tonight, Vivienne would simply have to find some way to relax in the brief time she could afford before going to bed.

Right on time, her phone chirped with an incoming notification.

When she looked and saw that it was an OnlyFans post, Vivienne’s stomach filled with a delicious, naughty sense of arousal and anticipation. Her OF subscriptions were her guilty pleasure - a secret one, of course. In her line of work, it could be dangerous to let one’s pleasures and proclivities become widely known, which was why Vivienne was always very careful to use a dummy corporate email with no name attached. Valeyard had thousands of employees, and there was nothing to tie her account back to her.

Which meant that, when the mood took her, Vivienne was free to enjoy herself in peace.

Vivienne rushed upstairs to her bedroom, perched on the edge of her huge bed, and opened up OnlyFans. Her wicked excitement doubled when she saw who the notification was from: Emma. Her very favorite. Two posts from her in one day was a rare treat.

The CEO’s eyes widened when she realized that the notification wasn’t a post at all. It was a private message.

‘hiiii,’ it read. ‘hope you’re doing just peachy! I know you’re all anonymous and I like totally respect that! but I also rly rly wanted to do something extra special for my no 1 fan!! so here’s a special private vid nobody else gets to see!!! hope you enjoy it!!! Emma xoxo’

For the first time in Vivienne Gilbert’s life, she felt herself genuinely starstruck. Her heart was pounding, and a giddy, nervous smile came to her face. Her fingertips trembled as she tapped on the screen and downloaded the attached video.

More than once, she’d felt a little embarrassed by how much she’d willingly given to Emma’s OnlyFans. But now, she was nothing but grateful.

Emma wasn’t Vivienne’s only OF sub, but she was by far her favorite. It was difficult to put her finger on why; to Vivienne, Emma was simply perfect. The perfect bimbo. Hot? Yes. Dumb? Yes. Blonde, pink, submissive? Extremely. But beyond that - and beyond any other brainwashed bimbo Vivienne had ever seen - there was something truly, remarkably carefree about Emma. When she giggled, or posed, or exercised for the camera, there was something magical about the way all the old, faded little worry lines in her face completely evaporated, leaving her the very image of mindless, brainwashed bliss.

Whoever her mistress was, they clearly took excellent care of her.

After discovering Emma’s OnlyFans, Vivienne had often considered taking on a bimbo pet of her own. It wouldn’t have been difficult - for a person of her resources and a hypnotist of her talents, there were any number of women who could easily be molded into her ideal bimbo plaything. It might even make a nice change from the identical, obedient secretaries that had become Vivienne’s signature.

But somehow, she just couldn’t bring herself to.

She lacked the time, Vivienne reasoned. Or, perhaps, she didn’t want a distraction from her work. Perhaps she didn’t want her fondness for bimbos to be so easily discovered by one of her many, many enemies. Those were all fine reasons - but they weren’t the real reason. Deep down, Vivienne knew that the reason she loved Emma’s content so much wasn’t because she wanted to own a bimbo like her.

It was because she was ever so slightly envious of her.

Just thinking about it brought a faint blush to Vivienne’s cheeks. It was embarrassing. Mortifying, even, for a woman like her. But in her heart of hearts, she couldn’t deny that there was something appealing about the idea of sinking into that carefree bimbo mindset - of forgetting all the stresses and pressures that accompanied her career, and becoming so dumb and giggly that none of it seemed to matter.

Looking at Emma on OnlyFans made her feel that longing far more keenly, somehow.

It was, of course, a deeply inappropriate and shameful desire for a hypnogarch to entertain. Vivienne had to excuse it to herself as nothing more than an aberration of her psyche; a byproduct of the immense stress she was under, day after day. It had no deeper meaning. It was a fantasy. Nothing more.

And crucially, nobody would ever know.

Safe and secure in that knowledge, Vivienne got comfy on her bed and hit ‘play’ on the video Emma had sent her.

It began with a familiar scene: the set Emma used to film almost all her videos. It was a space in some kind of large apartment, with the floor covered in exercise mats, set against a pink, decorated backdrop. In front of it, Emma stood, and her outfit immediately sent thrilling shivers racing down Vivienne’s spine.

She was dressed up like a cheerleader. That was new.

Emma certainly had the body to pull off the tiny top and scandalous, pleated miniskirt. She was in incredible shape. Her body put Vivienne’s to shame, and that was saying something. Vivienne flattered herself that she looked good. She’d been blessed by genetics, and she incorporated enough exercise into her routine to keep her waist trim and her butt bubbly and shapely. She made sure, of course, to dress with the kind of restraint and dignity that befitted her station, but she’d often found it useful to be able to distract the eye of a prospective rival with a hint of her shapely legs or prodigious cleavage. All the better to lull them into a trance.

Emma, though? She was simply in a different league. All the time and effort she spent working on her body really showed.

One more thing to be envious of.

“Hiiii,” Emma squealed gleefully on the video, with a little bounce that was hot and adorable in equal measure. “Wow! I just, like, love getting to say hi to my number one fan! You’ve given me so much, I really just wanna give you a little gift in return. As, like, a thank-you!”

Vivienne found herself surprisingly flustered. She’d never dared hope for even this level of personal attention from her idol.

“You’ve been cheering me on soooo much, all this time,” Emma went on. “So I figured, maybe I should do a little cheering for you? That’s… um… it’s… irony? I think?”

She giggled. Vivienne did too.

“You must really super like me.” As she spoke Emma bent down and picked up a pair of pom-poms that had been resting at her feet, one in each hand - pink, of course. “I’m, like, totally flattered. Sorta makes me wonder… why? Like, how come you like me so much?”

Already, Vivienne was mesmerized. Emma just looked so good. She made a mental note to reply to the bimbo’s message and explain every little thing she loved about her.

“I mean, obviously I’m, like, so pretty and hot.” Emma struck a little pose. Vivienne purred appreciatively. “But, maybe it’s something more than that?” She giggled. “I dunno. I guess I’m not smart enough to figure out stuff like that.”

Her mindless, carefree laugh washed over Vivienne like a warm, calming ocean tide. Yes, this was the perfect way to relax after a long day.

“Anyway!” Emma made a little show of bending this way and that, stretching and warming in. In the process, her pleated skirt rode up over her ass and hips, giving Vivienne quite the eye-candy to enjoy. “Here I go!”

Vivienne was holding her phone closer and closer to her face. She didn’t want to miss a thing. Already, her body was buzzing with pleasant arousal. Seeing Emma giggle and trip up on her words and bounce around always did it for her, and the CEO was becoming more and more aware of the pent-up need that had been building inside her all day. Her hand started to stray down, toward the hem of her pants.

Abruptly, music started to play. Not a soundtrack, added in post. This was playing out loud on Emma’s set - a bright, upbeat pop track that immediately had Vivienne tapping her fingers along with the rhythm. And then, Emma started to cheer.

