#what happened to the environmental 'this is small changes you can make in YOUR life' thing? i certainly can't be a bobusang peddler!?

[overandundertarot]

How can you release this anger?

Recently, I've come to the realisation that I hold quite a lot of pent up anger without even knowing how to release it. I think this reading could be helpful to people who may be in a similar position, or just experiencing pent up emotions and are unsure how they could release this or start that process of transforming those emotions, if they want to.

Piles 1-4(left to right)

Pile 1

Cards; 6 of wands, Knight of swords.

Believe in yourself pile one! There is self doubt here, and pride brought about by trying to conceal insecurity. Act on your thoughts. A lot of this anger is towards yourself. I feel like you are perfectionists, and you dont like when you are not perfect according to your standards. Well, there's nothing you can do about that. You either have to develop yourself till you feel you're perfect enough( which will take quite a while and you may never reach your lofty aspirations for yourself) or take action now on whatever it is you want to do. I'm getting that it's not even related to the material world, but your personality or creative interests. You may feel like you are not the person that you should be, but instead of practicing any self development activities, you just spend alot of time having self deprecating thoughts. You may not be where you want to be, but that does not mean that you can never get there. Appreciate yourself for what you have and what you can do and allow yourself to indulge in your hobbies/ interests with less judgement.

Pile 2

Cards; The Sun, 2 of Swords, Page of Pentacles.

In any case pile 2, youre not supposed to be making a decison right now. Good things and opportunities are coming to you now but its overwhelming. I think that is where this anger is coming from, because you can't allow yourself to fully enjoy the present moment and be connected to your spirituality. So you are angered because you have a lot but it is still not enough. You have to force yourself to enjoy what you have right now pile 2, because all of the planning and deciding and moving forward is being used as a distraction. Of course, take this with a grain of salt and don't put your life on hold to try and attempt this. Start small, think about things in your daily life and what use they provide for you, do you appreciate them enough? Be in the present moment and appreciate what you have worked for. Some of you are also angered by the fact that you might not be able to find a direction in life. It will come in time; try to be connected with your desires and intentions so when the opportunity arises, you can make a decision that will trully make you happy.

Pile 3

Cards; The Emperor reversed, King of cups.

Your anger may stem from the fact that you may have never fit into society, particularly that you may have been too sensitive for other peoples tastes. Some of you may be a part of the lgbtq community as well. The way you express yourself garnered much criticism and you may care about issues that society doesn't like to face such as animal rights, environmentalism and child abuse. Emotional issues, childhood trauma. A lot of the people in this pile have heavily feminine energy, regardless of their gender. The way for pile 3 to release their anger would be to develop ways of managing their emotions. Unfortunately, the world is unlikely to change but we can find ways to regulate our emotions and work through our traumas so that we can be less affected by the harshness of society. Also, try to channel your anger and pain into creative pursuits such as writing, and even consuming more media concerning these issues that affect you. It may help you feel seen and understood.

Pile 4

Cards; The Tower reversed, Justice.

Pile 4 you have been resisting change for a while. By not allowing it to crumble, you have become a prisoner of the tower. Your anger is brought about by you not allowing yourself to feel your emotions fully. You're not letting go of something that happened in the past, or you're trying to keep a steady hold on your life right now, but it's failing. You can't control everything. To release this anger, accept what happened and move on. Take responsibility for your actions, what happened was a result of past actions and you can't change those. You either accept what happened, move on and try to create a better future for yourself, or stay in that tower and torment yourself forever. That sounded a bit dramatic but the messages coming through are quite firm, whatever happened you have to accept it and move on.

***

Thank you for participating in this Pick a Card reading!

I hope it gave you some insight for your situation. Please dont hesistate to give any feedback you may have regarding this reading!

[catinheadlights]

I regularly eat meat so maybe take this with a grain of salt, but I think when people try to "own" the concept of veganism with "facts and logic" as either a diet or a moral stance, they generally misunderstand what they're trying to criticize.

Like, you can say that the "real" problem with animal agriculture is capitalism encouraging animal abuse and factory farming, but like. Vegans know that's bad. That's not the only problem they have with the industry. You've got the slew of environmental problems it causes plus the whole, y'know, killing/exploiting animals thing that they don't like.

Someone who values the life of a chicken as equal to that of a human won't give two shits if it had a good life before being slaughtered, because to them it's the moral equivalent of killing a person for food. By saying that they're simply ✨wrong✨ for seeing a problem with the killing part, you're missing the entire point. "It had a good life" hardly means anything if you don't think of human life as inherently more valuable. You can disagree with that premise all you want, but you're not gonna change their minds.

I also challenge you to actually come up with an argument for why you feel human life inherently matters more than all nonhuman life, because I've never in my life seen a cogent argument for it that includes all humans and excludes all nonhumans. It's just that evolution hardwired that value into most people (including me, I agree). I think it's fine to feel that way and live accordingly, but you should know where your values come from. Vegans act on that too - getting rid of an infestation would be the equivalent of mass murder. This isn't a dig, by the way, it'd be impossible to have a decent quality of life if you stuck to "humans = nonhuman animals" completely.

I see people tossing around eggs and dairy as morally fine because they don't require killing the animals that produce them, but everyone seems to conveniently forget what they do to nearly all the males. It's not practical for farmers to keep all the males alive for their natural lifespan because they aren't economically useful. Some very small farmers might, but it's never going to happen on any remotely large scale. Something tells me that the "killing animals is bad" club isn't gonna be happy about that.

Also, I don't know what's up with people making shit up about domestication but:

Livestock was, in fact, domesticated. Yes, this includes laying hens. We'll breed anything for efficiency.

The purpose of domesticating an animal doesn't dictate what is morally okay to do with it (ex. if you bred dogs specifically to fight, it wouldn't make dogfighting more moral).

In a similar vein, no, factory farming never reduces the need for cropland, and the animal agriculture industry as a whole doesn't either (hint: it's mostly factory farming). I don't know where people get the idea that animals somehow magic nutrients/energy into existence, but a lot of crops are grown specifically for livestock feed, which is less efficient than growing crops directly for human consumption due to trophic levels and waste production. If you insist otherwise, please take a biology class.

I do think that putting so much focus on individual action is a bit silly considering how giant animal agriculture is as an industry and how heavily subsidized it is. Put some of that energy into changing policy please. It'd probably be more useful.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

Hi there! I'm writing this in hopes that you'll have some advice. Lately I've been struggling a lot with concern for climate change. Mainly because I fear that I won't have a future, that when I'm older I'll live in a planet where you can't even go out because of the heat and everything is completely destroyed. And it's been affecting my day-to-day life. And no matter how much I try to avoid bad news they'll show up to me and I relapse into the anxiety and lose all the progress I made.

The bad news and the things that are happening (for example this thing going around of flowers growing in cold places, the one that probably worries me the most) make me feel like maybe the good things won't be enough and I won't have a future, no matter how much I hope. All I want is to be certain I'll have a life and things will get better

Do you have any advice to stop feeling this way? Thank you in advance!

Hi there. So firstly, thanks for reaching out. Anxiety can make us want to isolate ourselves and so you’ve taken a brave first step in seeking connection. I felt like you feel for a long time, and still do sometimes. It can feel like the change is so huge, so rapid, so irreversible, and human responses so weak, so slow, so apathetic. But I’m here to tell you that however reasonable being frightened is, it doesn’t have to be the end of the journey. Grief and fear are a good start for your environmental affect, because it means you’re keyed in and you care. But stopping there will only paralyse you.

