#website design tools 2024

[maduraimart]

Top 10 Website Design Tools

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital design, staying ahead of the curve is essential for creating stunning websites. As we step into 2024, the world of website design has seen a surge in innovative tools that streamline the creation process and elevate the overall user experience. Here, we present the top 10 website design tools that are revolutionizing the industry in 2024. Top 10…

[wizzy-ai-powered-site-search]

Learn How Wizzy’s Complimentary UI/UX Design Enhances Search Experiences - Wizzy.ai

Discover how Wizzy's complimentary UI/UX design transforms search experiences, offering faster, intuitive, and more engaging interactions. Learn how enhanced web design improves user satisfaction, boosts conversions, and delivers exceptional search results tailored to your needs.

[dream-site-pro-review]

Dream Site Pro Review - Good or Bad?

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is not just an option, but a necessity. Whether you’re a small business owner, a freelancer, or an entrepreneur, your website is your digital storefront, the place where first impressions are made and lasting relationships are built. But let’s face it—building a professional, eye-catching website can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not a tech wizard. Enter Dream Site Pro, the game-changing platform designed to simplify website creation with the power of AI.

What is Dream Site Pro?

Dream Site Pro is a revolutionary AI-powered tool that allows anyone to create stunning, professional WordPress websites in just minutes. Whether you’re an experienced web designer or a complete beginner, Dream Site Pro provides the tools and templates you need to bring your vision to life without the headaches of coding or design complexities.

How Does It Work?

Dream Site Pro’s magic lies in its simplicity and AI-driven features. Here’s a step-by-step look at how it works:

1. Select a Theme: Start by choosing from over 200 beautifully designed templates, organized into more than 30 niches. Whether you’re looking to create a site for a coffee house, a travel blog, or a dental clinic, there’s a template that fits your needs.

2. Customize with Ease: With the intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily tweak the layout, colors, fonts, and other design elements to match your brand. The AI tools also offer suggestions to enhance your site’s appearance and functionality, ensuring it looks professional and is user-friendly.

3. Enhance with Features: Dream Site Pro comes packed with built-in features like call-to-action management, Google Maps integration, and social media tools to boost engagement. For e-commerce needs, the seamless WooCommerce integration allows you to set up an online store effortlessly.

4. Publish and Optimize: Once you’re happy with the design, you can publish your site with a single click. Dream Site Pro handles all the technical details, ensuring your website is fast, secure, and optimized for SEO.

5. Manage and Grow: The platform includes advanced lead management and analytics tools, helping you track performance and refine your strategies. Plus, with the built-in autoresponder integration, you can automate your email marketing to nurture leads and drive conversions.

Why Choose Dream Site Pro?

AI-Powered Efficiency: Dream Site Pro leverages AI to simplify and accelerate the web design process. From automatic SEO optimization to compliance with ADA and GDPR regulations, the AI handles it all, letting you focus on what matters most—your business.

Cost-Effective Solution: Forget about expensive developers or recurring monthly fees. Dream Site Pro offers a one-time payment for lifetime access, making it a budget-friendly choice for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Versatility and Customization: With a wide range of templates and customization options, Dream Site Pro is versatile enough to cater to any industry or niche. The drag-and-drop editor and AI enhancements ensure that your site is not only unique but also highly functional.

Commercial Licensing: Looking to expand your business? Dream Site Pro comes with a commercial license, allowing you to create and sell unlimited websites to clients. It’s a fantastic opportunity for freelancers and agencies to boost their revenue.

Comprehensive Support and Training: Dream Site Pro provides extensive training resources and dedicated customer support to help you every step of the way. Whether you’re setting up your first website or managing multiple client projects, you’re never alone.

Real Success Stories

Dream Site Pro isn’t just another web design tool—it’s a catalyst for success. Take Sarah, for example, who skyrocketed her website traffic by 200% after switching to Dream Site Pro’s AI-powered designs. Or John, who saw a 300% increase in revenue within three months of using the platform. These are just a few examples of how Dream Site Pro is transforming businesses and lives.

Conclusion

In a world where digital presence is key to success, Dream Site Pro offers an unparalleled solution to web design challenges. It’s more than just a tool; it’s a partner in your entrepreneurial journey, empowering you to create stunning websites with ease and efficiency. Ready to take your online presence to the next level? Discover the power of AI with Dream Site Pro today and watch your business soar.

So why wait? Unleash your creativity and build your dream website with Dream Site Pro now. Your digital future awaits!

[reasonsforhope]

"Tilia is a vest-wearing conservation dog that the 444-acre [Mequon] nature preserve relies on for vital conservation and restoration work.

The dog’s responsibilities include sniffing out invasive and endangered species in the prairies, forests, and wetlands of Mequon.

Conservation dogs have become more commonplace in wildlife organizations, tapping into their astonishing scent-detecting abilities.

“Dogs in general already have up to 200 million olfactory sensors,” Cory Gritzmacher, the director of operations at the nature preserve, told Wisconsin Life.

Humans, on the other hand, have about 5 million.

“[Dogs are] already set up and designed for scent detection,” Gritzmacher added. “It’s really just finding a dog that’s motivated, that wants to do it on a regular basis and is excited to do it.”

Tilia was the pup for the job.

One of her main roles is to detect wild parsnip, an invasive species that staff removes once it is found on the property.

Compared to humans, Tilia can find parsnip in its first year, while it’s still close to the ground and camouflaged by other plants. This is vital, since parsnip will start to spread rapidly by the time it reaches its second season in the preserve. 

Studies show that the estimated damage caused by invasive species has cost the United States around $120 billion annually, as it impacts agriculture, recreational industries, and wildlife management. 

By catching invasive species that take hold of local flora and fauna early, Tilia achieves something no humans can.

“The best trained volunteers or staff in the world won’t even be able to find what a canine can,” Gritzmacher said. “That’s the pretty impressive part of it. And who doesn’t want to go to work with a dog?” ...

Tilia began training as a puppy, and now nearly seven years old, she’s a pro at scent detection — which all started with some treats hidden in cardboard boxes...

“As she continues to hit on the correct scent, then she gets rewarded. So, she’s going to get paid again. We do our work, we get paid. She does her work, she gets paid.”

Tilia can also spot Blue-Spotted and Easter Tiger Salamanders, which are endangered in the area. Her other scents include Wood Turtle and Garlic Mustard.

Of course, her workload remains balanced with time off. Her official owner is the director of Mequon Nature Preserve, who is happy to embrace her as the family dog when she’s not out sniffing.