“One! Two! One! Two!” Emma sang, each one of her words punctuated by motion: a sway of her hips, a motion of her pom-poms, all perfectly in time with the music. “Emma’s the only one for you!”

Vivienne giggled. It was a perfectly cute, silly little chant for a bimbo like Emma. And, she supposed, it wasn’t far wrong.

“One! Two! One! Two! Emma’s the only one for you!” Emma repeated, still dancing. As she bounced up and down, the way her big, bimbo tits bounced beneath her hopelessly inadequate top was mouth-watering. “One! Two! One! Two! Emma’s the only one for you!”

She kept chanting it, over and over, each word inflected with pure, giddy eagerness. Vivienne was utterly captivated. It was so enchanting to think that this video was just for her. For no one else. As she watched, Emma’s ditzy chant quickly started to worm its way into the CEO’s head. Something about it was infectious. It occupied her attention so completely, she failed to notice the deep, echoey, binaural tones that were slowly creeping into the music.

“One! Two! One! Two! Emma’s the only one for you!” Emma paused briefly to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and her forehead was shining with sweat, and she was all the more attractive for it. “Hey, why don’t you, like, chant along with me?”

Vivienne rolled her eyes. She couldn’t imagine herself doing something like that. But all the same, the suggestion made her slip her hand down into her panties. She was already turned on.

“Oh, wait! That would be silly.” Emma giggled. “It would have to be, like…” She started bouncing to the music again. “One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

Vivienne shivered rapturously as she drew a finger across her sensitive lips, and grinned wider than ever. Emma’s new chant, with its energetic triple beat, was quickly proving to be even more of an earworm.

“C’mon!” Emma urged, after a little more cheering. “Give it a try? For your fav little bimbo?”

She made the cutest, poutiest face Vivienne had ever seen, and even the hard-hearted CEO couldn’t bring herself to refuse. In truth, she was already half-murmuring along to the silly little rhyme.

“One, two, three,” Vivienne said out loud, keeping time with Emma as the bimbo started chanting again in the video. “One, two, three. Emma’s the only one for me.”

She let out a bashful little laugh. There was nobody around to hear, but all the same, the cheer made her feel self-conscious. It wasn’t all bad, though. When was the last time Vivienne had been able to do something so frivolous?

“Yay!” Emma cried. Vivienne had to remind herself it was just a recording. Clearly, Emma had anticipated her participation. “See? Isn’t this fun?”

As Emma kept cheering - and Vivienne along with her - the CEO was forced to admit that it was. There was something disarmingly simple and joyful about the chant. Already, Vivienne could feel weight being lifted from her shoulders. When she focused her mind on the words, the rhythm, the rhyme, it made it all the easier to forget about the stresses of her daily life.

“One, two, three. One, two, three. Emma’s the only one for me.”

Vivienne kept going, and her mood kept brightening. Each word of the little cheer bounced into the next, carried by the tempo of the music, and any brief pause that might have led to stray thoughts was instead occupied with staring at Emma’s gorgeously toned body as the bimbo jumped and pranced for Vivienne’s entertainment.

Vivienne felt something wet on her chin, and realized she was actually drooling over her. That should have been embarrassing, but somehow she was beyond that, struck with a giddy, infectious enthusiasm that left her uninhibited and euphoric about everything.

“One, two, three. One, two, three. Emma’s the only one for me!”

Her chanting steadily picked up in volume and enthusiasm. Vivienne was slipping further and further into the right mood for it. More and more, she felt oddly like she was really there with Emma, dancing with her, imitating her. Maybe it was just how close she was holding her phone to her face. She felt like Emma’s bimbo-themed home gym was all around her. Her vision was starting to blur from how focused she was - or was it something on the video, instead? Some kind of compression artifacting that manifested as sweeping, spiraling patterns, prickling in and out of existence around the edges of the frame?

Vivienne wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away and check. She didn’t want to miss a single moment of Emma’s video.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

She was so relaxed. Perfectly relaxed. It was blissful. And as Vivienne’s muscles gradually let go of all the tension she’d been carrying around, waves of pleasure and arousal started to course through her body. Between her legs, her pussy, dripping on the bedsheets beneath, demanded more and more attention. Vivienne started moving her fingers faster and faster - stroking her cunt in time with the music, in fact.

It felt incredible. This was exactly the relaxation she had been craving. The pleasure was washing away all her stress. Vivienne longed to sink deeper into it, to luxuriate in it - safe in the knowledge that she was anonymous to Emma. Her fingertips dipped inside her cunt, and her chants turned into moans.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

“You know,” Emma said, dropping her chant. Vivienne kept it going. “Cheering like this makes me feel so, like, happy, y’know?”

Vivienne nodded as if Emma could see her. She was so lost to pleasure, she failed to realize the absurdity of that.

“Just… kinda bubbly and silly and fun!” Emma struck an adorable pose. “Like… I don’t even need to worry about thinking for myself!”

The pose flipped up Emma’s skirt, and Vivienne gasped pleasurably as she saw that Emma was naked beneath the skirt, and dripping down her sculpted thighs.

“It’s just perfect!” Emma exclaimed, giggly. “Totally perfect for a bimbo like me, anyway. Not having to think feels, like, sooooo good.”

Vivienne just nodded again. That sounded just right to her. Still, she was moaning the dumb cheer Emma had given her.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

“It’s so much better this way.” Emma’s hand drifted down, stroking over her midriff, reaching for herself in unmistakable arousal. “No silly worries… no silly cares… I’m wayyy too dumb for that now.”

Once more, Vivienne nodded eagerly and moaned her new mantra. It sounded so good. So blissful. Vivienne could only fantasize about what it might be like to live in such a permanent state of dumb, horny euphoria.

“All I have to do,” Emma half-moaned, half-giggled, “is look hot, and listen to the music, and shake my pretty little ass for my owner!”

It all sounded so right. More and more, as she succumbed to a pleasure-drunk trance, Vivienne felt as though she could hear other things, too. Other lyrics, buried in the music, barely audible, but layered, so that they flowed into her brain without resistance. That should have been a red flag, but her defenses were down. With each beat, Vivienne’s fingers pumped in and out of her needy cunt, driving more and more of her rational thoughts out of her head.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

Vivienne’s voice was filled with more joy and enthusiasm than ever, but she was losing the rhythm as heaving moans robbed her of her breath. Her pleasure was cresting, driven by the merciless pumping of her fingers. When the orgasm hit her, Vivienne screamed and thrashed, but even then she didn’t stop cheering. She couldn’t. The music drove her onward, as did her endless craving for the empty, bimbo bliss Emma’s words suggested. She just kept muttering, over and over, in a ceaseless, mindless drone.

“One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me! One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me! One, two, three! One, two, three! Emma’s the only one for me!”

