#video analytics in construction

[viact]

A Smarter Site: Maximizing Safety and Productivity with Video Analytics in Construction

Video analytics is the process of extracting useful information from video data. This process has evolved in recent years thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, allowing algorithms to analyze live feeds and generate alerts automatically. Analyzing video data in real time consists of three main functions — detection, classification and tracking. Detection identifies objects of interest, such as people and vehicles, within a video frame and classifies them based on predefined criteria. Tracking functionality automatically follows the identified objects. These functions facilitate analytics, providing valuable, actionable insights into everyday processes for improved decision-making.

[effortssolution]

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[learnastrowallura]

🕯Mercury in Astrology

Information is from Chris Brennan's video on The Astrology Podcast YouTube channel on the topic of Mercury significations <3

Mercury: writing, speech, words, message, reign, translation, conveying, transmitting, information, interpretations, numbers, analysis, reasoning, details, dialogue, exchange, money, businesses, contracts, commerce, negotiating, indecision, disputation, questioning, doubts, distractions, speed, variety, irregularity, verstatility, changing, adaptability, flexibility, instability, inconsistency, knowledge, philosophy, service, teaching, mind, intelligence, intellect, language, communication, learning, poetry, voice acting, narration, acting, sharing, masculine, neutrality

Sun and Mercury:

Sun and Mercury are both centered around intelligence but in different ways; they complete each other. Sun is about divine knowledge and Mercury is about conveying, transmitting or communicating that knowledge or even perhaps analyzing it and extracting more wisdom as well as detail from it so I found this point particularly interesting. Sun illuminates with its rays and gives clarity by providing us with the truth and then Mercury expands on that truth and shares it with others in its charming versatile way as well

Sun vs Mercury sign:

Mercury does not move further than 28 degrees from the Sun meaning that the Mercury sign will always be the sign before or after the Sun sign (zodiacal signs are divided into 30 degrees) and so there is a bit of a differentiation (for lack of a better word) between who we are and the way we communicate and exchange information with other people if the Mercury and Sun signs are not one of the same. First example that comes to mind is having an Aries Sun Taurus Mercury and two people who are quite close to me have these placements; you would not know they were Aries Suns unless u asked hahaha even though one of them is an Aries rising too so that is something I wanted to note as well. Another example would be Sagittarius sun with Scorpio Mercury adding a lot of intensity to the person's communication style as well (which is something I relate to as you will see later on)

Domicile and exaltation:

Sooo Mercury rules over Gemini and Virgo so those are its domicile signs, it is how Mercury can manifest itself most comfortably whilst embodying its true essence. And then Mercury has its exaltation in Virgo as well which is pretty unique might I say and this gives me the vibes of (this my own way of seeing it so take it with a grain of salt) Mercury being more constructive in the sign of Virgo versus in Gemini just because of this particular distinction

But speaking of these two signs I do think they embody their Mercurial energies quite differently and shoutout to my friend @saturnianoracle for giving me the key words to describe this. First of all they are both analytic but Virgo is more of a skeptic I feel while Gemini tends to have more of an open mind. Virgo wants to see the evidence behind certain things to determine the merit or validity, to a certain extent, of the topics at hand to then decides if it wants to invest energy into looking into it more. It is very grounded as well as organized. With Gemini there is a certain sense of childlike curiosity that takes hold of this sign making it want to explore deep topics and of course stimulate its mind; it dives in without thinking and is more disorganized, inconsistent and chaotic I would say, and it loves conversing about its findings as well. I saw a tiktok video ancient astrology based describing Virgo and Gemini as the most intuitive signs which was fascinating to be honest u can watch it here

Detriment and Fall:

Mercury has its detriment in Sagittarius/Pisces and its fall in the sign of Pisces as well and the interesting thing noted in the video I watched (mentioned at the start) is that Sagittarius and Pisces are ruled by Jupiter, the biggest planet ruling over expansion and abundance, and with Mercury being on the smaller side you can really see that distinction of the Mercurial signs really often looking at the detail of things and well in contrast the Jupiter signs seeing the bigger picture. Also Jupiter being a benefic and ruling over luck makes me think that having these two placements is honestly not so bad tbh

Mercury in first house:

Mercury has its planetary joy in the first house of the self, highlighting the utmost importance of the curious, inquisitive and messenger qualities of the planet. What is interesting is the neutrality of Mercury and how we can link that with its joy being in the 1st house; a house that can be above or below the horizon, so even in this regard it stays neutral and does not "pick a side" if that makes sense; "acting as a bridge between the upper and lower hemispheres of the chart, a bridge between the celestial and terrestial realms which are united in the degree of the ascendant".

Source for the planetery joy information is Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan

I have made a more detailed post on planetary joys so check it out <3

Neutrality:

Mercury is not seen as a benefic or a malefic; it is considered a neutral planet. Of course, its manifestation and expression can be positive, negative or stay neutral depending on a few factors, such as:

Being in its domicile (Gemini/Virgo) or its exaltation (Virgo) sign is gonna lead it to manifest in a more constructive/beneficial way

Being in its detriment (Sagittarius/Pisces) or its fall (Pisces) sign would generally lead it to manifest in a less constructive way

Aspecting a benefic planet (Jupiter/Venus) would lead Mercury in this instance to manifest in a more constructive way as it is said to adopt the traits of benefic planet it is associated with

Being in a benefic ruled sign; meaning a Jupiter ruled sign as mentioned beforehand (Sagittarius Mercury, Pisces Mercury) or a Venus ruled sign (Taurus Mercury, Libra Mercury) would manifest in the same manner mentioned above

Aspecting a malefic planet (Mars/Saturn) leads Mercury to take on the traits of that malefic planet as well

Being in a malefic ruled sign so either Mars ruled (Aries Mercury, Scorpio Mercury) or Saturn ruled (Capricorn Mercury, Aquarius Mercury) leads us to Mercury adapting to that malefic's traits again

Triplicity also matters and I will make a detailed post on it soon but for now all I can say is that having Mercury in an air sign (Gemini, Aquarius, or Libra) adds on to the "power" that the Mercury placement has within the chart and the support that it gives to the native; if we are dealing with a day chart then Mercury has moderate support in the air sign in question (Saturn being its triplicity lord), and if it is a night chart then it maintains a powerful position within the chart, being its own triplicity ruler. (Source for triplicity rulership intormation is Ancient Astrology: in Theory and Practice: A manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume One: Assessing Planetary Condition by Demetra George)

That is all!! I wanted to go into more detail tbh but time simply does not allow it these days as I have my internship going on as well but I hope this was informative haha

Thank you for reading <3

Masterlist

Paid readings open

[evediamonte44]

Virgo observations

Having multiple Virgo placements can make you very particular & organized mentally.

Virgo suns

Don’t mean to start off stereotypical but every Virgo sun that I’ve been around has been a perfectionist. Virgo suns are very particular & can oddly notice the most minuscule things ( like if someone changes up their style in the smallest way & Virgo sun will most likely notice) Usually very timid even with sun influence. Hardworking individuals & a little too hard on themselves sometimes. Can be somewhat pessimistic & without meaning to come off a bit judgy (like Micheal Jackson in the “we are the world video” ⬇️)

Video here

Virgo moons

Calm, cool & collected when in distress mostly because they’re to busy overthinking what their feeling to express it freely. Virgo moons that I have been around have always been very trustworthy & practical/make great listeners.

Commonly suffer from stomach issues ( sensitive to certain foods, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating) not uncommon in sun, rising also

Virgo risings

Very clean appearance!!! Unless other placements interfere. Small and petite frame along with youthful & delicate features. Kinda resembles gorgeous elf’s ( kinda weird way to put it I know). Most Virgo risings I’ve seen have had big doe eyes, long well constructed noses, nice cheekbones & with positive aspects clear & unblemished skin.

First glance: shy, reserved, polite, observant

Deeper relationships : great listeners, reliable, analytical (can often help you find solutions to your problems through logic and clear headed thinking)

Virgo mercury

Virgo is ruled by mercury so Virgo mercury’s are very clear communicators & very analytical * unless affected ( mercury retrograde/ a lot of bad aspects). Sharp in communication & very smart individuals processes information and problems practically.

Virgo Venus

Detail oriented with crushes, relationships, love ( which can lead to being picky) most likely not into hooking up or a quick fix *in it for the long term. Love languages include acts of service & words of affirmation. Once you get in close with a Virgo Venus you have their devotion & loyalty. Very fond of clean, mature, & disciplined partners someone who’s a hard worker.