But Gritzmacher, who trains and works alongside Tilia, adores her, not only for her companionship, but for the miracles she is able to work as an asset to Wisconsin’s conservationists.

“Canines are going to start to play a huge role in the conservation field just because of their amazing detection skills,” Gritzmacher said, “especially when resources are limited, staff is limited and you have to search potentially thousands of acres or miles.”

In fact, Tilia was joined by a partner in crime a few years ago: Timber, another chocolate lab who is actually the offspring of Tilia’s sister.

By following in her pawprints, Timber’s “powerful nose will be a key tool” in the preserve’s “land restoration efforts,” according to its website.

“For years, scientists have tried to replicate the power and efficiency of the canine nose,” Mequon Nature Preserve adds on a webpage for Tilia and Timber.

“The results keep coming back the same: The canine nose is second to none. Coupled with an insatiable desire to work and serve, Tilia and Timber help us find things humans often can’t.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, December 2, 2024

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Google reneged on the monopolistic bargain

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and TOMORROW in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!

A funny thing happened on the way to the enshittocene: Google – which astonished the world when it reinvented search, blowing Altavista and Yahoo out of the water with a search tool that seemed magic – suddenly turned into a pile of shit.

Google's search results are terrible. The top of the page is dominated by spam, scams, and ads. A surprising number of those ads are scams. Sometimes, these are high-stakes scams played out by well-resourced adversaries who stand to make a fortune by tricking Google:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/phone-numbers-airlines-listed-google-directed-scammers-rcna94766

But often these scams are perpetrated by petty grifters who are making a couple bucks at this. These aren't hyper-resourced, sophisticated attackers. They're the SEO equivalent of script kiddies, and they're running circles around Google:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Google search is empirically worsening. The SEO industry spends every hour that god sends trying to figure out how to sleaze their way to the top of the search results, and even if Google defeats 99% of these attempts, the 1% that squeak through end up dominating the results page for any consequential query:

https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf

Google insists that this isn't true, and if it is true, it's not their fault because the bad guys out there are so numerous, dedicated and inventive that Google can't help but be overwhelmed by them:

https://searchengineland.com/is-google-search-getting-worse-389658

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Google has long maintained that its scale is the only thing that keeps us safe from the scammers and spammers who would otherwise overwhelm any lesser-resourced defender. That's why it was so imperative that they pursue such aggressive growth, buying up hundreds of companies and integrating their products with search so that every mobile device, every ad, every video, every website, had one of Google's tendrils in it.

This is the argument that Google's defenders have put forward in their messaging on the long-overdue antitrust case against Google, where we learned that Google is spending $26b/year to make sure you never try another search engine:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-27/google-paid-26-3-billion-to-be-default-search-engine-in-2021

Google, we were told, had achieved such intense scale that the normal laws of commercial and technological physics no longer applied. Take security: it's an iron law that "there is no security in obscurity." A system that is only secure when its adversaries don't understand how it works is not a secure system. As Bruce Schneier says, "anyone can design a security system that they themselves can't break. That doesn't mean it works – just that it works for people stupider than them."

And yet, Google operates one of the world's most consequential security system – The Algorithm (TM) – in total secrecy. We're not allowed to know how Google's ranking system works, what its criteria are, or even when it changes: "If we told you that, the spammers would win."

Well, they kept it a secret, and the spammers won anyway.

A viral post by Housefresh – who review air purifiers – describes how Google's algorithmic failures, which send the worst sites to the top of the heap, have made it impossible for high-quality review sites to compete:

https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/

You've doubtless encountered these bad review sites. Search for "Best ______ 2024" and the results are a series of near-identical lists, strewn with Amazon affiliate links. Google has endlessly tinkered with its guidelines and algorithmic weights for review sites, and none of it has made a difference. For example, when Google instituted a policy that reviewers should "discuss the benefits and drawbacks of something, based on your own original research," sites that had previously regurgitated the same lists of the same top ten Amazon bestsellers "peppered their pages with references to a ‘rigorous testing process,’ their ‘lab team,’ subject matter experts ‘they collaborated with,’ and complicated methodologies that seem impressive at a cursory look."

But these grandiose claims – like the 67 air purifiers supposedly tested in Better Homes and Gardens's Des Moines lab – result in zero in-depth reviews and no published data. Moreover, these claims to rigorous testing materialized within a few days of Google changing its search ranking and said that high rankings would be reserved for sites that did testing.

Most damning of all is how the Better Homes and Gardens top air purifiers perform in comparison to the – extensively documented – tests performed by Housefresh: "plagued by high-priced and underperforming units, Amazon bestsellers with dubious origins (that also underperform), and even subpar devices from companies that market their products with phrases like ‘the Tesla of air purifiers.’"

One of the top ranked items on BH&G comes from Molekule, a company that filed for bankruptcy after being sued for false advertising. The model BH&G chose was ranked "the worst air purifier tested" by Wirecutter and "not living up to the hype" by Consumer Reports. Either BH&G's rigorous testing process is a fiction that they infused their site with in response to a Google policy change, or BH&G absolutely sucks at rigorous testing.

BH&G's competitors commit the same sins – literally, the exact same sins. Real Simple's reviews list the same photographer and the photos seem to have been taken in the same place. They also list the same person as their "expert." Real Simple has the same corporate parent as BH&G: Dotdash Meredith. As Housefresh shows, there's a lot of Dotdash Meredith review photos that seem to have been taken in the same place, by the same person.

But the competitors of these magazines are no better. Buzzfeed lists 22 air purifiers, including that crapgadget from Molekule. Their "methodology" is to include screenshots of Amazon reviews.

A lot of the top ranked sites for air purifiers are once-great magazines that have been bought and enshittified by private equity giants, like Popular Science, which began as a magazine in 1872 and became a shambling zombie in 2023, after its PE owners North Equity LLC decided its googlejuice was worth more than its integrity and turned it into a metastatic chumbox of shitty affiliate-link SEO-bait. As Housefresh points out, the marketing team that runs PopSci makes a lot of hay out of the 150 years of trust that went into the magazine, but the actual reviews are thin anaecdotes, unbacked by even the pretense of empiricism (oh, and they loooove Molekule).

Some of the biggest, most powerful, most trusted publications in the world have a side-hustle in quietly producing SEO-friendly "10 Best ___________ of 2024" lists: Rolling Stone, Forbes, US News and Report, CNN, New York Magazine, CNN, CNET, Tom's Guide, and more.