She didn’t stop, not even after her orgasm faded. Vivienne even kept touching herself, keeping her pleasure at a roiling boil, driving herself onwards towards the next peak. The music demanded it, and so did Vivienne’s own, insatiable arousal. Nothing had ever felt as good as this. So, she just kept chanting, and touching herself, and working herself even deeper into an eager, compliant trance.

“OK!” Emma announced on the video abruptly, in her giggly, bimbo drawl. “I think that’s enough fanservice from me. But… if you’re really my number one fan, you wanna know what I’d really like you to do?”

Vivienne was just barely conscious enough to nod.

“I want you,” Emma giggled, “to go back to the start of this video, and, like, watch it all over again from the start! M’kay?”

There was no question of doing otherwise. Though her hand was trembling with aftershocks of pleasure, Vivienne managed to use her thumb to scroll all the way back to the start on her phone. At once, it began to play again.

“Hiiii,” the recorded Emma said. “Wow! I just, like, love getting to say hi to my number one fan!”

For hours, until exhausted sleep finally claimed her, Vivienne watched the video over and over again, looping it each time as Emma instructed. Each time, she kept chanting and kept touching herself, conditioning herself to accept all the pleasure Emma’s message offered, bringing herself to orgasm after orgasm, and etching all the subliminal, hypnotic suggestions buried within the video into her brain.

—

I would like to express my gratitude for the generosity of all those who  support me on Patreon, and to give a special thanks to the following  patrons in particular for their exceptional support:

Artemis, Chloe, Grillfan65, The Secret Subject, Morriel, Dex, orangesya, dmtph, MegatronTarantulas, Madeline, BTYOR, Sarah, Mattilda, Emily Queen of sloths, Neana, Shadows exile, Abigail, Hypnogirl_Stephanie_, Jade, mintyasleep, Michael, Tasteful Ardour, Chris, Dennis, Full Blown Marxism, Morder, S, Brendon, Drone 8315, Jim, Erin, HannahSolaria, hellenberg, Kay, Miss_Praxis, Violet, Noct, Charlotte, Faun, BrinnShea, B, Foridin, Jennifer, EepyTimeTea, Phoenix, Jim, Sebastian, Joseph, Thomas, Liz, naivetynkohan, Basic dev, SuperJellyFrogEx, Katie, Lily, spyrocyndersam13, zzzz, Mal, Bouncyrou, Nimapode, Ash, Artemis, Geckonator, TheRealG, Anonymous, J, GladiusLumin, Ada, Marina, Space Prius, Alex, Michael, Thomas, Dasterin, Djura, Pluto, Daedalus, Joe, Mattilda, Ana, proletkvlt, DOLLICIOUS, Yodasgirl, Allie~, Cusco-, Griffin, Bouncyrou, Hazelpup, Jakitron, Leah, ravenfan, Ash, ferretfyre, Christopher, Alphy D, Latavia, KBZ, Ashe, jlc, Jackson, Elizabeth, noe, Steve, Melo, gynoidpoet, MaeMae2569, Lexi, Thomas, Haggisllama, naughtzero, Alan

Finally, special thanks to Neana for commissioning this story!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

A "secure" system can be the most dangerous of all

Two decades ago, my life changed forever: hearing Bruce Schneier explain that “security” doesn’t exist in the abstract. You can only be secure from some threat. A fire alarm won’t protect you from burglaries. A condom won’t protect you from mass shootings. It seems obvious, but how often do we hear about “security” without any mention of who is being made secure, and from which threat?

Take the US welfare system. It is very “secure” in that it is hedged in by a thicket of red-tape, audits, inspections and onerous procedures. To get food stamps, housing vouchers, or cash aid, you must navigate a Soviet-grade bureaucratic system of Kafkaesque proportions. Indeed, one of the great ironies of the post-Cold War world is that the USA has become a “Utopia Of Rules” (as David Graeber put it), subjecting everyday people to the state-run bureacracies that the USAUSAUSA set endlessly ridiculed the USSR for:

https://memex.craphound.com/2015/02/02/david-graebers-the-utopia-of-rules-on-technology-stupidity-and-the-secret-joys-of-bureaucracy/

(The right says it wants to “shrink the US government until fits in a bathtub — and then drown it” — but not the whole government. They want unlimited government bloat for that part of the state that is dedicated to tormenting benefits claimants, especially if its functions are managed by a Beltway Bandit profiteer who bills Uncle Sucker up the wazoo for rubber-stamping “DENIED” on every claim.)

The US benefits system has a sophisticated, expensive, fully staffed anti-fraud system — but it’s a highly selective form of anti-fraud. The system is oriented solely to prevent fraud against itself, with no thought to protecting benefits recipients themselves from fraud.

And those recipients — by definition the poorest and most vulnerable among us — are easy pickings for continuous, ghastly, eye-watering acts of fraud. These benefits are distributed via prepaid debit cards — EBT Cards — that lack the basic security measures that every other kind of card has had for years. These are simple magstripe cards, lacking basic chip-and-pin defenses, to say nothing of contactless countermeasures.

That means that fraudsters can — and do — install skimmers in the point-of-sale terminals used by benefits recipients to withdraw their cash benefits, pay for food using SNAP (AKA Food Stamps), and receive other benefits.

It’s impossible to overstate how widespread these skimmers are, and how much money criminals make by stealing from poor people. Writing for Businessweek, Jessica Fu describes the mad scramble benefits recipients go through every month, standing by ATMs at midnight on the night of the first of every month in hopes of withdrawing the cash they use to pay for their rent and utility bills before it is stolen by a crook who captured their card number with a skimmer:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-06-28/ebt-theft-takes-millions-of-dollars-from-the-neediest-americans

One of Fu’s sources, Lexisnexis Risk Solutions’s Haywood Talcove, describes these EBT cards as having the security of a “glorified hotel room key.” He recounts how US police departments saw a massive explosion in EBT skimming: from 300 complaints in January 2022 to 18,000 in January 2023.

The skimmer rings are extremely well organized. The people who install the skimmers — working in pairs, with one person to distract the cashier while the other quickly installs the skimmer — don’t know who they work for. Neither do the people who use cards cloned from skimmer data to cash out benefits recipients’ accounts. When they are arrested, they refuse to turn on their immediate recruiters, fearing reprisals against their families.

These low-level crooks stroll up to ATMs and feed a succession of cloned cards into them, emptying account after account. Or they swipe cards at grocery checkouts, buying cases of Red Bull and other easily sold grocery products with some victim’s entire SNAP balance.

Some police agencies are pursuing these criminal gangs and trying figure out who’s running them, but the authorities who issue SNAP cards are doing little to nothing to stop the pipeline at their end. Simply upgrading SNAP terminals to chip-and-pin would exponentially raise the cost and complexity that thieves incur.