Virgo mars

Very practical & clear headed when angered or upset ( similar to Virgo moons) most likely won’t do any thing rash & destructive. In conflict they mainly act maturely mainly relying on facts & clear mature confrontation. Their drive & ambition is mainly fuel by perfectionism & high quality in their results * although be easy on yourselves watch out for burnouts.

[doshmanziari]

Without a doubt, and by far, the most marginalizing development I've seen within media analysis over the past decade is a shift towards the production of long, flashy videos which tend to require the same for a dialogue to occur. Literally nothing which has been written about Elden Ring, for example, since its release has enjoyed even a fraction of the visibility as a one-hour-and-forty-minutes video by Joseph Smith, or another of similar length by NeverKnowsBest. I don't know when exactly the shift started to happen most obviously -- maybe 2016 or 2017 -- but, today, circumstances are such that pretty much the only way to get real discursive traction on your thoughts about a piece of media is to make a colossus of a video.

Although worried and worrying discourse has complemented the unveiling of newer public A.I. technologies, we've already done a perfectly fine job of out-dating other forms of media communication by way of the aforementioned analytic format; just as, of course, earlier methods of industrial production rendered a whole variety of professions or emphases as outmoded. If you don't have the relevant editing tools at your disposal and/or don't want to spend hundreds of hours cropping footage and making it fit with music and your own narration, well -- too bad! And even then, of course, there's no guarantee that your video will reach your desired scale of an audience. I've found dozens of such videos on YT channels with only a few thousand views, if that; and on each channel it's clear that the people finally gave up after the monumental task of assembling these videos had no equivalent payoff.

Personally, I do still believe in the primacy of the text (or the spoken word, with no competing stimuli); in text as the primary form of critical engagement. More than that -- if I'm going to read a non-fiction work, I want the paged book, and not a digital version. Now, this preference is just that: a preference. And it surely is a preference a good number of people share. I find that a paged book lends itself better to my own retention of the material; and I really enjoy making my notes on the book's paper with a pen. But I don't believe that the construction of multimedia behemoths should be a baseline requirement for discourse.

I wonder if we will, in the near future, start to see some resurgence of the valuation of unembellished textual analysis complementing a more general fatigue with Internet-derived overstimulation. I've already run across numerous channels with fairly sizable communities where there is an appreciation for the "simplicity" of the formats: a person in a room just talking to the camera. I think a lot of people like engaging analysis where the only barrier of significance is devising a good script. To be sure, this is a formidable barrier in itself. I find writing long-form pieces to be the most difficult of any of my creative practices (which include drawing, painting, and music composition). But if writing on media were my main passion or goal in life, I'd feel fairly crushed to know that these projects now required me to put in perhaps quadruple the amount of time to make a blip on the radar of engagement.

EDIT: Thinking on this -- I wonder if there's a parallel to be found in the realm of supplementing one's work with excess-entertainment via social media engagement; e.g., daily Instagram videos. "Excess-entertainment" refers to material that's being made not because everyone who's making it wants to make it, but because each person is now beholden to an abstractly instituted algorithm of engagement -- an algorithm reinforced by audiences who, also under algorithmic influence, will wonder what's going on if a week goes by without something from a Content Creator.

Most artists who I've talked to regarding their Instagram videos say they would be only too happy if they never had to do another upload showing them adding paint or linework to a work-in-progress with lo-fi beats. Similarly, I wonder how many people making these mega-videos actually want to make them, and if we're not rather seeing the production of this material under a mutual, and mutually untrue, assumption of necessity, and the demands of a largely imaginary audience; and how long they'll be able to keep the act up, given the certainly enormous time investments they require (while noting that I am sure the more successful people hire others to do most of the editing for them).

[drdemonprince]

How do you tell the difference between perfectly reasonable bitch sessions about people processing their problems with others/groups, as opposed to having ended up in a clique? I've been in situations a few times in my life where I ended up in a friend group whose complaining about others made me feel very irritated and/or uncomfortable. But I can't tell whether that's a reasonable reaction or whether my own tendencies towards people-pleasing and toxic positivity.

I don't want to give in to a bad impulse to "play devil's advocate" or anything, but my internal reaction tends to be "well, at the moment I'd rather be with them than you" and start looking for chances to make more distance so I won't be privy to those discussions anymore. But then I worry that distancing myself from people because of unexpressed discomfort isn't the right thing to do either.

To further complicate the matter: I also criticize people behind their backs sometimes! I feel like it can contribute to less charged, more robust relationships with those around me. My tolerance for this in general has gone up a bit over the years, and now someone else is doing it about a person whose flaws I've also seen doesn't bother me nearly as much. I can't tell if that's reasonable, hypocritical, or a secret third thing. I feel like I do it with the intention of ultimately getting to know/deal with them better, but maybe that's just toxic positivity talking again.

TL;DR any tips for how to a) identify constructive vs. destructive talking about people behind their backs when I'm privy to it, and b) respond if it seems like the destructive kind?

I think the search for an over-arching rule of what should be acceptable here is the wrong tactic! Rather than worrying so much about whether what you are doing is okay, or hypocritical, or too devils-advocatey, or too fawning, or what's the optimal level and form of talking about other people to which you should permit in yourself and others.... please just let yourself actually trust how you feel! This is an interpersonal vibe issue and how you feel and what you want matters.

It annoys you to be around people who are super negative and judgmental toward others. You think the judgements this person is making of a third party are needless. Just say that! You don't have to have some grand unified theory of why it's not acceptable for them to speak in this way or some established rule set to justify how you feel. How you feel is the point! These are your relationships and you get to decide how you feel about them!

Here are some statements that are totally acceptable to say in this situation:

"I don't really like hearing you talking so negatively about people."

"Can we talk about something else? This is not interesting to me."

"I don't have any problem with them, let's move on."

"When you talk about other people like this, it makes me wonder how you see me."

"Yeah yeah I get it the picture, you don't like them. Played any good video games lately?"

Or, if they are insistent in continuing to complain about people or talk negatively in ways that you dislike and don't listen when you say it's unpleasant for you, you could just not hang out with this person! This is a very legitimate reason to not like somebody.

I had a partner for a while who would constantly talk shit about other people. I'm a hater in a great many ways so at first I thought it was fine. I'm used to people thinking I'm too analytical and too critical so sometimes being around negative people feels safe and accepting to me! And I love a good bitching sesh -- especially in person discussions about online people who are never gonna be hurt or affected by me privately talking shit with my friends.

But I noticed this person I was seeing constantly would pick apart every one else's flaws, including random people they'd only just met, while also complaining often about how they didn't get enough affection or attention themselves... it frankly disgusted me because they could not see that their shitty attitude toward others was the sole cause of their own isolation. I had to end things because it was so viscerally off-putting. This person was always perfectly nice to me. Very generous, affectionate, complimentary, and attentive. It didn't matter because I didn't like how they spoke about others and how much time they devoted to being petty. It was a huge turn off and it can be a massive friendship deal-breaker too. If you don't like it, you don't like it! that's enough.

[razistoricharka]

Agree about the fan thing, I have to admit that I am very annoyed that people do not intellectually engage with the game and just meme-ify it and draw ship art because that's seemingly the way western young adults engage with everything. I'd love to see more historical and ideological parallels and real-life concepts applied to the game. Its breakdown of fate and the restrictions of video games is still better than most "meta" games made today because it actually has something to say for itself and its world rather than relying on a shock value ending. Please do talk about the endings and their implications or characters if you'd like. Also, have you played or considered playing The Void i.e. Turgor? It's another IPL game, even more difficult than Pathologic and absolutely loaded with subtext and philosophy that never gets discussed because it flew under most people's radars.

I've not played Turgor, I ought to get on it once I have time.

And yes, while the explosive popularity it has achieved in recent years has lead to a few analytical skimmings I've never seen as much as a video essay get into interpreting the subtext and worldbuilding. What's much overlooked is that the characters and their fates are the way they are because of the way the world is - and vice versa. The Town is an anachronous construct, lost in history much like the wider eastern block at the time. It's failing to reconcile its past and future, both industrial, colonial, and entangled in a parochial social contract, both mystical and demystified, trapped in an indeterminate past. This is exemplified by the visuals of the world, the reactionary and revolutionary relations between the three groups of the bound.

In short, the social and political landscape of the town is the Russian Empire - an industrialized colonial hellscape of serfdom - but it is also the Soviet Union - a visionary state that sought to turn the former into a coherent, progressive reality, but remained bent and dwindled into, well, you know. The town is subdivided into triptychs, the triptych of chronology, the fractions of the bound and ideologically opposed doctors, and of the town itself. There's a healer for every side, trying to save this disjointed slice of the world, but in the end, it's completely out of our control.