I know the good things feel small, which is why it’s important to bombard yourself with them so you get a sense of just how much momentum we are building in the movement right now. I regularly check out Positive News and the Good News Network, and follow Sam Bentley and lots of ‘weekly earth win’ type accounts. When you see how much plastic people are clearing out of the ocean, how much solar and wind prices have come down, how Paris is now full of cyclists and London’s deaths from air pollution are reducing, how Europe is slowly rewilding and land is being returned to indigenous people, you realise that quietly, determinedly, good is happening in the background. And you aren’t always not seeing it just because it’s smaller or less important - bear in mind that the media sells on engagement, so attention-grabbing disasters will always hit front page news. It’s hard to quantify people who are alive who wouldn’t otherwise be, oil in the ground because people stopped a pipeline. Justice is often less hypervisible and sudden than injustice.

For me personally, taking action and spending time with others who are doing the same is the single biggest thing that cured a lot of my anxiety. Depending on your age, income, profession and health, I would recommend doing whatever is accessible to you of eating as much plant-based food as possible, reducing your use of aeroplanes and cars to as close to zero as is reasonable, making sure your stove, heating and hot water is being powered by electricity, switching to a renewable tariff, attending regular activist meetings and the protests and public debates these will lead you into, buying fewer clothes, single-use plastic items and other non-essentials, lobbying for change at your workplace, your university or your school, and bringing the subject up as often as you can with friends and family, so discussing climate change becomes more of a cultural norm. (I always find with these conversations though that scaring people is deeply counterintuitive and encourages them to get angry with you and bury their heads deeper in the sand. Why not start a conversation about how much healthier you feel when you eat lentils, or how transnational rail is making a comeback, or how exciting it is what they can do with solar and battery storage these days, or the amazing flood prevention benefits of reintroducing beavers?) I saw a tweet once that said ‘I bet 80% of your climate anxiety will disappear if you work full time on climate.’ Now I don’t work in that sphere yet, but I’m currently retraining, and I have to say a lot of my anxiety has quietened knowing that I am doing all I can and will continue to do so for the rest of my working life. And don’t feel like your skills or educational/professional background hold you back either: solving this crisis isn’t just for scientists and can’t be left to only one sector of society. I was an English Lit grad - now I’m hoping to work in campaigning, comms or social policy to make positive change for the better around climate. If it’s possible for you, I’d recommend starting to consider entering the green sector full time. Just watch out for corporate greenwash!

I know that changing your individual lifestyle isn’t going to save the planet, but it might just save you. Once you feel you have done everything you can in your personal life, it might embolden you to show up in activist spaces, to connect with other people who care, and to remember that as terrifying and agonising as the changes we are causing and witnessing are, there is always still hope, and it is easy to create and nurture that hope if you only keep hold of the right narratives and connect with the right people.

I’ve answered some similar asks on this sort of topic, so I’d recommend scrolling back through my blog and reading them, and also following as many solarpunks as you can across all of social media. Solarpunk Presents podcast does a good job of drawing your attention to the good stuff already happening now. Stay safe, take care of yourself and remember you have so much to offer. We were all born at the most pivotal time in human history. That is a burden, but it’s also a gift. We can have the most impactful and meaningful lives to date, and I think we will. But the fight has to start now, and that means we have to be ready for it. You can’t strive for a better tomorrow if you can’t imagine it, so take some time to look after you and really douse yourself in hope and optimism - it’s out there waiting to be found, if you only look in the right places.

[mousemannation]

How did you get into fashion and what things do you want to design for like. Your career?

thank u for this question!!! hmm, when i was in primary school i did a little sewing with a friend's mum, and also my mum had to sew my costumes for my dance class end of year concert; so there's been sewing around me my whole life. We had a sewing class in year 7 too where I tie dyed and embroidered a pillow. I didn't take sewing elective though.

I properly started to get into it once I started watching historical sewing youtubers! People like Bernadette Banner, Morgan Donner, Bella Mae etc etc. I just found it so fascinating seeing the whole process of making clothes.

I also really enjoy cosplay and early on in my sewing journey my friend asked to do a Wicked the Musical joint cosplay as Elphaba and Glinda. My Elphaba dress remains my biggest ever sewing project despite technically being my first??? (technically bc I first wore it in 2020 after a year of making it but I've worked on it in the years since).

I'll also say, as someone who's always had issues with body image and gender, being able to make my own clothes massively helped me become more confident.

Gosh I keep having more points ejiejejej the next one is that I'm really invested in environmentalism and the fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters. Between overconsumption, overproduction, unsustainable materials AND massive issues with slavery there is a LOT of change that needs to happen within the industry. Some of that happens with the general public, a lot of it must happen from the inside, and if I can be a part of that I would love it.

On to the second part of ur question (finally) well the real answer is I don't know kwkeksksksk. After I finished my certificate in fashion I had the choice to pursue a diploma in fashion (think commercial production, designing for brands, focus on clothing that gets reproduced and sold in large numbers) or in costume (specifically for live production like TV and film, theatre, ballet, dance). I didn't much enjoy the commercial side of fashion, stuff like sourcing materials in bulk, creating and organising patterns to maximise number of garments made- so I decided I'd prefer to do costume. I find the idea of creating one off garments to represent a character, using fashion to enhance a narrative really really enticing.

Do I really believe I want to pursue costume design as a career? I don't know. That question is a little more difficult for me since my disability has prevented me from getting a job. I don't have any working experience and already my job prospects are on shaky ground. The idea of having people rely on my is scary... but I don't think I'd be totally opposed. I'd probably prefer to work in theatre out of the options. Ballet is far too serious i could not handle the pressure, and I don't really like sewing other styles of dance costumes (like leotards or kind of anything Lycra lol). If I can find a local theatre company that's relatively low-pressure that could be fun.

I do also like the idea of making clothes on a small scale. One offs or small batch that I would sell locally. I enjoy the freedom of just letting myself create without restraints! Starting without an end goal!

I am STILL yapping but my final point is i have so many interests that i don't think I'll ever settle into one career. Even if i did get a job making costumes I'd almost certainly still be pursuing other things at the same time. It's a long term goal of mine to (eventually) go to university and get a degree in pure mathematics!!! I also want to do exchange at some point, find some three month program and go kskskwk. I want to travel, i want to write poems and books and songs, I want to draw more, paint more, learn to sculpt! I have always been a very ambitious person and this is not at all what u asked about so I will leave it here 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hello, 16yo girl here. I had been questioning what my MBTI type was between ENTP and INTP for quite a long time - I had known that Ti and Ne were always at the top of my stack, but not which one was stronger... until yesterday, when I reflected back on my sheltered upbringing and I came to the conclusion that I was an ENTP, just one with very marked introvert tendencies and possible developmental delays due to combination of a stifled dominant function and possibly autism.

That stifling of Ne is also probably why I have only become more reclusive as time went on - I spent most of my time as a child either at school, the same small private school I've been going to since 1st grade, or at home, mostly on my computer. While in the surface my time on the internet allowed me to have easy access to novelty, it is still doing the same thing over and over again on a grander scale.

Meanwhile, I never managed to truly "fit in" at school, and after starting to make amends with my old friends at the end of sixth grade the pandemic happened, which pretty much meant that the only thing I'd be doing for two years was basically staring at screens all day. Once I returned back to school, I started feeling 'othered' again, and even as I found out it was partially over my own immaturity, I still feel like I will not actually become part of the group right now, that I should just grind it out until it ends, that college, due to the new environment and size will be the time I'll truly begin to shine - further proven by how excited I was when I went to one of the unis I was considering's open day recently.