Google literally has one job: to detect this kind of thing and crush it. The deal we made with Google was, "You monopolize search and use your monopoly rents to ensure that we never, ever try another search engine. In return, you will somehow distinguish between low-effort, useless nonsense and good information. You promised us that if you got to be the unelected, permanent overlord of all information access, you would 'organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'"

They broke the deal.

Companies like CNET used to do real, rigorous product reviews. As Housefresh points out, CNET once bought an entire smart home and used it to test products. Then Red Ventures bought CNET and bet that they could sell the house, switch to vibes-based reviewing, and that Google wouldn't even notice. They were right.

https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/welcome-to-the-cnet-smart-home/

Google downranks sites that spend money and time on reviews like Housefresh and GearLab, and crams botshittened content mills like BH&G into our eyeballs instead.

In 1558, Thomas Gresham coined (ahem) Gresham's Law: "Bad money drives out good." When counterfeit money circulates in the economy, anyone who gets a dodgy coin spends it as quickly as they can, because the longer you hold it, the greater the likelihood that someone will detect the fraud and the coin will become worthless. Run this system long enough and all the money in circulation is funny money.

An internet run by Google has its own Gresham's Law: bad sites drive out good. It's not just that BH&G can "test" products at a fraction of the cost of Housefresh – through the simple expedient of doing inadequate tests or no tests at all – so they can put a lot more content up that Housefresh. But that alone wouldn't let them drive Housefresh off the front page of Google's search results. For that, BH&G has to mobilize some of their savings from the no test/bad test lab to do real rigorous science: science in defeating Google's security-through-obscurity system, which lets them command the front page despite publishing worse-than-useless nonsense.

Google has lost the spam wars. In response to the plague of botshit clogging Google search results, the company has invested in…making more botshit:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked

Last year, Google did a $70b stock buyback. They also laid off 12,000 staffers (whose salaries could have been funded for 27 years by that stock buyback). They just laid off thousands more employees.

That wasn't the deal. The deal was that Google would get a monopoly, and they would spend their monopoly rents to be so good that you could just click "I'm feeling lucky" and be teleported to the very best response to your query. A company that can't figure out the difference between a scam like Better Homes and Gardens and a rigorous review site like Housefresh should be pouring every spare dime it brings in into fixing this problem. Not buying default search status on every platform so that we never try another search engine: they should be fixing their shit.

When Google admits that it's losing the war to these kack-handed spam-farmers, that's frustrating. When they light $26b/year on fire making sure you don't ever get to try anything else, that's very frustrating. When they vaporize seventy billion dollars on financial engineering and shoot one in ten engineers, that's outrageous.

Google's scale has transcended the laws of business physics: they can sell an ever-degrading product and command an ever-greater share of our economy, even as their incompetence dooms any decent, honest venture to obscurity while providing fertile ground – and endless temptation – for scammers.

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

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task

[moiraimyths]

Howdy, fateful friends! Are you an artist or illustrator with an interest in visual novels?

If so: Moirai Myths, creators of the visual novel The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe), are in need of guest artists! More specifically, we're looking for up to two artists to help us with the content graphics ("CGs") for Maeve and Shae's upcoming routes. All of the details will be listed on our application form (linked below), but here is the gist:

This is paid work with 20-30 business day deadlines per piece!

Complicated revisions in the post-sketch phase are compensated!

You will be prioritized for future guest artist opportunities!

You will be featured/credited on Moirai Myths' website and in the game itself!

Sound interesting? If so, apply here:

Click under the cut for some F&Q 👇

Who are you? (I'm new here!)

Hi! We're Moirai Myths: a small, newish visual novel company based out of Canada. We're making a game inspired by mostly Irish mythology, which was funded on Kickstarter in 2023! Our game's got fairy politics, a diverse cast, a Gaeilge-to-English translation tool, and routes that can be played either romantically or platonically! Also horses. An ungodly amount of horses, really.

If that odd pitch sounded intriguing, perhaps you'd like to play our demo! It's free on Steam & Itch.io.

Why are you looking for guest artists?

When we originally launched our Kickstarter, the plan was to have our three in-house artists collaborate on the CGs in the same way our header image was. However, we quickly realized that adding CGs, even if they're done collaboratively, onto the existing duties of our artists was a tall order. Add to that the departure of our original sprite artist (who has since been replaced by our graphic designer), and we determined that having our in-house team work on CGs was simply not possible if we still wanted our first release to happen in 2024. So, rather than omitting CGs or adding them in at a later time, we came up with the idea of hiring guest artists. Overall this means our CGs will be a bit more varied in terms of art style, but we like to think of this as a positive! NDM's development will take a number of years to complete in full, so we hope our CGs will allow us to feature a lot of artists either within the VN/indie dev community already, or artists who aspire to work in gaming and are looking for entry positions.

How long will applications remain open for?

This application will be open until Sunday, March 24 at midnight (EST)! If we intend to extend past that deadline, we'll make an announcement about it.

I can't apply right now. Will you look for more CG guest artists in the future?

Definitely! As mentioned, NDM will take a while to develop in full, so this is by no means your only opportunity to apply. That being said, we suspect we're going to end up shortlisting a number of artists over the course of this application period, and we intend to keep a list of all the runners-up. So, even if you won't be able to participate this time, it might be a good idea to apply anyway just to remain in our contacts! Either way, this will not be the last time we have apps.

Will you be looking for guest artists outside of CGs?

Maybe! We already have two guest artists (Nefukurou and Madi Funk) working on sprites and CGs respectively, so it's always possible that we'll have other artistic needs later down the line. Likewise, we may also reach out to past guest artists for future work with us, whether it's on this game or something else!

You say we need to sign an NDA. What does that entail?

The non-disclosure agreement essentially means you will be legally unable to publicly disclose any confidential information you become privy to as a result of working with us. This would include personal information about the developers, as well as spoilers from the game itself. In addition do this, you will be expected to sign over the IP and copyright of any artworks you produce for us.

Can I still use my artworks in portfolios, even if I don't own the copyright?

Yes! We'd only ask, if your portfolio is a website, that you wait to do so until after your art has been made public by us, either on our social media or via the publication of the game. Our first release is anticipated to happen later this year, most likely mid-autumn.

How do you guys feel about AI? Do you intend to use it, or would you ever train an AI off of the artworks whose copyright you own?

No.

Making a game is expensive and time-consuming, but AI is no replacement for human artistry. We fundamentally believe that any advancements in AI should be used for the purpose of giving people more time to make art, not take away opportunities for it. Moirai Myths will never, ever use AI or train an AI off your work.