This may come across as a very unorthodox interpretation, but the *true* ending, the revelation that the town was but a game and the efforts and ideological struggle between the healers meaningless is part of a wider political and philosophical critique everyone seems to overlook. It's a criticism of a parochial, inward and in-group focused society that is afraid of death, personal death and the death of narratives.

You see this a lot in the approach to religion and conservatism in this social sphere (a remote town in east europe, for one). The people have no faith in God, but zealously upholds religion to preserve social norms. The people avoid tragedy, any attempt at a deeper insight is mocked, "philosophizing" is frowned upon, the in-group must remain static and timeless in a chaotic world to avert the fear of revelations, of death. A narrative must be upheld.

The town is a closed circle, and the world outside is heard of only in whispers and chatter.

The ending is your first meeting with the real agents of the outside world, The Powers That Be. You find out this closed circle was a sham. It's not a shock-twist, it's mocking the player, the town, the townspeople for believing their bubble mattered, for deluding themselves into intrigue and self-importance trying to avoid the human condition and unpredictable nature of the world - for trying to adhere to a single narrative.

This could be phrased much, much, much better. I'm tired after work though.

[accirax]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round "5")

Hey everybody! So, I've recently gotten into Disventure Camp, just in time to catch the third season near its beginning. As it's been occupying a good chunk of my brain activity for the past couple of weeks, I've really wanted to write something about it just to let some of the brain worms out. Coincidentally, I also started watching Gordon Holmes' Survivor Power Ranking series as season 46 has been airing (although I've watched Survivor since I was a kid), and really enjoyed the format and the questions it incited. So, I figured, why not mash them up?

The Power Ranking format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. If that sounds interesting, I invite you to read on!

Alright, now that we've made it past the Read More, I'll explain the game in a bit more detail, given that this is the first time I'm posting a "theory" like this. (It's "Round 5" because this is off the heels of the 5th episode, but there are no power rankings prior to this one.) The way Gordon's Power Rankings work, you rank each player not based on how likely they are to win overall, but how likely they are to survive the next episode. For the sake of example, let's say I've ranked Kristal as #1 (least likely to go home), Derek as #2, Trevor as #3, Emily as #4, and Oliver as #5 (most likely to go home). When the next episode comes out, you go back and lock in the score of the person who was eliminated. So, back to our example, if it's Derek who winds up going home, then I get 2 points. Bigger scores are better, so, as you can see, it would have been better if I'd ranked Derek lower. Derek's score is the only one that matters for the week, so the rest of my placements don't factor into my score at all.

This format makes more sense when you can compare your score against someone else's (as what happens in Gordon's videos). But, I still think it's a fun format to use, and it'll be interesting to me to see if I perform better or worse than average at the end of the season. Also, if anyone wants to make their own version of the power ranking and fight me, I'd love to see that! (You don't have to write as much as I will, if you don't want to.) I'm actively trying to mansplain manipulate malewife my way into convincing people to watch this show, so the more the merrier in analysis land.

Although I will be making some of the same analytical remarks that Gordon and co. do for the Survivor season, I want to point out that I will be actively acknowledging that Disventure Camp is a work of fiction. Both Survivor and DC create an "edit" by budgeting their screen time towards specific characters and plot lines, so both can be analyzed in that way. However, Survivor is a story constructed in retrospect, based on the reality of who happened to win the game. DC has been a fictional story since the very beginning, and therefore an episode of the cartoon may be more... "controlled" than an episode of Reality TV. For instance, Survivor players irl might not manage to keep all of their tribes at roughly the same number of people, but Odd Nation Cartoons may have built the season in a way that doesn't eradicate one team of All Stars at the very start.

I bring this up because, for this week in particular, I think that a character originating from Season 1 will likely be packing their bags. We've had four eliminations so far, one from the Season 1 cast (Miriam) and three from the Season 2 cast (James, Lake, and Hunter). Given that both casts started out with 9 competitors, this means that 33% of the Season 2 cast is already gone. I don't think it's impossible that a Season 2 character could be eliminated this week, but I'm definitely inclined to believe that it'll be a season 1 character that bites the dust.

Also, as the contestants on Gordon's show are able to use the "Next Time on Survivor" segment in their analyses, I think that using the trailer for next episode is entirely fair game! Spoilers for the Episode 6 trailer, if you're trying to ignore that. I don't know how much I'm going to reference it, but it'll probably be at least a little bit.

With that out of the way, let's start with the character who I think is the least likely to go home!

#1: Tess

Tess is in a really good position right now as the Cyan Team's swing vote. Aiden will want to take out Ellie as a member of the villains alliance and the one behind Lake's elimination. While it's unknown how much stock Ellie will continue to place in the girls' alliance, she still sees Tess as her friend, and therefore the best option to reach out to for a third vote to take out Aiden or Tom. Therefore, neither Aiden and Tom nor Ellie and Gabby should be looking to eliminate her.

I also feel like they're going to want to have Tess reunite with Ally at the merge, which is another reason why she might stick around. Then again, I might've thought the same of Hunter, and we saw how that went for him last episode. Still, as both Tess and Ally's characterizations revolved around Hunter in Season 2, I at least have interest in seeing how the two girls would progress without their collective crush around.

And, on top of all that, Tess is a Season 2 character. I find it very hard to believe that Tess will be eliminated next episode.

#2: Aiden

Alright, this choice is definitely leaning more on the meta side than the gameplay side. Gameplay wise, if Tess decided to side with Ellie and Gabby, it could be very easy for Aiden to be the target of their votes. But, I just don't think that Odd Nation Cartoons would want to eliminate Aiden at this point in the competition. The man is a fan favorite!

Of course, that was true of James as well... but, that only furthers my point. Given that James and Lake have already been eliminated from the competition, getting rid of Aiden would wipe that entire friend group of characters out. In my opinion, it would be odd for Aiden to have that confessional about playing for James, Lake, and himself, only to be eliminated three episodes after Lake. Aiden is also still a major plot point in the Jake/Tom romance that I think they'll want to keep around for a little longer.

Also, if the theory that James will return to the competition at some point (because he hasn't had a "reading the patrons names" segment yet) turns out to be true, I suspect that they'd want Aiden to still be in the competition for his return. Aiden should be safe.

#3: Jake

You know who else is a part of the Jake/Tom plotline? Jake. I don't think our favorite(?) whiny idiot has his head on the chopping block right now, despite being a S1 character.

Although, Jake's safety is actually mostly not a meta read. I just straight up think that his elimination would be the most baffling on the Magenta Team. Ally could go home if the Jake/Ashley/Fiore alliance decides to finish what they started when they eliminated Hunter. Fiore could go home if, now that the couple has been split up, Jake and Ashley unite with Ally to take out one of the villains. Even if Ally and Fiore somehow had the power to band together and use a totem or something to send one of Jake or Ashley home... I still think it would be Ashley. That's partially based on meta logic of considering Jake a more important character than Ashley, but there are in-universe reasons why they might choose to eliminate Ashley over Jake, too. For Fiore's sake, Ashley has more of a vendetta against her specifically. Ashley is also an athletic and friendly person who could situate herself very well if she made the merge, whereas Jake (who's already demoralized at Miriam's exit) would likely only incite more conflict and use his vote in petty ways. (Sorry to Jake fans lol, I'm kinda slandering your boy.)

Anyways, any other Magenta elimination makes more sense to me than Jake, so I think he's pretty safe.

#4: Tom

Rounding out the Jake/Tom/Aiden love triangle, we have Tom at #4. It's a lot of what I've already covered with Jake and Aiden. There's so much drama yet to be had with this trio that knocking down one of its legs (specifically, the central leg) at this point feels like a loss. Also, I really don't understand why the Cyan girls would choose to eliminate Tom instead of Aiden, which means I'm basically predicting that both of the Cyan boys are safe. That includes Tom, so, good for him!

#5: Ally

And once again, we're looping back to a prior entry. For Tess to reunite with Ally at the merge, Ally has to make it there, too. So, despite her boyfriend's fate, I think Ally will be sticking around for a little while longer.

It's a bit counterintuitive, but I sort of think that Ally will stay because it would be too obvious if she went home. Jake, Ashley, and Fiore eliminating Ally in a 3-1 vote is exactly what you would predict would happen looking at the tribe on the surface. So, for the sake of intrigue, I feel like something would happen to prevent it. In the preview, we see her having one-on-one conversations with Ashley and Jake, so maybe they would feel bad for her and decide to flip on Fiore. Maybe Ally could pull an epic gamer move and find an idol to play on herself. That could be in conjunction with Fiore and her connections to the villains alliance, or it could not.