Indeed, that’s why every other kind of payment card uses these systems. How is it that these systems were upgraded, while SNAP cards remain in mired in 20th century “glorified hotel room key” territory? Well, as our friends on the right never cease to remind us: “incentives matter.”

When your credit card gets cloned, it’s your banks and credit card company that pays for the losses, not you. So the banks demanded (and funded) the upgrade to new anti-fraud measures. By contrast, most states have no system for refunding stolen benefits to skimmers’ victims.

In other words, all of the anti-fraud in the benefits system is devoted to catching benefits cheating — a phenomenon that is so rare as to be almost nonexistent (1.54%), notwithstanding right wingers’ fevered, Reagan-era folktales about “welfare queens”:

https://blog.gitnux.com/food-stamp-fraud-statistics/

Meanwhile, the most widespread and costly form of fraud in the benefits system — fraud perpetrated against benefits recipients — is blithely ignored.

Really, it’s worse than that. In deciding to protect the welfare system rather than welfare recipients, we’ve made it vastly harder for benefits claimants who’ve been victimized by fraudsters to remain fed and sheltered. After all, if we made it simple and straightforward for benefits recipients to re-claim money that was stolen from them, we’d make it that much easier to defraud the system.

“Security” is always and forever a matter of securing some specific thing, against some specific risk. In other words, security reflects values — it reveals whose risk matters, and whose doesn’t. For the American benefits system, risks to the system matter. Risks to people don’t.

It’s not just the welfare system that prioritizes its own risks against the people it exists to serve. Think of the systems used to fight drug abuse in clinical settings.

Medical facilities that use or dispense powerful pain-killers have exquisitely tuned, sophisticated, frequently audited security systems to prevent patients from tricking their doctors or pharmacists into administering extra drugs (especially opioids). “Extra” in this case means “more drugs than are strictly necessary to manage pain.”

The rationale for this is only incidentally medical. Someone who gets a little too much painkiller during a medical procedure or an acute pain episode is not at any particular risk of enduring harm — the risks are minor and easily managed (say, by keeping a patient in bed a little longer while they recover from sedation).

The real agenda here is preventing addiction and abuse by addicted people. There’s a genuine problem with opioid abuse, and that problem does have its origins in overprescription. But — crucially — that overprescription wasn’t the result of wimpy patients insisting on endless painkillers until they enslaved themselves to their pills.

Rather, the opioid epidemic has its origins in the billionaire Sackler crime family, whose Purdue Pharma used scientific fraud, cash incentives, and other deceptive practices to trick, coerce, or bribe doctors into systematically overprescribing their Oxycontin cash cow, even as they laundered their reputation with showy charitable donations:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/12/monopolist-solidarity/#sacklers-billions

The Sacklers got to keep their billions — and people undergoing painful medical procedures or living with chronic pain are left holding the bag, subject to tight pain-med controls that forces them to prove — through increasingly stringent systems — that they truly deserve their medicine.

In other words, the beneficiary of the opioid control system is the system itself — not the patients who need opioids.

There’s an extremely disturbing — even nightmarish — example of this in the news: the Yale Fertility Clinic, where hundreds of women endured unimaginably painful egg harvesting procedures with no anaesthesia at all.

These women had complained for years about the pain they suffered, and many had ended up needing emergency care after the fact because of traumatic injuries caused by undergoing the procedure without pain control. But the doctors and nurses at the Yale clinic ignored their screams of pain and their post-operative complaints.

It turned out that an opioid-addicted nurse had been swapping the fentanyl in the drug cabinet for saline, and taking the fentanyl home for her own use.

This made national headlines at the time, and it is the subject of “The Retrievals,” a new New York Times documentary series podcast:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/podcasts/serial-the-retrievals-yale-fertility-clinic.html

If the pain medication management system was designed to manage pain, then these thefts would have been discovered early on. If the system was designed so that anyone who experienced pain was treated until the pain was under control, the deception would have been uncovered almost immediately.

As Stafford Beer said, “the purpose of any system is what it does.” The pain medication management system was designed to manage pain medication, not pain itself.

The system was designed to be secure from opioid-seeking addicted patients. It was not designed to make patients secure from pain. Its values — our values, as a society — were revealed through its workings.

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/13/whose-security/#for-me-not-thee

[Image ID: A down-the-barrel view of a massive, battleship-gray artillery piece protruding from the brick battlement of a fortress. From the black depths of the barrel shines a red neon 'EBT' sign.]

Image: Bjarne Henning Kvaale (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oscarsborg_28cm_Krupp_cannon_4_-_panoramio.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

[sillylovingpupper]

So you guys did it again.

So, as of my writing this, Trump is the presumptive winner of the US Election. He hasn't actually won, but barring a major upset he's going to. This time, he's won the popular vote (by a lot, actually, 6 million as of my writing) so there's really not a lot to fall back on. Wow. I have to say, I'm a little less optimistic this time than the last time I wrote a post like this. The Republicans are setting up to have a (narrow) majority in Congress, too. There's a pretty good chance of a full Red government.

So, what do we do now? First and foremost: don't panic. Take a few days, breathe, maybe see how the final votes shake out (we may still get a narrow House victory), but take a few days. Trump isn't going to be president until January. Nothing terrible will happen in the next week or two if you take this chance to rest. Well, not politically. I can't speak for your personal life.

I said something similar in 2016, and I'll say it now. Trump and his people can not change the course of the country quickly. The way this country was designed explicitly prevents that. There's fewer protections now than there were, but the really big, drastic changes he wants to do require an Amendment, which relies on a 2/3rd majority in Congress. The Republicans do not have that. The Trump Republicans don't even have a majority in Congress. So as much as he wants to, he can't gut the country day one. Some of the stuff he wants to do, he can do under Emergency Powers, but not a lot of it. It's not likely that the United States has been dealt a fatal blow today.

However. He can and very likely will make things very difficult for us for the next four years. A lot of Federal Offices are setting up to be staffed by complete loons more interested in breaking things than fixing them. We'll almost certainly see abortion and transgender rights being carved away in the early days of his Presidency, and he has a lot of support for his economic plan. Also he plans to add Musk to his administration, and we know what he tends to do to companies. We'll also probably see a good amount of healthcare in general get cut, and further reduction on corporate restrictions. Trump and his allies are coming into this with a plan this time, as opposed to 2016 when I think even Trump was surprised he won. It's not going to be a big, loud, destructive thing, but there will be damage. This isn't the end, though.

Many of you reading this may feel helpless right now, that's there's not much you can do. You're disabled, you're exhausted from work, you're deep in a red state and in the closet. It's okay to not do something immediately about this.