Meanwhile, my ISTJ mother won't stop comparing me negatively to my brother and on how he was so similar to her in personality compared to me, always implying that I turned out "off" in some way or another, even if she's usually well-meaning.

Thoughts?

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I don't guess at type. You've only speculated about one possible function, which is nowhere near enough info to draw any kind of sound conclusion. I generally won't comment on type assessment unless people follow the instructions on the contact page to submit a proper profile of themselves. In short, I won't have any "thoughts" if you don't give me enough to analyze.

You've basically described typical adolescent adjustment issues that anyone of any type can suffer. It is not uncommon for teens to have trouble fitting in. Why? Because they are still in the process of learning good social skills. When you're at the "beginner" level of learning anything, your ideas tend to be very primitive or crude. Thus, from the teenage perspective, socializing often boils down to the idea of "approval", which is taken to mean EITHER be like everyone else OR be an outsider.

Either/or thinking is a form of illogical thinking that creates a false dichotomy, essentially reducing your world to only two possibilities. You said that not being able to find your group right now, maybe it would be better to just leave it until college - once again, your world only has two possibilities. This kind of oversimplified thinking is normal in children and teens, but it is considered a sign of cognitive immaturity in adults (as their thinking hasn't evolved since adolescence). It's not something for you to be concerned about but, rather, something to be aware of and gradually improved upon.

When compared to full-formed adults, young people (<25) are limited in several ways:

They lack life experience, so they haven't had enough time to learn all the knowledge and skills they need to live life well.

They lack cognitive resources to understand complexity because the brain hasn't reached physical maturity yet.

They lack emotional resources to cope with difficulty because the brain is still feeling the effects of changes that began in puberty.

They might also lack confidence due to too many environmental factors being out of their control.

They might also lack direction due to not having access to enough learning resources they need for self-development.

They might also lack purpose due to not having enough access to positive role models, guides, or mentors to help them see the bigger picture of life.

I mention these things not to make teens feel shamed and ashamed for what they naturally lack, but to make them aware of where their potential lies. Your "weaknesses" are just as important for realizing your greater human potential as your "strengths". Weaknesses make plenty of room for learning, development, change, growth, evolution, and transformation... BUT this is assuming you know how to confront weaknesses in the right way. So, reflect: How have you responded to your weaknesses, as signaled through your mistakes and failures?

How do you respond to lack of life experience? Do you keep it that way by locking yourself away? Do you waste your time with trivial experiences? Do you seek out meaningful learning experiences?

How do you respond to lack of cognitive resources for understanding complexity? Do you just reduce everything into oversimplistic ideas? Do you avoid complex situations? Do you study them to grow your understanding? Do you get help for understanding them?

How do you respond to lack of emotional resources for handling difficulty? Do you numb yourself? Do you run or escape from negative feelings? Do you seek appropriate help and support? Do you set out to learn healthy coping skills and strategies?

How do you respond to lack of confidence? Do you shit-talk yourself more and more? Do you write off your future? Do you assert more independence? Do you take more control whenever possible? Do you improve your knowledge, skills, and capabilities?

How do you respond to lack of direction? Do you give up on yourself? Do you resign yourself to the status quo? Do you learn how to make better decisions for yourself? Do you learn how to set and achieve more fulfilling goals?

How do you respond to lack of purpose? Do you settle for less? Do you resign yourself to being small? Do you ignore existential pain? Do you seek answers? Do you set higher aspirations? Do you commit yourself to greater ideals?

Adjustment issues are very likely to get expressed through auxiliary development problems. Since you're unsure about your type, the most I can say is that healthy Ti encourages people to 1) analyze and learn from mistakes/failures, and 2) identify and acquire the knowledge/skills required to eventually succeed. If your response to failure is dismissal, evasion, withdrawal, or avoidance, it means you are choosing to get stuck at a low level of competency indefinitely.

If you are able to get past the beginner level in socializing, you'll start to realize the false dichotomy and how self-sabotaging it really is. Socializing is much more nuanced and complex than "insider vs outsider", and there are more options available than "conform vs rebel". This raises the question of what other options are available to you - it is a question for your Ne to answer.

Yes, it's true that you can't be friends with everyone. But you don't need to be friends with everyone, do you? You only need a handful of close friends who understand you in order to have a satisfying social life. They don't have to come from school or the usual places. They can come through other activities. They can come from all demographics or backgrounds.

Growing up in a small environment puts you in danger of thinking too small all the time. The key is you have to recognize that the world is a big place, so you have to start putting yourself out there to find the friends of best fit. The more people you meet, the more you increase your odds of success. Whether you try now or later isn't the right point to focus on. You're not going to find what you're looking for as long as: you don't actually get up to look, you have absolutely no system or plan for proceeding, and/or you don't have the skills to keep relationships even when you do find good people. You need real-life social experience if you want to improve your social skills. The sooner you get started, the better. It's unrealistic to think that you'll magically be great at relationships just because you started college.

I know options can be limited at your age but 16 is generally the age when teens really start to venture out into the world on their own (without parents/guardians). In many places, you can drive and work at 16. You can start exploring places you've never been to around town. You can join more extracurricular activities/clubs that would put you in contact with people beyond your school. I shouldn't have to tell an ENTP to go out and explore, as you should simply follow your natural Ne motivation. If that motivation is absolutely nowhere to be found, then perhaps reconsider your type.

[paleopalsfacts]

Simosuchus and living fossils

A lot of people think of crocodiles as “living fossils”,  animals that haven't changed at all over the millions of years they have been on the earth.  What's really happening is that crocodiles have found a good niche that has proven resilient to changes in ecosystems.  The typical crocodilian niche is to camouflage in water and ambush prey going for a drink and cause your prey will always need water its a adaptable life style.

Many crocodilians have actually tried more specific specialized niches in the past.  These specialized niches are less adaptable because they usually work with specific other species or environmental features to survive.  For example, pandas are extremely specialized to eat bamboo which means if all the bamboo disappears the pandas can't adapt to a new food source.

An example of a more specialized crocodilian to show off how weird they got is Simosuchus.  Simosuchus means “pug nosed crocodile” in Greek and is a very apt description for them.  Found in what is now Madagascar in the Maevarano Formation.  Adults were about 75 cm in length and they are known for being herbivores meaning they prefer to eat plants.  We know this because of their maple leaf shaped teeth which quite resembles something you would find in an armored dinosaur such as stegosaurus or ankylosaurs.  Another thing that makes them different from their crocodile cousins is there terrestrial lifestyle meaning they preferred the land to the water.  It was initially proposed that their stout head was used for digging but further studies have now called this into question.

Simosuchus, sheds light on the diverse adaptations and niches within the crocodilian family's past. While crocodiles are often considered "living fossils" Simosuchus shows us that crocodiles can be as diverse as any other animal group.

Also Simosuchus would make a fantastic pet. 10/10 please resurrect.

Sources Bellow

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^ first paper writen about the boi

^ lovely image drawn by nix draws stuff

^second paper behind pay wall

(just google its name you'll find it ;)

[cowboyjen68]

Hi! I am a lesbian about to graduate and go off to college (I hope it’s okay I’m sending this). And was wondering if you had advice on safely navigating a new area as an lgbtq person, and how to not feel alone. I was lucky to grow up surrounded by accepting people, but I still feel like a sore thumb, and I am naturally a quiet unapproachable person. My fear is that I will go right back into hiding and maybe never stop. People say that it’ll be fine but it’s hard to believe them. I’m terrified.