Tess, Aiden, Jake, and Tom I was pretty confident about, so Ally is the first entry where I'm a little worried putting her this high. But, I have faith in her (especially as a S2 character) to not get the boot in this upcoming episode.

#6: Fiore

This might just be the Fiore stan in me, but I don't think she'll be going home next episode. I mean, she's literally been blessed by the gods! What am I supposed to do against that?

Fiore is in a pretty decent position, being allied with Jake and Ashley while also being on pretty decent terms with Ally. She's also just, like, way smarter than the majority of the competition, so if she found herself in a tight spot, I could see her manipulating someone to weasel her way out of it. Fiore is also a potential winner pick of mine (again, I'm a Fiore stan), and her elimination at this stage could prevent her from making the deep run that would result in her return to the Final 2.

Despite all of this-- and this is a slight aside-- I actually think that Jake and Ashley may have made a mistake in eliminating Hunter over Fiore last episode? They said it was better for their strategy, but I don't think that's necessarily true. It would be a good move for their strategy if they could count on Fiore being a solid alliance member at the merge, but it's pretty obvious she has no allegiance to the S1 duo. She literally already has an alliance-- the villains alliance-- that she would most likely bail to if she makes it to the merge. If Jake, Ashley, Hunter, and Ally all voted to eliminate Fiore, they could diminish the threat of the villains alliance and put their own feud on pause. If Hunter is correct, and getting rid of Fiore prevents them from losing any more challenges, than the feud never has to be unpaused, and all four of them make the merge. The only way that Jake and Ashley could run into trouble is if Magenta does have to go back to Tribal as a foursome. Then, it could be problematic for them if they were forced to turn on each other at Hunter and Ally's whim, because the couple (who were already fighting with each other!!!) could be unwilling to turn on one another, preferring to leave things to chance.

It feels like the narrative has already saved Fiore twice-- once via Alec and once via Jake and Ashley's "strategy"-- so I believe that the narrative has greater plans for Fiore yet. It could be reuniting with Alec. Who knows? (Please be reuniting with Alec. Please be reuniting with Alec--)

#7: Ashley

Um... so I just straight up don't think that Magenta is headed back to Tribal next episode. Surprise!

Like I said, these predictions are just about the next episode. And, given that Magenta just went to Tribal and is low on numbers, I don't think that they'll be headed back there. Therefore, none of them would be next episode's boot.

It's not a given, as the Purple Tribe got pretty demolished in S1, but for an All Stars season, I don't think Odd Nation would want the eliminations to be so unfairly stacked in one direction. I could be making an incorrect call here, because, logically, I really don't know why the Magenta Team would be any good at the musical challenge that's shown in the preview...? I just believe in them, I guess. You can retroactively apply this same reasoning for bonus points on Jake, Ally, and Fiore's entries as well.

Anyways, Ashley! Out of the Magenta Team, I do feel like she's the most expendable, perhaps because she was the earliest elimination from S1, and came back without most of her allies from S1 (Will, Lill, Nick). We also already got the resolution to the fire plotline that was left dangling in S1, which means there aren't many more questions I have about her character.

On the other hand, why bring Ashley back if you didn't have bigger plans for her this time around? They've eliminated a lot of people who made it close to the end at the beginning this time, so it would stand to reason that some of the people who were eliminated closer to the beginning might make it closer to the end. The potential of Ashley bonding with some of the S2 competitors at the merge is great for bringing some new iconic relationships to life.

Even if I think Ashley may be the most expendable, I don't really think that any of the Magenta players are narratively expendable, which is why I placed them all so high. I'll be eating my words if they're headed to Tribal next time, so these guys had better rock on at the immunity challenge!

#8: Riya

And now, for Magenta's counterpart, a team composed of people that I feel like all have an argument for leaving sooner rather than later... the Yellow Team.

I don't remember if it was on YouTube or Tumblr, but I recall seeing someone theorize that Riya might be the next boot because of how much she's annoying her team. She's pushed Connor away, stirred up drama with Yul, and is shown hogging the team's shower in the episode preview. It would make sense if Riya's selfish and villainous actions led to her downfall, so, at first, I liked this logic, and planned to put Riya near the bottom.

However, when I actually started counting votes... I just didn't see it. Even if Connor and Riya's relationship is strained, I don't know if he would be willing to eliminate someone he cares about. Yul believes that Connor voted for him last time, so he'll probably be out to take revenge on Connor. Grett, at this point, would most likely vote with him. Alec too, as long as he lets his strategy of keeping the villains team in power beat out the friendship he's begun to form with Connor. Where are the Riya votes? I'm not really sure.

I think that the theorizer is on the right track with predicting that Riya's bad attitude will eventually lead to her elimination. However, I don't think she'll be off the Yellow Team just yet, so she lands at #8 for me.

#9: Connor

Counting votes made it seem like Connor would be the next boot from the Yellow Team... so why do I have him as the second least likely to go?

Well, much like Ally, I feel that Connor's elimination is so obvious that it wouldn't pan out that way if a Yellow Tribal actually happened. There are definite cracks in the seams that could lead to votes not going in an obvious direction-- with Miriam's blow to the alliance, Alec might see Connor as a better confidant than any of the villains, and/or Grett might see what a terrible boyfriend Yul is and decide to flip on the villains. We also don't know exactly how Riya feels. She certainly acts as if she doesn't care if Connor stays or goes, but the truth is that she hasn't actually been "forced" to vote for him yet by her alliance. If push came to shove, who knows what she'd choose?

Combined with the fact that he (and Riya) are S2 characters, I think Connor would manage to survive a vote if Yellow is headed to Tribal. I'm not that confident about it, though, so he lands at #9.

#10: Yul

And here's Yul, our lowest placed S2 competitor in this ranking. If a S2 character is headed home this week, I think it would probably be him. He was a terrible person in S2, and has continued to be a terrible person in All Stars, so it's easy to see why the players (and the audience) might want him out of the game. Grett, my beloved, please lead the charge in kicking this asshole off the tribe.

However... there's also evidence to suggest that Yul won't be going home so easily. Beyond just being a S2 character, the end of this episode (and part of the preview) established that Yul has some sort of connection with Emily, our mysterious new staff member. I don't know exactly what this relationship is-- my original guess was that Emily could be Yul's manager, but their interactions in Episode 1 (as well as Grett's interactions with Emily in Episode 1) make me feel like that wouldn't be the case. Regardless, there's something going on between him and Emily, which adds some intrigue to Yul's character.

I have also considered that this relationship with Emily might be a one-episode thing, an interaction that actually spells doom for Yul instead of longevity. However, as this is one of the first major things we've seen Emily do, I feel like her connection to Yul may be a major aspect of her character and even why she exists. If that's the case, Yul may be quite important to the season, and be set up to make a very deep run.

However, my uncertainty on why Emily has summoned Yul and belief that the Yellow Team has good reason to eliminate him prevents him from taking one of the top spots. ...There's still a good amount of space below him, though.

#11: Gabby

A good part of why Gabby is ranked this low is because she's a S1 character, I'm not gonna lie. But I do genuinely believe she could be in trouble next episode, and here's why.

As opposed to S1, in which she was a staunch defender of the environment, insecure and petty, and a little bit insane, Gabby's character in All Stars seems to have been simplified to "Ellie's peppy girlfriend." She did refuse to eat the chicken last episode, but I feel like S1 Gabby would have, like, threatened to take their heads off if they beheaded the chicken. The portion of the preview for next episode where Gabby has the crazy eyes makes me hopeful that that aspect of her character will be making a comeback, but we'll have to see what happens.

For now, her role has been pretty limited, which makes me think that she could be an early boot from the season. She doesn't seem to have any new plot threads introduced, new developments in her character as a result of what happened in S1, or important relationships, other than with Ellie. If she were eliminated next episode, that could be because Gabby is in little enough of the show that there wasn't enough time to give her a proper character arc.

The reasons behind why the Tribe (presumably minus Ellie) would unite to eliminate Gabby are a little fuzzy, but not completely implausible. If Gabby were to be eliminated, I think it would be as a blow to Ellie, getting rid of her closest ally. That could tie in to why so much of her characterization this season has been linked to Ellie-- if being in a relationship with Ellie is the reason why Gabby is eliminated, then that's all we need to know about her in All Stars.

#12: Alec

Oh Alec... I hope you make it out of this episode alive.

This may come as a surprise to some people, as I've seen speculations that Alec may be set up to be the season's main villain. However, I'm worried that his strong entrance may be a front intended to get him some screen time before he exits the competition shockingly early.