Living is a rebellious act right now. It's important that you survive. If you have to keep your head down to do it, then do it. Many more of you may be feeling like you can't do enough. Like the only solution is an armed revolt. That may be the case. That's not something I'm really invested in being a part of, for many reasons, but it may be the case, in the worst case scenario. What's even more important, though, is that we come together. Look after each other. Trans people, immigrants, they're in the crosshairs right now, and if you can do something to make them safer, by all means, please do it. If Trump gets his way, a lot of access to education, health, and safety will be curtailed for all of us. This is the time when we pick up where the government steps off. This is the time when we look to our communities, both literally next door as well as online. A strong community trumps the government every time. That's ancient knowledge. It's why the ability for people to organize is one of the first things on the chopping block. So build a community, and be smart about it, especially if you're in a red area. Remember, too, that one of the biggest tools in the fascist toolkit is to divide us along whatever lines they can find. Don't let them. Hold tight. If the person next to you has believes in things that disgust you? As long as they're not harming other people with them, don't push them away. The more united we are, the harder it will be for fascism to grow.

71 million people voting for Trump isn't nothing. But it's less than a quarter of the population. There's still more of us. Protect yourself, protect your loved ones, and don't let anyone tell you it's over for this country. America only falls when we let it.

[soleminisanction]

Honestly, you know where I suspect Good Omens 3 is heading, based on the themes and vibes they've established so far? I suspect that, much like the first two seasons, it'll be an escalating series of shenanigans which gradually pull back to reveal:

a) someone, likely Crowley, realizing that the Tempest quote from the first book/season -- "Hell is empty, all the demons are here" -- is now literally true, with all the demons having legged it to Earth following his example because this is obviously a better deal than being stuck in Hell for eternity (hence the lines about a staffing shortage from season 2)

b) in desperation to continue their war with Heaven, the high honchos in Hell begin recruiting humans (the dead who want out of their punishments, the living who desire power, possibly both) to fill their ranks.

c) Up top, Heaven -- possibly due to Aziraphale's new high position -- starts appointing more and more angels to earthbound posts, possibly in a "counter-offensive" against the demons' "vile incursion." These angels, likely using Muriel as a focal character, quickly learn to love Earth as much as Aziraphale did, diminishing their desire for war and to see it destroyed, and

d) for similarly desperate-to-keep-the-lights-on/war-machine-moving reasons, Heaven starts recruiting humans to fill posts in the higher offices previously filled by angels.

Both sides eventually come to the slow but inevitable realization that humans are better at being good and evil (respectively) than they are. On Earth, the armies of Heaven and Hell have fallen in love with the planet (and possibly each other) and no longer have the heart to see it tested to destruction, and the humans who are now in charge of good and evil respectively aren't interested in ending the game because there's still so much more both sides can still do.

The second Apocalypse is therefore canceled at the last minute as the leaders of both sides throw up their hands, give up, and decide to retire to Earth. The reins of Good and Evil are officially turned over to human control, and it's implied that this was, in fact, Her Ineffable Plan all along -- they are, after all, the only ones with the Knowledge to actually know the difference.

As for our boys, they'll either be reunited somewhere around Act 2 and be instrumental in bringing about the solution, OR they will be hilariously uninvolved in it all and we'll instead get something like Crowley in the aftermath of the climax, doing that gobsmacked staring-at-the-sky in disbelief thing David Tennet is so good at, and just as he gets out a, "What--?!" he'll be tackled to the ground by a rapturously happy Aziraphale.

[macgyvermedical]

So, in PA there is a bill in the senate called the Patient Safety Act that mandates nurse:patient ratios. Obviously, I am a big fan of this bill as it would ease pressure on nurses and improve patient safety outcomes. It is also very bipartisan, with both republicans and democrats being for and against it in similar ratios. The big criticism of the act as it stands is that there are little to no considerations for small, rural hospitals who would find it difficult to meet those ratios without going under (don't have enough nurses, will have to close beds/hospitals). I thought the solution to this was to obviously increase protections for rural hospitals (like making the ratios for them say 1:6 instead of 1:5 for example.) But this has the unintended consequence of making it more difficult for rural hospitals to entice nurses to work for them (who wants to work in a rural hospital with worse ratios when you can make more money with better conditions somewhere else?) It's already difficult for rural hospitals to find staff. Do you have any ideas on solutions to the problem? I was surprised to find out how nuanced this situation really is, and how it isn't just "put in ratios plz" and everything would be fixed.

You're right in that this situation is extremely nuanced, especially when it comes to the fact that we are (as usual*) in a nursing shortage nation wide.

Staffing ratios only work when there are enough nurses to meet demand. A lot of times the goal of staffing ratios is to incentivize hospitals to hire more nurses, but if there are no nurses to hire that doesn't work. So you have to then consider alternatives, like you mentioned- either closing hospitals, or closing beds.

Consider, though, that if hospitals go the route of closing beds to maintain ratios, the acuity (care difficulty/complexity) of those patients the nurses are caring for goes up because lower acuity patients get triaged out.

The "sweet spot" of acuity to number of patients then relies on the number of nurses available to serve a population. That means that populations with a smaller number of nurses have either a higher number of patients per nurse, or a higher acuity patient load than a population with a relatively large number of nurses.

And pretty much everywhere right now, rural areas specifically, there are just too few nurses to make staffing ratios possible at scale.

So. How do you go about providing a high standard of care for patients when there are fundamentally too many patients and too few nurses? The system needs to change. I present a few possibilities below:

Bring LPNs back to the bedside in hospitals: While I don't mind Magnet as an entity and think they do some good things, IMO they royally screwed the pooch by mandating RNs (particularly BSN prepared RNs) only on hospital floors. You can make LPNs a lot faster and cheaper (10-18months, $20,000) than you can make RNs (3 years, $40,000), or BSN-RNs (4-5 years, $80,000). And while you still need an RN license to do things like push IV meds and interpret assessment findings, just about everything else can be done by an LPN. So we need to be using that resource to make more nurses fast.

Institute Team Nursing: You know how you use LPNs efficiently? It's not by giving them a group of patients and having them run around to find an RN every time they need to push an IV med. It's either by having them as a dedicated tasker (doing the time-consuming skilled tasks like wound care, catheter placement, IV placement, etc... for many RNs) or incorporating them into a team. With team nursing, you have an RN, an LPN, and an STNA/Tech all caring for 12-15 patients instead of an RN and an LPN caring for 5 each with a tech helping. The RN does the tasks only an RN can do (assessments, IV meds, plans of care) and communicates with the doctors, the LPN does most of the med pass and skilled tasks, and the STNA does the basic patient care. Since there's 3 people working together instead of separately, it's easier to find someone to help with 2-person tasks like boosting a patient in bed. You would not believe how much time this saves and how much more patient care can actually get done.