It is ALWAYS ok to send me Ask. I say thay are always open and I mean it. I try very hard to get to them but right now I am behind and it truly bugs me. But we do what we can when we can and I am no exception to that rule.

I went to college is a small Missouri town, moving from a small midwest high school. Luckily it was pretty chill and liberal so while I met a lot of LGBT friends (or those exploring the notion) I was not ready to come out until after graduation. I had just moved to Iowa CIty to be closer to home and work and go to grad school. U of I is HUGE and sprawling and I was workng a new job (political fundraiser ie door knocker) that paid the bills AND gave me health insurance. It was 1991.

Even though I am outgoing and make friends easily it was a bit over whelming. I happen to move in with 5 gay men from my job and they introduced me to their world and friends. I had an "in" that eventually led me to have a larger friend circle. BUT here is my advice

FInd something you are interested in and join it. Theatre, yoga, Sci Fi, animal rescue volunteering. It does not have to be an offical club nor LGBT Centric. It also does not need to require a lot of time or money. Freshman year is a over whelming and exciting but making the time to do something you enjoy with others who enjoy it is a good way to at least form a circle of familiar faces around campus. Sad to say EVEN back in the 90's the "gay groups" I did attend (as an ally of course) were clique and awkward for me. I felt like the infringing new person. I hope that has changed, but I have my doubts.

There are some groups and activities that will have a concentration of LGBT people without that being the focus. Theatre, animal rescue, environmental, politics (be wary of echo chambers) and some intramural sports. Volley ball and softball, even coed will have a fair share of lesbians. But so might gaming clubs or frisbee golf. Dont forget about book clubs or Sci fi or Ren Fest groups. Once you make some connections with other who share some common ground with you, you might gain some confidence it making friends in the more narrow LGBT social or official groups.

What is really more important that a large friend group is a few people you can trust and get to know. Once you leave college many of your college friends will naturally navigate out of your life. That is normal and expected because it a time in life of drastic change and growth. But if you find that one or two who will be worth hanging on to you can work less on many people and put your energy into someone who does the same for ou. IF you befriend an extravert that is a bonus because she will make tsure you have social interactions whether you want them or not.

College people are just high schoolers a year or two down the road. Just people. Like you. Say "hello" and smile and ask to sit and chat. The worst they can say is "no" or "im not interested" but more often you will make at least an acquaintance . A familar face to see on campus as time moves on. Or you make a friend worth getting to know.

[uss-edsall]

One thing I've liked with fallout 76, it's got good decent environmental storytelling in it. It's better at it than Fallout 3, 4, dare I say even New Vegas in some cases.

Fallout is famous for an environmental storytelling thing. It's all of the skeletons who are found in funny poses, or all the teddy bears found in weird places with weird things. They are more injokes than anything else. What they imply is that in a world so full of corpses and shattered civilisation, still picking up the pieces two hundred years later, respect for the dead is wholly gone - life can be ended in a blink and raiders especially would move skeletons into odd positions for their own amusement. Particularly in some places, they don't even care enough to sweep the skeletons out of the building. Unfortunately, this is so prevalent it stops being meaningful and comes off as just a dumb joke, but it's the best example of 'environmental storytelling everyone knows about'

I can point to two games immediately which have setpieces that give good environmental storytelling: Halo 3 ODST and, oddly, ArmA III's singleplayer components

Halo 3 ODST is built on this. The entire thing is in some form "The Rookie is using the shattered debris of the city to make a fanfic of what he thinks happened to his squad." There's at least one sequence in Buck's mission where you can find a shotgun at the end of a hallway, with a dead marine and several dead brutes. Hmm, wonder what happened there

ArmA III… -Contact DLC has some interesting environmental stuff. You can find a dead body on a road with a blood trail back to an unlucky squad, in the midst of which a meteorite landed, with one (mortally wounded) person surviving the initial impact. Additionally you can repeatedly encounter the spetsnaz team you later ally with, doing shifty things -A scenario added as part of a part-celebration and part-charity drive includes a small church. If you approach it you suddenly hear a pair of gunshots, and you can find two dead officers (which is automatically radioed in, and dismissed as two war criminals who probably saved the executioners a bullet) - and they have a written note that sheds doubt on the righteousness of your cause -The Laws of War DLC is really good for this too - it's about picking up the pieces and deciphering what exactly happened in this one town.

Anyway, going back to 76. All four of the modern fallout games - 3, NV, 4, 76 - depict the remnants of the nuclear war. 76, being set in 2102 just 25 years after the war, has the best possibilities for this, as not too much has been disturbed, not too much has changed, like the rest that are set two centuries later. They clearly recognised this too and put in great effort on it. On the nuclear side of things: vehicles in a traffic jam trying to get to vault 76; crashed vehicles. The number of APCs with open rears: they would've been shielded from the initial blasts inside of these CBRN-capable vehicles. At least one site where there's a dead soldier's body, on an overlook, situated where they could've looked out at one beautiful view one last time. For a less military focus, all of the signs in Beckley, the destruction clearly related to the violent suppression of a Union protest; the massacre of Watoga a day before the nukes flew after an attempt to subvert the robots gone wrong; the sheer devastation of the area dedicated to mining as nobody was around to tell the automated machines to 'stop', etc A sign on the side of a piece of large electronic equipment saying "this does not have a brain, use your own" because yeah, robobrains exist, the robots themselves are practically AIs, that's a kind of warning you need in an environment of mass automation

I'd say this emphasis on environment to tell story is largely because of how 76 was designed. It was initially built to not have humans, right? Only machines, if I recall correctly. So how do they compensate for the loss of human NPCs? (The answer is they couldn't and added them back in, but nonetheless) Part of it was putting in more focus on environmental storytelling. It's a little thing, and in the grand scheme of things it's not all that important. But it's a part of games' details I really like

Environmental storytelling is best described as "a story that is willing to let you miss it" but I always feel excited when I notice something.

[inspired-lesson-plans]

I hope you explode and that it hurts

Well this was unpleasant to receive. I'm actually a pretty sensitive person, so I didn't appreciate your pithy, anonymous comment.

But I'm also a compassionate person who always tries to think about the pain and misunderstanding in others that leads then to lash out.

Now, I can only conclude that you want me to suffer because I'm getting paid to train AI Large Language Models. That you want me to die painfully because I'm part of the global problem of resource guzzling tech, built to increase the wealth of the world's worst one percent.

And I understand that sentiment. There are rate human and environmental costs in the pursuit of wealth in this world. I may be contributing to this in a small way. I do not want to contribute to that. I would much rather make the world a better place. And should I ever get the opportunity to push environmental reforms in the tech world, or greater sharing of capital between the wealthiest and the poorest, if not everyone else, then I will push hard for these reforms. Indeed, I'm the kind of person who considered joining the police specifically so I can be the moderate that listens to the left and translates for the right in order to make change happen. But I am also meek, and I support my spouse, so I cannot put forth but so much energy to change the world for the better (yet). And thus, I must work to earn money in the most ethical way I can.

This work builds my resume in both coding and AI training/development. Soon enough perhaps I can get in the inside and start making changes. Or, miss likely, I'll start working for an education company. Last week I interviewed at Pearson to work on test development. We'll see what happens.

But to answer your question, I actually hope that I don't explode. I don't want that. But I do hope you think about how anonymous comments really make people feel. Somebody less sensitive than me will still be affected by actions like these. They don't do anything to make your life better, their life better, or really any kind of change. Instead, people who are intent in believing that are right will continue to do so, and they'll grow a hard shell that keeps their feelings intact while making it more difficult to empathize with your point of view.