You see, while Alec is currently the mastermind of the Yellow Team, it's a rather precarious position to be in. The villains alliance seems to have remained stable enough to near-unanimously take out Miriam last time they went to Tribal (even though Riya didn't wind up voting for Miriam, she was conceptually fine with it). However, I doubt that Miriam's silver "Alec is untrustworthy" bullet will go unused. If Alec attempts to push his luck by trying to force people into votes they don't want to make, or if his friendship with Connor causes others on the team to suspect that he's playing both sides, the alliance could revolt against its leader.

I still think that Alec will probably survive until the merge, just so that we can see his relationship with Fiore evolve further. Who knows, maybe he really is the season's main villain, and will finally make it to the final 3 he feels he was robbed of in S1. However, I think that Alec's vote could be a reasonable blindside on the audience, which makes me worry that it's the right narrative move to take.

#13: Grett

Oh Grett... I'm even more worried about you than Alec. Clearly. Because you're directly beneath him.

Look, I really want to believe that Grett will be able to stand up for herself this season and absolutely demolish Yul, getting to play the rest of her game after his departure in whichever way she sees fit. However, sometimes the villains have to win in order to create stakes, and I could see a temporary Yul-over-Grett victory doing just that.

An unfortunate step in her journey to becoming a better person, Grett has totally tethered herself to Yul, a relationship in which she seems far more invested than he. As opposed to her bossy demeanor in S1, she's taken too many steps back, and seems to automatically yield to whatever Yul has to say. Her characterization this season is very linked to his presence, which makes me wonder what she would do if he left the show. She could go align with the villains alliance herself, but... is she really that much of a villain anymore without Yul?

And, that's part of the problem. I can very easily see a plot line where, next episode, Yul continues to put Grett down, and does so increasingly after Yellow loses the challenge. Grett finally musters some of her old courage and lashes back at Yul a little, saying that it's not her fault that they lost. Then, Yul reports to Alec and Riya that Grett tried to backstab him, and doesn't want to work with the villains anymore. Alec and Riya, who both didn't really want to vote for Connor anyways, agree to take out Grett to 1) split up a potentially problematic duo and 2) make their alliance look like it's weakened. Grett goes home with a broken heart, but has at least learned that she shouldn't stand by Yul any longer. Maybe she could get some revenge from beyond the grave later on in the season somehow, like cancelling him during the finale or something like that.

Really, the biggest flaw I can see is that... I don't know if Yellow is going to be losing the immunity challenge. Part of their performance was in the preview for next episode, and it looked pretty good! I feel like Odd Nation Cartoons wanted to show us something super cool to get us hyped for the next episode, so getting us really excited over the team that turns out to be the losers would be a little confusing. Who knows, maybe there could be some level of sabotage for the Yellow Team that causes their otherwise excellent performance to fail.

I don't know if I would have come to the conclusion of Grett being a possible boot if I didn't think a S1 character was going home... but now that I have, I'm afraid that I've seen the writing on the wall.

#14: Ellie

And yet, Grett is not in last place, because Ellie is.

Call it a gut feeling, but I kinda get the vibes that Ellie might be the season's next boot. It doesn't make sense, right? Ellie has strong relationships with so many characters, from Tess to Alec to Jake. She, too, could be in contention for the title of season villain. Why would they get rid of her so early?

Well, much like Alec, I fear she may have been too villainous too fast. Her negative connections to so many different characters leads to it making a lot of sense to vote Ellie for a lot of reasons. Does Tom want to get revenge for his and Jake's breakup last season? Vote Ellie. Does Aiden want to avenge Lake and keep himself and Tom in the game? Vote Ellie. Does Tess want to decrease the numbers of the villains alliance? Vote Ellie. That's three votes for Ellie, and Ellie is eliminated. I don't even think she would be saved by a totem, given that Ellie has already been saved by a totem once before, and it would be kind of repetitive for Gabby and Ellie to do that again.

Now, you could argue that eliminating Ellie here would cause the same problems for Gabby as it would eliminating Yul for Grett. I struggled to see what Grett would do in the game if Yul was eliminated. Wouldn't Gabby be the same, after I detailed why I thought her character had been simplified to be tied to Ellie?

Not exactly. A post-Yul Grett confuses me a little because I think that getting rid of Yul would uplift Grett. It would remove the struggles that her character is facing, and leave her characterization less complex for it. On the other hand, a post-Ellie Gabby makes sense because getting rid of Ellie would create more problems for Gabby. Once again, she would have been stabbed in the back by her tribemates (including Tom and Tess, who she considers friends), but not even have Ellie or a totem to lean back on this time. She might want to burn her tribemates to the ground, but if she acts up too much, she could be next in line. And despite her desire for revenge, she would have to wonder... who was really the bad guy in the elimination, her tribemates or her girlfriend?

I think it's possible that Gabby's character may have been simplified for now because the inciting incident of Gabby's All Stars characterization is Ellie's elimination. Prior to that episode, we establish how much Gabby cares about Ellie, so that when Ellie exits, we feel how much it hurts Gabby. We've seen how Ellie acts after Gabby was eliminated before, so I think it would be far more interesting to see the opposite in All Stars. Also, Ellie has made it to the final before-- twice, if you count the original "Adventure Camp" season-- so it would make sense if, this time, she was kicked out closer to the beginning.

Much like with Grett, the main issue I have here is that I don't know if the Cyan Team would lose this competition, either. They have a lot of artistic people on their team, which makes it seem like they would thrive. However, if Cyan isn't losing, and Yellow isn't losing, that would mean that Magenta is losing, and I've already said why I don't think Magenta is going to lose. So, maybe Cyan is overconfident in their performance, or maybe another team (Magenta?) tries to sabotage them so that the team can take out Ellie (or Aiden, if it's Jake's idea). Maybe the performance has to be a rock song, and the Cyan team is all really bad singers. (Okay I just learned that apparently Aiden's VA is a very talented singer. Maybe Aiden won't sing or something.) I don't have enough details yet.

And, that's the end! I've never done a power ranking before-- not even for Survivor, which I've been watching for years, as opposed to Disventure Camp's "less than one month"-- so I have no idea how well I'll do. Are my instincts good, or are my expectations and the writers' decisions worlds apart? I guess I'll have to see when the next episode airs, and create my round 6 predictions accordingly. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this new project of mine!

[yvesdot]

re: folgers incest commercial, have you seen this video about it? its quite the engrossing watch i swear https://youtu.be/wjdrUksw8b0?si=gPPONGDInapbSTdF

(under cut due to content)

That's actually where I started! A coworker suggested it after I mentioned the GQ article, which was a tactical error, as much of the video is just a verbal presentation of (information from) that article, before CJ gets to the fanfiction... which, and I will only say this because it is anonymous, is not quite Dante's Inferno. And that is alright! That is the nature of writing fanfiction; the most popular thing is rarely trying to get deep with it. Most people most often head to AO3 with the intention to Feel Things and naught more, and this is simply how art works. (Also why most fics in the tag, as CJ notes, are "extremely horny.")

However, because the video is focused on a fanfiction which doesn't really accomplish anything for me emotionally (I'm sorry!), even the analysis CJ does there doesn't touch on what's really interesting to me, which is the base question of what is and is not appropriate for a brother and sister to do, and why.

For example, at 21:00, CJ acknowledges that it sounds like they're "defending incest" but instead of engaging with that fact and why what they're saying sounds like that and whether they are or not and if so, why, they just crack a joke ("I'm not defending incest! I'm defending incest between these two!") and move on. Which, to be clear, is fair not only because this is their video and their channel and they're having a good time talking at us but also because this is the Internet and why in the world would anyone seriously engage with this discourse on the Internet... but it does leave me unsatisfied.

Now, this is not an analytical video—it is a "friend telling you about something weird on the Internet" video. This is a time-honored tradition on YouTube and one I have been frequently disappointed to see maligned! (It's also the only kind of video I make on my own time.) This is just my explanation for why it didn't satisfy my specific desire, you understand, which is an irritating obsession with The Family Structure.