***

If you've got any more questions for us that we didn't think to include here, feel free to send us an ask!

[mlleclaudine]

Dreamlike Impasto Paintings Evoke Artist’s Childhood Memories of Rural Life

by Emma Taggart - My Modern Met, August 14, 2024

Artist Anastasia Trusova uses bright acrylics to create colorful, nature-inspired impasto paintings that look like something from a dream. From rolling hills and meadows to winding rivers and serene lakes, each psychedelic scene offers a modern twist on classic impressionist paintings, reminiscent of the works of Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.

Trusova grew up in a small town in Russia, where she remembers the simplicity of rural life. “We didn’t have much, like everyone else back then,” she recalls, “but we were surrounded by abundant nature—forests, lakes, and swamps.”

Her passion for art began in childhood, leading her to study design at university. After graduating, Trusova spent eight years in China working as a shoe designer. Eventually, she moved to Belgium to join her husband. Now a mother of three, Trusova is fully dedicated to her painting practice, having developed a unique style she calls “textured graphic impressionism.”

By applying layers of thickly applied acrylic paint to her canvas, Trusova is able to capture nature’s abundant textures. She says, “I want to show the variability of nature, the beauty of the moment, as I see it.” Flowers and leaves are brought to life with thick daubs of pigment, while swirling clouds are formed by skillfully swiping paint across the canvas with a textured scraping tool.

Trusova seeks to capture and preserve her childhood memories of rural life in her art, hoping that future generations will also come to appreciate the beauty of nature through her work.

“Watching young people leave for big cities in search of opportunities, leaving behind quiet streets and abandoned homes, is a sad reality of our time,” she writes on Instagram. “When I return to these familiar places, now as a parent with my children, I feel a strange mix of joy and sadness. Joy from the memories of my childhood spent here, and sadness from the realization that my children will likely never experience this.”

The artist continues, “This painting is an attempt to preserve those memories and pass them on to the next generation. May they remember their roots, even if their lives are far from these places.”

Anastasia Trusova: Website | Facebook | Instagram

[gabrielleragusi]

2024 Velaris Advent Calendar

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Gadget4entertainment on their 2024 Velaris Advent Calendar, officially licensed by author Sarah J. Maas! I illustrated the entire packaging, inside and out.

The main illustration features Velaris, the City of Starlight.

I'd just visited Positano before the shop contacted me for the project, so the memories of some corners of the town were still fresh in my mind. The house on the left was inspired by a hotel built on a curving uphill road, for example, and the houses on the right were vaguely inspired by all those hotels and restaurants you can see from above (at level, you might not notice them, but when you're directly above and you peer down through the trees, you'll go, "Oh, there's a nice, expensive hotel down there!").

The town divided by the river was inspired by the fjords of Kotor, Montenegro, which I visited last year (Kotor is absolutely beautiful, and the food was great to my Italian palate).

It felt wonderful to pour all of my emotions and memories into this piece. I think this might be my 'ultimate' version of Velaris. I don't see myself painting it differently in the future.

Then, we have the cases (house-shaped boxes) containing the single items.

When I first started working on the project, I only thought of drawing something inspired by a combination of gothic and Persian architecture. But then, fortunately, I had this idea to base each house on the Archeron sisters, and that gave me the chance to really get creative and explore different elements, styles of architecture and colours.

Sadly I only recently realised that the back of the house and the left side don't fit together seamlessly because I drew the house from left to right without keeping the wraparound box in mind - so that's totally my fault, and I hope it's not too noticeable!

I also hope these mockups don't look too bad. I used the free transform tool in PS instead of 3D, so the perspective might be a little off.

I truly enjoyed working on this calendar. I rarely get to design packaging or even work with an Italian company, so this project was a breath of fresh air!

Instagram  - ArtStation - Website - Inprnt - Etsy - Threads

[toychest321]

(I wanted to apologize for my lack of activity on this page. I had so many plans for posts I wanted to make for Ramadan, but this past month has been so horribly stressful. Whenever I have time free from schoolwork I'm so incredibly burnt out I lack the motivation to post. Now there's barely any time left before Ramadan is over, even though there were other posts I wanted to make. I'll probably still make them in the future, though, and highlight Islamic culture through dolls however and whenever I can!)

With that said, I'd like to introduce you to the most recently-released Muslim doll, Umm Amirah!

As far as I can tell, Umm Amirah was released in February of 2023 by the company Allova, a family-owned company based in the UK.

While the name "Umm" literally translates to "Mother" or "Mother of", it can also be used as an additive prefix for whatever trait follows. "Amirah", meanwhile, means "Princess", so (as far as I can tell) her name roughly means "she who is like a princess".

And that name certainly fits! While her outfit is relatively simple (which makes sense, since her primary demographic is those aged 3-7), the sparkling tulle outer skirt shows that subtle princess-y influence!

The doll comes in pink and purple outfit variants, and comes with a prayer mat, a pink bag to carry it, and a pink hairbrush. She has fair skin, blue eyes, dark or blonde hair beneath her hijab, and 11 points of articulation! Umm Amirah's is meant to be a cultural education tool, and introduce the practice of Salah to children.

As I mentioned in a previous post regarding the Morning (Fajr) and Evening Prayers (Isha), Salah is the daily process of giving prayer to Allah. It is the second pillar of Islam, and must be done facing Mecca.

A couple of months ago in February 2024, Allova also released this Princess Fashion Set. While it's not an official Umm Amirah fashion pack, I still feel like it could somewhat be classified as such with its name and their doll used for modelling.

The pack comes with 6 dresses: pale pink with dotted skirt; pink with puffed sleeves and ruffle skirt; blue with silver detailing, top, and belt; a blue summer dress with white and yellow pattern; purple; and black and white with white flower buttons and a polka-dot skirt. It also comes with four headscarves in blue, lilac, black, and gold, 3 handbags (tan, white, and pink) , and 3 pairs of shoes (black, silver, and fuschia(?))

I obviously cant post for each outfit combination, but I would definitely say that the blue summer dress is my least favorite of those available. The material looks the cheapest out of those in the pack, its design is comparatively simple, and the pattern is sorta tacky. I feel like the central concept could've been executed better.

My favorite looks, though, would have to be:

The full black and white look sorta gives me girlboss vibes, like something she could wear at her desk writing articles or modeling for the cover of a magazine! The blue dress, meanwhile, is sooooo elegant, like she's going to a fancy party in the evening! My absolute favorite though would have to be the gold hijab with the pink frilly dress, which takes the "princess" part of Umm Amirah to a whole new level!