Please don't do this again. It won't make you happy.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Altered Carbon (2017-18), a sci-fi series I've enjoyed on Netflix, mixes the familiar cyberpunk tropes of neural implants and brain uploading with a more sinister idea about what those technologies could lead to: hardened armor for the brain.

The "transfer process" involves extracting the copy of your brain from the meat to a container, called a "cortical stack." The original meat goes into the garbage, and the cortical stack is put in a (usually) disposable "cranial can" to act as a wearable set of extra senses, motor output, and autonomous processing power.

This is a well-motivated idea: if the entire brain could be extracted and stored in a small container, it would allow a lot more processing power than could be squeezed into the existing physical brain. It would also allow the brain to survive "coronary haemorrhage, spinal cord injury, near-total blood loss, high-level exposure to radiation, and significant thermal shock" without damage. (Basically, anything that could harm or kill the meat brain would also do the same to the cortical stack.)

Putting the cortical stack outside the body in this way is bad news for everyone, but it's worst news for the people whose stacks are stolen -- not just because they're out of the world without any kind of body or sensory input, but also because a thief can plug their cortical stack into something called a "neurotronic processor," which reads the cortical stack data and communicates with it via high-speed electrical connections. (This is really bad news for the owners of "subsapient" cortical stacks -- with no more meat brain to drive them -- and presumably every corporate personality wants one of these.)

This is the setup for a kind of scifi "imprisonment" plot, as well as a foreboding statement about what our real brains are worth. "There's a copy of your brain on this hard disk," the villains say to their prisoners. "Do you want it back? [For the same price as what you're worth]"

The transfer process also involves harvesting blood from the cortical stack in an effort to make it less susceptible to environmental shocks, injuries, etc. The blood is put into a kind of armored container called a "nucleonic receptacle," about the size of a small bottle. (The nucleonic receptacle does not look like this.)

We draw a small amount of blood out of the stack to create a nucleonic receptacle to protect it [from the hardships of cortical stack life]. If it is torn from the cranial can, that nucleonic receptacle … absorbs the damage to the cortical stack, keeping it healthy. (We do not replace the nucleonic receptacle unless it has been completely torn from the cranial can -- and the cortical stack inside must be unhealthy for that to happen.)

Any stacks that you are using on a regular basis require their nucleonic receptacle to be active; they're too small to survive outside the protective armor of their receptacle for very long. Their cortical stack and cranial can are then considered expendable.

Nucleonic receptacles never experience that horror.

The glossary for the first season's credits lists "nucleonic receptacle" as "A small biomechanical armored container filled with nucleonic matter that protects the cortical stack when it is removed from the body." It does not actually protect the cortical stack from every bad thing, just from rapid temperature changes. (One of the show's villains says something like "why do you want to protect your stack from radiation -- they're not real, just a set of stored instructions.")

When a cortical stack breaks down, the nucleonic receptacle "dissolves," so to speak, in a burst of some sort of biomechanical substance that's harmless to the rest of the body -- but toxic to the cortical stack. This is meant to be a "horrifying" experience for the copy of your brain that's not uploaded.

This gets brought up early in Season 1 to indicate that the bad guy who just had his stack removed is going to have a bad time -- but the writers may have made a mistake here.

The thief's stack is stolen and dumped into the waters of "Laoch, the mining planet" -- an orbital mining colony in a metal asteroid. The planet is desolate and has no native life. The daytime temperature is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The stack's nucleonic receptacle dissolves before the stack can do anything else.

Well, it does a thing before it dissolves: it turns off, shuts down, goes to sleep -- and won't wake up.

It's locked into a new state. The thief -- who has not experienced a cortical stack breakdown until that moment -- has his stack in "sleep mode." The stack is disabled and apparently incapable of listening to the programming that the bad guy has installed to allow himself to control the stack without a physical connection. (He can't use the stack at all.)

This is an important revelation: the original brain is usually not harmed by the removal of its stack, even though it's "killed" and "horrified" by the process.

So if a brain is "killed" and "horrified" just by a physical removal of its cortical stack, that's bad, but it's not so

[themarvelhorse]

Hi, Marvel! Hope you're doing well. Was wondering if you knew of any good causes or charities that could use more attention from folks wanting to make the world a little better.

Hello! I hope this isn't too late especially since this time of year has lots of groups and institutions asking for donations and stuff.

First off, thank you for contacting me! I appreciate you reaching out and believing that I would know a good answer to this! Bless you anon, I hope you're well too!

Second, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Admittedly I can't quite say for sure which causes or charities could use more attention. I don't like to tell people who to vote for politically even though I secretly hope they do vote for one party over another. It's satisfying enough knowing that they'll vote.

But to that point, I would like to at least provide what you may need to know!

The Small Change Fund might be what you're looking for, but its very Ontario and environmentally focused right now.

CanadaHelps is a fundraiser dedicated to streamlining the donation process, which could go a long way if you don't know where to send your support.

This can probably give a general overview of who's doing fairly well I suppose.

Charity Watch and Charity Navigator I believe are both decent places to check if you're not sure about how well said charity is spending your goodwill, they're US focused mind you.

Charity Intelligence is Canada focused version of those American charity accountability orgs, gives grades based on their need for funding and other metrics too!

It's hard to really pin down and say who to donate to, causes or charities or otherwise. The world is handling some difficult circumstances right now, and everyone seems to need help. I know a local food bank received more donations than in the past few years, but that doesn't mean stop donating. Inflation (and oligopolic grocery corporations) have made it so they really need more help.

So your local food bank could be a good place! Or maybe another organization working towards a problem you've heard about recently?

I know the American Red Cross has had its scandals in the past, but the Canadian Red Cross seems alright, as do other Red Cross organizations in countries facing challenges of their own. You could also donate to their international version, like the main ICRC one. Hard to go wrong - the Red Cross has helped in Canada with covid response (and even "post covid" with the failing provincial health system), and they support climate change action and the like. Funds are always needed before disasters to adequately respond to them when they do happen.

You could also always donate to the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite what people say about the UN and how useful it is, I truly believe its better that it exists than otherwise. Setting the SDGs is a start to making things better. The UN can be a tool for colonialism, but I'll paraphrase Romeo Dallaire - the UN can be a force for good, but how good it is depends on the member states. Its voluntary, so projects at the UN rely on member states' money, or yours. Or your vote and voice if you tell your reps that you want them to help implement the SDGs. Think Elon Musk refusing to donate $6 billion to end world hunger.

Sorry, a bit ranty there. The SDGs are good because you have your choice of goals, or can split your donation evenly among them. It covers almost every basis of improving society/life on earth for everyone.

Your home region may also have an organization dedicated to improving democracy. The Democracy Engagement Exchange, Democracy Watch, Fair Vote Canada, and Apathy is Boring are all great causes to support, you may likely have something similar wherever you are!

I mention those because at its core, I think we have a lot of undemocratic stuff going on. Which worsens or outright causes all the other problems. Did you know Canadian food banks were supposed to be temporary? The organization Food Banks Canada is trying to eliminate the need for them. Policies like those that support affordable housing are needed. So when we have a policy failure, we have a political failure, a failure of democracy when people either don't vote or feel like their vote doesn't matter, or they don't have the time to participate. You may even want to donate to a political party you believe in. They do need your money to do what they say they'll do. It's like tumblr - kinda funny that they're trying all these things to make money, but the only other ways to keep it going would be to collect and sell your data, show more and more ads, and do all kinds of dumb stuff. If parties get donations, that's less they need from rich people/corporations that have it in order to campaign and win elections and stuff. You could donate to a party that has a lot more minority representation - that'd be even more likely to get widespread support for that minority group too.