For reference, a Whatsapp message I sent to my family groupchat after they said I was insane for talking about the inherent incestuous underpinnings of the father/daughter relationship:

[In the historical construction of the family as a tool of empire, all members are crucial tools of labor production.] Women are producers of tools of labor-production—producers of people. An individual woman is therefore more akin (societally speaking) to a domestic-laboring barn animal than a person (persons being men, those who perform “real” respectable physical or intellectual labor). It is incumbent upon the father, owner and master of the family unit, to ensure the market value of his asset, his daughter, by preventing her chastity (the source of her value to a prospective husband, the father’s business partner) from being damaged (including by the daughter herself). He can subcontract out this task to the brother, who, being the father’s heir, has a vested interest in maintaining all of his assets (including, in this case, the daughter). This is the reason for the brother’s possessiveness and protectiveness over his sister—he is imitating the primary master’s behavior both to curry favor with the man who is still his master and in preparation to become the master himself. When the daughter is married off, she becomes the property of the husband. She is an essential part of his household, performing domestic labor and producing the new “workers” of his estate: the sons and daughters of their home. Obviously, this makes a wife a lucrative asset, which explains why the father is so intent on preserving her value for future sale.

You can see this in the fic CJ discusses, and yet they don't address it. It's maddening, if you're mad to begin with, which I am. Otherwise it's just a human being focusing on the things that interest them personally, which is completely reasonable and fine.

The only other things I've read that reference the Folger's commercial are the coffin game (which is similarly uninterested in overturning these [grave]stones for investigation; fair enough) and a self-published piece by a traditionally published author whose piece also did not interrogate this—in that case seemingly due to restrictions on discussing certain subject matter in publishing, which was very disappointing but unavoidable. And there is such thing as a different audience from me. I'm just waiting on something that compels me on the specific dynamic question of how brothers (should) act with their sisters and why. And do you know what has done this best, so far?

User cassieclaire's fic The Mortal Instruments.

[stillfruit]

It takes me a long time to understand some things if they're not too obvious so I had a difficult time watching true detective a few years ago. Do you have any tips to rewatch it and maybe understand a little more? 👉👈

omg of course, i love to hear that you would want to rewatch true detective (applies to s1 only i haven't watched beyond that)!!

to base this a little, please don't worry over understanding and not understanding something too much. everyone thinks, experiences and processes media differently, and our understandings of what counts as 'understanding media' also differ (understanding in different contexts can mean an analytical understanding of the core themes identified through a specific framework, or an emotional reaction and a feeling of connection to the thing that's difficul to articulate, and so on and so forth). there's no universal objective level of 'understanding' and what you deem is enough for you is enough! being comfortable and confident enough to interpret things yourself while remaining receptive of other perspectives (including the perspectives of the story and its author) is what's most important in 'understanding' things. also secondly, not everything is for everyone and sometimes something just doesn't click because of that.

i'm not sure what aspects specifically you would want to understand more, but here are few things on how i approach the story:

there are overall themes i find interesting in true detective such as (toxic) masculinity (it's about men who are bad in specifc and systemic ways), narratives (internal as in how you construct yourself, like marty consistently justifying cheating on maggie; and external and institutional, like religion), power and autonomy (police and people with money have the power to do what they want), and existentialism (rust lacks overall meaning of why he is alive). they serve as lenses through which you interpret the story - kind of like picking an academic framework (theory) and looking at the data (story) through that.

there are many things that happen in the story and because s1 was so big back in 2014 there are numerous thinkpieces and video essays about it, all of them picking various aspects they see as central. because true detective is what it is (surface level edgy dudebro nihilist police man annihilates everyone around him by being so nihilist and cool show), some are very bad. i'm not that interested in the kind of analysis that looks super closely at the intertextual aspects of the story, for instance, or "the philosophy" of it (if that means looking at what rust says, taking that at face value, and connecting the story to existentialist philosophy based on that). just reflect on what interests you and see how the story looks and feels when examined through those perspectives.

a lot of the time i like looking at things through and by focusing on characters, and i think this is especially crucial when it comes to true detective (which is a heavily character driven story. sure it of course matters that they are police and that they are in louisiana and that there are murders etc but those things are not what the story is about). looking at a character contextualizes that character (what they say and do and represent) and rust is an excellent example of this. he talks in a cynical and pessimistic manner, looks down upon others, is very capable in terms of violence, is alienated and alienates other people, is obsessive, has issues with substance abuse, and his house is the definition of that one r/malelivingspace meme.

however, when you look at what he has been through and how he behaves (as well as how the narrative treats him) these things are contextualized not as 'behaviour you should look up to and which is good and correct from the perspective of the story, or at the very least is very cool and/or edgy, because he's the protagonist' (media analysis 101) but behavior of someone who struggles with ptsd, trauma and his own feelings of empathy in a world that has been very unkind to him since his childhood. when rust is saying things like 'time is a flat circle nothing can change' he's coping and trying to make himself believe it because he's incapable of processing, realizing, or externalizing any of the trauma he's been through or any of the care he feels in a healthy manner (which is quite explicit in, for example, how he empathizes so intensely with people who are dead). he's brilliant at rationalizing everything and it's terrible for him. the ways in which marty constantly lies to himself are quite explicit and rust is one of the people pointing them out, but rust is coping by creating his own narrative of his self and the reality all the same.

(better articulations of his character specifically are to be found eg here, here, and here)

so, maybe if i were to articulate the core thing for understanding true detective (or really any media) it would be looking at what happens on screen in the story in terms of actions and speech and then reflecting on how that relates to what's 'actually' going on, what kinds of things are being left unsaid, and why. there are various explicit examples of the theme of narratives and unreliable narrators as well that tell you that this is what's important (such as the interrogation narration of the ledoux confrontation and showing on screen what actually happened).

something i do when i watch or read media (that is engaging enough in a good or a bad sense to warrant this) is writing about it on my personal notes app (now obsidian so i can organize everything) in the same way i would talk about it to someone else. i also save interesting writings etc there so i remember and find them later, and write my own thoughts on those things there as well, having my own private discussion with them (which. is a lonely thing to do but shh).

few blogs who have written super interesting things about true detective which i highly recommend you check out (because seeing the perspectives of others is inherently one of the most enriching experiences and helps you understand so much) include @inkandcayenne and @sketiana. iirc there are some good video essays on youtube as well but i can't name any because it's been too many years since i watched any.

a central thing that makes true detective so meaningful to me personally is exactly the fact that many of the themes i care about in it are not super explicit or vocalized in obvious ways (saying 'i want to die because i'm sad' doesn't hit but describing death as a warm and welcoming substance does). i hope you have fun looking into where you find emotion and meaning <3

sorry this went a bit off track tldr have fun and be yourself, lmk how you feel about the story afterwards if you want!

[samuelryanlilly]

In Memoriam of Social Media

Social media is dead. At least in the way we used to know it. Social media used to be an exciting idea. Using the internet to easily and conveniently connect with other people around the world. Keeping in touch with family. Sharing with friends. Meeting entirely new people. A brand new way to connect online beyond the forums and instant messaging chatrooms of old. And we quickly saw a social media boom of platforms throwing their hat in the ring with their own spin on the concept. MySpace. Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. YouTube. Twitch. Reddit. Vine. And many more! Of course, we're on Tumblr right now, aren't we? And each one had a bit of its own identity. Photos. Videos. Streaming. Blogging. Chatting. You picked your platform based on what you wanted to do and/or see. If only we knew how good we had it.

Soon these platforms began to become so successful that making an appealing space for its users fell into a lower priority. The new bottom line? Profit. Your average user isn't exactly looking for ads, subscriptions, premium features locked behind paywalls, and overall site construction that is built to promote the largest money-makers over functionality and the content we signed up to see. Sadly, it has only gotten worse with the way users have adopted the new business-like view of running their pages as well.

These days you'll be fighting ever-changing algorithms simple to be seen by other human beings just looking to connect. When you DO get seen or see something you like, it's most likely that you'll be engaging with influencers that are more concerned about their analytics than a real conversation. I understand you can't respond to 100 comments in full conversations daily, but when it's so hard to find another genuine person on such large platforms... it's a problem. It has become parasocial media at best and anti-social media at worst.

To make matters even more grim, it seems like there's not much in the realm of alternatives. As the big names lose their identity by combining text, photos, videos, messaging, and streaming all into every single platform, the more specialized competition is too small to pick up the slack yet. You can't go to an alternative and expect anywhere near the level of users to interact with. There's just no room for them. The most positive I can be about this situation is to say... pick your poison.

If you're trying to grow, make money, get famous, promote... then you're pretty stuck with the biggest platforms, for better and for worse. In sickness and in wealth. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. BUT there IS another way.

Find those smaller, niche platforms that suit you and your interests. Give them a chance. Find your flavor of social media that's more than just a reskin of the old giants. Sure, you'll see a lot of the same faces around a lot. The numbers will probably never be amazing at least for years to come. I don't think we'll have a golden age of social media again at this point. But you CAN have a great time just going back to talking with real people. No ads or algorithms or influencer bullshit. Just genuine connections with people online. For a lot of people, including myself, that's all we really want. Those places exist. It's possible. You just have to look a little to find them.