In spite of my thoughts on the summer dress of the pack, I'm in love with this doll and its outfits as a whole! It's been fun putting out this post I'd been meaning to make for a while. A lot of the Muslim dolls I've found, while impressive, unfortunately don't seem to be in production much in the current year, so it's nice to see there's still options available! If you're still looking for a potential Eid gift, I'd highly recommend getting her from Allova's website!

Ramadan Kareem!

[cavorta]

October 1, 2024 This book is out now and I am looking forward to reading it.

The blurb:

The long-awaited follow-up to Kelly-Ann Maddox’s bestselling Rebel Witch is here … Witch in Darkness explores loss, fear, grief and pain through the magickal lens

Guiding the reader through the concept of the craft as a life-saving, soul-nurturing practice for dark times, this book overflows with inspiration and compassion for witches in difficulty. The raw and honest tone peels back the surface layers of witchcraft’s meaning and power, inviting the reader to use magick, ritual and readings to heal and grow. When disaster strikes, a magickal practitioner has endless tools to help them build strength and hope, and face the seemingly impossible. Witch is Darkness is packed with nourishing wisdom, including advice on:

Embracing an imperfect practice

Cleansing, grounding and shielding during tough times

Witching through extremes Identifying high-risk and low-risk practices

Energy management and low-maintenance magick

Dealing with loss, grief and despair using witchcraft

Magick and ritual for conflicts, dramas and relationship breakdowns

Addressing mental and physical issues from the witchcraft perspective

The book includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions to make magickal action easier to execute. Discover tarot spread designs, journal prompts, words of power and excellent suggestions for shifting your mindset, alongside a great Q&A segment to clear up confusions and help you get unstuck.

Spiritual counsellor and witchcraft mentor Kelly-Ann Maddox has a decade’s experience in the magickal space, offering workshops, one-to-one sessions and hundreds of informative videos on her popular YouTube channel. In this book, she draws on countless conversations with witches from all walks of life, as well as her own life journey through mental health breakdowns, struggles with self-harm and eating disorders, and heart-breaking bereavement.

The publisher's page of the book: https://watkinspublishing.com/books/witch-in-darkness/ The website of the author: https://www.kelly-annmaddox.com/

[hayatheauthor]

Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024

When I started this blog, one of the first posts I penned was "Websites Every Author Should Know in 2023." Now, as I return to breathe new life into this platform in 2024, it feels only fitting to offer an updated edition of that beloved post. 

Whether you're struggling with brainstorming ideas, organizing your plot, finding publishing opportunities, or simply seeking some writing motivation, here are 10 websites that every author should know in 2024. 

1. Artbreeder

If you're anything like me, you know the frustration of staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. Well, say goodbye to writer's block because Artbreeder is here to rescue you from the depths of creative stagnation.

At its core, Artbreeder is a brainstorming tool that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to help you generate ideas and explore new avenues of creativity. Whether you're crafting characters, creating scene locations, or conceptualizing entire worlds, Artbreeder's AI can help you create any image. 

But don't just take my word for it. Countless writers, from aspiring novices to seasoned pros, have sung the praises of Artbreeder for its role in fueling their creative fire.

2.  OneStopForWriters

If you've ever found yourself drowning in a sea of character arcs, struggling to untangle a convoluted plot, or simply searching for that elusive spark of inspiration, then OneStopForWriters is here to be your guiding light.

At OneStopForWriters, you'll find a treasure trove of resources designed to empower writers at every stage of their journey. One of the standout features is its unparalleled collection of writing tools and resources. From character development worksheets and plot structure guides to brainstorming prompts and writing exercises, this platform offers a wealth of resources to help you hone your craft and overcome any writing challenge that comes your way.

3.  Milanote

With Milanote, organizing your thoughts has never been easier. Whether you're plotting out your next novel, storyboarding a film, or brainstorming ideas for your next project, Milanote's intuitive interface and versatile features make it a breeze to bring your ideas to life.

But Milanote isn't just about organization – it's about inspiration, too. Dive into Milanote's vast collection of templates, images, and resources, curated to spark your creativity and fuel your passion for storytelling.

And let's not forget about collaboration. With Milanote, you can seamlessly collaborate with fellow writers, sharing ideas, giving feedback, and working together to bring your collective vision to life. Let me know if you'd like to collab! 

4. Inkarnate

Whether you're a fantasy author crafting intricate realms, a sci-fi writer mapping out distant galaxies, or a historical fiction enthusiast recreating the past, Inkarnate is your ultimate tool for world-building.

With Inkarnate's powerful mapping tools and customizable features, creating stunning and detailed maps has never been easier. From sprawling continents to intricate cityscapes, Inkarnate allows you to bring every aspect of your world to life with breathtaking detail and precision.

But Inkarnate isn't just about maps – it's about storytelling. Dive into Inkarnate's vast library of assets, from characters and creatures to landmarks and landscapes, and use them to enrich your world and enhance your storytelling.

5. World Anvil

With World Anvil's array of interactive tools and features, you can meticulously craft every detail of your world, from its geography and history to its cultures and languages. Whether you're creating a sprawling fantasy realm, a dystopian future, or an alternate historical timeline, World Anvil provides the tools you need to breathe life into your creations.

But World Anvil is more than just a repository for world-building information. It's a platform for storytelling, collaboration, and engagement. Share your world with readers, invite them to explore its intricacies, and immerse them in the rich tapestry of your imagination

6.  Scrivener

At its core, Scrivener is a comprehensive writing software designed to meet the unique needs of authors, screenwriters, academics, and more. With its flexible interface and robust features, Scrivener allows you to organize your thoughts, structure your writing, and bring your ideas to life with ease.

One of Scrivener's standout features is its ability to break down your writing into manageable chunks, or "scrivenings," making it easy to focus on individual scenes, chapters, or sections of your manuscript. With its intuitive corkboard and outlining tools, you can visualize your project's structure and rearrange it on the fly.

But Scrivener is more than just a writing tool – it's a creative hub where ideas flourish and projects take shape. With its built-in research capabilities, you can keep all your notes, references, and inspiration in one place, ensuring that nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

7. Dabble

One of Dabble's standout features is its seamless integration of plotting, outlining, and writing tools. Whether you're a die-hard plotter or a pantser at heart, Dabble has the flexibility to accommodate your preferred writing style, allowing you to create detailed outlines, jot down notes, and dive into writing whenever inspiration strikes.