Institute Advance Practice Providers (or at least universal contact methods): I'm not saying we have a ton of these either, but you only need about one per floor. See, I can't tell you how much time I used to spend just trying to figure out who to contact about a problem, and how they wanted to be contacted. Because God forbid you text Doctor A instead of paging or page Doctor C instead of calling. Now I work on a floor with an APP and you can just go straight to them and they can either write the order you need themselves or contact the doc who can. Probably a good 15% of my time is back and I'm not even exaggerating.

Change culture around nursing duties: this is a controversial one, but as nurses are spread more thinly than ever and medical acuity has gotten so much higher, the basic care is genuinely getting worse. I have seen this happen over the last 8 years I've been in my job. So. Re-teach families how to care for loved ones in the hospital. Make it culture that if you have a family member in the hospital someone is with them. And when I say with them, I don't mean just visiting. I mean actively caring for the family member. Helping them to the bathroom, helping them dress and eat and clean themselves. Helping them do basics. Entertaining them, distracting them, comforting them. Things we used to be able to do when our patients weren't actively trying to die at all times.

*technically, we have been in a nursing shortage since WWII. But a lot of factors, COVID-19 specifically and a shortage of student slots in RN-level nursing schools, have made things particularly bad in recent years.

[cloudreachtechnology99]

What You Need to Know to Become a Quality Analyst- Cloudreach Technology

Training for quality assurance (QA) analysts is essential for providing reliable goods and services. One of their jobs is to ensure that the company's procedures are constantly being evaluated and enhanced, while also keeping an eye out for any flaws or inefficiencies. Complete training is necessary for anyone who wants to enter the profession of quality analysis or develop their current abilities. In this article, we'll discuss the most important aspects of quality analyst training.

Quality management system (QMS) fundamentals:

Every quality analyst needs to have a firm grasp of quality management systems (QMS). Principles, methods, and frameworks that direct QMS implementation, such as ISO 9001, should be included in training. Learn the ins and outs of quality management processes like planning, controlling, assuring, and improving. Learn the ropes of proper recordkeeping, risk mitigation, and performance evaluation. Learn the ins and outs of internal auditing and nonconformity management.

Statistical analysis and data interpretation for quality assurance trainees:

Strong analytical abilities are essential for QA training (Quality analysts) to examine data and spot trends, patterns, and potential problems. Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma are two examples of statistical analysis tools and methodologies that can give you a framework for making sense of your data. Statistical methods such as process capacity analysis, control charts, and root cause analysis can help you make better decisions and drive process changes. Become an expert user of data analysis programs like Minitab and Excel.

Third, Documenting and Mapping Processes:

In order for QAs (quality analysts) to fully grasp and optimize processes, it is essential that they have access to detailed maps and documentation of such processes. Visualization methods like as flowcharting, swimlane diagrams, and value stream mapping should be covered in training. Figure out how to spot slowdowns, duplications, and optimization openings. Standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and documentation of process control are all examples of required documentation types that you should be aware of. Learn the ins and outs of process documentation, from creation to upkeep, and how to make sure it gets to the people that need it.

Testing and Quality Control Fourth:

Making sure that goods and services are up to par is a big part of what a quality analyst does. Functional, performance, and usability testing are only a few examples of quality assurance techniques that should be included in training. Learn how to plan a test, create test cases, and run the tests. Master the many testing methods, tools, and reporting platforms available. Find out how test automation may improve testing throughput and precision.

Fifth, Cooperation and Dialogue:

Quality analysts need excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work with other departments and at all levels of management. Verbal and written communication abilities, attentive listening, and persuasive presentation abilities should all be emphasized in training. Master the art of meeting facilitation, conversation leadership, and quality improvement negotiation. During the quality improvement process, you may need to work in a team and handle conflicts, therefore it's important to build on your interpersonal skills. Learn to efficiently manage stakeholders and provide information on quality with a wide range of audiences.

Sixth,Ongoing alterations and issue resolution:

Quality analysts (those who receive QA training) need to be good at finding solutions to problems and committed to constant development. Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA), Kaizen, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) are just a few examples of approaches that should be included in training. Find out how to use these tools to pinpoint issues, take corrective measures, and track progress. Training your mind to think critically will help you solve problems in novel ways. Examine the Lean concept and how its principles can be used to cut down on waste and improve efficiency.

Conclusion:

An extensive skill set and formal education are necessary for a career as a quality analyst. You may acquire the skills you need to succeed in this position by studying things like quality management systems, statistical analysis, process mapping, quality assurance, communication, and continuous improvement. Keep in mind that the greatest way to become an asset in the field of quality analysis is to constantly learn and keep up with industry trends and best practices. You may make a major impact on an organization's quality and performance with the correct education and commitment.

Social media has become ingrained in our daily lives because it facilitates communication, information sharing, and recreation. Following us on social media will provide you access to a plethora of information that will improve your life in various ways and keep you informed at all times.

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

#qatraining #qaanalystcertification #qualityanalystcertification #softwarequalityanalysttraining #softwarequalityanalystcertification #qualityassuranceanalystcourse

[tabootabletalk]

100 work from home job opportunities

1. Live Ops- www.liveops.com

2. TeleTech-TeleTech.localjobster.com

3. Amazon-Amazon.JobsOnline.com

4. Sutherland Global Services- http://www.sutherlandglobal.com/careers.aspx

5. UnitedHealth Group-https://careers.unitedhealthgroup.com/career-areas/customer-service-and-claims/customer-service-and-call-center