Feel free to comment or message me if you have lesser-known platform suggestions for people to check out. Personally I've been using FUZE a lot for gaming content. Or if you just want to talk on here, that's cool too.

F

[sp-epari-digitalmedia]

The Simulation in Ghost-Runner Through Baudrillard's Spectacle of Simulacra

BLOG 4: SIMULATION IN GAME

While exploring the wide world of video games, I became aware of an odd phenomenon: the differing levels of relatability between different games. Some felt strangely detached to me, despite being deeply rooted in or inspired by our reality. Conversely, there were some that I could really relate to that were only found in the world of fiction. Of these, Ghost-Runner stood out as an intriguing outlier. Paradoxically, it held me in a manner that few others could. It was strikingly devoid of any concrete connection to the outside world.

Until I came across the theories of Simulation and Simulacra, the mystery remained. With my newfound understanding, I set out on an analytical journey using the Spectacle of Simulacra by Jean Baudrillard as my compass. The objective was to ascertain what in Ghost-Runner's virtual world prompted such a feeling of familiarity. Come along as we investigate the relationship between philosophy and gaming, trying to find the answer to the fascinating question that has been bothering me: What aspects of the game's portrayal resonate so deeply with me?

About Ghost-Runner

Ghost-Runner is a dynamic first-person action slasher game, where players step into the shoes of an agile android ninja armed with a katana. With slick parkour-inspired moves like wall running, sliding, and time manipulation, players ascend neon cyberpunk skyscrapers, confronting foes with each potent swing. Set in a dystopian city governed by the oppressive Key-master and plagued by violence, poverty, and class inequality, players aim to reach the top, uncovering the technology to stand against enemies and revealing the secrets of their identity. This cyberpunk adventure delivers an adrenaline-fueled experience, seamlessly blending abilities and melee combat for ultimate satisfaction in a futuristic world torn by conflict.

Academic Standpoint

Two key studies have shaped my perception of how media is portrayed through simulation.

First of all, a fundamental framework is provided by Jean Baudrillard's investigation of simulacra. According to Baudrillard, reflection is exploring ideas in order to offer different points of view—basically, trying to reflect the real picture of the social or natural world that is bounded by preexisting boundaries. He breaks down the simulation process into three essential steps: simulation, which indicates copies without the original; series, which indicates copies of copies of the original; and counterfeit, which indicates copies of the original. (Grandy and Mills, 2004)

Additionally, the work of Mark J.P Wolf and Bernard Perron, outlined in their book, introduces the idea that to simulate is to model a source system through a different system while retaining some of the behavior from the original system. This perspective adds another layer to the examination of Ghost-Runner, allowing for a nuanced understanding of how the game constructs its virtual reality and the implications of this simulated environment on player experience. These academic foundations serve as guideposts in unraveling the intricacies of Ghost-Runner's portrayal and its alignment with theories surrounding simulation in media studies. (Perron and Wolf, 2013)

Noticeable Game Features and Analysis

In dissecting the notable features of Ghost-Runner, various elements come to the fore, providing rich material for analysis.

Cultural Reference Points

Swords and Katana

The game uses swords and katanas that are typically associated with ronin or samurais, drawing inspiration from the rich cultural history of mediaeval Japan. This representation, which was assembled from various video games, websites, and gaming platforms, turns historical allusions into entertaining content for viewers.

Conceptual Synonymity

Self-Sufficient Building

The primary theme centers on an autonomous building, a notion that finds resonance in the ongoing development of The Line in Saudi Arabia, which is an independent city housed inside a structure. This real-world parallel fits with modern architectural advancements and lends credibility to the game's story.

Hierarchy within the Building

The in-game societal organization is conceptually underpinned by the hierarchical settlement of elites on upper floors and the less fortunate on lower levels, which is modelled after historical social structures such as the French feudal system or the Hindu caste system.

Hyper-real Environment

Japanese Elements

The backdrop, which has a lot of Japanese aesthetics and is reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077, is another example of how various media forms work together to create an environment that seems extremely real. The gaming experience is enhanced by this intertextuality.

Post-apocalyptic Elements

The post-apocalyptic setting, a recurring motif in television shows and films like Wall-E and The Walking Dead, adds to the hyper-real setting by portraying a world that has been completely destroyed and altered by terrible events.

Simulated Identities

Android Protagonist

The game joins the conversation about human-machine hybrids by introducing an android protagonist. With allusions to a variety of media, including Iron Man, Chappie, Terminator, DC Cyborg, and Chappie, Ghost-Runner delves into the complex effects of technological progress on identity.

Prosthetic Limbs

The development of prosthetic limbs in real life serves as the basis for the animation of the hand in the first-person perspective. This integration bridges the gap between speculative fiction and current technological possibilities and gives the character an additional layer of authenticity.

Conclusion

Essentially, Ghost-Runner is a game that goes beyond traditional gaming experiences because it skillfully combines historical, cultural, and hyper-real elements. It does this by providing an insightful journey that can be viewed through the prism of Jean Baudrillard's Spectacle of Simulacra. The game creates a visually stunning and emotionally impactful hyper-real environment by fusing references to mediaeval Japan with a post-apocalyptic, futuristic story. From a conceptual standpoint, Ghost-Runner draws inspiration from actual events, like Saudi Arabia's The Line, which gives the story more plausibility. The game's artificial intelligence (AI)-driven hierarchy and exploration of simulated identities, which include an android protagonist and prosthetic limbs are modelled after historical counterparts. In addition to being a game, Ghost-Runner is a sophisticated investigation of simulation and reality that challenges players to consider how the boundaries between the virtual and the real might become hazier in the constantly changing world of digital storytelling.

Reference

Grandy, G. and Mills, A.J. (2004) 'Strategy as Simulacra? A radical reflexive look at the discipline and practice of strategy*,' Journal of Management Studies, 41(7), pp. 1153–1170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00470.x.

Perron, B. and Wolf, M.J.P. (2013) The Video Game Theory Reader, Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203700457.

PlayStation (2020b) Ghostrunner - Launch Trailer | PS4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt8yOLn8vmo.

[digitaldetoxworld]

E-Commerce Marketing: Strategies and Techniques for Success best shoes for plantar fasciitis women

 Best shoes for plantar fasciitis women e-trade advertising is the spine of online retail achievement. It incorporates a wide range of strategies and strategies aimed toward driving traffic, increasing conversions, and building long-time period purchaser relationships. As the virtual marketplace turns into increasingly aggressive, know-how and implementing effective e-commerce marketing techniques is critical for thriving in this dynamic surroundings.

Understanding Your Audience

red leather couch with chaise lounge effective e-trade advertising starts with a deep expertise of your target audience. This includes developing targeted customer personas that include demographic information, shopping for conduct, pastimes, and ache points. Tools like Google Analytics, purchaser surveys, and social media insights can offer precious records about your target market. By knowledge your clients’ wishes and possibilities, you could tailor your marketing efforts to cope with their particular goals and demanding situations.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization  is a vital element of e-commerce marketing. It includes optimizing your online keep to rank better in search engine consequences pages (SERPs) for applicable key phrases. Key components of e-trade search engine optimization encompass

Keyword Research

 Identifying keywords that ability customers use while looking for merchandise similar to yours. Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can help in locating high-value key phrases.

On-Page SEO

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Technical SEO

 Ensuring that your website’s technical components, along with website velocity, cell-friendliness, and steady connections (HTTPS), are optimized. Search engines prioritize fast-loading, steady, and cell-optimized websites.

Backlink Building

Acquiring incredible back-links from legitimate sites can decorate your website’s authority and enhance its ranking in seek outcomes.

Content Marketing

Content Marketing is an effective manner to have interaction capability customers and build emblem authority. Types of content which could pressure visitors and conversions encompass

Blog Posts:

Writing informative and tasty weblog posts associated with your merchandise or enterprise can appeal to and hold customers. Topics may include product critiques, how-to guides, or industry information.

Videos:

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User-Generated Content

Encouraging customers to create and percentage content associated with your merchandise can construct agree with and offer social evidence. This can include evaluations, testimonials, or social media posts proposing your merchandise.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing systems are effective tools for e-commerce advertising. They provide opportunities to reach and engage together with your target market in a more personal and interactive way. Effective social media advertising techniques consist of:

Platform Selection

Choose the right structures based totally on where your audience is most lively. Popular alternatives encompass Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.

Content Strategy

 Develop a content calendar that consists of a combination of promotional posts, enticing content, and consumer-generated content. Use wonderful visuals and compelling replica to seize interest.