ACORN Canada is a neat organization that supports low-moderate income Canadians, there might be something there for your region!

I'd say donate to climate change orgs - 350.org, David Suzuki Foundation, Sunrise Movement, the Climate Reality Project...

Truth is, there's lots of what feels like repetition. A lot of these orgs in the same field are competing for donations. They say things like they'll run ads to advocate for change, and more money lets them spread that influence (and ofc do other things). But like, why? Why can't they just pool money for this kind of work? Wouldn't that be more effective? I don't know honestly. I haven't worked for an NGO in any such way that I'd have insight. Wish I did...

(Sorry, gotta get back on track)

Leadnow is pretty neat since they cover a lot of the things I mentioned, all in one - equity, just society, environment, democracy. They ask what their members want them to focus on, and try to facilitate advocacy campaigns around it. They're also struggling to hit their fundraising goals this year.

Also consider donating to your local marginalized group. Spend money at their businesses and the like too! It can go a long way.

Another organization that facilitates the stuff we need to address all these other issues is the Tamarack Institute. Again, Canadian, but take a look and see if your region has something similar! They work on building better communities, which means resilience, climate action, ending poverty, helping youth, and addressing equity and inclusion. In that vein, the Community Tool Box is from the University of Kansas but is freely available to use (and donate to).

Oh, also can't go wrong with the Wikipedia donations of course.

I hope this isn't overwhelming - donor fatigue is a real thing, and its hard to feel like its worth it in the end. But it really does help~

I also realize I may not have mentioned many health care orgs, which you know is a concern for me since I've added my voice in the tags enough (what're u doin in my private but publicly available tag thoughts anyway HUH?! Jkjk I never realized this may come back to me someday lol). Truth is though, I'm not well versed in those - there's a lot and even individual hospitals around here need donations to fund what they do. It fuckin sucks.

In sum: Decide what you believe is important. Everyone from their own field will say their own thing is most important. It's hard to argue for or against it since I don't quite know every field. Causes that need more attention might be more local and need community support, or they might need funds to be more impactful even if the organization is big. But that's probably because the problem is big and doesn't get the attention it needs. Or it could cover so many other issues, or it may (appear to) be the core where the problem stems from. Its hard to parse, I know, but I do hope this helped in some way.

[dogydayz]

Ok so to update people on that whole Paradox Prism AU concept thing here's some notes about the AU im already beginning to create: -It's many years into the future, like around 7 or 8, from the "baseline canon timelines".

-Eggman is very similar to that "Eggman goes good" AU idea I'd had. He and the crew end up sorting things out in some ways and working together to build a truly better future, designing a sky city island where Eggman is able to put his genius to use, without causing harm to others (there may even be a small subplot from during that time skip where Shadow and Eggman interact and Shadow sorta gives him a bit of an "it's not too late to change your future" pep-talk).

-Tails is studying under Eggman to become his successor in the future, though sometimes it turns into more of a "who's actually the smarter one" competition. But hey, that keeps Eggman busy building silly robots to fight against Tails' creations for fun!

-Amy works as an environmental researcher and helps make decisions about things like what energy is used, how to bring technology and nature together in harmony, etc. Also she has somewhat basic medical training.

-Knuckles continues to protect the Master Emerald, while also helping to devise a more solid plan of defense against any stray "bad guys" that may exist that they know not of. For the most part though, he still lives in the city with the rest of his friends, but he may often take small vacations out to Angel Island to make sure everything is alright.

-Sonic shares a large apartment with Amy, Knuckles, and Tails, though he tends to be out and about more than staying near home. All throughout the city there are paths designed to allow the more adventurous folks explore to their hearts' content. Sonic is one of those folks, often seen blazing across the paths, rails, loops, you name it. It's also not uncommon for him to be seen in the middle of races! He's also often one of the first people contacted if the others notice anything strange happening, wherever they are.

-Rouge works at a jewelry and design boutique when she's not doing more dangerous scouting work, if ever necessary. She's still often questioned about where the hell she gets the rocks she sells, but she'll never tell (oh god the rhymes). Outside of that, she lives in a different apartment complex with Shadow, as well as Omega, however Omega usually just stays in the parking garage to "sleep" (it's not uncommon for one or both of the others to camp out down there with him, though).

-Shadow...Well, he's not quite sure what he does yet really. He's not entirely satisfied with the idea of having any specific "job", similar to some of the others like Knuckles and Sonic, yet he still feels that he should have one. Apart from that, he's kinda been learning about mechanics from Tails, who helps him with motorcycle repairs and modifications, and he's also gotten into theatrics in more recent times (he feels that it helps him to vent his emotions in a healthy way, while getting his mind off other, far more dismal things). He still goes through existential dread at times, though far less than he once had. Learning to just live life without necessarily having to have a utilitarian purpose for everything he does has... slowly but surely happened over those years between the base canon times and this AU. (As a side note in my writing, both Sonadow and Rouckles are canon in this AU, however it's not of much importance outside of some character interactions and my art that explicitly shows art OF those ships from this AU lol)

__________________________

With basic info outta the way, here comes the actual story part I've come up with: basically Sonic and Shadow end up getting brought back to a whole different universe when they intercept the plans of a chimera from another space, who takes them back to his own planet and tricks them into thinking he'd send them back home as soon as he can. he ends up conducting fucked up tests on them, threatens to kill Sonic if Shadow tries to fight back, and then his "assistant" (actually the guy working over him but hes much weaker than that guy so hes often seen as lesser) helps them to escape. They take the huge snake dragon mecha thing that brought them there and book it. Sonic nearly dies because the weird magnetic nano robot things they injected into him tore out of his body and left him absolutely fucked up, but they make it just in time and Shadow kicks the Paradox Prism of that universe out of the mech before the portal closes so that no one can track them. They end up getting back home, thankfully, but Sonic was nearly fatally wounded and now they have to deal with all the new shit they've learned about this stuff, and also the wack snake dragon thing. This is.... a serious paraphrasing of it. There's also a Mobian alongside the chimera guy who's the physical form of a desert deity, who's based on a thorny devil lizard and has parallels to Sonic and Knuckles. The chimera has parallels to Tails and Shadow, as he was designed by a scientist in an attempt to put his mind into an immortal body, however the actual project was a failure. The chimera was built from many bodies, Frankenstein's-monster style, and has part of that old scientist's "mind" still active in him, but overall he's still his own whole self. To people from his world, he's a sweet and caring, benevolent researcher who just wants the best for his people, and to honor the man who'd made him. To outsiders, he's a monstrous, cruel piece of shit who doesn't care if there's bloodshed, so long as it benefits his own people.

There's a LOT more ideas I have going with this, but these are my most basic ones. not sure if anyone's gonna like these or not lol but ill post it anyway!

[corona-discharge-camera]

What’s the Deal with Partial Discharge? The Hidden Threat to High-Voltage Systems

Hey there, high-voltage enthusiasts (or anyone who’s just curious about keeping the lights on)! Let’s talk about partial discharge—an electrical problem you probably don’t think about but really should. It’s one of those sneaky things that quietly damages your equipment until, one day, everything goes kaboom (figuratively, but sometimes literally).