But Dabble is more than just a writing tool – it's a community of writers united by their love of storytelling and their commitment to helping each other succeed. Here, you'll find support, encouragement, and invaluable feedback as you navigate the ups and downs of the writing process.

With Dabble's cloud-based platform, you can access your work from anywhere, on any device, ensuring that your novel is always at your fingertips, whether you're at home, at work, or on the go.

8. Literature Map 

Literature Map is a visual mapping tool that helps you discover new authors and books based on your literary preferences. Whether you're a fan of classic literature, contemporary fiction, or niche genres, Literature Map provides personalized recommendations to help you expand your reading horizons.

Using Literature Map is as easy as typing in the name of an author you love. Instantly, a constellation of related authors appears, each connected by their thematic, stylistic, or genre similarities. From there, you can explore new authors, discover hidden gems, and embark on new reading adventures with confidence.

But Literature Map is more than just a recommendation engine – it's a gateway to a world of literary exploration and discovery. Here, you'll find a community of fellow book lovers, eager to share their favorite authors, discuss their latest reads, and connect with like-minded readers from around the globe.

That concludes our exploration of the 10 essential websites every author should know in 2024. May these tools and resources empower you on your writing journey, from the spark of inspiration to the final flourish of your manuscript. Happy writing, and may your creativity know no bounds!

I hope this blog on Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024 will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[wizzy-ai-powered-site-search]

Learn How Wizzy’s Complimentary UI/UX Design Enhances Search Experiences - Wizzy.ai

Discover how Wizzy's complimentary UI/UX design transforms search experiences, offering faster, intuitive, and more engaging interactions. Learn how enhanced web design improves user satisfaction, boosts conversions, and delivers exceptional search results tailored to your needs.

[wholesome-sharks]

Hawai'ians and Sharks

(Whitetip reef shark near Mala Wharf, TripAdvisor)

This year for Indigenous People's Day (2024) I originally wanted to do a spotlight on shark relations in all of Polynesia. I only had time to do Hawai'i and I had trouble finding content for the other Polynesian islands.

(If you are a native Hawai'ian or other Pacific Islander who knows knows more about how sharks fit into your culture, you are welcome to respond with corrections or more information. This short article is just an introduction with links to help the rest of us dive in a little deeper.)

Prior to colonization, peoples of the south Pacific relied on nature and particularly the sea for their food and material needs. Sharks were hunted for body parts such as skin, oil and teeth for tools and weapons. The predatory behavior of sharks led native islanders to associate sharks with attributes such as strength and power.

Hawai'i

A few gross oversimplifications:

The Hawai'ian word for shark is mano, but there are also lots of native names for the individual species that live close to shore and out to sea. Predatory sharks such as tigers and great whites are called niuhi.

A few more:

Thresher shark: hi‘uka or laukahi‘u, or mano'lua

Blacktip reef shark: pa'ele

hammerheads (smooth and scalloped): kihikihi

whitetip reef shark: lalakea

Many shark gods inhabit the old myths, from man-eaters to guardians who protected fishermen and fishing grounds. Some of these gods shapeshift between shark and human forms. The shark god Kamohoalii is the brother of the well-known fire/volcano goddess Pele. Shark gods are known to live in caves, and even to this day people bring them offerings in return for protection.

Ancestral spirits called aumakua can appear as sharks, particularly Tiger sharks, and take an active role in the lives of native Hawai'ians to this day.

Shark Artefacts:

The object on the left is a traditional fishing hook used for catching sharks (Steinhart)

Below: a shark skin drum or pahu hula (the Met)

The Leiomano, or war club studded with shark teeth (Lei Day). Tiger shark teeth are used in these examples, but the teeth of other species including the Great White are used.

Shark teeth were used in a variety of designs for other kinds of weapons and tools. Below is a niho oki or knife.

Video: Traditional Hawai'ian weapons

Videos:

The Deep End: Shark Spirits, Hawaiian Legends

TOTP: Mano Legends

The Kahuna and the Shark God (Podcast)

Web Resources

Hawai'i Sharks DAR (a whole website)

Sharks in Hawaii

Sharks in Hawaiian Culture

Shark Poi Delivery (legend)

[mariacallous]

This week, the Kremlin sought to dominate public information spaces with narratives about Russia’s attack with a nuclear-capable ballistic missile on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The incident was splashed across the front pages of Russian news outlets and served as the centrepiece of state-controlled TV discussions. The objective is clear: domestically, to enforce a patriotic siege mentality; internationally, to stoke fears of nuclear war, to intimidate, and to weaken support for Ukraine.

Fraudsters fighting fakes

Instead of giving this fear-mongering more oxygen, we focus on something topical, though no less revealing. Enter the Kremlin-funded ‘Global Fact-Checking Network’, a supposedly international initiative to combat bias and disinformation. Under different circumstances, the irony of this endeavour might even be laughable. But it’s dead serious – another weaponised tool to enable and amplify international manipulation.

The network was unveiled at the Kremlin-organised ‘Dialogue on Fakes 2.0(opens in a new tab)’ forum in Moscow last week, hosted by the Russian government-funded NGO ANO Dialog. According to its director(opens in a new tab), Vladimir Tabak, the initiative aims to establish standards for fact-checking, inviting journalists and organisations to join after signing a so-called ‘Code of Responsible Fact-Checking(opens in a new tab)’. The network claims it will develop tools to identify fake news, train professionals, and compile a public database of ‘proven false data’, accessible globally.

Fact-checking as camouflage

Training experts, setting standards, and creating tools to combat disinformation are goals EUvsDisinfo fully supports. But there’s a catch: ANO Dialog(opens in a new tab) and its subsidiary Dialog Regions are Kremlin-funded entities designed to manipulate information domestically and globally to serve Kremlin interests. Its director, Vladimir Tabak(opens in a new tab), is under EU sanctions and in 2024, the US Treasury(opens in a new tab) linked the organisation to Russia’s foreign influence operations, including AI-driven election interference and the Doppelgänger disinformation campaign.

In other words, ANO Dialog and Vladimir Tabak are themselves producing and spreading disinformation and running information manipulation operations for the Kremlin. Announcing a ‘global fact-checking network’ is just the latest iteration of a years-long campaign to copy the verbal and visual vocabulary of actual fact-checking organisations to spread lies.