Advertising

Social media advertising and marketing allows you to target particular demographics, interests, and behaviors. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide advanced targeting alternatives to reach ability customers effectively.

Engagement

Actively have interaction with your audience via responding to feedback, messages, and opinions. Building a network round your brand can foster purchaser loyalty and increase emblem advocacy.

Email Marketing

Email advertising remains one of the simplest channels for driving conversions and maintaining client relationships. Key electronic mail advertising techniques encompass:

Segmentation

Divide your e-mail list into segments based on factors like buy history, browsing conduct, or demographic records. This permits you to ship customized and relevant content to different corporations.

Automation

 Implement computerized e mail campaigns for moves along with abandoned cart reminders, publish-buy comply with-ups, and personalised product tips. Automation facilitates nurture leads and encourages repeat purchases.

Content

 Create enticing and precious content material on your e-mail subscribers. This ought to encompass distinctive discounts, product updates, or academic content material. Ensure your emails have a clear call-to-movement (CTA) that drives recipients on your website.

Testing and Optimization

Continuously check distinct factors of your email campaigns, which includes difficulty lines, content, and sending instances. Use analytics to track open costs, click-through fees, and conversions to optimize your campaigns.

Paid Advertising

Paid Advertising can supplement your natural advertising and marketing efforts and power targeted site visitors to your e-commerce web site. Key types of paid advertising encompass

Pay-Per-Click 

Platforms like Google Ads permit you to bid on keywords and show commercials in seek effects. PPC advertisements can pressure immediately site visitors on your site, and effective key-word focused on is vital for maximizing ROI.

Display Ads

Display advertisements appear on websites and apps throughout the internet. They can assist increase emblem consciousness and retarget site visitors who have formerly interacted together with your web site.

Social Media Ads

 Social media platforms offer various ad formats, consisting of backed posts, stories, and carousel commercials. These commercials may be enormously targeted primarily based on user pastimes, behaviors, and demographics.

 Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing involves partnering with individuals who have a large following on social media or different digital systems. Influencers can help sell your products to their target audience thru true endorsements. To leverage influencer advertising correctly:

Identify the Right Influencers 

Choose influencers whose followers align with your target audience. Consider factors like engagement rates, content style, and authenticity

.Collaborate on Content: 

Work with influencers to create engaging content that showcases your products in a natural and relatable way. This could include sponsored posts, reviews, or unboxing videos.

Measure Impact: 

Track the performance of influencer campaigns by monitoring metrics such as referral traffic, engagement, and conversions. Use this data to assess the effectiveness of your partnerships.

 Data Analytics and Insights

Data analytics is essential for measuring the fulfillment of your e-commerce advertising and marketing efforts and making data-pushed decisions. Key metrics to display include

Website Traffic

Analyze site visitors resources, user conduct, and conversion paths to recognize how visitors have interaction together with your web page.

Conversion Rates:

 Track the proportion of traffic who complete a preferred motion, which include making a buy or signing up for a publication.

Customer Acquisition Cost

 Measure the fee of acquiring a new consumer thru diverse advertising channels. This helps check the performance of your advertising spend.

Return on Investment (ROI)

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[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

Callum Benjamin Ilott

Birthdate: Nov. 11, 1998 Hometown: Cambridge, England Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana Height/Weight: 5’10”/136lbs

Rookie Year: 2022

Team: Super Sub (The first driver teams call when they need a substitute driver.)

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter Twitch YouTube

Career Stats

2021: 3 races with Juncos Hollinger Racing - 38th Overall 2022: Juncos Hollinger Racing - 20th Overall 2023: Juncos Hollinger Racing - 16th Overall

The Side Pod (with Marcus Armstrong) You Tube

WEC 2024 Hertz Team Jota Hypercar

Callum and Tatiana Calderón were team mates in 2015 with George Russell in European F3. Felix Rosenqvist was the series champion that year

Felix worked with the Prema F3 team in 2017 which was the year Callum raced with Prema in F3

he went to the same school as Devlin DeFrancesco and Enaam Ahmed who drives with Juncos in Indy pro 200 (for anyone interested in F1/F2 Oscar Piastri, Jehan Daruvala and Clem Novalak went there too)

He first met Conor Daly in 2013

he was meant to drive Romain’s Haas car during an FP1 session in 2020 but it was rained off

at the end of April 2022 he was asked on twitch who his friends in IndyCar were and he could only name Conor and Christian Lundgaard

he was karting rivals with Alex Palou

Competing in his second full season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Juncos Hollinger Racing.

Member of the Ferrari Driver Academy who served as Scuderia Ferrari’s test driver and one of Alfa Romeo’s reserve drivers in 2021. Also raced in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Iron Lynx and co-drove an Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 to LM GTE AM class podium at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Finished second in FIA Formula 2 in 2020 with three wins and five pole positions.

Enjoys swimming, climbing, building remote-controlled cars and video games.

Looking forward to learning American sports.

Favorites - TV Show: "Money Heist;" Movie Star: Chris Hemsworth

Says racing heroes are Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

Allergic to cats

Iconic/memorable moments 2022 INSIDE THE RACE // CALLUM ILOTT AT MID-OHIO 'It was a CHAOTIC race!' | Sky IndyCar Vodcast: Callum Ilott Indy 500 Open Test Day 1 Report with Callum Ilott Calum Ilott INDY 500 CRASH - 2022 Indianapolis 500 Screaming Meals - Episode 002 - Callum Ilott Screaming Meals - INDYCAR! ft. Callum Ilott St.Pete IndyCar Race Recap with Callum Illott and Marshall Pruett TRACK WALK // GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND CALLUM ILOTT GIVES PACERS DRAFT PICKS TOUR OF IMS CALLUM ILOTT: The F2 Star Talks F1, Indy, and Rolling w/the Punches | THE RED FLAGS PODCAST Interview with INDYCAR Driver Callum Ilott from Juncos Hollinger Racing Aeroscreen saves Callum Ilott from debris! | Onboard IndyCar Texas 2022 Callum Ilott Talks About His Indy500 Debut | KC Happy Hour Callum Ilott Interview After Topping Final Practice | 2022 NTT IndyCar Series at Barber ‘How do racing drivers wee?’: Watch IndyCar Ace Callum Ilott Answer Your Questions Callum Ilott becomes friends with a frog…

Callum is easygoing and happy, with a ready grin. He’s one of the friendliest people in the paddock with fans and other drivers alike. He’s got the typical dry British sense of humor and can be self-depreciating, except when it comes to his racing. In that area, he is analytical, confident in his own abilities and ready to offer constructive criticism to his team every time he gets out of the car. He built his team up from scratch in 2022, often finishing races higher than his car was capable of and with the addition of a second car and driver, is continuing to lead the way. Rumors abound that he is headed for a bigger and better team in the near future. While his current contract is for several years, only 2023 is guaranteed and there are likely several different options available to him and the team concerning where he will drive.

Fanfic Lore

Paired with Kyle Kirkwood. Ship name kirklott Paired with Marcus Armstrong due to their time together as roommates and in F2. Members of the Ferrari Acadamy together.

Paired with Mick Schumacher (F1). They raced together in F2. Members of the Ferrari Acadamy together.

[kaurwreck]

may i suggest you IEUqLL8J4gI on youtube? spoiler: it's not actually about killing gods in jrpgs

I don't love video essays because of how they tend to conflate, oversimplify, and often misstate or misrepresent information. They also tend to be poorly organized/structured. I think this video falls into similar issues, and its framing of Japan is infantilizing and orientalist at times.

Your summary is a good example of why it's not well constructed— the essay should, actually, be about killing gods in jrpgs. Context isn't supposed to distract from the thesis; it's supposed to support and provide an analytical lens. Nothing exists in a vacuum (not even American video game tropes, despite what the intro implied, or even the outro with its overextension of classical theology). But I think the creator misses background context relevant to the point, overattributes to the West (and in doing so, strips substantial autonomy, sovereignty, and culpability from Japan), and conflates Eastern philosophies and religions (and attempts to compare both to the West without considering comparably influential Western philosophy at all). The essay also suffers from a common issue in media analyses online in that the essay contains very little actual analysis (the analysis doesn't begin until after 1 hour into a 1.5 hour video— and is very rushed with only thin connections made to only some of the background information).

But, I do appreciate the recommendation, and it was definitely interesting. I can only be critical because of the sheer amount of background I've inhaled and because I don't think I'm necessarily the target audience. I also struggle to critique anything unless there's something substantial enough to latch onto, and so, as far as I'm concerned, the fact I have specific criticisms at all speaks well of the recommendation.