So what is it? Partial discharge (PD) happens when electricity leaks into tiny cracks, voids, or weak spots in insulation. It’s not a full short circuit—it’s more like a slow erosion. Left unchecked, it can lead to massive failures, costly repairs, and worst of all, downtime.

If you’re managing a power grid, factory, or anything high-voltage, this is one rabbit hole worth diving into. Stick with me, and I’ll break down what PD is, why it’s a big deal, and how some cool tech can help you spot and stop it before disaster strikes.

The Basics: What’s Partial Discharge?

Okay, imagine your high-voltage system as a super-strong dam holding back a powerful river of electricity. Partial discharge is like a tiny crack in that dam. At first, it’s barely noticeable. But over time, water (or electricity, in this case) seeps through, making the crack worse. Eventually, the whole thing collapses.

PD happens in localized areas—think voids or cracks in insulation, along surfaces where materials meet, or even in damp, dirty environments.

Causes include:

Manufacturing defects in insulation (oops).

Environmental stressors like moisture and temperature changes.

Straight-up wear and tear (because nothing lasts forever).

The result? Heat, chemical reactions, and physical damage that all work together to weaken your system.

Why Should You Care About Partial Discharge?

PD isn’t dramatic, so it’s easy to ignore at first. But trust me, ignoring it is a bad idea.

Here’s what happens if you let PD go unchecked:

Equipment Damage: Over time, it eats away at insulation, leading to breakdowns in transformers, cables, and switchgear. That small issue snowballs into a big, expensive one.

Safety Risks: We’re talking electrical fires, arc flashes, and even explosions. That’s scary enough, but it also puts people in danger.

Downtime: If your equipment fails, your operations grind to a halt. And if you’re running something critical, downtime can cost a fortune.

Skyrocketing Costs: Fixing a big failure is way more expensive than addressing a small problem early. You’ll kick yourself when that repair bill comes.

Basically, if you care about your equipment, your budget, or your sanity, PD needs to be on your radar.

How Do You Even Detect Partial Discharge?

This is where things get cool. You don’t have to wait for PD to wreak havoc. There are tools that let you spot it early and deal with it before it becomes a problem.

Enter the Partial Discharge Camera.

This little gadget uses ultraviolet (UV) imaging to literally let you see PD in action. Partial discharge creates UV emissions that are invisible to the naked eye, but this camera picks them up and pinpoints the exact location of the problem.

It’s like having superpowers for your maintenance team. The best part? You can use it while your system is live—no need to shut everything down.

Other cool tools include:

Thermography: Spots heat from insulation damage.

Acoustic sensors: Listen for the sound of PD (because yes, it makes noise).

Electrical monitors: Detect high-frequency signals caused by PD.

Together, these tools give you a full picture of your system’s health.

Why Early Detection Is a Game-Changer

Let’s say you find PD during a routine inspection. You can now plan a repair during scheduled downtime instead of waiting for your system to fail spectacularly at the worst possible moment.

Proactive maintenance isn’t just about fixing stuff—it’s about preventing problems before they even happen. Early detection lets you:

Extend equipment life: Fixing insulation damage early keeps your systems running longer.

Save money: Repairs cost less when they’re planned. Downtime costs less when it’s on your schedule.

Sleep better at night: Knowing your system is in good shape is priceless.

What Happens If You Ignore PD?

Let’s paint a picture. You’re running a factory, and one of your high-voltage transformers has undetected PD. Over months (or years), it quietly damages the insulation. One day, the transformer fails—hard. Now you’re looking at hours of downtime, emergency repair costs, and angry customers.

Sound like a nightmare? It doesn’t have to be. A single inspection with a Partial Discharge Camera could’ve caught the problem and saved you a ton of money and stress.

What’s Next for PD Detection?

The future of PD detection is looking bright (pun intended). Here are some trends to watch:

AI and Machine Learning: These tools are getting smarter, analyzing data faster and spotting patterns humans might miss.

Portable Devices: Newer tech is smaller and easier to use, so you can take it anywhere.

Cloud-Based Monitoring: Real-time data sharing lets teams collaborate and respond to issues instantly.

Bonus: Better PD detection also means better sustainability. By preventing failures, you extend the life of your equipment, reducing waste and saving energy.

Final Thoughts

Partial discharge might not seem exciting, but trust me—it’s worth paying attention to. Ignoring it can lead to equipment failures, safety risks, and big expenses. But with tools like the Partial Discharge Camera and modern testing techniques, you can catch problems early and keep everything running smoothly.

[learnwithbeeka]

How to Build Emotional Connections Through Digital Content

In this busy digital world, where customers are exposed to all types of information every day, the brands that create an emotional connection stand out. Emotional connections do not just feel warm and fuzzy; they drive trust, brand loyalty, and deep, meaningful relationships. Here's a step-by-step walkthrough on how to craft digital content that truly connects with your audience.

Know Your Audience Intimately

The basis of emotional connections is knowing what makes your audience fear, what they dream of, and what hurts them. Develop a buyer persona to define the skills, behaviors, preferences, or emotional triggers that your audience has.

Study user behavior using analytics tools. Carry out surveys or interviews to get a firsthand understanding from your audience. Track social media to monitor concerns or desires that are trending.

Example: If your audience values sustainability, focus on how your products or services align with their environmental goals.

Embrace Storytelling

Stories have a unique power to evoke emotions and create relatability. They humanize your brand, making it easier for your audience to connect with you.

Share customer success stories that highlight challenges and triumphs. Provide a behind-the-scenes look into your team’s journey. Tell the story of your brand's purpose and why it matters to your audience.

Example: Instead of talking about the feature benefits of your product, tell a story about how it changed someone's life.

Visual and Interactive Content Visual content is emotional. Therefore, using visuals can create strong emotional connections.

Make videos that tell some form of impactful story or can elicit certain emotions such as happiness, hope, or nostalgia. Use interactive content like quizzes and polls to engage your audience. Share behind-the-scenes images that give your brand a personal touch.

Example: A video full of your customers talking from the heart can elicit trust and loyalty.

Personalize Content for Every Interaction

Personalization lets your audience know you respect them as people.

Address your email recipients by name Recommend content or offers based on their preferences or history. Send special occasion greetings or offers personalized to them. Idea: A relevant email that reads, "We thought you would like this because of a recent purchase you made," can really be a game-changer in engagement.

Keep it Relevant and Real

Empathy is about seeing the world through your audience's eyes. Use your content to acknowledge their challenges and offer genuine solutions.

Mention your efforts to solve real-world problems that your audience faces. You should take a stand on causes that are of value to your audiences.

Example: If a segment of your audience happens to be small business owners, use content that helps them navigate economic challenges.

Leverage Emotional Triggers

Certain emotions, such as joy, fear, surprise, or nostalgia, are particularly powerful in driving action.

Joy: Share uplifting stories or achievements. Fear: Highlight challenges your product can solve to eliminate worries. Nostalgia: Use throwbacks or historical moments to connect emotionally.

Example: A campaign focused on "simpler times" can evoke nostalgia and strengthen the connection.

Encourage Active Engagement

Engagement creates two-way emotional engagement. Engage your audience in interacting with your brand through:

Polls and Q&A sessions on social media. User-generated content campaigns where they share their stories or experiences. Respond to comments and messages in a timely manner and authentically.

Example: Request followers to share how your product impacts their daily lives and feature their stories in your campaigns.

Show Appreciation for Your Audience

Express gratitude to your customers and followers by giving a nod to their input.

Feature loyal customers in testimonials. Host contests and giveaways to thank your community. Highlight positive reviews or shoutouts in your posts.