Lapsha Media and WarOnFakes

In 2021, ANO Dialog signed a ‘Memorandum on Countering Fakes(opens in a new tab)’, which had been set up by major Russian internet companies. It then started the ‘Lapsha Media project(opens in a new tab)’, a website and social media campaign with all the trappings of a fact-checking organisation: slick promotion videos telling users to not believe everything they see online, a weekly newsletter with ‘top fakes’ and information for readers to send in their own ‘fakes’ to be checked by ‘experts’.

Lapsha media is available in Russian and targets Russian-speaking audiences, but Timofej Vasiljev(opens in a new tab), who worked for ANO Dialog in the past, set up the WarOnFakes project, a propaganda project posing as a fact-checking organisation which was available in multiple language (although it failed to gain much following among European audiences).

Deception wrapped in data

ANO Dialog disguises itself as a modern, technologically advanced NGO, whose main goal is to offer advice on communications and digitalisation to Russian state institutions. Commenting on the dangers of online disinformation and fake news fits this role. Its director Tabak is regularly quoted and invited to panels(opens in a new tab) by Russian state media to talk about the dangers to society of ‘fake news’ and ‘deep fakes’ and how he and his organisation aim to fight it.

Some results of this fight were presented in a special ‘Fake News Dissemination Study(opens in a new tab)’ for the above-mentioned conference. What exposes this document as a manipulative fake is its ostensible exactness. The organisation claims to have ‘revealed’ 4,051 fakes in 2023, which were allegedly seen by 12 million persons. In 2024, they claim to have identified more than 4,000 fakes, but thanks to their ‘anti-fake system’ these were so far seen by only 8 million persons. The report even includes a chart which shows which months had the highest number of fakes in the last years and a heatmap to show the total number of identified fakes in each Russian region.

No math in disinformation

By providing these numbers, ANO Dialog tries to make it appear as if it had an understanding of the total amount of fake news or disinformation in Russia. Yet there is no method to reliably measure the amount of disinformation anywhere. Disinformation is not potatoes. It is an abstract concept enabled by manipulative behaviour which comes in many different forms and happens on many different mediums and channels.

The report implies that what it counted was ‘fake’ or inaccurate information. But disinformation doesn’t always work with lies; it often works with half-truths, or even completely accurate information that is taken out of context or presented in a manipulative way, exaggerated, coupled with non-related events, and so on. How would that be counted? As half a fake? As a third of a fake? And who decides how much of a fake that is?

We at EUvsDisinfo have worked professionally since 2015 in countering disinformation and manipulation following a comprehensive concept, which we described in April 2020 and elaborated in July 2023.

EUvsDisinfo also maintains a database, which last week reached the sad milestone of 18,000 examples of disinformation cases. These are merely an illustration of disinformation narratives directed at the EU and its neighbours. We do not claim to be able to quantify the vast amounts of manipulative content being produced every day.

Confusion is the main goal

ANO Dialog is of course not really concerned with these questions because it is itself a major producer of manipulative content. This report is just one more attempt to make it appear that there is a Russian alternative to fact-checking organisations. It works in much the same way that Russian officials often claim that there is no free-speech in Western countries. Their argument is pure whataboutism: ‘If you say we don’t have free speech, we say you don’t have free speech. And then you will not have less free speech and we will not have more free speech’. In reality, the people listening will be a little more confused about free speech and that’s the goal.

It is about taking up space in the information environment and drowning out other voices.

Don’t be deceived!

Other things the Kremlin called fake this week:

– The West did not organise the DHL cargo plane crash in Vilnius to blame Russia

The Kremlin’s disinformation machine churned out an absurd conspiracy theory this week, claiming that the West orchestrated the crash of a DHL cargo plane in Vilnius in order to frame Russia. The theory, promoted by a Russian State Duma member, hinges on a tenuous connection to a Times article that highlighted concerns about parcel bombs and their potential use by Russian intelligence. The crash, which occurred on 25 November, involved a Boeing 737. Lithuanian authorities and DHL are investigating the cause(opens in a new tab), with initial assessments pointing to either technical issues or human error.

The case is an illustrative example of information manipulation by pro-Kremlin media. They did not wait for the results of the investigation but put out their own version of an anti-Russian conspiracy by ‘Anglo-Saxons’ almost immediately. This story was spread by the main TV station Rossiya 1 and the main Russian newswire RIA. In this way, they attempt to dominate the information environment and have search engines pick up their version of events first. It is instructive that these main outlets spread this story so soon: this allows other outlets in the pro-Russian infosphere to republish and amplify it. We have written before about how members of the presidential administration control the main Russian information environment through the use of temnik guidelines.

– North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called news that North Korean soldiers are being deployed against Ukraine ‘another batch of fake news’. In fact, there is evidence from US, South Korean and Ukrainian sources that the North Korean regime has sent more than 10,000 troops to join the war against Ukraine. This has also been confirmed by HRVP Josep Borrell(opens in a new tab) and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte(opens in a new tab). Peskov’s reasoning for why this could not be true was interesting: because it was not reported by Russian milbloggers. An official of the country that ranks 162 out of 180(opens in a new tab) in the press freedom ranking by Reporters Without Borders apparently still relies on the credibility of independent sources for validation – ironic, given the Kremlin’s routine suppression of free speech and independent media.

– Russia receives weapons from other countries

Another example of the Kremlin’s attempt to obscure uncomfortable truths came this week when Dmitry Medvedev, Vice Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, denied that Russia receives military equipment from other countries. Medvedev claimed that the ‘absolute majority’ of weapons, missiles, and ammunition used in the war against Ukraine is manufactured in Russia. However, substantial evidence contradicts this assertion. By November 2024, South Korean intelligence reported that North Korea had sent over 9 million artillery shells(opens in a new tab), missiles(opens in a new tab), and other weapons to Russia in more than 13,000 containers(opens in a new tab) since August 2023. Iran provides Russia with drones(opens in a new tab) and China is providing critical components(opens in a new tab) to sustain Russia’s military industry. This heavy reliance on external supplies exposes significant gaps in Russia’s own production capabilities. We said we would not mention the ballistic missiles in this review, but here we are after all.

[loser-female]

Hi! You mentioned there are online tutorials/sites for learning Comp Sci and OSINT - any recommendations? Thanks!

Hi! You got lucky that today is the day I check my inbox lol. So. For comp-sci: - CS50X from Harvard is a public avaiable course on youtube I'd 100% recommend. These are the undedited (so far) lectures of 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LPJfIKxwWc&list=PLhQjrBD2T381WAHyx1pq-sBfykqMBI7V4&ab_channel=CS50

This gives you all the basics you need to understand how coding and pcs in general works. (I had comp sci in my university course)

- Freecodecamp is a website full of FREE tutorials on several programming language. Advice: learn python. You will understand later on.