6. Dell-http://jobs.dell.com/north-America-jobs

7. IBM-www.ibm.com/employment

8. U.S Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov

9. Working Solutions- http://workingsolutions.com

10. Humana- www.humana.com

11. Aetna- https://www.aetna.com/about-us/aetna-careers.html

12. Intuit- www.Intuit.com

13. Kaplan- kaplan.com/work-with-us/our-culture

14. Kelly Services- www.kellyservices.us/US/Careers/KellyConnect/Kelly-At-Home

15. Cactus Communications- https://www.flexjobs.com/jobs/telecommuting-jobs-at-cactus

16. Westat- https://www.westat.com

17. Salesforce- www.salesforce.com/company/careers

18. PAREXEL- https://jobs.parexel.com

19. CyberCoders- https://www.cybercoders.com/jobs/work-from-home-php-developer

20. American Express- https://jobs.americanexpress.com

21. Vmware- telecommuting-jobs-at-vmware

22. SAP- www.sap.com/career

23. Xerox- https://www.xerox.com/en-us/jobs/work-from-home

24. First Data- https://www.firstdata.com/en_us/about-first-data/careers

25. US-Report- www.us-reports.com/jobs

26. Oracle- Oracle-Work.Jobsgalore.com/Jobs

27. CACI International- careers.caci.com/key/work-from-home-jobs.html

28. A Place for Mom- www.aplaceformom.com/jobs

29. Anthem,Inc- careers.antheminc.com

30. DellSecureWroks- telecommuting-jobs-at-dell_secureworks

31. World Travel Holdings- www.worldtravelholdings.com/careers,work-home

32. ADP- www.adp.com/careers.aspx

33. Aon- telecommuting-jobs-at-aon

34. University of Maryland University College- www.umuc.edu/visitors/careers

35. Allergan Inc.- www.allergan.com/careers

36. K12- www.k12.com/careers

37. U.S. Department of Transportation- https://www.transportation.gov/careers

38. CSI companies- thecsicompanies.com/candidates

39. Robert Half- www.roberthalf.com

40. Nielsen- sites.nielsen.com/careers

41. Red Hat- www.redhat.com/en/jobs

42. Adobe Systems- www.adobe.com/careers

43. Overland Solutions, Inc.- overlandsolutionsinc.com

44. BCD travel- www.bcdtravel.com/get-to-know-us/careers

45. Connections Education- www.connectionsacademy.com/careers

46. Deloitte- www.deloitte.com/careers

47. Apple- https://jobs.apple.com

48. Mckesson Corporation- https://careers.mckesson.com

49. Thermo Fisher Scientific- corporate.thermofisher.com/en/home.html

50. Precyse- careers.precyse.com

51. Haynes & Company- www.haynesandcompany.com

52. Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc- www.ppdi.com/careers

53. IT Pro Philadelphia- www.phillymag.com/property/2013/10/22/live-work-homes

54. Cingna- www.cigna.com/career

55. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt- careers.hmhco.com

56. Sungard Availability Services- sungardas.com

57. Infor- www.infor.com/company/careers

58. Sodexo- www.sodexousa.com/home/careers-usa.html

59. About.com- About.com/Can I Work From Home

60. Altegra Health- altegrahealth.com/careers

61. GE- jobs.gecareers.com/

62. Western Governors University- www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/employment/work_remote

63. Grand Canyon University- jobs.gcu.edu/admissions-enrollment-jobs

64. Walden University- https://www.waldenu.edu

65. Vivint- www.vivint.com/company/careers

66. BroadSpire- https://www.choosebroadspire.com

67. Covance- careers.covance.com

68. Ellucian- www.ellucian.com

69. HD Supply- hdsupply.jobs

70. Perficient Inc.- www.perficient.com

71. Teradata- https://www.teradata.com

72. Wells Fargo- https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/careers

73. Symantec Corporation- www.Symantec.com

74. Real Staffing-www.realstaffing.com/en

75. Science Applications International- www.saic.com

76. AmerisourceBergen Company- www.amerisourcebergen.com

77. Appen- www.jobs.net/jobs/appen/en-us

78. Hartford Financial Services Group- https://www.thehartfordatwork.com

79. RetailDatat- retaildatallc.com

80. SYKES- www.sykes.com/Careers

81. CARA- www.jobbankusa.com

82. Citizens Financial Group- citizensbank.jobs/work-at-home

83. CVS Health- cvshealth.com

84. Healthfirst- https://healthfirst.taleo.net/careersection/hf_ext_cs/jobsearch

85. American Heart Association- careers.heart.org

86. BMC software- www.bmc.com/careers

87. Hibu- https://hibu.com

88. inVentive Health- www.inventivhealth.com/careers

89. Rosetta Stone- jobs.jobvite.com/rosettastone

90. Erie Insurance Group- https://www.erieinsurance.com/careers

91. Deluxe- https://ww.deluxe.com

92. Clevertech- https://weworkremotely.com/jobs

93. Achieve Test Prep- www.achievetestprep.com

94. Worldpay- www.worldpay.com

95. DataStax- https://www.datastax.com/

96. CDK Global- www.cdkglobal.com

97. Teleflex- www.teleflex.com/en/careers/workingAtTeleflex

98. Aquent- aquent.com/find-work

99. Parallon- www.parallon.com/careers

100. U.S Department of the Interior- https://www.doi.gov/careers

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ruth Ben-Ghiat at The New Republic:

“Does fascism intend to restore state authority or subvert it? Is it order or disorder? Can you be conservatives and subversives at the same time?” Six months before the March on Rome in October 1922, when Benito Mussolini was the head of the Fascist Party and its decentralized militia movement, he isolated the contradictions at the heart of fascism that remain fundamental to authoritarianism today. During his 21 years in power, 18 of them as dictator, Il Duce framed fascism as a revolution of reaction against the left, against liberal democracy, and against any group that threatened the survival of white Christian civilization. Carrying out a violent destabilization of society in the name of a return to social order and national tradition, fascism pioneered the autocratic formula in use today of disenfranchising and repressing the many to allow the few to exploit the workforce, women’s bodies, the environment, and the economy.

Trumpism is in this tradition. It started in 2015 as a movement fueled by conservative alarm and white rural rage at a multiracial and progressive America. It continued as an authoritarian presidency envisioned as “a shock to the system” that unleashed waves of hate crimes against nonwhites and non-Christians. It culminated in the January 6 assault on the Capitol, which was a counterrevolutionary operation in the spirit of fascism. Its goal in deploying violence was not just to keep Donald Trump in office, but to prevent the representatives of social and racial progress from taking power.

PROJECT 2025 AS COUNTERREVOLUTION

The fascists believed that you have to destroy to create, and this is what a second Trump administration would do. Project 2025 is a plan for an authoritarian takeover of the United States that goes by a deceptively neutral name. It preserves Trumpism’s original radical intent in its goals to “[d]ismantle the administrative state” and “decentralize and privatize as much as possible,” allowing the American people to “live freely.” “[T]he Trump administration, with the best of intentions, simply got a slow start,” Heritage Foundation head Kevin Roberts told The New York Times in January. “And Heritage and our allies in Project 2025 believe that must never be repeated.” The solution to this “slow start”—code for the restraints imposed by operating in a democracy—is counterrevolution.

The plan promises the abolition of the Department of Education and other federal agencies. The intent here is to destroy the legal and governance cultures of liberal democracy and create new bureaucratic structures, staffed by new politically vetted cadres, to support autocratic rule. So new agencies could appear to manage parents’ and family rights, Christian affairs, and other pillars of the new order. The Department of Health and Human Services is poised to have a central role in governance, given the priorities Trumpism places on policing sexuality, weaponizing motherhood, persecuting transgender people and LGBTQ communities, and criminalizing abortion.

During Trump’s presidency, far-right Roman Catholic attorney Roger Severino headed the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services, transforming it into an office that prioritized the protection of the rights of white Christians and the “natural family.” During his tenure, the department banned the use of the words “fetus” and “transgender” in government communications and made other moves long embraced by evangelical Christians and their far-right allies in politics. In the future, this office could be elevated into an autonomous entity. Appropriating civil rights for white Christians furthers the Trumpist goal of delegitimizing the cause of racial equality while also making Christian nationalism a core value of domestic policy. Doing away with the separation of church and state is the goal of many architects of Trumpism, from Project 2025 contributor Russ Vought to far-right proselytizer Michael Flynn, who uses the idea of “spiritual war” as counterrevolutionary fuel.