Example: A "customer of the month" feature can make your audience feel valued.

Deliver Consistent Value

An emotional connection thrives on trust, which comes from consistently meeting or exceeding expectations.

Provide actionable, educational content that solves problems. Share exclusive resources or deals with your audience. Do not hype but focus on helping them grow. Blog idea: How-to blog series or downloadable guides tailored to your audience's needs.

Be Authentic Authenticity is the backbone of emotional connection. Speak in a tone that aligns with your brand's personality and values, and stay consistent across all platforms.

Don't try to communicate in an overly polished and impersonal way. Don't hide behind success and failure.

Example: A firm which openly discusses its struggles to adapt to more sustainable practices can resonate very well with the environmentally aware audiences.

Conclusion

This is essentially building emotional connection using digital content in a meaningful exchange of ideas beyond transactions. It is about understanding your audience, allowing your story to be authentic, and showing empathy. It's what transforms your brand into something your audience will come to trust and love. It takes time to build emotional connections but it is worth the effort because at the heart of every successful business is a loyal, emotionally invested customer base.

Read to make Deeper Connections with Your Audience?

At Beeka Ads, we specialize in creating emotionally resonant digital content that inspires trust, loyalty, and meaningful connection. Let's work together to help you transform your brand into one that they'll love and trust.

Exploring our services could be the first step towards making impactful digital marketing. Visit Beeka Ads now!

[rahuldasgupta13]

How to Become a Successful Philanthropist?

There is a long-standing notion that philanthropy is all about donating money. Although it is not entirely a myth the concert of philanthropy goes much beyond this. In essence, philanthropy is all about making a meaningful and lasting impact on the causes one cares about. Whether driven by the desire to give back to the community, change society for the good, support an initiative, or bring about changes in specific areas like education, healthcare, or environmental sustainability, philanthropy lies everywhere. One can become a philanthropist at any point in their life if driven by a strong passion for serving society. 

Effective philanthropy, however, requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a genuine commitment. Here, having a strong passion to drive changes is not sufficient. So, in this blog, I will explore top tips that can help start as a philanthropist and be successful in their way of doing the greater good.   

Who is a Philanthropist?

In simpler terms, a philanthropist is someone who donates resources towards a greater cause of society. The resources may include money, time, education, and even ideas. A philanthropist often works toward addressing one or more social issues. 

To become a philanthropist, one needs not to be wealthy or affluent, as in most cases, charitable activities require time, expertise, and an innate desire to do good in addition to monetary donations. 

Become a Successful Philanthropist: Top Tips

The world’s renowned philanthropists are mostly people who are affluent and have made their names on the global dias. Be it Bill Gates, Azim Premji, or Warren Buffet, these philanthropists are counted among the most successful people in the world. That being said, one does not have to be famous to become a successful philanthropist. Charity can start in any setting, regardless of one's circumstances.

With that in mind, here’s my perspective on how to become a successful philanthropist.

Passion is Everything:

There are many things happening in the world that need to change. The list is staggering encompassing hunger, poverty, famine, and conflict, to name just a few. Therefore, if you want to get involved in charity, focus on areas that resonate with you. Your philanthropic endeavors will have greater significance and influence if they are in line with your core values.

The Way:

Once you find your area to work, it’s time to find the right way to start your philanthropic journey. This would require proper R&D. Start by learning more about the problem you wish to solve, what needs to be done, and how you can help—for example, by offering your time, money, or knowledge. Know the groups you're working with on the charity project as well. 

Collaboration:

To become a successful philanthropist, you must work with like-minded individuals, groups, and communities. Collaboration amplifies influence, helping you to achieve bigger goals and effect more change.

Persistence:

Every good thing requires time to unveil itself. The same may be said of philanthropy. To become a successful philanthropist, you must invest time and effort regularly. Don't expect to make breakthroughs overnight. Consistent involvement is essential for creating a lasting effect. Whether it's monetary support or volunteering, stay tenacious to reap the impact of all endeavors.

Start Humble:

Initially, it may appear that charity efforts require pomp and show. But this is not nearly the case. Working for a cause does not necessarily require a large amount of resources every time. You may start small. Take little steps at first, contributing reasonable amounts of time, skill, or funds, and then progressively increasing your commitments as you acquire experience.

Conclusion 

To wrap up, philanthropy is all about giving back to the community in whatever way. There are hundreds of external factors that work together to make philanthropic efforts successful. But, one cannot become a successful philanthropist unless they have the passion to create social change. That passion acts as the fire that ignites the urge to strive for the greater good.  

The mantra is to remain committed to your desire to help others, and everything else will naturally follow!

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Boost Your Productivity: How Your Environment Shapes Your Success

Have you ever wondered why some days you’re firing on all cylinders, while on others, you can barely focus? The secret might be hiding in plain sight — your environment. Let’s dive into how your surroundings can supercharge your productivity and explore game-changing solutions that could transform your work life.

The Science Behind Your Space

Research has consistently shown that our environment plays a crucial role in thinking, feeling, and performing. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that a well-organized workspace can boost productivity by up to 20%. That’s like getting an extra day’s work done each week!

Lighting: The Unsung Hero of Productivity

Proper lighting isn’t just about being able to see your work — it’s about energizing your mind and body. Natural light is ideal, but not always possible. That’s where high-quality desk lamps come in.

3000 Lumen Ultra Bright Architect Desk Lamp with Clamp, 36W Tall Overhead Led Desk Light for Home Office, 47Inch Long Dimmable Computer Monitor Light Bar with Remote for Table Desktop Drafting

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The Power of Plants

Adding a touch of nature to your workspace isn’t just about aesthetics. Studies have shown that indoor plants can reduce stress, increase creativity, and even purify the air.

Live Plant, Money Tree, Indoor House Plant

Aglaonema Easy To Grow Live Indoor Plant

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Noise Control: Silence is Golden

Unwanted noise can be a major productivity killer. While complete silence isn’t always achievable, you can create your oasis of calm.

Soundcore Space One Pro by Anker, Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

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Ergonomics: Comfort Equals Productivity

An uncomfortable workspace can lead to physical strain and decreased productivity. Investing in ergonomic furniture isn’t just about comfort — it’s about maintaining your health and focus.

Ergonomic Office Chair High Back Home Computer Mesh Chairs

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Organization: A Place for Everything

A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. Organizing your workspace can significantly reduce stress and increase efficiency.

Mesh Desk Organizer with File Holder

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Temperature Control: Finding Your Sweet Spot

Studies show that the ideal temperature for productivity is between 70–77°F (21–25°C). Too hot or too cold, and your focus wanes.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat — Programmable Smart Thermostat for Home

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Color Psychology: Paint Your Way to Productivity

The colors around you can affect your mood and energy levels. Blue can promote focus, while yellow can boost creativity.

Govee Smart Light Bulbs, Color Changing Light Bulb

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The Digital Environment: Declutter Your Screen

Your physical space isn’t the only environment that matters. A cluttered digital workspace can be just as distracting.

This powerful productivity app helps you organize your digital life, from emails to to-do lists, streamlining your workflow.

You can use Notion Or ClickUp

Conclusion: Small Changes, Big Results

Remember, creating a productivity-boosting environment doesn’t have to happen overnight. Start with small changes and see what works best for you. The key is to create a space that energizes and inspires you.

By investing in your environment, you’re investing in yourself and your potential for success. So why wait? Start transforming your space today and watch your productivity soar!

Your environment shapes your mindset, and your mindset shapes your success. What changes will you make to your surroundings today?