- The rest really depends on what you actually want to learn and why - each programming language has its own purpose and application. OSINT: -There is this full course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwA6MmbeGNo&t=205s&ab_channel=TheCyberMentor (But you can find more on youtube.) - Bellingcat's resources: https://www.bellingcat.com/category/resources/ -IntelTecniques: https://inteltechniques.com/ - Osint Newesletter: https://osintnewsletter.com/

But here is the catcher: if you plan to do osint it heavily depends on where you live. I'm in Europe, so it means I'm under GDPR, therefore I must abid to stricter regulations than a US OSINT analyst. A lot of data that might be considered public domain in the US(big one: conviction records) are not in europe, and you won't be able to access it unless you are a registered private investigator at least (but in my case it's rare that I go after people, that's not a part of any task I might encounter at work). Not only that, but a lot of the avaiable tools are designed to work only with specific countries in mind for various reasons and there is a big bias on US-based investigations. If youre' not in the US I recommend you reach out to your local OSINT or cybersecurity professionals association, they usually have resources and specific information, a lot of times for free. Also keep in mind: OSINT has a lot of different applications and it depends on what you're doing with it. Journalists might work more with satellites and images (a thing I know nothing about), debunkers will definitely understand social media more, if you do business intelligence you will look more at news sites, trademarks and deposits and so on to reach your conclusion. You did your course... Now what? I recommend getting on CTFs, like tracelabs that I've linked above, but there many of them (osint dojo for example) or Kase Scenarios. These are safe environments to practice on (except for tracelabs since it deal with actual cases of missing people and it can lead to... not so good leads, allow me to leave it there) You should also understand how intelligence (as the discipline) works. There are several resources, but my favourite is definitely Psychology of Intelligence Analysis. It's a series of declassified training documents from CIA analyst Richard Bauer, that was based on Daniel Kahneman (yes, the "thinking fast and slow" author, and I also do recommend this book) research on euristics. Intelligence is fundamental because OSINT might be helpful to gather the data, but the data then needs to be processed, analysed and you also need to get a conclusion from that analysis. Studying intelligence will help you avoid a lot of pitfalls that happens when you do an investigation, such as not understanding when you know enough, if you're being a victim of your own bias, if you're missing something or if you're going with the right approach. But I have to admit that the best of training I've received so far is from my local OSINT association because I've been able to train with people that work(ed) in the military, get their advice and have a deep understand of the work itself (and the reason why I have decided to actually make cyber threat intelligence my job, even if I work for a private company and I have no interest in working for the government). And yes ethics is a big thing for the OSINT community.

I hope this is helpful enough!

[theculturedmarxist]

Immediately after Joe Biden announced that he would not seek re-election and instead endorsed Kamala Harris, she was anointed as the Democratic Party presidential nominee with little analysis of her record or her program. In fact, her website, KamalaHarris.com , makes no mention of a political program at all. While foolish debates about whether she should be considered Black garner media attention, questions about policy are largely ignored. Black Agenda Report has been writing about Harris for some time, and we share what we and others have noted about her record over the years.

Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, July 19, 2017 Kamala Harris and America’s Oligarchs Briahna Joy Gray, Current Affairs, September 3, 2017 How Identity Became a Weapon Against the Left Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, January 16, 2019 Kamala Harris Destroyed Black Lives Teodros Fikre, Ghion Journal, January 16, 2019 Evoking Muckrakers: Hannah Giorgis’s Devastating Critique of Senator Kamala Harris Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report, January 24, 2019 Bernie Sanders vs Kamala the Jailer and Her Corporate Backers Danny Haiphong, Black Agenda Report, January 30, 2019 The U.S. is a Political Prison, Kamala Harris is a Prison Guard Teodros Fikre, Black Agenda Report, January 30, 2019 When Politicians Use Marginalized People As Human Shields

Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, February 20, 2019 Kamala Harris: The Fix Is In Marjorie Cohn, Black Agenda Report, July 10, 2019 Kamala Harris Has a Distinguished Career of Serving Injustice Danny Haiphong, Black Agenda Report, July 24, 2019 Kamala Harris Embodies the Most Dangerous Myth of American Exceptionalism Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, August 14, 2019 No Racism, Just Russians

Erica Caines, Hood Communist, August 13, 2020 Political Copaganda and the November Elections

Ahjamu Umi, Black Agenda Report, August 19, 2020 Kamala Harris: Class Struggle and the Illusion of Identity in Capitalism Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, August 19, 2020 “Feet to the Fire” and Other Lies Nelson Maldonado-Torres, Black Agenda Report, August 26, 2020 Obama, Harris and the Ruse of Racial Representation

Julie Kuttapan, Black Agenda Report, August 26, 2020 "Kamala Auntie": On the Vulgarity of Bourgeois Identity Politics in 2020

Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report, October 15, 2020 The Useful Tool: Kamala “Heartbeat Away” Harris Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, November 11, 2020 The Real Resistance Begins Tye Salandy,Trinidad and Tobago News Blog, November 13, 2020 Biden-Harris and the Diverse Faces of U.S. Imperialism

Erica Caines, Hood Communist, February 21, 2021 The Caribbean Diaspora Has a SOUTHCOM Problem

Erica Caines, Hood Communist, June 10, 2021 Kamala Harris and the Americas Ready for Revolution, Hood Communist, January 27, 2022 Biden Harris and the Never Ending Commitment to War Gyasi Lake, Black Youth Project, August 8, 2022 There’s No Such Thing as a “Progressive Prosecutor” In a System Designed to Criminalize Blackness Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report, April 7, 2023 Ajamu Baraka Discusses the Zone of Peace and Kamala Harris’ Trip to Africa | Black Agenda Report Salifu Mack, Hood Communist, July 6, 2023 More Than Meets the Silk Press: Kamala Harris and U.S. Imperialism Peoples Dispatch, March 25, 2024 Puerto Ricans Take to the Streets Against Kamala Harris Visit

Ajamu Baraka, Black Agenda Report, July 24, 2024 War, Genocides, and Coups: Biden/Harris and the Irreversible Crisis of Neo-Liberal Fake Democracy Jacqueline Luqman, Luqman Nation, The Coup for the Democratic Nomination, July 26, 2024 Darker Than Blue 7/26/24: The Coup For The Democratic Nomination