Even if the Department of Education is abolished, some other entity would appear to take its place, since it is unlikely that the task of undoing liberal democratic models of pedagogy would be left entirely to individual states. Not everyone will be able to homeschool their children—the preferred extremist option, since it removes children from exposure to the multifaith and multiracial environments of public schools. It is not so far-fetched to imagine the special Bible Trump has been hawking, which includes the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance, as a required text in a Christian nationalist curriculum.

Mussolini kicked off his counterrevolutionary police state in the 1920s with new “public security” laws that justified the arrest of anyone deemed a security threat—meaning anyone who opposed fascism from a liberal democratic or leftist point of view. Trump’s assertion a century later that “people within our country” pose “the greatest threat” to the United States, and his desire to “root [them] out,” could translate into counterterror and counterinsurgency operations. These would require a recasting or expansion of existing federal and state security agencies—for example, if the National Guard is federalized or the promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants come into being.

[...]

Personalist leaders organize government institutions around their self-preservation. Their private interests and needs shape party politics, legislative action, and national policy, just as their relationships with foreign autocrats influence foreign affairs. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who served as the translator of Vladimir Putin’s views and desires in Europe for a decade, was able to personalize Italy’s foreign policy. He excluded Italian diplomats from meetings with Putin, allowing only his private translator-envoy, Valentino Valentini, to be present. An Italian parliamentary investigation later revealed that Berlusconi would have received a kickback from the profits of a planned Italy-and-Russia-built South Stream pipeline. Trump holds a similarly proprietary vision of governance, which is why classified national security documents ended up in the bathroom of his private residence in Florida. Like most autocrats, Trump sees holding public office as a means of personal enrichment. 

Ruth Ben-Ghiat wrote in The New Republic as part of their American Fascism series about the right-wing fascist counterrevolution that is brewing in America, and if Trump wins again, America will be headed down the same path as Hungary, Russia, El Salvador, and Turkey.

See Also:

The New Republic: What American Fascism Would Look Like

[kosher-salt]

What's this? An actual blog post on my tumblr.com? It's more likely than you think.

Thoughts from the workplace:

It comes up a fair amount in discussions about Palestine, particularly Gaza, and how to help this region find prosperity and legitimate sovereignty. It comes up in talks about military withdrawals and Afghanistan. And it comes up in geometrical ⬠ courtyards in the American northwest over cups of the world's most classified coffee (where they prefer baristas with security clearances and septum piercings).

It's Japan, and it's Germany, and it's how they were reformed as democratic nations with democratic militaries after WWII.

Two points:

I wonder if the power vacuum and successful democraticization of these nations is what hooked the US on the kill-the-government-throw-money-into-it-and-leave shtick that frankly hasn't been working very well since this fluke. Now ideally, we don't absolutely destroy any more nations or nuke anyone in the future, but there were some aspects of post-war that made this forceful takeover more successful than other, more recent attempts at regime toppling. Firstly, Germany and Japan's governments were decimated. We call this the "clean slate" concept and it relates to cancer as well. You cannot wipe out most of a regime and not expect tangential actors to take advantage and install and equally bad government. You also can't remove part of a tumor and expect the patient to stay in remission.

Point 2 brings me no joy, really. I feel it needs to be said. I'm not happy about this: Germany and Japan are where they are at because of unconditional surrender. This meant that neither Germany nor Japan could negotiate the terms of their post-war military restructuring, allowing the Allies to dictate reforms from the ground up. You want to Japan-ify Gaza? Hell yeah I want to see them thrive, too. But the reality is that this was only possible because the extant, defeated, government had no say in how anything went.

The current government of Gaza is terrorist. The current PA is working with and funding terrorists. You will not achieve Kyoto in the middle east by negotiating with terrorists.

I dislike occupation. It feels like keeping a reactive dog (animalizing the government not the people y'all) on a catching pole.

Preferably the dog is rehabilitated, right? Cool, yeah, but not all reactive dogs are considered rehomeable. To avoid that separate debate, let me expand the metaphor for accuracy: the dog has rabies.

You can't keep it on the pole forever. Frankly it's inhumane. It's putting everyone that has to deal with the dog at risk and it's not sustainable. Nobody is happy, not the people in proximity to the dog, not the dog catcher, and certainly not the dog. But the solution is not to put down the leash.

I hate it I hate it I hate it because it is so hawkish. But doves do not win wars. If you want to go the Japan/Germany rehabilitation route, you are going to have to aggressively cut out all the cancer and cauterize the wound. You're going to have to put the dog down.

You cannot rehabilitate Hamas. Gaza cannot determine the conditions in this scenario. So maybe it isn't the path you prefer under that understanding anymore. That's fine. Or maybe you still desire that outcome, but you're going to have to come to terms with how the path there will not be pretty or peaceful. That's also fine as your stance. I'm not your mom.

But I just don't think progress will be made without coming to terms with the fact that there are people in this world in power that will not cede without fatality or complete removal of capacity of influence. And yes, debate on this subject does impact the opinions and proceedings of what happens behind the scenes where decisions are made. Because Israel, the US, and the EU (all actors in this conflict) have governments staffed by human beings. I'm a human being and I read public thought and debate on this all the time. I engage with it often. I'm doing so right now. I say this with love in my heart for all the dovish people and the patience and kindness you embody: please familiarize yourself with what happened to Japan and Germany and their governments in the process to peace. It wasn't clean cut, but it was effective. It was effective, but it wasn't clean cut. It's not good, it's not ideal, but war is never humane. The best thing to do is to get it over with as quickly as possible and spare the uninvolved as much as possible, but mercy to those involved in an authoritarian regime is not feasible.

Those are just my musings, though.

Anyways I hate my job I should have stayed majoring in environmental science so I could stress about climate change instead of the carnage of war.

Disclaimer: all opinions are my own and not representative of any government. I'm not even directly employed right now I'm hanging out in academia for the time being.... It's somehow less chill.

Actually, one more note: both countries went through rearmament, with emphasis on civilian authority over the military. With Japan, the US forced the 1947 constitution to read that it could only be a defensive military and not a traditional one. Both countries though, it should be added, were rearmed because the US wanted them to act as bulwarks against communist expansion.

So idk man. It's not a perfect enough parallel imo to say we can Japan-ify Gaza but I'm not without hope. I'd say one thing is Israel could promise that the IDF would defend them if they'd be allied or at least normalized relations, but.... who exactly is Gaza scared of? The surrounding countries don't want to annex them. Egypt dislikes them but Israel isn't about to threaten Egypt on Gaza's behalf. So there's not a carrot or a stick in that aspect.